“Miss, we have arrived at Shangjing City!”
Liu Ying’s clear voice pierced through the carriage curtain, like a ray of sunlight shining into the compartment. Yun Pianpian felt instantly refreshed upon hearing this. The bumps during the journey had caused her wounds to ache faintly. Even though Shen Yue had thoughtfully added soft padding and applied calming incense, she still felt as if her bones were about to fall apart.
She impatiently lifted the carriage curtain. The moment her fingertips touched the brocade embroidered with cloud patterns, she was stunned by the sight before her—the majestic City Wall coiled like a giant dragon on the horizon, and the City Gate, cast from Black Iron, radiated a cold, metallic sheen under the sunlight. As the Horse Carriage slowly moved forward, the closer they got, the more she could feel the imposing aura of this magnificent city.
A winding queue stretched before the City Gate, with all sorts of people waiting to enter. There were peddlers carrying burdens, scholars with book satchels, and even Cultivators carrying Weapons.
Everyone had to pay three Low-grade Spirit Stones to enter the city. This scene made Yun Pianpian momentarily recall the modern-day "Hupiao" and "Beipiao"—those young people striving for opportunities in big cities.
Indeed, regardless of the Spacetime, the human desire to chase opportunities remains the same.
The city guards recognized the insignia on Shen Yue’s Horse Carriage and immediately bowed, letting them pass. Who would dare collect money from Shen Yue? As the president of the Four Great Merchant Guilds, if he collected an entrance fee, what future would he have?
The Horse Carriage drove smoothly into the city, and the bustling noise that rushed towards them made Yun Pianpian’s eyes light up. The wide street could accommodate eight Horse Carriages abreast. On both sides, the eaves of the shops curved upwards, and the golden characters on the shop signs glittered in the sunlight. A faint Pill fragrance drifted from the Spirit Herb shop, and the sounds of stringed instruments emanated from the teahouses and taverns.
What was even more astonishing was that the streets were spotless, with a Jade Sculpture-carved Spirit Gathering Formation quietly operating every hundred paces.
Pedestrians, dressed smartly, moved through the crowd chatting and laughing. An old man selling Sugar Figurines demonstrated skillful techniques, drawing cheers from the children; elegant zither music drifted from the teahouse where several scholars were composing poetry; even the peddlers humming little tunes had faces full of contentment with life.
“The prosperity here is no less than a first-tier city in my Previous Life…” Yun Pianpian murmured softly, suddenly noticing a few ragged beggars at the street corner, causing her expression to darken. As expected, even the most glamorous city has shadows it cannot illuminate.
“Miss, we have arrived.” Liu Ying’s voice pulled her thoughts back.
When the Horse Carriage stopped in front of the Duke Zhenguo's Residence, the sight before Yun Pianpian instantly froze her. Her heart, which had just been immersed in the magnificent prosperity, now felt as if it had plunged into an ice cellar.
—Is this really the Duke's Residence?
The mottled outer wall was covered in withered vines, and several collapsed gaps were crudely blocked with messy wooden planks. The Vermilion Lacquered Gate had long faded, and the door knocker was covered in rust. The plaque that should have proudly displayed "Duke Zhenguo's Residence" hung askew, with most of the gold paint flaked off, leaving only sparse specks. Most ridiculously, of the stone lions guarding the entrance, one was missing an ear, and the other had half its claws broken off.
As Liu Yun helped her alight from the carriage, she even stepped on a loose Green Stone Slab, splashing mud that stained the hem of her skirt. The air was filled with a musty, decaying smell, a stark contrast to the prosperity of the marketplace just moments ago.
“Miss…” Liu Ying hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping herself.
Yun Pianpian took a deep breath, her fingernails digging deeply into her palm. Fine, it seemed the Original Owner had left behind not only a body devoid of Spiritual Power but also such a "splendid" Duke's Residence.
She turned and gave a solemn bow to Shen Yue’s Horse Carriage. After that luxurious vehicle departed, she straightened her back and walked toward the dilapidated gate. Liu Yun and Liu Ying followed closely on either side, their footsteps sounding unusually clear on the empty street.
Standing before the peeling gate, Yun Pianpian suddenly let out a cold sneer. She raised the door knocker and slammed it down heavily, the dull thud startling a flock of crows perched under the eaves.
“Open up!” The clear voice cut through the silence. “Your Eldest Miss has returned—”
The lingering sound of the door knocker gradually faded, but there was still no response from inside the residence. Yun Pianpian’s patience wore thin with every passing moment. She gave Liu Ying a meaningful look; the girl immediately understood and already had her right leg tensed, ready to strike—
With a creak, the heavy door suddenly split open slightly. A cloudy eye peered out cautiously from the gap, and the moment it recognized Yun Pianpian’s face, the eye widened abruptly.
“E-Eldest Miss?!”
The main door opened completely, and a stooped, white-haired Old Servant stumbled out. His Withered Hand gripped the doorframe tightly, and his wrinkled face was streaming with old tears. The sunlight illuminated his faded, coarse cloth clothing, stirring up fine dust motes.
“This old servant… this old servant thought I would never see you again in this lifetime…” The old man choked back his words, his trembling hand reaching out towards Yun Pianpian but hesitating, finally clenching the corner of his own garment instead.
A sudden, inexplicable ache welled up in Yun Pianpian’s chest. The feeling arrived suddenly and overwhelmingly, like a spring deep in her heart suddenly bursting its banks—she knew this was the residual emotion of the Original Owner.
In a daze, fragmented memories flashed through her mind: she saw the Original Owner as a child, sitting on Fu Bo’s shoulders, demanding to ride a big horse. Fu Bo always indulgently tolerated all her whims.
Was this… the feeling of family?
Memories of a howling Cold Wind suddenly swept over her. Yun Pianpian pictured that snowy night when she, not yet four years old, was curled up next to a trash bin, her small body already turning purple from the cold. Those so-called parents had left her behind without even a thick piece of clothing.
“Useless girl.” That was the last thing she heard.
Snowflakes landed on her Eyelashes and quickly formed ice crystals. Just as her consciousness began to fade, a pair of calloused, large hands picked her up. The old man took off his own padded coat to wrap around her. The little boy beside him stomped his feet anxiously: “Grandpa, her lips are turning purple!”
That was the first time she saw her younger brother’s eyes, bright as stars.
“Miss?” Fu Bo’s worried voice pulled her back to reality.
Yun Pianpian then realized her fingernails had dug deeply into her palm. Living in a dark shantytown, the house was small, but there was always a light on for her… All the memories were as vivid as yesterday.
“It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back.” Fu Bo gently patted her back, his wrinkled hand carrying a familiar warmth.
“The Duke has always been hoping for Miss’s return home.”
This action instantly broke Yun Pianpian’s composure—Grandpa used to pat her back just like this when coaxing her to sleep. Tears burst forth, and she tightly hugged the old man before her like a child lost for many years. Fu Bo carried a faint scent of mugwort, which strangely overlapped with the tobacco smell of her memory of Grandpa.
“Is that… Grandfather?” she asked, her voice hoarse and choked, “How is… his health?”
“Ah, Miss, come this way.” Fu Bo wiped away his tears with his sleeve and led Yun Pianpian into the residence.
The further they walked inside, the more piercing the chill seeping up from the Green Stone Slabs became. Cobwebs hung under the eaves, and mold spread in the corners, as if the vitality of the entire compound had been drained away. When Fu Bo pushed open the mottled wooden door at the end, a strong smell of medicine mixed with decay rushed out, making Yun Pianpian’s throat tighten.