Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3026: VIP Silver Raven Token

The House of Ember Veils was elegant but subdued, standing like a solitary lotus amidst ash and ruin. Its walls were made of glazed black bricks that reflected the flickering Earth Flame lanterns hanging from carved eaves. Silken veils hung over the arched entrance, catching the faint wind like the breath of a sleeping beast.

Two women stood at the doorway, dressed in robes of flowing crimson and silver. Their cultivation wasn’t low either—both were at the second tribulation stage of the Immortal Realm, enough to fend off troublemakers.

As Daoist Chu and Meng Bai approached, the women bowed politely, offering warm but practiced smiles.

"Esteemed guests," one said softly. "Welcome to the House of Ember Veils. May your evening be illuminated by desire and truth alike."

Daoist Chu nodded. "We’re not here for company. We’re here for information. Please inform Lady Qin that a guest bearing the VIP Silver Raven Token wishes to speak with her."

The two women exchanged a look before nodding. "Please, follow us."

As they were led inside, Meng Bai leaned toward Daoist Chu and whispered, "You... have a VIP token for courtesan pavilions?"

Daoist Chu’s lips quirked faintly. "Not everything I learned came from reading books in temples or the sect, Meng Bai."

As the soft silken veils of the House of Ember Veils parted for them, Daoist Chu and Meng Bai walked down the warm, incense-laced corridor that curved gracefully like the petals of a flower.

Lush tapestries depicting ancient scenes of love and war adorned the walls, their fine embroidery gleaming subtly under the warm glow of Earth Flame lanterns. The scent of camellia and smoke hung in the air, soothing yet strange, like the memory of a forgotten dream.

As they walked in silence, Meng Bai finally broke it, curiosity bubbling past his composure.

"Senior Chu... what exactly is that Silver Raven Token?" he asked in a hushed voice, glancing at the lacquered wooden token Daoist Chu had placed back in his sleeve. "You showed it so confidently, like you knew it would definitely work here. How? I mean... how did you get it in the first place?"

Daoist Chu let out a small, amused breath, the corners of his mouth lifting ever so slightly. "Ah, that. The Silver Raven Token is something... special," he said with a mysterious air, not breaking his stride.

Meng Bai waited for more, eyebrows raised.

Seeing that, Daoist Chu elaborated. "While most courtesan pavilions present themselves as independent entities—and they are to a large degree—there are subtle alliances between them. Not unlike the inter-sect alliances we cultivators have. They share information, client protections, and... well, customers."

"So this Silver Raven Alliance is like... a shared network?"

"Precisely," Daoist Chu nodded. "It’s an agreement between pavilions located in volatile or contested regions. A means to ensure a high-paying or special-status customer can receive similar treatment wherever they go—without having to rebuild trust each time."

Meng Bai’s eyes widened. "So you’ve been to other places like this?"

Daoist Chu smirked, saying nothing for a moment.

Meng Bai narrowed his eyes. "Come on... how did you get one of those? You’re always acting so aloof and wise, like you meditate under waterfalls and eat only spirit fruit."

"I do plenty of meditating, and I like spirit fruit," Daoist Chu replied, chuckling. "But as for the token... well, let’s just say I was young once too."

Meng Bai stared at him, clearly not satisfied.

Seeing the boy’s expression, Daoist Chu sighed with mock resignation. "Very well. I’ll tell you one day, but not today. Perhaps when I take you to a pavilion for leisure, not work."

Meng Bai instantly blushed, ears turning red as he glanced away awkwardly. "I-I didn’t mean it that way..."

Daoist Chu chuckled softly, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Relax, Meng Bai. No one’s going to drag you off and trap you in silken sheets. Besides," he added dryly, "after last time, I doubt you’d fall for any tricks."

Meng Bai grimaced at the memory. "Ugh... don’t remind me. I almost got robbed." He still remembered the pressing questions of the girls, asking to see the contents of his Spatial Storage ring as if it were a trophy to be displayed.

Thankfully, Lin Mu’s alertness had rubbed off on Meng Bai’s decent enough.

"Oh, I remember," Daoist Chu said with mock solemnity. "The way you stuttered through that conversation... very valiant."

"It wasn’t my fault!" Meng Bai protested. "She was practically pressing herself into my arms!"

Daoist Chu nodded, completely deadpan. "Indeed. And thank the heavens Little Shrubby was there, watching from the window like a guardian spirit."

Meng Bai laughed sheepishly. "Honestly, if it weren’t for him, I might’ve ended up penniless by dawn." The girls back then had noticed the little cat watching from afar.

While he looked to be a spirit beast and didn’t seem strong, they could see a way the cat looked. It was far too clever for them to be careless. If not for that, perhaps they might’ve been even more aggressive than they already were.

Daoist Chu gave him a sly glance. "You might’ve ended up married."

Meng Bai visibly recoiled. "No, thank you."

Their laughter faded into soft echoes as they turned another corridor, where more crimson veils swayed gently in the ambient breeze of elemental air flows. Courtesans in fine robes passed by, some casting curious glances at the unusual pair—one older and robed in immaculate white, the other youthful with twin ribbons coiled protectively on his arms.

Eventually, they reached a gilded doorway flanked by two attendants who bowed low.

"Lady Qin will see you now," one of them intoned respectfully.

Daoist Chu nodded and stepped forward, giving Meng Bai a brief glance. "Eyes open. Ears sharper. You’ll learn more in here than in a dozen fights."

Meng Bai straightened and followed, still slightly red in the ears, but no longer flustered. Behind them, the veils of the Ember Veils Pavilion drifted closed again, wrapping their laughter and secrets in velvet silence.