Cloud Capital was a background city mentioned only in passing in the original novel.
Central Continent was led by White Jade Capital and jointly ruled by various major cities. Cloud Capital was one of those major cities. But unfortunately—in Celestial Feast of Consumption, Cloud Capital was relegated to the ellipsis.
"Led by White Jade Capital, the other major cities are Luocheng, Qingzhou City, Chuzhou City, Nanyue City, Gusu Terrace…" That was the original text. Mm-hmm, right—her hometown in this life was inside that ellipsis.
Though it had been tossed into the ellipsis, it was precisely because the author had glossed over it that the great male lead, while wreaking havoc throughout the existing chapters, had never reached Cloud Capital.
And her parents were the current city lord couple of this hidden paradise—Rong Yuxiu and Bai Shuangyue.
Cloud Capital's prototype was somewhat like the ancient Dian Kingdom—it was called a "city," but its area was actually quite vast. And the so-called city lord's residence was even more magnificent, no different from a palace. Successive city lords had almost always intermarried with the great shamans. Among the shamans, women were called wu and men were called xi. A male city lord would marry a great wu, and a female city lord would marry a great xi—that is, the union of political power and divine power.
Beneath the long corridor, the mother she was intimately linking arms with wore robes embroidered with winding snake patterns, her shoulders adorned with pure white feather ornaments—she was the great shamaness of this generation.
Along the way, maids and attendants who saw them all stopped to bow, addressing them as "Lady Shamaness" and "Young City Lord."
Her mother gestured for the others to rise while saying casually, "In a while, one of your cousins will be returning. If you'd like to meet him, I'll invite him to the residence for a chat."
Oh, spare me—I just got handed a dark-genre great male lead as a target, and now here comes a little cousin as a blind date prospect too?
Though her parents had said she could do as she pleased, she knew in her heart that they probably still hoped she would eventually marry one of her cousins, to gain greater support from the shaman clan.
Sure enough, her mother was already pitching her eldest nephew again.
Actually, who her future partner would be was not an important part of her life plan.
She had only three simple requirements for that person. At least, she considered them simple. First, absolute loyalty to her. Second, making the building of Cloud Capital the focus of his life, just as she did. And the last one—strikingly beautiful, pleasing to the eye.
Cousins were people she knew well enough. If they couldn't fall in love after marriage, she would still respect and treat them well. She was the head of the family, after all—it was only proper.
It was just that she felt she was only eighteen, at the prime age when she had absorbed a bellyful of poetry, books, and skills and was eager to put her ambitions into practice. It was too early to start a family—she'd wait a few years to gain experience and live freely before considering it.
As for Shang Daoling—she'd just treat it like playing a game.
After all, she hadn't yet found any way to save Cloud Capital without targeting him.
Beside her, however, her mother continued, "It's that cousin you've never met. It'd be a novelty to see him. Bai Chenge—he was previously studying at Tianwen Palace in White Jade Capital, and only returned home once in many years. I've heard the clan discussing that his cultivation is quite good now."
Tianwen Palace was White Jade Capital's foremost immortal sect, and also Central Continent's foremost immortal sect. Every successive city lord of White Jade Capital had studied at Tianwen Palace. So among that group of good cousins and good younger cousins, there was one she'd never met—a cousin who'd gone away to university.
Wait—the name Bai Chenge sounded a little familiar.
Isn't this the male supporting character who triggered a wave of negative points after being killed by a single sword strike from Shang Daoling and having his core extracted and refined?
To think this unlucky bastard turned out to be her cousin.
One of many cousins.
Well, at least this Cousin No. N is still in one piece for now.
Since he counts as a relative of hers, she might as well save him and kick his death flag away — she needed to lower this book's Darkness Value anyway, so it was just a matter of convenience.
The towering gates swung open, and the gatekeeper verified the invitation in Shang Daoling's hand.
As for where the invitation came from — of course it wasn't sent to him by this prominent family. He'd snatched it from one of the guests.
He'd temporarily agreed to that Ghost Immortal not to kill indiscriminately, but that didn't mean he was hanging up his hat and retiring from the game.
This mission was to retrieve a Magic Treasure from the Jiang family of Gusu Terrace for his employer. That treasure had likely been obtained by the Jiang family through killing and plundering others anyway, so now the tables had turned. Quite reasonable.
He had to admit, the physical body that female ghost had reforged for him was indeed useful.
He conjured a set of fine robes — both the human skin and the clothes were costumes worn on his body.
From long ago, he had enjoyed observing the myriad living beings of the mortal world. Observing, studying, learning. A warm smile, a composed demeanor, courteous speech — one by one, he wore them like masks over this exquisite Painted Skin.
A ghost from the underworld, learning to be human.
Anyone who looked at him would only see a friendly young nobleman in his early twenties.
Shang Daoling flicked his robes and stepped into the garden.
Lush flowers and trees, small bridges over flowing water, pavilions and towers — elegant and poetic scenery at every turn.
No wonder the Jiang family was renowned throughout Gusu Terrace — a Cultivation family that had surged into the upper ranks within the past decade.
When he first arrived at Gusu Terrace, he'd heard much of the Jiang family's good name — charitable and benevolent, devoted to the common folk, regularly distributing porridge and medicine throughout the city. At the time, he'd thought —
Ah, how he'd love to see what filth lay beneath the radiant facade of this celebrated family.
This mission was both profitable and entertaining. A fine job indeed.
Shang Daoling, playing the part of some young nobleman while strolling through the garden and chatting with other guests, thought to himself with considerable leisure.
That was, until he saw the lotus pond in the garden — lotuses forced into bloom with magic before summer had even arrived.
Now, whenever he saw lotuses, he was reminded of that female ghost who had been so forward with him.
Though several days had passed and her voice hadn't appeared again, the memory of that day still filled his heart with — extremely, utterly — displeasure.
It had been a long time since he'd experienced such displeasure.
Crushing those who showed him disgust and contempt had become so routine in his past life that it no longer stirred the slightest ripple in his heart.
But being offended for the first time, toyed with for the first time, being… coveted — that was a novel experience. Novel in a way that displeased him.
Past the fragrant lotus pond lay the banquet hall for tonight's Jiang family gathering.
He temporarily set aside his thoughts of that "Lotus Heaven" and took his seat.
This banquet was held to celebrate the ascension of Jiang Yi, the Jiang family patriarch, to a higher realm, and also to maintain ties with various worthies in friendly relations.
And the Magic Treasure he was after was at this very banquet.
The Myriad Spirit Furnace.
In pill refining and tool forging, materials are of utmost importance—not everything can be refined. But this Myriad Spirit Furnace can smelt almost all things in heaven and earth. As long as it is activated with cultivation power, no matter what is put into the furnace, pills or Magic Treasures can be produced.
His employer believed that the Jiang family’s rise in merely ten years relied entirely on it.
To display the Jiang family’s benevolence, and to let the various families long on good terms with the Jiang family share in the glory, at this moment, that rare Magic Tool in the world had already been carried out by servants and placed in the center of the hall.
Shang Daoling’s gaze inadvertently drifted toward the center of the great hall.
A bronze furnace cauldron with intricate patterns sent out wisps of purple smoke.
His plan was to wait until the banquet dispersed, and when the servants withdrew the Myriad Spirit Furnace, intercept them halfway and seize the furnace at once. With a talisman for storage, he could collect the spirit furnace into the talisman and carry it away with ease.
After he had been seated for a while, the Jiang family members finally appeared.
The Jiang family head, Jiang Yi, was a handsome man who appeared by his features to be only in his early thirties, holding a staff carved from cold jade. Beside him were his wives of various chambers and his children, all glowing with vigor and in high spirits.
“Truly, red qi nourishes people…” Shang Daoling heard a guest at the neighboring seat whisper.
Red qi nourishes people?
After he stole their most important Magic Treasure tonight, could they still be nourished?
Thinking that this once illustrious Jiang family would soon decline, his mood felt light, and he raised his wine cup and drank another cup of grape wine.
The grape wine tasted sweet.
Although the Jiang family had no grievance or enmity with him, the mere thought of others’ misery and pain made him greatly pleased. After all, savoring and appreciating the suffering of others—this had been his only hobby since he could remember.
Jiang Yi, seated at the head, rose and raised his cup, saying, “At tonight’s Pleasure Feast, I have prepared many rare delicacies for everyone. I hope you will all enjoy yourselves freely and converse to your heart’s content.”
A rich fragrance, different from the light lotus scent of the garden, swept in.
Fine wine and delicacies were brought out one after another.
Although Shang Daoling considered himself to have few desires for food and drink, when in a pleasant mood, he could still eat a few more bites.
A guest beside him, however, said, “Young Master Chen, why are you really eating these ordinary dishes?”
Young Master Chen was Shang Daoling’s false identity.
Mm, if you come to a banquet and don’t eat, then what are you doing?
The Jiang family’s cooks were quite skilled. After their Magic Treasure was stolen and they fell from power, if the family head suddenly had a heart attack and there was some funeral affair, he would still want to come eat again.
Another guest nearby also laughed and said, “Hey, seeing that you’re young, this is your first time attending a Jiang family night banquet, right? If you eat these things just for show now, be careful you won’t be able to eat the finale dish later.”
Buzz, buzz, buzz—annoying as could be. Shang Daoling swept his gaze over the faces of these two, and for the time being noted them. Later, if he had time, he would collect them into a talisman too and sink them in a pond.
He turned his handsome face, nodded to them, smiled slightly, and then, paying them no further mind, picked up another piece of sliced fish and ate it.
“What’s with this youngster…”
But soon, those two guests also could not be bothered to deal with this “youngster” who would not take advice.
Because after the song and dance on the stage imitating flying heavenly maidens scattering flowers dispersed, the final so-called finale dish finally appeared.
For a time, all the guests held their breath and focused.
Hearing the sounds of Adam’s apples rolling and saliva being swallowed all around, Shang Daoling laughed inwardly and thought, what finale dish could possibly warrant such excitement? These people who had just been so properly dressed now all looked like reincarnated starving wolves, their faces showing fierce light.
The heavy doors were pushed open.
The bead curtain lifted.
Wheels rumbled as they rolled past.
A maid dressed as a celestial maiden pushed out a dining cart adorned with colorful jewels.
Rong Chunsong had been busy these past few days.
Her father was in seclusion, and most city affairs were managed by her mother. But since she had turned eighteen this year, she had officially begun taking over some responsibilities as well.
It was early spring, the height of the farming season. Several flood-control dikes needed inspection, and the canal waterways outside the city were due for dredging.
She had joined the common folk in the fields, and accompanied her subordinates on inspections of the water conservancy projects.
After she channeled her magic to draw water and flush away the silt from the riverbed, a child came pattering out from the cheering crowd on the embankment.
Shyly, the little girl offered her a handkerchief.
Rong Chunsong crouched down, patted the girl on the head, took the handkerchief, smiled, and dabbed away a thin sheen of sweat from her face.
She had a face of striking beauty—when she gave the System that smile that didn't reach her eyes, it carried an invisible pressure. But facing this innocent child before her, her brows curved gently, warm as the afternoon sunlight. Shifting her aura, radiating the charm befitting a city lord—such things came as naturally to her as the spring river flowing or Xihe casting her light.
Seeing the wise and mighty young city lord offer such an affable smile, the child grew even shyer, her round, tender face flushing crimson.
The crowd around them murmured their thanks—thank you, Young City Lord, all thanks to the Young City Lord.
What a warm, beautiful, harmonious moment.
If only the System weren't blaring "Warning, warning" endlessly in her Sea of Consciousness.
[Warning, warning. Target character Shang Daoling has entered a major personal storyline: "Origin of Sin." If the host wishes to reduce this book's Darkness Value, please intervene immediately. Please intervene immediately.]
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
Alright, alright, no need to rush me.
Rong Chunsong rose to her feet, her composed smile unchanged. She waved farewell to the citizens lining the road, then stepped into the snow-white carriage her subordinates had prepared.
The white horses with wings on their backs leaped into the air—four pure-white Celestial Horses pulling the carriage up into the clouds.
Sitting inside the carriage, Rong Chunsong leisurely opened the System panel.
Switched to Observation Avatar mode.
Switched to interactive mode.
Activated real-time environment map around the target character.
A banquet?
She hadn't checked in a few days—turns out her digital pet had gone to a feast.
Clothes make the man, and little Shang had gotten himself a new skin. The fellow had learned to put on airs now—composed demeanor, warm smile, looking quite the picture of innocence.
Her slender index finger dragged the three-dimensional model in the panel, shifting the angle. There—a magnificent dining cart was being pushed before a bronze smelting furnace.
Tied up on the cart, bound hand and foot, was a living person.