102 The Arrival of Lady Lan (1/2)

On this day, the sun had not yet risen when it was obscured by a cascade of gray clouds moving slowly in the sky. The chirping of crows could be heard in the distance, the sounds muffled by the sound of the wind. Yet the town was already bustling with a few people dressed in thick cloaks and walking about.

It was the breaking of dawn on this particularly cold winter day when a carriage with wooden spoked wheels rolled in, stopping right in front of the Hundred Flower Hall. The dust that had been following behind the carriage slowly settled.

Since there was never such a carriage that dared to stop so long in front of the Hundred Flower Hall, some people got curious and decided to take a look, to see who it was that had just arrived.

The owner of the carriage was still sitting within as though waiting for someone. The longer the carriage sat at the entrance unmoved, the more people became curious and attempted to see who was inside.

It wasn't until a pageboy went in to report that there was a carriage sitting at the entrance that madam Lu realized, the person who was supposed to arrive yesterday had finally made her way here.

”She's putting on airs again.” Madam Lu said to servant Zhao who was putting a cloak over her shoulders. The old servant had nothing much to say about the one who was currently waiting outside, only clearing her throat in response.

Pulling her cloak over her shoulders, madam Lu went alone to greet the carriage that was waiting.

As she drew near, she felt as though the air surrounding the carriage had gotten significantly colder. The person within was a skillfully adept in martial arts and could draw upon the energy of the environment around her, melding into nature. This bone-chilling air was certainly her doing.

Madam Lu took a deep breath, walking nearer to the source of this energy. By now, her breath had become much heavier, the cold air was simply too harsh for her lungs. Yet she refused to show her weaknesses before this woman.

”Lady Lan, you've arrived, why didn't you send someone to inform me?” Madam Lu asked right by the carriage door in a quiet voice. As though unwilling to allow anyone else to hear her subdued tone.

”I wanted to see if anyone would be there to greet me, but now that I'm here I was apparently wrong.” A woman's sigh came from behind the carriage door.

”We were expecting you yesterday, and had an entire banquet planned, a pity you didn't show up.” Madam Lu said with a sigh of regret.

”Oh, the scenery was nice so I was looking at the scenery while traveling.” The woman said, while inwardly thinking [as if you would have an entire banquet planned for me] still she kept up appearances, raising the curtain of the carriage a slight bit to look at madam Lu's face which had become pale from being within the vortex of her aura.

”Indeed, the scenery of the north is something to look at.” Madam Lu said with a smile that did not resemble a smile much.

The woman looked on with a pretense of concern at madam Lu's pale lips and colorless complexion she looked quite ill, ”Since you are cold, shall we head inside?”