Chapter 372: Chapter 184: The Venerable of Yun Mansion (2)
He hurriedly activated his Ice Technique, suppressing the agitation that hadn’t stirred within him for a long time.
He turned his head and ducked behind a large tree to change into the clothes he was holding.
When he finished changing, he stepped out from behind the tree.
Mo Ling’Er walked over with a bright smile, looking him up and down before saying, "They fit you well! Let’s go, my little slave!"
"...!"
Zhao Rui shot her a glare but said nothing more and strode forward.
They were now approaching the territory of the Gui Xu people within Great Zhou. Unlike the Barbaric Land, flying through the air here would be far too conspicuous.
They could only choose to travel on foot.
After walking for the better part of half a day, the sight of a settlement of the Gui Xu people finally appeared before Zhao Rui.
It was a city, surrounded by walls!
It was a city like one from ancient times, built against a mountain and by the water. The only difference was its immense size.
Each foundation stone was several meters high.
Even the city gate was over thirty meters tall.
"This is enormous, isn’t it?"
Zhao Rui stammered, dumbfounded.
’Compared to this behemoth, the pyramids are nothing.’
"This is just a small one. Their capital is even bigger and more prosperous."
"Prosperous?"
"Mhm!"
"Let’s go. Don’t say anything out of line. Just do as I say!"
After she finished speaking, Mo Ling’Er swiped a hand over her face, and a glowing totem of an Exotic Beast instantly appeared on her forehead.
After flashing a few times, it transformed into a mark resembling a tattoo, settling in the very center of her forehead.
Then, she gestured toward Zhao Rui’s forehead, and in an instant, a five-pointed, dragon-shaped totem also appeared there.
"You didn’t even try to dodge?"
Mo Ling’Er was a little surprised.
"Since I’ve decided to cooperate with you, of course I’m not going to be suspicious."
Zhao Rui said casually.
’As for how much of that was true and how much was an act, that all came down to his performance.’
"Mhm. You don’t lie to me, and I won’t lie to you!"
Mo Ling’Er nodded.
With their preparations complete, the two revealed themselves and walked toward the city together.
Outside the city, many pedestrians in various kinds of attire were passing by. Some wore linen undergarments and fur outerwear like Zhao Rui and Mo Ling’Er. Others were dressed entirely in magnificent silks and fabrics, while some wore nothing but animal hides.
There were even people with only leaves to cover their private parts.
The less clothing a person wore, the lower their status.
Those covered only by leaves were essentially the most wretched of slaves.
"Do you still have people like this where you’re from?" Zhao Rui asked curiously via voice transmission.
"Of course. Why wouldn’t we? Those rebellious Sitan people are slaves, naturally."
Mo Ling’Er replied without a shred of emotion, as if enslaving others was the most natural thing in the world.
Zhao Rui grunted in acknowledgment and said nothing more.
’There was an irreconcilable conflict between them; they could never be friends.’
’He had no desire to see his own friends and family become slaves to the Gui Xu people.’
"Halt! What tribe are you from?"
Mo Ling’Er swaggered toward the gate, where a squad of Gui Xu soldiers stood guard beneath the towering arch.
Everyone entering the city was required to present special identification or have a sponsor.
"Insolent!"
Mo Ling’Er snapped, and the beast-shaped pattern from before instantly appeared on her forehead.
"Forgive me, Venerable! This lowly one deserves death!"
The guard on duty immediately dropped to one knee, bowing his head to Mo Ling’Er to beg for forgiveness.
’Zhao Rui’s eyes narrowed slightly. He hadn’t expected Mo Ling’Er to possess such "prestige." The mark on her forehead was likely a symbol of nobility.’
’But where did she get it?’
Zhao Rui instinctively touched his own forehead. ’There’s a beast totem there, too, but it’s not visible right now.’
’It would only manifest if he channeled Spiritual Qi into it.’
"I won’t hold it against you. Rise. Don’t delay my journey."
Mo Ling’Er smiled sweetly, seemingly in a good mood.
Perhaps it was because she’d either been tormented by Zhao Rui or hiding from the Manghuang people recently, sleeping under the stars and enduring the elements. It had been truly exhausting.
"Venerable, please wait a moment. This lowly one will fetch a carriage for you."
The squad captain gave a fawning smile and quickly ran into the city.
A moment later, he returned, pulling something that resembled a horse-drawn carriage.
However, what pulled it was not a fine steed, but a single-horned Exotic Beast as robust as a rhinoceros.
The Exotic Beast’s nostrils pointed skyward, and the vapor it exhaled formed two small clouds, which was a fascinating sight.
"This is called a Cloud Beast!"
Without any protest, Mo Ling’Er leaped nimbly into the passenger compartment at the back.
’A Cloud Beast? For something so massive to be called a Cloud Beast, it must be all thanks to those sky-facing nostrils.’
"You sit up front and be the driver!"
Zhao Rui was about to climb into the rear compartment with her when Mo Ling’Er stopped him via voice transmission.
Zhao Rui’s expression twitched. He glanced at the front of the vehicle and saw that there was indeed a large, empty driver’s seat with two whips hanging from it.
"Get going! Don’t blow our cover!"
Speechless, Zhao Rui had no choice but to take the driver’s seat. He was just about to raise a whip...
...when he saw a soldier obediently walk to the front of the Cloud Beast, take up the reins, and begin leading it into the city.
Zhao Rui sheepishly put the whip down and released his Divine Sense, observing everything they passed.
The city walls were a good one or two kilometers thick. Crossing them on foot would take the better part of a day.
’It was practically like a short tunnel from his past life.’
After they passed through the wall, his vision suddenly opened up to the sight of bustling crowds.
Towering ancient buildings, streets wide enough for a 400-meter race, strangely shaped altars, pedestrians of every description, and the various-sized Exotic Beasts at their sides.
The sheer impact of the scene left Zhao Rui in a daze for a moment.
If he didn’t know with absolute certainty that he had, just a short while ago, been playing on his phone, watching movies, and wearing T-shirts and jeans...
...he was afraid his mind would descend into chaos, unable to tell what was real.
"Here, only nobles are qualified to ride on Exotic Beasts. Commoners can only walk."
As the carriage proceeded, Mo Ling’Er explained the various sights and objects around them.
"That’s a Puru Jialuo, a place where Venerables perform sacrifices. Oh, and ’Venerable’ is just another term for Witch Venerable. They are the soul of a tribe."
"They can often communicate with the Celestial Gods to obtain Divine Power. They can also bestow that Divine Power upon their tribespeople. It’s a very prestigious title."
Mo Ling’Er said with a smug look.
"So, if you disappeared, does that mean your tribe no longer has a Witch Venerable? Which means there’s no one to pass on Divine Power!"
Zhao Rui said, frowning slightly.
’If that’s the case, could he indirectly solve the problem of an entire tribe by just getting rid of its Witch Venerable?’
At Zhao Rui’s words, Mo Ling’Er’s expression froze. A trace of panic and conflict flickered in her eyes.
She seemed to momentarily forget Zhao Rui’s question.
"What’s wrong? Is it something you can’t talk about?"
Zhao Rui asked curiously.
"N-nothing’s wrong!"
Mo Ling’Er’s eyes darted away. Fortunately, since Zhao Rui had his back to her, he didn’t notice her strange expression.
The carriage continued down the road, and before long, it passed through an area where vendors were gathered.
Most of the vendors here were dressed in animal hides, and they were selling food and various materials gathered from the wild.
"How dare you! Trying to cheat me with a fake Li Stone! You deserve to die!"
Just then, a harsh shout echoed from a nearby stall.
"My lord, spare my life! Spare my life!"
Before his voice even faded, there was a sickening SLICE, and the pleading vendor’s head fell to the ground. He was now a corpse.
The killer’s attendant Exotic Beast then promptly swallowed the corpse in a single gulp.
Then, the man and the beast walked off toward the city gates as if nothing had happened.
As for the people near the stall, other than kneeling and kowtowing, no one even dared to flee. It was as if the power of life and death rested entirely in that man’s hands.
The soldiers on the street who heard the commotion quickly rushed over, but after a single glance at the man, they obediently withdrew.
"Who is that man?"
Zhao Rui asked, stunned.
’This law of the jungle, while perhaps a bit less severe than in the Manghuang lands, was still a profound challenge to his own values.’
"He’s likely a relative of the City Lord. In this city, the City Lord’s word is law."
"Then what would you do if he took a fancy to you?"
"I’d marry him, of course! He’s the most powerful man for hundreds of miles around, you know!"
Mo Ling’Er giggled.
Zhao Rui’s eyes narrowed, and he couldn’t help but recall the words Liu Bang spoke when he saw Emperor Qin Shi Huang on his grand tour: ’Ah, this is how a great man ought to live!’
The carriage continued on, bypassing a large residential district before turning toward a mansion with a lavish entrance and a grand, sprawling main building.
The estate’s walls were incredibly high, easily over twenty meters tall.
While they couldn’t compare to the city walls, for a person standing below and looking up, the sight was still quite staggering.
The carriage headed straight for the entrance.
Zhao Rui couldn’t help but ask worriedly, "Where are we going?"
"Just follow my lead and try to look serious. It’ll be fine."
The carriage quickly stopped at the gate. The two guards there immediately thrust their long spears forward and demanded, "This is the Yun Mansion! State your business!"
"It is the Venerable of your household!"
the soldier leading the carriage explained fearfully.
