I had to admit, this giant bamboo forest was truly marvelous. As I wandered through it, the bamboo gave the place an air of leisurely elegance; yet it was so enormous that walking among it felt like traversing a desolate mountain forest of ancient times. The two utterly different impressions blended together, and even I, who knew nothing about poetry, felt the urge to compose verses and sing its praises.
"We're here," said the Guard Team member leading the way.
The long flagstone path ended there. Before us stood a dense wall of towering giant bamboo.
Was this really the end? I looked around, but couldn't see anything resembling a building. Could there really be some kind of mechanism hidden in this bamboo forest?
"Hahaha! You're finally here. I've been waiting ages!"
A boisterous laugh startled me. A burly middle-aged man emerged from the bamboo forest. He had a full beard, unruly hair, and deep wrinkles; just looking at his face, he could've passed for a veteran butcher. Yet despite that butcher's face, he was dressed like an ancient scholar. The contrast was downright astonishing.
But more than that, what first caught my eye was the color of his clothes. Unlike the gray tones worn by the Si Nan family, his outfit was a vivid green, bursting with life. Someone so different had to be no ordinary person.
"That's Si Nan Dan, the Head Captain of the Guard Team. Don't let his appearance fool you—he's even stronger than Elder Hong!" Rui Feng whispered.
So he was an insanely powerful security chief? And that name, "Dan"... made me think of danmei.
"Brother Dan, it's been a while," Si Nan Yuan said, stepping forward to greet him.
"Don't bother with those tedious formalities. I can't stand them! So, where's that old Si Nan Hong?"
"Right here." Elder Hong appeared out of nowhere, his expression dark. He seemed to have a serious grudge against Si Nan Dan.
"I heard you're already a bag of old bones, yet you still went and took on the Beast Tide head-on? Hahahaha! Can't believe you survived!"
"Enough nonsense! We're exhausted from the journey and everyone's waiting to rest. Hurry up and clear the way!"
"Tsk. You've got no sense of humor."
Si Nan Dan shrugged, stopped laughing like a fool, and turned toward the giant bamboo forest.
"Open!!!"
He slammed both fists into the ground. The giant bamboo forest before him immediately began shrinking at an astonishing speed! The branches and leaves drew inward, the bamboo joints shortened, and within seconds the towering stalks had become tiny bamboo shoots.
Once all the bamboo had shrunk back into shoots, a wide passage appeared before us. On the other side stood—
"Xiao Ye, welcome to the Si Nan family!"
Si Nan Ying pulled me along and rushed ahead.
"The six kingdoms had fallen, the four seas united; Shu's mountains were shorn bare, and Epang Palace rose. It stretched for more than three hundred li, shutting out the sky and sun. From Mount Li, it wound north and turned west, running straight to Xianyang. Two rivers flowed on, winding into the palace walls. A tower every five paces, a pavilion every ten. The corridors looped like ribbons, the eaves rose like beaks. Each followed the lay of the land, with hearts hooked together and corners at odds. Twisting and winding, like beehives and whirlpools, they towered in countless thousands. A long bridge lay across the waves—if no clouds were there, where did the dragon come from? A covered walkway spanned the sky—if the rain had cleared, where did the rainbow come from? High and low, dim and bewildering, one could lose all sense of east and west. Songs warmed the terraces, spring light glowing softly. Sleeves chilled the dance halls, as if wind and rain swept through. Within a single day, within a single palace, the weather was never the same..."
"Xiao Ye, what've you been muttering about this whole time? I can't understand you."
"Nothing but the Ode to Epang Palace... Don't mind me."
The moment I saw the buildings before me, I was so stunned that I instinctively recited Du Zimei's timeless masterpiece—the one that had tripped up countless exam candidates. It wasn't for any other reason. This place was exactly like the Epang Palace from the ancient text!
The main family's buildings were entirely Chinese in style, with jade-like towers and halls upon halls. But compared to the Winter Arrival Hotel, with its lavish ostentation, this place had less nouveau-riche opulence and more of a king's majesty. Towering halls built with framed structures stood in orderly clusters, forming a classic courtyard layout. Streams and bridges threaded between them, lending the grounds an elegant charm. Lush ornamental trees lined the water; they looked much like the trees on Earth, but were more than twice the size. Taken together, it felt as though I'd wandered into a super-sized version of Suzhou's classical gardens.
"The Si Nan Main Family... That's incredible."
I wanted to find a word to describe this magnificent complex, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. But "beautiful," "grand," or "elegant" alone couldn't do it justice. In the end, all I could say was, "incredible."
"Great! After sitting on that boat for so long, we can finally rest. Xiao Ye, come share a room with me—ow!"
"Don't get so excited, miss. The Patriarch is waiting to see you." Si Nan Yuan calmly grabbed Si Nan Ying by the collar and hauled her back.
"What a hassle..."
"Haha! What energy! Youth really is wonderful!" Si Nan Dan laughed. Wait, why was he still here...?
"Liu Ye, Elder Hong, the young miss, and I are going to see the Patriarch. Go with Rui Feng and the others. You'll have to put up with staying in their dormitory tonight. Your room will be ready tomorrow. Please forgive us for the inconvenience."
"I don't mind..." I'd thought the Si Nan family would've prepared a room for me already, given how efficient they were. But on second thought, before Si Nan Yuan and the others returned, who knew what those young masters' lackeys might do to my room? Waiting until they got back to prepare it was the wise choice. And putting me up with Rui Feng and the others was probably also a way to keep me from doing anything outrageous on my very first day.
"Then I'll be off, Xiao Ying. Good luck~"
"Xiao Ye, you big meanie..."
As I walked with Rui Feng and the others along a corridor that seemed to stretch on forever, an expansive artificial lake lay beside us. Listening to their footsteps, still orderly despite their exhaustion, I couldn't help thinking of my days in the Winter Mountains. It had only been last month, yet it felt so long ago...
"This lake is called White Lotus Lake. There are lots of carp and lotus flowers in it. If you turn left, there's a pavilion. We just passed through Junye Corridor, which was named in memory of..."
Rui Xin enthusiastically showed me around the whole way, explaining everything from the layout of the buildings to the significance behind their names. She was the perfect tour guide.
The Si Nan Main Family's grounds were broadly divided into five courtyards: east, south, west, north, and central. The eldest son, Si Nan Xing, lived in the northern courtyard; the second son, Si Nan Feng, in the eastern courtyard; the third son, Si Nan Ganming, and fourth son, Si Nan Cheng, in the western courtyard; the eldest daughter, Si Nan Xiao, and second daughter, Si Nan Ying, in the southern courtyard. The central courtyard belonged to the Patriarch. Rui Feng and the others served Si Nan Ying, so their dormitory was naturally in the southern courtyard.
We were now at the border between the eastern and southern courtyards. This was a shortcut to the southern courtyard, and also a particularly scenic stretch of the grounds. The only flaw was that we kept running into people from the eastern courtyard, who exchanged cold stares with Rui Feng and the others, making the atmosphere unbearably awkward.
The small fry didn't matter, but please, let us not run into any bigwigs from Si Nan Feng's faction...
"Oh? If I remember right, you're my little sister's people, aren't you? Where is she?"
A man's voice suddenly came from behind us. It was an ordinary greeting, but it carried such an overbearing, cutting edge that it made my skin crawl.
We turned around and saw a large group of people approaching. Every one of them wore ornate, luxurious clothes. At their head was a young man with short purple hair, sharp features, and an exceptionally fit physique. At first glance, he looked like the kind of handsome, athletic guy who'd make a good impression. But his antlike gaze and the domineering aura radiating from him ruined it all.
Wait, purple hair and purple eyes, with an aura like Dragon Proud Heaven... Could this guy be...?
"Greetings, Master Feng! This servant has only just arrived at the main family and has yet to wash the dust from the journey. If we have offended you, please forgive us."
Rui Feng immediately stepped forward and bowed. Rui Xin followed, lowering her head. "The second young miss was summoned by the Patriarch and isn't here. She'll call on you as soon as she returns!"
The team members all bowed, and I copied them. If this were some other novel, the gutsy, ambitious protagonists would probably sneer at Si Nan Feng and refuse to act like servants. Then they'd use their strength, courage, and righteous arguments to leave the spoiled young master speechless and furious, pick a fight with the protagonist, and finally get crushed once the protagonist activated their cheat, earning the Patriarch's favor, the beauties' affection, and their subordinates' respect...
I'd like to do that too, especially since Si Nan Feng was exactly the type I hated most. But that was just a beautiful fantasy. I didn't have the leverage to throw my weight around on someone else's turf. When it was time to hold back, I had to hold back...
"Hmph..." Si Nan Feng ignored their respectful greeting and scanned the group, seemingly bored.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, his gaze fixed on someone. A gleam flashed in his eyes, and he strode forward.
"You. Take off your hood!"
Before you continue