Chương 93: Book 2 Chapter 7: Exposition

"Shall we sit?" Mo Jian asked. Xu Chuanli seized the moment. With a flick of his sleeve, a set of cups appeared upon one of the nearby tables, followed by a slender flask. The liquid within shimmered faintly, catching the light in a way that marked it as anything but ordinary.

"A modest vintage," he said, pouring with practiced ease.

"Something to suit the view." He poured a cup and offered it to Bai Ning first. She accepted it, and, to his immediate dissatisfaction, set it down in front of Mo Jian. Madam Jinjing's expression tightened almost imperceptibly as Mo Jian slipped into the seat beside Bai Ning, accepting the cup without hesitation. Xu Chuanli's own plans unraveled just as quickly. He had intended to guide Bai Ning to the seat nearest the railing and take the place beside her, leaving the remaining chairs to Mo Jian and Madam Jinjing.

Instead, he found himself forced into the chair beside Jinjing, while Bai Ning and Mo Jian sat together as though it had been arranged from the start. He paused, if only for a breath, letting the irritation settle and sink beneath the surface. By the time he had finished pouring for all four of them and allowed his attention to return to the conversation, Madam Jinjing was already speaking, her tone light but probing.

"… it is rare to see cultivators traveling together from so far afield. One might almost think there was a deeper purpose guiding your path." Xu Chuanli nearly cursed aloud. What was she thinking? Questions like that were not meant to be asked so directly, so openly, and so early. Their guests would surely be on guard now. Except… to his surprise, Bai Ning merely quirked her lips in a faint smile, glancing sidelong at her companion. Mo Jian gave a small nod.

That single gesture was enough to unsettle Xu Chuanli more than the question itself. Why was she looking to him? Wasn't she the one leading this pair…? The thought barely had time to take root before Bai Ning spoke. There was a pause first, barely a breath, so slight Xu Chuanli almost missed it, in which she seemed to arrive at some private decision. Then: "True enough," she said, easily enough that the pause might never have existed.

"We do have another purpose in coming to the capital." Her gaze shifted between them.

"Tell me, Fellow Daoists, do you recall the descent of the divine treasure into our world two years ago?" At once, Xu Chuanli's mind was dragged back to that day. He recalled the darkening sky and the suffocating weight of the Heavens' gaze pressing against his back. A faint shiver ran through him, though the breeze was mild. Of course he remembered. And for her to speak of it so openly-"Mo Jian and I were fortunate enough to secure the gui when it descended," Bai Ning continued, her tone almost casual.

"We have come to the Imperial Capital to present it to the Emperor. Only an immortal can truly make use of such a thing. In our hands…" She gave a small shrug.

"It is little more than an interesting stone. To the Emperor, however, it is bound to be priceless." Beside him, Madam Jinjing drew in a sharp breath, awe and avarice flashing unguarded across her face. Xu Chuanli fared little better. He had suspected; he had, but to hear it stated so plainly, without hesitation or caution… Was she not afraid? Of being overheard? Of being followed? Of having it taken? Even now, the thought rose unbidden: if he could gather the right people, act quickly enough- The gui could be his.

To think that such a treasure had fallen into the hands of two Core Formation cultivators, rather than a Nascent Soul expert. Were the senior cultivators of their region truly so inept that none had claimed it? Or had they fought and failed? Or, his gaze flicked to Bai Ning, had they simply been… persuaded? If she had somehow drawn Mo Jian so firmly to her side, could she have done the same to others? But no, that made little sense. What Nascent Soul expert would be so easily swayed?

And even if one had been, why not come in person? His thoughts spiraled, each possibility more unsettling than the last, even as he forced himself into stillness.

"You carry the gui with you?" Madam Jinjing asked, her voice bright with wonder, restraint entirely overtaken by curiosity.

"May I see it? To think, a divine treasure, right before my eyes…" Bai Ning waved the request aside with casual ease.

"You'll have to ask him," she said, nudging Mo Jian lightly with her elbow. The gesture was easy and familiar, the kind done a hundred times before.

"He's the one who carries it." Even before Mo Jian could respond, Xu Chuanli closed his eyes briefly, as though struck. He had been entirely wrong. This man carried the gui. Which meant that he was the one in charge. Then what did that make Bai Ning? A fortunate hanger-on who had attached herself after learning the truth? Or something more deliberate, someone playing a longer, subtler game than he could yet perceive? And this man – this utterly unremarkable, forgettable man – possessed a divine treasure.

What, truly, was the world coming to? Madam Jinjing leaned in closer, her attention now wholly fixed on Mo Jian. She fluttered her eyelashes, voice softening into a coaxing lilt.

"Come now, don't be afraid, Brother Mo. I am no thief. I merely wish to behold such a once-in-a-lifetime treasure with my own eyes. Is that so much to ask?" She leaned further still, the fall of her robes loosening just enough to reveal a generous glimpse of cleavage, an offering both deliberate and practiced. Xu Chuanli recognized the tactic immediately; he himself had once been the target of such attention, back when he had acquired a rare Clear Soul Pill and boasted of it to his fellow gate guards.

Mo Jian, however, remained unmoved. He only smiled, as though she had said something faintly amusing.

"It is not a matter of trust," he replied calmly.

"I simply prefer not to take it out unless it is being presented to the Emperor." He paused, then added, almost lightly, "I am not concerned about thieves. The Emperor has already allowed the Thousand Shattered Islands to lay implicit claim to the gui. I doubt he would permit it to be seized now, when it is so close to his seat of power." His gaze drifted briefly toward the city below before returning to them.

"No," he finished, tone still mild, "anyone foolish enough to attempt such a thing would meet a rather unpleasant end without us needing to lift a finger." He picked up his cup then, without hurry, and drank. It was not a display of ease, or a statement meant to punctuate his words. No, he drank simply because the wine was there and he was thirsty. It was, somehow, the most unsettling thing he had done all afternoon. Xu Chuanli felt as though he had been doused in cold water. That statement…

it had the unpleasant ring of truth. Would the Emperor really intervene if someone tried to claim the gui? Xu Chuanli tried to put himself in that situation – a difficult enough prospect at the best of times – and reason it out. Suppose he were awaiting the delivery of a valuable item, something promised to him. If someone intercepted it along the way… would he care? Only to an extent. The identity of the one delivering it would matter little, so long as it arrived on time.

Except, if Xu Chuanli could seize the gui, then why not someone else? If a Nascent Soul senior learned of it – and given how deliberately loud and unconcerned these two were being, likely more than one had already – what was stopping them? The answer came swiftly: nothing. And that was precisely the problem. If one person took it, another would take it from them. Then another, and another still. An endless chain of theft and retaliation, each more violent than the last.

The gui would pass from hand to hand, never settling or reaching its destination. The Emperor would not tolerate that, not out of concern for who held it, but because it would fail to reach him at all. Xu Chuanli exhaled slowly, the shape of it becoming clear in his mind. By speaking openly, by letting word spread, they had turned the gui into something untouchable, not through secrecy, but through inevitability.

Any attempt to claim it would invite chaos, and chaos, so close to the Imperial Capital, would draw a response far swifter and more decisive than any individual cultivator could withstand. He glanced at Mo Jian again – plain, unremarkable, and entirely undeserving of the beauty seated beside him – and felt, despite himself, a flicker of grudging admiration. So this is how you've arranged it, he thought. Madam Jinjing had seen it too.

She leaned forward further, her robes slipping just enough at the shoulders to seem accidental, though nothing about her ever truly was.

"I am in deep admiration, Brother Mo," she purred.

"You stand on the cusp of an opportunity most men can only dream of. Tell me, why bother with the Imperial Examination at all? Why not go straight to the palace? Has someone led you astray?" Her gaze flickered briefly toward Bai Ning and Xu Chuanli alike, as though the two of them were conspirators, misleading some naïve and precious treasure-bearer. Xu Chuanli did not know whether to laugh or cry.

He had brought her along to distract Mo Jian, to carve out space for himself with Bai Ning, and yet, in a neat reversal, she was now attempting to sweep aside both him and Bai Ning in one motion, claiming Mo Jian entirely for herself. Whore, he thought sourly, feeling thoroughly outmaneuvered. Bai Ning, however, seemed wholly unaffected by the barb. She neither reacted to the implication nor acknowledged the glance.

Whether this was genuine indifference or a deliberate pretense of ignorance, Xu Chuanli could no longer say. Earlier, he would have assumed the former without hesitation. Now… now he found himself revising more than a few of his earlier conclusions. Mo Jian answered simply.

"No, nothing like that. I merely have a timid heart, so I am gathering my courage. In the meantime…" He gave a small shrug.

"I thought I might as well take the examination." Xu Chuanli blinked at the sheer shamelessness of it. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Even Madam Jinjing faltered for a fraction of a second before recovering, a soft laugh slipping past her lips.

"Ah, I see. Then you must not worry, Brother Mo. Whenever you feel timid, you may come to me and rest your heart upon my chest. I will be sure to comfort you." Xu Chuanli turned his stare to Madam Jinjing, equal parts incredulous and exasperated. Yet, for all her brazenness, he could not deny the underlying logic. She was not wrong. If they could not rob him… then befriending him was the next best path.

No matter his reasoning, once Mo Jian presented the gui and received the Emperor's favor, advancement to the Nascent Soul realm would likely follow. At that point, having such a man as an ally; wealthy, powerful, and indebted, would be of immense benefit. And if that debt could somehow be secured now… Xu Chuanli's thoughts halted abruptly. His gaze shifted, almost involuntarily, to Bai Ning. Of course. That was precisely what she was doing, had been doing from the very beginning.

She had positioned herself flawlessly, close enough to share in the journey, distant enough to avoid suspicion, and now stood poised to reap the rewards when the time came. He exhaled slowly. He could not afford to fall behind. Madam Jinjing had the unfortunate advantage of being a beautiful woman, something which, no matter how unaffected Mo Jian pretended to be, he was not immune to. Otherwise, how had Bai Ning secured her place at his side?

No; if Xu Chuanli wanted to establish himself, he had to begin proving useful. And for that- He leaned forward, refilling Mo Jian's cup with deliberate care.

"Drink, Brother Mo," he said smoothly.

"The tour has only just begun." His smile widened, measured and inviting.

"Allow this Xu Chuanli to show you and Fairy Bai Ning the city." ……………………………………………………………………

"…the capital is too vast to comprehend as a single whole," Xu Chuanli said, his tone measured as he guided them onward.

"Which is why it is divided into three primary sections.

"First, there is Zijin, the inner territory. It encompasses the four great avenues, the circumference of the city walls, and the central districts surrounding the Imperial Palace. It is expansive, though unevenly so, with great stretches of open space between key regions. These are the lands under the court's direct authority, where its edicts may be issued and enforced without delay." He gestured outward, as though indicating invisible boundaries stretching far beyond what the eye could see.

"Next comes Ziwei, the outer territory. This includes all locations of strategic or material importance: mines, markets, forests, lakes, and specialized districts. They are scattered across the city, often removed from the center, yet still firmly within the court's awareness. If Zijin is the Emperor's hand, then Ziwei is the reach of his influence." A faint smile touched his lips before fading.

"And then… there is everything else." He let the words linger.

"All the remaining land within the capital, anywhere not bordering the great avenues, the walls, or sites of recognized importance, falls into this final category. Districts, divisions… entire cities, even, that exist within the greater whole. These places are so distant, so decentralized, that the court might as well be a legend to those who live there." His voice dipped slightly, taking on a more reflective tone.

"I have heard stories of Imperial officials assigned to such regions, places that have not seen a tax collector, nor any representative of the court, for centuries. Only a decade ago, rumors surfaced of a settlement that had grown in the cracks between two massive districts. Mortals and cultivators alike lived underground for generations, until they forgot there was ever a world above them." He paused, letting the image settle.

"Once, Minister Ming attempted to traverse the length of the great avenues on foot, from the north-south artery to the east-west. He wished to map them by his own steps." Xu Chuanli gave a quiet, almost incredulous breath.

"He walked for two centuries before abandoning the effort and flying the rest of the way to the Palace. By his own account, he had not even covered a quarter of the distance." He shook his head faintly.

"To call the capital vast is an understatement. To call it poorly governed…" A slight shrug followed.

"That is both true and untrue. Vastness beyond measure breeds disorder, yet it is only the presence of the Immortal Emperor that allows such a place to exist at all, let alone remain under a single rule." His gaze drifted outward, as though peering into those unseen depths.

"There are likely places buried so deep within this city that their inhabitants no longer know where they are. Perhaps entire kingdoms rise and fall in those forgotten corners, with mortals living out their lives, building civilizations, and watching them crumble, all without ever realizing they dwell within the capital itself." He glanced back at the others, expression calm once more.

"There is only one way to live here," he said.

"Find a place, make it your own, and limit your sight." A faint, knowing smile followed.

"Otherwise… the scale alone is enough to overwhelm anyone." The wind moved gently across their robes, carrying the distant hum of a city too vast to ever truly quiet. Finally, Mo Jian exhaled.

"You paint a vivid picture, Fellow Daoist. Hearing it from you casts the capital in a different light." Xu Chuanli laughed, a pleased smirk tugging at his lips.

"You flatter me, Brother Mo. I have merely the advantage of living here for a while. Ask me anything, I can answer all your queries about the city." Madam Jinjing chuckled softly, letting her presence ripple through the conversation.

"Chuanli speaks truly. He has spent most of his life as supervisor of a Dragon Gate." Her glance at him was pointed, and Xu Chuanli's smile stiffened slightly.

"I, on the other hand," she continued, her tone deceptively casual, "come from deeper within the city. Born and raised in Turtle Province, near the Palace. I only became a gate supervisor in the last century. My knowledge of the walls may not match Brother Chuanli's… but when it comes to matters closer to the palace…?" She let the thought hang, leaving no doubt as to her meaning. Bai Ning, still determinedly ignoring all the insinuations and doublespeak, piped up.

"Are all the districts governed by a Nascent Soul elder? The one where we are staying-" she breezed past Madam Jinjing's sudden ferocious look, "-has one governing it, but given how many districts must exist within the city…?" Madam Jinjing's smile remained artful.

"Of course, there are not enough Nascent Soul cultivators in the world for that. No, they do govern areas of the city, and most larger provinces have one assigned to them. But for smaller postings, it is generally because of some important location that they remain. If you tell me the name of where you are staying, I could probably tell what place that senior is truly guarding and overseeing for the court."

She made no effort to conceal her intent, clearly hoping to extract their location, perhaps to pay them a visit and further tie herself to them. Neither Mo Jian nor Bai Ning answered, which told Xu Chuanli everything he needed to know. These two were not foolish, despite his initial belief, and they would not give up their residence easily.

Even Madam Jinjing's artful "stumble," brushing Mo Jian's arm with her chest pressed against his bicep, had yielded little beyond the first irritated glance from Bai Ning he had seen all day. He would admit it: in the other man's position, he would have spilled the beans by now. A night visit from Madam Jinjing would be well worth it… Bai Ning was nodding at something else.

"I see. It seems the Imperial Examinations really are tied to every facet of power and governance within the capital." She cast a sidelong glance at Mo Jian, who responded with a roll of his eyes. Clearly, some private joke or shared understanding was passing between them. Xu Chuanli would have dearly loved to find some leverage to insert himself into that dynamic, but he was no fool. If Madam Jinjing's efforts had not yielded fruit, then he would be best served by being slow and careful in his own approach.

So, instead, he smoothly pivoted the conversation.

"Indeed," he said, booming.

"Civil officials run the city for the court. We are even exempt from many of the laws and rules that hinder ordinary residents, such as being free to fly at all times without restriction, and being able to enter and exit the city freely." He hoped that by emphasizing his status, they would see him as a valuable contact. But with Madam Jinjing nearby, the effect was imperfect. Once more, he cursed his decision to bring her along. If only he had not misread the situation so badly the first time around.

"Yes," Jinjing interjected, seizing the moment as she always did.

"You must reach out to us, Brother Mo, no matter what it is for. I will be extremely happy to help you with anything…" She let the pause do its work, voice dropping low and suggestive.

"Anything at all." It was clear Madam Jinjing had abandoned pretense entirely. Xu Chuanli suspected that, were Bai Ning absent – and were Jinjing not so insecure in the presence of someone more beautiful – she would have long since discarded her robes and done whatever it took to ensnare Mo Jian. A man carrying a gui was a fish she was unlikely to hook a second time.

Xu Chuanli, who had started the day with a similar goal of his own, albeit aimed at a different target, felt the bitter taste of irony settle in his mouth once more. Thankfully, before the situation could spiral, and it likely would have, Bai Ning intervened. Xu Chuanli noticed Mo Jian visibly struggling for a response, caught between composure and embarrassment. With a clap of her hands, Bai Ning restored a different energy to the conversation entirely.

Her smile returned: that simple, pleasant curve of her lips that Xu Chuanli had spent the day trying to read, unsure whether it hid simplicity or a cunning mind.

"Fellow Daoist," she said, her voice ringing clear and deliberate, ignoring Jinjing's insinuation without ceremony, "can you tell me where the nearest office of the Post House System is? I would like to send a message back to the Thousand Shattered Islands. Their delivery across the empire is said to be both the fastest and most reliable." Mo Jian, seizing the lifeline Bai Ning had thrown him, nodded eagerly.

"Yes, I would like to send a message as well. There are quite a few people who need to know of our safe arrival."

"Of cours-" Xu Chuanli began, only to be cut off by a sudden, crystal-clear note slicing through the air. It rang like a bell of authority, unmistakable and commanding. Every cultivator in sight shifted instantly, floating aside, bowing, or retreating in silent respect. A clear path opened in the skies, a corridor of deference that seemed to part for something extraordinary. Mo Jian and Bai Ning watched as a yellow flying carriage thundered toward the Imperial Palace.

Its speed was astonishing, almost unreal; within heartbeats, it had vanished, leaving only a whisper of silk trailing in the wind, a fleeting ghost of brilliance.

"Who… who was that?" Mo Jian murmured, sounding like he already half suspected the answer.

"A member of the imperial family," Madam Jinjing said, her voice stripped of its earlier coquettishness, as if the presence of royalty had restored some propriety to her. Her gaze lingered on the empty sky where the carriage had been.

"Only the Imperial family and a select few institutions under their patronage may use this shade of yellow. Any other use is a death sentence. And that mark…" Her finger traced the faint half-moon emblem that had glinted on the carriage.

"It can belong to only one person: the fallen Princess."

"Xiang Muxue," Xu Chuanli finished, so softly it barely disturbed the air. ……………………………………………………………………………….. The words were faint, but they were cultivators: Mo Jian and Bai Ning both heard the name clearly. Mo Jian's eyes widened; he stared at the spot where the carriage had vanished, as if sheer will could summon it back. That name; he knew it. Half the reason he had come to the capital in the first place rested in those two syllables. Next to him, Bai Ning's eyes were similarly wide.

She knew that name too, primarily because Mo Jian had told her about it. Princess Xiang Muxue, one of the people he had claimed to have seen in his vision of the future, someone whose influence over events to come would prove immense. She half turned to him, about to speak, before remembering they were not alone. Her face smoothed at once into an expressionless mask. Still, to think they had very nearly crossed paths with such a person.

Xu Chuanli and Madam Jinjing remained silent, watching their guests wrestle with awe and recognition, unaware that the feeling had a different source than the simple shock of a royal passing. For a moment none of them spoke. The sky where the carriage had been was entirely ordinary now, the same open blue it had been all afternoon, indifferent to what had just passed through it. Finally, Mo Jian turned, his voice regaining its steady cadence.

"Let's go, fellow Daoist. If you could show us to the nearest messenger house, I would be grateful. And, while we're at it… if you know of any reputable gambling houses nearby… I was thinking of paying one a visit." Beside him, Madam Jinjing said nothing. She was still watching the empty sky where the carriage had been, her painted lips slightly parted, the practiced composure of her face briefly, genuinely absent. Whatever she was thinking, she kept it to herself.

The moment lingered, suspended in the aftermath of fleeting brilliance, as if the sky itself had bowed to announce the presence of someone unforgettable.