Chapter 101

After taking He Zhizhou out of the Criminal Division, Tian Xianzi led his disciples to the Lord’s Mansion.

Luan City was prosperous in commerce, known for its wealth and extravagance. Naturally, the Lord’s Mansion was adorned with scenes of luxury and extravagance. Looking around, even every floorboard seemed to proclaim four words:

“I am very rich.”

Although Jialan City, where Ning Ning had been before, was also a commercial hub, it had been submerged in water for many years, and the tone of the Lord’s Mansion there was elegant and restrained, quite different from here.

Passing through the grand main gate and through the brightly lit corridors concealed by high walls, amidst the bustling laughter and the sounds of qin and pipa, they arrived at the front courtyard used for welcoming guests and banquets.

“Elder Tian Xianzi! Sorry for the belated welcome!”

As the guide stepped back, a young man in elegant attire stepped forward to greet them. After a quick glance at Ning Ning and the others, he laughed heartily, “The disciples of Xuanxu Sword Sect are all young talents. I believe your sect will surely outshine the others this year.”

Tian Xianzi laughed heartily, “Thank you for your kind words, Lord.”

Afterwards, he looked up at the young man’s companion in red behind him and said, “This must be the Lady of the Mansion, right?”

The Lord turned aside, his voice gentle, “Come, Luan Niang.”

The woman stood in the shade of the high wall, her figure mostly hidden by the young man in front of her. It wasn’t until she slowly approached after Tian Xianzi’s inquiry that Ning Ning finally got a clear look at her.

She was exceptionally beautiful, with captivating peach blossom eyes set with amber pupils, like ice melting on a snowy mountain. Though alluring, her gaze was cold, devoid of the warmth typical of a living person.

She wore a red dress made of dragon gauze and cloud brocade. The dragon gauze was thin as mist, and the brocade was as splendid as the rainbow, intertwining to form a picture of misty clouds and colorful haze, accentuating her graceful and stunning figure.

Ning Ning had done some research before coming to Luan City. The Lord’s surname was Luo, and his name was Yuanming. He was a high-level genius talisman cultivator of the Nascent Soul.

He had a previous wife, who was said to be the frail and sickly daughter of an official. She passed away shortly after giving birth, succumbing to a severe illness.

The current Lady of the Mansion was called Luan niang. She had been sold into the pleasure district since she was young and had long abandoned her original name and family name.

One was the prominent master of the city, the other a lowly dancer; these two individuals shouldn’t have had any intersection, but Luo Yuanming fell in love with her at a banquet.

This romantic story was widely spread throughout the city, with various versions circulating among the people, each more intricate and ambiguous than the last.

Even the long-deceased mother of the Lord was resurrected in some versions, offering a pile of silver notes directly to the female lead, Luan niang: “Five million spirit stones, leave my son.”

In terms of absurdity, even the King of Hell would be exasperated. But from this, it could be seen that regardless of time or place, people’s enthusiasm for gossiping about celebrity couples remained steadfast.

Luan niang had been wearing a cold expression, but at the sound of Luo Yuanming’s voice, her expression softened slightly, revealing a faint smile.

Being a dancer by profession, she moved with a graceful and alluring demeanor, her skirt swaying flirtatiously as she walked, the brocade shimmering under the bright lanterns—truly a sight to behold.

Tian Xianzi exchanged a few simple pleasantries with the couple, then led everyone to the banquet.

The front courtyard of the Lord’s Mansion was incredibly spacious, with tables set up in sequence and filled with various pastries and dishes. Ning Ning was closest to Senior Sister Zheng Wei Qi, and they walked side by side. Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, they saw several familiar faces.

Mingkong, the young master from Fanyin Temple, was still surrounded by a large group of people, preaching profound principles that even he himself couldn’t understand, all recited from Buddhist scriptures.

The surrounding people pretended to understand, nodding along. If anyone dared to inquire further, they would receive a bunch of sympathetic looks, implying, “It’s something to be understood in one’s heart, not explained in words.”

The disciples of Wanjian Sect had arrived early, and a few of them had started a fight with the disciples of Liuming Mountain. A servant of the Lord’s Mansion crouched in a corner, holding a small notebook, recording the number of spirit stones that would need to be compensated later.

According to the onlookers, the disciples of Liuming Mountain criticized the sweet tofu pudding and praised the salty tofu brain while tasting the snacks.

This led to a fierce verbal battle between them and the disciples of the Wanjian Sect, culminating in an extremely intense fight with swords and talismans.

And there was also—

Her gaze lingered on the sharp profile amidst the crowd, and Ning Ning was slightly taken aback.

It was the young lord of Jialan City, Jiang Si.

Jiang Si had been in a deep slumber for several years, and upon waking, he still appeared unwell. However, his ailing appearance couldn’t suppress the overwhelming dominance emanating from him. Upon seeing Ning Ning and Zheng Weiqi, he sneered coldly, “Hmph, women.”

A frown creased Zheng Weiqi’s face unconsciously.

“Tsk, idiot,” she muttered.

After a moment of contemplation, she whispered to Ning Ning, “Junior Sister, did you see that sucker? Let me teach you how to do business.”

As Zheng Weiqi blinked incessantly, staring intently at him, Jiang Si coughed lightly with an expressionless face, a barely perceptible smile flashing in his eyes.

The woman seemed deeply attached to him. Now, upon seeing him, she didn’t hesitate to walk over with her junior sister from the sect.

Unfortunately, he had severed all romantic ties and was destined to give her no future.

“Young Lord.”

Zheng Weiqi approached him with a few steps, a faint smile playing on her lips. “What brings you here?”

Jiang Si responded coldly, “Jialan and Luan City have been friendly for generations. I’m here to celebrate the Ten Method Assembly.”

He paused, then cleared his throat. “Are you attending the assembly? Hmm…?”

The “Hm” at the end was a result of his learning from the manuals—

Aware that he couldn’t keep up with the changes of the times, Jiang Si had specifically bought a bunch of manuals from Zheng Weiqi before bidding farewell to the disciples of the Xuanxu Sword Sect. After days and nights of intensive study, he summarized the typical behaviors of today’s men.