Chapter 970: The Most Honored Guest

Upon seeing the captivating maidservants, Pei You's earlier discontent instantly vanished. Instead, he lavishly praised Gao Ying, saying, "Brother Gao, you are indeed reliable. Following you was the right choice."

Gao Ying couldn't help but retort, "Your resentful glare almost killed me on the way here. Do you finally realize how good I am now?"

Pei You gave an embarrassed smile. "This younger brother was young and ignorant. Today was truly an eye-opening experience for me."

Zu An was not interested in these maidservants. In his previous life, hadn't women worn far less at beaches and pools? This kind of display only impressed the ignorant. Thinking of this, he immediately felt a sense of superiority as a transmigrator.

Since Gao Ying had been here before, and the three of them didn't want their conversation overheard, they declined the company of the maidservants.

The maidservants couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Although they wore masks, the men before them had an extraordinary aura and were tall and imposing, far more attractive than the pot-bellied guests.

The group of maidservants had just been eagerly calculating who might choose them, knowing that not only would they earn a considerable service fee, but serving such guests would also be a pleasure.

However, having undergone strict training, they didn't show their emotions. They all bowed in unison and then withdrew.

Soon, the group arrived at a resplendent, golden place. It was brightly lit all around, a stark contrast to the dim path they had just taken. The various sparkling decorations made Zu An feel as if he were in one of the Macau casinos he used to see on TV.

Indeed, such are the humble pleasures of the wealthy.

Seeing the red-faced people in the hall, with bloodshot eyes glowing with excitement, Zu An knew it was a casino without Gao Ying needing to explain.

Zu An noticed that the chips on the tables were all of high denominations. The lowest chip was valued at one thousand taels of silver notes.

No wonder Gao Ying said that only the rich and powerful came here. How could ordinary people afford such extravagance?

Many people had a maidservant in their arms. The maidservants, with fawning expressions, flirted with the guests. Pei You's eyes widened in disbelief. "Decadent, depraved, utterly disgraceful!"

Gao Ying immediately saw through his thoughts. "You mean you wish it were you, don't you?"

Pei You gave an embarrassed smile. "How could I possibly fancy such common women? Only courtesans of the highest caliber would do."

Gao Ying replied, "On the second floor, there's the Immortal Blossom Garden. Each courtesan there is of the highest caliber, equivalent to a 'flower queen' outside. And there are even young women from the demon race and Miaojiang. Of course, it all depends on whether you possess the charm you boast about to make those girls willing to receive you."

Pei You puffed out his chest. "Nonsense! Usually, girls go weak in the knees just by seeing me." After saying this, he asked Zu An, "Brother Zu, are you going later?"

In the past, whenever he visited brothels, his family background and handsome appearance made him the center of attention. Unfortunately, with Zu An, this formidable presence, here, he genuinely lacked confidence that the girls would choose him.

Zu An smiled and shook his head. He had no interest in brothels.

"Brother Zu, would you like to try your hand on the first floor? You can gamble on anything down here, and there are many games," Gao Ying, standing nearby, chuckled. "I heard that back in Brightmoon City, Brother Zu won several million taels with just ten taels of silver in one go. You're practically the reincarnation of the God of Gamblers. Why don't you let them witness it again this time? Anyway, they're all wealthy fools; it'd be a shame not to fleece them."

"Ten taels to win several million taels?" Pei You's eyes widened in astonishment. "Brother Gao, you must be joking, right?"

"If you don't believe me, go ask Lord Sang. He was the prefect there at the time," Gao Ying said.

Pei You looked to Zu An for confirmation. Zu An said with a humble expression, "It's just an exaggeration. I spent more than ten taels back then."

Pei You: "..."

What did that mean? Did that mean winning several million taels was true?

Damn it! Being with him, you're constantly outshined.

Growing up, he had always been a standout among his peers. But ever since he met Zu An, he truly realized that there's always someone more skilled, and there are no limits to what can be achieved.

If the gap were within a certain range, he might still have the thought of catching up. But the sheer despair of such a large gap left him with nothing but admiration.

"Brother Zu, come and try a hand. Let us witness the prowess of the God of Gamblers." Pei You's eyes lit up. For a moment, the northern girls no longer seemed appealing.

Zu An shook his head. "Forget it, I'm not interested in this, and I have business to attend to today." After speaking, he walked directly upstairs.

His luck pills were gone. Wouldn't going now just ruin his reputation?

However, these words completely convinced the other two. He's refusing to pick up money? When will I ever reach such a level?

Although both had distinguished family backgrounds, even a large family like the Chu family faced financial crises. Who would complain about having too much money? The lowest chip here was a thousand taels; if one truly won big, they'd have to win at least ten million taels.

"Brother Zu is truly unfathomable," Gao Ying exclaimed repeatedly.

"When can I be like him?" Pei You thought to himself. "This kind of effortless display of superiority is something I can never emulate."

The two soon followed him to the second floor. Compared to the first floor, the lighting on the second floor was much dimmer. This very dimness created a sensual and alluring atmosphere.

Smelling the sweet fragrance in the air and seeing the dazzling young women in front of each private chamber, it would be difficult for any man to resist such temptation.

Pei You sighed in admiration. "Even the maids at the entrance are this beautiful; the ladies inside must be heavenly!"

Unlike the maidservants downstairs, the women upstairs were not masked. Each had beautiful features, the kind of beauties countless men outside could only dream of.

Seeing Pei You's eyes light up, Zu An chuckled. "I'll go up by myself from here. Brother Gao and Brother Pei, please enjoy yourselves. Don't waste any more time."

Gao Ying initially intended to accompany him upstairs, but then he reconsidered. There were attendants to guide him, and Zu An's cultivation was high, so there would be no problems.

So he clasped his hands and smiled. "Then, we'll see you tomorrow morning!"

Pei You naturally went to find the northern girls he had been thinking about, while Gao Ying decided to try his luck on the first floor first.

As Zu An walked further up, he was secretly amazed. When he entered earlier, that small mound shouldn't have had so much space. Could it be that the mountain behind it was hollowed out?

He wondered who had built this Elysium Tower; it was truly an immense undertaking.

Unlike the lower two floors, the third floor had many guards stationed, scrutinizing every guest who came and went.

The energy fluctuations of these individuals were roughly between the fifth and sixth ranks. This was already very impressive, considering that ordinary imperial palace guards were only of the fifth rank.

Soon, Zu An was stopped by someone. The person wore a mask but appeared to be a middle-aged man. His cultivation was also a step higher than the other guards. He asked, "I am the steward of the third floor. Would the esteemed guest like to visit the third floor?"

"That's right," Zu An, confident in his skills, answered calmly.

"Because the third floor is somewhat special, a certain deposit is required to enter. We hope the esteemed guest will understand." The steward's practiced smile was enough to dispel any potential displeasure.

"How much is the deposit?"

"One hundred thousand taels of silver. We accept silver notes or valuable items as collateral. We have professional appraisers here," the steward said considerately, as many people might not carry such a large amount of cash on them.

"One hundred thousand taels?" Zu An thought to himself, no wonder this place was called a "gold-consuming den"; indeed, money here seemed to lose its value.

He originally intended to use silver notes, but then he remembered he would need silver notes to buy materials later. So he changed his mind and pulled out a pigeon-egg-sized sapphire from his pocket. "Is this enough?"

This was one of the treasures he had obtained from the red dragon's treasure cave outside Brightmoon City.

Seeing the gemstone in his hand, the steward's eyes clearly widened. His smile also became much more sincere. "Of course, it's enough. This is a top-grade cornflower blue sapphire, produced only on the islands of the Southern Seas. A stone of this size could sell for at least one hundred thousand taels, and with good luck, even over two hundred thousand taels. I wonder if the esteemed guest would be willing to entrust it to our establishment for auction? We have many guests today, and we guarantee a satisfactory price."

Zu An paused, surprised. "You can also handle auctions?"

That red dragon loved collecting shiny things. He never expected it to have gone as far as the Southern Seas.

The steward replied, "Of course. The third floor provides a secure trading platform for our distinguished guests. Many guests possess rare and valuable items they wish to sell, but private transactions involve various concerns, and they might not find what they are looking for. So, our Elysium Tower offers this platform, naturally charging a small commission fee. With guests from all corners of the world gathered here, there's a high probability of finding what one desires."

"Alright, please auction it for me." Zu An figured that such a gemstone wasn't very useful to him; it was mainly coveted by noblewomen. It would be better to convert it into cash to purchase much-needed cultivation materials.

The steward, smiling, handed him a jade token with the number "333" carved on it. "Please hold onto this, esteemed guest. This jade token is issued to the most distinguished guests of Elysium Tower. Later, if you fancy anything at the auction, you may raise this token to bid. Furthermore, with this token, all your expenses in other areas of the tower today will be complimentary. In the future, you will also receive the most preferential treatment at other Elysium Tower branches."

Just then, a jarring voice came from behind. "I say, how can your Elysium Tower just hand out jade tokens so casually? I used to think these tokens were quite rare, but it seems they're becoming common as dirt now."