After resting for a while at the back door of the brothel, Su Yan followed Jiao Nanwu into the crowd after his eyes had completely adapted to the outside light.
They walked along the streets of the main city of Xia Yu. Jiao Nanwu was about to bring Su Yan to an inn where he liked to dine.
The two of them, one tall and one short, walked on the crowded streets like siblings.
"Do you want some of these?"
Jiao Nanwu raised her hand and pointed at the stall selling candied haws on a stick, asking for Su Yan's opinion.
Su Yan took a look and nodded. He liked sweets.
Although the streets of the main city of Xia Yu were not as wide as the main road leading to the Imperial City, they were still more than a hundred feet wide, which was equivalent to the width of about thirty to forty meters in Su Yan's previous life.
The roads in Xia Yu City were especially wide. According to the legend, they worried that assassins would ambush them on both sides of the road when the royal nobles went outside.
Even if assassins were ambushing the two buildings, the people on the road would have enough time to react.
Su Yan had never seen the assassins before, but the wide road accommodated more street stalls.
Everything was available on both sides of the road, making the middle of the road very crowded, from food stalls to art stalls.
"However, the City Enforcement Officers do not charge for the stalls. This contradicts the perception of the Xia Yu money-hungry individuals."
Su Yan walked on the street while eating a candied fruit. He looked around and complained in his heart.
He usually went out in the afternoon, so the roads were not crowded. If crowded, his aunt would hold Su Yan's hand and walk from the sky. They would not squeeze into the crowd.
"We are almost there!"
Jiao Nanwu raised his hand and pointed at a tall inn built by the river, "The Falling River Restaurant is very unique in Xia Yu. More than half of the restaurant was built on the river. On the left, you could see a river view, and on the right, you could see the bustling scenery of the city."
The restaurant was made of wood, and the overall structure was as stable as a towering tree rooted in the river.
Su Yan estimated the height at a glance. It should be about twenty-three to twenty-five feet.
In a city full of bungalows, it was really rarely to see a 60 - 70 meters tall building.
His aunt's four-story building was no taller than 20 meters, even if the ceiling was included. The inn was like a modern building, barely comparable to the height of the city wall, and it had a great view of the city.
Su Yan would never believe that the owner of the Falling River restaurant had no special connections with the government.
If one stood on the top floor of the Falling River restaurant and wore a high-power telescope, they should be able to see the Imperial City.
"Please come in!"
When they arrived at the restaurant, they saw that the first to third floors of the restaurant were filled with shops. Jiao Nanwu was very familiar with the layout of the restaurant, so she did not go inside. Instead, she went around and found a waiter in grey clothes.
The waiter greeted them politely and invited them to stand in a square box that was twenty feet wide.
After taking safety measures, the waiter activated the square box array. Wood element emerald green light flickered at the bottom of the square box, and four thick plant roots slowly grew from the four sides of the square box, directly sending the two to the top floor of the Fallen River restaurant.
As the wooden staircase slowly ascended, those who took the wooden staircase could enjoy the scenery of the city.
"No matter how often I see it, I still find it beautiful. If only the Undersea Kingdom could be like this."
Jiao Nanwu stood at the edge of the box, his hands on the safety railing as he looked at the scenery outside with envy.
The area of the Undersea Kingdom was larger than that of Xia Yu, but because the kingdom was in the deep sea, it was difficult to see the sun.
The sunrise and sunset were simulated through the array, and the city of the Undersea Kingdom was not as orderly as in Xia Yu.
Although the buildings in Xia Yu's main city were not all uniform in size, the streets were like lines, dividing the buildings in the city neatly. It was quite pleasing to the eye.
Some buildings were separated from each other on different streets. However, they had built a wind and rain corridor on the second or third floor for viewing, connecting the shops on different streets.
These architectural styles were not commonly seen underwater, but Jiao Nanwu found them incredibly beautiful. She had a fondness for well-organized and clean streets.
"Welcome. May I ask, are you two?"
A lovely maid greeted Su Yan and Jiao Nanwu as they reached the top floor of the Falling River Restaurant. With a warm smile, she removed the safety railing and invited them into the private room.
He even asked how many guests he had so that he could arrange a suitable private room for the two of them.
There were not many customers on the top floor of the restaurant. Other than a few tables of customers in the lobby, there were not many people. However, the girls on the stage by the counter were still playing the piano gently to make the restaurant cozier.
"Yes!"
Su Yan saw that Jiao Nanwu was attached to the scenery outside, so he answered the girl's question and said, "This place shouldn't be on the top floor, right? From the outside, I think there should be a loft with a ceiling?"
"Your eyesight is extraordinary. There is a small pavilion above, but that is the accountant's room and the balcony where the immortal boat is parked. It's not open to the public."
The girl answered Su Yan's question with a smile and politely rejected it.
There was a loft above the restaurant, but it was especially used to entertain officials and nobles. It was not open to ordinary people on weekdays, even regular guests. They needed a referee to recommend them to the top floor.
The waitress led the two of them to a seat by the windowsill. After putting down the menu, she slowly left the private room and waited outside for Su Yan and Jiao Nanwu's orders.
The service at the Falling River restaurant was top-notch, comparable to the star-rated restaurants in Su Yan's previous life.
"No wonder the service is so good."
Su Yan opened the menu and saw the standard price.
You must pay one spirit stone and an additional tip to take the elevator upstairs.
Just as Su Yan was reading the menu, heavy footsteps came from upstairs, causing the wooden steps to creak. Su Yan looked over.
A man dressed in white and a red robe with golden embroidery walked down from the top. He was not fat, but every step he took made a sound on the floor. The clash of metal echoed as the sword and its tassel at his waist collided, emanating a palpable aura of danger.
His visit caused the temperature in the inn to drop.
"He is from the Beast Suppression Department."
Seeing Su Yan's curious gaze, Jiao Nanwu explained in a low voice.
The Beast Suppression Department was the emperor's executioner, and the white robe with golden embroidery was the uniform of the Beast Suppression Department.
One could wear anything except gold and silver threads in the Xia Yu.
The gold and silver threads were symbols of identification. In Xia Yu, only officials could wear such clothes.
Once the wearer was caught, he would be severely punished, and the person who made the clothes would be implicated.
Ignoring the gazes around him, the Beast Suppression Department cultivator took out a red paper and pasted it on the counter. Satisfied with the placement, he made his way back upstairs.
Only one notice remained on the counter, serving as evidence that the Beast Suppression Department had recently visited.
Su Yan looked at the notice. The contents stunned him.
[Wu Sheng Emperor said:
Recently, the Black Magic men had become more and more rampant. The residents of Xia Yu who reported to the government will be rewarded with spirit stones.
We'll grab every single one of them and extract their souls to light up the sky lamp, to light up our Xia Yu's future!
Chop, chop, chop! Cut off all those evil men!
The whole family will be rewarded!
I will ensure the safety of your entire family. Don't worry, and report it!]
"Emperor Xia Yu. He's quite down-to-earth."
Su Yan found the notice. both funny and annoying as he covered his face after reading the contents of the notice. The contents were easy to understand.
"Hmm... Emperor Xia Yu was very open-minded. Whenever there was a change in policy in the court, he would ask the officials to translate it into understandable words and post it on the notice board in the city to inform the subjects of the recent changes in the country. He would also let the subjects know a little about what the Emperor is thinking."
The existence of the notice board was a very good thing for the merfolk clan. Once there were any changes in Xia Yu's policy, they would be the first to know so that they would not be punished for breaking the law and be dumbfounded.
Jiao Nanwu explained it to Su Yan.