Chapter 280: Linglong Pagoda

Chapter 280 The Linglong Tower

There were no inns near the city gates; following this wide street capable of accommodating sixteen horses abreast, Li Huowang and his party walked for half an hour before finally finding one.

"This wretched place has truly gone mad! They actually fined us ten copper coins just because that ox was pulled onto the street! How am I supposed to control where the ox defecates?"

Zhao Wu, the treasurer, remained bitter over the previous incident.

"Exactly, that ox dung could have been used as firewood! Leaving it here was like giving them a gift! And they still demanded a fine! Damn it!" Lu Xiucai chimed in beside him.

"Enough, since we are in a new place, we must follow its rules. Let's go inside; today we can sleep on beds, so rest well." After speaking, Li Huowang lifted his foot and walked in.

Just upon entering the inn, Li Huowang felt fortunate he had previously obtained a travel permit from the county magistrate, for even staying at an inn here required such documentation.

"Hiss~ Little Daoist Master, this inn actually charges money for water! Have they gone mad with poverty? What's inside isn't tea, it's mountain spring water!"

Lu Zhuangyuan clutched the gourd-shaped teapot in his arms with trembling fear.

Li Huowang, who was flipping through maps to familiarize himself with the layout of the Great Liang Kingdom, looked up at him without speaking.

"Hey, old man sees it now, this Great Liang Kingdom, Great Liang Kingdom, truly isn't as good as our place; at least where we come from, drinking water costs nothing."

Lu Zhuangyuan carefully placed the ceramic teapot in his hand onto the table and remarked with emotion.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than his stomach rumbled; to reach within the city before dark, they hadn't even eaten lunch.

Hearing the sound of the other's stomach growling, Li Huowang turned his head toward Bai Lingmiao, who was arranging quilts by the bed, "Are you hungry? We'll deal with that later, let's go eat first."

"Little Daoist Master, perhaps we should just eat the dried provisions we brought; in this city, even water costs money, so who knows how expensive a meal will be."

Li Huowang slapped the map in his hand onto the table, "Expensive is expensive; after traveling so long, can't we enjoy ourselves properly? Go call the entire Lu family troupe; today we eat something good."

Upon hearing they were going to eat something good, everyone instantly perked up. A large crowd swarmed out of the inn.

As the sky gradually darkened, Li Huowang and his group climbed the stairs to the top floor of the five-story restaurant.

Standing atop the high building, the entirety of Yinling City lay before their eyes, causing everyone to involuntarily exclaim in awe.

The scenery below overwhelmed them; there was too much to see.

Li Huowang, who had already seen much in the later generations, paid no mind to this point; after noticing there were no Taoist temples or Buddhist monasteries in the city, his interest waned somewhat.

"Senior Brother Li, look what that is! So beautiful! It looks like a tall tower made of ceramics!"

Ceramic tower? Li Huowang looked up, inevitably shocked by the distant sight; Bai Lingmiao's words were not exaggerated, it was indeed a tower made entirely of ceramics.

The tower's peak was capped with seven-colored glazed tiles, the body snow-white throughout, with the unique azure-blue patterns of blue-and-white porcelain, like several green dragons flying from the first floor directly to the top layer.

Even the bells on the sides of the tower were plated with gold; swaying gently in the breeze, a low bell sound slowly rippled out from within, exquisite yet carrying a touch of solemnity.

"This tower is truly beautiful." Li Huowang couldn't help but speak out; these words were sincere, for such a wonder, even in his later era, would be impossible to see.

Hearing Li Huowang's praise, the scholar in green robes standing nearby watching the view snapped open his paper fan with a 'pa', saying proudly, "Naturally, this is the Linglong Tower of Yinling City; there is only one in all of Great Liang."

Finishing, he glanced at Gao Zhijian's patched shoe surface, and the others' attire which clearly clashed with the environment, a trace of contempt immediately appearing on his face.

Li Huowang pointed his finger at the distant Linglong Tower and asked the scholar, "May I ask, whose place is that? Is anyone cultivating within the tower?"

The scholar laughed immediately, "Hahaha, young friend, your words are quite interesting; yes, there is indeed someone cultivating within this Linglong Tower."

Li Huowang, extra sensitive to such matters, couldn't help but feel tense, "What? Could there be an existence similar to Zhengde Temple within this city?"

Li Huowang narrowed his eyes slightly; the distant Linglong Tower became clearer before him, some women inside coming into his view.

Those plump women wearing transparent thin gauze swayed slowly; on their bodies white as jade, all were tattooed with dark blue patterns.

If they stood there motionless, they seemed like exceptionally exquisite pieces of blue-and-white porcelain.

Just then, the scholar holding back laughter continued speaking, "Within this Linglong Tower, what is cultivated is the way of men and women, hahaha, that Linglong Tower is actually a place of pleasure, ah hahaha~!!"

"Why do you people of Great Liang build brothels inside towers?" Guowa asked, feeling confused.

Other spectators nearby joined in. "Ai~! You speak wrongly; there are so many places for seeking flowers and asking willows, why does the Linglong Tower rank first under heaven? It requires the word 'strange'."

"As long as you have money, you can even go to the Linglong Tower, specifically pick a girl, and decide what pattern to tattoo on her body; I heard last time, someone got drunk and tattooed a turtle on the face of the girl he bought."

This topic immediately drew others to join in, "Not only that, not only that; I was fortunate enough to visit once, the flesh of the girls in the Linglong Tower feels like cotton when touched, extraordinary, truly extraordinary."

Hearing the words around become increasingly explicit, Li Huowang looked at the distant Linglong Tower, a trace of mockery appearing on his face.

"Truly worthy of the Great Liang Kingdom with Beauty Paper; in such matters, they really do exhaust their minds to research."

Just then, Li Huowang's gaze shifted downward, happening to see an old beggar prostrate on the ground nearby.

That ragged old beggar also had dark blue blue-and-white porcelain patterns on his face, but those wrinkles cut through the stripes, making it look as if it were shattered.

Everyone loves good porcelain, but once that porcelain shatters, it becomes worthless.

"Senior Brother Li, the waiter has served the dishes, let's go eat, don't wait until the food gets cold."

Li Huowang glanced at the distant Linglong Tower again, turned back to sit beside the round seat, and began to eat.

In Great Liang regarding eating, as long as one has money, the variety in eating is no less than in playing.

"Qin Mulberries Bow Low Over Green Branches: Misty rice fields fly white egrets, shady summer woods turn orioles, phoenixes roam on Phoenix Terrace, yellow crane goes away never to return...."

Accompanied by various elegant names, various dishes full of color, aroma, and taste were served onto the table.

Looking at the lifelike phoenix carved from radish before him, Gao Zhijian retracted the chopsticks he had extended.

"Eat, what are you waiting for?" After Li Huowang put down his chopsticks, the others finally moved their hands.

Immediately after, no one spoke, leaving only constant sounds of swallowing and chewing; even Li Huowang's current palate could find no fault.

Other tables seeing this rude scene showed traces of disdain, yet Li Huowang and his group simply did not care.

The sky gradually darkened; corresponding to the stars above were the lights on the ground.

"Senior Brother Li, look quickly! There are lamps in the sky!"

(End of Chapter)