The Master's Tower

Guo Qingshui's eyes narrowed, hazy, filled with a decadent intoxication and bitterness.

Liu Ruyan suddenly moved like a butterfly, a flash of pure white light glinting in her hand.

Guo Qingshui cried out in alarm and retreated repeatedly, narrowly dodging the crystalline light. As her footing stabilized, she looked down at her chest in surprise. Her clothes had been torn open by the sharp blade, her magnificent red robe nearly split in two.

Guo Qingshui suddenly smiled seductively, her shoulders twitching slightly as the red robe slowly slid down. Beneath the robe, Guo Qingshui was wearing nothing at all. Her smooth body was instantly and completely exposed in the dim night.

Like flawless white jade, it was filled with the allure of a young girl's vibrant youth.

Her legs slowly parted, and the foxy smile on her face rippled like waves on spring water, becoming more and more breathtaking.

"Can you imagine?"

Guo Qingshui asked in a murmur.

Imagine what?! Of course, she imagined how Ning Chang'an would pleasure her, how he would die at her feet.

Liu Ruyan snorted coldly, her skirt rustling like a colorful butterfly as she gracefully swept

It wasn't that he was unwilling to get involved, but rather that Yang Qingling and Yang Taiyi had repeatedly instructed him not to easily cross Changshan Province into Longyuan Province.

Yundu Commandery was the destination of his current journey.

If Danyang Prefecture was a frivolous, romantic city, then Yongan Prefecture in Yundu Commandery was a stern, old-fashioned one.

Yongan City appeared very desolate, so desolate it gave the illusion of being sparsely populated.

In reality, Yongan Prefecture had many inhabitants, and each one was extraordinary. Here lived retired powerful figures from the martial arts world, old generals who had spent their lives in the military, and aging military commanders with outstanding achievements. Yongan Prefecture rarely housed retired civil officials, but many military commanders grew fond of this place in their later years.

The neighboring Yongping Prefecture, adjacent to Yongan Prefecture, was a nest of sour, pedantic old scholars. Of course, this was how people from Yongan Prefecture described it. Yongping Prefecture was mostly inhabited by old civil officials, with many literati and poets.

These two cities had vastly different styles, clearly distinct, and it was not difficult to discern some of the Great Gan Dynasty's intentions from them. Civil and military officials clashed and restrained each other, creating a subtle balance within.

Yongan Prefecture always exuded a subtle aura of conflict and ruthlessness; it appeared quiet and substantial. But one must never underestimate it for a moment because of this. Truly formidable existences no longer require any superficial adornment. It would be foolish to feel wealthy here, as most people here could regard money as dirt; some could no longer be measured by money. It would be foolish to feel powerful here, as perhaps an ordinary-looking old man might be able to deliver a message directly to the emperor. It would be even more foolish to believe one's martial arts were invincible in this world, for you would never know if the person walking past you was an old general or a legendary recluse from the martial arts world.

Walking within Yongan Prefecture, the first rule is to learn humility, the second is to learn vigilance, and the third is to learn assertiveness. Humility and vigilance are the guarantees for survival, while assertiveness is the means to live well.

Ning Chang'an, wearing the clothes meticulously sewn by Liu Ruyan for him, led his horse into the ancient and stern Yongan Prefecture.

The layout of Yongan City's inner walls differed from most cities. This city was filled with residences, many of them ancient, exuding an air of antiquity rather than vitality.

There was a district located in the southern part of the city, spanning about two streets. This was the gathering place for outsiders. Unlike the quiet solitude of Yongan Prefecture, these two streets were lined with inns, restaurants, teahouses, brothels, and markets – everything one could need.

Many martial artists converged on Yongan Prefecture, primarily in search of an opportunity. Being taken in by any seemingly serene manor would likely provide a more stable future than wandering the martial world.

Arriving in a completely unfamiliar place, Ning Chang'an was unwilling to trust anyone. While he appeared to walk with his gaze straight ahead, he was constantly observing this city, which felt so substantial it was almost suffocating.

He traveled all the way to the southern part of the city and settled into a moderately sized inn. Afterward, he walked along the street to the Master's Tower. The Master's Tower was actually a teahouse, but the tea served there was far from good; they only sold coarse tea. Yet, it arrogantly called itself the Master's Tower, and within Yongan Prefecture, no less, it was like showing off one's meager skills before an expert. Strangely, despite its audacious presumption, it remained standing and was always busy.

The tea sold at the Master's Tower was not good, so how could its business be so good? So good that people traveled great distances just to drink their mediocre tea; so good that people returned again and again, some even choosing to live in the teahouse permanently; so good that other teahouses could only be filled with jealousy and pick up the leftovers from the Master's Tower.