The royal capital, Zhi Du, was truly enormous. The streets were packed shoulder to shoulder with people. Some women wore revealing clothes that exposed most of their skin, while others were completely shrouded in robes, revealing only their two eyes.
The buildings in the royal capital were almost as densely packed as the crowds. Five- or six-storey high structures were everywhere, standing row upon row.
The scent of women’s rouge and powder, the sweaty odour of men, the stench from the sewers, the rich aroma of meat from street food stalls, countless smells blended together into a very strange and complex fragrance.
Ye Jingyu wrinkled her nose and said, “Zhi Du is still as smelly as ever.”
Lan Ling curiously peered out through the carriage window at everything outside. All of this was real, far more direct and shocking than anything he had seen in films. Especially this city that blended Eastern and Western styles, something completely absent from any movie.
Even the carriages of nobles moved very slowly in the royal capital because there were simply too many people.
“Is that Young Master Suo Lun returning inside the carriage?” Suddenly, a burst of delighted female voices rang out from outside.
Lan Ling lifted the carriage curtain and looked over. On a magnificent, gold-and-jade building stood more than a dozen scantily clad women striking seductive poses. When they caught sight of Lan Ling’s face, the group immediately let out wave after wave of shrieks. “Young Master Suo Lun is back! Young Master Suo Lun is back…”
Without a doubt, this was a brothel.
Then, these women boldly pulled open their collars and waved frantically at Lan Ling.
“Young Master Suo Lun, come quickly, come quickly. We have missed you to death…”
A few of the women even ran swiftly down from the building, clearly intending to throw themselves directly onto the carriage.
Inside the carriage, Lan Ling’s scalp immediately went numb. The Suo Lun he was impersonating must have been a regular patron of such pleasure quarters. Otherwise, these prostitutes would not be so enthusiastic.
Ye Jingyu looked embarrassed and said, “Young Master Suo Lun used to come to places like this very often and spent who knows how much money here. That is why all the women in the pleasure quarters know him and treat him like an ancestor.”
Instantly, Lan Ling felt immense pressure. Back on Earth he had been a pure virgin, and now he had to impersonate this debauched playboy. It really was quite difficult.
Ye Jingyu cracked the whip to speed up the horses, shaking off the prostitutes who were about to pounce onto the carriage, and hurried towards the Earl’s residence.
…
The Earl of Tianshui’s residence was located within the inner city of the royal capital, where only the kingdom’s most powerful and noble families resided.
Once they entered the inner city, the air quality changed at once, becoming fragrant and pleasant. The roads became flat and wide, the crowds thinned out, and what remained were mostly luxurious carriages drawn by fine horses.
On both sides of the broad bluestone streets stood long, high walls. Behind those walls were the estates of noble families.
Because the roads were wide and there were fewer people, their progress became much faster. While they were galloping along and Lan Ling was enjoying the scenery through the window, the carriage suddenly came to a halt.
“What is wrong? Have we arrived at the Earl’s residence?” Lan Ling asked.
Ye Jingyu leapt down from the horse and whispered to Lan Ling, “Quickly get out and stand by the roadside. Bow slightly, lower your head, and remain respectful and solemn.”
Lan Ling hurriedly stepped out of the carriage and stood beside Ye Jingyu at the roadside, bending slightly and lowering his head. Looking around, he saw that all the other carriages on the road had also stopped. The nobles inside had alighted and now stood quietly by the roadside with bowed heads.
He could not help but be surprised. What kind of important person was passing by? Could it be someone from the royal family?
A moment later, before anyone appeared, Lan Ling caught a whiff of a strange fragrance. It was very faint, yet distant and ethereal. Then he saw four figures emerge from the corner ahead and walk straight down the middle of the road.
All four were completely shrouded in snow-white robes, revealing only their eyes. Their faces could not be seen clearly, but their figures were graceful and enchanting. As for their eyes… how could he describe them? This was the first time Lan Ling had ever seen such a gaze. It was pure and flawless, carrying a holy radiance, as if it could purify a person’s soul.
The four women walked quickly, yet it seemed as though they were not taking steps at all. They simply glided past everyone. The entire street fell into complete silence.
Only after the four white-robed women had completely departed did everyone climb back into their carriages and continue on their way.
Lan Ling got back into the carriage but did not ask any questions, even though he was extremely curious.
“Those were the Snow-Clad Envoys of the Divine Dragon Temple, the envoys of the gods in this world. No matter where you encounter them in the future, you must stand by the roadside in silence, without raising your head, without moving, and without saying a single word,” Ye Jingyu explained.
“Understood,” Lan Ling nodded. The words “Divine Dragon Temple” were now deeply etched into his mind. This must be the most transcendent divine authority and faith organisation in this world.
The carriage continued travelling through the inner city for another quarter of an hour before stopping again. Ye Jingyu said, “Young Master, we have arrived home.”
Lan Ling’s heart suddenly skipped a beat for no apparent reason, and a wave of inexplicable tension surged within him, even though there was no cause for it.
He pushed open the carriage door and looked towards the Earl’s residence in front of him.
…
Truly vermilion gates and jade thresholds, truly a courtyard deep as can be.
Two massive stone lions stood before the entrance, the great vermilion doors, and a huge gilded plaque.
The cyan walls were fully four or five metres high and stretched hundreds of metres long, impossible to see the end of them. They completely blocked any view of the interior scenery, with only the occasional flowering tree peeking over the top.
Back on Earth, Lan Ling had come from a merely modest middle-class family. His home was an old house more than twenty years old, barely under a hundred square metres. But the Earl’s residence before him covered at least a hundred mu. The sheer grandeur momentarily overwhelmed him.
However, the gilding on the plaque seemed somewhat faded, and the trees inside the walls had grown rather wild, as if they had not been trimmed for some time.
Moreover, the main gates of the Earl’s residence were tightly shut, and no sounds came from within. For some reason, this vast Earl’s residence carried an air of desolation.
“Young Master, please wait here for a moment. I will go inside to report to the young miss,” Ye Jingyu said.
To be honest, Ye Jingyu was very nervous right now, even worried. The decision to have Lan Ling impersonate Suo Lun had been entirely her own idea. The young miss still knew nothing about it. Although the young miss treated her like a real sister, this matter had indeed far exceeded her authority.
When the Earl was still alive, he had been bedridden for years due to chronic illness, and Young Master Suo Lun had been dissolute and reckless. As a result, the Earl’s residence had long been managed by the young miss, who always had the final say and her word was law.
If the young miss did not agree to such a major matter as having someone impersonate Suo Lun, then Ye Jingyu would truly have committed a grave offence.
Noticing her tension, Lan Ling gave her a gentle smile of reassurance.
That clean and kind smile instantly warmed Ye Jingyu’s heart. She took a deep breath, stepped forward, and knocked on the door.
“The Earl’s residence is closed to visitors. Honourable guest, please leave your name. Our master will personally apologise and receive you another day,” came the voice of an elderly man from inside.
“Steward, it is me. I have returned,” Ye Jingyu said.
There was immediate silence inside, then the gates opened quickly. An old man asked in a trembling voice, “Lady Ye, where is the young master…”
Ye Jingyu did not answer. She simply walked straight into the Earl’s residence.
At the same time, the maids and servants inside the Earl’s residence all emerged from the buildings and bowed to Ye Jingyu, their gazes turning towards the area behind her.
What they cared about most was whether Young Master Suo Lun had returned. It was not that Suo Lun was particularly beloved. Rather, if Suo Lun did not return, then the Tianshui Earl’s residence would cease to exist. When the skin is gone, where can the hair attach? They too would become homeless.
…
The beauty of Suo Ningbing, the daughter of the Earl of Tianshui City, was renowned throughout the entire kingdom, on equal footing with Princess Zhi Ning.
Many years ago, when she was only thirteen, Earl Suo Long had brought her to a royal banquet. King Zhi Bian had once exclaimed in admiration, “All the essence of Tianshui Lake has been concentrated in your daughter. Truly a Tianshui fairy.”
Thus, the nickname “Tianshui Fairy” for Suo Ningbing spread far and wide, making her the most famous peerless beauty in the entire Fury Wave Kingdom.
She now stood before Ye Jingyu, dressed in a snow-white long skirt. The matron’s hairstyle indicated she had once been married, and a strip of white cloth was tied in her hair, signifying she was in mourning.
She looked haggard and frail, yet her beauty was peerless and unmatched, truly like a fairy. Even the originally stunning Ye Jingyu seemed dimmed by three parts in comparison to her radiance.
“Jingyu, you have returned? Where is Suo Lun?” Her voice was slightly hoarse from crying too much.
Ye Jingyu closed the door, confirmed that no one else was around, then lowered her voice. “Young miss, no matter what I say next, please do not make any sound. Do not let a third person hear.”
Suo Ningbing’s exquisite little face changed colour. Then she nodded.
“Young Master Suo Lun is already dead. He most likely died from some kind of energy field in the ruins of the Heavenly Demon Mountain Range,” Ye Jingyu said.
Suo Ningbing immediately staggered. The tears she had already cried dry surged forth again like a spring. Her jade hand tightly covered her small mouth as she let out heartbroken sobs. Then she could no longer stand and collapsed directly into a chair.
In such a short time, she had lost the only two relatives she had left. In an instant, she felt completely hopeless and lifeless.
“Young Master Suo Lun was the sole heir of the family. With his death, the royal family will take the opportunity to reclaim the Tianshui City fief. The two-hundred-year foundation of the Suo clan will be destroyed in a single day,” Ye Jingyu said.
Suo Ningbing immediately became even more pained. She cried, “It is my fault for not teaching little Lun properly. If I had been stricter with him and not allowed him to overreach himself by pursuing Princess Zhi Ning, he would not have died, and the Suo clan’s legacy would not have been severed.”
Ye Jingyu sighed inwardly. With Young Master Suo Lun’s dissolute personality, no one could control him. Although he feared facing this gentle yet strict elder sister, he could still stay away from home for long periods.
“Young miss, I have found a way to preserve the Suo clan’s hundred-year foundation,” Ye Jingyu said. Then she knelt straight down and continued, “But I have acted extremely rashly in this matter and greatly overstepped my authority.”
Suo Ningbing trembled and said, “Speak. Get up and speak.”
“I found someone to impersonate Young Master Suo Lun and return to inherit the title,” Ye Jingyu did not rise. She remained kneeling straight on the ground and said, “I was audacious beyond measure. Please punish me, young miss.”
Suo Ningbing was instantly completely stunned. She stared at Ye Jingyu in disbelief.