Desolate Devouring Art - Chapter 1567 - Peach Blossom Nunnery
Chapter 1567 – Peach Blossom Nunnery
The Seventy-Two Caves stood united. Even if Four Waters Island ranked near the bottom, it still belonged to the Seventy-Two Caves, and as the second cave lord, he had no way to let the deaths of his subordinates pass without consequence.
This incident had already crossed the Seventy-Two Caves’ bottom line. Someone had wiped out Four Waters Island’s entire force, dealing them a devastating blow. How many years had it been since the pirates of the Seventy-Two Caves had suffered such a catastrophic loss in the Thousand Islands Sea Region?
“Inform all the islands to report immediately once there’s information on this person,” the second cave lord said.
A terrifying aura burst from him, destroying the portrait before him and shredding it into pieces. From that alone, anyone could imagine the rage blazing in his chest.
“Second Brother, the Peach Blossom Cave on Peach Blossom Island will open in a few days. Should we send representatives this time?” the Black Wisp Cave’s lord asked.
The great cave lord of the Seventy-Two Caves remained mysterious, and even to this very day, only a handful of people had seen him before.
“Of course we’re going. You go make arrangements for it,” the second cave lord replied. The lord of the Black Wisp Cave was one of his trusted subordinates, someone he could rely on.
“Understood!”
The Black Wisp Cave’s lord left the Rakshasa Cave, and the surrounding fell silent once more.
……
When Liu Wuxie stepped on Peach Blossom Island, disbelief tightened his chest. This place didn’t resemble a cultivation world at all; it felt like a hidden paradise carved out of reality.
Peach blossoms blanketed the entire island. Here, they bloomed in every season, turning the landscape pink from shore to shore, no matter when one arrived. The beauty was enough to make anyone forget their troubles. The moment one set foot on Peach Blossom Island, the mind would ease without even realizing it.
Everything on Peach Blossom Island tied back to peach blossoms—Peach Blossom Brew, Peach Blossom Pastry, Peach Blossom Fields, and girls as breathtaking as peach blossoms.
Calls rang out from both sides of the street. If Peach Blossom Island overflowed with anything, it overflowed with ladies. Peach Blossom Nunneries and Peach Blossom Pavilions stood everywhere, and each lady looked breathtakingly stunning, drawing men’s gazes as if by instinct.
A madam with heavy makeup walked over as Liu Wuxie stood briefly dazed by the pink streets, seized his arm, and tried to pull him toward a Peach Blossom Nunnery. “Young Master, do you want to come in for a drink? Our Peach Blossom Brew is the finest on the island.”
This place existed as a money pit for men, nothing more.
“Are there any inns or restaurants nearby?” Liu Wuxie asked. He needed information, and restaurants gathered it fastest. Since this was his first time here, he naturally wanted to learn about this island. Yet he couldn’t find a restaurant anywhere.
“Young Master, I suppose this is your first time on Peach Blossom Island? There are no restaurants on this island. If you want to understand this island, our Peach Blossom Nunnery is the best place to start. You can drink while listening to our ladies play the zither. I guarantee that you won’t regret it,” the madam said, still tugging at Liu Wuxie’s arm as she spoke.
Many cultivators even strode into the Peach Blossom Nunnery openly, which made it clear the madam hadn’t lied. Peach Blossom Island didn’t have restaurants or even proper inns, and anyone who wanted to stay the night could only choose places like the Peach Blossom Nunnery. The Peach Blossom Nunnery’s architecture and decor looked refined and elegant, but no amount of refinement could change what it truly was—a brothel.
Even so, the brothels on Peach Blossom Island were far from ordinary. Wealth alone could not guarantee the women’s attention, and even the richest visitors would not earn so much as a glance. Yet, if a woman happened to take a liking to someone, she would willingly offer her company without accepting a single astral crystal. That unusual rule had become part of Peach Blossom Island’s charm.
Even cultivators from inland would occasionally visit Peach Blossom Island to relax. The madam arranged a seat for Liu Wuxie, and aside from the main hall, many private rooms filled the place. Liu Wuxie dressed plainly and disguised his cultivation as unremarkable, so the Peach Blossom Nunnery naturally placed him in the main hall.
Liu Wuxie kept his cultivation suppressed at the first-level Earth Immortal Realm. That level was neither too high nor too low; it wouldn’t draw contempt, yet it also wouldn’t invite unwanted attention.
The moment Liu Wuxie barely settled in, a voluptuous woman slid into the seat before him.
“Young Master, do you have your eyes set on any woman?” the woman asked, and as she spoke, she leaned in as if she wanted to melt into Liu Wuxie’s embrace. After all, a man as striking as Liu Wuxie was rare.
Liu Wuxie hadn’t bothered to disguise himself. He had sharp features, fair skin, and an extraordinary air that made him unforgettable at first glance. However, he shifted slightly and kept a deliberate distance from the woman. He had only entered the Peach Blossom Nunnery to learn more about this island.
“Young Master, is this your first time here in Peach Blossom Island?” the woman asked with a chuckle. Most men who came in acted like hungry beasts, eager to pounce on any woman they saw, so someone like Liu Wuxie, who held back, stood out.
“That’s right,” Liu Wuxie answered with a nod.
“Since that’s the case, I bet you still don’t know the rules of Peach Blossom Island,” the woman said, poured a cup of Peach Blossom Brew, and offered it to him.
“What rules?” Liu Wuxie asked, accepting the Peach Blossom Brew. He took a whiff before sipping it. He had to admit the wine tasted great and pure.
Zither notes drifted from the stage. The sky had already turned dark without him noticing. Every day at this hour, Peach Blossom Nunnery was at its liveliest.
More cultivators poured into the Peach Blossom Nunnery. Regulars mixed with first-timers like Liu Wuxie, and in the blink of an eye, guests filled the main hall as some began to shout for women.
With the opening of the Peach Blossom Cave, more outsiders had begun to gather on this island. Along with the appearance of the mirage, foreign cultivators poured onto Peach Blossom Island in waves, and the Peach Blossom Nunneries and Peach Blossom Pavilions became packed with people.
Murmurs echoed from the surroundings.
“Lady Ruo Shui’s zither skills have become even more exquisite.”
“I can die without regret if I can see Lady Ruo Shui’s face.”
The woman playing the zither was Ruo Shui, the top courtesan here. It was rumored that Lady Ruo Shui’s beauty stood unmatched, but only a handful had ever seen her true face.
The chatter about Ruo Shui sliced through Liu Wuxie’s thoughts.
“Anyone visiting the Peach Blossom Nunnery can compose a poem, but it has to match the theme,” the woman beside Liu Wuxie said, clapping her hands and having someone bring a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone.
Besides Liu Wuxie, several young prodigies had also come here for the first time. Like Liu Wuxie, the hosts also asked them to write a poem.
“Can I refuse?” Liu Wuxie asked. He didn’t want to stand out, and he had only come to Peach Blossom Island to broaden his horizons.
“This is our Peach Blossom Island’s rule that everyone has to follow. If you write well, you might even receive an unexpected gift,” the woman said, nodding at Liu Wuxie to urge him to begin.
Calligraphy covered the walls around Peach Blossom Nunnery. Some pieces looked crude and vulgar, while others carried genuine beauty.
Since Peach Blossom Island enforced this rule, Liu Wuxie had no choice but to comply. He had already seen that even experts at the Heaven Gaze Realm couldn’t avoid it.
A loud gong suddenly rang out, interrupting everyone.
“Lady Ruo Shui has spoken. Tonight happens to be a full moon, and everyone can compose a poem. Whoever writes the best and catches Lady Ruo Shui’s attention will be able to spend a night with her,” a servant at the front of the stage announced.
Many people rose to their feet in excitement. “Is that true?”
Someone couldn’t contain himself and rushed to write on the spot. “Bring the brush and ink!” The main hall instantly turned chaotic. Some fell into deep thought, while others barked orders at their companions to help them brainstorm.
A white-robed man walked in from outside, and the moment he stepped in, several women immediately greeted him warmly, captivated.
“Young Master Tao has come!”
“Who is he?” Liu Wuxie asked. He could tell this person wasn’t simple, and several experts accompanied him. Despite his young age, he had already reached the second-level Heaven Gaze Realm.
“He’s Tao Xuanming, the young master of the Peach Blossom Gate,” the woman explained quickly.
Since Liu Wuxie had come to Peach Blossom Island, he naturally needed to understand everything here. The moment Tao Xuanming appeared, the crowd parted for him without hesitation.
Tao Xuanming walked straight to the second floor, where the surroundings looked finer and offered a full view of the main hall below. Many poems already hung along the curtain for everyone to read, and a central curtain waited to display the finished pieces.
“Peach blossom water, peach blossom cake, peach blossom’s women are wild!”
Many people spat out saliva and erupted into laughter when they read the poem.
“Young Master, this is your chance to display your talent. The poems written by these crude bumpkins are so shallow, and if your poem can crush them, you’ll be able to spend a night with Lady Ruo Shui tonight,” a man behind Tao Xuanming said.
Lady Ruo Shui would only appear once a month on every full moon, and no one found it easy to see her. Even the Peach Blossom Gate’s young sect master, Tao Xuanming, couldn’t see her whenever he wished. He had tried every method for the past year, but Lady Ruo Shui had rejected him each time.
Someone immediately spread a sheet of paper for Tao Xuanming to write on.
Liu Wuxie still didn’t rush to write, and his gaze remained fixed on the stage. Even with the thick curtain blocking the view, he could still make out Lady Ruo Shui’s graceful, alluring figure. The moment he activated Ghost Pupil to peer through the curtain, a sharp zither note rang out and snapped him back, making it clear someone had discovered his probing.
“An expert,” Liu Wuxie murmured, his brows locked.
He could tell that Lady Ruo Shui was a top-tier expert comparable to the Quasi-Immortal Realm, and it made no sense for her to play the zither here as a courtesan. Experts at the pinnacle of the Heaven Gaze Realm could be considered renowned experts throughout the four astral domains, and it made no sense that such a figure would willingly serve others.
“There’s a problem with this lady,” Liu Wuxie muttered, his expression grave as suspicion settled deeper.
“How much do you know about Lady Ruo Shui?” Liu Wuxie asked the woman beside him, still not hurrying to write his poem.
“Not much. She arrived in our Peach Blossom Nunnery a year ago, and she would only appear on the full moon of each month. Only those chosen by her can spend a night with her,” the woman said, not daring to hide anything from Liu Wuxie.
“Where are the men who shared a night with her?”
The question left the woman stumped, and realization flashed through her mind. The men who had shared the night with Lady Ruo Shui had all vanished. No one knew where they had gone, and perhaps they had left Peach Blossom Island.
Liu Wuxie didn’t believe that for a second. If Lady Ruo Shui truly matched the rumors, any man who had experienced that paradise would surely return.
“Young Master, hurry up and write your poem. Everyone is almost finished,” the woman urged.
