Overnight, the snow fell thick and fast, turning Jade Capital City completely white, truly resembling the White Jade City of legends.
Dream Immortal Pavilion was one of the largest restaurants in Jade Capital City.
It consisted of a five-story main building and four four-story side buildings.
Layer upon layer of flying eaves created a steep, imposing effect. The building, over sixty meters tall, stood tall and majestic, piercing the clouds like a sharp sword.
The faint sound of silk and bamboo instruments, the melodious singing, and the boisterous laughter mingled together, creating a scene of worldly prosperity.
The restaurant's patrons were either rich or noble, causing ordinary people to hesitate and shrink back.
Commoners and the wealthy lived together in Jade Capital, yet it was as if they existed in two separate worlds.
The tables on the third floor were spaced far apart and separated by flowers and plants, creating an atmosphere that was neither deserted nor lacking in tranquility, a testament to ingenious craftsmanship.
Around one of the tables sat six old men, each adorned in brocade robes and jade belts, exuding an air of wealth and refinement as they drank and conversed loudly.
"Old Lu, did you hear the thunder yesterday?"
"How could I not? I was jolted awake. It was truly frightening."
"Hehe, Old Lu, do you know why the thunder was so loud?"
"I was wondering about that. It was snowing yesterday, not raining. Where did such loud thunder come from in the dead of winter? Could it be a miscarriage of justice?"
"Haha…"
"What's so funny about that?"
"Old Lu, ah, Old Lu, you simply haven't seen enough."
"Stop with the nonsense and tell me!"
"Another Grandmaster has emerged!"
"Hmm—?"
"Old Huang, how old is this Grandmaster Song?"
"The same age as me."
"Fifty-nine?"
"Yes."
"A Grandmaster… the Flying Blossom Sword Sect has truly struck gold!"
"When one attains the Dao, their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. With a Grandmaster, the disciples of the Flying Blossom Sword Sect can enter the imperial court and serve in the Town Defender Division."
"That is the dream of so many sects."
"Entering the imperial court provides opportunities to earn merit. Merit can be exchanged for elixirs and various rare treasures. This third-rate sect, the Flying Blossom Sword Sect, can leap to become first-rate. It's truly enviable!"
"Who told us that Grandmasters are so difficult to become? Our Great Jing Dynasty only has eighteen Grandmasters, and each one is incredibly precious!"
"There's another big thing. Has everyone heard that the Qing Prince's estate has been unsealed?"
"Qing Prince's estate…?"
Everyone present shook their heads in confusion.
They hadn't even heard of the Qing Prince.
"The Qing Prince is the Third Prince. Thirty years ago, he was convicted and his estate was sealed, forbidding him from entering or leaving."
"I remember now! Thirty years ago… the Second Prince, Prince Jing, was placed under house arrest, and the Third Prince, Prince Qing, pleaded for him, angering the Emperor. The Emperor then issued an edict sealing the Qing Prince's estate, right?"
"Those who aren't old-timers in Jade Capital wouldn't know about Prince Jing and Prince Qing. That's ancient history!"
"This Qing Prince was also unlucky. He was devoted to his brother. What was wrong with pleading for him? In the end, he incurred the Emperor's wrath and his estate was sealed."
"The Qing Prince, ah… when it comes down to it, it's because the Qing Prince himself was not ambitious. His constitution was weak, and he couldn't practice martial arts, so he wasn't favored by the Emperor. Others didn't dare to plead for him, but he did, and he was made an example of."
"The current Emperor can be considered the number one emperor in the history of the Great Jing Dynasty. His talent is unparalleled, and he values cultivation above all else. It's not surprising that the Qing Prince is not favored."
"Unable to practice martial arts… This Qing Prince is quite pitiful."
"The imperial family is the most ruthless. If you can't practice martial arts, it's good if the Emperor shows pity for the weak. If the Emperor doesn't show pity, life will probably be difficult."
"Even if it's difficult, he's still a prince."
"Being a prince just means eating better and dressing better. They still have the seven emotions and six desires, greed, anger, ignorance, and hatred. With so many brothers, there's definitely a hierarchy of those who are favored and those who are not."
"I heard that this Qing Prince is a pretty good person."
"In this world, without good martial arts, being a good person is just asking for death!"
"Yes… In this world, not practicing martial arts is indeed impossible."
"Whether the Qing Prince's estate is unsealed or not makes little difference. It's destined to decline."
"The Qing Prince's estate is indeed finished."
…
Beside a window facing south, three people sat at a table. A young man in purple robes was holding a wine cup, lost in thought.
The morning sunlight shone on the window paper, illuminating his handsome face.
His nose was like a hanging gallbladder, his lips were like painted vermillion, and his eyes, like cold stars, shone brightly as he pondered, exuding an air of composure and depth.
To his left was a burly man, resembling a crouching black bear.
To his right was an old man with a white face and no beard, looking effeminate and clean.
"Damn it…" The burly man stood up abruptly, pointing towards the other table, about to curse and scold.
The young man in purple robes waved his hand.
"…" The burly man swallowed his words, glaring resentfully at the table of old men before sitting down heavily.
The old men at the other table continued to talk loudly, unaware of the abnormality on this side.
The effeminate old man's hair was black and shiny, and his skin was fair, with a faint luster like jade. He said softly, "Young Master, treat these market rumors as the chirping of insects."
The young man in purple robes shook his head, put down his wine cup, and got up to leave.
The effeminate old man picked up a sable fur coat and cape and followed him.
"Young Master, aren't you going to eat anymore?"
The burly man looked at the table full of delicacies, a look of regret on his face, and walked out. As he descended the stairs, he glared again at the old men who were still chattering incessantly.
If he were still in the army, this table of dishes would be enough for a month's salary. It was all wasted because of these old geezers!
The young man in purple robes arrived at the entrance of Dream Immortal Pavilion. The effeminate old man put on his fur hat, wrapped him in the sable fur coat, and tied the red cape before the cold wind outside could reach him.
His movements were elegant yet incredibly fast.
The young man in purple robes allowed him to fuss over him, looking at the sky with emotion.
A round golden sun shone obliquely, and its brilliant rays turned the thick white snow on the roofs of every house into gold, creating a beautiful scene.
The streets were bustling with activity, filled with carriages and horses.
The cries of merchants and stall vendors echoed endlessly.
The passersby each wore a knife or sword at their waist, exuding an air of vigor and talking and laughing loudly.
The city guards, wearing black robes, patrolled in groups of three through the crowds.
What a prosperous scene.
The current Emperor had been on the throne for fifty years, working diligently to govern, and the Great Jing Dynasty was now in a time of flourishing prosperity, like a flame being fueled with oil.
He withdrew his gaze, stepped out of Dream Immortal Pavilion, and slowly joined the bustling crowd as the waiter respectfully saw him off.
Four young men in brown, close-fitting clothes gathered around him from a short distance away. An invisible force surged from their clothes, pushing away passersby who approached, creating an independent space, as if they were using the Eighteen Subduing Falls technique.
He walked slowly with his hands behind his back, unhurried and leisurely, completely different from the pace of the bustling crowd around him.
The snow-white sable fur had not a single stray hair, the jade pendant at his waist was emerald green and crystal clear, and the white jade inlaid on the fur hat was as if it had been soaked in water. From head to toe, he exuded an air of nobility and elegance, like a white jade tree standing in the wind.
"Young Master, in my opinion, we should teach them a lesson. These gossiping tongues need to be taught a lesson. How can they talk nonsense about our Prince?!"
Guard Captain Guo Chi was still grumbling resentfully.
The young man in purple robes, Chu Zhiyuan, had a solemn expression, his mind calm and undisturbed.
The memories of his previous life were like floating clouds. In this life, he was the Young Master of the Qing Prince, the Third Prince.
Even if the Qing Prince's estate was in decline, it could still provide him with fine clothes and delicacies, and a life of wealth. Without the anxiety and haste of his previous life, his state of mind was completely different.
This state of mind allowed him to remain calm and at ease amidst the prosperity and noise, as if he were strolling leisurely, out of sync with the busyness around him.
He concentrated slightly, and his five senses immediately opened up.
In an instant, a flood of information poured into his brain, and he grasped all the information within a radius of twenty zhang.
The passersby were like weaving threads.
The appearance and clothing, speech and behavior, gait, and subtle expressions of each passerby; the voice, breathing, heartbeat, and even the sound of blood flowing of each passerby; the smell of the clothes and hair of each person; the skin elasticity and strength of the bones of each passerby; the flow of internal energy and the faint radiance of each person were all clearly presented within his perception.
The drinkers in the street taverns were laughing and talking freely, and the waiters and shopkeepers were busy.
The laughter, the sound of pounding on tables, the sound of wine entering throats, the sound of chewing in mouths, the rumbling of stomachs, the sound of chairs scraping, and the sound of footsteps all entered his ears.
The aroma of fine wine in jars and fine wine in cups, and the aroma of food all entered his mouth and nose.
The smoothness and solidity of the tables, the coldness of the wine glasses and wine, the thickness and softness of the clothes, and even the elasticity of the skin all flowed into his hands.
In the rouge shop next to the tavern, the shopkeeper was constantly nagging, and the waiter was using a feather duster to sweep the boxes of rouge on the shelves.
Deep in the alley, two red-clothed heroes were lying on their sides under the wall, snoring loudly.
A wonton stall was shrouded in rising heat, and the aroma of meat permeated the air.
Next to it was a fried dough cake stall, with a billowing fragrance.
Twenty or so people sat around a low table, burying their heads and eating quickly, in a completely different state from the diners in the restaurant next door.
Various dust and particles, various lights, hundreds of smells, various directions of breeze, and various different sounds floated in the air.
Within a radius of twenty zhang, he saw everything, heard everything, smelled everything, touched everything, and sensed everything.
This god-like feeling intoxicated him, and it also made his mentality unconsciously high and mighty, as if a god was looking down on all living beings.
But he clearly knew that this mentality was not appropriate.
He could clearly see everything within a range of twenty zhang, but that was all. He couldn't let himself control the life and death of everything within twenty zhang.
This god-like state of mind and clear awareness intertwined, making him extremely calm, coldly observing the world.
Among the forty-six passersby, thirty-three had complete essence, energy, and spirit, and were martial artists. Among the thirty-three martial artists, eighteen practiced swords, and fifteen practiced knives.
This was the high martial world, where everyone was like a dragon.
Among these thirty-three people, two were shrouded in a layer of radiance, and had entered the Innate realm.
They had the ability to kill him, who was at the Perfected Acquired realm.
Of course, only he could see this layer of radiance.
More importantly, these two Innate experts had been using secret techniques to hide their aura and were following him.
Since the opening of the mansion three days ago, he had been going out every day. They had been following him since the second day, without being discovered by the guards.
