Ask-Dao City stood south of Twin Sword Peak, the entrance to the Xuanyun Sword Sect.
Unless one could fly, anyone wishing to descend from the Xuanyun Sword Sect's outer sect had to pass Morning Sun Peak, cross the skybridge to Twin Sword Peak, cross Double Blade Summit, and walk down thirty-three thousand three hundred stone steps.
At the very bottom of the steps lay "Ask-Dao."
Though called Ask-Dao City, it had a history of over a thousand years. It had not been founded by the Xuanyun Sword Sect; it had already been a great city of ten million people.
After the Xuanyun Sword Sect had grown and flourished, its current sect master, Lei Qingyang, had led the entire sect in developing Ask-Dao. A straight road stretching ten thousand li connected countless mountains and rivers, drawing people from across the land. Cultivators and ordinary folk lived together in the city, and in just a few short decades, its immigrant population had also reached ten million.
The city was divided into nine wards, laid out like a checkerboard.
The East Second Ward was a crafts district, where workshops for ironwork, carpentry, porcelain, and more were all clustered together.
The West Second Ward was a commercial marketplace, full of brothels and taverns, ordinary goods, and cultivator shops. Its wares dazzled the eye, and all transactions had to be made with Dao Silver.
Dao Silver was neither printed by any institution in the city nor issued by the Xuanyun Sword Sect. It was the common currency used by the human race across the Boundless Continent. More on that later.
To the south lay five wards. Four were residential, with houses all built with green tiles and white walls. Except for official buildings like those used for inspections and public security, none could be taller than six zhang.
The remaining ward was where all kinds of small sects and schools, as well as ordinary martial arts schools, were gathered. It was also where the Xuanyun Sword Sect maintained its external offices.
Sects had their own peaks, halls, courtyards, and pavilions.
Cities, too, had their great clans and eminent families.
In a great city with a population of nearly fifty million, there was naturally no shortage of old aristocratic clans or newly risen wealthy families.
The Qian Family was one such old aristocratic clan, rooted in Ask-Dao City for generations.
They occupied a hundred mu of land. Jade eaves and carved balustrades adorned the estate, and its eight vermilion gates made a bold, imposing display. The gates stood wide open, each guarded by a pair of lacquer-red, zhang-tall stone auspicious beasts. Even the household servants coming and going wore fine clothes and carried themselves with distinction.
"So this is the family you were betrothed to? What a grand place."
Chen Xian looked up at the gilded sign above the gate—Qian Estate—and sighed from the heart.
In the past, he wouldn't have dared even step inside a place like this.
But now, not only did he have to go in, he had to ask them to break off the engagement. Just thinking about it was thrilling.
"What's so grand about it? They're just landlords who suck people dry and feed on their flesh."
Shangguan Hongyue pursed her lips. She was naive, but she wasn't stupid.
The filthy dealings hidden beneath the surface of the mortal world were no fewer than those in the cultivation world.
"Good point."
Chen Xian gave Shangguan Hongyue a thumbs-up. She was only seventeen or eighteen, and it was already impressive that she could see through that.
"Let's go in. You've already notified the steward who's overseeing the matter, right?"
"I have. Deacon Huang said he'll be here shortly."
The two of them walked and talked as they headed inside.
When the Qian Family's servants at the gate saw strangers approaching, one of them came forward to ask.
"May I ask who you two are?"
There was none of the arrogance or rudeness one might have expected. The servant spoke very politely.
"The Xuanyun Sword Sect."
Shangguan Hongyue showed him her disciple token.
The servant glanced at the token and immediately recognized it as genuine. The stewards trained them often in how to identify people's credentials.
"So you're esteemed guests. Please, come in!"
He didn't ask Chen Xian and Shangguan Hongyue why they had come. He simply led them straight into the estate.
The Qian Mansion was even grander inside.
With rockeries and flowing water, green bamboo and koi carp complementing one another, Chen Xian's eyes were dazzled by the sights.
Shangguan Hongyue, on the other hand, kept her eyes straight ahead, utterly uninterested in any of it.
Chen Xian glanced at her and noticed a hint of unease on her face.
The servant led them through the ceremonial gate and along a long corridor before stopping at the entrance to the main hall. Smiling, he said, "Please, go in. Steward Li is inside. You can discuss whatever you need with him. I'll take my leave."
"Those Qian Family servants look like the real deal!"
Watching the broad-shouldered servant leave, Chen Xian sighed again.
"They've all trained in the Martial Dao. Their skin is like bronze, their bones like iron, and they've developed hidden strength within. One-on-one, old man, you might not be able to beat them right now!"
Shangguan Hongyue winked at Chen Xian.
"Hmph! You underestimate me. I can't be bothered to spar with ordinary mortals."
Chen Xian bristled. He didn't believe a servant trained in ordinary martial arts could withstand even one strike from his life-bound Sword Qi.
"Heh."
Shangguan Hongyue watched the old man's proud, huffy expression and laughed until her eyes narrowed into crescents.
"Ah, Miss Shangguan, what brings you here? Why didn't you come in?"
As the two were talking, a lean, middle-aged man with a large black mole on his cheekbone and a pair of handlebar mustaches came out of the main hall to greet them.
"You know me?"
Shangguan Hongyue furrowed her brow. She had only visited the Qian Family a few times, and she couldn't remember meeting this steward.
"Of course! Your engagement to the Sixth Young Master is in seven days. Every steward and anyone above that rank in the estate has already memorized your appearance."
"I'm Li Youde. May I ask who the gentleman beside you is?"
Li Youde rubbed his hands together and smiled as he looked at Chen Xian.
His thoughts raced as he began to size him up.
The old man had white hair and beard, kind eyes, and a crane-like build. He did seem rather extraordinary.
It was just that Li Youde had no idea how high his cultivation was.
He practiced mortal martial arts, so he couldn't see the cultivation of a saintly practitioner.
Shangguan Hongyue had no desire to respond to his enthusiasm. She simply said, "An elder of my sect. My grandmaster's uncle."
Li Youde's heart gave a violent jolt. "Even Shangguan Hongyue calls him Grandmaster's Uncle? What kind of seniority does that make him? Wouldn't he rank even higher than the sect master of the Xuanyun Sword Sect?"
"So he's truly a figure of such stature! I'll immediately have someone inform the family head. Please wait here in the flower hall for a moment!"
Li Youde instantly decided this was someone he couldn't afford to receive himself. He hurriedly called over a servant nearby. "Quick, go inform the family head and the Sixth Young Master. Miss Shangguan and a High Person from the Xuanyun Sword Sect are here!"
The servant quickly bowed his head and hurried out.
Li Youde had been about to ask a servant to serve tea, but after thinking it over, he decided to brew a fresh pot himself.
He couldn't afford to slight them in the slightest.
"May I ask why a High Person has come here?" Li Youde respectfully poured Chen Xian a cup of freshly brewed hot tea and asked tentatively.
Looking at the teacup held out to him, Chen Xian suddenly thought of the Hundred Spirit Flower Fruit Tea he had just drunk. On a whim, he asked, "Can this tea prolong one's life?"
"Huh?" Li Youde's eyes widened, and he froze. But he quickly understood: the High Person thought the tea wasn't good enough!
As expected of a High Person from the Xuanyun Sword Sect. He'd spotted at a glance that this was ordinary tea.
"I'll go fetch some Shou'er Tea right away!"
He cupped his hands and hurried toward the inner hall.
"You old geezer, what are you doing?" Shangguan Hongyue shot Chen Xian a glare. She was embarrassed for him!
They were here to break off the engagement. Why was Chen Xian asking people for fancy tea?
"Uh..."
Chen Xian wanted to explain that he'd just spoken without thinking, but it didn't seem like an explanation would help. He could only give an awkward smile.
"We're here to break off the engagement today. Don't mess this up, Grandmaster's Uncle. I'm begging you!"
Shangguan Hongyue hurriedly reminded him.
Chen Xian's expression turned serious. "Don't worry, Little Yue. Grandmaster's Uncle promises to get the job done!"
Shangguan Hongyue rolled her eyes at him. Sometimes the old man was quite proper, and other times he was like a mischievous child. She truly couldn't fathom what went on in that dried-up head of his.
They didn't wait long. Li Youde had just finished brewing the Shou'er Tea when a middle-aged man came in from outside, striding briskly.
Shangguan Hongyue leaned close to Chen Xian's ear and whispered, "That's the head of the Qian Family, Qian Yue."