Note: The new book urgently needs collections and recommendation tickets, please help.
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Wangcheng Zidu was indeed too vast, with the streets absolutely teeming with people. Some women were scantily clad, exposing most of their skin, while others were completely enshrouded in their robes, revealing only their eyes.
The buildings within Wangcheng were almost as densely packed as the crowd, with five- or six-story buildings commonplace, lined up one after another.
The scent of women's makeup, the sweat of men, the stench from the sewers, the savory aroma of street food—all these odors mixed together to form a very strange and complex smell.
Ye Jingyu wrinkled her nose and said, "Zidu is still as stinky as ever."
Peering curiously out of the window at everything outside, Lanling found it all very real—far more strikingly shocking than anything seen in movies, especially this city that blended Eastern and Western architecture, which was utterly invisible in films.
Even the carriages of the nobility traveled slowly through Wangcheng because there were simply too many people.
"Is Young Master Suo Lun inside the carriage?" Suddenly, a surprised and delighted shout came from outside.
Lifting the carriage curtain to look, Lanling saw a group of scantily clad women standing on a dazzling golden building, making coquettish gestures. Upon seeing Lanling's face, the group of women started shrieking, "Young Master Suo Lun has returned, Young Master Suo Lun has returned..."
Without a doubt, this was a brothel.
Then, the women waved their sleeves, frantically beckoning to Lanling.
"Master Suo Lun, come quickly, come quick, we've missed you so much..."
Afterward, several women ran down from the upper floors, attempting to throw themselves directly at the carriage.
Suddenly, a shiver ran down Lanling's spine inside the carriage; the Suo Lun he was impersonating must have been a regular at such places, or else these women wouldn't be so enthusiastic.
With an awkward expression, Ye Jingyu said, "Master Suo Lun used to frequent such places and squandered so much money. That's why the women of the pleasure quarters all recognize him and revere him like an ancestor."
At once, Lanling felt an immense pressure. Back on Earth, he was a pure and innocent fledgling, and now he was having quite a difficult time impersonating such a debauched wastrel.
Ye Jingyu promptly lashed the whip to speed up, pulling away from the women trying to pounce on them, and rushed towards Count Tianshui's residence.
...
Count Tian Shui's residence was located within the inner city of Wangcheng, inhabited entirely by the powerful and noble families of the kingdom.
After entering the inner city, the air immediately transformed, becoming fragrantly pleasant. The roads also became smooth and broad, and there were fewer people, with only luxurious carriages on the streets.
The wide cobblestone streets were flanked by long, high walls, which concealed the estates of the noble families.
As the road was wide and less crowded, the carriage picked up speed, and while Lanling took in the beautiful surroundings through the window, suddenly, the carriage came to a stop.
"What's wrong? Have we arrived at Count Tian Shui's residence?" Lanling asked.
Ye Jingyu dismounted the horse and spoke softly to Lanling, "Quick, get off and stand by the roadside. You must bow and lower your head with reverence and solemnity."
Lanling hurried out of the carriage and stood by the road with Ye Jingyu, slightly bowed and head lowered, observing the other carriages, which had all stopped, with their noble occupants disembarking to stand by the roadside with bowed heads in silence.
He couldn't help being startled. What kind of important person was passing by? Could it be members of the royal family?
Moments later, before anyone was seen, Lanling caught a whiff of an odd fragrance, faint yet transcendent and ethereal. Then, he saw a procession of four individuals appear from around the corner ahead, walking down the middle of the road.
The four of them were enveloped in snow-white robes, with only their eyes exposed. Their faces were unclear, but their figures were graceful and elegant, and their eyes... how should he put it? Lanling had never seen such eyes before—pure and Wuxia with a holy glow as if they could purify the soul.
These four moved swiftly, yet seemed not to take any steps at all, as if they were floating past the onlookers, the entire street falling into complete silence.
After the four white-robed women had passed, everyone got back into their carriages and continued on.
Once in the carriage, Lanling didn't speak, though he was intensely curious.
"These are the Snow Attire Emissaries from the Dragon Temple, the messengers of the divine in this world. Whenever and wherever you encounter them in the future, you must stand at the roadside and wait in silence; do not look up, do not move, and do not utter a word," Ye Jingyu explained.
"Understood," Lanling nodded, the term "Dragon Temple" etched deeply in his mind, signifying the most transcendent religious organization in this world.
The carriage continued to travel through the inner city for a quarter of an hour until it suddenly stopped and Ye Jingyu announced, "Young Master, we have arrived at your home."
Lanling felt his heart skip a beat, an inexplicable surge of nervousness rising, even though there was no apparent reason for his anxiety.
He pushed open the carriage door and looked towards the Count's residence in front of him.
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...
Truly a house of vermilion gates and jade doors, truly yards so deep—how deep indeed?
Before the gate stood two large stone lions, vermilion-colored doors, and a huge gilded signboard.
The blue walls around the estate, at least four or five meters tall and hundreds of meters long, made it impossible to see the end. They completely blocked the view inside, except for the occasional flowering tree poking over the wall.
On Earth, Lanling's family had barely attained modest wealth, living in a house that was over twenty years old and scarcely a hundred square meters. But the count's mansion in front of him was at least a hundred acres, and he was indeed momentarily overwhelmed by its grandeur.
However, the gilding on the signboard seemed to have faded somewhat, and the trees within the walls had grown a bit wild, as if they hadn't been trimmed in some time.
Moreover, the mansion doors were firmly shut, and there was no sound from within. For some reason, this vast count's mansion seemed inexplicably desolate.
"Mrs. Suo Lun, please wait here for a moment while I go in and notify the miss," Ye Jingyu said.
To be honest, Ye Jingyu was also very nervous, even worried. The idea to have Lanling impersonate Suo Lun was entirely her own, and the miss was not yet aware. Although the miss treated her like a sister, this was a matter where she greatly overstepped her bounds.
When Earl Suo Long was alive, he had been bedridden for many years, and Mrs. Suo Lun was frivolous and debauched; therefore, the count's mansion had long been ruled by the miss, whose word was law.
And now, having Lanling impersonate Suo Lun was a big deal. If the miss did not agree, it would be a colossal disaster Ye Jingyu had caused.
Seeing her nervousness, Lanling couldn't help but smile at her, offering consolation.
Her clean and kind smile immediately endeared her to Ye Jingyu, who took a deep breath and stepped forward to knock on the door.
"The count's mansion is closed to visitors; please leave your names, and my master will apologize another day," an elderly voice came from inside.
"Butler, I have returned," Ye Jingyu said.
The inside fell silent for a moment; then the door quickly opened, and an old man trembled and asked, "Mistress Ye, where is Mrs. Suo Lun..."
Without answering, Ye Jingyu walked into the count's mansion.
At the same time, the maids and servants of the count's household came out one after another, greeting Ye Jingyu with bows, their eyes drifting towards who was behind her.
What concerned them most was whether Young Master Suo Lun had returned. It wasn't that Suo Lun was particularly popular, but if Suo Lun did not return, the Tianshui City Count's estate would cease to exist. Without the skin, the hair would not attach; they would be without a home.
...
The beauty of Suo Ningbing, daughter of the Tianshui City Earl, was renowned throughout the entire kingdom, rivaling that of Princess Zhining.
Many years ago, when she was only thirteen, Count Suo Long had taken her to a royal banquet. King Quo Bian had exclaimed in astonishment, "All the essence of Tianshui Lake has been condensed into your daughter; she truly is the Tianshui Fairy."
Thus, the nickname "Tianshui Fairy" Suo Ningbing became widely known, and she was celebrated throughout the entire Rage Wave Kingdom as a peerless beauty.
She stood in front of Ye Jingyu at this moment, wearing a snow-white long dress, her hair styled in a matron's updo indicating she was married, and tied with a strip of white cloth representing that she was in mourning.
She looked wan, fragile, yet breathtakingly beautiful, truly like a fairy. Compared to her, even the stunning Ye Jingyu suddenly seemed to fade.
"Jingyu, you've returned? Where is Suo Lun?" Her voice was slightly hoarse from crying too much.
Ye Jingyu closed the door and ensured no one else was around before whispering, "Miss, no matter what I am about to tell you, please make no sound, and let no third person hear."
Suo Ningbing's beautiful face changed, then she nodded.
"Young Master Suo Lun is dead, likely killed by some kind of energy field in the Demon Mountain Range ruins," Ye Jingyu said.
At once, Suo Ningbing staggered, tears that had dried up suddenly surged forth like spring water, her hands tightly covering her mouth as she emitted mournful sobs. Then she couldn't stand any longer, collapsing into a chair.
In a short span, she had lost the only two family members she had, and in that instant, life seemed no longer worth living.
"The Young Master was the only heir of the Suo Family; with his death, the royal family will take the opportunity to reclaim the Tianshui City Territory. The Suo Family's two hundred years of legacy will be gone in an instant," Ye Jingyu said.
Suo Ningbing was struck with even greater sorrow, crying, "It's my fault for not disciplining Xiaolun properly; if I had been stricter and prevented his reckless pursuit of Princess Zhining, he wouldn't have died, and the Suo Family's legacy wouldn't have been severed."
Ye Jingyu sighed inwardly, for no one could control Young Master Suo Lun's foolish nature. Even though he somewhat feared facing his strict yet gentle sister, he could stay away from home for extended periods.
"Miss, I have found a way to preserve the Suo Family's century-old foundation," Ye Jingyu said, then knelt straight down, "But I have acted brashly and overstepped my authority."
Suo Ningbing trembled and said, "Tell me, stand up and tell me."
"I found someone to impersonate Young Master Suo Lun and come back to inherit the title," Ye Jingyu did not rise, still kneeling straight on the ground, "My boldness is tremendous, please punish me, miss."
Suo Ningbing was utterly stunned, staring at Ye Jingyu in disbelief.
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