Chapter 32

Li Tianming saw Yan City again.

This was a city of fire, its walls seemingly scorched red by the scorching sun. From a distance, it looked like a red-hot furnace, steaming with heat.

In his memory, Yan City was the most prosperous city.

Here, the noble families of the entire Zhuque Kingdom gathered, along with the nation's wealth, power, geniuses, and resources. It was the dreamland for the young people of the Zhuque Kingdom.

Four years ago, Li Tianming came to Yan City with grand dreams, entered the Yanhuang Academy through the palace examination, and everything was on the rise.

Four years later, he returned, and the meaning of life had changed completely.

Seeing Yan City again, his mindset was naturally different, and this time he brought his mother along.

Wei Jing pulled back the curtain in the carriage.

Her gaze was as calm as water, and her look at Yan City was completely different from Li Tianming's.

To this day, Li Tianming still didn't know what kind of story existed between her and Yan City, but he knew that Wei Jing had always been a resident of Yan City before marrying Li Yanfeng.

Her childhood was tied to this fiery Yan City.

At this moment, her gaze was calm, a smile on her lips, but her eyes were moist, as if misty.

It was clear that after twenty years, returning to her hometown, her heart must have been filled with many waves.

And those waves were hidden in the smile at the corner of her mouth.

Her silver hair danced in the air, and even though she looked old, in that smile and the dancing long hair, Li Tianming suddenly imagined her youth.

He imagined that she must have been a lively and beautiful girl, envied by many, like Jiang Feilin and Qing Princess.

"Time and illness are truly cruel." Li Tianming kept this thought in his heart and didn't say it out loud.

He smiled and looked at his mother, asking, "How about it? Do you feel the sense of things remaining the same while people change, and tears welling up before you can speak?"

"Naughty, your mother isn't a sentimental person. I just miss the pastries of Yan City, the mung bean cake, osmanthus cake, and hibiscus cake. They taste so good." It was clear that she was already drooling.

Once, she was a girl who walked through the streets with delicious food in her hands, feeling content.

"Don't worry, when your son has money, I'll definitely let you eat your fill."

"In the future, we'll settle down in Yan City. I'll take good care of you and bring you delicious pastries every day." Li Tianming said.

"Let's make a pinky promise, no breaking it. If you forget, I won't let you back in the house." Wei Jing said with a stern face.

"Cruel woman." Li Tianming shook his head.

"Hit you!"

Indeed, leaving Li Huo City and no longer seeing that man, happiness was so simple.

"But, we come to Yan City with nothing, where will we have a place to stay?"

This was a problem Li Tianming urgently needed to solve. If he came alone, he would have a place to stay after entering the Yanhuang Academy.

But his mother couldn't enter the Yanhuang Academy; she needed a home of her own.

"I'll take care of it. Your mother had quite a few friends in Yan City back then." Wei Jing said with a smile.

It seemed she had planned this long ago.

"Only, it's been twenty years since I last saw my sisters, and they are all doing better than me."

Even the most carefree person would feel a bit down at this moment.

Back then, they were inseparable, but now they all have their own families and lives.

After entering Yan City, Li Tianming drove the carriage according to Wei Jing's directions toward the western district of Yan City. The western district was the free land of Yan City, bustling with commerce and a mix of people.

Yan City was very large; it would take days to explore it all.

"Do you know the location of the Chen Palace?" Wei Jing asked.

"Of course, the Star Mansion and Chen Palace are the most luxurious and splendid mansions in the western district of Yan City. If it weren't for the respect for the Zhuque royal family, these two mansions might be even more luxurious than the imperial city."

Li Tianming had stayed in Yan City for a year and was familiar with its streets.

The reason these two mansions were so luxurious was mainly due to their wealth. Because,

these were the residences of the two presidents of the Star Chamber.

The Star Chamber was the largest commercial alliance in the Zhuque Kingdom, controlling the economic lifeline of the entire country. Numerous branches were spread across large and small cities, including Li Huo City.

As the saying goes, there is no lack of money, but there is nothing that the Star Chamber cannot buy.

The two presidents of the Star Chamber were legendary figures in the Zhuque Kingdom.

They were commoner geniuses who started from scratch, known as the "Star Twins" twenty years ago, and are now revered as the "Star Saints."

In just twenty years, they spread the Star Chamber across the entire country, amassing wealth that rivaled that of a nation, making the Star Chamber, with only twenty years of history, one of the newest and most powerful forces in the Zhuque Kingdom.

Even, it had the strength to rival many old noble families with thousands of years of history, such as the Lei Zun Mansion.

The Star Mansion and Chen Palace were the residences of the Star Saint and Chen Saint, respectively, and over the years, they had hosted countless high-ranking figures.

However, that was not a place ordinary people could enter. Li Tianming had never been close to it.

"Why are we going to the Chen Palace? Do you know someone there?" Li Tianming asked curiously.

"I once had a good sister who married into the Chen Palace." Wei Jing said.

Perhaps the thought of seeing a friend she hadn't seen in twenty years made her a bit nervous and anxious, especially since she was now seriously ill and in a difficult situation.

Soon, a mansion illuminated by starlight appeared before them.

The mansion was like a small city, located in the most prosperous part of Yan City, surrounded by many noble families.

The Chen Palace, like a star among stars, was grand and elegant, with numerous sculptures and carvings that were very tasteful. The dazzling starlight was enough to make ordinary people feel inferior and dare not approach.

At a distance from the Chen Palace gates, there were guards with deep cultivation, accompanied by fierce companion beasts.

Seeing the adult lions and tigers lying on the ground, even though they were dozing, they still had a strong deterrent effect on the surrounding people.

Li Tianming drove the carriage, which was Li Yanfeng's vehicle, so it was sufficiently luxurious. Therefore, the guards at the gate assumed that the person in the carriage must be someone important.

Thus, they were relatively polite, asking, "Sir, are you here to visit the Chen Palace? Do you have an appointment?"

"Please inform your lady Xue Lan that an old friend, Wei Jing, requests an audience." She gently opened the curtain and said softly.

"Lady? Our lady generally does not meet ordinary guests. Please do not put us in a difficult position." The guard said seriously.

"Please just inform her of my name. If there is no response, I will leave on my own." Wei Jing said very politely.

The guards were unsure, after all, the person in front of them was an old woman, who might be some elder of the lady. To be safe, they reported it inside.

The waiting time was a bit long, after all, the Chen Palace was very large, and it took time to report to the lady.

"Mother, is this lady in a high position in the Chen Palace?" Li Tianming asked curiously.

"Of course, she is the wife of the Chen Saint." Wei Jing smiled.

"Wow?" Li Tianming was surprised and had to look at Wei Jing with a puzzled expression.

Her old friend was actually the wife of the Chen Saint, which meant that her status in Yan City back then was not low either.

The Chen Saint was a prominent figure in the entire Zhuque Kingdom, with a status comparable to a minister in the Zhuque Kingdom.

Such a person was someone Li Yanfeng could not even meet.

While Li Tianming was still a bit skeptical, a message came out, and the guards hurriedly came forward, saying, "Our lady requests an audience. The lady is currently setting up in the Xue Chen Pavilion. Please, Lady Wei, get out of the carriage and follow me inside."

Wei Jing had difficulty walking, so Li Tianming helped her into the Chen Palace.

Only after entering did Li Tianming realize how luxurious the Chen Palace was. Everywhere were jewels and glass, with pavilions and buildings every few steps, and flowers blooming beautifully.

Compared to the city lord's mansion in Li Huo City, this Chen Palace could only be called a humble abode.

To be the lady of such a Chen Palace, it seemed that this woman named Xue Lan was no ordinary person.

Li Tianming had to remain calm; otherwise, he would look like a country bumpkin in the city.

However, one of the sisters, who now had no name or place to stay, was the lady of the Chen Palace and the wife of the Chen Saint.

The twists and turns of life were truly sigh-worthy. Meeting the wrong person could make life full of pain.

But Wei Jing's face was calm, as if she was not jealous of her sister's happiness but deeply happy for her.

The journey to the Xue Chen Pavilion was quite long, and on the way, they passed a martial arts training ground.

The training ground was particularly lively, with many young men and women of the Star Chamber practicing and testing their skills.

Every year, many disciples of the Star Chamber enter the Yanhuang Academy through the palace examination. Today's practice was probably for the final preparation.

After all, in three days, the official palace examination would begin.

Li Tianming noticed a particularly outstanding young man of about fifteen or sixteen on the training ground.

The young man was tall and handsome, wearing a deep blue training uniform, with his long hair neatly combed. The most striking feature was his eyes.

His eyes were as bright as stars, clear and transparent, like precious gems.

Even from a distance, Li Tianming could see the light in his eyes.

This was definitely the offspring of a great family. The innate clarity and transparency were not something ordinary children could match.

For example, Liu Qianyang, who was indeed noble and had a strong presence, but compared to this young man, he clearly lacked the clarity and purity of a child.

From a distance, this young man looked like a pure star, and even though there were many martial arts geniuses around, he stood out from a distance.

His companion beast was a large purple lion.

The purple lion had six very obvious star points in its eyes, each shining brightly, indicating that this young man's companion beast was a sixth-stage companion beast.

Having a sixth-stage companion beast meant that this young man was a top genius in Yan City, not comparable to Liu Qianyang and Jiang Yilin.

"This is the young master Chen Yao's companion beast, the 'Six Star Lion.' It is said that even among sixth-stage companion beasts, it is considered a 'high-quality' existence." The guard was proud, proud, and envious.

Li Tianming knew that in Yan City, the quality of companion beasts was divided more finely.

Even within the same fifth-stage or sixth-stage companion beasts, they were further divided into high-quality, medium-quality, and low-quality.

For example, his Four-Winged Golden Peng was once classified as a medium-quality fifth-stage companion beast, ranking in the middle among fifth-stage companion beasts.

This Six Star Lion, not only a sixth-stage companion beast, but also a high-quality one, further demonstrated the outstanding talent of this young master Chen Yao.

"Is this Xue Lan's child?" Wei Jing asked.

"Of course, young master Chen Yao is the lady's youngest son. The lady's eldest son, 'Chen Hao,' has already entered the Tianfu Academy and is now ranked very high on the Tianfu Academy's list." The guard said proudly.

Chen Hao?

Li Tianming knew him. Four years ago, he ranked third in the palace examination, but was suppressed by Lin Xiaoting and did not directly enter the Tianfu Academy. However, hard work paid off, and today he was a genius of the Tianfu Academy.

"Young master Chen Yao is about to participate in the palace examination in three days. He has a very good chance of ranking first and directly entering the Tianfu Academy."

"It is said that the younger one is when they enter the Tianfu Academy, the more cultivation and nurturing they receive. If young master Chen Hao had ranked first in the palace examination four years ago, he would probably be no less than the Lei Zun Mansion today."

He didn't need to say it; Li Tianming already knew that this young master of the Chen Palace was a top candidate for the palace examination.