The originally noisy and bustling Riverside Pavilion suddenly fell silent because of this incident.
Heads poked out from the private rooms, all eyes filled with shock and astonishment as they watched the scene unfold.
Even the disciples from major sects, who had been watching with amused smiles, now restrained their expressions and turned their attention to the man in luxurious robes inside the private room, curious to see how he would handle the situation.
Initially, they had all been in a mood to watch the drama. Such incidents were not uncommon in a pleasure house like Riverside Pavilion.
Everyone came here to seek pleasure. Once you fell into a place like Riverside Pavilion to sell your art, how could you possibly remain untainted and stand out from the crowd?
Moreover, someone who could casually toss away a Phoenix Heart Sacred Stone was undoubtedly of extraordinary background. None of them dared to offend such a person.
The fact that this white-robed man, who had arrived with Zi Yunchuan, Zhao Tianfan, and the others, would step forward to help the woman at this moment truly took everyone by surprise.
The women of Riverside Pavilion, who had also peeked out to watch, had a glimmer of admiration in their eyes as they stared at the celestial figure in the center of the scene.
Some of them had ended up in such a place out of desperation.
If they had a choice, who would want to force smiles and cater to others in a place like this?
Originally, they had felt a sense of empathy and sadness for Yiyi's situation.
Now, seeing such a graceful, immortal-like young master step forward to help, how could they not be moved?
If they were in such a situation, would they also encounter such a handsome and kind young master to help them?
The women couldn't help but let their imaginations run wild, feeling a sense of envy toward Yiyi, who now stood beside Gu Changge.
The middle-aged woman, surnamed Liu, was known to the guests of Riverside Pavilion as "Madam Liu."
From her attitude toward the man in luxurious robes in the private room, it was clear that his status was extraordinary.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so harsh and stern in scolding Yiyi in front of everyone.
"Do you think this white-robed young master will take Yiyi away tonight?"
"Speaking of which, Yiyi was only brought here a few days ago. How lucky she is to encounter such a kind young master who stood up for her."
Some of the women couldn't help but whisper, their eyes filled with envy.
The woman in white, named Yiyi, tightly held her ancient zither, her head lowered.
Her long hair fell over her face, hiding her features. In her other hand, she clutched the plain white handkerchief Gu Changge had given her, not using it to wipe the blood from her lips.
She could hear the envious whispers of the women nearby.
She didn't know how she felt at this moment, only that her face felt hot. She could only sneak a glance at the white-robed young master beside her, then quickly avert her gaze, afraid of overstepping.
The two were standing close, and she could smell a faint, pleasant scent emanating from him, which made her feel somewhat at ease.
For some reason, at this moment, her heartbeat seemed so loud that she could hear it clearly.
In all her years of being bullied, this was the first time someone had stood in front of her to help.
Even her cousin, who had glanced her way earlier, had chosen not to intervene.
"Young master, this is a private matter of Riverside Pavilion..."
At this moment, Madam Liu seemed to snap out of her stunned state and spoke with a hint of nervousness.
After all, she had accepted Chu Xia's Phoenix Heart Sacred Stone.
Although Gu Changge's background was also extraordinary—enough to make Zi Yunchuan and Zhao Tianfan accompany him with respect—Chu Xia, who could casually gift a Phoenix Heart Sacred Stone, was no simple figure either.
In Madam Liu's eyes, even Zi Yunchuan and Zhao Tianfan's statuses paled in comparison to Chu Xia's.
However, she didn't dare to speak too harshly. She still had a business to run and couldn't afford to offend Gu Changge.
"Oh, a private matter?"
Gu Changge casually glanced at her, then flicked his sleeve.
A palm-sized piece of radiant immortal jade, shimmering with Dao rhythms, fell at Madam Liu's feet.
"What about now?" Gu Changge's tone remained calm and unhurried.
"This is..."
Madam Liu was stunned, her eyes widening as she froze in place.
"Brother Gu..."
Not far away, Zi Yunchuan, Zhao Tianfan, Fairy Caiyun, and the others approached, somewhat puzzled as they questioned Gu Changge.
In their eyes, offending the man in luxurious robes in the private room over a mere entertainer was not a wise move.
They also didn't believe Gu Changge was unaware of the value of the Phoenix Heart Sacred Stone.
But now, as they saw the radiant immortal jade at Madam Liu's feet, their expressions also froze in shock.
"This is... Dao Source Immortal Jade..."
Mingyang Daoist from the Jade Void Hall swallowed hard, reluctantly tearing his gaze away from the radiant jade.
In the private rooms further away, many guests and disciples from major sects also recognized the shimmering, Dao-infused immortal jade.
The place immediately erupted in commotion.
If the Phoenix Heart Sacred Stone was a material for forging Immortal Emperor artifacts, then this Dao Source Immortal Jade was a supreme immortal material that even Dao Realm existences would covet.
Its value was beyond estimation, truly a rare treasure.
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, a piece of Dao Source Immortal Jade had appeared in the Southern Wilderness Ancient Domain, causing several Dao Realm existences to emerge and fight over it, destroying several great universes in the process.
No one had expected that in a small place like Riverside Pavilion, another piece of Dao Source Immortal Jade would appear today—and one of considerable size at that.
Some disciples from major sects even doubted their eyes, comparing the jade to the descriptions recorded in ancient texts.
If this had happened elsewhere, some cultivators might not have recognized it, never imagining such a divine object would appear.
"Young master... you're too kind..."
Madam Liu finally snapped out of her daze, her voice trembling as she picked up the Dao Source Immortal Jade, intending to return it to Gu Changge.
She could greedily accept the Phoenix Heart Sacred Stone, but this Dao Source Immortal Jade—even if given to her—she wouldn't dare to keep.
However, Gu Changge merely glanced at her indifferently, paying her no mind.
"Miss Caiyun..."
Madam Liu recognized Fairy Caiyun and quickly turned to her with a pleading look, hoping she would take charge.
Fairy Caiyun frowned slightly but remained silent.
She knew the rules of Riverside Pavilion. After all, it was a property of the Fragrant Dao Academy, and Madam Liu's actions were justified.
However, she hadn't expected Gu Changge to step forward and help the woman.
This piece of Dao Source Immortal Jade left her feeling breathless, and her desire to get closer to Gu Changge grew even stronger.
In the private room, Chu Xia, who had been watching with a playful expression, hadn't expected someone to interfere with his plans.
His expression stiffened, then turned displeased as he frowned.
"Haha, how interesting. Someone dares to snatch the person I've taken a liking to."
"But so what if he can produce Dao Source Immortal Jade?"
Soon, however, he let out a cold laugh, stood up from his chair, and walked out, fan in hand, shaking his head.
He had encountered such situations before, but Chu Xia had never cared—nor did he need to.
As the young ancestor of the Immortal Chu Dynasty, how could he remain indifferent after being publicly humiliated?
Originally, Chu Xia had found the evening somewhat dull, but now that someone had interfered with his plans, his interest was piqued.
What he feared most was not having anyone to cause him trouble.