Chapter 132: Chapter 131: Eight Immortals Sword of Wine, an Immortal in Dreams

"Where are you from, sir?" The woman in purple dusted off a chair, inviting Gu Zhao to sit. She then settled across from him, turning sideways to display her delicate, curvaceous figure.

Gu Zhao couldn’t help but let his eyes trail up and down her body before his expression turned serious. "I am from Changping Prefecture, traveling to Yongzhou to find inspiration for poetry and painting."

The woman in red glanced at Gu Zhao’s eager expression, then at Zhuo Qingyan’s cold one, and a knowing smile touched her lips. Her smile toward Gu Zhao grew even more radiant. "You are handsome and dashing, sir, and your talent is extraordinary. I am truly impressed."

"You flatter me. I just dabble in writing and painting, that’s all," Gu Zhao said humbly.

"Why be so modest, sir?" The woman in purple shot Gu Zhao a flirtatious look. "If you have some free time tonight, could you perhaps paint a portrait of me and add a line of poetry?"

Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow and took a sharp breath. ’This direct, huh?’

The woman in red shot the purple-robed woman a look, then smiled at Gu Zhao. "My third sister is just joking around, sir. Please pay her no mind. After dinner, I will show you to your room to rest."

Gu Zhao looked from the woman in purple to the woman in red. ’I didn’t realize I’d be in such high demand.’

The woman in green, however, paid Gu Zhao no mind. Her eyes roved up and down Yunyang, a satisfied look appearing on her face. With a hint of admiration, she asked, "You wear a longsword at your waist, sir. Are you a master of Martial Arts?"

Yunyang patted his sword hilt. "The Eight Immortals Sword of Wine; in dreams, I am an Immortal."

"What does that mean?" the green-robed woman asked.

"It means this Swordsmanship of mine takes its name from the Eight Immortals, comprehends their spirit, and uses their techniques to bring the Eight Immortals Legend back to life in this world," Yunyang said decisively, his eyes gleaming.

The woman’s gaze was dismissive, but her face held a look of anticipation. "I also enjoy practicing with the sword. The moonlight is lovely tonight. Might I invite you, sir, to admire the moon and discuss swordsmanship together?"

Yunyang’s eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled and nodded. "It is my wish, but I dared not ask."

The green-robed woman also smiled, satisfied.

Once the green-robed woman had finished, the woman in red clapped her hands. A line of servants entered the main hall carrying wooden trays. They placed the various dishes and soups on a table to the side of the hall, arranging bowls, chopsticks, and round stools.

The woman in red rose to her feet and extended an invitation. "Dinner is ready. If you wouldn’t mind, how about you all join us for a meal?"

Gu Zhao glanced toward the back of the house. The servants who had just exited were gone, and not even the sound of their footsteps remained. He then looked at the table laden with chicken, duck, fish, and other exquisite dishes, and asked out of curiosity, "Are you three ladies the only ones in charge of this courtyard? Are there any elders I should pay my respects to?"

"My, you’re surprisingly polite." The woman in purple came to Gu Zhao’s side and gently brushed against his arm with her soft body, her expression feigning sorrow.

"Our parents have passed away, leaving just the three of us sisters to fend for ourselves here. This place is desolate and remote. Every night, we’re filled with worry and fear, afraid that ruffians might show up at our door," the woman in purple said mournfully.

Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. "Your parents have both passed away?" he asked again.

The woman in purple nodded. "That’s right."

Realizing the three of them were alone, Gu Zhao relaxed. He pointed to himself. "Then aren’t you afraid that *we* might be the ruffians?"

The woman in purple let out a laugh. "You must be joking, sir. How could you possibly be ruffians?"

The red-robed woman walked over to the dining table and extended the invitation again. "Please, everyone, have a seat. We can eat and chat. Your Maid and coachman can go to the back hall for their meal."

The others looked to Gu Zhao, but he didn’t take a seat. Instead, he sighed. "I might as well let you sisters in on a secret. As far as you’re concerned, we *are* the ruffians."

The woman in red was confused. "Sir, what do you mean by that?"

Gu Zhao didn’t answer, merely looking at Yunyang. "To make things a little more challenging for you, I won’t lift a finger."

Yunyang glanced at the purple-robed woman practically plastered against Gu Zhao and grinned. SHING! His longsword flew from its sheath. The wind from the blade seemed to pierce space itself, leaping a distance of nearly ten feet. The purple-robed woman flinched, feeling as though a sharp blade were scraping her face.

"AHH!"

The woman in purple shrieked, her body instantly dissolving into a cloud of purple mist. She shot back to a corner of the hall, where her form solidified once more, her face pale and her eyes wide with terror. "You’re a Mage!?"

By then, Yunyang was already at Gu Zhao’s side. "Catching them by surprise? What kind of challenge is that?"

Gu Zhao smoothly took Zhuo Qingyan by her delicate wrist and grabbed the Silk Embroideress’s arm, pulling them both back three steps. "All three of them are yours. Just be careful they don’t suck you dry."

Far from being alarmed, Yunyang was delighted. Sensing the Evil Qi emanating from the Divine Souls of the three women, he grew excited. "In that case, thanks!"

’He had no idea which mighty being was responsible for creating the Five Thunders Order and the Thunder Seed, but their system for distributing credit and rewards was remarkably intelligent. Since he was the one taking action and expending the most effort, his Thunder Seed would receive a slightly larger share.’

Seeing the smile on Yunyang’s face, waves of sinister Ghost Qi began to billow from the red- and green-robed women.

"We have no quarrel with you! We even invited you to dinner. Why would you attack us so viciously?"

"You call that inviting us to dinner?" Zhuo Qingyan finally spoke. With a single, graceful wave of her gauze sleeve, a gust of yin wind blew past, shattering the Illusion Technique that covered the hall.

In an instant, the once-luxurious and elegant hall transformed into a desolate patch of wilderness. The chairs they had been offered were mere tree stumps, the dining table was a large boulder, and laid out upon it were not delicacies, but dead earthworms, toads, a few dead rats, and a pile of unidentifiable insects.

The Silk Embroideress frowned. "How disgusting!"

Seeing Zhuo Qingyan cast the technique and sensing the faint trace of Divinity within the Yin Qi, the red-robed woman’s pupils contracted. "You’re from the Golden Wind Sect? We’ve never offended the Golden Wind Sect!"

Yunyang’s sword was her answer.

HISS—

With a sharp whistle, Yunyang’s sword crossed twenty feet in an instant. His blade swept out, its biting Sword Qi fueled by Taoist True Qi, aiming for the waists of the red and green-robed women.

"Guo Lao’s Whip! Zhongli Offers the Treasure!"

As Yunyang’s voice fell, his sweeping blade transitioned into a thrust. The sword’s tip flickered in a series of rapid strikes, lunging at the two women like a blooming plum blossom.

The two women unleashed their Yin Qi, forming a red and green smokescreen as they rapidly retreated. But the sword pierced through it, and points of Sword Light stabbed into their bodies.

How could Ghosts with a mere few decades of Dao Practice be a match for a senior disciple of the Quanzhen Sect? Their seemingly dense smokescreen of Ghost Qi was utterly unable to block the Taoist True Qi born from Yunyang’s Cultivation.

The two women wailed as wisps of black smoke rose from their bodies, their enchanting figures twisting in the night. Yunyang felt not an ounce of pity. Instead, he pressed his attack, his longsword a blur of shadows that forced the red and green-robed women back once more.

In their retreat, the purple-robed woman suddenly realized the other two had fallen back to her position.

The purple-robed woman’s pupils shrank. Just as she prepared to flee, she saw their opponent’s body twist and turn, his Sword Light forming an impenetrable barrier. He was fighting all three of them at once, trapping the three sisters within a Sword Curtain!