Chapter 371 - Shangjing

Chapter 371 - Shangjing

Clop, clop, clop!

The sound of horse hooves seemed incessant as Li Huowang's carriage traveled along with the other passersby. Li Huowang could see many peddlers and wheelbarrows[1] as they closed in on the largest and most prosperous city in the Liang Kingdom, Shangjing.

Bai Lingmiao sat on top of the carriage while staring at the castle walls. The castle walls looked ancient, seemingly standing for more than a thousand years. The castle walls were made from black bricks, and they stood as tall as small mountains. The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

Meanwhile, the moss that had covered the walls indicated its old age.

“So this is Shangjing? It’s very unique.” Bai Lingmiao was looking at the capital with excitement.

Li Huowang stood up and carried Bai Lingmiao down before covering her eyes with a silk cloth. “It's so bright, so don't open your eyes. You're going to hurt them.”

The headquarters of the Surveillance Bureau was here—in Shangjing. If it hadn't been for the black spindle, Li Huowang wouldn't have dared to ever come here.

Bai Lingmiao felt annoyed, but she didn't remove the silk cloth.

Bai Lingmiao sat on Li Huowang's lap and stretched lazily. “I'm definitely going to change these useless eyes of mine one of these days!”

Li Huowang stifled Bai Lingmiao's excitement by saying, “Stop the nonsense. We're entering the capital now, so be quiet.”

Li Huowang's carriage followed the travelers and soon arrived at the gates. The guards took just one glance at Li Huowang’s carriage, which resembled a coffin, and they instantly knew that something was up.

Upon seeing Li Huowang’s identity token as a member of the Surveillance Bureau, however, they didn't say anything and simply allowed Li Huowang entry.

Li Huowang suddenly felt happy with his decision to join the Surveillance Bureau.

If it hadn't been for his identity as a member of the Surveillance Bureau, he would have had issues entering and exiting cities.

When the carriage entered the capital, Li Huowang was surprised to see the sheer number of people beyond the gates. There were people as far as Li Huowang's eyes could seem, and they stretched all the way to the watchtower in the distance.

“Let’s find a place to stay first,” Li Huowang said, guiding the carriage to move slowly amidst the crowd.

The sun was starting to set, and the rays of sunlight reflecting off of the blue roof tiles and red walls were starting to dim. The buildings were tall, and each of them showcased large banners. Meanwhile, there seemed to be an infinite number of people and carriages moving to and fro along the street.

This was a testament to the Liang Kingdom's strength. It looked similar to Yinling City, but there was a stark difference between them.

There were so many people, and Li Huowang wasn’t familiar with the place, so it took him quite a while to find a suitable inn for them to stay in.

It was already night when they arrived at the inn, and it looked so much better than the others. There was even a stage in the middle of the inn's main hall, clearly to attract customers using plays.

Everyone ate and drank happily; no one really paid any attention to Bai Lingmiao.

However, the waiter was an exception. Upon seeing Bai Lingmiao and his group, he immediately ran over to them and asked, “May I know what you would like to order, esteemed guests?”

“Two seasonal vegetables and two meat dishes.”

“All right, please sit and wait. Your meal will be served soon," said the waiter before turning around and leaving.

Li Huowang placed both of his swords on the table, and he instantly felt like a massive weight had been taken off of him. “You should go ahead and rest once we're done eating. I still need to find Ji Xiang.”

“Why are you looking for that old eunuch? Do you need any help?” Bai Lingmiao asked.

Li Huowang glanced at Bai Lingmiao and patted her head without answering her.

“Fine, fine, you are the head of the household. Your words are the rules, and you don’t need to discuss things with me,” Bai Lingmiao said, looking away and pouting.

The two went silent and waited for their meal. Eventually, the food was served; they chose to feed Bun first before enjoying their meal. Li Huowang wasn’t sure whether it was because he had been traveling for a long time or the cooks of the inn were simply amazing, but he ate a lot.

Li Huowang wolfed down his food while watching the performers on the stage. Just then, the performers jumped down the stage and moved around the main hall to greet the customers.

One of the performers came to Li Huowang’s table and performed. However, Li Huowang’s face remained indifferent, and the sight made the performer feel like his pride was being trampled upon, so he went all out.

The performer closed in on Li Huowang and shook his head; the makeup on his face changed instantly. The performer waved his hand in front of his face, and his makeup changed once again.[2]

The performer thought that the customer would surely be impressed, Li Huowang grabbed his sword instead and pressed it on the performer's neck.

“Who told you to change your face?! Why the fuck are you changing your face?!” Li Huowang snarled.

1. Quite literally a wooden wheelbarrow used to move objects in ancient China ?

2. This is a reference to the face-changing show, a subgenre of Chinese Sichuan opera ?