Chapter 591 – Banquet One (1/2)
The Marquis of Ruyi’s estate was located right at the centre of the commandery city. It was surrounded with tall walls with crenellations that rose and fell. Soldiers patrolled atop the walls, vigilantly checking the surroundings. It gave off a sense of authority naturally, a city within a city.
A slightly-plump, middle-aged man who resembled a caretaker paced around at the entrance. He constantly glanced at the moon in the sky, estimating the time. He was anxious. Why had commander Gu still not come?
That was how he thought when a figure in white clothes pierced through the sky and landed in front of the marquis’ estate. She was a beautiful woman in clothes whiter than snow. The corner of her lips curled into a slight smile as she waved her jade folding around gently. She seemed like she had appeared out of thin air, kicking up a slight breeze. Her white clothes swayed with the breeze.
A large, tall man arrived right behind her, with a bronze face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. He stood quietly behind the beautiful woman like a guard, but he did not seem meek at all. Instead, he gave off a natural sense of dignity.
They were Gu Yanying and Li Qingshan. This was the first time Li Qingshan had come to the Marquis of Ruyi’s estate. He had visited the Forbidden Palace in his past life. The lofty imperial palace that had served as the residence of the emperor through the two dynasties of Ming and Qing basically seemed as simple and crude as a common house compared to the marquis’ estate.
Upon considering how someone else had already taken over the marquis’ estate that the Jiang clan had managed for several millennia, replacing its master, he could not help but think of a lyric he had once read. His lips moved slightly as he muttered it to himself.
Only Gu Yanying managed to hear his words, and she said, “Where once the swallows knew the mansions of the great, now where would they fly to nest and mate?” She could not help but glance at him, feeling mildly surprised inside. He had a crude air about him, but never did she think he had such literary talent.
TL: This is lyric poetry from the Song dynasty, which was adapted to another poem later on. It’s referring to Wuyi Lane in Nanjing. I’ve used a pre-translated version of the adapted poem and tweaked it so it fits the meaning of its original lyrical form. You can read more about it here:
“Commander Gu, you’re finally here. His highness has already been waiting for a long time. If you still didn’t come, I’d be punished.” The caretaker saw Gu Yanying and beamed with joy, approaching her and bowing.
“Caretaker Zheng, is Thirteen still so strict with his rules? He actually got you to receive me in person.”
“There’s no need. I’m probably a little more familiar with this estate than his highness.”
With a wave of her hand, Gu Yanying turned into a white blur and shot into the gates. The caretaker followed along in a hurry, actually also moving with startling speed, sticking close behind Gu Yanying like her shadow as he called out loudly, “Commander Gu has arrived!”
Even though Gu Yanying was not using her full strength, he was able to keep up with her regular speed, which was extraordinary enough.
Li Qingshan was surprised inside. Only now did he realise that the caretaker Zheng who seemed like a servant was actually a Golden Core cultivator. He had concealed his aura far too well, and combined with his overly-submissive behaviour, he did not give off the bearing that belonged to a Golden Core cultivator at all. As a result, Li Qingshan misjudged him.
Just what kind of a person was the new Marquis of Ruyi? Having a Golden Core cultivator as a friend or a guest of the estate was easy, but having one as a servant was unimaginably extravagant.
Li Qingshan followed the two of them and passed through gate after gate until he reached the centre of the marquis’ estate. He noticed a large, magnificent palace from afar. Under the moonlight, it was wrapped in a scarlet glow, which made it seem like it was burning.
On the square in front of the palace, a man with a fancy hat and luxurious robes stood with his hands behind his back, facing the wind. “Yanying, if you still hadn’t come, I probably wouldn’t be able to help myself and would have started the banquet first.”
His voice was harsh to the ear, even slightly shrill, like a jackal howling at the moon. It pierced through the air, tempting people to block their ears.
Li Qingshan squinted his eyes, only to see that the man had a darker face and a pair of slightly-bulging eyes. There was even a faint scar over his right eye. His appearance was anything but handsome, nowhere near as elegant and graceful as the previous Marquis of Ruyi, Jiang Fu. However, he gave off a sense of heaviness and force simply by standing there, well beyond what Jiang Fu could rival.