Chapter 66

In the Xia Family’s grand hall, father and sons were discussing matters.

Xia Chuan’s people sent to gather information had returned, bearing some water and bricks.

Family Head Xia Jiuquan carefully examined the water quality and bricks, even inviting the clan elders to appraise them.

The conclusion was that these were merely ordinary materials, with no trace of heavenly treasures mixed in.

“Why is that? Could an ordinary bathhouse really attract so many people?”

Xia Jiuquan was puzzled, as the scions of the city’s families didn’t seem like the sort to lose their ambition to indulgences. Why were so many engrossed in it?

“Perhaps it’s simply because the bathhouse is a novelty, and once the younger generation loses interest, it’ll be time to close its doors,” the elders suggested.

“To think that a place for a soak could attract so many people. However, his bathhouse is still too small. We could ride this wave of popularity by building a large bathhouse and collect a bunch of Spirit Stones—wouldn’t it be delightful?”

“Indeed, this is an excellent opportunity to make a fortune. We should definitely ride the wave,” they agreed.

The elders concurred, as nobody would ever feel they had too many Spirit Stones.

“As for that owner, leave him to me. I’ll have our guests in the clan take care of him,” Xia Jiuquan declared.

“Moreover, your second brother will soon return from Zhenyuan Country, having completed his studies. Be cautious these days and try to avoid trouble. Remember, maintaining a training spot in the Holy Demon Sect is not easy,” Xia Jiuquan said indifferently.

“Your son understands. Thank you, Father!”

“Mhm, you may leave now…”

…

The next morning,

Li Xiaobai lazily opened his eyes, finding the bathhouse still bustling with people. The queue outside not only hadn’t shortened but had grown even longer.

It seemed to be extending across the street.

[Attribute Points: 10000.]

One day and one night had yielded quite positive results.

All points in defense.

[Defensive Power: Indestructible Golden Body Sixth Turn (19000/60000).]

[Status: Blood Demon Corrosion (Moderate).]

He only had to wait a few more days, and his defensive power would advance, at which point the effects of the Blood Demon Corrosion would completely vanish.

Currently, the cultivators in the pool were mostly those who had purchased the overnight service packages. To attract more repeat customers, Li Xiaobai had not yet released daily or monthly packages.

After all, they were in the stage of drawing in customers. The more regulars they had, the more people would patronize the future branches.

“Boss, don’t you have a place for storing clothes?”

“Yeah, it’s really inconvenient to hold onto them!”

A cultivator asked. Many of the confident men in the pool had fully embraced bathing and placed their clothes aside, flaunting their chiseled muscles to attract the girls from the adjacent women’s bathhouse.

The time was approaching, and their overnight packages were about to end. In a little while, the female cultivators next door would be coming out, and this was their chance.

Most of the other male cultivators, however, were too shy to show their bodies. The key issue was that they neglected to refine their physical bodies on regular days, lacking burly muscles and sexy abs. They felt too inferior to show off in front of the goddesses.

Observing the fervor of the cultivators in the pool, Li Xiaobai shook his head and chuckled. A bathhouse had actually sparked the bloom of romance among these cultivators.

“Hehe, not yet, but there will be facilities for that in the future,” Li Xiaobai said.

“There’s much to learn from a bath, indeed. By stripping down, you show each other your true selves. It shows you have potential. Visit more often, and you’ll comprehend much more,” Li Xiaobai enticed.

“Please enlighten us, is this bathhouse not just for cultivation?” the cultivators asked, befuddled.

“Of course not, a bathhouse is just for bathing. It would be too one-dimensional to use it solely for cultivation.”

“Although the water in the pool is clear, you all are indeed very guarded toward each other. Putting on clothes is like putting on masks and disguises, while taking them off means shedding the burdens on your shoulders and your wariness. In this way, people can meet each other honestly and interact in their most relaxed state, naturally deepening their relations.”

“A real man, by soaking in the water, can let others feel what kind of person he is. Bathing is indeed the best way to communicate.”

“If someone is tough enough, he will sit in the water no matter the temperature, just dropping down in one go. But if someone is indecisive, he will test the waters like a dragonfly skimming the surface before slowly submerging himself.”

“So, you see, first take a soak to understand a person. In this world, there’s nothing that a good soak in the bath can’t solve. If there is, then take another one.”

Li Xiaobai said.

“Hiss, listening to you is better than reading ten years of books. I didn’t expect the boss to have such insight. I’ve learned something new!”

“With the boss’s strength being so formidable, it must be because of his long soaks in the bath, right?”

“That’s right, the boss can withstand an attack from someone at the Golden Core Stage without a scratch, which is certainly the work of an exceptional master. Maybe he is contemplating the natural world while soaking!”

The cultivators felt embarrassed, having not realized that there was such depth to the waters of the pool.

They had indeed been too narrow-minded to think of bathing solely as a way to get clean and speed up cultivation.

“Alright, the lodging package is over, time to switch to the next group!”

Li Xiaobai looked at the time and started ushering people out.

The male cultivators dawdled, slowly climbing out of the pool, as if by dragging out the time they were waiting for something. Li Xiaobai knew exactly what was on their minds, so he waited patiently with a smile.

The more wonderful things these cultivators discovered in the bathhouse, the stronger their sense of belonging to it. They would not be able to stay away from the bathhouse in the future.

With a “squeak,” the door to the women’s bathhouse opened.

Situ Yanyu led a group of female cultivators out, looking as lovely and fresh as lotuses that had just emerged from the water, causing the male cultivators to blush and their hearts to race.

The dozen or so cultivators ready to show off their bodies immediately stepped forward, striking poses with their muscles bulging heroically, revealing the undeniable charm of masculinity.

The female cultivators kept their heads down, their eyes unintentionally drifting over to where the men were, a mysterious smile on their lips and a ripple in their gaze.

Seeing this, the male cultivators became even more enthusiastic.

“Senior Brother, those biceps you’ve been working on are impressive!”

“Heh heh, Junior Brother, your quadriceps are quite developed, not bad, your ‘Wind God Leg Technique’ hasn’t been wasted at all!”

“However, Junior Brother, I still admire those abs of yours, Senior Brother, hard as a steel plate. Might you have any secrets to share?”

“Hardly, hardly, it’s your back muscles that are the real deal. They truly set you apart, and it’s shocking to see. I should be asking you for advice, Senior Brother!”

“You flatter me, Senior Brother…”

“…”

Li Xiaobai watched this display wide-eyed and dumbfounded. These cultivators were shameless, engaging in such boastful banter. But it seemed that the female cultivators were quite taken with it.

They were still too naive!

Such a simple trick had caught them.

Through the door, excited chatter from the female cultivators floated to Li Xiaobai’s ears.

“Yun Jie, did you see that? Those men just now were so handsome!”

“In my opinion, the most handsome is the cultivator in the middle. Those abs are to die for!”

“Pfft, the third one from the left is the most perfect in terms of physique!”

“I’m coming back tonight…”

“Ladies, keep it down, remember to maintain our image…”

“…”