I Can See Your Combat Power

Chapter 724: Chapter Eighteen: Full of Vigor

The trio convoy had quickly transformed into a quartet, with a blushing little boy trying his best to hide among them. Tang Luo couldn’t help but feel amused and slightly annoyed at the sight.

It seemed these past few days of seclusion had gotten to the lad; Tang Luo frequently heard his self-pitying sighs through the walls. Having to cease intense spirit art training to remain in peak condition for the upcoming competition, Tang Luo could understand why the boy would crave a night out in town after spending days with nothing much to do.

“If you want to go, just go. No need to hide,” Tang Luo shrugged his shoulders and turned to the other three on the brink of departure, “Take good care of him for me.”

Li Xuanba and Cui Haoran nodded vigorously, while Xiao Ziyu, leaning against a pillar, asked, “Aren’t you coming?”

“I’ll pass, you guys have fun.” Tang Luo shrugged sheepishly and was about to head back into his room when he suddenly remembered something important. He turned back and added, “Remember to behave, we have a competition in a few days. Got it?”

Although he was younger than the other three, his advice felt quite paternalistic. But nobody seemed to mind; it felt natural.

“No problem at all! You can count on us, Captain. We’re headed to the most high-end tavern in town to relax, not to make trouble,” Cui Haoran assured him earnestly, then jabbed Li Xuanba with an elbow, “Right?”

Catching the cue, Li Xuanba immediately followed suit and declared, “Absolutely, we’re just going for the music and the dancing!”

The words were decisive and full of righteousness. Tang Luo, shaking his head, couldn’t be bothered to give the Gentlemen’s Convoy one last look. He retreated back to his room to immerse himself in his research.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

Soon enough, another round of knocking interrupted him.

With an annoyed expression, Tang Luo opened the door to find the four smiling awkwardly. Cui Haoran and Li Xuanba were smirking while the little boy played it dumb with his hands behind his head, pretending to know nothing.

“What is it now?” Tang Luo groused, hands on his hips. He’d handed over the money, he’d let them go, and yet instead of rushing off to enjoy their night out, they were pestering him again. Looking for trouble, perhaps?

“We got stopped at the doorstep by Senior Xiao, who said we couldn’t go anywhere without you!” Cui Haoran stated with a sullen face. “Captain, you really must help us.”

Nobody had predicted this turn of events. Even Xiao Ziyu, who usually had a hot temper, felt his spirit extinguished when confronted by the draconic projection that spoke like a human. With their heads hanging low, their gaze focused on the floor, the group had no choice but to plead for Tang Luo’s help.

“Yeah, Captain. These days of isolation are really getting to me. If I don’t find some place to blow off steam, there’s this uneasy energy coiling up inside me,” Li Xuanba said, voicing his feelings. This real-talk outburst was disconcerting to Xiao Ziyu and Cui Haoran, given their attempts to keep things light.

Martial artists naturally have robust bodies. Such vitality usually comes with strong desires, especially at their young and aggressive age. A consort or two is common for the elites of their generation. Tang Luo could understand that after over twenty days, they’d have an urge to relieve themselves. But what he couldn’t comprehend was, “Are you really that restless? Don’t you know about refining the essence and retaining purity, or the secret arts of Embracing the Source and Clearing the Mind?”

They looked at each other, shook their heads, indicating they had never practiced such things.

Left speechless, Tang Luo found it surprising that a minor matter like visiting a brothel could reveal such a blind spot in the Longxi delegation’s preparedness. If they were to encounter a demoness skilled in seduction, they’d be wiped out.

“Who would practice such things before entering the Fierce Realm?” Xiao Ziyu retorted defensively, his cheeks reddening, “We three are at the peak of the Mortal Realm. This is the time for us to seize every opportunity to marry and have children. We can practice those secret arts after we ascended to the Fierce Realm!”

Cui Haoran and Li Xuanba chuckled in agreement, while Tang Luo was left with a throbbing headache.

Well, this could count as team building. He decided to let them have a good time today, and then get them to practice a technique of Embracing the Source and Clearing the Mind tomorrow.

“Let’s go then.”

After shutting the door behind him, he pondered that while spirit power research wasn’t something he could master instantly, going out to enjoy music and dance could provide a welcome change of pace—a chance to shift gears.

Beep, beep, beep. The five-member Longxi convoy was officially moving out!

As the four of them left the yard, bracing for the customary restraints, they noticed the draconic figures were nowhere in sight. Their tense expressions dissolved into joyous cheers in the tranquil lane, their footsteps unusually light.

Meanwhile, the Grandmaster in training was spotted smiling knowingly, reminiscing about the wild times he had with his comrades.

Though his friends were scattered all over the place now, their memory shone brightly in his mind like a glorious light.

…

Upon reaching the tavern’s courtyard, the group ordered a beast-drawn carriage to take them to the best brothel in Kunwu’s inner southern city. The closed carriage couldn’t contain the young men’s infectious enthusiasm.

“I’ve got it all sussed out from the meal delivery boy—this Spring Fragrance Pavilion is the best brothel in this district. The courtesans here are skilled in music, chess, literature, painting, you name it!” Cui Haoran stood in the center of the carriage, energetically presenting his findings, “Not to mention there are also foreign courtesans who are voluptuous, fair-skinned beauties with golden hair and azure eyes, petite ones you can toy around with, and delicate ones who can fold their legs behind their heads!”

He gulped and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “Apparently, there are also some catamites who are even more beautiful than the girls.”

Everyone exploded with excitement!

The young, robust men were so teased by Cui Haoran that their breaths turned heavy and their attention was undivided. Apparently, they really were stifled.

This situation was both amusing and exasperating. Who would have thought that Cui Haoran, the prodigy of the Cui family, would be such a rake? His performance was eerily similar to Tang Luo’s cousin Xu Laoying and Mi Bai, who was currently recuperating at the Hundred Herbs Immortal Mansion.

The Hundred Herbs Immortal Mansion, a top-tier medical sect, was so adept at their healings, a body mended by Innate Qi wouldn’t trouble them. While it requires some worldly and karmic compensation, at least it could rectify Tang Luo’s past mistakes.

Looking at the time, Mi Bai should have fully recovered by now. Once the martial arts convention ended, Tang Luo decided to make a trip to the Hundred Herbs Immortal Mansion and bring him back to Longxi.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the entrance of the Spring Fragrance Pavilion. The boys, eager to step out, leaped out of the carriage.

The highly experienced Cui Haoran waved his hefty ticket book at the welcoming concierge and announced, “Give us the best seats, the best wine, and bring out the most beautiful girls!”

“Right away, young masters. Please come right this way~~~” The concierge lowered his posture and bowed, his face blooming with a servile smile as he led them into the pavilion.