Bidding farewell to Yu Qing.
Nan Zhu, Mu Aotie, and Baili Xin rushed over from the Dingyin District early in the morning. Yu Qing was formally leaving the Dingzi District, this time to openly reside within the Kunling Mountain sect.
Afterwards, before the Chaoyang Assembly concluded, it would be impossible for Nan Zhu and the others to visit Yu Qing whenever they wanted. Kunling Mountain would not allow these spectators to run around freely inside the sect.
For those wishing to watch the competitions, Kunling Mountain would organise groups to escort them there. After the matches, they would be gathered and sent back to their quarters, leaving virtually no room for independent activities in between.
A temporary parting was nothing. What Yu Qing truly worried about was the attitude of Nan Zhu towards Baili Xin. He feared this fat man might do something foolish over a woman, even though he himself had once been foolish over a woman.
Nan Zhu repeatedly guaranteed that he absolutely would not.
Having given all necessary instructions, Yu Qing finally departed with the people from Kunling Mountain.
The ten individuals who advanced from the Dingzi District gathered at a designated location. Several carriages took them aboard, and under escort, they were transported all the way to the core area of Kunling Mountain.
The new residence boasted more elegant scenery, more fantastical mountain views, and more architectural complexes. The pavilions and towers dotting the mountains resembled the magnificent jade palaces of the immortal realm.
There were also far more people. As this was the central hub of Kunling Mountain, a large number of disciples had gathered, and people could be seen coming and going throughout the mountain at any time.
The living conditions were also better. Although four people still shared a residence, they lived in a courtyard. Each person had their own detached small building, and each courtyard was specially assigned a Kunling Mountain disciple for service.
The cohabitants were likely grouped according to their previous districts. Yu Qing, Chan Shaoting, Xiang Zhen, and a man named Kui Kui lived together.
Kui Kui was the very person who had injured Wu Ronggui previously. Dressed in animal hides with one shoulder exposed, he did not look very old, yet he carried an arrogant and selfish air. His temper was even more intense than that of Chan Shaoting. He did not care about the background of Chan Shaoting from the Guijian Villa, and simply acted arrogantly in front of him, being willful and indulgent.
At this moment, the self cultivation of Chan Shaoting was evident, as he surprisingly did not hold it against him.
“Now this looks like a place for us to stay.”
Bursting into the courtyard, Kui Kui spread his arms and laughed heartily. His swinging arm nearly smashed into the nose of Chan Shaoting before he ran off first, shouting, “I got here first, so I get to choose first!”
The Kunling Mountain disciple who led everyone in was named Xu Yi. Seeing this, he gave a dry chuckle and did not know what to say. After all, the sect had long warned them that all sorts of people would attend the assembly.
Chan Shaoting kept a straight face and snorted, “A savage from the Great Wasteland, not worth our consideration.”
Yu Qing smirked, but turned his head and could not smile anymore, noticing that Xiang Zhen was secretly observing him again.
In any case, Kui Kui had claimed the largest and best building. The other three did not mind and simply picked a room each.
The supposed true Chaoyang Assembly was about to begin, and the entire Kunling Mountain entered its busiest phase. There were simply too many guests, all of whom were either wealthy or noble.
A long, double storey building next to a large drying ground, which usually served as temporary housing for Kunling Mountain disciples working during the spiritual rice drying phase, was now being used to accommodate guests due to a housing shortage.
The building had staircases at both ends and in the middle leading upstairs. Two women stood downstairs, examining the long, double storey building.
Judging by their attire, it was clear they were a mistress and her maid.
The one with dark hair resembling clouds, picturesque features, tender and fair skin, and dressed elegantly like a mature woman was obviously the mistress. If Yu Qing were present, he would certainly recognise her. This young woman dressed as a mature lady was none other than Wen Xin, the head of one of the most prominent families in the southern part of the Jin Kingdom.
The one with sharp eyes, wearing a pink dress and long skirt, with a slightly upturned nose and some freckles on her face, was precisely the maid of Wen Xin, Xiao Hong.
The current Xiao Hong had lost her former innocence. Her words and deeds were much more dignified, even appearing somewhat serious. The change was significant, and it was unknown what she had experienced over the years.
The two had come here at this time, naturally, to watch the Chaoyang Assembly. They had also travelled thousands of miles with the help of Qinglian Mountain, the major cultivation sect backing the Wen family.
Wen Xin travelled thousands of miles to see this grand event held once every twenty years. Broadening her horizons was merely one of her objectives. In reality, she had other intentions, wishing to recruit two reliable and capable cultivators. Thus, she came in person to assess the situation, as the Wen family was controlled far too tightly by Qinglian Mountain.
Of course, it was not just the mistress and maid who arrived. There were also accompanying guards and servants, yet not just anyone could enter this place.
In the words of Kunling Mountain, once guests arrived at Kunling Mountain, their safety would be guaranteed by the sect itself, making any guards unnecessary.
The fact that Wen Xin was allowed to bring a serving maid inside was already the result of assistance from Qinglian Mountain in smoothing things over.
Many people were moving up and down the row houses. Judging by their clothes and attire, none of them seemed to be ordinary people.
Xiao Hong looked at the number tag in her hand and pointed upstairs, “Miss, it is the fifth room on the left upstairs.”
Wen Xin nodded, and the mistress and maid went upstairs. Comparing the number tag, they found their room. Upon pushing the door open and looking inside, both were somewhat stunned.
The furnishings in the room were extremely simple. There was a basic bed against each of the left and right walls, a table in the middle, and a water vat and bowl in the corner. Xiao Hong went over to check and found that there was not even water in the vat, meaning they would clearly have to fetch it themselves.
She could not hold back her frustration. “How can we stay here? It could not be simpler. The prestigious Kunling Mountain, which claims to be the number one spiritual plant sect in the world, entertains its guests like this?”
Wen Xin, who was observing the environment of the room, appeared calm and composed. She raised her hand to signal her to keep her voice down. “For a grand event held once every twenty years, the number of guests is in the tens of thousands. It is impossible to make every single guest feel completely at home.”
Xiao Hong replied, “What nonsense, Miss. This is simply disrespecting us. Are not those separate courtyards along the way used to entertain guests? It is obvious they are classifying guests into different tiers. Is the strength of our Wen family truly that unpresentable? Miss, wait here, I will go and reason with them.”
Wen Xin quickly raised her hand to stop her and shook her head slightly. “The Chaoyang Assembly is a grand event for the cultivation world, and the main group being entertained consists of cultivators. Moreover, the host location is in the Yin Kingdom, so it is only natural that they prioritise people from the Yin Kingdom. Here, they will not take a family from the south of the Jin Kingdom too seriously. Many people want to come but cannot get in. The seats in the stands are also limited. It is already quite good that they can give us a spot and provide two separate places for our Wen family.”
“The living conditions might be a bit rudimentary, but we will not lack food or drink. There is no reason to complain about inadequate hospitality. Upstairs and downstairs, as you have seen, there are probably others with some background besides us. Since we are here, we should make the best of it and just make do.”
From her words, it was evident that she had learned something about the situation of the Chaoyang Assembly before arriving.
Xiao Hong sighed and gave up. She walked over to arrange the bedding, still muttering under her breath, “When has Miss ever stayed in such a rudimentary place.”
For Kunling Mountain, it was indeed impossible to satisfy every guest. With so many people, there would inevitably be areas of inadequate hospitality. They did indeed classify guests into different tiers. The most distinguished guests naturally received the most distinguished treatment. Nowadays, important figures frequently arrived at Kunling Mountain, and even the sect leader was constantly busy welcoming and seeing them off. They had no time to care about how well a prominent family from some distant corner of a foreign country was accommodated.
At this moment, in one of the most luxurious gardens in the entire Kunling Mountain, someone had already taken residence. Plain clothes experts were as numerous as clouds, distributed in every corner. There was even a group of experts wearing the attire of the Daye Division participating in the security.
In the main hall of the luxurious garden, a graceful and noble woman in brocade clothing sat slightly sideways, holding a teacup and slowly sipping her tea.
The appearance of the woman was remarkably beautiful, yet she appeared cold and glamorous. The flashing gaze from her disdainful look made Xiang Lanxuan, who was standing below, feel somewhat trembling.
Xiang Lanxuan stood there with her head bowed, not daring to breathe heavily.
This was because the woman was none other than Yan Yi, the Queen of the Yin Kingdom, who had come in plain clothes and was known as the foremost woman in the Yin Kingdom.
Standing beside her seat was none other than Mi Yunzhong, the second most powerful figure among the palace eunuchs and the Commander of the Outer Guards.
Not to mention Xiang Lanxuan, even Zhao Dengzi, the current sect leader of Kunling Mountain, stood by with his hands clasped. This included the row of Kunling Mountain elders standing behind him, among whom was the Great Elder Huan Yushan. They all waited obediently for the woman sitting high above to finish her tea.
What they feared was not entirely her status as queen, but rather that this queen was the junior martial sister of the Commander of the Daye Division, and simultaneously the junior martial sister of the Commander of the Sinan Prefecture. With her senior martial brothers and sisters having reached such a realm of cultivation, her own strength was imaginable.
After taking a few slow sips of tea, Yan Yi handed the teacup to Mi Yunzhong to hold. She stared coldly downwards and said in a clear, cold voice, “You, Chief Envoy Xiang, said that everything here is prepared and that all is well. Naturally, I must believe you. Even if something goes wrong, I cannot hold you accountable, can I?”
Xiang Lanxuan could hear that this woman was still angry with her. She immediately felt unable to express her hardship, complaining inwardly about why women must make things difficult for other women. However, she hurriedly said aloud, “Your Majesty, please understand. Currently, everything is proceeding smoothly, and Kunling Mountain can testify to this.”
Zhao Dengzi, unaware of the underlying reasons, quickly added, “Your Majesty, it is indeed proceeding quite smoothly at present.”
“That is good,” Yan Yi responded faintly, then turned her head to ask the person beside her, “Why is Yang er nowhere to be seen? Where has she gone?”
Commander of the Outer Guards Mi Yunzhong quickly replied, “As soon as the Princess arrived, she insisted on going for a stroll in the mountains, so a few people were assigned to accompany her.”
“No sense of propriety,” Yan Yi muttered, finally showing a hint of everyday familial concern.
However, Xiang Lanxuan, standing below, was somewhat distracted, or rather, somewhat worried. This was because the princess mentioned here was the very one who had been clamouring that she would marry no one but the top scholar.
Zhao Dengzi took the opportunity to tentatively ask, “Your Majesty, I wonder if our sect should make advance preparations for the arrival of His Majesty?”
He actually just wanted to ask whether the Emperor would truly come.
Yan Yi stated bluntly, “His Majesty is busy with state affairs and will not come for the time being. If he does come, it will be during the finals. The specifics are unclear, and it is not certain whether he will come at all.”
Zhao Dengzi quickly smiled politely and said, “State affairs are the priority. Naturally, state affairs come first.”
Just then, a Kunling Mountain disciple arrived outside. It was unknown what was reported at the door, but a plain clothes inner attendant immediately strode forward, bowed, and reported, “Your Majesty, the Kunling Mountain disciple wishes to inform Sect Leader Zhao that Prince Duan has arrived, accompanied by his Princess Consort.”
“The lovebirds have arrived,” Yan Yi said with a fake smile, looking at Zhao Dengzi. “Sect Leader Zhao, you have not yet met the new Princess Consort of Prince Duan, have you? Since they have just arrived, it would be improper for Kunling Mountain to lack courtesy. Go and welcome them.”
Zhao Dengzi and the others subconsciously exchanged glances. They felt that the Queen did not seem to like that Princess Consort very much. Not knowing how to respond, they could only retreat submissively, preparing to welcome the guests.
Before the group had even walked out the door, a hearty laugh came from outside. “My royal sister, you should have said you were coming. It would have been wonderful to travel together. Your humble brother is late and has come to pay his respects!”