Yarra’s Adventure Notes -
Chapter 907 - 24 Sleepless City
Chapter 907: Chapter 24 Sleepless City
"Welcome to Sleepless City." This sentence wasn’t spoken by anyone within earshot; instead, it was visible from more than a hundred meters away. More than a hundred meters from the entrance of the eastern district, one could see hung high above the entrance, a multitude of high-brightness crystal energy lamps. The shapes of these lamps were custom-made, assembled together to spell out this pair of enormous texts. What’s more, the surface of the lamps had a special treatment, not merely emitting white light but changing colors every minute or two. The warm-toned fonts blinked constantly, possessing an unknown attraction to the passersby, causing them to pay more attention to the lights involuntarily. Below the welcome sign was the grand gate of the city, lavishly decorated, with many medium-brightness crystal energy lamps on both sides and above the gate. In the pitch-dark night, these lights served as the best guidance, allowing everyone to easily find the entrance to the city, entering from here to enjoy the joyful nights of Sleepless City. Theoretically, just the crystal stones needed for these lights at the city gates would cost hundreds of gold coins in a single night, but in order to highlight the bustling Sleepless City, the municipal government has maintained this expense for seven years straight.
Passing through the gates and walking into Sleepless City was like entering another world, where bars and dance halls lined up one after another, each with signs made of crystal energy lamps that dazzled passersby with blinding lights. Each establishment had excellent soundproofing, but the music inside was so loud that whenever a door opened, a blast of music would drift out, allowing one to imagine the fiery atmosphere inside through the tunes. Unlike the City of Knowledge, where taverns and dance halls were relatively reserved with mostly gentle dances and songs, Neville City was completely different. Neville’s music blended the roughness of Prairie Beastman rhythms with the intensity of Kulan Dwarf tunes, having a considerably fast tempo, matched by equally unrestrained dances. It’s more fitting to say that these weren’t dances but intense writhing moves to release pent-up emotions. Through the open doors, one could see the dance area shrouded in dim light, with only the stage sparkling with the glow of crystal energy lamps. Young men and women hid in the shadows, their faces close as they writhed to the fast-paced music, perhaps because the movement was so intense that everyone was breathing heavily, their cheeks flushed with a ruddy hue.
The dim scenes within the dance halls were just the tip of the iceberg revealed by the opening and closing of doors; the main streets of Sleepless City were, for the most part, filled with dazzling lights. The flickering lights cast changing expressions on the faces of the pedestrians. True enough, even though it was late at night, the streets were still crowded. However, these pedestrians did not seem normal. Some groups of seven or eight people would gather together, arms over shoulders, making a loud racket as they roamed the streets; others were alone, clutching a bottle of alcohol, staggering along. Regardless of the type, they actually had no clear destinations, merely moving from one bar to another, then losing themselves in dance halls to release the emotions and alcohol in their blood, and after venting to their heart’s content, they would wobble back to the bars for more drinking, eventually stumbling into gambling dens, where the losers, bereft of their last copper coins, would leave with a look of desolation and end up drunk on the streets hugging their bottles, while the lucky winners, pockets swollen with coins, would be escorted by beauties into the best inns for a rose-tinted night.
"Is it really alright for them to be like this?" Catherine sidestepped a man who had drunkenly fallen asleep by the roadside and frowned, "Falling drunk on the roadside without any precautions is dangerous, isn’t it? Plus, it makes it too easy for thieves to target them."
"People who lead such lives all year round have gotten used to it," Pannis shrugged indifferently, "Besides, Sleepless City has pretty good public order, there are hardly any thieves, and there are guards patrolling everywhere. Of course, the bigger reason could be that those who end up drunk on the roadside, their pockets usually don’t have much money. Those who still have money only end up drunk in a woman’s bed, never by the roadside."
"Can this even be considered living?" Catherine said with a disgusted expression, "Living like this, it won’t be long before people go mad. It’s absolutely terrifying."
"And yet, it’s not like that," Pannis replied with a smirk, "In Neville City, at least a third of the population lives this way all year round, both men and women, unrestrainedly indulging themselves every night, then reverting to their prim and proper selves during the day, continuing their normal work and lives. They’re not insane; they’re just not normal in some sense."
"Why would it be like this?" Vivian couldn’t bear it either and asked puzzledly, "They should be very clear, shouldn’t they? Such a lifestyle will only lead to decadence, and if it continues, that person will be beyond redemption."
"So what? After all, they have experienced pleasure," Pannis said indifferently, "They prefer to replace enduring anguish with a moment of joy. Who has the right to say they’re wrong if you don’t stand in their shoes?"
"Are they in great pain?" Freya dodged a stumbling woman reeking of alcohol mixed with the scent of expensive cosmetics, and couldn’t help covering her nose until she had put some distance between herself and the woman. Then she continued, "Isn’t it said that this is a city brimming with opportunities? Why then are so many people still immersed in pain? Why do they choose a life of decadence?"
"Heh, a city full of opportunities, you say?" Pannis chuckled but didn’t answer Freya’s question, "I know you wouldn’t like those noisy environments. However, they are mostly for rebellious youths and relatively low-status guests. Most wealthy and high-status guests wouldn’t go there; they have their own places. Come on, I’ll take you somewhere quieter."
"You haven’t answered my question," Freya said discontentedly, "Don’t change the subject."
"No rush, no rush, look around more, and perhaps you’ll find the answer yourself," Pannis smiled annoyingly, "Don’t worry, the night is still young. You’ll eventually know the answer. Follow me, it’s not too far, just through these two alleys. That’s where people of the middle and upper echelons in the Sleepless City often gather. After sitting there for a while, we can go see the kind of places the top-tier guests enjoy." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) or join the monthly ticket, your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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