Marquis Wu's Estate

Chu Ning paid no mind to the others' attitudes. He was accustomed to such arrogance from the powerful, but Xie Mingli's demeanor surprised him slightly.

As he stepped into Marquis Wu's Estate, the moment his boot lifted, the coarse hemp of his sole met the raised star patterns on the stone. The star trails, outlined with gold thread, seemed to come alive, swirling beneath his feet into a brilliant galaxy.

At the end of the stairs, sixteen coiling dragon pillars supported a gilded dome. Each dragon's whisker was adorned with pigeon's blood rubies, and its eyes were luminous jade tribute from the northern desert, emitting a faint blue glow even in daylight.

"Young Master Chu, mind your step." Qin Henian's withered hand suddenly extended before him. Chu Ning then noticed a crack about an inch wide on the right side of the third step. The old steward tapped the crack with the tip of his deerskin boot. "Last month, a tenant slipped here. Blood seeped into the star patterns of the沉星石, and it took three days to clean."

As they passed through the ceremonial gate, twelve bronze water clocks chimed simultaneously. Giant mechanisms drove interlocking iron gears, and water surged through gilded channels. In the sunlight, it actually reflected a bloody hue.

Chu Ning looked closer and discovered the bottom of the channel was densely paved with carnelian, carved into three thousand kneeling servants offering tribute plates.

On the screen wall before the main hall, a complete Map of the Nine Provinces was inlaid with conch shells and obsidian.

As Chu Ning approached, the mountains on the map suddenly bulged, and the rivers began to flow.

It turned out that tens of thousands of thin sheets of lapis lazuli, etched with tiny characters detailing land tax amounts, rose and fell, driven by mechanisms.

"This is my brother's favorite view." Xie Mingli's skirt brushed against the white jade floor tiles, beneath which were embedded amber-colored pine resin, and upon closer inspection, the preserved corpses of spirit beasts in various poses. "Young Master Chu, do you think it's better than the refugee alley outside?"

His tone was calm, yet carried a hint of sarcasm. "The bodies in the refugee alley are thrown in the mud for crows to peck at, while here, the spirit beasts' corpses are sealed in amber for people to admire."

He paused, a smile of unknown meaning appearing on his lips. "It's another kind of 'dignity,' I suppose."

Xie Mingli's eyes flickered slightly, as if his answer wasn't unexpected. She gently raised her hand, her fingertips brushing over the conch-inlaid mountains and rivers. "The living are, after all, more useful than the dead," she said softly.

Chu Ning scoffed. "Unfortunately, it's often only a few who can stay alive."

Xie Mingli glanced at him, her gaze meaningful. "You care about these things?"

Chu Ning withdrew his gaze and said slowly, "I didn't used to."

His tone was placid, but Xie Mingli heard the hidden sharpness beneath his words.

He looked at the map and said slowly, "Until one day, I became one of the people in the refugee alley."

Xie Mingli didn't reply, merely watching the map's continuous undulations.

Chu Ning stood beside Xie Mingli, his gaze slowly moving from the map to rest deeply on her.

His tone was calm, yet carried a hint of inquiry. "The other day you said your brother was waiting for you at home. Now that you've returned, why don't I see him?"

Xie Mingli's fingers, which had been caressing the map, paused slightly.

She was silent for a moment, then her palm gently stroked a protruding obsidian mountain. "He has indeed been waiting for me," she said softly.

Chu Ning's brow twitched, sensing something deliberate in her tone.

"But he has already waited for five years."

Five years?

Chu Ning's eyes narrowed, a hint of something unusual catching his attention.

He didn't press further, simply waiting.

Xie Mingli slowly withdrew her hand, as if carefully choosing her words. After a moment, she spoke slowly, "Five years ago, he led the personal guards of Marquis Wu's Estate deep into the northern border, searching for something..."

Her voice was extremely soft, as if afraid of disturbing some sleeping secret beneath the grand estate.

"But he never returned."

Chu Ning's gaze instantly sharpened.

"His fate is unknown?"

Xie Mingli nodded gently, her gaze still fixed on the map.

"Without my brother's steady hand, Marquis Wu's Estate has been encroached upon by the major sects, its influence gradually waning."

Her tone remained calm, but Chu Ning saw a hint of suppressed sharpness deep within her eyes.

Xie Mingli slowly turned, finally meeting Chu Ning's gaze directly, her eyes as still as a frozen lake. "That's why I must win the championship at the Azure Cloud Arena this time."

Chu Ning narrowed his eyes, watching her quietly.

"I want everyone to know—" she said, enunciating each word. Her voice was no longer calm, but filled with undeniable sharpness and pride. "Even without Xie Jinghong, Marquis Wu's Estate still has me, Xie Mingli!"

The atmosphere instantly turned cold.

Sunlight reflected a golden streak in her eyes, like a drawn sword, sharp and piercing.

Chu Ning raised his eyebrows slightly, carefully observing her expression.

After a long moment, he suddenly chuckled, his tone filled with meaning. "So, you wish to use the Azure Cloud Arena to wash away Marquis Wu's Estate's decline?"

"That's right," Xie Mingli replied frankly, without flinching.

Chu Ning slowly strode to the map and casually pointed to the northern region. "Unfortunately, your opponents are not just those on the arena."

Xie Mingli blinked in surprise, then narrowed her eyes. "What are you implying?"

Chu Ning's smile faded, his tone calm but with a hint of coldness. "The Heavenly Thunder Sect, the Cold Mountain Sect, the Li Fire Palace, and even... some people within your own Marquis Wu's Estate may not wish for you to win."

A flash of coldness crossed Xie Mingli's eyes before she regained her composure.

"You think I don't know?" she said slowly. "Every step I've taken these past years, someone has tried to make me fall."

Chu Ning chuckled softly, his gaze meaningful. "You are quite candid."

Xie Mingli looked at him and suddenly smiled faintly.

"Young Master Chu, since you know these things, you're still willing to step into Marquis Wu's Estate?"

Her tone was neither smiling nor frowning, carrying a hint of probing. "Or perhaps, you've already prepared yourself to be drawn into this vortex?"

The atmosphere became even more subtle at this moment.

Chu Ning didn't answer immediately. Instead, he slowly raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushing over the Map of the Nine Provinces.

He looked at the border line on the northern frontier, outlined in obsidian.

"I'm more curious," he said in a low voice, "what exactly was your brother looking for five years ago?"

Xie Mingli's eyes flickered slightly.

After a moment, she softly uttered a few words:

"The Northern Border Military Manual."

Chu Ning's pupils contracted slightly.

He suddenly remembered the six bloody characters he had seen on the Lightning Pattern Ring of a Heavenly Thunder Sect disciple:

"Jinghong appears, Azure Cloud is in chaos."

This Azure Cloud Arena was far more than just a simple arena competition.

And Xie Jinghong's disappearance might not have been a disappearance at all.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled softly, "It seems this Azure Cloud Arena is indeed very interesting."

Xie Mingli casually took off her cloak and instructed, "Steward Qin, please arrange lodging for Young Master Chu."

Qin Henian nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over Chu Ning impassively. His voice was gentle, yet carried a hint of coldness. "Young Master Chu has traveled far; we should certainly treat you well."

However, his footsteps led towards the most remote courtyard of the estate.

Chu Ning raised his eyes and looked at the secluded side courtyard. The vermilion-lacquered doors were old, and the brass rings were even covered with a thin layer of dust, clearly indicating no one had lived there for a long time. Moss, damp from dripping eaves, showed mottled patches that gleamed with a damp, dark hue in the faint light.

"This will be Young Master Chu's residence," Qin Henian said with a smile, gesturing for him to enter.

"It's quite quiet," Chu Ning replied with a noncommittal smile. He stepped into the courtyard, his fingertips lightly tracing the cracks on the door frame, his eyes darkening slightly.