Chapter Fifty-Six
The Cultivation Speech Pavilion stood at the center of Eternal Peace Street in the Ghost King's city. Built in an octagonal shape, each corner was crowned with a fist-sized luminous pearl, while the exterior was adorned with gold dust and glazed tiles. To be honest, the Cultivation Speech Pavilion appeared even more opulent and extravagant than the Palace of Bell and Spirit.
The trio was so conspicuous that as soon as they stepped into the Cultivation Speech Pavilion, a young attendant immediately came forward to greet them.
"Well, well, three distinguished guests, please come in. Judging by your travel-worn appearance, you must be visiting the Ghost Realm for the first time."
With Lord Bixi guarding the border, the number of immortals and demons entering or leaving the Ghost Realm over the past few millennia could be counted on one hand. As soon as the three entered the Cultivation Speech Pavilion, the Ghost Lords waiting inside to purchase tokens all turned their gazes toward them.
Gu Jin had always been reticent in front of strangers, so naturally, it fell to A Jiu to handle such lively and social occasions. He snapped his fingers at the attendant, putting on the air of a wealthy landowner. "Little Ghost Lord, how are the tokens in your Cultivation Speech Pavilion priced? Name your price—I want the kind that gets me an audience with the Ghost King as quickly as possible."
As soon as A Jiu spoke these words, the Ghost Lords, who had initially only been curious about them, now looked on with scornful amusement.
The attendant was also taken aback for a moment before smiling and saying, "Since this is your first time entering the Ghost Realm, you probably aren't aware of the rules of our Cultivation Speech Pavilion. Allow me to explain to you, esteemed High Lords. The tokens for an audience with the Ghost King in our pavilion are divided into three grades. A third-grade token grants an audience with the Ghost King in eight days, a second-grade token in five days, and a first-grade token requires a wait of three days. As for the price..." The attendant gestured with three fingers and pointed toward the wall by the entrance. "Everything is clearly marked here. You just need to make an offer, take the token, deliver it to the Palace of Bell and Spirit, and wait for the Ghost King's summons."
The three turned to look at the wall behind them, where several lines of flamboyant calligraphy were inscribed.
First-grade token: one thousand gold or a millennium spiritual object.
Second-grade token: five hundred gold or a five-hundred-year spiritual object.
Third-grade token: three hundred gold or a three-hundred-year spiritual object.
Black characters on a white wall—clear, unambiguous, and unmistakable. It was as if the words "genuine goods at fair prices, no deception of young or old" were practically written there.
The three of them were utterly speechless, finally understanding how the Cultivation Speech Pavilion's extravagance came about. Even a well-established immortal sect like Great Marsh Mountain would be hard-pressed to scrape together fifty thousand gold. Although millennium spiritual objects were not uncommon within the sect, they were hardly as readily available as cabbages. Yet here in the Cultivation Speech Pavilion, a mere chance to see the Ghost King a few days earlier could be worth a millennium spiritual object. It was nothing short of sharpening the knife to slaughter the sheep.
Coincidentally, the three of them now felt exactly like the sheep about to be slaughtered.
All they had were the handful of gold leaves Yan Shuang had given them, which weren't even worth a hundred gold, let alone a thousand.
Clearly noticing the trio's grim expressions, the attendant added with persuasive encouragement, "Esteemed High Lords, if you haven't brought gold, it's no problem. Spiritual objects will do just fine. In fact, our pavilion master prefers spiritual objects even more."
A millennium spiritual object? The three exchanged glances. They did indeed have one—A Jiu, the nine-tailed fox, and Ayin, the Water Condensation Beast, were both genuine, bona fide spiritual objects, rarer than anything else.
A Jiu shot Gu Jin a glare, warning him not to get any ideas about him. Meanwhile, Ayin's eyes darted around, and she leaned toward the attendant, pretending to be indignant. "Hey, little Ghost Lord, don't try to fool us. Are these three grades of tokens the only ones for sale in your pavilion? I just heard from a Ghost General at the Palace of Bell and Spirit that if we can afford the price, we could see the Ghost King within the next couple of days."The young attendant was taken aback, hesitating slightly as he said, "Young Mistress, you are correct. Our pavilion does indeed have a special-class token. With that token, one can immediately enter the Palace of Bell and Spirit to have an audience with the Ghost King, but..."
"But what?" Ayin's eyes lit up as soon as she sensed an opportunity.
"This special-class token is in the hands of our pavilion master. As for the price, only the pavilion master has ever set it. I dare not make any decisions on my own."
"The pavilion master? Who is your pavilion master?" Ayin was startled and asked without thinking.
The attendant smiled. "Young Mistress, this is the Cultivation Speech Pavilion, so naturally, the pavilion master is Ghost Lord Xiuyan. Please, do not speak carelessly. In three thousand years, our Cultivation Speech Pavilion has only issued two special-class tokens. One was exchanged for ten ten-thousand-year nine-headed serpent Inner Cores, and the other for a ten-thousand-year phoenix tree. These are treasures that are hard to come by even in a thousand years."
Exchanged for a ten-thousand-year phoenix tree? Gu Jin and Ayin were stunned, recalling Dong Hua's instructions before his Ascension. They became even more certain that a phoenix tree was indeed hidden within the Palace of Bell and Spirit.
"Just to see the Ghost King a few days earlier, you need such rare treasures in exchange?" Ayin wondered aloud. "Wouldn't it be more cost-effective to wait ten or fifteen days without spending anything?"
The attendant smiled meaningfully, showing exceptional patience toward the three of them. "The three of you have traveled from afar to see His Majesty the Ghost King because you have a request, right? Since you have a request, others who come to see His Majesty are the same. The value of our Cultivation Speech Pavilion's tokens isn't in the few days saved but in the fact that if you pay a reasonable price, your wish to have an audience with His Majesty the Ghost King may be fulfilled." The attendant glanced thoughtfully at the three of them. "That's why our Cultivation Speech Pavilion has another rule: if one's request is not granted after the audience with His Majesty, the pavilion will take back the token without fail, ensuring no guest leaves empty-handed."
Even thieves have their code of honor—no wonder the Cultivation Speech Pavilion's business has stood firm in the Ghost Realm.
"What a pavilion master of the Cultivation Speech Pavilion," Gu Jin, who had remained silent since entering the pavilion, suddenly spoke up, looking toward the suspended area on the second floor. "Little Ghost Lord, if what you say is true, your pavilion master could be considered the uncrowned king of the Ghost Realm."
Gu Jin's words were firm and resonant, and the noisy Cultivation Speech Pavilion suddenly fell silent.
The attendant, who had been smiling amiably, now wore a stiff expression and was about to speak awkwardly when a light laugh suddenly rang out from the window on the second floor.
"As expected of Dong Hua's disciple, your words are bold indeed. Are you here to make a request or to cause trouble? This is not your Immortal Realm but the Ghost Realm, and the Ghost Realm has its own rules. Even your master, back in the day, gifted me a phoenix tree when he wanted to see the Ghost King. How much more so for you?"
By the window of the Phoenix Pavilion on the second floor, a white-robed Ghost Lord sat sideways. He turned his head, his features distant and elegant, dressed in brocade robes and a feathered crown. Though he was merely a ghost, he carried an air of nobility surpassing even the Immortal Lords of the Nine Heavens.
They had assumed the master of the Cultivation Speech Pavilion would be a vulgar and arrogant merchant, but who could have guessed he would be so refined and peerless? Only his face was alarmingly pale, giving the impression of someone not long for this world.
The mature, handsome aura about Xiuyan was something the youthful and tender A Jiu could not compare to. Ayin was instantly captivated by the sickly beauty by the window, standing on tiptoe to get a better look toward the Phoenix Pavilion.
Frowning, Gu Jin stepped forward, blocking Ayin's line of sight, and cupped his hands in salute toward the white-robed Ghost Lord. "Gu Jin pays his respects to Pavilion Master Xiuyan."Since he had a connection with his master, this owner of Cultivation Speech Pavilion was clearly no ordinary figure. The fact that he openly sold tokens of the Palace of Bell and Spirit likely indicated intricate ties with Ghost King Ao Ge.
"I have a connection with your master, so I can accept this courtesy." When the first word of this sentence sounded, Ghost Lord Xiuyan was still on the second floor, but by the time the last word fell, he was already right before them.
He directly bypassed Gu Jin and suddenly appeared in front of Ayin, standing no more than half a foot away, smiling as he asked, "Little girl, why do you keep staring at me?"
Gu Jin had sensed Xiuyan's movement the moment he acted, but despite using his immortal power to resist, Xiuyan still passed through his spiritual power without any hindrance. Gu Jin was inwardly startled—what exactly was the origin of this Cultivation Speech Pavilion owner? His ghostly power likely surpassed that of a demigod. Why had such a figure never gained fame across the Three Realms?
Ayin looked at the handsome ghost lord who had suddenly approached her, showing not a trace of embarrassment at being caught, and cheerfully replied, "Because you're good-looking! In all my life, I've never seen anyone more handsome than you."
Xiuyan was amused by Ayin's innocent expression and burst into laughter. "Little girl, I'm not a person—I'm a ghost."
"Then you're the best-looking ghost," Ayin waved her hand, appearing completely unfazed.
Beside them, A Jiu pursed his lips and snorted, clearly displeased. Gu Jin, evidently more composed, merely narrowed his eyes slightly.
As if ignoring the two frosty figures beside him, Xiuyan leaned even closer to Ayin, blinked meaningfully, and said, "Little girl, you suit my taste. I quite like you. Why not stay in the Ghost Realm? I guarantee you can live for thousands or tens of thousands of years and enjoy a lifetime of happiness."
Hearing this, Gu Jin no longer cared about the origins of Ghost Lord Xiuyan and was about to step forward to pull back his foolish beast, but unexpectedly, Ayin suddenly grabbed Xiuyan's hand.
Ghost Lord Xiuyan, having lived for tens of thousands of years, had never been flirted with so directly. For a moment, he was stunned and forgot to pull his hand away.
With Ayin's move, the entire Cultivation Speech Pavilion fell into an eerie silence. The ghost lords watching nearby were dumbfounded, thinking that the ladies of the Immortal Realm had become so bold nowadays—after just a few words, they were already holding hands.
A Jiu's eyes widened, and his fur bristled as he was about to step forward, but Gu Jin held him back. He glanced in the direction of Ayin and Xiuyan, his face filled with displeasure but ultimately suppressing his anger.
"Don't act recklessly. Look carefully."
Following Gu Jin's gaze, A Jiu saw Ayin's hand resting on Xiuyan's wrist, a faint but pure green spiritual power flowing from her fingertips slowly entering Xiuyan's hand.
Was Ayin transferring spiritual power to Xiuyan? A Jiu had been revived by Ayin in the Nine Nether Purgatory in the same way, so he was no stranger to this scene. But if Xiuyan could effortlessly bypass Gu Jin's immortal barrier, with such profound ghostly power, would he really need the spiritual power of a lowly Water Condensation Beast?
Gu Jin and A Jiu shared the same doubt in their hearts.
"Alright, little girl," Xiuyan's voice suddenly rang out. He removed Ayin's hand from his wrist, looking at her slightly pale face, his expression turning more serious. "That's enough."
Ayin nodded, noticing the rosy hue returning to Xiuyan's face, her eyes filled with clear relief and joy.
Xiuyan's heart stirred slightly, and he averted his gaze from Ayin's innocent eyes.Gu Jin walked forward with a grim expression, pressing his fingers to Ayin’s forehead. Only after confirming that she was merely fatigued from spiritual power depletion did he let out a sigh of relief.
Xiuyan couldn’t be bothered to face Gu Jin’s dark, thunderous expression. He yawned lazily and turned to walk upstairs. A token flew from his hand, landing directly in Ayin’s palm.
Ayin looked down. The golden token bore a flamboyant, sweeping character for “Special,” identical to the calligraphy on the wall. This was undoubtedly the treasured Special-Class Token of the Cultivation Speech Pavilion.
“Little girl, this lord is quite fond of your gift,” a languid voice drifted down from the staircase. “Take this token to the Palace of Bell and Spirit, and you’ll naturally be able to meet the Ghost King. We… shall meet again if fate allows.”
The final words were spoken softly, yet carried a profound weight. Strangely, aside from Ayin and Gu Jin, no one else seemed to hear them.
By the time the others looked up again, the elusive master of the Cultivation Speech Pavilion had vanished without a trace.
Ayin turned the golden token over in her hands several times, then cheerfully handed it to Gu Jin. “A Jin, this Ghost Lord Xiuyan is truly a good person. I just saw he looked unwell and gave him a bit of spiritual power, and he gave us such a precious token in return. Come on, let’s go to the Palace of Bell and Spirit to meet His Majesty the Ghost King.”
As she spoke, she eagerly tugged Gu Jin and A Jiu toward the exit.
Though A Jiu was simple-minded, this time he managed to grasp the key issue. He discreetly pulled Ayin aside and earnestly lectured her on principles such as “men and women should not share the same seat after the age of seven” and “men and women should maintain proper boundaries,” fussing over her like a deeply concerned nursemaid.
Gu Jin walked behind the two, hands clasped behind his back, the token heavy in his palm. The sounds of A Jiu and Ayin’s laughter drifted faintly beneath the towering Palace of Bell and Spirit. For some reason, an inexplicable unease suddenly welled up in his heart.
What awaited them in Ghost King Ao Ge’s Palace of Bell and Spirit?
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