The First Venerable of the Prosperous Age

The early years of the Kaiyuan era in the Tang Dynasty were a golden age in which warriors, venerable figures, demons, and sorcerers coexisted.

Luoyang has the Zhexian Tower, which connects to the Tianjin Bridge, overlooks the Luo River, looks north to the Imperial Palace of Ziwei, and connects to the Cherry Blossom Street to the south.

Only high-ranking officials and nobles, wealthy merchants and tycoons, scholars and warriors, and princes and nobles are allowed to enter.

That night, melodious music drifted from the magnificent Zhexian Tower. A graceful figure danced on the stage.

The nobles and officials inside the building lived in extreme luxury, indulging in extravagance and greed.

The common folk gathered outside the building, eager to eavesdrop, all longed to be able to admire the beauty firsthand. But even if they tried their best, they were not qualified to step across the threshold of the Immortal's Pavilion.

The starting point for those inside is a height they can never reach in their entire lives.

But simply eavesdropping outside the door was enough to satisfy them.

Just as they were deeply immersed in the beautiful music, the rumbling of wheels came from afar on the Heavenly Street.

A carriage slowly approached, its body covered in exquisite silk on all sides, and its windows veiled with gold gauze.

A group of burly men ran behind the car, their arms bare, carrying knives or sticks.

With a long neigh, the horse stopped in front of the building.

With a loud shout from the leader, two rows of burly men rushed towards the crowd outside the Zhexian Tower.

"Get out of the way! Don't block the way!" "Hurry up! Hurry up!" The burly men shouted, and a path was cleared through the crowd leading straight to the gate.

The burly men glanced at each other again, then suddenly knelt down at the same time.

Everyone was puzzled, "What does this mean?"

The men simultaneously bent down, pressing themselves against each other in turn, trying to form a wide, stable path leading straight into the building using their backs.

The idea was good, but it wasn't long enough, so he grabbed some unlucky people from the crowd behind him.

Everyone, regardless of age or gender, is equal.

"Get down!" came the command.

However, the young man was headstrong and arrogant, refusing to kneel down no matter what.

"You're asking for death!" The man kicked the boy to the ground, and with a mix of beatings and curses, he managed to create a path straight to the Immortal's Pavilion.

Seeing this, the leading man walked to the front of the carriage, bowed, and said with a smile, "Young master, you may go in now."

"Ah."

A man stepped out of the carriage, dressed in a white robe and jade belt. He was short, fat, and covered in fat; he was an old "young master" nearing fifty.

He stood on the hood of the car, picking his nose, and looked out at the lively scene of singing and dancing in the restaurant. He was so pleased that his eyes narrowed into slits and he smiled with satisfaction.

The burly man chuckled sheepishly, then shrewdly lay down on the ground, completing the top section of the passage.

The young master twisted his fat body and jumped onto the strong man's back.

The burly man, strong as an ox, was in so much pain that his face was contorted, and he forced himself not to make a sound.

Just as the fat young master was about to leave, a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, dressed in black and with a thin build, stepped out from the crowd and walked towards the fat young master with a smile. He clasped his hands and said, "Young Master Wang... Young Master Wang is still as radiant as ever, hehehe."

Standing on the man's back, Young Master Wang looked disdainful: "Where are those pretty girls? Why is it you who came to greet me?" He then stomped his foot in anger.

The middle-aged man quickly smiled apologetically and said, "Young master, please don't be in a hurry. The ladies are all waiting for you inside."

"If you dare to lie to me, I'll have my nephew kill you!"

A few beads of cold sweat appeared on the man's forehead. "Alright...alright, I'll take you inside first, young master. I'm afraid you'll get tired if you stand for a while longer, hehehe."

Young Master Wang scoffed like a child, then stepped on people's backs to move forward one by one.

The middle-aged man fawned over him like a dog, saying, "Please walk slowly, be careful not to fall."

Upon hearing this, Young Master Wang looked at the middle-aged man with a ferocious expression. "Who do you think you are? Do you think I need to be careful?"

The middle-aged man looked astonished and hurriedly waved his hand, "No, no, that's not what I meant, young master."

At that moment, Young Master Wang was standing on the back of a woman. The woman felt as if she were carrying a mountain on her back, and her body went limp and she was about to fall over.

Unexpectedly, the two men beside her immediately grabbed her and held her still, forcing her to endure this unbearable pain.

Young Master Wang, in a playful mood, jumped up like a child, laughing as he asked, "Will this young master fall down? Hmm?"

The middle-aged man let out a long sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said, "Hehehe, Young Master Wang is as light as a swallow, how could he have fallen?"

Hearing his praise, Young Master Wang jumped up and down with even more joy, but how could this frail woman withstand it? "Pfft!" She spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted instantly, while Young Master Wang also cried out and fell to the ground.

Seeing his mother faint, the boy, who was also unable to move due to being held tightly by the man, cried out, "Mother, Mother!"

When he heard no response, the boy burst into tears, his cries echoing all around.

Young Master Wang looked at the dusty soles of his shoes with a look of astonishment.

The middle-aged man next to him hurriedly shouted, "Quickly go and buy the young master a new pair of shoes!" Then he said angrily, "It's all the fault of this mother and son, they dirtied the young master's shoes."

Upon hearing this, Young Master Wang's shock gradually replaced his anger. His eyes wide with fury, he pointed at the woman and child: "Beat them!"

"Yes!" A brutal beating ensued. The child's cries, the sound of blows, and the man's curses echoed everywhere.

The crowd outside the building either fled or scattered, and no one dared to step forward to stop them.

Young Master Wang spat at the person at his feet and cursed under his breath for being so unlucky.

The middle-aged man was quite perceptive; he quickly stepped forward, knelt down, and began wiping and licking the dirty soles of the shoes.

Young Master Wang snorted, smugly pulled the shoe out of the man's mouth, and continued walking along the man's back.

The middle-aged man followed behind, still eager for more, showering him with flattery: "Young Master Wang did well, that's exactly how it should be—"

Seeing that Young Master Wang had reached the end of the crowd, the middle-aged man laughed and said, "Young Master, the road behind you is clean now, hehehe."

And so, the fat one in front and the thin one behind, as soon as they stepped across the threshold of the Immortal's Pavilion, they were struck by the dazzling golden candlelight. They blinked and then saw:

The Zhexianlou Restaurant has three floors. The first floor is full of guests, with about several dozen round tables, all laden with fine wine and delicacies. The high-ranking officials and nobles at the tables are all served by beautiful young women with smiles on their faces.

Although these noblemen held beautiful women in their arms, their eyes were only on the two beautiful scenes on the stage.

On the stage, there was a female musician in a blue robe with ink-black hair. Her beautiful face, clear as water, was untouched by worldly dust. Exquisite melodies flowed from her fingertips. When she played sad music, her eyelashes would lower in sorrow, and when she played joyful music, she would close her eyes and smile.

Then came a dancer dressed in a light blue skirt and draped in white gauze, moving gracefully and ethereally. Her eyes were alluring, and every smile and frown captivated the heart. At this moment, she covered half of her face with her sleeve, and her bright eyes cast flirtatious glances at the young master.

Seeing the young master's silly grin, the middle-aged man pointed at the stage and said with a smirk, "Young master, that dancing beauty is Miss Yu Lei. Miss Yu Lei is naturally lively and her appearance is so pitiful."

Young Master Wang stared blankly at the stage, grinning foolishly, "Hehe, my Yu Lei..."

He then rummaged through the middle-aged man's clothes, his eyes wide with excitement, and asked, "Then, that beautiful woman playing the zither is... is Miss Lianxue?"

"Oh my, Young Master Wang, you truly have an eye for talent! Both Miss Lianxue and Miss Yulei have won the title of top courtesan in their prime. So many people have spent fortunes just to catch a glimpse of their beauty and charm!"

Young Master Wang pointed his chubby little finger slightly at the stage, squinting as he murmured, "Madam, concubine, hehe..."

"Madam, concubine, hehe..." Just as Young Master Wang was immersed in his fantasy, a sharp voice suddenly repeated in his ear.

Upon hearing this, Young Master Wang glared angrily toward the source of the sound, only to find that it was a golden parrot perched on its cage, looking at him mockingly.

Young Master Wang was even angrier, "You dare to try and steal my beauty!" He reached out and grabbed at the parrot.

The parrot flew to the round table beside it and was gently caught by a slender, jade-like hand.

On the table sits a pot of wine, a silver cup, and a slightly tipsy beauty.

This woman, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a face like a peach blossom, was propping herself up on the table with her elbow, her palm supporting half of her delicate face. Her alluring eyes held a hint of intoxication and tenderness. Her other jade-like arm was supporting a golden parrot.

The stunning beauty left the young master speechless, and his anger vanished instantly.

He stared at her without any attempt to hide it.

Perhaps seeing his infatuated expression, the woman blushed slightly, her eyes narrowed, and she smiled gently.

That smile made the young master Wang lose his mind, "Beautiful...beautiful woman..."

Seeing this, the woman giggled, and after she finished laughing, her charming voice followed: "Oh my, what wind has blown you here, Master Lin?" The woman always had a captivating smile on her face as she spoke.

"Miss Furou," the middle-aged man replied with a smile.

Fu Rou smiled slightly, and with a gentle lift of her slender hand, the parrot flew away.

As Fu Rou watched the parrot fly away, her beautiful eyes slowly shifted to Young Master Wang. "This gentleman looks unfamiliar..."

After speaking, Fu Rou slowly rose from the stool: her snow-white shoulders were exposed, and her green and red gauze dress trailed on the ground. Two long and beautiful legs could be vaguely seen through the seams of the dress, which made Young Master Meng's desire burn.

"This is... Oh, Young Master Wang, you mustn't!" The middle-aged man was only halfway through his sentence when Young Master Wang stepped forward and grabbed Fu Rou's smooth and delicate arm.

"Ah." Fu Rou exclaimed softly, but did not flinch. She still looked at the fat young master who was a head shorter than her with a smile.

Suddenly, the piano music on stage became faster and louder, and Yu Lei's dance steps became more graceful and light, as if the music was about to reach its climax.

Young Master Wang glanced at the two ladies on the stage, then saw the beautiful woman in front of him smiling sweetly at him. He became so anxious that his fat face turned red and he started panting heavily.

"I am not some adult, I... I am the young master Wang: Wang Xiantong." As he spoke, the music playing in the building seemed to rise a notch.

This young master Wang, true to his name, was nearly fifty years old but still had the mind of a child, and always fantasized that he was a celestial prince.

Upon hearing this, Fu Rou smiled and said, "So it's Young Master Wang. But Young Master Wang, you've been so disrespectful to me in front of so many people. Wouldn't that damage your good reputation?"

The words had barely left his mouth when the music in the restaurant rose again, but as it reached its peak, the melody slowed and became peaceful once more.

Wang Xiantong chuckled and said, "What's there to be afraid of? They're all focused on watching the dance, they don't have time to bother with us, hehe."

"I know, but..." As she spoke, Fu Rou slowly looked towards the door again.

Following her gaze, Wang Xiantong realized that the front door had been left open when he came in, and the group of lowly people outside were spying on everything inside.

Wang Xiantong released her hand, stormed to the door, put his hands on his hips, and shouted, "You lowly commoner, you dare to think of stepping through this door! Don't even think about it in your next life!" He then slammed the door shut.

Standing to the side, Master Lin wore a fawning smile: "Good! Well said, Young Master Wang! This place is so high-class, how could those lowly people dare to peek here?!"

The melody suddenly shifted dramatically at this moment, and the music abruptly changed from its previous peaceful and elegant tone to one of passionate fervor.

Wang Xiantong turned around, clapped his hands with satisfaction, but suddenly a commotion came from outside the door.

As soon as Wang Xiantong took a step, a "thump thump thump" sound came from outside the door.

Listen closely, and the sound grows closer, the melody becomes more urgent, the dance steps become faster, and the cheers from the audience grow louder.

These sounds simultaneously reached Wang Xiantong's ears, making him feel the entire building shaking, which frightened him so much that he dared not move.

"Run, Young Master Wang!" shouted Master Lin.

"Waaaaaah!" A deafening roar followed from outside the door.

At the same time, the piano music inside the building reached its highest point.

Suddenly, the door swung open with a loud "boom," and the door panel burst open, followed by a gust of wind.

A flash of black light appeared, and the door panel flew towards Wang Xiantong's face, slamming him against the carved pillar with tremendous force.

Another door panel smashed into Lin, who was fleeing, and he fell to the ground, his fate unknown.

This sudden change jolted the nobles, who were immersed in the dance, awakening them from their reverie. They were startled and hurriedly looked towards the door:

Under the moonlight, two magnificent horses galloped into the darkness, their eyes blazing with fury as they raced towards the nobles.

The nobles were terrified and shouted as they dropped the girls in their arms, some hiding and some running away. Only the two girls on the stage remained unmoved, continuing to dance and play their instruments at their own pace.

The horses galloped closer and closer, and it seemed they were about to break through when another long "whoosh!" rang out, and the spirited horse reared up and neighed, its front hooves pointing skyward. The restaurant trembled, and the horse came to a stop in front of the tables.

Before the distinguished guests could even see clearly, they were hit by a foul stench. It was even more repulsive than horse manure.

The nobles pinched their noses and stared intently, only to see that what drove into the restaurant was a carriage covered with flying arrows.

At the front of the carriage, two uninvited guests were sitting, one standing upright at the front and the other leaning to one side.