At the same time, he smiled and said that the Immortal Chu Dynasty would undoubtedly bear the brunt of it. If necessary, it would be best to draw a clear line with them.
These words caused Zi Yunchuan, Zhao Tianfan, Fairy Caiyun, and the others to visibly change their expressions. For some reason, they felt a chill run down their spines.
They didn't know if Gu Changge's words were a premonition of something.
But the forces behind them did indeed have the intention to draw a clear line with the Immortal Chu Dynasty, though no official orders had been given yet.
"This matter is far beyond our reach. Even if chaos truly breaks out, it will be the Dao Realm existences who will bear the burden. Worrying about it now is useless," Zi Yunchuan suddenly laughed, breaking the somewhat heavy atmosphere.
"Brother Yunchuan is right," everyone nodded and agreed with a smile, no longer dwelling on the matter. They continued drinking and chatting. However, not long after, the zither music from outside also ceased.
This left Zhao Tianfan, who had been in high spirits, slightly disappointed.
He was somewhat curious about the woman in Riverside Pavilion whose zither skills were on par with Fairy Caiyun's. Seeing that the music had stopped, he proposed going to investigate.
"A woman who can play such music must be extraordinary," Zi Yunchuan and the others were also curious and immediately agreed.
However, just as they left the private room, a commotion erupted nearby.
"I spent a fortune to buy you. Don't think that just because I agreed to let you be a pure entertainer, you can remain one forever. If a guest favors you, that's your good fortune. Tonight, you've got some nerve—not only did you spill the wine offered by the guest, but you also stopped playing the zither and ran out! If you won't play, then go and serve him tonight. Make him happy, or I'll have you tied up and sent to him!"
A middle-aged woman, resembling a madam, had a fierce expression as she berated the woman in front of her.
The woman, covering her face, had fallen to the ground, her head lowered. She tightly held her ancient zither and softly explained, "I said I only sell my art and won't interact with anyone. He tried to remove my veil and asked me to drink with him, so I..."
Her lips were stained with blood, which had dyed part of her veil red.
It was clear that the middle-aged woman had struck her hard, evidently furious.
"Do you know who my young master is? For him to offer you wine is an honor. Don't be ungrateful. If it weren't for the fact that my young master dislikes forcing others, do you really think you could have walked out?"
Beside her, a young servant crossed his arms, speaking with a cold, condescending tone.
As he spoke, he casually tossed a palm-sized piece of Phoenix Heart Sacred Stone in front of the middle-aged woman.
"This is a reward from my young master. What you do next is up to you."
With that, he pushed open the door to the private room and walked in.
Faintly, a man in luxurious robes could be seen sitting inside, wearing a playful, predatory expression.
Chu Xia hadn't expected the woman named Yiyi to resist so strongly.
As he approached her, she became nervous, even spilling the wine he offered and fleeing the private room.
Chu Xia had encountered many women who resisted like this.
But, strangely, he was particularly fond of this type.
The way they resisted but ultimately had no choice but to submit—this was something Chu Xia found deeply captivating.
In the end, wouldn't they have no choice but to yield?
Wasn't this just like taming prey?
"Thank you, young master!"
The middle-aged woman hadn't expected to receive such a large piece of Phoenix Heart Sacred Stone. She quickly picked it up, her face filled with excitement.
Not far away, Zi Yunchuan, Zhao Tianfan, and the others were also surprised to witness such a scene.
However, they were all knowledgeable and recognized the Phoenix Heart Sacred Stone, feeling shocked.
With their status, obtaining such a stone wouldn't be too difficult, but they would never casually give it away.
This was a material used to forge Immortal Emperor artifacts, priceless and beyond estimation. Even Dao Realm existences would sometimes covet it.
"Is this the woman who played such divine music earlier?"
"She doesn't seem particularly remarkable."
Zhao Tianfan and the others looked at the slender figure on the ground, her head bowed and her long hair covering her face. They were slightly puzzled.
They had thought she would be a noble lady like Fairy Caiyun.
Who would have thought she was just an ordinary girl from Riverside Pavilion?
Their initial curiosity was now completely dispelled.
Someone who could casually toss away a Phoenix Heart Sacred Stone must have an extraordinary status.
After all, it was better to avoid trouble.
Although they weren't afraid of causing trouble, they didn't want to offend someone over such a trivial matter.
Thus, Zhao Tianfan, Mingyang Daoist, Fairy Caiyun, and the others chose to turn a blind eye, watching the scene unfold from a distance.
Guests from other private rooms also came out, all of them disciples from prominent sects, equally curious to watch the spectacle.
"Why does that figure seem familiar, as if I've seen her before?"
Zi Yunchuan frowned slightly, feeling as though the woman had glanced in his direction.
However, he didn't intervene.
Such incidents were common in Riverside Pavilion and hardly surprising.
"Brother Gu..."
At this moment, Zi Yunchuan, Zhao Tianfan, and the others were stunned to see Gu Changge, who had been beside them, suddenly walk toward the scene.
They hadn't expected Gu Changge to intervene in such a matter and were momentarily frozen in place.
"If this young lady is unwilling to drink, why force her?"
Gu Changge spoke, his voice calm and unhurried, his movements steady.
He walked over, bent down, and helped the woman on the ground to her feet.
He could feel her body stiffen slightly the moment he touched her, but it was only for a moment.
The woman in white trembled slightly but did not refuse his kindness.
As soon as Gu Changge helped her up, he released her, his actions not overstepping in the slightest.
At the same time, he handed her a clean, white handkerchief, gesturing for her to wipe the blood from her lips.
Her plain white veil was now stained with blood.
The middle-aged woman's furious slap had been merciless, leaving the woman in white unable to stand properly.
"Th-thank you, young master..."
The woman in white was slightly stunned as she looked at the handkerchief. Her long eyelashes fluttered like a startled deer before she reached out to take it, softly expressing her gratitude.
"Y-young master..."
The furious middle-aged woman was completely caught off guard by Gu Changge's sudden intervention.
Her expression froze, and she stammered, unsure of what to do.
Having been a manager at Riverside Pavilion for many years, she had a keen eye for such situations.
She had clearly heard Zi Yunchuan and Zhao Tianfan's surprised voices earlier.
This extraordinary, immortal-like young man in white was clearly with Zi Yunchuan and the others.
The middle-aged woman naturally recognized Zi Yunchuan, Zhao Tianfan, and the others. Fairy Caiyun, in particular, was the descendant of a major figure from the Fragrant Dao Academy, her status incomparably noble.
She dared not offend anyone here, nor could she afford to.
The disciples from other private rooms who had come out to watch were also shocked.
No one had expected someone to actually step forward and help the woman.
"He's with Zi Yunchuan and the others. Could he be the mysterious young master rumored to be treated with such respect by Zi Yunchuan?"
Looking at Gu Changge, everyone was astonished. The situation had taken a turn none of them had anticipated.