We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real? Chapter 629: Greetings, Sect Master Jiang
Previously on We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?...
Beyond the Great Zhou capital.
Xiao Mo followed Qiuye, flying toward Black Bee City, mountains and rivers streaking past beneath them.
The "Bee" in "Black Bee City" was the character for honeybee but hearing the name "Black Bee City," Xiao Mo could not help but recall a city that might not even exist, one whose name sounded identical, "Black Wind City" — the very place he had first arrived within the Book of a Hundred Lives.
Xiao Mo did not know if this, too, was mere coincidence.
Though Xiao Mo still, in his heart, deeply wished not to acknowledge it, these coincidences had grown far too numerous lately, as though matters were steadily trending toward something ominous.
In truth, most of the court officials had not approved of Xiao Mo leaving the capital to meet the Ten Thousand Swords Sect master.
Unless absolutely necessary, "the ruler shall not leave the capital" was an ironclad rule of every worldly dynasty.
After all, within the capital stood the nation-protecting array, and the dynasty's dragon-fortune offered a certain degree of protection as well but beyond the imperial city, who could say what might happen?
Not to mention that his own emperor intended to leave the kingdom entirely!
Should anything go wrong, the Zhou Kingdom, having only just achieved stability, might fall back into chaos, and with His Majesty having left behind no heir, matters would grow even more troublesome but Xiao Mo overruled every objection, deciding to travel to Black Bee City to meet the Ten Thousand Swords Sect master regardless.
Before departing, however, Xiao Mo established a cabinet council, consisting of the Chancellor, the six ministry heads, and several officials personally selected by Xiao Mo, including the now-reinstated Wang Can among others, twenty members in total.
During Xiao Mo's absence, matters both great and small would be decided by this cabinet.
As for harem affairs, Xiao Mo treated both consorts equally, having Yan Ruxue and Qin Siyao jointly deliberate and decide, with the Empress Dowager arbitrating should the two fail to reach agreement.
Regarding both internal and external affairs of the capital, Xiao Mo felt no particular concern.
The Zhou Kingdom was currently flourishing, with nothing of great consequence pending.
By contrast, the closer Xiao Mo drew to Black Bee City, the more his own heart seemed to fill with unease.
Meanwhile, Qiuye, leading Xiao Mo toward Black Bee City, had spent these past days quietly observing this ruler of the Zhou Kingdom.
Qiuye had remained curious throughout.
How exactly had the ruler of such a small nation come to earn her own sect master's favor and regard?
Even with her sect master's notoriously cold temperament, she had willingly become the National Preceptor of such a small kingdom.
For now, Qiuye simply felt that this Zhou Kingdom emperor was, indeed, quite good-looking.
His talent for cultivation was impressive as well and he carried himself without the slightest air of pretension, remarkably refined and easygoing.
Rather than an emperor, Qiuye found him carrying more of a scholar's cultured grace, mixed with a Daoist's carefree ease.
The more she thought about it, the more Qiuye's brow furrowed, her small hand unconsciously rubbing her chin.
She realized, thinking it over this way, that this Zhou Kingdom ruler truly did seem quite remarkable indeed.
Three days later, Qiuye and Xiao Mo arrived at the gates of Black Bee City.
"I still have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave here. My sect master is already waiting for Your Majesty inside. Your Majesty may simply enter directly, and you will naturally encounter the sect master." Qiuye said to Xiao Mo, not intending to accompany him into the city.
"My thanks for your guidance these past days, miss." Xiao Mo bowed in gratitude.
"Your Majesty is too kind. Farewell." Qiuye bowed, embracing her sword, and turned to leave.
Xiao Mo registered his name with the gate guards, paid the entry fee, and walked into the city.
Within Black Bee City, ordinary common folk moved back and forth along the streets.
Tavern attendants called out vigorously from their doorways.
Lightly dressed courtesans stood at the entrances of pleasure houses, waving handkerchiefs, beckoning to passersby.
Young mothers led their children's small hands across the street.
Roadside wine shops rang ceaselessly with the sounds of drinking games and boisterous calls.
Xiao Mo took in everything Black Bee City had to offer, and found the city held nothing particularly unusual about it, much like most cities throughout the mortal kingdoms.
Only... looking at the streets winding through the city.
Looking at every brick and tile within it.
Even though the layout of most cities followed a similar pattern, Xiao Mo still felt a peculiar sense of familiarity rising within him.
"Black Bee City..."
"Black Wind City..."
"Could it be that these two cities are truly..."
Xiao Mo murmured softly, his brow furrowing slightly, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together.
The deeper he ventured into this city, the more disoriented Xiao Mo's heart felt.
"Steamed buns, fresh steamed buns for sale, hot and ready..."
Just as Xiao Mo continued walking forward, the calls of a street vendor selling steamed buns caught his attention.
Xiao Mo turned to look, and saw a small beggar in tattered clothes raise her head, glancing at the steaming buns, then lowering her head to look at herself.
At last, this small beggar, covered in mud, gender indeterminate, swallowed hard, then crept forward stealthily.
The small beggar reached out a small hand, quickly snatching a bun from the steamer basket, then ran off.
"Hey! You filthy beggar! You've got some nerve, stealing my buns! Stop! Do you hear me! Stop right there!"
The moment the shop owner noticed, he gave chase after the small beggar.
Xiao Mo followed as well.
The small beggar, fleeing in panic, ran into a dead-end alley.
"Still running? Keep running, then?"
The bun shop owner, gasping for breath, leaned on his knees, then stepped forward toward the small beggar.
"Dare to steal my buns, I'll beat you to death!"
The bun shop owner raised his rolling pin, about to strike down upon the small beggar and just as Xiao Mo was about to step forward to stop him.
A woman in a white dress had already positioned herself before the small girl, the sword sheath in her hand blocking the rolling pin. Even with most of her sword-qi restrained, the bun shop owner still broke out in a cold sweat, his body trembling ceaselessly.
As though, in the next instant, his own body might be sliced into countless fragments.
The woman in white flicked the rolling pin aside, tossing him a piece of loose silver, saying coldly, “Will this cover it?"
"That's enough, that's enough..."
The bun shop owner hurriedly nodded, walking away happily.
"It's all right now." The woman in white crouched down, gently patting the small girl's head, then handed her a slip of paper, saying gently, "If you have nowhere to stay, and not enough to eat, you can go to this place."
"Thank you, big sister! Thank you, big sister!" The small girl, having come to her senses, hurried to bow in thanks, not minding at all that her palm had already been scalded red by the bun.
"It's nothing. Go on, now." The woman in white smiled.
The small girl thanked her a few more times, then hurried off, head lowered, running out of the alley.
The woman in white rose to her feet, turning to look toward Xiao Mo not far off, their gazes meeting. The thin gauze veil over her face fluttered gently in the breeze, clinging to her soft, delicate features.
"Miss Jiang Rou, it's been a while."
Looking at the woman before him, Xiao Mo bowed.
"No... I should say instead..."
"Greetings, Sect Master Jiang."