CHAPTER 111: ON SHELF ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Puluo State, Greenwater Bay, Greenwater City, Hundred Joy Gate Dance Floor.

The handsome Jade-Faced Shala, holding a glass of red wine, sat at a round table beside the dance floor, quietly sizing up his target for the night.

The target appeared: a lady in a deep purple cheongsam, gently biting on a ladies’ cigarette holder, silently watching the center of the dance floor.

She exhaled a puff of smoke that lingered over the teardrop mole beneath the corner of her eye, as if telling of her loneliness and solitude.

SKREEECH!

The phonograph switched to a new tune.

The tango, "A Stone’s Throw Away."

Jade-Faced Shala stepped to the unique rhythm of the tango and approached the lady. Extending a hand, he performed a perfect gentleman’s bow and asked, "Beautiful lady, may I have the pleasure of this dance with you?"

The lady looked at Shala, hesitating slightly.

Shala took a rose from his jacket pocket and presented it to the lady.

The lady’s cheeks flushed, her eyes growing more mesmerizing.

Li Banfeng took the rose from Shala’s hand, looked at the lady, and said with deep feeling, "Don’t dance with him. He’s mentally ill."

Shala straightened up, his eyes downcast as he looked at Li Banfeng. "What proof do you have that I’m mentally ill?"

HMPH!

The phonograph scoffed, "Hey, my husband isn’t lying; you are mentally ill."

Jade-Faced Shala rolled his eyes at the phonograph, then said to Li Banfeng, "Human testimony doesn’t count!"

Li Banfeng took out a medical record. "Here’s the physical evidence. Your name is on this."

Jade-Faced Shala laughed loudly, looking at Li Banfeng with contempt. "And you? You’re not mentally ill?"

Li Banfeng presented another piece of evidence. "I have a discharge certificate. Do you?"

Shala hung his head. He had no discharge certificate. But that didn’t matter!

Shala took out another rose and gazed at the lady with deep emotion. "Though I am mentally ill, that’s no reason for us not to fall in love. Tonight’s encounter is proof of our destiny."

Having said that, Shala bit the rose, holding it in his mouth as he awaited the lady’s response.

The lady was moved by Shala’s sincerity.

She quickly plucked the rose from Shala’s mouth; the thorns on the rose stem cut two gashes on Shala’s lips.

Holding the rose, tears in her eyes, the lady said, "I believe in our destiny. I am a Bitter Cultivator. To accept my love, you must first accept my pain."

Shala covered his mouth, tears welling in his eyes. "Actually, since we only just met by chance, it’s hard to talk about destiny."

The lady became furious. "This is Chu Family territory! You chose me, so you can’t abandon me. If you abandon me, you won’t leave here alive!"

Shala, covering his mouth, shook his head. "I really am mentally ill. You’ll despise me."

Disease Cultivator Cui Tiq, holding a glass of wine, approached. "I won’t despise you, my friend. I own a hospital; you could get treated there. I find mental illness quite... exquisite."

Ma Wu warned Shala, "Don’t you ever go to his hospital; who knows what you’ll turn into. Besides, this lady here... our scores aren’t settled yet."

"What scores do you have?" Shala was curious.

Before Ma Wu could answer, the huge Straw Moth Lady barged onto the dance floor, wrapping Shala in her two tentacles. "Never mind their scores! Be with me, and I’ll give you a child!"

The renowned detective Da Boyins was utterly despondent. "Then what about our child?"

Jade-Faced Shala shook his head. "Let’s set aside the matter of having children for now. I just want to dance."

Old Master Yao shook his empty flask, addressing Shala, "Get me a flask of good liquor, and I’ll dance with you."

The Peddler pushed his cart onto the dance floor. "I have good liquor right here, and fine tobacco and tea too!"

Shala sighed, wiping the blood from his mouth. "I just want to dance. Who made this dance floor so chaotic?"

He Jiaqing sat up from his sickbed, laughing heartily. "Then dance! The ball has just begun. I have the best moves; let’s dance all over Puluo State together!"

Dear readers, "Lord of Puluo" is now available.

With all of Shala’s effort, sincerity, anticipation, and deep emotion, the most exciting stories of Puluo State are presented to you.

With hundreds of schools across the land, let’s see who will contend for supremacy.

Puluo boasts myriad cultivators. Who among them will be the Chief Leader?

Today at 12:08, Shala awaits you all in Puluo State.