Chapter 203 Chaotic Dance of Gods and Demons
The closer you are to the capital of the Great Liang Dynasty, the fewer monsters you will encounter in the wild.
Three months after leaving the immortal territory of the Great Yan Dynasty, the two arrived in the capital city without incident.
Seeing the majestic city walls of the capital from afar, Rong Yi couldn't help but exclaim, "The capital is truly something else."
Only when you get closer can you truly appreciate the grandeur of the capital. The city walls are several meters high and at least two or three meters thick. Not only are there soldiers all around the walls, but there are also patrolling soldiers on top of the walls, making it a heavily guarded city.
The capital city has four gates, and Rong Yi and his group arrived at the east gate.
There was a long queue in front of the door. Some of them were residents from nearby towns and villages, carrying bamboo baskets filled with things, probably wanting to set up a stall to sell. Others, like them, came by donkey cart or horse-drawn carriage, clearly from out of town.
Finally, one would ride in a three-horse carriage, the interior of which was luxurious and extravagant, signifying either wealth or power.
Regardless of your status, everyone should queue properly; the stern-faced soldiers will not give anyone special treatment.
When it was Rong Yi and his companion's turn, the two disembarked from the carriage and handed over their talismans. The soldiers spent some time carefully examining them and only returned them after confirming that everything was correct. However, they did not look away from them but kept a close eye on them until they safely passed through the city gate before turning away.
After passing through the city gate, the first thing you see is a lively scene: vendors shouting, conversations mingling, and a few animal calls.
The roads in the capital were fast, wide enough for four large carriages to travel side by side. The stalls on both sides of the road were neat and orderly, and soldiers could be seen passing by. Shops and buildings stood side by side, and signs hanging at the entrances fluttered in the wind.
The air is filled with the aroma of food, the sweetness of pastries, and the fragrance of cosmetics.
What surprised Rong Yi was that, in addition to the humans who roamed the city, there were also some incompletely transformed demons. They often had rabbits or cat ears on their heads, some had long tails, and some did not show any characteristics of demons. However, through energy perception, one could tell that the creature in front of them was a demon.
"Humans and demons coexisting harmoniously, the capital is truly extraordinary." Rong Yi smiled.
Wei Yanqing also found this interesting. "That's strange. Why do the soldiers at the city gate look like they don't want to let any demons in? Yet so many demons live here."
Without hesitation, Rong Yi replied, "It's probably not that we don't let demons in, but rather that we don't let demons impersonating humans in."
Although the group didn't see any demons, they figured the demons must have entered using special talismans.
“That makes sense.” Wei Yanqing began looking for an inn. “Let’s find a place to stay for now, and then we can explore properly.”
Having just arrived, I didn't know where to find a good place to rent, so I had to stay at a guesthouse for the time being.
The large inn in the capital was easy to find. Instead of checking in right away, I asked the staff about places to rent.
"Are you two gentlemen looking to rent a room?" The waiter's eyes lit up. "I know an old lady who wants to rent a room. She's offering a fair price and the location is good. Shall we go and meet her?"
Since there was a way to do it, they were willing to give it a try.
Rong Yi: "Sure, when are you free to introduce us to people?"
The waiter smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen." He then walked to the door and called out, "Anyone trying to run away?"
A child suddenly appeared from some corner, and the other children stopped and went back. The waiter gave the child a copper coin and said, "Look for Granny Liu at No. 1 Wangmin Street in the right district. Go into the house at the sixth door."
The child clutched the copper coin and ran off. Only then did the waiter turn back. "The person should be here soon. Please sit down and wait."
In addition to providing accommodation, this guesthouse also sells food on the first floor.
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A little while later, the child returned without anyone with him. Standing at the door, he said, "Grandma Liu said I should take them over."
They weren't worried about it being a scam. First, this was the capital city, so safety was guaranteed to a certain extent. Second, with their strength, even a great demon wouldn't dare to act rashly, let alone an ordinary person in front of them.
Following behind the child, Rong Yi observed that there was a main road in the city, and then other roads crossed the main road to divide the area into left and right sections, which were further subdivided by streets.
They soon spotted Granny Liu, took the child, and ran off.
Grandma Liu, dressed in a floral cotton-linen dress, asked, "What kind of room would you two like to rent?"
Judging from his tone, he seems to be someone who specializes in renting out apartments.
Wei Yanqing: "Minimum two rooms, location is not important, rent is negotiable."
Granny Liu's cloudy eyes paused for a moment, as if she were thinking. "There are suitable houses, but you two are from out of town. In our area, many rental houses are shared by humans and demons. I wonder if you mind?"
She knew that in this outsider town, humans and demons were generally clearly separated, unlike the harmonious and equal relationship they often had.
“It’s alright,” Rong Yi said.
She was curious about how the demons lived here, and whether they worked like humans.
Upon hearing this, Granny Liu led the way, saying, "Then I know what kind of house we'll give you."
The main roads and secondary roads in the capital are wide, but once you reach the residential areas, all sorts of narrow alleys appear. If it's your first time here and you don't have anyone to guide you, you can really get lost in them.
Grandma Liu led them to a courtyard. From the outside, it looked like a circular house. Inside, there was a spacious area similar to a skylight, with a well in the center. Apart from the wide-open door, the other three sides were all separate houses.
“A tree spirit lives across the street, and an ordinary family lives on the right. You can take a look at the houses on the left and see if you like them.”
When Rong Yi came in, she found that the house on the right was empty, but there was a demon in the opposite door. She had seen mostly animal demons along the way, and this was the first time she had seen a plant demon.
The courtyard is completely enclosed, so when you open the outer windows, all you can see are the walls and wildly growing flowers and plants, providing a high degree of privacy.
The house is in a decent location, and the furniture in each room is spotless, indicating that the homeowner regularly hires cleaners.
Wei Yanqing thought it was a good idea; it was up to Rong Yi to decide.
Rong Yi stroked the table where the flowerpots were placed. "This is it. How much is the rent?"
Grandma Liu was quite satisfied that she had settled on the house on the first visit. "The rent is two taels of silver a month. If you can accept that, we can go to the housing bureau to move in now."
Two taels of silver is acceptable, considering the location is close to the main street and the layout and orientation are quite good.
Wei Yanqing nodded, "I can accept it. Take us to the Housing Bureau."
The management in the capital was meticulous and strict. Even renters from outside the city had to register. If they evaded this procedure, the houses would be occupied by others, and the officials would not care. Therefore, the landlords all registered honestly.
As Rong Yi stepped outside, he heard the sound of the window opening. Turning around, he saw a woman dressed in a green dress with her hair adorned with vines and flowers. He figured she was the tree spirit Granny Liu had mentioned.
Upon seeing its new neighbor, a human cultivator, the tree demon looked timid and nodded slightly in greeting.
Compared to most of the animal demons whose prototypes are ferocious, the tree demon is truly an eye-opener.
Stepping out of the courtyard, Rong Yi belatedly exclaimed, "It's really beautiful."
I wonder if all plant spirits are like this, they have a light and ethereal quality, more like immortals than demons.
(End of this chapter)
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