"Waaah..."
The Si Nan Family's car glided smoothly along the elevated road. As I watched the vermilion city walls grow larger and larger, until they loomed over us like a mountain, I couldn't help letting out a sigh. Only when you got close could you truly feel the walls' grandeur. Humanity's creativity was simply astounding.
"Liu Ye, before we reach the Si Nan Family's estate, there are a few things I need to explain to you."
Si Nan Yuan's voice brought me back to my senses. From her serious expression, I could tell this was important, so I straightened up and listened closely.
"The Imperial Capital is the capital of the Tianyuan Kingdom, and it's a tangled mix of all kinds of people and factions. There are countless forces, large and small, and powerful figures are as numerous as the stars. You need to understand how it all works." She paused, then continued, "First, tell me how much you know about the Imperial Capital."
"Hmm... The two biggest forces in the Imperial Capital are the Si Nan Family and the Cleon Family, and the Si Nan Family has always had the upper hand. There's also the imperial palace, but it's just a puppet of the two great families and has no real power. That's all I know."
"That's it...? That's far too little. Let me fill you in on the Imperial Capital's various forces. Elder Hong asked me to do this, too.
"Besides the Si Nan Family and the Cleon Family, there are several other powerful factions in the Imperial Capital. They're not as influential as the two great families, but you still have to be on your guard.
"First, there's Xiuchun Workshop. Despite its rather feminine-sounding name, it's actually the Imperial Capital's largest equipment manufacturer. Even the Si Nan Family's private arms factory can't compare. Xiuchun Workshop also owns several martial arts schools, and almost every faction does business with them. They're absolutely not to be underestimated.
"Then there's the Chen Family. Their influence is on par with Xiuchun Workshop's, but one harms people while the other heals them. The Chen Family is a medical lineage with a long history. Nearly every medical institution in the Imperial Capital answers to them, and they often get involved in the Spiritual Medicine trade. They control the sale of Spiritual Medicine in many large marketplaces, so falling out with them would be a real headache."
For the next hour, Si Nan Yuan told me about the Imperial Capital's various factions, large and small. At first, I listened seriously, but after a while I was practically falling asleep... Who could remember all those countless, messy factions?
"Pay attention!"
Si Nan Yuan suddenly barked, making me jump.
"Now for the last one, and the faction you need to be most wary of after the Cleon Family: the Tartaglia Family!"
"Tartaglia?"
What a funny-sounding name... Wait, hadn't Elder Hong said something earlier about "a young lady who's no less than the Tartaglia girl"? Could this be the same Tartaglia?
"After hearing all that, you should understand that the Imperial Capital has many dark forces involved in all sorts of shady business. In the entire underworld of the Imperial Capital, the Tartaglia Family is an undisputed heavyweight. Their businesses include every famous casino, dance hall, and high-end brothel in the city. They control the smuggling of all kinds of dangerous goods, as well as human trafficking. The Tartaglia Family is never short of desperate criminals. They're as ruthless as wolves and as cunning as foxes. A group like that is the most dangerous!"
So the Tartaglia Family was basically the local gang boss of the underworld?
"But no matter how dangerous they are, they're still a force in the shadows, one that can't operate in the open. They can't compare to the Si Nan and Cleon Families, which are powerful forces in plain sight. If the two great families got serious, they could wipe the Tartaglia Family out completely. But the underworld needs a ruler to maintain order, or the whole thing would descend into chaos."
"I see... So the Tartaglia Family has it rough, too. In the end, its fate is still in the hands of the two great families. If it ever steps too far out of line, it could be destroyed in the blink of an eye."
"You catch on quickly. The Tartaglia Family has always worried about this, which is why Haoyue Tartaglia came along."
"Haoyue... Tartaglia? Her given name and surname don't really go together."
"Haoyue Tartaglia is the adopted daughter of the Tartaglia Family's Patriarch. She simply took the family name. They say that when she was just eleven, powerful families came knocking to ask for her hand in marriage. On her fourteenth birthday, countless young masters came to her birthday banquet despite the Tartaglia Family's bad reputation, just to catch a glimpse of her beauty. Now she's nineteen, and she's firmly secured the title of 'the Imperial Capital's number-one beauty.' Not to mention, she's exceptionally capable in her own right. She's one of the most talked-about figures in the entire Imperial Capital."
Damn... She was basically a real-life Mary Sue, and she was the same age as me, too.
"You know the Si Nan Family is in the middle of a struggle among the four sons for control, right? The Tartaglia Family spread the word long ago that they would marry Haoyue Tartaglia to the Si Nan Family's next Patriarch. In other words, whoever won the power struggle would gain not only power and wealth, but also the Imperial Capital's number-one beauty."
"I see... They're using a marriage alliance to expand their influence in the open and further cement their standing? It's an old trick, but an effective one."
"...I have to admit, in many ways you're far sharper than Miss. You understand everything as soon as I explain it. I hardly need to say anything at all, which is a little boring."
"Hey, come on..."
"You need to be careful around the Tartaglia Family. Not because of who you are or anything else, but because of your looks."
"My looks?"
She suddenly reached over and pulled down the hood I'd been using to hide my face, studying me closely. Her usually cool eyes were now filled with admiration. Gradually, admiration turned to fascination, then fascination to obsession. She simply kept staring at me without saying another word.
"Um... Miss Yuan?"
"...! Ah, sorry. That was rude." She hurriedly pulled my hood back up and looked away, a little flustered. Hey, you're kind of cute like that.
"Anyway, in my opinion, just in terms of looks, you're absolutely in the same league as her. You might even have a slight edge."
"Thanks for the compliment, but what does that have to do with—ah!"
So that was it... Haoyue Tartaglia was the key to the Tartaglia Family's revival plan, and much of her value came from her beauty. If someone like me suddenly appeared, someone whose looks could rival hers, that would inevitably diminish her value. The Tartaglia Family would never be happy about that.
"Then it's easy. I can just keep my face covered, can't I?"
"No."
"What!?"
"You're one of Miss's people now. If she wants to establish herself in the family and in the Imperial Capital as a whole, she needs enough 'bargaining chips.' They could be her own strength, her wealth, or—"
"—her subordinates. So you want me to show my face and make her look good? But besides me, there are Rui Feng and Rui Xin. They're not bad, either."
"They're certainly not bad, but to be honest, they're not as good as you, whether in looks or strength. And Miss trusts you deeply; you hold a very high place in her heart. So... you understand what I mean, right? We can't afford to let capable people sit around doing nothing."
"I see..."
After she put it that way, I couldn't refuse.
Realizing I was already riding a tiger and couldn't get off, I gave up arguing and let out a sigh. What was that saying again? Once you're in the jianghu, you don't get to decide your own fate...
Ahem. Readers who've read a lot may have noticed that Haoyue's character was inspired by a girl from Strange Moon.
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