Star Mansion, Star Palace

Li Tianming saw Yandu again.

It was a fiery city, with even its city walls seemingly scorched red by the scorching sun. From afar, it looked like a red-hot boiler, steaming with heat.

In his memory, Yandu was the most prosperous city.

It was a place where the noble families of the entire Vermilion Bird Country gathered, along with the nation's wealth, powerhouses, geniuses, and resources. It was the dream destination for the youth of Vermilion Bird Country.

Four years ago, Li Tianming came to Yandu with grand dreams and entered Yanhuang Academy through the imperial examinations to cultivate. Everything was going smoothly.

Four years later, he returned with a completely different purpose in life.

Seeing Yandu again, his state of mind was naturally different. Moreover, this time he had brought his mother with him.

Wei Jing pulled open the curtain in the carriage.

Her gaze was like water, and the way she looked at Yandu was completely different from Li Tianming's.

To this day, Li Tianming did not know what stories existed between her and Yandu, but he knew that before Wei Jing married Li Yanfeng, she had always been a resident of Yandu.

Her childhood was intertwined with this fiery Yandu.

At this moment, her gaze was like water, a smile on her lips, but her eyes were moist, as if misted.

It was evident that after twenty years, as she returned to the hometown that raised her, her heart must have been filled with many emotions.

And those emotions were hidden within the smile at the corner of her lips.

Her silver hair danced in the wind. Even though she appeared frail, Li Tianming suddenly imagined her youth from that smile and her flying hair.

He mused that she must have been a beautiful and lively girl, as wonderful as Jiang Feiling or Princess Qing.

"Time and illness are truly cruel," Li Tianming thought to himself, not saying it aloud.

With a smile, he looked at his mother and asked, "How is it? Do you feel like things have changed and everything is over, making you want to cry before you can even speak?"

"Naughty boy, your mother isn't a sentimental person. I'm just missing Yandu's pastries – mung bean cakes, osmanthus cakes, crabapple cakes. They taste so good." It was clear she was already salivating.

Once, she too was a girl who walked through the streets with delicious food in her hands, happily munching away.

"Don't worry, when your son has money, I'll definitely let you eat to your heart's content."

"From now on, we'll settle down in Yandu. I'll take good care of you, and bring you delicious pastries every day," Li Tianming said.

"Pinky promise, no backing out. If you dare to forget, I won't let you in the house," Wei Jing said with a stern face.

"Cruel woman," Li Tianming shook his head.

"I'll hit you!"

Indeed, after leaving Lihuo City and no longer having to see that man, happiness was this simple.

"But, we've arrived in Yandu with nothing. Where will we stay?"

This was a problem Li Tianming urgently needed to solve. If he had come alone, he would have had a place to stay after entering Yanhuang Academy.

However, his mother could not enter Yanhuang Academy; she needed a home of her own.

"I'll take care of this. Your mother still had quite a few friends in Yandu back then," Wei Jing said with a smile.

It seemed she had already made plans.

"It's just that I haven't seen my friends in twenty years, and they've all lived better lives than me."

Even the most carefree person would feel a sense of loss at a time like this.

They were once inseparable, but later on, they all had their own families and lives.

After entering Yandu, Li Tianming drove the carriage, heading towards the western district of Yandu under Wei Jing's guidance. The western district was Yandu's free zone, a hub of commerce, bustling and mixed.

Yandu was vast; it would take days and nights to explore it all.

"Do you know the location of the 'Star Palace'?" Wei Jing asked.

"Of course, I do. The Star Mansion and the Star Palace are the most luxurious and magnificent residences in Yandu's western district. If it weren't for their reverence for the Vermilion Bird Royal Family, these two mansions might have been built more lavishly than the imperial city."

Li Tianming had stayed in Yandu for a year and was quite familiar with its streets.

The reason these two mansions were so luxurious was mainly due to their wealth. Because, These were the residences of the two chairmen of the 'Starry Sky Merchant Association'.

The Starry Sky Merchant Association was the largest commercial alliance in Vermilion Bird Country, controlling the nation's economic lifeline. Countless branches were spread across cities, large and small, and Lihuo City also had a branch.

As the saying goes, there's no item that cannot be bought at the Starry Sky Merchant Association, only insufficient funds.

The two chairmen of the Starry Sky Merchant Association were legendary figures in Vermilion Bird Country.

They were geniuses from humble beginnings who started from scratch together. Over twenty years ago, they were known as the 'Starry Sky Twins', and are now revered as the 'Starry Sky Saints'.

In just twenty years, the two of them had expanded the Starry Sky Merchant Association across the entire country, possessing wealth that could rival nations. They had turned the Starry Sky Merchant Association, with only twenty years of history, into the most rapidly developing force in Vermilion Bird Country.

They even possessed strength comparable to many old aristocratic families with thousands of years of history, such as the Thunder Venerable Mansion.

The Star Mansion and the Star Palace were the residences of the Star Saint and the Palace Saint, respectively. Over the years, they had hosted countless distinguished guests.

However, it was not a place ordinary people could enter, and Li Tianming had never been close to them.

"Why are you going to the Star Palace? Could it be that you know someone from the Star Palace?" Li Tianming asked curiously.

"A good sister of mine married into the Star Palace," Wei Jing said.

Perhaps it was the anticipation of meeting a friend she hadn't seen in twenty years, but she felt a flutter of nervousness. After all, she was now gravely ill and at the end of her rope.

Not long after, a mansion bathed in starlight appeared before them.

The mansion resembled a small city, situated in the most prosperous part of Yandu, surrounded by many prominent families.

The Star Palace, like a star surrounded by the moon, was grand and elegant. Its numerous sculptures and reliefs were full of style, and its dazzling starlight was enough to make ordinary people feel inferior and dare not approach.

Far from the grand entrance of the Star Palace, guards with profound cultivation, accompanied by fierce Companion Beasts, stood guard.

Seeing the fully grown lions and tigers lying on the ground, even in their slumber, they exuded a powerful deterrent to those around them.

Li Tianming drove the carriage. This carriage was Li Yanfeng's, hence its opulence. The guards at the gate naturally assumed someone important was inside.

Therefore, they were relatively polite, asking, "Are you here to visit the Star Palace? Do you have an invitation?"

"Please inform your madam, Xue Lan, that an old friend, Wei Jing, requests an audience," she said softly, gently opening the curtain.

"Madam? Our madam doesn't usually see regular visitors. Please don't make things difficult for us," the guard said earnestly.

"Just relay my name, please. If there's no response, I'll naturally leave," Wei Jing said very politely.

The guard was unsure. After all, the person before them was an elder. She might be a senior of the madam. To be safe, they decided to report it inside.

The wait was a bit long. The Star Palace was vast, and it naturally took time to report to the madam.

"Mother, does this madam have a high status in the Star Palace?" Li Tianming asked curiously.

"Naturally, she does. She is the wife of the Star Saint," Wei Jing said with a smile.

"What?" Li Tianming exclaimed, looking at Wei Jing with a bewildered gaze.

Her old friend was actually the wife of the Star Saint. This meant her status in Yandu must not have been low in the past.

The Star Saint was currently a prominent figure in the entire Vermilion Bird Country, his status comparable to that of a minister in the Vermilion Bird Country's court.

Li Yanfeng couldn't even get close to someone like that.

While Li Tianming was still a bit skeptical, a message had already come through. The guard hurried forward and said, "My madam requests to see you. Madam is currently arranging things in the 'Snow Star Pavilion.' Madam Wei, please alight from the carriage, and follow me inside."

Wei Jing had difficulty walking, so Li Tianming helped her into the Star Palace.

Upon entering, Li Tianming finally witnessed the extent of the Star Palace's luxury. Everywhere were jewels and glazed tiles. There was a building every five steps and a pavilion every ten steps. It was a scene of vibrant beauty, breathtaking to behold.

Compared to the Star Palace, the City Lord's Mansion in Lihuo City could only be called a hovel.

To be the mistress of such a Star Palace, it seemed this woman named Xue Lan was also an extraordinary person.

Li Tianming had to remain calm, otherwise, he would look like a bumpkin entering the city.

Yet, one of the former sisters now had no title or place to stay, while the other was the mistress of the Star Palace, the wife of the Star Saint.

Life's encounters were truly poignant. Meeting the wrong person brought much suffering.

However, Wei Jing's expression was calm. She didn't seem jealous of her sister's good fortune, but rather deeply happy for her.

The journey to the Snow Star Pavilion was a bit long, and they passed an arena along the way.

The arena was particularly lively at the moment, with many young disciples from the Starry Sky Merchant Association sparring and training.

Every year, many disciples from the Starry Sky Merchant Association qualified to study at Yanhuang Academy through the academy's imperial examinations. Today's practice was likely preparation for the final.

After all, the official imperial examinations were only three days away.

Li Tianming noticed a particularly dazzling fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth in the arena.

The youth was tall and handsome, wearing a deep blue training uniform. His long hair was neatly tied back, impeccable. The most striking feature was his eyes.

His eyes were as bright as stars, crystal clear, like gemstones and jade.

Even from a distance, Li Tianming could see the radiance in those eyes.

This was definitely a scion of a major family, possessing an innate clarity that ordinary disciples from the periphery couldn't compare to.

For example, Liu Qinyang, while possessing noble bearing and a powerful aura, lacked the crystal-clear, childlike purity of this youth.

From afar, this youth looked like a pure star. Thus, despite the presence of many martial arts geniuses around him, he was the one who stood out at a glance, even from a distance.

His Companion Beast was a majestic purple lion.

The purple lion's eyes had six very distinct star-like points, each shining brightly. This indicated that the youth's Companion Beast was a Sixth-Tier Companion Beast.

Possessing a Sixth-Tier Companion Beast meant this youth was a top-tier genius in Yandu, someone incomparable to Liu Qinyang or Jiang Yilin.

"This is our young master Chen Yao's Companion Beast, the 'Six-Star Luminous Lion.' It's said to be a 'High Grade' existence even among Sixth-Tier Companion Beasts," the guard said with pride, admiration, and envy.

Li Tianming knew that in Yandu, Companion Beasts were categorized more finely.

Even for the same Fifth-Tier or Sixth-Tier Companion Beasts, they would be further divided into High Grade, Mid Grade, and Low Grade within each tier.

For example, his Four-Winged Golden-Winged Roc was once classified as a Fifth-Tier Mid-Grade Companion Beast, placing it in the middle tier among Fifth-Tier Companion Beasts.

This Six-Star Luminous Lion, not only a Sixth-Tier Companion Beast but also a High Grade one, further demonstrated the exceptional talent of young master Chen Yao.

"Is this Xue Lan's child?" Wei Jing asked.

"Of course. Young Master Chen Yao is the madam's younger son. Her elder son, Chen Hao, has long since entered Heavenly Mansion for cultivation and is currently ranked very high on Heavenly Mansion's roster," the guard said proudly.

Chen Hao?

Li Tianming recognized him. He had ranked in the top three in the Imperial Examination four years ago but was suppressed by Lin Xiaoting, preventing him from directly entering the Heavenly Mansion. However, his hard work paid off, and today he was already a Heavenly Mansion genius.

"Young Master Chen Yao is about to participate in the Imperial Examination in three days. He has a high chance of getting first place and directly advancing to the Heavenly Mansion."

"It's said that the younger one enters the Heavenly Mansion, the more fortune and cultivation one receives. If Young Master Chen Hao had gotten first place in the Imperial Examination four years ago, he probably wouldn't be any worse than that person from the Thunder Venerable Mansion today."

Without him needing to say it, Li Tianming knew that this young master of the Star Palace was definitely a hot favorite to win the Imperial Examination.