Chapter Thirty-One: The Dance Pavilion

This sleep lasted seven days, though it’s not to say that Zhou Tian slumbered for an entire week. Rather, nothing noteworthy had happened during those days—until today. Several days ago, Uncle Zhou had told him that his two elder brothers would be returning today.

As mentioned previously, his brothers had spent years away, waging war somewhere unknown. Zhou Tian had inquired more than once, but no one had heard of any conflict. Not only his own brothers, but also Zhou Xunchuan’s two brothers—the Crown Prince and the Second Prince—were due to return, as well as the heirs of many ministers, all supposedly fighting battles abroad. Today, all would come home.

In the memories of his former self, there was little of his brothers; being only sixteen or seventeen years old, they had rarely returned in his lifetime. As Zhou Tian pondered how to idly spend his day, a pillar of azure light erupted from the direction of the cultivation chamber, stretching into the heavens. Within the light, a crystal-clear longsword gleamed, radiating a brilliance so dazzling that it threatened to pierce the soul.

“Has she broken through?” Zhou Tian’s lips curled into a smile. He recognized the phenomenon of a breakthrough. Tian Ling had been training behind closed doors for days, and he had been bored senseless. Now, at last, they could go out together.

He hastened toward the cultivation chamber. By the time he arrived, Tian Ling was already stepping out, the door pushed open. Despite her isolation these past days, she seemed anything but dulled—her skin now glowed with an even more luminous sheen.

Seeing Zhou Tian at the chamber door, Tian Ling’s face lit with joy. She walked up to him, hesitating, unsure what to say.

“Did you break through?” Zhou Tian prompted.

“Yes,” Tian Ling nodded softly. “I’ve advanced to the Earth Vault Realm. The divine abilities I’ve developed complement the heavenly vault powers perfectly.”

A new light animated her face, a blend of pride and a hint of boastfulness, as though she sought to claim credit before Zhou Tian.

Though the luxurious cultivation chamber of the Zhou family had played no small part in her progress, her own talent and effort could not be discounted.

“Well done, well done! Our Ling’er is the most formidable!” Zhou Tian laughed, gently ruffling Tian Ling’s hair—a killer move, the legendary head pat.

A blush blossomed on Tian Ling’s cheeks, her beautiful eyes narrowing with pleasure. She felt inexplicably comfortable, even nuzzling her head against Zhou Tian’s palm like a cat.

The sight stirred Zhou Tian’s heart, prompting him to straighten in subtle respect.

He arched his back slightly and said,

“Come, let’s find something delicious to eat. Later, all the brothers who’ve been campaigning will return—the palace is hosting a banquet, and we must attend.”

This was a celebration banquet; every notable person in the capital was expected to go, Zhou Tian included. Tian Ling could have excused herself, but he’d be too bored alone, so he preferred to bring his girlfriend.

“Alright…” Tian Ling nodded, embarrassed by her earlier actions.

They prepared the carriage and left the Prince of Qin’s mansion.

With the Youth Tournament approaching, more and more people flocked to the capital—from diverse factions and lands, all for one purpose: the tournament. Though the city was filling up, the avenues remained so broad that they still felt somewhat deserted.

“The disciples of the Six Demons of Mount Dang,” Tian Ling commented, sitting in the carriage and peering through its transparent walls at several oddly dressed men.

“Those are from the Flower Palace,” she remarked as a group of scantily clad young women passed by.

“The people of the Northern Desert,” she observed, as a figure entirely covered in white sand walked down the street. No facial features could be seen; the sand seemed to flow, yet not a grain was left behind.

Tian Ling identified these outlandish figures—some even nonhuman—with ease, while Zhou Tian recognized none. Still, they all belonged to factions under the Heavenly Qin Empire, or were registered there, so he had no need to know them by name; before him, they were all mere juniors.

Despite the influx of outsiders, these people knew enough not to provoke the wrong parties; no one foolishly stepped out of line during their journey, which left Zhou Tian—hoping for a chance to show off and put someone in their place—slightly disappointed.

About half an hour later, their carriage stopped before the Dancing Heaven Pavilion.

The Dancing Heaven Pavilion was the largest restaurant in the capital, offering every imaginable service at the highest level. Rumor had it that its mysterious owner had enigmatic ties to the Emperor of Qin.

There were no doors to the pavilion; four jade columns carved with cloud patterns supported the entire structure, ablaze with lights. It operated round the clock. A group of young women stood outside, and Zhou Tian and Tian Ling, already familiar with the place from their last visit, followed their dedicated greeter inside.

Suddenly, Zhou Tian remembered someone—Zhou Zui.

After the series of shocks at the Prince of Qin’s mansion, Zhou Zui had avoided him these past few days, though Zhou Tian had called on him several times, always to no avail.

He glanced at the elegantly dressed young woman beside him and mused,

“Take me to Zhou Zui’s room. I have an appointment with him!”

Zhou Zui’s period of notoriety had passed; he spent eleven out of ten days here. The staff wouldn’t dare answer questions about him directly, so Zhou Tian planned to bluff his way through.

The hostess didn’t suspect a thing. She bowed slightly and said, “Of course, Young Lord, please follow me.”

The Dancing Heaven Pavilion didn’t use direct teleportation arrays—since it offered such a variety of services, it would be awkward if a guest in a private suite were engaged in something delicate. Instead, it employed a lift-like mechanism.

Following the hostess, Zhou Tian reached a floor near the top reserved for VIP suites, opulently decorated with fiery red carpets that felt warm and luxurious beneath one’s feet, clearly the pelts of once-mighty beasts.

Outside one suite, the door was crafted entirely from golden-threaded thousand-year nanmu wood.

As the maid was about to knock, Zhou Tian stopped her. “No need, just open the door. I have an appointment.”

The maid hesitated, but seeing Zhou Tian’s slight frown, she quickly nodded. “Yes, Young Lord.”

She produced a specially made key, inserted it into the air before the door. Layers of golden runes and arrays appeared, chains wrapped around, and with a gentle turn of the key, the arrays vanished, the chains shattered.

Seeing the door open, Zhou Tian nodded. “You may go.”

The maid bowed and withdrew.

Turning to Tian Ling, who had remained silent, he said, “Wait here for me. I’ll take a look inside.”

Zhou Tian feared that Zhou Zui might be engaged in something inappropriate, which might sully Ling’er’s pure heart.

He pushed open the door. A wave of fragrance greeted him. The entire room was awash in pink hues, filled with the sound of laughter like silver bells, mingled with Zhou Zui’s licentious chuckles.

On the large central table, a feast was spread, with rare delicacies from the outside world. Four scantily clad women surrounded Zhou Zui, feeding him exotic fruits in a special manner. Zhou Zui’s clothes were disheveled, and both his hands had already wandered into unspeakable places.