Chapter 282
Chapter 282
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 282
>Chapter Title: Linglong Tower
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There were no inns near the city gate. Following this spacious street wide enough for sixteen horses to gallop abreast, Li Huowang and the others walked for half a shichen before finally finding an inn.
“This damn place is insane! That ox just took a shit on the street, and they fined us ten copper coins! How the hell am I supposed to stop it?”
Zhao Wu, who was handling the money, was still griping about what had happened earlier.
“Exactly! Ox dung can be used as firewood! It was a gift to them, and they still fined us! What a load of crap!” Lv Xiucai chimed in from the side.
“Enough. When in a place, follow that place’s rules. Let’s head in. We can sleep on beds tonight—let’s get some proper rest.” With that, Li Huowang stepped inside.
The moment he entered the inn, Li Huowang felt grateful for the travel permit he’d gotten from the county magistrate earlier. This place even required one just to stay at an inn.
“Hiss~ Young Daoist, this inn charges money for water too? They must be dirt poor! And this isn’t tea in here—it’s mountain spring water!”
Lv Zhuangyuan clutched his gourd-shaped teapot nervously.
Li Huowang, who was studying the map to familiarize himself with the layout of the entire Great Liang Kingdom, glanced up at him without a word.
“Heh, this old man’s figured it out. Great Liang is Great Liang, but it’s really not as good as home. At least back home, water’s free.”
Lv Zhuangyuan carefully set his ceramic teapot down on the table with a sigh.
No sooner had he spoken than his stomach growled. To reach the city before dark today, they hadn’t even eaten their midday meal.
Hearing the noise, Li Huowang turned to Bai Lingmiao, who was tidying the bedding by the bed.
“Feeling hungry? We’ll sort it out later. Let’s go eat first.”
“Young Daoist, how about we just eat our own dry rations? If they charge for water in this city, who knows how pricey the food will be.”
Li Huowang slapped the map down on the table.
“Expensive or not, so what? After all this travel, don’t we deserve to enjoy ourselves? Go call the whole Lv Family Troupe. We’re eating well tonight.”
The mention of a good meal instantly perked everyone up. The large group bustled out of the inn in a noisy swarm.
As dusk fell, Li Huowang and the others climbed the stairs to the top floor of the five-story restaurant.
From the high vantage point, the entire city of Yinling lay spread out before them, drawing awed exclamations from everyone.
The scenery below was overwhelming, too much to take in.
Li Huowang, who had seen plenty in his past life, paid it no mind. Seeing no temples or monasteries in the city dampened his enthusiasm.
“Senior Brother Li, look at that! So pretty! It’s a tower made of porcelain!”
Porcelain tower? Li Huowang looked up and found himself stunned by the sight in the distance. Bai Lingmiao wasn’t exaggerating—it truly was a tower made entirely of porcelain.
The pagoda’s top was capped with colorful glazed tiles. Its body gleamed snow-white, adorned with the signature cobalt-blue patterns of blue-and-white porcelain, like azure dragons soaring from the base layer in a dance of clouds and waves straight to the pinnacle.
Even the bells along the edges were gilded. They swayed gently in the breeze, sending low, resonant chimes drifting out—exquisite yet solemn.
“This tower really is beautiful.” Li Huowang couldn’t help saying it aloud, and he meant it. A wonder like this was something he’d never see even in his past life.
Hearing Li Huowang’s praise, a nearby scholar in green robes snapped open his paper fan with a flourish.
“Of course it is. That’s Yinling City’s Linglong Tower—the only one in all of Great Liang.”
As he spoke, he glanced at the patches on Gao Zhijian’s shoes and the others’ out-of-place attire, a trace of contempt crossing his face.
Li Huowang pointed at the distant Linglong Tower and asked the scholar,
“May I ask, whose is that place? Are there cultivators inside the tower?”
The scholar burst out laughing.
“Hahaha, that’s a funny question, friend. You’re not wrong—there are indeed people cultivating inside the Linglong Tower.”
Li Huowang, ever sensitive to such matters, tensed up.
“How so? Does this city have something like Zhengde Temple?”
Li Huowang narrowed his eyes slightly. The distant Linglong Tower sharpened in his vision, revealing women inside.
Plump women clad in sheer gauze twisted slowly. Their jade-white bodies were covered in cobalt-blue patterns.
Motionless, they resembled exquisite blue-and-white porcelain vases.
Just then, the chuckling scholar continued,
“Inside the Linglong Tower, they cultivate the way of men and women. Hahaha, the Linglong Tower is just a brothel! Ahahaha~!!”
“Why do you people of Great Liang build brothels in towers?” puzzled Gouwa asked.
Some other sightseers nearby joined in.
“Hey~! Not quite right there. There are plenty of pleasure houses, but why does Linglong Tower reign supreme? It’s all about the novelty.”
“With enough money, you can even go to Linglong Tower and pick a girl to decide what gets tattooed on her. I heard some guy got drunk once and had a turtle tattooed on the face of the one he bought.”
The topic drew more people in.
“Not just that—I’ve had the honor of visiting once. The girls there feel like touching cotton; nothing like it, nothing like it.”
As the conversation around him grew cruder, Li Huowang gazed at the distant Linglong Tower with a sneer.
“As expected of Great Liang, land of the beauty paper. They really put their minds to researching this sort of thing.”
Just then, Li Huowang’s gaze drifted down to an old beggar prostrated on the ground nearby.
The ragged beggar’s face bore cobalt-blue porcelain patterns too, but deep wrinkles fractured them, making it seem shattered.
Fine porcelain was prized by all, but once cracked, it was worthless.
“Senior Brother Li, the waiter’s brought the food. Let’s eat before it gets cold.”
Li Huowang gave the distant Linglong Tower one last glance before turning back to the round table and digging in.
When it came to food, Great Liang offered endless varieties for those with money—more than even their pleasures.
“Qin Sang Low Green Branches: In vast watery fields, white egrets take flight; Shady summer woods, orioles turn to yellow; Phoenixes wander Phoenix Tower; Yellow Crane gone, never to return.”
Dishes with elegant names arrived one after another, each a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
Gao Zhijian reached out with his chopsticks toward the lifelike phoenix carved from radish, then pulled back.
“Eat up. What’re you waiting for?” Once Li Huowang started, the others followed suit.
Conversation ceased, replaced by nothing but swallowing and chewing. Even Li Huowang’s discerning palate found no fault.
The crude display drew disdainful looks from other tables, but Li Huowang and company couldn’t care less.
Night deepened, the earthly lamps mirroring the stars above.
“Senior Brother Li, quick, look! There are lamps in the sky too!”
(End of chapter)