A cool breeze ruffled the branches and leaves on the treetops. Feng Jixing, dressed in a white robe, galloped away on horseback. A group of imperial cavalry followed behind him. The broadswords in his hands glowed with a faint glow of fighting spirit. Although the warhorses were galloping, the sound of their hooves was not very loud. In terms of horsemanship, Feng Jixing could already become one with his steed. He could be said to be the best in the imperial capital.
In the dense forest, there was a towering tree that was at least a thousand years old. Under the tree, the Empire's Eldest Princess, Qin Yin, was holding the reins of her steed. She pouted as she kicked the gravel on the ground. The few guards beside her had ugly expressions on their faces. After losing the umbrella dragon, Her Royal Highness was in a bad mood. No one dared to provoke her.
Feng Jixing dismounted and knelt down on one knee. He said respectfully, "Your Highness, I have returned."
Qin Yin smiled and asked, "General Feng, did you catch the umbrella dragon?"
"I did."
Feng Jixing nodded and said, "Unfortunately, the umbrella dragon was too heavily injured. When I found it, it was already gone. The beast spirit had also dispersed. I had no choice but to plunder its spirit stone and bring it back to Your Highness. I hope that this spirit stone will be useful for Your Highness' cultivation."
Qin Yin looked at the spirit stone in Feng Jixing's hands and her beautiful eyes swept over him. She smiled and said, "Alright, General Feng, you have worked hard. I will accept this spirit stone. Thank you."
Feng Jixing smiled slightly. "It is my greatest honor to be able to satisfy Your Highness. It is getting late. Your Highness, let's go back early. His Majesty must be waiting anxiously. We still have to rush back to Lanyan City before nightfall!"
"Mm, alright!"
…
This continent was known as the "Broken Cauldron Realm", meaning that the cauldrons of the world were broken. However, due to the conquest and governance of Qin's first sage, Qin Yi, for hundreds of years, he finally built the Qin Empire, an unprecedented alliance of empires.
The territory of the Shattered Cauldron Realm was divided into the north and the south. In the middle, there was a long corridor of mountains that divided the continent into the north and the south. It was known as the 'Qinling Mountains'. To the south of the Qinling Mountains was the fertile land of the Lingnan. The land was fertile, and there were many products. It was extremely affluent. To the north of the Qinling Mountains, the weather was slightly colder. There were mountains everywhere, and in between the mountains, there were many prosperous cities.
The most vast and flat land in the north of the mountains was the Dragon Seeking Forest. The Dragon Seeking Forest stretched for thousands of miles, surrounding a city that symbolized the imperial power — Lanyan City!
Lanyan City was the most prosperous and prosperous of the seven famous cities in the empire. The city walls were more than 50 meters high, and they were all built with cyan boulders. They were very sturdy and could be said to be impervious to fire and water. The city was prosperous in commerce and rich in products. It was the economic and political center of the empire. Among them, the Divine Temple, which was respected by all martial artists, and the Spiritual Medicine Department, which was sought after by everyone in the alchemy world, were both located in Lanyan City. This showed how important this city was to the entire empire.
The sound of horses' hooves was very soft. Before dusk, Lin Muyu and Chu Yao finally arrived at Lanyan City. Lin Muyu's chin was already densely covered with a fine beard, while Chu Yao had cut her hair short. She looked nothing like the person on the wanted notice at the city gate. Moreover, they were accompanied by a general of the imperial army. This general was called "Luo Lie", and he was a trusted aide of Feng Jixing.
Luo Lie was dressed in a dark blue uniform of the empire. The military rank on his collar was inlaid with a golden purple flower and a star. This was the standard military rank insignia of the empire's chiliarch.
"General!"
The officer on duty at the city gate saluted Luo Lie respectfully, then looked at Lin Muyu and Chu Yao, and said, "These two don't look like soldiers of the imperial army. General, who are they?"
Luo Lie's tone was calm, and he said with authority, "These two are friends of General Feng. They have just come to the imperial capital from Qihai City as guests. Do they also need to be inspected?"
"Ah, no need, no need. Since they are honored guests of General Feng, then there's no need."
The officer on duty was only a small centurion, so he naturally didn't dare to challenge the chiliarch.
The smoothness of the situation surprised Lin Muyu. They actually easily sneaked into Lanyan City. There were shops on both sides of the city's main street, and the smell of meat buns floated into their noses. It was very tempting. Lin Muyu's stomach also growled. Chu Yao couldn't help but giggle, "Hungry?"
"Yes." He nodded awkwardly, "The taste of these buns is really good!"
Chu Yao laughed softly, "There's no hurry. Let's talk about it when we arrive at the White Cloud Inn."
Luo Lie also laughed, "Speaking of buns, the best buns in the entire Lanyan City are the White Cloud Inn's Yin Flower Beef Buns. You two will be able to taste them in a while. The commander will probably come to visit you later. I'll settle you down first."
"Yes, thank you, Lord Luo Lie."
"You're welcome. You are the commander's friends, which means you are my friends. It's only right."
…
Soon, they arrived at the White Cloud Inn. This was a three-story inn. It didn't look very luxurious, but it was probably not bad. At least, the faint smell of meat coming from the inn was enough to attract Lin Muyu.
Luo Lie arranged for two guest rooms next to each other. Then, he took out a Jinyin coin and treated the two of them to a good meal.
Not long after, two steamers of buns were served. There were also some sauce, vinegar, and other seasonings on the side.
When the steamer was opened, the fragrance that assailed their nostrils almost killed Lin Muyu. She picked up a white bun, and when she broke it open, she could see the light purple petals that emitted a unique fragrance. Then, there was the delicious beef. What was rare was that the meat and the flower didn't clash at all. Instead, they complemented each other. It was very unique.
Luo Lie laughed and said, "The purple petals are Yin Flower, the flower of the empire. This kind of flower can be used as medicine or as a dish. It has the effect of reducing inflammation and relieving fatigue. The beef here is made from the best beef. The meat is fresh and tender. Try it!"
Lin Muyu took a bite without hesitation. She immediately felt as if she was floating. Just one bite made her fall in love with this kind of bun. She didn't stand on ceremony and quickly swept the steamer of buns. On the other hand, Chu Yao ate very reservedly. She wasn't like Lin Muyu. In fact, Lin Muyu's stamina consumption was much greater than Chu Yao's.
… …
After eating and drinking to their fill, Luo Lie accompanied her and waited for Feng Jixing to arrive.
But even when the sky darkened, there was still no wind. It was not until the hour of xu that night that the sky was completely dark. At this time, a person rushed over. He was an extremely handsome young man dressed in green. With a leap, he gracefully went up to the second floor. His expression was extremely hurried as he looked around and said urgently, "Ah Yao … Ah Yao …"
When Chu Yao heard this voice, her entire body trembled. She turned around, and their eyes met. Tears immediately flowed out of her eyes. "Brother …"
The person who came was Chu Yao's brother, Chu Huaiyin!
When Chu Yao threw herself into Chu Huaiyin's arms, her tears fell like rain. Her fists continuously landed on her brother's shoulders. Her cultivation was not low now, and her fists were extremely powerful when she was angry. However, Chu Huaiyin didn't circulate his energy to defend himself and allowed his sister to hit him.
"Why didn't you return to Silver Fir City …"
Chu Yao was tired, and her tears flowed freely. She looked at her brother and said, "Don't you know that Grandpa was killed by bad people? You're still hiding here … what kind of brother are you …"
Chu Huaiyin's eyes were red, but he didn't cry. He only clenched his fists and supported Chu Yao with one hand. He said, "Yao, I was wrong … I've always been immersed in cultivation in the imperial capital. I didn't think that so many things would happen in Silver Fir City, and I definitely didn't think that Grandpa would be assassinated … I'm sorry, Yao. Don't cry, don't cry. I'll always be by your side from now on …"
Chu Yao cried even more fiercely.
After a long time, Chu Yao finally wiped away her tears and turned around to hold Lin Muyu's hand. She said, "Brother, let me introduce you to Yu. He's Grandpa's alchemy apprentice, but he's very talented. If it weren't for Yu, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to live to see you again."
Chu Huaiyin looked at Lin Muyu, his eyes filled with gratitude and suspicion. He said, "Yu, it must have been hard on you to get to Lanyan City … but, did you really kill Ye Liang, Guan Yang, and the others of the legendary Seven Martial Saints? You look … "
Lin Muyu knew what he wanted to say, so she said, "I don't look that strong, right?"
"Yes …" Chu Huaiyin revealed a trace of embarrassment, as if he also knew that he was being rude by questioning her.
Lin Muyu didn't mind and said, "Along the way, I used hidden weapons, poison, and everything I could think of. That's why I was able to make it here alive. You should understand now, right?"
Chu Huaiyin nodded and patted his shoulder. "Good brother, it must have been hard on you."
"It's nothing." Lin Muyu thought of how he had been shot through the chest by an arrow in the Seven Star Forest and how he had narrowly escaped death time and time again. He couldn't help but feel his heart palpitate. Now that he thought about it, it was great that he was still alive.
At this time, footsteps came from the stairs. They were abnormally steady, and a white-robed figure walked over. Feng Jixing had finally arrived!
Chu Huaiyin cupped his fists and smiled. "Brother Feng, thank you. I can't thank you enough!"
"Oh, you've reunited?"
Feng Jixing's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Brother Chu, you really are a heartless fellow. How could you be at ease leaving such a beautiful little sister alone in Cathaya City? If it were me, hmph, I would've brought her to live in the imperial capital a long time ago. I've helped you so much this time. You should at least treat me to a drink at Tingyu Tower. "
Chu Huaiyin's expression turned ugly. "A drink at Tingyu Tower costs at least twenty Jin Yin coins. That's too extravagant. Let's just stay at White Cloud Tavern …"
"You're so stingy."
"I only get a salary of ten Jin Yin coins every month. How can it compare to you, a commander of the Imperial Guard and a Second Rank Guardian General?"
"Ha, what's the point of saying all this? Let's drink to our hearts' content downstairs! "
"Alright!"
… …
Chu Huaiyin acted as the host and set up a table of wine downstairs. Feng Jixing, Lin Muyu, Chu Yao, and Luo Lie sat around the table. Chu Yao's mood finally improved and she was willing to eat again. Lin Muyu hadn't had a good meal these past few days in the Dragon-Seeking Forest and Seven Star Forest. Naturally, she ate to her heart's content.
After three rounds of wine, Chu Huaiyin looked at Lin Muyu. Lin Muyu immediately felt uneasy. What was to come had come.
"Yu, I heard that your cultivation isn't bad. How about we spar after drinking?"
"Alright."
Lin Muyu made up her mind. Chu Huaiyin was able to rank among the top 200 Imperial Guards and become the Emperor's personal bodyguard. He was definitely not a weakling. It would be good to use this opportunity to learn from him.
… …
Chu Huaiyin was a martial arts fanatic. He naturally wouldn't let a good opponent like Lin Muyu go. This was also the biggest reason he was able to become good friends with Feng Jixing.
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