CHAPTER 9: CHAPTER 9: QINGFENG CITY

EDITOR: DRAGON BOAT TRANSLATION

"Little Qingqing, have you missed your senior brother?" Rong Ye reached out and tugged at the tassels on Gu Qingqing’s head, asking with a smile.

Feeling the movement on her head, Gu Qingqing quickly reached out her hand to cover it and looked up at Rong Ye, trying to express her dissatisfaction.

Today, she was wearing a light blue scholar’s dress, with matching tassels on her head. Her skin was fair, and her big eyes glared at Rong Ye, adorably fierce, but lacking any intimidation.

A hint of amusement flashed in Rong Ye’s eyes, thinking how his little junior sister was simply adorable no matter how he looked at her. Typically arrogant Young Master Rong hurriedly put on a humbled demeanor, making the pretending-to-be-fierce Gu Qingqing burst into laughter, her eyes forming crescent moons.

"Why did you come to Yifeng today?" Si Lin, watching the interaction between Rong Ye and Gu Qingqing, hadn’t felt it before, but now found it somewhat irritating, and rarely spoke up to ask.

Rong Ye was surprised to hear Si Lin speak. After being brothers with him for so many years, he knew how much Si Lin didn’t like to talk, and yet now he was asking about his intentions proactively.

"I came to see Little Qingqing." Rong Ye patted Gu Qingqing’s head, quickly moving away before she got angry, speaking softly.

Si Lin glanced at him, completely unbelieving of Rong Ye’s words.

"Alright then, Qingfeng City has been a bit unstable lately. Master wants you and me to take a trip and bring Little Qingqing along to broaden her horizons." Rong Ye straightened his expression, speaking sternly to Si Lin.

Si Lin’s eyes flickered at this, his gaze falling on Gu Qingqing, frowning slightly, "Are we really taking her?"

If it were before, Si Lin would have only found it troublesome to take a child on a potentially dangerous mission, but now that it involved Gu Qingqing, he became somewhat worried about her safety and was reluctant to let her take risks, even though he was quite strict with her during sword practice!

Rong Ye gave Si Lin a surprised look, feeling that this didn’t sound like the words of his cold-hearted, sword-only-focused brother.

However, after his gaze landed on Gu Qingqing, he found it understandable. After all, Gu Qingqing was so adorable, it was easy for Si Lin to like her!

"With the two of us here, what is there to worry about?" Rong Ye flicked nonexistent dust off his shoulder, speaking casually yet arrogantly.

Si Lin was silent for a moment, then nodded.

While the two of them were speaking, Gu Qingqing had been quietly listening on the side. Only when their gazes fell on her did she look at them in confusion.

"Little Qingqing, let’s go. Senior Brother will take you down the mountain to see the world." Rong Ye reached out and directly picked up Gu Qingqing, giving her a little toss, only to secure her properly after receiving a glance from Si Lin.

Gu Qingqing wasn’t angry, just wrapping her arms around Rong Ye’s neck, eagerly looking at Rong Ye and Si Lin.

Si Lin glanced at the two of them, seeing that Rong Ye was holding Gu Qingqing securely, then he waved into the air.

Suddenly, two Immortal Cranes appeared in the sky, landing in front of the three. Si Lin tapped his toe and landed on the back of one crane, then turned to look at the other. Rong Ye was already standing on it with Gu Qingqing in his arms. Seeing Si Lin’s gaze, he nodded.

The Immortal Cranes took off, quickly leaving Yifeng.

...

Qingfeng City is a city near the Ten Thousand Miles Mountains, located within the Great Zhou Dynasty on the Xuantian Continent.

The Xuantian Continent is home to three major dynasties, four major sects, five major noble families, and various other forces of different sizes. The three major dynasties are the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Great Song Dynasty, and the Great Tang Dynasty. Although there are occasional conflicts between the three dynasties, they coexist peacefully.

The four major sects are the Shangyang Sect, Wanqing Sect, Purple Monarch Pavilion, and Wentian Palace. The five major noble families are the Lan Family, Zhuo Family, Nalan Family, Qiu Family, and Yun Family.

Whether it’s the four major sects or the five major noble families, they have intricate relationships with the three major dynasties, which is why, despite occasional friction, they maintain a relatively peaceful coexistence.

Qingfeng City is ranked among the top ten cities in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Due to its proximity to the Ten Thousand Miles Mountains, there’s a large flow of people, leading to considerable development.

The three of them landed on their Immortal Cranes about a mile outside Qingfeng City, by which time it was already evening. The city gates were bustling with people entering and leaving the city.

After sending the Immortal Cranes away, Rong Ye carried Gu Qingqing, and the three of them walked into Qingfeng City together.

It was Gu Qingqing’s first time in such a crowded place. As Rong Ye carried her, her eyes took in the buildings and scenery she had never seen before, feeling as if her eyes couldn’t take it all in. Her face was full of wonder.

Rong Ye and Si Lin had been to Qingfeng City many times and were quite used to it. But because it was Gu Qingqing’s first time, they didn’t go straight to the point as usual, but walked leisurely, purchasing interesting and tasty items for her along the way.

"This candied fruit is quite good; children generally like it. Little Qingqing, you can give it a try." Rong Ye bought a skewer of candied fruit and handed it to Gu Qingqing while speaking.

Gu Qingqing had seen candied fruit before but never tasted it. After receiving it from Rong Ye, she quickly took a bite. Unfortunately, her luck wasn’t great—her first hawthorn was quite sour. It puckered her face, yet she didn’t spit it out but bravely swallowed it down.

"Haha." Rong Ye burst into laughter at Gu Qingqing’s reaction, laughing heartily until he received an angry glare from Gu Qingqing and a warning look from Si Lin, at which point he quickly covered his mouth.

Gu Qingqing frowned at the candied fruit in her hand, unsure of what to do.

Having often gone hungry before, she disliked wasting food. However, the last piece was really too sour, and she feared the next one would be, too.

"Little Qingqing, not all of them are that sour; don’t worry. If it turns out to be sour again, you can give the rest to me." Rong Ye, knowing Gu Qingqing’s habit, quickly spoke when he saw her hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingqing glanced at Rong Ye and perked up, biting into another hawthorn. Her luck was better this time—it wasn’t as sour as before, and the sugar coating created a sweet-and-sour blend, making it quite delicious. She instantly smiled with satisfaction.

Seeing this, a smile flashed in both Si Lin and Rong Ye’s eyes.

As dusk fell, Rong Ye and Si Lin noticed Gu Qingqing getting slightly tired, so they found the largest inn in Qingfeng City, Feixue Building. Their food is the best in all of Qingfeng City, with dishes made from demon beast corpses and herbs that contain spiritual power, renowned throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Of course, this also meant that the rooms in this inn were quite expensive, beyond what ordinary people could afford.

Neither Rong Ye nor Si Lin was short on money, and due to their frequent visits to Qingfeng City, they had rented a small courtyard in Feixue Building, which they could stay in anytime as long as they had the token.

Feixue Building’s decor was luxurious yet understated, making it very comfortable. As Rong Ye carried Gu Qingqing along, she took in the furnishings with interest.

After passing through the main hall, they arrived at the back courtyard of Feixue Building.

Just as they were about to enter their courtyard, the sound of a fight suddenly came from nearby.