Chapter 158: A Minor Loss

The Chunyue Tribe held its bride-seeking events at specific times, and the husbands chosen were not permanent fixtures. To put it simply, candidates were selected through a massive screening process from thousands of applicants. Once chosen, the successful man would live together with a maiden of the Chunyue Tribe until she became pregnant.

Once a Chunyue maiden conceived, the husband was free to leave. Upon his departure, he would receive a parting gift from the tribe—a substantial amount of resources suitable for his current cultivation realm!

Therefore, every year when the Chunyue Tribe held its bride-seeking event, hordes of people broke their necks trying to get in. First, they could taste the charms of the Chunyue maidens; second, they could enjoy a wealth of cultivation resources afterwards.

Over the years, a small sub-group known as the "Chunyue Husbands" had even emerged within the Kunlun Secret Realm. The members of this faction went back to participate in the bride-seeking events almost every year solely to acquire cultivation resources.

The Chunyue Tribe turned a blind eye to such behavior. All they wanted was the continuation of their lineage. As for resources? Would a tribe that ran pleasure houses throughout the entire secret realm care about such petty cash?

After all, cultivators of high status could not bring themselves to lower their pride and participate in a bride-seeking event. Those who came possessed only mediocre cultivation, and virtually no one above the fifth rank ever took part. To the Chunyue Tribe, these resources were merely a single thousandth of a fiber from a drop of water in the ocean.

Ba Shandong nudged Yang Fan from behind and said, "Brother Yang, you aren't still a virgin, are you?"

Yang Fan's face instantly turned as red as a beet. How was he supposed to answer that? Even though they were both men, admitting to someone that he was an untouched virgin was simply too embarrassing for Yang Fan to utter.

Seeing Yang Fan fidgeting and hesitating, Ba Shandong found it quite amusing. What was the use of not admitting it? Every single movement of yours has already betrayed you...

Ba Shandong called out to the madam nearby, "Mother Han, please find two refined courtesines to keep my brother company and share a drink... And make sure the banquet spreads are the absolute best!"

"Consider it done, Young Master Dao, rest assured!" With that, the madam turned away to arrange the banquet!

Yang Fan was led by Ba Shandong to sit down in a secluded spot!

"I never expected this, Brother Yang. A talented young gentleman like you has actually never tasted the forbidden fruit? Haha..." Ba Shandong laughed, looking at Yang Fan.

Blushing, Yang Fan replied, "Brother Dao mocks me. Your younger brother is indeed visiting such a place for the very first time..."

"No worries, no worries at all. Everyone has a first time, right? Tell me, do you want to taste the forbidden fruit today?" Ba Shandong asked Yang Fan, winking suggestively. His words were dripping with temptation.

Yang Fan closed his eyes, then opened them again, and said to Ba Shandong, "Brother Dao, please stop teasing me. I won't put you to such expense. I'll just have some food and drink here, sit for a while, and you can go enjoy yourself!"

Ba Shandong wore a look of utter astonishment, then said, "Brother Yang, this is the Chunyue Pavilion after all. Although they do have refined courtesans, drinking and eating in the Chunyue Pavilion without going all the way is practically a sin. Rest assured, the maidens of the Chunyue Tribe are absolute beauties—tender and alluring. If you even want a virgin, I'll pull out all the stops and find you one today..."

Yang Fan quickly said, "Brother Dao, stop joking. Your younger brother really doesn't mean that. Go on and have your fun, I'll wait right here for you..." This kind of heavy-duty atmosphere made Yang Fan extremely uncomfortable.

Ba Shandong burst into loud laughter nearby and said, "Brother Yang, since you won't go, I won't force you. Perfect, I've never tried just drinking tea and wine here in the Chunyue Pavilion either. Today, I'll join Brother Yang in experiencing the mood of sitting uncorrupted amidst temptation..." With that, Ba Shandong waved away the surrounding maidens, sat down next to Yang Fan, and began to chat with him.

Before long, another table laden with dishes was served!

Looking at this full table of food, Yang Fan felt his head spin. In this short span of time today, he had already eaten three meals—it was truly exasperating!

At this moment, Ba Shandong had also lost all interest in the table of delicacies.

No one could possibly endure eating meal after meal continuously!

It wasn't that they lacked the appetite, but rather that they were sick of eating. As cultivators, it didn't matter if they kept eating endlessly; the food consumed could be completely converted into spiritual breath or vital blood, continuously replenishing the body while any excess simply dissipated with the wind.

Therefore, the amount a cultivator ate was never an issue. The problem wasn't whether they could physically consume it, but whether they could bear it. Eating could become tedious, you know!

Before long, four youthful maidens approached! One sat to the side playing the zither, another poured wine, and the remaining two sat on either side of Yang Fan and Ba Shandong, occasionally raising their cups to toast the two men.

This was Yang Fan's first time drinking alcohol within the Kunlun Secret Realm. As the wine slid down his throat, it was crisp, clear, and sweet—completely different from the liquor on Earth. For a moment, Yang Fan actually grew quite fond of this taste, and soon he and Ba Shandong were exchanging toasts with great abandon and delight!

Before long, both Yang Fan and Ba Shandong were dead drunk, and they were carried upstairs to rest in a room!

...

When Yang Fan woke up again, he saw a spacious room where a woman with her back to him was combing her long hair!

Yang Fan rubbed his eyes, looked down at himself, and for a moment found it difficult to accept!

Sensing movement behind her, the grooming maiden turned her head. Seeing that Yang Fan had gotten up, she hurried over to support him and said, "Young Master is awake... Would you like some water?"

Yang Fan nodded blankly. The impact of all this was a bit too overwhelming.

Yang Fan only remembered that yesterday he and Ba Shandong had clinked glasses and drank a great deal of alcohol. Although he got drunk later on, he hadn't thought of using his spiritual breath to force the alcohol out of his system.

Yang Fan had been feeling stifled these past few days, so getting dead drunk just happened to be quite nice.

However, this outcome was not what he desired. A lone man and a woman sharing a single room, and in a pleasure house like the Chunyue Pavilion at that—this left Yang Fan with an indescribable feeling in his heart!

Yang Fan reached out and took the cup of water handed over by the maiden. After taking two slow sips, he asked the maiden, "Milady, last night? Uh, last night?"

Seeing Yang Fan stammer and hesitate, the maiden covered her mouth with a smile and said, "Young Master need not be troubled. Nothing happened between us last night. I was sent by Young Master Dao to attend to you. I stayed by your side all night, but you were heavily drunk and didn't do a thing..."

Hearing these words, Yang Fan let out a long sigh of relief, though deep down he felt a tiny twinge of disappointment.

Come to think of it, since he was dead drunk yesterday, even if he had lost his chastity, it would have only been in the natural course of events. Why was he making such a big fuss over nothing...

Afterward, Yang Fan downed the remaining water in the cup in one gulp and shook his head...

Then, Yang Fan was helped into his clothes by this maiden named Lin!

Yang Fan's original clothes, which he had worn from Earth, had been discarded by Ba Shandong on his own authority yesterday. However, Ba Shandong had had a tailor measure Yang Fan's size through the night, and early this morning the tailor had brought over a brand-new set of garments freshly made for him!

Attire in the Kunlun Secret Realm consisted mostly of long robes.

Yang Fan put on the newly made long robe and checked himself out in the bronze mirror, feeling it looked pretty good! It had sharp lines, though it was a bit cumbersome...

Soon after, Yang Fan walked downstairs in high spirits, while down in the main hall, Ba Shandong had been waiting for a long time!