Chapter 481: Forces in the Capital City
The journey from Songshan in Henan to the capital city takes only one day and one night. With Tiying’s speed, it takes just half a day to cover the distance.
Nowadays, there are quite a number of players who possess Tiying. Although it symbolizes nobility, it no longer attracts as much attention as before—perhaps because people have grown accustomed to it.
However…
The capital city is no ordinary city. Here, only those with official titles can enter the city without dismounting from their horses. Even those from the martial world must behave carefully here.
After all, under the emperor’s rule, officials and warriors hold supreme authority. The soldiers guarding the city gates are all elite warriors at the Life and Death Realm, while those stationed at the city gates are even more powerful experts at the Liberation Realm. It may not be easy to capture someone, but it’s quite simple to buy time and summon countless experts from within the city.
“Dismount!”
Before the guards could speak, Kai Xin had already dismounted, storing Tiying in its horse token. Acting like a seasoned traveler in the capital, he passed through the checkpoint calmly and entered the city.
The streets of the capital city are much wider than those of ordinary cities, and order prevails there. Despite the heavy traffic, the constant presence of patrolling guards prevents players from setting up stalls randomly. As a result, shops thrive here, with a steady stream of people, creating a prosperous scene.
On the streets, one can often see players carrying weapons or equipment that emit a faint tricolor glow, hurrying along. With the widespread popularity of certain skill levels, these areas are even more competitive.
Moreover…
Most of these players wear the same emblem on their chests: the First-Class Hall, marked with a blood-red arrow; the Tyrant of the North!
There’s no need to say anything about the First-Class Hall’s strength and wealth… It claims to have over 60,000 experts at the Life and Death Realm, making it far stronger than countless other gangs and a formidable force admired by many.
There are also two other powerful gangs in the capital city. Though not as strong as the First-Class Hall, their strength and influence may not be inferior. One is the Tongtian Pavilion! Its leader is “Langya,” an expert under the Jinyiwei who has carried out numerous secret missions for the imperial court. He has earned great recognition from the court, especially for rescuing an imperial envoy, which led to his promotion to deputy commander of a Jinyiwei battalion. He has the authority to dispatch Jinyiwei agents to arrest criminals from the martial world… as well as the power to release prisoners.
It is said that many high-ranking criminals from the Jinyiwei prison have been secretly transferred to the Tongtian Pavilion! While other gangs must work hard to capture criminals and fill their prison cells, “Langya” can easily use his authority to fill his own gang’s prison cells.
Additionally, opposing the Tongtian Pavilion means opposing the Jinyiwei. The “Langya” gang is protected in any city, and they have promoted a group of high-ranking gang members. If these members are attacked inside the city, whether it’s in the “Gang Headquarters” or not, the Jinyiwei in the city will act without hesitation—along with the Six Gates and the Eastern and Western Factories. As a result, there are even rumors that the Tongtian Pavilion is the gang that players must never provoke, and it might become the fifth major top-tier gang after the Mu Family.
Another is the “Xifeng Tower,” founded by “Shadow,” the second-best fighter on the current Phoenix Ranking and a disciple of the Ancient Tomb Sect. The ability to establish a gang and stand out in the capital was entirely thanks to Shadow’s efforts…
On the first day of establishing the gang, Shadow challenged Meng Yun. With his masterful whip skills, he suppressed Meng Yun’s Flaming Divine Art, and the two fought evenly until the match ended in a draw. As for Qin Qing from the Lingxiao Palace, she simply refused the challenge…
Later, Shadow, who had become famous, shone brightly in the mission to besiege Guangming Summit. He not only defeated Song Qingshu but also blocked attacks for Zhang Wuji, officially joining the ranks of famous warriors in the martial world. It is said that during this battle, Shadow received guidance from Yang Xiao and obtained a precious whip technique manual from the Ming Sect, further enhancing his strength. Of course, the Xifeng Tower has more than just this strength. Besides Shadow, it also gathers a group of highly skilled fighters, three of whom are well-known on the Dragon and Phoenix Rankings. It is said that they work for a company in the real world, but strangely enough, colleagues from the same company can all stay online for long periods and perform exceptionally well, raising questions about the nature of this company.
Of course, aside from these three major forces, there are many talented individuals in the capital, such as Bai Xiaosheng, who are not easily offended by these factions.
Entering the capital, they confidently navigated through the streets and alleys and entered the luxuriously decorated “Tianxiang Tower”!
One of the most luxurious restaurants in the capital. Happy remembered that in his past life, only the wealthiest and most extravagant guests could enter here—true millionaires, not those with just a thousand taels of silver. The monthly cost of playing games was 300 pieces of silver, so the minimum spending to enter here was equal to that amount, plus hiring several beautiful girls to accompany one, costing 3,000 taels of silver for fifteen minutes… Other entertainment options were even more expensive—sword dancing, sleeve dancing, music performance, calligraphy, painting—everything provided an immersive sensory experience as if returning to ancient times. Each of these services was worth a fortune. In short, it was one of the most extravagant places that Happy had criticized the most in his past life.
“A distinguished guest has arrived!”
Waiting inside the door was a beautiful woman in her thirties, full of charm. With a seductive glance, her eyes fell on Happy, and her sweet voice rang out: “Yunu, take the guest to the Tianxiang Tower’s number one VIP room.”
Accompanied by the scent of fragrance, a graceful girl lifted the beaded curtain and walked gracefully toward Happy, bowing respectfully: “Yunu greets you, sir. Please come this way…” Her voice was clear and melodious, with a slight sweetness that made one want to touch her delicate cheeks.
“…”
After all, Happy had seen many such grand displays in his past life, especially since he had parted ways with Zhou Zhiruo not long ago. He had some resistance to the stunning beauties in the martial world. He nodded and let Yunu lead the way, following a few steps behind her with a calm expression, unhurried.
To be honest, he was a bit uncomfortable with Bai Xiaosheng choosing such a busy and public place for their meeting. The capital was already a place full of rumors and intrigues.
But then he thought it was their first meeting, and places like Tianxiang Tower had their own charm. Perhaps Bai Xiaosheng thought it was his first time in the capital, so he wanted to arrange some entertaining activities here?
Well, whatever.
“Let’s see how the world’s richest man plans to have fun.”
Happy followed the gracefully moving Yunu slowly, weaving through the fragrant air, until they entered a luxurious and opulent courtyard that resembled a palace.
Tianxiang Pavilion!
Bai Xiaosheng, having received the message, had already arrived at the entrance. Dressed in plain white clothes, he stood at the door with a smile, flanked by two breathtakingly beautiful women—one with icy skin and a captivating aura; the other petite and lively, even more charming than Yunu who was guiding them.
After taking a quick glance, Happy smiled: “Haha, truly worthy of being the world’s richest man, ‘Bai Xiaosheng’! You’ve even managed to bring here the two most stunning beauties of Tianxiang Tower, ‘Little Moon Fairy’ and ‘Delicate Slave’—what a generous gesture!”