Entering the City, Living Together

Early in the morning, the Post House grew lively.

There were quite a few other boys and girls traveling with them; some were practicing martial arts outside, while others were wolfing down breakfast.

On the table in the middle, all kinds of breakfast foods had been laid out.

Li Mo casually took a meat bun and studied the area beside him from the corner of his eye.

Before the girl sat only a bowl of plain rice porridge, as light and simple as her face.

"Eating only this in the morning—how could that be enough?"

Li Mo pushed the plate of eggs over to her.

Ying Bing said nothing, merely lifting her eyes to look at him.

The girl seemed somewhat frail; even her lips had no color. That sickliness, however, added three parts delicate weakness to her beauty.

But anyone stared at by such a pair of lovely eyes would probably feel guilty without realizing it, right?

"Ahem."

Li Mo felt a little ashamed.

When he thought about the things he had done before, even he wanted to curl his toes into the ground.

It was only right to apologize to her.

"For what happened before, I'm sorry. I don't expect a few words to melt the ice and clear away the old grudge. If you're still angry, then..."

"It's fine."

Ying Bing peeled the eggshell and spoke lightly.

Li Mo was stunned for a moment.

He did not see the slightest insincerity on the girl's face.

Rather than calling it tolerance, it was more like indifference.

Those things seemed utterly unworthy of being taken to heart.

Since she had never cared, there was naturally no need for forgiveness.

"That's good, then."

Li Mo smiled bitterly.

He had still read too many novels and taken things for granted.

He had to admit, Ying Bing's reaction actually matched the Heavenly Mandate Divine Eye's assessment even more.

Those who remained unmoved by favor or disgrace often walked farther.

And that was indeed the truth.

Ying Bing's cheeks moved lightly, and she gave Li Mo not one extra shred of attention again.

She had seen countless surging waves and magnificent sights, countless splendors in full bloom.

Apart from her family, the memories from when she had been insignificant did not even count as a page of her life; they had long since been swept off to some unknown corner.

In her distant memories, Li Mo's talent had been mediocre, and he had barely entered the Clear Abyss Sect.

After wasting a year in the outer sect, he had been eliminated from the sect.

And by then, she herself had already become the most dazzling existence among her peers.

Li Mo did seem to have changed somewhat.

But it was unimportant.

In the future, his name likely could not even be found on the ranking lists of the Eastern Wasteland Domain.

Perhaps they could not even be counted as passersby in each other's lives.

She never spared attention for irrelevant people.

Opposite her, Li Mo's eating movements paused slightly.

[Investment successful. Investment: one egg, one bowl of white porridge.]

[Calculating reward...]

[Congratulations, host. Reward: one thousand taels in banknotes.]

[One thousand taels in banknotes]: "Issued by Prosperity Bank, accepted at all major money houses."

Li Mo sighed with inexplicable emotion.

If only she could eat a little more.

Three meals a day, and she could eat him into a vast family fortune.

Midnight snack. He absolutely had to prepare a midnight snack tonight!

Two days later.

A majestic great city appeared in the distance, like a colossal beast sprawled beneath the blue heavens.

Purple Sun Prefecture was one of the twelve prefectures of the Eastern Wasteland. Beneath it were nine commanderies and thirty-six counties. Legend had it that before the founding of Great Yu, this place had once been the ancient capital of the previous dynasty, and had once known years when outstanding heroes rose from blessed land and prosperity reached its peak.

Later, an unprecedented tide of Calamity Beasts raged through the Eastern Wasteland for several hundred years, turning its glory into the afterglow of the past.

Only when the Martial Emperor ascended the throne, pacified the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, and bestowed great rewards upon meritorious officials did the founding patriarch of Clear Abyss Mountain, honored for following the dragon to victory, receive the fief of Purple Sun.

Only after thousands of years of governance did this land recover its vitality and regain its splendor.

Purple Sun Prefecture City beneath Clear Abyss Mountain had been rebuilt atop the ruins of ancient remains from the previous dynasty; glimpsing the leopard through a bamboo tube, it truly did possess an extraordinary bearing.

Fifty li beyond the city lay the renowned Clear Abyss Mountain Range.

"We're finally here."

"So this is the prefecture city? It's huge. Standing under the city gate, I feel like an ant."

"It's so lively. As expected of a key prefectural city—its popularity is flourishing."

"Clear Abyss Sect is opening its gates to take in disciples soon. How could there not be a lot of people?"

There were countless caravans coming and going. The vast city gate was like a floodgate thrown open, with the clamor of carts and horses ringing endlessly in the ears.

Gazing toward Clear Abyss Mountain, many people revealed looks of longing.

Great Yu had founded its nation by martial might and ruled the world together with the sects!

In the skies above Purple Sun Prefecture, there was only one cloud, and that was the Clear Abyss Sect!

The youths who had come from the various counties and commanderies were already beside themselves with excitement, shouting and crying out.

Those passing by showed no surprise, clearly long since used to such sights.

"It really is an extraordinary sight."

Li Mo could not help sighing with emotion as well.

In his previous life, he had seen all sorts of international metropolises, yet upon arriving here, he still could not hide the shock in his heart.

Compared with those high-rises of reinforced concrete, this grand ancient city of carved beams and painted rafters was clearly even more spectacular.

A modern city that could hold five million people and an ancient city that could hold five million people were simply not concepts that could be mentioned in the same breath.

"Travel pass."

The soldiers guarding the city were clad in armor and armed with weapons, their silver armor gleaming beneath the sunlight as they stood there like iron towers.

The steward hurriedly handed over an iron token, then paid a string of coins as the entry fee.

Only then was the carriage allowed into the city, as if it had stepped into another world.

Everything Li Mo looked at felt fresh, like a country bumpkin entering the city.

His purse had grown much fatter these past two days.

Ice Block's three meals a day had somehow eaten him into more than ten thousand taels in banknotes, and even a thousand taels of gold.

But as soon as he entered this prefecture city where every inch of land was worth gold, Li Mo felt he was not quite so loaded after all.

"Young master, now that we've come to Purple Sun Prefecture City, it's not like back in the county."

The steward drove the carriage and reminded him in a low voice.

"We won't be staying in the city for more than a couple days anyway," Li Mo said with a smile.

Even for a trip far from home, his old man had to send along the steward who had watched him grow up since childhood. It showed just how much of a worry he had been in the past.

This was because they feared his perverse temper would invite disaster.

"Young master is right." The steward let out a breath of relief and nodded repeatedly.

This trouble-loving master had changed quite a bit recently.

He could worry a little less too.

The carriage rolled over a vermilion painted bridge, passing above the dense cluster of boats below.

Not only was the city larger, but the complexions and bearing of the residents here were also very different. There were clearly many more people dressed in silk and brocade, and all sorts of luxurious, extraordinary carriages could be seen as well.

For instance, the one approaching from the opposite direction was drawn by four crimson foals covered in scales.

The carriage compartment was several times larger than the one Li Mo rode in, inlaid with gold and jade, simple yet elegant.

"Cousin!"

Suddenly, someone shouted from behind.

It was Wang Hu. His face was full of joy as he swung down from his horse and ran to the front of the carriage.

A young man stepped down from the carriage, tall in stature and dressed in a white brocade robe.

His arms were long, and his lower body was steady and powerful. As he walked, he had something of a dragon's stride and a tiger's step.

At his waist hung a waist token, on which two characters were written in strokes like iron paintings and silver hooks: "Inner Sect."

Clear Abyss Sect's inner sect!

The way everyone looked at Wang Hu instantly grew a little more cautious.

Never mind that there were many people traveling together; those who could enter the outer sect were already a minority, let alone the inner sect.

There was only one word's difference between inner and outer sect, yet they were as far apart as clouds and mud. If an inner sect disciple went to some county, even the county magistrate would have to invite him in with respect.

"Little Hu, I reckon you're almost there." The young man smiled as he swept his gaze over the crowd, pausing for a moment on Li Mo.

"You've only just arrived, so I imagine you don't know where to find lodging."

"I'm acquainted with the owner of an inn. Why not go there?"

The young man smiled at ease, then boarded the carriage.

"My cousin is called Wang Hao. He's just over thirty, and he's already an inner sect disciple."

"Follow him, and you definitely won't suffer any losses."

Wang Hu lifted his head, a streak of unruliness rising across his face, as though the one entering the inner sect was him.

Naturally, everyone showered him with compliments.

In an unfamiliar place, being able to follow someone from Crouching Dragon Valley's inner sect could spare them a great deal of trouble.

"What's he looking at?"

Li Mo froze for a moment, then quickly reacted.

The other man had not been looking at him, but at the cold, aloof young girl beside him.

Fair enough.

Even after arriving in Prefecture City, Ying Bing's breathtaking beauty had not diminished in the slightest.

Her clothing was plain, yet it made the women of the great city, draped head to toe in fine silks, lose all their color.

After several days of feeding her, the relationship between the two of them had also... probably made a little progress, right?

At least they could not still be considered strangers.

As thoughts churned through his mind, a restaurant by the canal appeared ahead.

It was seven stories tall, and an air of luxury rushed straight at them. The charm and scenery of this ancient city had reached their peak here.

The waiter had sharp eyes. When he saw Wang Hao, he immediately went to call the shopkeeper over.

The shopkeeper respectfully offered tea and began negotiating with Wang Hao, while the others all looked somewhat ill at ease.

They had all seen it just now.

Even the most ordinary room here cost twenty taels of silver. The superior rooms were even more expensive, and because Clear Abyss Sect was about to open its gates, there were many guests, so the prices had risen even further.

"A superior room is one hundred taels?"

Li Mo glanced over, then walked straight to the counter.

There was no need to economize over this bit of money.

"Sorry to trouble you. Two superior rooms."

One for him, one for Ying Bing.

The housekeeper and the attendants had put down the luggage just now and had already gone back with the escort agency.

"Apologies, honored guest, but we don't have many rooms left. People who came together can only open one room," the clerk behind the counter said apologetically.

"That's fine too."

Li Mo thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Second floor, Green Plum Room. Please keep this safe."

He had only just paid the money, and the clerk had just taken out the sandalwood room tag, when Wang Hu's mocking laugh rang out:

"If someone's arranged things for you, just be happy and stay there. A hundred taels of silver might let you put on airs in Purple Sun Prefecture, but here, money may not necessarily work."

Li Mo: "?"

He remembered now.

This guy was the son of the Six Harmonies Gang's leader in the county.

His own father was the county commandant, in charge of public order throughout the whole county.

One of their fathers was a rat, the other a cat; naturally, the two younger generation members also found each other an eyesore.

At the same time.

Not far away.

Wang Hao also walked back to the tense boys and girls, putting on an apologetic expression as he said:

"There are only thirteen superior rooms left. Since you're all my cousin's fellow townspeople, you'll have to make do."

"No problem, no problem. We can squeeze in together."

"Thank you, Brother Wang. You really are a good person."

The group was overjoyed and thanked him again and again.

Li Mo could not help laughing despite himself.

Who apologized to someone with their hands clasped behind their back and their chin tilted up?

What men thought about most in this life came down to no more than three things.

One: find a way to show off.

Two: that girl is so pretty.

Three: that girl is so pretty; I have to find a way to show off in front of her.

Sure enough, Wang Hao looked toward Ying Bing again and said, "This young lady, there aren't quite enough rooms. Fortunately, I have a private room here. No one usually stays there, and it's kept fairly clean."

"If you don't mind, why not stay there?"

His tone was extremely confident.

This was not the first time he had used this move. Against little girls from small places like this, it worked every single time.

Couldn't she see the few country girls beside her, their eyes full of envy and jealousy?

When someone of higher status, someone who could even help with one's future prospects, extended goodwill, very few people could withstand it.

"There are no rooms left?"

Ying Bing's gaze flicked toward the shopkeeper from the corner of her eye.

"Indeed... uh, indeed."

A chill ran down the shopkeeper's back, and he wiped his sweat as he nodded repeatedly.

Wang Hao smiled and was just about to say something, but in the next instant, that smile stiffened on his face.

The girl took the sandalwood room plaque in front of Li Mo and went straight up to the second floor, to the Green Plum Room.

With a bang, the wooden door shut.

"Haah."

Looking at Wang Hao's face, now blue, now white, Li Mo instinctively found it amusing, yet he could not laugh.

Laughing at the spectacle?

He might as well be looking in a mirror!

Shaking his head, he also went up to the second floor.