The Way of Spiritual Journey

Chapter 26, Spiritual Body

Li Lang had only one goal tonight: to make money. However, so far, he hadn't made a single penny, but had already spent quite a bit.

Of course, the hundred taels of silver notes given by Shi Butong don't count. What Li Lang wants is not such a small amount of money, nor is it such a one-off transaction.

Li Lang had grand ambitions; he wanted a long-term, sustainable business. Therefore, he spent the hundred taels of silver with ease, without the slightest hesitation. After all, spending money was his ultimate goal.

Every penny Li Langhua spent ultimately reflected in his character, nourishing the wasteful spirit within his mind.

Several hundred taels of silver had been spent, and the bright spot had now been stretched into a horizontal line, thin and short, no more than half a finger's width, yet it faintly exuded an indescribable mysterious energy.

"Clang!" At this moment, a crisp sound rang out from the front desk, like fingers tapping a vase, pleasant and refreshing, and the hall fell silent.

"The moon is bright and the stars are few, a rare and beautiful night. Tonight, distinguished guests have gathered, and every seat is full. Qifeng Tower welcomes guests and hopes to enjoy this night with you." Then, a sweet and melodious female voice, as clear as a nightingale's song, rang out.

A woman in a white dress with flowing long hair and a graceful figure walked onto the stage; it was Rou'er.

"Hey! Qifeng Tower is officially open for business, you've come at the right time today!"

"Who says otherwise? Qifeng Tower hasn't been open for almost two years, and they didn't even advertise beforehand. It seems tonight's show will be even more spectacular than we imagined!"

As soon as Rou'er finished speaking, the young dandies below the stage were extremely excited, cheering and their eyes shining.

"Listed for sale?" This was information that Li Lang had not caught in advance, so he was very puzzled.

"Brother, don't you know what 'listing' means?" Shi Butong keenly noticed the fleeting look of confusion on Li Lang's face. The latter asked the same question with equal bewilderment.

Li Lang shook his head; he truly didn't know.

"So this is a young master from out of town. No wonder I've never seen him before, and his behavior is so unusual." Shi Butong nodded to himself. That makes sense now; he really is an outsider.

"This is Qifeng Tower's top priority. The top courtesan they've chosen each year is no ordinary person. First, she must be a virgin, and her figure and appearance must be one in a million. Most importantly, she must have distinctive features."

"What are the special features? They are different in their requirements for choosing a gentleman. Some girls love money, which is easy to understand, since everyone who comes here is rich. Some girls love looks, which is also not difficult, since there are many handsome young men. Once a girl has chosen a gentleman, she is no longer the top courtesan, but is demoted to a lower-ranking courtesan. Of course, this does not apply to those who have been redeemed." Shi Butong became energetic and talked about the affairs of Qifeng Tower.

"So what are the special features of this Miss Mingyue?" Li Lang asked.

"Hehe, here comes the important part. This Miss Mingyue comes from a prestigious family and has an intimidating air about her. She neither loves money nor looks, but only cherishes literary talent. She once vowed that if she does not find a good husband, she will never leave her boudoir." Shi Butong shook his head, his words and expression seemingly filled with admiration and longing.

"Literary talent? That's not difficult at all. Our Great Yuan is full of talented people. What's so difficult about composing poems?" Li Lang was still puzzled.

Upon hearing this, Shi Butong looked at Li Lang with a hint of resentment.

"Is it not difficult? I think it is. People like us, with a little money from our families, can come here occasionally for entertainment without any problem. But can people like us have literary talent? We don't even know what literary talent looks like." Shi Butong lowered his head and sighed.

Li Lang chuckled, understanding dawning on him. In this world, the poor are numerous but cannot afford to read, while the rich are few but do not love reading. Masterpieces of literature are rarely seen, yet they have become the rarest of things.

And things that are scarce are the most desirable. This bright moon is quite interesting. A smile already appeared on Li Lang's face; this was the source of his confidence in coming here tonight.

As a time traveler, I received a modern education. I know Tang and Song poems by heart, and I can recite a few classic works that I must memorize.

Indeed, every time traveler's soul cannot find peace unless they recite a few timeless masterpieces.

Tonight, Li Lang is determined to win the top spot.

"Those talented people from poor families probably can't even get through the gates of Qifeng Tower, right?" Li Lang asked again.

"Who says otherwise? This isn't a place for the poor. Putting aside their status, just the entrance fee alone is something those poor people could never afford in their entire lives. Alas, this isn't something Miss Mingyue can decide; this is the threshold of Qifeng Tower." This time, the pockmarked man got the chance to speak.

Shi Butong glanced at Ma Zi but didn't say anything.

"So how will Miss Mingyue select the talents? Surely she won't just have everyone compose a poem?" Li Lang asked again.

"If only it were that simple, we could at least buy a few in advance as backup. But this Miss Mingyue is very clever; she always sets impromptu questions, testing our ability to perform on the spot. Sigh!" Shi Butong sighed again.

"Hmm, a person with a wealth of knowledge naturally exudes elegance. This Miss Mingyue is so fond of talent, she must be a person of exceptional beauty and temperament, and she certainly deserves the admiration and adoration of these people." Li Lang nodded, looked around, and sighed.

"Bullshit, they don't know anything. These people are all after Miss Mingyue's body." Hearing this, Shi Butong suddenly became agitated, and before he could control his emotions, his voice rose considerably.

"Oh? Aren't you one too?" Li Lang wanted to laugh at Shi Butong's expression, thinking to himself, 'What are you getting so worked up about? We're all cut from the same cloth. The older brother doesn't laugh at the younger brother, so nobody should look down on anyone else.'

"Of course not," Shi Butong straightened his neck and shouted defiantly.

"You really don't know?" Shi Butong seemed to suddenly realize something, then lowered his voice and asked in a low voice.

"Know what?" Li Lang asked, puzzled.

"A body imbued with spiritual essence. It is said that this Miss Mingyue possesses a body imbued with spiritual essence. These people don't care about outstanding looks or temperament; what they care about is this body imbued with spiritual essence," Shi Butong explained in a low voice.

"A body imbued with spiritual essence?" Li Lang was still puzzled.

"You don't even know about the Spiritual Body? Are you even a Great Origin person?" Shi Butong raised his voice slightly, even showing a smug look on his face. "Of course, it's normal that you don't know. I only found out about this from an elder in my family who mentioned it by chance."

"A body imbued with spiritual essence, as the name suggests, is a body that harbors the spirit and nurtures the soul. It is a rare find, one in a million. Legend has it that one can open the spiritual aperture by uniting with such a body," Shi Butong continued.

"Opening the spiritual aperture?"

"Sigh, I've told you so much, but I charge others for this." Shi Butong sighed, then stopped talking, picked up a cup of hot tea and took a sip.