Chapter 161: Chapter 161: All Dancers Are Crimson-robed Ghosts? The Dragon Country Audience Is Jealous
And that wasn’t all.
Soon, at Si’s repeated urging, a procession of Ghost Immortal Tower’s signature dishes was brought to Yun Zhenyue’s table.
There was "Meng Po Soup," wreathed in an impenetrable mist, said to make one forget all sorrows after drinking.
There was the ghost wine "Daughter Red Wine," which would leave one intoxicated for three days, their soul wandering free in the void.
And for dessert, there was "Dragon’s Beard," made from the scales of some unknown ghost beast. Biting into it caused an icy explosion in the mouth, followed by a searing, tingling sensation that merged into a state of desireless bliss.
Indeed.
Compared to these bizarre and exotic dishes, the Manchu-Han Imperial Feast from earlier truly couldn’t compare.
But Yun Zhenyue was very cautious with them.
She only picked at a few of the less peculiar dishes and didn’t touch a single drop of the Meng Po Soup.
Even so, she inadvertently ate until she was stuffed.
...
Seeing this, the audience from the Dragon Country was practically drooling.
Every one of them looked as if they’d just sucked on a giant lemon.
So extravagant!
Utterly extravagant!
Even the world-renowned tycoons and their scions in the real world were staring wide-eyed with envy!
First a ghost supercar, and now tea worth tens of thousands of ghost coins!
And now all these rare delicacies!
These were all things they could only dream of!
Not to mention, just to have the Shopkeeper wait on them so carefully, the table fee alone must be hundreds of ghost coins, right?
Converted to real-world money, that’s tens of millions of US Dollars!
Even the richest person in the world wouldn’t dare to eat like this!
[What can I say except that I’m jealous?]
[Holy crap, I’m the son of the richest man in Jiang City, a bona fide heir, and I’ve never seen any of this stuff in my life.]
[I’m numb. This tower is a real money pit. Even a casino couldn’t rake in cash this fast.]
[As expected of the City Lord! Now that’s what I call style! This is what you call putting on a show!]
[I really want to try that Daughter Red Wine. Any big shots out there who can get their hands on some? I’d pay a hundred million for a single cup!]
[A hundred million? If someone could actually bring that wine back, all the tycoons in the world would be fighting over it. You think you’d even get a turn?]
...
After eating and drinking her fill, Yun Zhenyue let out a huge yawn, a weary tear forming in the corner of her eye. She asked softly, "Si, are we going back now?"
"Not just yet, City Lord. Let’s wait a little longer," Si said with a light chuckle.
’Still waiting?’
’Don’t tell me there’s more food?’
Yun Zhenyue rubbed her bloated little tummy.
Just then, the Shopkeeper opened the door, and a unique, ethereal fragrance wafted in.
Yun Zhenyue’s pupils dilated in an instant, her eyes filled with bewilderment.
"This is..."
A group of dancers dressed in apricot-red gauze filed in one after another, each with a delicate face and a graceful figure.
There were twelve of them in total!
The golden bells on their waists chimed with their lotus-like steps.
And the musicians who arrived last began to pluck the strings of their pipas.
Accompanied by the beautiful, enchanting music, inside the vast private room, the group of dancers spun and twirled. One moment they were like startled swans taking flight, the next like supple willows swaying in the wind.
They were actually performing the "Dance of the Startled Swan" for Yun Zhenyue.
"Th-this—"
Seeing this, the tips of Yun Zhenyue’s ears instantly burned bright red. She caught a whiff of a unique, cloyingly sweet fragrance.
She wanted to look away, but found herself subconsciously captivated by the dance steps she had never seen before.
Even in the real world, she had never watched someone dance from this close!
"Si, did you arrange this too?" Yun Zhenyue asked, confused.
"Yes, it’s an old tradition."
Si covered her mouth, stifling a giggle.
The smile on her face deepened, especially when she saw Yun Zhenyue’s shy expression.
"They were originally dancers from a theater-themed instance dungeon, mercilessly exploited by a ghost. The old City Lord rescued them and gave them a place in the Ghost City."
"Don’t be fooled by their delicate appearances. They are all actually Crimson-robed Ghosts. Getting them to perform is not so simple."
"After they heard you became the new City Lord, they all wanted to perform a dance for you."
"There are other dancers in the tower, of course, but they aren’t in the same league as these ones. They’re just for a bit of entertainment while drinking, which is nice too."
’So that’s how it is?’
Yun Zhenyue breathed a sigh of relief.
"What do you think, my Lord?"
"It’s quite good. The lead dancer is amazing."
Hearing Si’s question, Yun Zhenyue nodded gently.
As soon as she finished speaking, Si took out a pair of exquisite Ghost Artifact earrings from her pocket.
Then, under Yun Zhenyue’s gaze, she bestowed them upon the lead dancer.
"The City Lord is very pleased with your dance. This is your reward," Si announced.
"Thank you, Lord City Lord!"
The lead dancer joyfully accepted the earrings.
She then moved behind Yun Zhenyue, her gossamer sleeves shifting as she began to gently massage Yun Zhenyue’s shoulders and back.
Those earrings were incredibly valuable, worth over ten thousand ghost coins for the pair!
She couldn’t help but feel deeply grateful to Yun Zhenyue.
"My Lord, is the pressure alright?"
Hearing the dancer’s soft murmur by her ear, Yun Zhenyue’s earlobes turned red.
Her body tensed up.
’Th-th-this...’
’This is too much!’
’Why did she start giving me a massage in the middle of a dance?’
Si stood aside, watching the dancer expressionlessly, ensuring she didn’t make any inappropriate moves.
It wasn’t until Yun Zhenyue started to feel dizzy that Si clapped her hands, dismissing the dancers from the room.
"My Lord, were you satisfied with the meal?"
"It was more than enough. I’m full and I’m tired, so let’s just leave it at that. Please, no more performances. By the way, how much is all this? I’ll go pay the bill," Yun Zhenyue said hurriedly.
She’d eaten, she’d watched the dance.
’This has been extravagant enough!’
She was afraid Si would think she was still unsatisfied and arrange yet another event.
"Rest assured, your expenses are covered by the Ghost City. You don’t have to pay a single cent."
"I arranged all of this simply to show you that you can be completely at ease..." Si said gently.
"Within the Ghost City, you have absolute authority. If you are displeased with me, you can have me eliminated with a single word. You hold the power of life and death over any ghost."
"So, you can completely relax. Just treat this place as your own home."
That was easier said than done.
Yun Zhenyue gently bit her lip.
She was just an ordinary person.
Suddenly becoming the lord of this Ghost City was something she just couldn’t get used to.
’If I had known that getting a full stomach was this complicated, I never would have said I was hungry.’
...
A short while later, as Yun Zhenyue was heading downstairs with Si following behind her, suddenly, Yun Zhenyue heard a commotion coming from a private room on the second floor.
It sounded like people were arguing and smashing things.
Her gaze instinctively shifted in that direction.
Seeing this, the Shopkeeper behind her felt his heart sink.
’Are those guests on the second floor causing trouble again?’
"Shopkeeper, what is going on?" Si asked softly, her face devoid of expression, but her tone was filled with interrogation.
To ensure Yun Zhenyue formed a good impression of the Ghost City, she had calculated everything! She had eliminated any potential negative aspects.
To think that a problem would arise at the very last moment.
As someone with high status and great power, even with a blank expression, Si was enough to make the Shopkeeper break out in a cold sweat.
"Y-You... please wait a moment. I’ll go check."
After saying this, the Shopkeeper hurried to the private room on the second floor.
However, a dozen or so seconds later, he returned, drenched in sweat. He felt nothing but despair but didn’t dare to lie, so he could only report truthfully, "My Lord..."
"The ghost in that room got into an argument with a group of low-tier dancers. Oh, right—the dancers are just humans."
"They were forcing the dancers to drink with them and were getting handsy. The women were unwilling, so they were beaten..."
Hearing this, Si gritted her teeth, wanting nothing more than to curse out the Shopkeeper on the spot.
’What does he mean, "just humans"?’
’Doesn’t he realize the City Lord is also human?!’
But with Yun Zhenyue present, she was afraid of ruining her own image, so she could only hold it in.
"Lord City Lord, this is a minor matter. Aren’t you tired? Why don’t you head back first? I’ll handle this."
Hearing Si’s attempt to persuade her, Yun Zhenyue hesitated for a moment.
In the end, she shook her head and said, "I’ll go take a look."
She thought she’d heard the voices of people from the Dragon Country.
Since they were her compatriots, she had to help if she could.
’Didn’t Si say it before?’
’I can treat the Ghost City as my home.’
’And if this is my home...’
’...then isn’t it perfectly natural to swat a few pesky cockroaches?’
