[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ascending-to-the-jade-palace":3,"chapter-ascending-to-the-jade-palace-ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-31":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Ascending to the Jade Palace",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2320493,4538,"Chapter 31: Huh? Clan Chief, why are you here at Bailixuan?","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-31",31,"\u003Cp>After leaving the robe shop, Yulou and Yu’an wandered through several other stores, and before long, they arrived at the entrance of Bailixuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu’an still couldn’t resist glancing across the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone who works as a greeter at a place like Bailixuan can’t possibly be ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greeter at Bailixuan’s door cultivates the skill of seeing sixteen directions and hearing eighteen sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One glance from Yu’an was enough for the greeter to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across the street, the Bailixuan greeter flashed forward and appeared before the two youths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bailixuan is offering a free pot of spiritual tea to every guest today—would you two fellow cultivators care to come in and sit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could Bailixuan possibly be a respectable place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the greeter approach, Yulou grabbed Yu’an’s arm and intended to walk away immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the spiritual tea…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just that—it was free spiritual tea!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we don’t drink it, we’ll regret it when we return tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re still young—we can’t afford it, fellow cultivator.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some thought, Yulou chose to wave him off, despite Yu’an’s longing gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of spiritual resolve, Yulou was extremely firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the greeter was a professional—the most professional kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabbed their arms and began to persuade them gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, that’s not right—Bailixuan doesn’t miss a pot or two of spiritual tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m just a hired hand; bringing in one guest means a little bonus for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You get free spiritual tea, I don’t lose—even make a small profit—only Bailixuan takes the loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here’s the deal: you go in, and I’ll throw in a small plate of dried spiritual fruit as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What are you waiting for, fellow cultivators?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the greeter’s enthusiasm startled Yu’an—he whispered instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, let’s just go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, it was Yulou who stopped moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou certainly didn’t want to browse Bailixuan—he was simply thinking, why not drink the free spiritual tea?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greeter made it clear: Bailixuan can afford to give away a pot of tea as bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he asked one more question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fellow cultivator, we’re youths of the Wang clan from Anbei. Our ancestral elder is the disciple’s disciple of True Person Danri—you wouldn’t lie to us, would you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greeter was first startled, then smiled even more brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not—we’d never dare! All business at Huang’s Hundred Treasures Emporium is honest, fair, and trustworthy—honest, fair, and trustworthy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll just come in for one pot of spiritual tea and leave right away—is that acceptable?” Yulou asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nah, just slip out quietly when you’re done—don’t worry!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual tea is part of Bailixuan’s promotional expense—it’s a public cost. After you finish one pot, you can refill it three or four times, sip slowly if you like.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greeter's calculations were razor-sharp—he was the most sober worker in the cultivation world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual tea was given away as part of the promotion; giving it to anyone didn’t affect his performance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His performance was his own; if these two youths actually spent money, he’d get a commission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou glanced at Yu’an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu’an’s eyes were filled with determination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, we’re just here for the spiritual tea, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed Yu’an knew exactly what kind of place Bailixuan was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right—we’re only here for the spiritual tea!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, under the greeter’s guidance, the two entered Bailixuan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A world apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Yulou’s strongest impression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the outside, Bailixuan had only a beautiful gatehouse; its entrance looked no different from an ordinary shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But inside, it was full of mysteries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spiritual wood carved into beams, spiritual silk as curtains, jade mats with golden pillows, immortals seated all around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the center of Bailixuan was a pond, with a stage at its heart, surrounded by three tiers of seating, all offering clear views of the performance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cultivators seated among the tiers included elderly Qi Refining masters and teenage boys and girls—even Foundation Establishment cultivators were present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bailixuan female immortals moved among the seats as attendants, each smile and frown radiating charm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all wore light, revealing cultivation robes—even more beautiful than the silver-spirit gold-embroidered silkworm silk robe Yulou had just seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at these figures—some alluring, some delicate, some handsome…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm? Handsome?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Male?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alright, alright—Bailixuan’s “beautiful” isn’t ordinary; there are male beauties here too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young masters, follow me—I’ll seat you somewhere quieter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leading Yulou, the greeter assigned them a seat on the eastern side of the first tier; the two sat down, tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t rush—I’ll bring your spiritual tea. You can leave whenever you like.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greeter walked off with a smile. Yu’an, nervous, turned to his brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When do we leave?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you just really want to come in? Why do you want to leave now?” Yulou asked with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too many unfamiliar cultivators. Our family rules say: in places crowded with strangers, stay alert—figure out the situation immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alright, alright—still the family-rules kid, Yu’an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if hearing their conversation, a cheerful female voice rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, then find a female immortal to touch—touch her twice and you’ll know everything. You two little brats are hilarious!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou and Yu’an turned in surprise toward the speaker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside their seats sat a chubby girl, about thirteen or fourteen, dressed in a golden gauze dress, laughing heartily at them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, how should we respond?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an unfamiliar place, teased by unfamiliar cultivators, Yu’an was completely flustered and instinctively asked his brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, he realized his mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No—we should pretend we didn’t hear anything and observe first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahaha, oh no, I can’t—I can’t! Where are you from? Hahaha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou stared at the chubby girl, his face darkening, his mind numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Idiot, if you know you should pretend not to hear, why did you speak?!” he scolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, let’s run!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahaha, please spare me—you two are too funny! Hahaha—cough! cough! cough! I can’t—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impudent fool!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou wouldn’t hold a grudge just because someone laughed at him—he wasn’t Long Aotian, ready to feud over every slight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivation is cultivation—cultivating one’s bearing is part of the practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even look at the chubby girl. He told Yu’an:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why run? We’re here to drink tea!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn’t leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they left now, they’d be mocked for nothing—and they wouldn’t even get the tea. Wouldn’t that be a huge loss?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right, right—we haven’t drunk the tea yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, Yu’an sat up straight, head bowed, eyes closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He decided: when the tea came, he’d drink it all, then leave immediately!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, a Bailixuan female immortal arrived to serve the tea. She appeared no older than sixteen or seventeen, with Qi Refining fourth-layer cultivation, dressed in a light white cultivation robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she was merely serving tea, she performed the task with the grace of an immortal presenting a divine treasure—each motion of pouring and presenting tea left Yu’an stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you staring at? Drink up! Once the tea’s gone, we’ll pack up this plate of dried spiritual fruit and leave—not a single moment longer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou scolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yu’an sat frozen, tea cup in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ninth-grade spiritual tea was indeed excellent. Yulou set down his cup to pour himself another, but noticed Yu’an’s stillness and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong? Drink! We came here for this tea, didn’t we? It’s all ninth-grade—no mundane tea mixed in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother… we can’t leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Clan Chief is here to catch us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chubby girl couldn’t hold it in—she burst out laughing again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahaha, don’t worry—come to me! You don’t need to fear—I’ll protect you! This is too funny, hahaha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan didn’t respond to the impolite cultivator, but pointed to the door and said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look there—our clan chief is by the door.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou followed Yuan’s gaze and saw Wang Xianmao chatting with what was clearly a steward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Yulou was truly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clan chief?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did you end up at Bailing Xuan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Foundation Establishment cultivator’s spiritual sense is extremely strong; in fact, the clan chief had already noticed the two brothers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he hadn’t come to Bailing Xuan to spend, nor to catch his own spoiled heir, he still sent a voice whisper as Yulou looked over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You two are dead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan swallowed hard in fear and turned to his older brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do we do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou didn’t know what to do either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to tell the clan chief he’d only come to drink spiritual tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he realized such an excuse was as ridiculous as a student telling his teacher he’d forgotten his summer homework on the day school resumed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking it over, he turned to the plump girl who had just laughed at them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only this female cultivator could testify that they’d merely come to drink spiritual tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bold female cultivator was already red-faced from laughing, and when she saw Yulou’s pitiful gaze, she couldn’t hold it in again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, alright, alright, I’ll testify for you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou was about to politely thank her, but the clan chief had already finished his conversation and strode toward the two brothers with commanding steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t truly angry—boys often acted strangely, and such behavior was understandable—but...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he saw the plump girl sitting beside the two brothers, Wang Xianmao snapped to attention with a sharp clap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overwhelmed by terror, his soul and thoughts left his body; long-honed instinct took over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old clan chief’s heart raced, his face flushed with nervousness as he bowed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before the True Person Dan Ri, Xianmao had no idea you were here, so...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou stared in shock at the plump girl in golden gauze robes, instinctively rising to his feet—but stumbled nearly to the ground from panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The True Person Dan Ri, who looked like a plump girl, sighed with mild boredom, glanced at the two brothers, then turned to Wang Xianmao still bowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough. Come, sit down.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1618,"2026-06-20T15:48:26.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b350f7c76015f0a99a542507ebd104c28795c3ca5133cd3380fffb4ce4aeda83","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-32","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-30",243,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fascending-to-the-jade-palace-cover.jpg"]