Chapter 6

Note: This is the new book period, and I urgently need favorites and recommendations. I beg for your support.

******

The capital city, Zhi Du, was truly enormous, with the streets packed with people. Some women wore revealing clothing, exposing most of their skin, while others were completely covered in robes, only exposing their eyes.

The buildings in the capital were almost as densely packed as the crowd, with five- to six-story high-rise buildings standing in neat rows.

The scent of women's perfumes, men's sweat, the stench of sewers, and the aroma of street food all mixed together, creating a very peculiar and complex smell.

Ye Jingyu wrinkled his nose and said, "Zhi Du still stinks so much."

Lan Ling curiously looked out the window, taking in everything. This was all real, far more vivid and shocking than what he had seen in movies. Especially the city with its blend of Eastern and Western styles, which was something he had never seen on screen.

Even the noble's carriage moved slowly in the capital due to the sheer number of people.

"Is it Master Solen in the carriage?" Suddenly, a woman's voice of surprise and joy rang out from outside.

Lan Ling lifted the curtain and looked out. On a gilded building, over a dozen women in revealing clothing were posing provocatively. Upon seeing Lan Ling's face, they immediately began to scream, "Master Solen is back, Master Solen is back..."

Without a doubt, this was a brothel.

Then, these women boldly lifted their clothes and waved frantically at Lan Ling.

"Master Solen, come quickly, come quickly, we miss you so much..."

A few of the women ran down from the building, trying to jump onto the carriage.

Lan Ling's scalp tingled. The Solen he was impersonating must be a regular at such places; otherwise, these women wouldn't be so enthusiastic.

Ye Jingyu looked awkward and said, "Master Solen often came to such places, losing a fortune. So the women in the brothels all know him and treat him like a god."

Lan Ling suddenly felt immense pressure. On Earth, he was a pure and innocent man, and now he had to pretend to be a playboy, which was quite challenging.

Ye Jingyu directly whipped the carriage to speed up, shaking off the women trying to jump onto the carriage, and accelerated towards the Earl's residence.

......

The Tianshui Earl's residence was located in the inner city of the capital, where only the kingdom's nobility resided.

Upon entering the inner city, the air changed, becoming fragrant and pleasant. The roads became flat and wide, and the number of people decreased, with only luxury carriages and horses passing by.

On both sides of the wide bluestone streets were mostly long and tall walls, behind which were the estates of the noble families.

Due to the wide roads and fewer people, the speed of travel increased significantly. Just as they were galloping along and enjoying the scenery outside the window, the carriage suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong? Have we arrived at the Earl's residence?" Lan Ling asked.

Ye Jingyu dismounted from the horse and whispered to Lan Ling, "Get out of the carriage and stand by the roadside, bow your head, and be respectful and solemn."

Lan Ling quickly got out of the carriage and stood by the roadside, slightly bending his waist and lowering his head. He noticed that other carriages had also stopped, and the nobles inside had gotten out and stood by the roadside, bowing and standing still.

He was taken aback. What important person was passing by? Could it be someone from the royal family?

A moment later, he hadn't seen anyone yet, but he smelled a faint, ethereal fragrance. Then, he saw four people appear from the corner of the road, walking down the middle of the street.

These four people were completely covered in white robes, with only their eyes exposed. Their faces were indistinct, but their figures were slender and graceful. Their eyes... how to describe them? Lan Ling had never seen such eyes before, pure and spotless, with a holy light that seemed to purify one's soul.

These four people walked quickly, but it seemed as if they weren't taking steps, as if they were floating past the crowd. The entire street was completely silent.

After the four white-robed women had completely passed, everyone got back into their carriages and continued on their way.

Lan Ling got back into the carriage without asking, though he was very curious.

"These are the Snow-clad Messengers of the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, the messengers of the gods in this world. No matter where you encounter them, you must stand by the roadside and wait quietly, without looking up, moving, or speaking a word," Ye Jingyu said.

"Understood," Lan Ling nodded, the term "Divine Dragon Sanctuary" deeply etched in his mind. This must be the most transcendent religious organization in this world.

The carriage continued to travel in the inner city for about fifteen minutes before stopping. Ye Jingyu said, "Young Master, we're home."

Lan Ling's heart suddenly skipped a beat, a sense of inexplicable tension rising within him, though he had no reason to feel tense.

He pushed open the carriage door and looked at the Earl's residence before him.

......

Truly, the gates were red and the houses were jade, the courtyards deep and vast.

Two large stone lions guarded the entrance, the red gates, and the gilded signboard.

The bluestone walls were about four to five meters high and several hundred meters long, stretching out of sight. They blocked the view of the interior, with only the occasional flower tree peeking over the wall.

On Earth, Lan Ling's family was just a modestly well-off household, living in a house that was over twenty years old and less than a hundred square meters. The Earl's residence before him was at least a hundred acres, and the grandeur was indeed overwhelming.

However, the gilded signboard seemed to have lost some of its luster, and the trees inside the walls were overgrown, as if they hadn't been trimmed for some time.

Moreover, the gates of the Earl's residence were tightly closed, and no sounds could be heard from inside. For some reason, this vast Earl's residence had a desolate feel.

"Young Master, please wait here for a moment. I will go in and inform the young lady," Ye Jingyu said.

To be honest, Ye Jingyu was also very nervous and worried. Impersonating Solen was entirely her idea, and the young lady didn't know about it. Although the young lady treated her like a sister, she had overstepped her bounds with this matter.

When the Earl was alive, he was bedridden for a long time, and Master Solen was a playboy. Therefore, the Earl's residence was usually run by the young lady, who had the final say.

If the young lady disagreed with impersonating Solen, Ye Jingyu would be in serious trouble.

Seeing her tension, Lan Ling couldn't help but smile at her, offering comfort.

This clean and kind smile immediately won Ye Jingyu's favor. She took a deep breath and stepped forward to knock on the door.

"The Earl's residence is closed to visitors. Please leave your name, and my master will apologize in person another day," a voice from inside said, belonging to an elderly man.

"It's me, I'm back," Ye Jingyu said.

There was a moment of silence, then the gate quickly opened, and an old man trembled as he asked, "Lord Ye, where is the young master...?"

Ye Jingyu didn't answer and walked directly into the Earl's residence.

At the same time, the servants and maids in the Earl's residence came out of the houses to bow to Ye Jingyu, their eyes looking behind her.

What they were most concerned about was whether Master Solen had returned. It wasn't because Solen was popular, but because if Solen didn't return, the Tianshui Earl's residence would cease to exist, and they would be left homeless.

......

The beauty of Su Ningbing, the daughter of the Earl of Tianshui, was renowned throughout the kingdom, rivaling that of the Princess of Zhi Ning.

In her early years, when she was only thirteen, Earl Solon took her to a royal banquet. King Zhibian once exclaimed in admiration, "All the essence of Tianshui Lake is concentrated in your daughter. She is truly a fairy of Tianshui."

Thus, the nickname "Tianshui Fairy" spread, making Su Ningbing a well-known beauty throughout the kingdom.

She now stood before Ye Jingyu, wearing a white dress, her hair in a style that indicated she was married, with a white cloth tied to it, symbolizing mourning.

She looked haggard and frail, but her beauty was unparalleled, truly like a fairy. Even the beautiful Ye Jingyu paled in comparison to her.

"Jingyu, you're back? Where is Solen?" Her voice was slightly hoarse from crying too much.

Ye Jingyu closed the door and, after confirming that no one else was around, whispered, "Miss, no matter what I say next, do not make a sound and do not let a third person hear."

Su Ningbing's beautiful face changed, and she nodded.

"Master Solen is dead. He likely died from the energy field in the Tianmo Mountain Range ruins," Ye Jingyu said.

Su Ningbing staggered, her dry eyes welling up with tears again. She tightly covered her mouth with her hand, sobbing in grief. Then she could no longer stand and fell into a chair.

In a short time, she had lost both of her only two family members, and she felt completely hopeless.

"Master Solen was the only heir of the family. If he dies, the royal family will seize the Tianshui territory. The Solon family's two-hundred-year legacy will be destroyed," Ye Jingyu said.

Su Ningbing became even more distressed, crying, "I failed to raise Solen well. If I had been stricter and not let him pursue Princess Zhi Ning, he wouldn't have died, and the Solon family's legacy wouldn't have been cut off."

Ye Jingyu sighed inwardly. With Master Solen's reckless nature, no one could have controlled him. Although he was somewhat afraid of facing this gentle yet strict sister, he could stay away from home for a long time.

"Miss, I have found a way to continue the Solon family's legacy," Ye Jingyu said, then knelt straight and said, "But what I did was very rash and overstepped my bounds."

Su Ningbing trembled and said, "Speak, get up and speak."

"I found someone to impersonate Master Solen and return to inherit the title," Ye Jingyu said, still kneeling straight and said, "I was extremely bold and disrespectful, please punish me, Miss."

Su Ningbing was completely stunned, unable to believe what she was hearing from Ye Jingyu.

Page break for Page break for AD end