Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 443 Cai Qiu, the Sword Saint, and Meng Ya, the Confused Princess, are Becoming Citizens.

"19...20...21...No, the aura and muscle movement indicate he's at least 20% stronger than me. This person has at least 22 jun of strength. At this age, and wielding a longsword, he's a Xianyang-level cultivator that none of the four vassal states can find. He claims to be the heir apparent; is that a false identity, or is he a powerful vassal from another region..."

Despite being over a hundred meters away, Cai Yunzhou quickly deduced Xia Hong's strength from the movements of his aura. Combined with Xia Hong's self-proclaimed status as the heir apparent, several thoughts flashed through his mind, and his expression naturally became serious.

"I, the young master, have come from afar. Is this Cai Qiu's way of treating guests?"

Of all the people in the room, only Xia Hong could understand what he was saying.

Recalling the probing aura he had just sensed in the City Lord's Hall, Cai Yunzhou looked down at Xia Hong, his gaze gradually sharpening.

Judging by a mere aura, it's as if that's a prior notice. Someone with only 22 jun of strength thinks they can just come to Caiqiu and run wild? That's far too simplistic of them.

"Guests from afar are also divided into good and bad. If they are good guests, I, Cai Qiu, will treat them to fine wine and delicacies; but if they are bad guests who try to break through, I, the city lord, will not mind adding a few more drops of blood to this snowstorm."

boom…………

The moment Cai Yunzhou finished speaking, Xia Hong's eyes narrowed slightly, and a strong heat suddenly emanated from his body, dispelling the surrounding cold currents. At the same time, his body shot into the air like a cannonball, standing directly in front of Cai Yunzhou high in the sky.

"In the end, it all comes down to skill and ability!"

Xia Hong looked at Cai Yunzhou from a distance, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes. Although the other party's expression was solemn, how could he not see the strong fighting spirit in his pupils?
"Putting aside whether they are hospitable or not, I have long heard of the name of Sword Saint Cai Qiu. Let's test how much of this Sword Saint's reputation is true!"

Since you've decided to play the big shot, you should play the part to the very end.

Xia Hong directly questioned Cai Yunzhou's title of Sword Saint, staring at Cai Yunzhou across the distance with a look of contempt and arrogance, behaving exactly like a spoiled brat from a powerful family.

"Then let's see just how capable you really are!"

The anger hidden in Cai Yunzhou's low voice was already very obvious, but he was very composed. He finished speaking, took a deep breath, and then made his move.

call out…………

A blinding light suddenly appeared from his waist, instantly drawing out a terrifying sword blade hundreds of meters long in the air.

There's no need to even think about the power of the sword's edge; just the several-mile-long vacuum zone that suddenly forms above the city gate along the direction of the sword's edge is enough to tell you how strong it is.

call…………

The airflow above the south gate of Qinghua City suddenly retreated from both sides, crashing against the walls on both sides of the valley entrance with loud bangs. Many people queuing to enter the city were immediately blown from side to side, and some of the weaker ones even fell to the ground.

"It's the city lord's Radiant Sword!"

"He's drawn his sword directly; the city is getting serious."

"That man in black must be very strong."

"You don't need to tell me, just look at their clothes and appearance."

………………

It sounds slow, but it actually only takes a moment.

Before the gasps of the crowd below had even subsided, the first clash between the two had already begun in mid-air.

Faced with Cai Yunzhou's extremely fast sword strike, Xia Hong did not make any exaggerated reaction. He simply drew his sword with a calm motion, easily pulling out the black-handled longsword hanging at his waist.

The entire set of movements wasn't even considered fast.

Keng!
A dark sword covered with dazzling light spots was suddenly drawn and accurately parried the Hua Guang sword.

The sword tip and blade collided fiercely in mid-air, and a burst of intense light suddenly erupted. The already howling airflow became several times more violent than the commotion caused by Cai Yunzhou's sword strike.

Although Cai Yunzhou's basic strength was only 18 jun, with the addition of his swordsmanship, his explosive power increased by more than 30%, and the true strength he finally displayed was at least 23 jun.

Therefore, under this sword strike, Xia Hong's body inevitably shifted backward, and the Shattering Star Sword was also pressed down to his shoulder by the opponent, putting him at a disadvantage.

However, the changes in the expressions of the two people in the sky after their confrontation were completely different from what the people below saw.

Cai Yunzhou's pupils became even more serious;

Xia Hong, who seemed to be at a disadvantage, curled up the corners of his mouth as he retreated.

"Swift sword, what a fine swordsman Cai Qiu! I also have a swift sword technique; I would like to ask Brother Cai to demonstrate it to me!"

With the support of imitating and deconstructing martial arts at the law level, Xia Hong instantly saw through Cai Yunzhou's sword strike, including the trajectory of his blood and qi circulation, the principle of his power generation, the rules of the evolution of his internal meridians, and all the sword techniques.

Not only did he see through it, but he also deduced the most perfect version of the opponent's sword strike in an instant.

As soon as Xia Hong finished speaking, taking advantage of the terrifying force of Cai Yunzhou's downward pressure, he shifted his body downwards. The Shattering Star Sword suddenly retreated, and his body flipped over to gather strength. The Shattering Star Sword returned along the same path and instantly headed towards Cai Yunzhou's face again.

Upon seeing the Shattered Star Sword returning along the same path, Cai Yunzhou's pupils suddenly contracted. A sense of familiarity and confusion flashed in his eyes, which he immediately denied, replaced by horror. His body transformed into white light, and he retreated abruptly.

"Faster than my Heaven-Slaying Sword Technique? How is that possible!"

call out…………

It was also a black sword blade hundreds of meters long, but the blade was filled with countless starlight. It was nighttime, and Xia Hong's sword was like a dazzling galaxy that appeared out of thin air. The sword and the man were crushed by Cai Yunzhou, who was retreating, in less than a breath.

With no way to avoid it, Cai Yunzhou could only turn his head and raise his sword. Realizing that he could not block accurately, he immediately made a second choice: to forcefully swing his sword and slash, trying to disrupt the direction of Xia Hong's sword.

Clang...

He succeeded, but he also failed!

It was a success because he did indeed change the direction of Xia Hongjian's attack;

The failure was that he didn't make many changes; he simply moved the change from his head to his neck.

Xia Hong's sword strike was too similar to his Heaven-Slaying Sword Technique, both relying on speed to win. For a moment, Cai Yunzhou even thought that Xia Hong was using the Heaven-Slaying Sword Technique as well. However, remembering that this was Cai Qiu's secret technique that no one but the Cai family members was qualified to practice, he immediately denied it.

Only when he finally realized that Xia Hong's sword was more than 30% faster than his own did he truly confirm that it was just an illusion.

The swordsmanship used by the opponent was clearly more advanced and powerful than the Heaven-Slaying Sword Technique.

As for the strength that Xia Hong displayed with that sword strike, needless to say!
"It's increased by 40%, reaching a strength of nearly 30 jun..."

The Huaguang Sword was suddenly shattered, and Cai Yunzhou saw that Xia Hong's longsword was already pressed against his neck. His originally solemn expression instantly turned into one of horror.

But just as the horror in his pupils intensified...

The next second, Xia Hong actually moved the Shattered Star Sword to the side by an inch.

call out…………

Even after the sword was removed, the faint sword energy on its outer edge still managed to pierce Cai Yunzhou's skin and penetrate his flesh, leaving a two-inch-long sword mark on his neck.

Clang...

"He has some skill; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a Sword Saint in the four vassal states. However, he's not up to par in the vassal states of my Great Qin!"

Xia Hong sheathed the Shattered Star Sword, looked up at Cai Yunzhou, and although he slightly toned down the disdain in his eyes, his face still carried a strong sense of arrogance when he spoke, and his tone was even more domineering than before.

Cai Yunzhou, who had retreated dozens of meters towards the city, sheathed his Huaguang Sword. He straightened his collar without changing his expression, then looked up at Xia Hong with a slow smile on his face. He cupped his hands and said, "So you are a guest from a prominent family outside the city. I am Cai Yunzhou, a third-generation member of the Cai family and the city lord of Qinghua City. May I ask your honorable name, brother?"

Finally, we can talk properly!
Xia Hongxian glanced at Qinghua City and noticed that the five auras that had just risen had quickly disappeared. A smile appeared on his face, and he cupped his hands and laughed as he replied, "Hong Yu, I greet Brother Cai."

Great Qin, Hong Yu!
Seizing upon these two pieces of information, Cai Yunzhou continued apologetically, "I was being presumptuous just now and have offended you greatly. I hope Brother Hong will forgive me."

"Brother Cai, you're too kind! It was indeed a bit inappropriate for me, the young master, to travel here and rashly attempt to enter the pass. How about we consider this a case of 'no fight, no friendship'?"

"Haha, Brother Hong, you speak so frankly, which suits my temperament quite well! However, please forgive me, Brother Hong, as I rarely operate outside the territory of Mo'aochuan, so I am inevitably somewhat ignorant. May I ask where your esteemed domain is located?"

After Cai Yunzhou finished speaking, he paused and quickly added, "Of course, if Brother Hong finds it inconvenient, please consider it as me being presumptuous."

A hint of gloom appeared in Xia Hong's eyes. He waved his hand and laughed, "There's nothing inconvenient about it. Our Great Qin is located east of Lulong, which is indeed very far from here. Not many people even know about Lulong. It's normal that Brother Cai hasn't heard of it. Besides, didn't you hear about it today?"

A fabricated origin is bound to be untenable, especially in the presence of a regional military command like Caiqiu. It would be easily exposed. Xia Hong was well aware of this. The name of the camp could be made up, but the specific location would require some effort.

If you fabricate a place that is too far away and too fantastical, not only will it be hard to believe, but even if people do believe it, they may easily have malicious intentions; if the place is too close and too specific, people can easily verify it with a little effort, so it won't work either.

The area east of Lulong was not something Xia Hong made up casually; it was a carefully crafted fabrication after more than four months of investigation and research in Changqing Valley.

Because the territories of the four military governorates of Caiqiu, Chencang, Hezang, and Weibo were entirely surrounded by Mount Mo'ao, the name Mo'aochuan came about.

Strictly speaking, the Lulong military governorship was also located in this area, but due to the obstruction of Hanbo Lake, Lulong did not actually border the surrounding three military governorships, which resulted in very little communication between the two sides.

This is why Lu Long became the breakthrough point for Xia Hong's falsification of his identity.

Unless they do something outrageous, the four vassal states certainly won't bother sending anyone to Lulong to verify it, and the area east of Lulong provides them with ample room for imagination.

This is enough!

Sure enough, when he heard him mention the territory east of Lulong, Cai Yunzhou immediately showed an expression of "I knew it," which was enough to prove that the origin of the territory he had fabricated for the Qin vassal states was very successful.

"That's right, that's right. I heard about it today. The fact that a genius like Brother Hong could emerge from the Qin vassal states is a testament to the abundance of talented people and resources in the region..."

Cai Yunzhou paused, a look of self-reproach on his face, and said, "I was foolish. Brother Hong is a guest from afar. How can I let him stand here idly? I will go to the city to prepare a banquet. Brother Hong, please come with me. After we are seated, we can talk slowly, shall we?"

"I can't ask for it."

"Haha, good, Brother Hong, please!"

"However, I still have a few servants..."

…………

"They've left. Did the master go into the city with him?"

Xia Hong spoke to Cai Yunzhou at a normal volume, so no one in the south city could hear them, including Su Jing and his three siblings.

Su Jing was somewhat uneasy at this moment. Although he had witnessed the battle between the two in the sky, he couldn't tell who would win or lose, or who would have the upper hand, given their strength.

Of course, it wasn't just them; everyone around the South Gate was the same.

From their perspective, the two bumped into each other three or four times before stopping. They then chatted in the air for a while before Cai Yunzhou reached out to Xia Hong, seemingly extending an invitation. After that, the two flew into the city together.

"Will the master be alright?"

"I don't know, we can't tell who will win or lose."

Upon hearing Su Jing's words, Su Xu and Su Zhi also became tense.

"That's the city lord of Qinghua City, the direct grandson of Lord Fangbo! It's normal for him to lose, since Lord Fangbo looks much younger than him."

Su Xing'er understood the unspoken meaning behind her two brothers' words. Although she also felt that Xia Hong had no chance of winning, she still quietly defended Xia Hong out of defiance.

"Alright, keep queuing to enter the city, don't linger at the city gate!"

However, Fang Tianhua, who had just knelt down and begged Xia Hong for mercy, seemed to have received some order and told everyone at the city gate to continue queuing to enter the city.

Then he turned to look at Su Jing and the other three, who had come running over with a fawning smile and cupped their hands in greeting: "Young masters, the city lord has arranged accommodations for you. Please come into the city with me!"

It's not an exaggeration.

Fang Tianhua, who had been so arrogant just moments before, now wore a fawning smile. He even bowed slightly, his expression showing a hint of unease.

Su Jing and his three companions were stunned. They were natives of Changqing Valley and knew the style of the county guards very well. When they lived in Qingtan Village, even if an ordinary county guard soldier came, their leader would have to serve him well with good food and drink and take whatever he wanted. He dared not disobey in the slightest.

Fang Tianhua, standing before them, was no ordinary soldier. Leaving aside the silver armor he wore, his status was evident from his command of the hundreds of soldiers at the South Gate.

Why would someone like that fawn over them?

"My lord, it was your strength that caused them to act this way!"

The four Su siblings weren't stupid; they immediately figured out the reason.

But as they entered the city with Fang Tianhua, they gradually realized that they had been too naive. The strength Xia Hong had demonstrated at the South Gate and the treatment he had brought them were far more than that...

"Husband, have we offended someone?"

Just as Su Jing and her three siblings followed Fang Tianhua into the city, the Hu brothers, who were queuing at the gate, were filled with lingering fear.

Hearing his wife Fang Jing's slightly uneasy words, Hu Tiejiang immediately reassured her in a low voice, "Don't worry, that official may not know, and even if he does, he won't blame us..."

After he finished speaking, he turned his head and looked at his younger brother Hu Tiechuan next to him. Both of them saw a trace of bitterness and regret in each other's eyes.

Xia Hong is a formidable figure. They realized this last night at the Aikou Village post station. He is so powerful that he can even hold his own against the city lord of Qinghua City, which far exceeded their expectations.

If they had known this would happen, they would have tried every means to strike up a conversation with Xia Hong and establish some kind of relationship with him along the way.

Even becoming a servant of such a powerful figure would be considered defying fate in one's lifetime.

They followed Xia Hong for a whole night, but foolishly did nothing.

It's too late to regret it now.

"Stop thinking nonsense, hurry up and get into the city, get your household registration removed first!"

Hu Tiejiang suppressed his chaotic thoughts, reached out and touched the books in his arms, and led his family to focus on queuing to enter the city.

………………

Compared to the anxious Hu family, the four Su siblings seemed completely disoriented from the moment they entered the city with Fang Tianhua. As soon as they entered the city gate, four rickshaws immediately came to greet them. Without giving them a chance to refuse, Fang Tianhua put them directly into the rickshaws and then arranged for laborers to pull them inside.

Illuminated by the firelight, the streets were as bright as day, the shops along the street were filled with a dazzling array of goods, and the pedestrians on both sides of the road were densely packed. Even the warm temperature in the city... Su Jing and his three companions, who were entering the city for the first time, were stunned when they saw this scene they had never seen before through the window of the carriage.

"Is this the place where our parents risked their lives to bring us here...?"

Qinghua City is a place that all the more than one million people in Changqing Valley dream of living in. In order to come here, some people sold their freedom and became slaves, serving as servants; others became low-class citizens, just for a chance to work in the city. The number of people in the entire Changqing Valley who can actually become citizens and live here as normal people is less than ten thousand.

The streets were crowded with pedestrians, so the carriage couldn't go very fast. It took a full half hour before it finally stopped in front of the gate of a house near the city lord's main hall in the city center.

“Young masters, we have arrived. This is the residence that the city lord has prepared for you and the adults. The steward and servants are already at the gate. I will take my leave now. If you need anything later, you can come to the city gate to find me at any time.”

Fang Tianhua's voice still carried a strong sense of flattery. After Su Jing and the other three got off the carriage, he didn't forget to say something ingratiating.

Su Jing and the other three watched Fang Tianhua leave in a daze, then turned to look at the mansion gate, their expressions suddenly freezing.

Hong Mansion

From the start of the battle at the city gates until now, less than an hour has passed at most.

They even prepared the plaque for the mansion!

Not only the mansion plaque, but also the main gate was now crowded with more than two hundred men and women, led by a middle-aged man in his fifties, dressed in yellow and wearing a black felt hat.

"Zhou Qing, the steward of the Hong family, has been waiting for the four young masters for quite some time!"

The middle-aged man was very perceptive. Before Fang Tianhua had even left, he walked over to them, bowed deeply, and then turned to gesture to the people behind him.

"This servant greets the four young masters!"

"This humble servant greets the four gentlemen!"

More than two hundred people knelt down in front of the four.

The four of them had never experienced such a scene before, and their expressions immediately became extremely awkward.

The four of them were dressed in plain cotton clothes, while most of the people kneeling on the ground were dressed in silk robes, and a few maids were even dressed in better silk robes with accessories.

These people on the ground are clearly more like young masters and ladies; they don't look like them at all!
Most importantly, when the four of them glanced around, they found that at least 60% of the people on the ground were more energetic and active than they were.

They all understood what this meant!

gulp...

Su Xu swallowed hard, and Su Jing and the other two weren't much better off. The four siblings just stood there, stunned.

"Young masters, why don't you come with us into the manor and have a look around?"

Zhou Qing noticed the four people's awkwardness and quickly spoke up to defuse the situation.

The four nodded and then followed him inside, still somewhat dazed.

"The entire Hong residence covers approximately 1 square meters. The main building is in the center and is the residence of Lord Hong, with 20 servants and 30 maids to take care of his daily needs. In front of the main building is the martial arts training ground; behind it are the meditation room and the meditation pavilion. To the left of the main building are the four auxiliary buildings, which are the residences of the four young masters, each with 5 servants and 5 maids to take care of their daily needs, and also..."

Zhou Qing introduced the 10,000-square-meter mansion while leading Su Jing and the other three on a tour, taking almost an hour to finish.

"Young master, young lady, we just went to the clothing store and got a few sets of clothes. Please try them on and see if they fit."

As soon as Zhou Qing finished his introduction, more than twenty maids came over carrying hundreds of sets of various silk clothes.

"Alright, from now on these maids will take over from this old servant and continue to introduce the situation of the manor to the young masters and ladies."

Zhou Qing gave them a brief explanation, and the four of them, still half-asleep, were led by the maids to their respective quarters to change clothes. At the same time, the maids continued to introduce them to the situation in the mansion.

It wasn't until midnight, around dinnertime, that the four siblings, now dressed in new silk clothes, reunited in the main hall of the building.

At the service of the maids, the four of them enjoyed a feast of delicacies they had never seen before. After the maids cleared the table, Su Jing finally spoke his first words since entering the mansion.

"Alright, you can all go now."

"Yes, slave, please leave!"

The maids were very obedient; as soon as Su Jing spoke, they immediately withdrew.

Only four people remained in the waiting hall. Su Jing and the other three each took out a silver token and a golden book from their pockets, then looked at each other, their expressions instantly becoming extremely complicated.

"The four of us... have we been inexplicably registered as members of your esteemed family?"

"I've heard my father say before that to become a civilian, one needs at least five ranks of strength and pay 1000 taels of silver. The standards for military status should be even higher. We are a second-class noble, so how much do we have to pay?"

Hearing Su Xu's question, Su Jing shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Didn't you notice that the steward Zhou Qing had prepared all these things a long time ago? I suspect that they had already prepared them when you entered the city, but only gave them to us after we entered the mansion."

The third brother, Su Zhi, nodded and added with a wry smile, "This prestigious status was clearly given to us; we didn't have to pay anything at all. They..."

Su Zhi paused at this point, then continued, "They're currying favor with the lord!"

Upon hearing this, the three brothers, including the youngest Su Xing'er, couldn't help but smile wryly.

The four men's bitter smiles were tinged with a hint of sadness and regret.

In order for their whole family to obtain citizenship, their parents both lost their lives three years ago, but they still failed.
But now, the four siblings haven't done anything, and the register has already been delivered to them.

Moreover, what the parents were pursuing was only to obtain the fourth-class citizenship, but what was delivered to them at this moment was the most precious second-class noble status in all of Caiqiu.

"Those of the second-class noble status can collect supplies from the jurisdiction of any city within Caiqiu each year, based on their cultivation level. For the cold-weather level, they can receive 5 taels of silver alone, as well as countless items such as beast meat, beast blood, various pills, white powder, and fine wine. I heard from the maid that the total value of the supplies they can collect each year is at least 30 taels."

She can wear silk and two pieces of silver jewelry, and can be paired with a ring and a jade pendant; she can buy everything in the Treasure Pavilion with almost no restrictions; she can move freely among all cities within Caiqiu without any limitations; she can register up to 100 servants under her name; and she has priority in receiving tasks from the Household Registration Office…

Su Zhi rattled off all the rights that a second-class noble could enjoy. Although Su Jing and the other two had heard it from their respective maids, they clearly didn't remember it as well as Su Zhi. So the more they listened, the faster their eyebrows twitched, and their expressions changed from joy to shock, which they couldn't accept in a short time.

After Su Zhi finished speaking, Su Jing raised the registration certificate in his hand and said with a complicated expression, "More than a million people in Changqing Valley probably never dreamed that obtaining your registration would be so easy..."

"Big brother, he's not simple at all!"

Su Xing'er directly corrected her elder brother's words, and said solemnly, "If we hadn't met Lord Hong, let alone noble status, we wouldn't have been able to enter even lowly or slave status. We would probably have died on the Bone-Eating Path long ago."

"Yes, I made a mistake."

Su Jing's face immediately cleared, and he nodded emphatically.

"Young masters, young ladies, Steward Zhou has sent word that the master is about to return, and we should go to the gate to greet him."

Just as Su Jing was about to speak, a maid's voice suddenly came from the doorway.

Without the slightest hesitation, the four siblings immediately got up and walked towards the gate.

When the master of the mansion returns, everyone must go to the gate to greet him. This is the etiquette of the nobles in Caiqiu. The maids have just explained it to the four of them.

Just like when they were greeted in the afternoon, more than two hundred people from the entire household quickly gathered at the gate of the mansion. However, this time, it was not Zhou Qing who led the way, but the four siblings.

Since entering the city, the four siblings hadn't seen Xia Hong for almost half a day, and they already felt empty inside. Knowing that he was coming back, they naturally stared in the direction of the city center, eagerly waiting.

Ring ring ring...

Soon, a clear and melodious ringing sound came first.

Then came a large rickshaw, ten meters long and eight meters wide, pulled by thirty blue-clad laborers, slowly approaching the crowd from the city center along the main street.

The van was entirely purple, and the materials used were clearly of high value. The roof was covered with a layer of unidentified red animal wool, which was both snow and water resistant and looked warm and beautiful. There was a small window about half a meter wide on each side, with pink gauze curtains hanging above it. A circle of emerald green wind chimes hung from the eaves, making a crisp and melodious sound as the vehicle moved slowly...

"The carriage was eight meters wide and staffed with thirty laborers—a standard reserved for hereditary nobles!"

Upon seeing the carriage, Su Jing and the other three immediately remembered the etiquette rules for different ethnic groups that the maids had mentioned that afternoon, and their expressions froze slightly.

Su Xing'er seemed to realize something, and her expression immediately darkened.

Zhou Qing and the other two hundred or so servants reacted in an exaggerated way. They knelt down and bowed their heads when the carriage was still fifty meters away.

“Young master, young lady, that is the carriage of the city lord’s youngest daughter, Consort Mengya. You are of noble birth and do not need to kneel and bow, but when she arrives, you must bow and lower your head and never look directly at her.”

Clearly, Zhou Qing was a very competent housekeeper. Knowing that Su Jing and the other three came from humble backgrounds, he worried that they might forget the etiquette he had taught them that afternoon, and he didn't forget to remind them.

Su Jing and the other three immediately realized what was happening and quickly bowed.

Ring ring ring...

As the sound of the wind chimes approached and then abruptly stopped, Su Jing and the other three knew that the carriage had arrived. Although they couldn't see anything because they were looking down, they were still a little nervous.

"Brother Hong, you just promised to take me to Baifeng Forest to catch rabbit fur next month. Mengya, do you remember that? You won't go back on your word, will you?"

The carriage paused for a moment, and then a seductive female voice suddenly rang out.

The three Su brothers visibly tensed up slightly;
Su Xing'er, who had her head down, couldn't help but roll her eyes and purse her lips when she heard the sound.

"Haha, no problem. It's just Bai Fenglin. I'll be staying in Qinghua City for a while anyway. Come find me before you leave next month."

Immediately afterwards, Xia Hong's slightly drunken voice came from inside the van. He was clearly in a very good mood, and even patted his chest heartily as he spoke.

"That's great, Mengya thanks Brother Hong in advance."

"I hit it off with Uncle Yunzhou at first sight, this little favor is nothing, no need to be so polite. Oh, why is the car stopped? Have we arrived?"

"We've arrived! If it weren't so late, Mengya would love to stay with Brother Hong a little longer and hear him tell her more about the Great Qin vassal states!"

"My lady Mengya, there's no need to be impatient. There's plenty of time..."

After Xia Hong finished speaking, several whispers came from inside the carriage, and then a maid slowly lifted the curtain.

The two porters were already lying down under the carriage. Xia Hong, looking drunk, stepped directly onto the porters' backs and got off.

Seeing that Xia Hong looked like he was about to fall, Su Jing and the other three quickly stepped forward to support him.

Xia Hong's cheeks were flushed. He turned to look at the carriage and waved with a smile, saying, "Miss Mengya, how about we have a few more drinks together another day when you're free?"

"Hehe, that can only be done by Father's permission. Brother Hong, you should go back and rest early! Mengya will visit again another day. Goodbye."

As the woman's voice faded, the van slowly turned, clearly intending to return home.

"Farewell, farewell, take care, Miss Mengya!"

Having listened to the two flirting for so long, Su Xing'er, though her head was down, had already pouted to the sky. When she realized the carriage was about to leave, she inexplicably looked up and glanced in that direction.

Coincidentally, the maid in the carriage had not yet fully lowered the curtains.

And so, Su Xing'er and Cai Mengya, who was behind the curtains, made eye contact.

Just like her voice, Cai Mengya's eyes are also like her voice—a pair of long, narrow, and lively fox-like eyes with slightly upturned corners. Her beautiful eyes seem to hold a watery light, and her gaze is so captivating and alluring that it is almost intoxicating.

"What a pretty little girl..."

The eye contact was fleeting. After the curtains were drawn, the carriage slowly moved forward. Cai Mengya paused for a moment before smiling and praising her.

whispering sound…………

Su Xing'er naturally didn't dare to make a sound. After exchanging glances, she immediately lowered her head. Upon hearing Cai Mengya's praise, she rolled her eyes again.

"Alright, let's go back to the manor first!"

Hearing Cai Mengya's praise, the drunken Xia Hong first turned to look at Su Xing'er, then waved to Zhou Qing and the other two hundred people kneeling on the ground, signaling them to get up and go back.

Soon, Xia Hong led Su Jing and the other three back to the main building. After taking his seat in the main seat, he waved to dismiss Zhou Qing and the other servants.

Su Jing and the other three thought he was just not used to being taken care of, so they brought him hot water and towels, clearly trying to help him sober up.

call…………

Seeing the four of them bustling around, Xia Hong let out a slight breath, and his originally flushed face instantly returned to normal. He smiled at the four of them and asked, "You've all changed your clothes. You've had a good time this past half day, haven't you?"

The four turned their heads and saw that Xia Hong's face showed no signs of drunkenness. They immediately realized that he had been faking it all along.

"Hahaha, I knew it. Lord Hong has a family, so he can't be that lecherous. He was just pretending to fool Cai Mengya, right?"

Su Xing'er was the happiest, as if Xia Hong's image in her heart had returned, and she couldn't help but clap her hands.

Xia Hong shook his head, looking at Su Xing'er with a helpless expression, and said, "That Cai Mengya is very narrow-minded. She must have held a grudge against you for that glance you just gave her. I was there today, so she certainly wouldn't dare to do anything. Be more careful in the future!"

Hearing Xia Hong's words, Su Xing'er was stunned for a moment, then immediately clutched the hem of her clothes and said apologetically, "Lord Hong, I'm sorry, Xing'er has caused you trouble..."

"This is no trouble at all. I was just telling you to be careful to protect yourself. It has nothing to do with me..."

Xia Hong waved his hand, a confident glint in his eyes, and said, "There's no one in Qinghua City who can threaten me. I'm going to stay here for a while."

After speaking, he took out the yellow bundle he was carrying, pulled out several small porcelain bottles from it, and a look of excitement appeared in his eyes.

"Treasure Pavilion, what a wonderful place! If Qinghua City alone has so many treasures, then the main Treasure Pavilion in the prefectural city, or even the highest town, must have even more! We've come to the right place, truly the right place..."

A fiery glint appeared in Xia Hong's eyes as he slowly opened the porcelain bottle.

(End of this chapter)