Chapter 55
"But who is coming?" Such a question came from behind the cliff.
Hongzhang replied in a resounding voice, as if relieved from a heavy burden: "Yes!"
Suddenly, a small head popped out from the 'slit in the sky' and laughed out loud: "Hahahahahaha, it's really a real person, let me take a look."
After saying that, the person flew over from the top of the cliff, tapped the cliff wall with her toes, and approached Wen Weili and Hong Zhang in an instant. She looked very young, with a pair of willow-shaped eyebrows slightly raised at the ends, and her black and white eyes rolling around under her eyebrows. As soon as she landed, she laughed before she finished speaking. Two thick and long pigtails hung from the sides of her ears. She was wearing a bright orange robe and dark blue silk pants. The robe had only a golden butterfly-shaped tassel hanging from it, which swayed as she walked, making her look very playful.
"I'm Orange Peel, the City Lord of Kun City. Hehe, you can just call me Little Peel," she said as she moved closer to Wen Weili, observing her with a hint of curiosity. "You are the person the leader was talking about! What's your name? If there's anything you want to eat or play, just tell me. I'll make sure you stay here safely~"
She also knows me. Wen Weili thought in her heart, but a happy smile appeared on her face: "You are too polite, Lord. Just call me Weili. It is really great to be able to follow you and gain some experience."
"Okay, okay, sister Weili," Chengpi replied happily to Wen Weili. "You must have a lot of questions. Why don't you come with me into the city to rest for a while? I've organized a grand welcoming banquet for you." Without waiting for Wen Weili's reply, he looked at Hongzhang expectantly: "Sister Hongzhang, are you coming too~"
"No." Hongzhang immediately rejected Chengpi's invitation, turned to look at Wen Weili, nodded at her, and gradually disappeared into the jungle as when he came.
Wen Weili also refused: "I'm so sorry, Xiaopi."
"Oh, come on, you all are so unplayable, it's boring, really boring. Qingsong, come and take her in." Chengpi was like a child throwing a tantrum. As he spoke, he took a deep breath and jumped up, twisting and turning on the cliff, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
A woman in a long, green gown with pine patterns, known as 'Qingsong', bowed to Wen Weili and said, "Please follow me, my dear guest."
Qingsong took Wen Weili for a few steps along the forest path. Suddenly, the trees in front of them disappeared, and a tall city wall appeared in front of Wen Weili. The river surrounding the city wall flowed slowly. A few people walking across the stone bridge were not surprised or panicked when they saw Wen Weili, a stranger. They knew there was no danger just by seeing Qingsong beside her. They smiled and nodded, then walked towards the distant forest.
"They are gatherers, and this is Kuncheng, one of the core cities of 'Destiny'." Qingsong led the way and introduced what he saw to Wen Weili.
"There is a formation outside the city. If you don't have a corresponding method, you will just get lost in the mountains. If you want to go to the forest, just call Qingzhu."
The guard at the city gate saluted immediately upon seeing Qingsong: "Greetings, Deputy!"
Qingsong smiled and nodded, and said to Wen Weili with a hint of pride in her tone: "Sister Weili, look, this is our Kuncheng!" She turned to the guard and introduced Wen Weili as a distinguished guest of Kuncheng. The guard hurriedly held out an iron plate with "Kuncheng" engraved on it and "Tianming" engraved in dark patterns on the back. The iron plate was not as heavy as it looked.
Qingsong said that this iron plate is a common token used by Kuncheng and Tianming to indicate the identity of the distinguished guest. It has been specially treated to make it not easily damaged and extremely difficult to imitate.
The city was bustling with activity. A cobblestone road branched from the city gate into three main roads. One extended straight into the city center, with the left and right sides leading to the East Market and West Market. Houses lined the roads, and every household was filled with women chatting, dressing, or doing business.
Only then did Wen Weili understand the meaning of "Kuncheng". It turned out to be a city only for women?
As they walked along the main stone road in the middle, Wen Weili had a general understanding of Kuncheng as Qingsong introduced them along the way.
Kuncheng, which is composed entirely of women, is governed by the guardian Chengpi, known as "Heaven's Mandate". The city is self-sufficient in basic supplies, and there are also caravans coming and going. Children start attending school at the age of four and learn a lot, including physical fitness, etiquette, poetry, astronomy, geography, mathematics, grammar, craftsmanship, etc. Kuncheng does not require children to learn very well, as long as they have some understanding of what they have learned.
When they reach the age of twelve, the children can study in depth whatever they want. Those who don't want to study can find work in the city. Those who want to pick can become gatherers, those who want to work can become workers, and those who want to plant can farm... If they really have nothing to do, they can practice their skills. In short, they don't live there to eat for free.
At the beginning of every month, young men who are eighteen years old can go out to find work. They have learned about the ways of the world and know all the injustices in it. Now they have to enter the world and experience the vicissitudes of life. If they are willing to have children, they will send girls back to Kuncheng and boys to Ganzhen. Those who don't want to stay outside can return to the city and live safely in this dreamland, or they can go to Ganzhen to find a man in another town to spend the rest of their lives together.
"We have staff in Salesian churches everywhere. Where there are many women and children, there are always people who are greedy for money. When they can no longer afford to feed or survive, Tianming will bring them back," Qingsong explained calmly. "Most of the abandoned babies are girls. Some are killed, others are bought and sold. Tianming's people will rescue them when they see them."
Is 'Destiny' actually such an organization... Wen Weili was more and more shocked as Qingsong explained, and she couldn't help but become more silent. She just listened all the way and had forgotten what she had thought before coming in.
When dusk fell, Qingsong invited Wen Weili to the City Lord's Mansion to rest for a while. This time, Wen Weili finally did not refuse the City Lord's welcoming banquet. She thought a lot in her mind and wanted to know more about Kuncheng, but she didn't know how to bring it up. Although shocked, Wen Weili was unwilling to show weakness. She was sure that "destiny" must have a purpose in inviting her here, so she should not be anxious.
Thinking of this, Wen Weili regained her composure and ate and drank at Chengpi's welcoming banquet, enjoying the food while appreciating the sword dance. It was worthy of being a city in the mountains, and the delicacies from the mountains were so delicious.
"Oh——" Chengpi half leaned on the main seat and sighed loudly, "Oh——, what should I do?" As she sighed, the sound of the music on the side gradually became lower.
Seeing Orange's pretending to be distressed, Wen Weili couldn't help but curl her lips slightly. It was a strange feeling that she was willing to be fooled even though she knew that the other party had set a 'trap' for her to fall into.
Wen Weili smiled and asked, "May I ask what worries the City Lord?"
Orange Peel's eyes rolled. She called me 'City Lord,' but why didn't she call me Little Peel? Aren't we close enough? But this was all set up for her.
After coughing a few times, Chengpi tried to persuade Wen Weili: "Ahem... Weili sister, if there is anything you want to play, I will play with you. But I'm very busy. Do you want to accompany me... or do something, and when I'm done, I will play whatever you want to play... And, there are also delicious foods. I will make a lot of delicious food for you..."
Wen Weili listened to Chengpi's persuasion with a smile, and the smile on her face grew wider and wider. Finally, under Chengpi's pitiful eyes, she agreed without hesitation: "Okay."
"..." Orange Pi paused for a moment, seemingly unable to believe she'd gotten such an easy yes. After all, the intelligence had said she was hard to impress! Could it be that he was just lucky today, and she'd agreed just because he was in a good mood? Hehe, then he was really lucky today, so he might as well reward himself with a two-day holiday.
Chengpi quickly seized the opportunity, rushed to Wen Weili, grabbed her hand, and immediately settled the matter: "It's settled! I'll come to you tomorrow. Kuncheng is very busy, so I'll leave it to you!" He looked as if he was afraid that Wen Weili would change her mind.
Wen Weili's smile grew wider and wider, and she couldn't help laughing out loud: "Ha, okay, it's settled."
Chengpi and Wen Weili both got the answers they wanted, smiled at each other, and both the host and the guests were very happy.
After the banquet, Qingsong took Wen Weili to his residence, which turned out to be the guest house of the City Lord's Mansion.
Qingsong briefly introduced the city lord, Chengpi, to Wen Weili. He usually lived in the main courtyard on the east side. In order to avoid getting lost in the morning, he specially arranged the courtyard on the west side for Wen Weili to rest. "My humble abode is simple, please forgive me."
Although Qingsong called it "my humble abode", judging from Wen Weili's many experiences of staying there, the City Lord's Mansion could not be compared with the Imperial Palace, but at least it was at the level of a Prime Minister's Mansion, with carved beams and painted rafters, small bridges and flowing water. In a trance, Wen Weili thought he was back in the Imperial City. You have to know that this is a town on the mountain. To be able to be built like this, the construction technology inside "Tianming" has far surpassed that of the Imperial City.
The next day, at dawn, Wen Weili had already woken up. After washing up and having breakfast, she came to the arbitration center where she had agreed to meet Chengpi.
Qingsong still followed Wen Weili and introduced to her that the Judgment Hall of the City Lord's Mansion was where Kuncheng usually handled various affairs. It was divided into the front hall and the back hall, with corridors on the left and right connecting to the side rooms. Although it was connected everywhere, there were people patrolling and handing over at each gate.
Matters are first screened by the director of the arbitration office and then judged by the judge, usually in the study in the back hall, while the front hall immediately receives residents who come or makes the final judgment on any disputes that arise.
"Hey!" Just as Qingsong was speaking, the orange-skinned man arrived, bounding up from the back hall and appearing before Wen Weili in the blink of an eye. "Sister Weili, did you sleep well last night?"
"The City Lord's Mansion is very nice, so of course I slept very well." Wen Weili replied with a smile. Today, Chengpi was wearing a moon-white long gown and blue silk trousers. The hem of his clothes was decorated with palm-sized blooming orange embroidery, which made him look lively and energetic.
There was an ink-colored plaque hanging high in the front hall of the arbitration hall, with the words "Chao Ri Tang" written on it. Usually, Cheng Pi sat in the main seat, but today Cheng Pi asked Wen Weili to sit in the seat of honor and added another red lacquer chair on the left.
Wen Weili declined and asked Chengpi to sit back in the main seat, while she sat slightly below.
Early in the morning, residents were already waiting outside the Asahi Hall. Wen Weili straightened her clothes and composed herself, waiting to see what kind of show "Destiny" would show her.
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