Chapter 170 The Golden City:

Liujin City is a large city under the protection of the Liujin Sect.

Compared to Shengjing, Liujin City was less majestic and more chaotic. Crowds thronged the streets, stalls were everywhere, and a strange fragrance filled the air to mask the stench of filth.

Rong Xie felt a strong aversion to the sight of Liujin City from the first moment he saw it. As someone who preferred peace and quiet, he didn't want to squeeze into the dirty, drunken crowd. Even though those people were dressed in gold and silver, had rosy cheeks, and seemed very enthusiastic, Rong Xie still felt uncomfortable.

Shen Bingsi was alright. This wasn't his first time in Liujin City. He had traveled all over the country before when he worked for the Mirror Palace.

“Let’s go stay at the biggest inn in town. It’s a pretty good place, no worse than Fanshige,” Shen Bingsi suggested.

"Let's... just go to the address Elder Bai gave us." Rong Xie frowned. "The sooner we find out how, the sooner we can leave. Achoo!"

A burst of fragrant aroma wafted into her nose, and Rong Xie couldn't help but sneeze several times.

“Alright,” Shen Bingsi took out a piece of paper with the address and meeting method given by Elder Bai written on it: “Third house in Lane 18, East of Deer Garden.”

"Hmm, do you know where the Deer Park is? Should we ask someone for directions?" Rong Xie asked.

Before Rong Xie could finish speaking, a fit, dark-skinned young man in a tight-fitting outfit jumped out from the side, grinning broadly, and said, "Big brother, need a ride? To Deer Park? That's a great place! I'll give you a cheap ride!"

Having said that, the young man in the tight-fitting clothes gestured to the side with his lip. Rong Xie saw a row of rickshaws parked by the roadside. The rickshaws were tall, with canopies, and each wheel was about half a person's height. There were long shafts at the front, and the rickshaw drivers, dressed like the young man, stood by the roadside posing and showing off their impressive physiques.

These rickshaw drivers were all dressed in tight-fitting short outfits, so short they were almost unrecognizable. Their dark, muscular limbs stretched out from the short sleeves and trouser legs, their muscles smooth and not cumbersome, full of explosive power.

However, she was revealing far too much; in Shengjing (present-day Shenyang), she would have been imprisoned for indecent exposure.

Rong Xie immediately looked away and declined, saying, "No, no need, we'll walk there ourselves."

"Have a ride, brother!" The young driver enthusiastically pulled Rong Xie towards the rickshaw. "You've come all this way, you must be very tired. Sit back and rest, enjoy the scenery! We'll also introduce you to the famous attractions! How can you come all the way to Liujin City without taking a rickshaw?"

Rong Xie was somewhat tempted. This would save time and allow him to hear locals' introduction to Liujin City. The only thing that bothered him was the young coachman's attire. What would people think of the people in the carriages if they had young men who were barely clothed pulling them? Besides, those carriages were so tall, it was as if they were being displayed on a terrace.

"Wait, we haven't agreed yet." Shen Bingsi stepped forward and grabbed the young coachman's arm. The young coachman's expression froze, and he released Rong Xie's hand. Shen Bingsi then released him as well.

The driver softened his attitude and said with a forced smile, "Then please discuss it with me, brother." He rubbed his arm as he walked away.

"So, how about it, want to take a ride?" Shen Bingsi asked. "The rickshaw is indeed a specialty of Liujin City. Although it can't compare to the cruise ships of Shengjing, it is still quite famous."

"...but their clothing is really indecent," Rong Xie said hesitantly.

Shen Bingsi laughed: "What's wrong with that? When we were on the South Island, weren't the fishermen dressed like this too?"

“Those are fishermen, they’re going into the water. These coachmen are clearly showing off…” Rong Xie realized what she was concerned about, “They don’t need to dress like that to pull a carriage, yet they seem to be showing off…”

"Hahaha, you're right!" Shen Bingsi laughed heartily. "This is the local custom of Liujin City. People here are like this. No matter what they do, they want to show off their appearance. If they don't have good looks, they'll show off their wealth. Being able to attract people is a very powerful ability."

Rong Xie thought to himself, "What a strange local custom. Different places nurture different people. No wonder the style of the Liujin Sect is completely different from the other two sects."

Thinking about it this way, he could understand why Lu Yinglin had that playboy vibe, which was completely opposite to his twin brother Lu Yingqi.

"The Hehuan Sect made the right choice in selecting this location," Rong Xie said in a low voice.

He was prepared to accept the impact of this open-minded social atmosphere.

"Brother, it's all settled!" The young driver greeted them and led the two to the rickshaw. "Lu Yuan, you two!"

The rickshaws were small, only able to seat one person at a time. Rong Xie got into the front one, and Shen Bingsi got into the back one.

Rong Xie discovered that after getting on the carriage, he could no longer see the driver's long legs, but could see the scenery in the distance, with a very wide field of vision.

"Brother, hold on tight, we're off!" the young driver shouted enthusiastically, causing pedestrians in the middle of the road to make way. The rickshaw moved slowly, gradually accelerating, and the young driver galloped through the streets of Liujin City like a strong foal.

This ride was truly worthwhile! The scenery of the golden city was breathtaking. There were rows of shops nearby and a golden pagoda gleaming in the sunlight in the distance. Sometimes we even brushed past nobles riding elephants. Whenever we arrived at a scenic spot with a significant history, the driver would slow down a bit, panting, and loudly introduce the origin of the spot to Rong Xie.

After running for about half an hour, the rickshaw stopped in front of a secluded courtyard.

"This is Lane 16 of Luyuan. Walk two more blocks ahead, and you'll reach Lane 18 of Luyuan," the rickshaw driver explained to Rong Xie, his forehead glistening with sweat. "Carriages and horses are not allowed in Lane 18 of Luyuan. Many important people live there, and we're afraid of offending them."

Rong Xie got out of the carriage and thanked the drivers. Shen Bingsi took out gold ingots and gave them to them. The drivers were overjoyed and thanked the two generous guests repeatedly. They then went to the roadside to wipe their sweat and rest.

"How are you feeling?" Shen Bingsi looked at Rong Xie. Actually, there was no need to ask; the slight smile on Rong Xie's face already said it all.

“That’s right, it’s not quite what I expected,” Rong Xie said with a smile.

The two walked along the street toward Luyuan Lane 18. The area here was indeed much quieter than the main street outside. It was a peaceful oasis amidst the hustle and bustle, and it was clear that it was a place favored by wealthy people.

"I thought the entrance to the Hehuan Sect was in a red-light district, but I didn't expect the environment to be so nice," Rong Xie said to Shen Bingsi in a low voice.

"What, if it were a red-light district, would you dare to venture in?" Shen Bingsi teased.

"What's there to be afraid of? To cure your hidden ailment, I'd brave any danger, even mountains of knives and seas of fire," Rong Xie retorted sarcastically.

"What hidden illness? I don't have any. Don't make false accusations." Shen Bingsi leaned closer to Rong Xie, about to say a few more words, when he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. He knew that the backlash was about to surface again, so he quickly stopped talking and distanced himself from Rong Xie.

"Hmph, is that all? And you say you have no hidden ailments?" Rong Xie said smugly, having won a small victory in their exchange. He quickened his pace and walked forward. "This is the alley—which is the third house?"

Shen Bingsi patted her chest in frustration. Once she caught her breath, she looked up and saw that Rong Xie had stopped in front of a simple two-story building. She quickly followed after him.

“This is the third one,” Rong Xie said, pointing to the doorplate with a look of suspicion on his face. “But it’s too plain, isn’t it? Is this the headquarters of the Hehuan Sect?”

“It’s just a branch.” Shen Bingsi could understand. “It hasn’t reached their main sect’s altar yet. If their main sect’s altar were so easy to find, we wouldn’t need to ask Elder Bai.”

“Hmm, that makes sense.” Rong Xie nodded. “It seems that to go to our church, we need to pass the parish’s test.”

Shen Bingsi said, "It's alright. We have Elder Bai's code. If all else fails, we can still force our way in."

Shen Bingsi went up to knock on the door, and after a while, someone poked their head out. Shen Bingsi then exchanged the code that Elder Bai had told them with the person inside.

The door creaked open, and two servants who looked like thugs stood on either side of the doorway: "Please come in, guests."

Rong Xie walked up the steps and entered the small building with Shen Bingsi. The building was dimly lit and not very spacious. After passing a screen, there was a small hall behind it.

A maidservant invited the two to sit down and poured tea: "Please wait a moment, guests. We have already informed the madam."

Upon hearing the name "Madam," Rong Xie couldn't help but think of Madam Mei, and he wasn't sure who had entered.

However, the house was really simple, and the servants and maids were dressed very conservatively, which was completely different from the Hehuan Sect that Rong Xie had imagined.

The door leading to the backyard opened, and a woman entered with two maids. The servants and maids in the room bowed to the woman, but she waved them away silently.

The woman smiled and said, "You two have come from afar and must be tired from your journey. Why don't you settle down here and rest for a few days?"

Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

“Madam, we are here to see Elder Hong, the leader of your sect, not to stay overnight,” Rong Xie said, bowing slightly to the woman.

"Oh?" The woman's eyes flickered, and she smiled. "This is troublesome. The sect leader went on a pilgrimage earlier this year, and we don't know where he is right now... Didn't the fellow disciple who introduced you here tell you this?"

"What?" Rong Xie was taken aback.

The woman smiled without saying a word, but her eyes were secretly observing the two people.

The Hehuan Sect has many informants; there is no one who frequents Liujin City and the surrounding hundred miles away that they cannot find out about. Yet these two people seem to have appeared out of nowhere, immediately matching the highest-level code. However, they cannot figure out who their introducer is.

The highest-level code could only come from the sect leader or the four protectors. If it was recommended by these five, how could they not send the message to their respective sects? The woman was completely baffled and could only try to find out first.

The two men's reactions suggested they knew nothing about the sect leader's affairs. Moreover, their immediate request to see the sect leader, coupled with their complete ignorance of the sect leader's matters, made it difficult to say whether the sect leader's adversaries had stolen the secret code and were coming to cause trouble.

“So Elder Hong has gone on a journey. Well then, we have something to ask him. Since he’s not here, there’s nothing we can do.” Shen Bingsi often travels and is quick-witted in dealing with such matters. He tapped the table and said to the woman, “Then please arrange for us to stay at the main altar, Madam. We don’t necessarily need to see the sect leader. Being able to see the sect leader’s books and manuscripts is just as good.”

Rong Xie gave Shen Bingsi an approving look, and Shen Bingsi's smile became even brighter.

This time it was the woman's turn to be stunned. Suddenly, there was a soft sound from the door behind her. The woman bowed and said, "Excuse me, please wait a moment."

The woman exchanged a few words with the people who came up from the back door, then returned, her gaze towards the two men warmer: "So it is Sword Saint Shen and Steward Rong from the Spirit Mirror Sect. It is truly an honor for our Hehuan Sect that you two have come to our sect. The gates of our main altar are open to you. Please follow me."

Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi exchanged another glance. They hadn't expected to get in so easily. Had their reputations in the martial arts world grown so great?