For example, the Third Imperial Prince was one who had this special privilege.
But, who was the Third Imperial Prince? He was a genius of martial arts on his own, with a cultivation level of the seventh layer of Gushing Spring Tier, also one of the heirs to the throne! In the future, he would definitely become a very powerful person!
But what about Ling Han, then? Could it be that he also had this kind of special privilege?
Jin Wuji was really astonished. He knew that Ling Han was a monster who had charged out like a dark horse to take the first place in the Da Yuan Tournament, and had even managed to obtain the full support of three Black Grade low level alchemists.
But, that was only in Da Yuan City. This was the Imperial City! Ling Han had just been here for a few days, and he was already so high up on the social ladder?
To compare yourself with others would indeed drive one crazy.
Jin Wuji could not help but sigh internally. He had been in the Imperial City for more than three years, but aside from the significant increase of his cultivation level, there was not even one bit of increase to his personal status. If he compared himself with Ling Han, he would really die of embarrassment.
He had no suspicions that Ling Han was just bluffing. Ling Han could be a joker at times, but he would never make unrealistic boasts on matters like this.
“Tonight, then!” Jin Wuji said, barely able to hide the excitement on his face.
For a minor clan like the Jiang Clan, they wouldn’t even be able to step through the main doors of the Cherishing Flower Pavilion, what more to have a meal at one of the side courtyards within. After this night, what need would there be for him to still fear that the Jiang Clan would continue to look down on him and object to his and Jiang Fei Yan’s marriage?
“All right!” Ling Han nodded.
“Thank you, Brother Ling! Thank you, Brother Ling!” Jin Wuji bowed repeatedly, obviously very excited. He secretly decided that no matter what favors Ling Han needed from him in the future, he would do everything in his might to help him.
He turned and left—it was naturally to inform the Jiang Clan about the dinner tonight. This was something he should be very proud of to announce.
Meanwhile, Ling Han remained in his courtyard, immersing himself in comprehending the art of the sword. He had reached a bottleneck and had been stuck on mere six flashes of Sword Qi for a very long time. Yet, somehow he had still not managed to break through and form the seventh flash of Sword Qi.
In truth, even if it was an extremely capable swordsman, it was already very impressive to be able to form a single flash of Sword Qi in ten years’ time. Moreover, the more flashes of Sword Qi one managed to form, the more they would slow down in their advance. By the time a swordsman got to be about a hundred years old, if he had managed to form ten flashes of Sword Qi, he would be praised as a genius of martial arts.
However, Ling Han was not satisfied. His starting point was well ahead of all others, so naturally he could not compare himself with the normal rate of advance.
Previously, he had spent a lot of time on discussions of the art of the sword with Mo Gao. Mo Gao was a mad genius who had actually managed to touch a sliver of the the mysteries of Sword Heart and had given Ling Han a lot of inspiration. On the spot, Ling Han had managed to form his sixth flash of Sword Qi. However, this had also expended all the accumulated understanding he had built up, so it would be indeed difficult for him to advance another step forward in a short period of time.
Ling Han sat in a cross-legged position, holding his right index finger out as if it was a sword he was wielding. He continued to wave his finger around in various sword movements, examining the art of the sword that he had managed to comprehend so far in his mind.
Before he knew it, it was already noon. He stopped and got up to prepare food for Hu Niu—the food for himself and the Liu sisters was just cooked in passing; it would be an accomplishment enough if they even managed to finish off a hundredth of the food that he had prepared.
He spent the afternoon on his studies of the art of the sword. For Ling Han, there was nothing much that the Academy could teach him. Before he came, he had already decided that the primary purpose he was here was just to make Ling Dong Xing happy. However, the path he was meant to walk in the future had already been well planned in advance by him.
In the evening, he brought Hu Niu along with him to the Cherishing Flower Pavilion. He merely flashed the Cherishing Flower Command, and automatically, there were female attendants leading him to an elegant side courtyard and enquiring him about the dishes and wines to be served for the dinner tonight.
The appetizers were served first. When Hu Niu saw them, she could not help but feel her appetite stirred up and failed to hold back from stealing a few bites, causing the eight female attendants serving them to cover their mouths as they smiled secretly.
Ling Han would naturally not reprimand her either. After all, he was not short of money now. If she finished off a plate, then he’d just have another plate served.
After about half an hour, a company of eight walked in, led by a female attendant. Aside from Jin Wuji, the other seven people of this party was naturally the members of the Jiang Clan. They included Jiang Fei Yan and her parents, as well as her two aunts and their two sons.
“So this is a side courtyard of the Cherishing Flower Pavilion. It’s really too beautiful. In the past, we only managed to get into the ordinary rooms of the Cherishing Flower Pavilion.”
“Looks like Fei Yan has really found the right guy this time. He can even manage to make a reservation for a side courtyard of the Cherishing Flower Pavilion!”
“Yes, yes. I heard that only members of the Eight Great Clans and the Imperial Family have the ability to reserve a side courtyard here. Then wouldn’t that mean that we are at the same level as the Eight Great Clans and the Imperial Family now?”
The older members of the Jiang Clan were all looking very excited. As a minor clan, they did not have much to worry about. The only thing they lacked was advancement in their social status and recognition of their status. Merely having dinner here tonight would be enough for them to boast for the rest of their lives.
“Do you have any souvenirs here that I can attach to my clothes?” Eldest Aunt immediately asked one of the female attendants. If there were, then she would definitely attach it to her clothes everyday and would show it to everyone she met.
The female attendant stared blankly. Those who were able to come here to spend money were naturally of extremely high status, so she had never been asked such a question by anyone else before. She could not help but be stunned for a moment, before replying, “We don’t!”
“How could you not have any?” Youngest Aunt also leaned over, “Why not you ask someone to prepare one for us?”
“That’s right! That’s right! Prepare one!” Eldest Aunt said hurriedly.
When they heard the words of these two senior relatives, Jin Wuji and Jiang Fei Yan both blushed to the roots of their hair, feeling unbearably ashamed. Meanwhile, those two cousins of Jiang Fei Yan kept staring pervertedly at the faces and breasts of the female attendants with deep focus.
“Brother Jin!” Ling Han stood and waved at Jin Wuji.
“Brother Ling!” Jin Wuji returned the gesture, filled with gratitude.
“Haha, thank you very much, Brother Jin. Thanks to you, I can also enjoy a meal at this Cherishing Flower Pavilion for once,” Ling Han said, smiling.
Jin Wuji knew that Ling Han was trying to put him in a high position. He could not help feeling very touched by the action, and only nodded repeatedly.
Ling Han smiled. Though there had been a little conflict between himself and Jin Wuji and Jin Wuxiang, Jin Wuji had already apologized long ago, so everything was forgotten. And afterwards, Jin Wuji purposely forfeited his match at the Da Yuan Tournament, and even brought his own people to help rescue Ling Dong Xing. Whether or not Ling Han had needed it, all these were debts that Ling Ha
n owed.
Debts would naturally have to be repaid, so Ling Han was very willing to act as a minor role to cast a better light on Jin Wuji.
“You naturally have to thank our Wuji!” Eldest Aunt wore a very despising expression, looking very disdainful. “I heard that you are a friend of Wuji’s from the Da Yuan City. You are indeed a country bumpkin that doesn’t know the rules of proper society. It was already nice enough to invite you to dinner, and you actually brought a little girl along with you.”
Jin Wuji’s expression changed immediately, and he was about to speak up. Yet when he saw Ling Han shake his head at him, he could only swallow the urge down.
Ling Han did not take the words of Eldest Aunt to heart at all. They went in one ear and out the other. What need was there for him to take such a vulgar person seriously? After all, they would only be meeting this once. In the future, he would not see these people again.
Thankfully, the members of the Jiang Clan were all mesmerized by the new sights they saw since it was their first time entering into a side courtyard of the Cherishing Flower Pavilion. When the dishes were served one after another, as smoothly as the flow of water, they could not bother with displaying disdain for Ling Han any longer and began enjoying the food.
“Aiya!” One of the female attendants suddenly exclaimed in shock, pointed at the Jiang Fei Yan’s eldest cousin, and said, “He, he touched my bottom!”
Chapter 165
Translator: _Dark_Angel_ Editor: Kurisu
“Why are you making such a fuss? You have a tiger’s bottom, is it that I can’t even touch?” Zhang Hua Lian, the eldest cousin, humphed, looking very displeased. After all, touching someone else’s bottom was a very lowly thing to do—even he, who thought himself a casanova, would not want to be exposed for doing such a thing in such a public venue.
“Aren’t you going to apologize to my cousin?” Tong Yuan, the second cousin, spoke up as well, arrogance all over his face. “We are the most honored customers of your Cherishing Flower Pavilion! Do you know who honored customers are? Those who are able to enter into a side courtyard are all in the ranks of Spiritual Pedestal Tier elites. One word from us, and your whole family would be dead!”
The female attendant looked both angry and embarrassed. However, she was only a female attendant with little power. It was obviously she who had experienced a loss, yet now, according to them, it was also she who was in the wrong.
The two aunts looked on indifferently. In their eyes, a mere female attendant was naturally not worth even a single hair off the heads of their sons. So what if their son touched her bottom? She wouldn’t lose a pound of flesh anyway. Moreover, weren’t the women here all selling their bodies? What was the point in acting all noble now?
“Eldest Cousin, Second Cousin, just let it go!” Jiang Fei Yan spoke up. As a woman, she was naturally sympathizing with the female attendant. However, the one who had taken advantage was her own cousin. She couldn’t possibly help outsiders against her own family members, right?
“Fei Yan, you are going to be a bride of a major clan in future, and going to have a very noble status. There is no need for you to sympathize with these little b******!” Eldest Aunt immediately said to Jiang Fei Yan in a lecturing tone.
“That’s right, Fei Yan. You can’t be too kind. As the matriarch of a major clan, you must learn to be ruthless in your ways,” Youngest Aunt continued. Both Jiang Fei Yan’s own parents remained silent, however. From the looks of it, both her parents did not have much of a voice within the Jiang Clan. Instead, they couldn’t even compare with these two daughters who had married outside the clan.
The truth was indeed so. The current clan head of the Jiang Clan was Jiang Fei Yan’s grandmother, and she very much doted on these two daughters of hers who had married outside the clan because they had both managed to marry well—both their husbands were members of middle-class clans. Though their husbands were not very important in their own clans, they still benefited from the protection and influence of their clans. Naturally, they were very confident in front of their relatives who were only members of a minor clan.
Every time they returned to their parents’ home, they would strut around in front of their siblings. As time passed, Jiang Fei Yan’s parents spoke less, allowing these two aunts to speak as much as they liked.
This time, the plans to marry Jiang Fei Yan off to a middle-class clan was naturally the handiwork of these two aunts. In their eyes, this was naturally all for Jiang Fei Yan’s own good.
However, Jin Wuji suddenly transformed to become so awesome that he could even manage to reserve a side courtyard of Cherishing Flower Pavilion. The attitudes of these two aunts naturally changed, and they began to mend their relationship with Jiang Fei Yan’s father, intending to get to a higher position through the help of Jin Wuji in the future.
The female attendant was already crying from the harsh words of these two aunts. Unfortunately, the Cherishing Flower Pavilion had its own rules. She did not dare to cover up her face and leave at all.
Zhang Hua Lian saw this and became even bolder as he said, “Come and sit beside me. Accompany me for a cup of wine.”
“Hmph!” Ling Han stood up. He knew that the members of the Jiang Clan were snobbish and overbearing, yet had never thought that even two juniors would behave so lecherously out in the open. He approached that female attendant, handed her a monetary note, and said, “I am really sorry. This is a small token from me. Though it cannot compensate for the wounds to your self-esteem, but please accept it.”
That female attendant took one look at the monetary note, and paled in shock. It was a monetary note worth ten thousand silver coins!
One had to understand that she was only a female attendant who had a cultivation level of the seventh layer of Body Refining Tier. The most she could earn in a single month would be about three hundred silver coins. Though this was also quite a considerable sum of money, when compared with the colossal amount of ten thousand, there was indeed a huge difference.
“Mister, I do not dare accept!” she said, blushing.
“Just accept it!” Ling Han said, smiling. He waved his hand and said, “We do not need your service here anymore. All of you may leave!”
“Yes, Mister!” The eight female attendants all bowed in response. They naturally were well aware that the real boss here was Ling Han, and they all looked at Ling Han with gratitude in their eyes. When their eyes swept over the few members of the Jiang Clan, their gazes were filled with strong disdain and despise.
“Who allowed you to leave? All of you are to stay here!” Zhang Hua Lian immediately called out.
“That’s right. How dare you leave?” Tong Yuan even stood up, and from the look of him, he was planning to stop them from leaving.
Jin Wuji hurriedly stood as well and pushed Tong Yuan back into his seat as he said, “Second Cousin, forget about it.” He was aware that Ling Han was already displeased. If Tong Yuan dared to step forward and make trouble, Ling Han would most likely fly into a rage on the spot.
Those two aunts of the Jiang Clan were also about to explode, but when they saw that Jin Wuji had spoken up to settle the issue, they could only push down their anger. They did not dare offend Jin Wuji now. After all, he was a man who could manage to reserve a side courtyard of Cherishing Flower Pavilion.
“Wuji, Youngest Aunt is not really trying to reprimand you. However, your kindness to your friends is because of your own loyalty to friends, but friends would still be outsiders. How could they be as dependable as your own people!” Youngest Aunt pursed her lips, targeting Ling Han with her words.
“That’s right. Just take a look. You kindly invited your friend over to broaden his horizons, and what does he do? He actually brought a filthy little girl with him. She looks like she has not eaten anything in her entire life. How embarrassing. My advice is, it’s best to break off the friendship with such a person!” Eldest Aunt said as well.
The two had not spoken in very low voice
s, obviously deliberately loud enough for Ling Han to hear their words.
Jin Wuji received a horrible scare. Break off the friendship with such a person? If he did not have the friendship with such a person, how would you all be able to sit here to enjoy dinner tonight? He stole a look at Ling Han, and when he saw that Ling Han did not appear to be angry, he was greatly relieved. Still, he did not dare to allow these two shrews to continue with their words, and quickly said, “Come, come, come. Everyone, please enjoy your drinks and food! Uncle, Aunty, please allow me to offer you a drink!”
He raised his head directly, and drained his cup.
Ling Han knew that Jin Wuji was making his apologies in this way. He smiled calmly. Tonight’s dinner was to repay Jin Wuji’s previous favors to him, so he would naturally not easily be angered. All would depend on whether those two aunts of the Jiang Clan continued to seek their deaths.
After a few rounds of wine, they were all a bit tipsy. Eldest Aunt stood up, and said to Youngest Aunt, “We have never been to a side courtyard before. Let’s go stroll around. Who knows, we might meet with some important people. If we manage to befriend them, then we’d flourish in the future!”
“Right, right, right!” Youngest Aunt hurriedly stood up as well.
This pair of snobbish sisters leaned on each other and made their way out. However, after only a few moments, they returned, and it was as if their faces were shining. “Guess whom we saw just now?”
Without waiting for an answer, they both quickly answered their own question. “Grandmaster Yuanchu Yuan! Do you all know who Grandmaster Yuanchu is? A Black Grade middle level alchemist! His status is high enough to scare all of you to death!”
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 97