Chapter 110: Greenhouse Flower Alley

Less than an hour later, the black-feathered, red-crested giant bird flew directly to the capital city. Qin Mu looked ahead, his heart trembling slightly. He had already seen Jiangling City and was deeply shocked by it, but the capital city before him was even more impressive than Jiangling.

Jiangling City was built on the Jinjiang River, thirty zhang above the water, a truly magnificent sight.

This capital city, however, sat atop mountain ranges resembling giant dragons, not just one, but nine such ranges.

Nine mountain ranges, like dragons sprawling across the plain, converged at the location of the capital city. This confluence of nine dragons, where their heads met, was the capital city itself.

This majestic aura far surpassed that of Jiangling City, which was built on the Jinjiang River. It was no wonder Emperor Yanfeng disregarded the claim that the so-called New Jiangling City, built on a dragon's head, severed a dragon vein. The capital city was inherently the supreme gathering place of nine dragons; why would he care about New Jiangling City, which the Imperial Preceptor of Yankang claimed to suppress merely one dragon?

Nine dragons safeguarded the capital, and thirty li from the city stood four military camps. Each camp was as vast as a city. Twenty li from these camps were eight market towns, which, though technically towns, were comparable in size to cities.

These eight market towns were built beside a major river, the Tujiang River, the second largest river in Yankang, offering extremely convenient water and land transport. The largest river, the Yongjiang, originated in the Great Ruins.

Despite being the second largest, the Tujiang River was known as Yankang's true dragon vein, whereas the idea of the Jinjiang River being a dragon vein was not widely accepted by many in the court and among the populace.

Qin Mu gazed into the distance; the capital city, where the nine dragons converged, exuded an extraordinary aura, truly befitting the place where the Son of Heaven governed the realm.

"The capital city even has troops hidden in the mountains!" Qin Mu exclaimed in surprise as he gazed at the Nine Dragon Mountain Ranges, vaguely discerning an aura of military might.

The soldiers on the bird's back were equally surprised, all turning to look at him. One of them asked, "Young brother, do you have connections in the military? How do you know about the hidden troops in the mountains?"

Qin Mu did not answer. He could see the vast armies hidden within the Nine Dragon Mountain Ranges because of his Divine Firmament Eye, which was part of the Nine Heavens Eye Opening technique taught to him by the Blind Man and included the art of 'observing aura'.

The so-called 'observing aura' meant discerning destiny or fortune.

In places like the capital, with such large-scale troop deployment, the aura of military might was used to suppress the empire's destiny. Naturally, this could not escape his sight.

The archer cavalry dropped them off at the capital city gate and then departed. Qin Mu and Wei Yong had their travel permits checked at the gate before entering the city. Under the Son of Heaven's rule, the city was naturally extremely prosperous. While Qin Mu had visited Jiangling City, whose prosperity had already broadened his horizons, the capital presented an entirely different scene.

It was prosperous, but without the penny-pinching shrewdness of merchants. Beyond its accumulated wealth, it possessed a deeper cultural foundation.

The houses and buildings here had a distinctive charm. The stone lions by the streets were intricately carved with exquisite skill. The couplets on the doors of wealthy families were intriguing. And the door gods pasted on every household's entrance gave a strange feeling, as if these door gods could truly come alive to block demons and monsters.

From small details, one could discern the greater picture, understanding an entire season from a single leaf, and seeing the vast ocean in a drop of water. As Qin Mu observed his surroundings, he deeply understood the formidable nature of this empire.

The Village Chief and the others had once said that Yankang was a sect disguised as a nation. Now he realized just how powerful this sect truly was!

"Brother Qin, do you have a place to stay?"

Wei Yong invited, "If not, why don't you stay at the Duke's Manor for a few days? Once the Imperial College opens, we can go take the entrance exam there."

Qin Mu hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I have acquaintances from my hometown in the city whom I plan to stay with. Brother Wei Yong, let us part ways here."

Wei Yong had no choice but to concede, saying, "Once you're settled, you can send someone to the Duke's Manor to let me know."

Qin Mu smiled, "Certainly. By the way, Brother Wei Yong, where are the courtesan houses?"

Wei Yong looked strange. "I didn't realize Brother Qin was such a... a refined person who enjoys this kind of place. The capital's largest courtesan house is in Flower Alley. From Fenghua Street, go straight, turn right at the end, and after three more streets, you'll see Flower Alley. The best courtesan house in Flower Alley is called Listening Rain Pavilion. *Cough, cough*, don't ask me how I know; I've never been there... Take care of your health!"

Qin Mu was puzzled. "What kind of 'place' is a courtesan house? And what did it have to do with his health?"

The two bid each other farewell.

Qin Mu walked on with Fox Spirit, heading down Fenghua Street.

"This isn't a courtesan house..."

In Flower Alley, Qin Mu looked at the buildings on either side, puzzled. The roofs here had blue tiles, but the buildings were vermilion, with lanterns hanging outside their doors.

"Little brother, come on up and have some fun!" Some young women waved to him from upstairs.

"Young Master Mu, do you know them?"

Fox Spirit asked curiously, "They're calling out very enthusiastically!"

"It was the same when I went to Xianglong City last time; some of the older sisters were very enthusiastic, which I'm not used to."

Qin Mu continued deeper into the alley, looking at the signs along the way. Flower Alley was long and winding, and as he ventured further in, it became less lively. The young women here were more reserved, leaning by windows with lutes, their faces half-hidden by the instruments as they played soft, melancholy tunes.

Further in, faint zither music drifted out. Qin Mu peered through an open doorway and saw light gauze fluttering in the courtyard, with several young girls running in and out of the gauzy curtains. Another woman was tuning her zither.

As he went even deeper, he heard some girls practicing singing and dancing upstairs, their laughter like crisp bells, mischievous and endearing. At this point, there weren't many pedestrians left in the alley. Now and then, a man or two would emerge from a courtyard, seemingly the master of the house, with graceful women adjusting their clothes and bidding them reluctant farewells.

However, any man emerging from inside would cover his face upon seeing Qin Mu, apparently afraid of being recognized.

Qin Mu wondered, "It's not disgraceful to walk out of one's own home; why bother hiding their faces?"

"City people are truly strange."

He reached the deepest part of Flower Alley and saw a building with the characters 'Listening Rain Pavilion' written on it. The gates of this pavilion were tightly shut, but the courtyard seemed deep and remarkably quiet.

Qin Mu stepped forward and knocked on the door. A moment later, he heard soft, pattering footsteps approaching, and a girl's gentle voice called out, "Coming, coming!"

Inside, the sound of a bolt being drawn back was heard. Then, the door opened a crack. A girl peeked out from behind the door, saw Qin Mu, and asked curiously, "Sir, whom are you looking for?"

Qin Mu politely asked, "Is Fu Qingyun here?"

The girl pulled the door half-open and smiled, "May I ask your name, Young Master? So I can announce your arrival."

"Tell her my surname is Qin."

The girl closed the door again, and her footsteps faded as she presumably went to announce him. A moment later, the door reopened, revealing a familiar face: Fu Qingyun, the manager of the courtesan house. Upon seeing Qin Mu, she was both surprised and delighted. "Young Master, you're finally here! Quickly, come in! Sisters, bring tea! The Young Master has arrived!"

"The Young Master is here?"

From within came the crisp, chirping voices of girls, like little birds chatting on budding trees in spring. Before Qin Mu's eyes, dresses of green, red, and purple fluttered. The young women of Listening Rain Pavilion emerged one after another, coming to greet him, dazzling his eyes.

The girls of Listening Rain Pavilion each had unique characteristics. Some were soft and fragrant like warm jade, others cold as ice, some delicate and charming, others passionate as fire. They were truly a dazzling array, captivating to the eye.

Fu Qingyun quickly said, "Away, all of you! The Young Master has traveled a long distance and is tired from his journey; don't bother him! Go quickly and prepare tea!"

The girls scattered like a flock of butterflies. Some went to fetch clear spring water, some to wash teacups, and others to light lamps and boil water. Qin Mu immediately felt a great relief of pressure and exhaled. Fu Qingyun led him to an elegant chamber and said, "These girls are a bit unruly; please forgive them, Young Master. Outside, things are gradually turning chaotic and dangerous due to war. You must have encountered many changes on your journey, Young Master?"

Qin Mu smiled, "Indeed, I encountered some minor troubles, but thankfully, there was no real danger. Please inform the high-ranking members of the cult and have them notify the Grand Ancestor."

Fu Qingyun chuckled, "The Grand Ancestor has been waiting for you for a long time, Young Master. In fact, the Grand Ancestor already instructed us that as soon as we encountered you, we should have you go to see him."

A girl came up to serve tea, secretly glancing at Qin Mu and giggling.

Qin Mu smiled back, then asked, puzzled, "Sister Yun'er, where should I meet him?"

Upon hearing Qin Mu call Fu Qingyun 'Sister Yun'er,' the girl giggled again.

Fu Qingyun glared at her, shooed her away, and said with a smile, "Of course, you'll meet him at the Imperial Academy. Please drink your tea, Young Master."

"The Imperial Academy?"

Qin Mu was surprised, picking up his teacup but forgetting to drink. "Isn't the Imperial Academy a place where scholars study? Why would he meet the young Grand Ancestor there?"

"Young Master doesn't know?"

Fu Qingyun smiled, "The Grand Ancestor is the Guozijian Jijiu of the Imperial Academy—a third-rank official of Yankang, in charge of the Imperial Academy, so he naturally resides there. Although the Imperial Academy scholars are honorifically called 'disciples of the Son of Heaven,' they are actually all disciples of the Grand Ancestor."

Qin Mu's heart was greatly shaken. "All the Imperial Academy scholars are disciples of the young Grand Ancestor?"

"How dare the Imperial Preceptor of Yankang and Emperor Yanfeng entrust this official position to the Grand Ancestor of the Heavenly Devil Cult? Aren't they afraid of losing control?"

Fu Qingyun seemed to read his thoughts and said, "The Grand Ancestor wanders the mortal world; no one knows his true identity. In truth, he is a highly respected and reclusive master, famous throughout the land since the time of the previous emperor, and very mysterious. Even the Imperial Preceptor of Yankang once sought his guidance and asked for his teachings, and it was the Imperial Preceptor who personally vouched for him to become the Guozijian Jijiu of the Imperial Academy."

Note: Guozijian Jijiu (国子大祭酒) was an official title in the Tang Dynasty, similar to the principal of the highest academy.