Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 526 - 340: Night Talk

Chapter 526: Chapter 340: Night Talk

Everything under the heavens, stirred by profit’s attraction, moves in pursuit of gain.

The snow-covered Guangyang City was still bustling with bright lights filling the streets at night, but compared to the usual poets and literati, dandies and beauties, the sidewalks were now crowded with martial artists swinging their swords.

Even deep into the night, the taverns and Hook Bars along the commercial streets occasionally erupted with hearty laughter.

Looking through the carriage’s one-way screen at the worldly pleasures of the streets, Xu Yuan felt a rare touch of the hustle and bustle.

The common folk were noisy and bustling, vendors shouted their sales pitches, and flower boats moored for the night gently floated on the Jinhuai River, while the splendidly dressed courtesans beneath the Hook Bars continuously drew the gazes of men passing by.

The current magistrate of Guangyang Prefecture was an officer who knew how to please; the temporary residence prepared for the two Princes was located beside the Tianming River.

A standard riverside villa.

Of course, the residence was not arranged directly in the magistrate’s name; after all, a property in that area started at thousands of silver taels, and with Formation Patterns added, it could even exceed tens of thousands of silver taels, far beyond what a mere magistrate could afford with his salary.

Instead, it was donated in the name of a wealthy merchant in the city.

Although it was not explicitly stated, it was indeed a gift.

Who would dare to let others live in a place where two noble Princes had resided?

Want to lose your head?

Before leaving, Xu Yuan heard from Lou Ji, the young aunt, that this wealthy merchant seemed to be one of the magistrate’s puppets.

Giving away something worth ten thousand silver taels—over the years, the magistrate must have embezzled a considerable amount of silver.

But he was competent, did his job well, and was very understanding; with backers in the court, no one investigated him.

Out of curiosity, Xu Yuan asked roughly how much had been embezzled.

Lou Ji casually replied to him, "Over a hundred thousand."

Being in charge of a provincial capital on a transportation hub and only embezzling just over a hundred thousand taels after nearly ten years in office was indeed quite clean.

Thinking of this,

Xu Yuan figured that he should also be able to shake down a nice sum.

At the very least, with his status, securing a riverside villa in this city would definitely be no problem.

But on second thought, he decided against it since he had not dared to leave the capital in recent years; owning real estate would be useless to him.

While musing, Xu Yuan suddenly noticed that the carriage had already passed through the most bustling Yusu District of Guangyang City and had entered Linjiang Road beside the endlessly flowing Tianming River.

The crowd had thinned considerably, but there were more night patrols carrying swords; they moved in groups of three, with a team appearing every few streets.

This area was the true district of power in Guangyang City.

The residences of Sect disciples, wealthy merchants, and high-ranking officials were mostly within this first circle.

Because of the distinctive black dragon on the carriage, there were no fools who dared to stop Xu Yuan for checks, and encounters with other expensive carriages would yield way from a distance.

Leaning back on the soft couch, listlessly admiring the river scene beneath the snow, Xu Yuan casually asked:

"Mr. Wang, how much longer until we arrive?"

Mr. Wang was the man in black who had knelt in the snow earlier.

Lou Ji seemed very aware that, with his personality, he would not tolerate it and would definitely find trouble with Li Zhaoyuan, so she had him stay beforehand to guide the horse and lead the way for Xu Yuan.

As the words fell, the respectful voice of the man in black guiding the horse outside replied:

"Young Master, we will arrive after passing two more districts."

"Hmm."

Xu Yuan hummed softly in acknowledgment, then asked curiously, "Mr. Wang, Lou Ji made you kneel in the snow for so long earlier. You, as a Great Grandmaster, surely must feel some dissatisfaction, right?"

A Great Grandmaster was indeed among the elite at the pinnacle of this world, and even in the Prime Minister’s Mansion, they were treated highly, just like Zhou Chen and Sizi Yu, who were usually addressed with respect.

But it seems to be different for Lou Ji’s Black Scale Guards.

"I dare not," the man in black immediately responded.

"Just dare not, so there is some, huh?"

"...."

The man outside froze, beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and as he was about to open his mouth to explain, he heard that gentle voice inside the carriage speak up again:

"Nevermind, you Black Scale Guards are all more mysterious than the next, hmm... Since you just said we are close, does that boy, Li Junqing, also live here?"

"...."

Listening to the irreverent tone used for the Imperial Family inside the carriage, the man in black tightened his grip on the reins and said:

"The temporary residence of the Third Prince is right next to that of the Second Prince. Would you like to visit?"

Xu Yuan, reclining against the soft couch and tapping his fingers on the window lattice, propping his chin, said:

"Call him out for me; it’s been a while, and I kind of miss him."

The hesitant voice of the man in black:

"To—notify him?"

"Just convey the message directly," Xu Yuan said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "As a Great Grandmaster, your Will-spirit should be able to cover the entire residence, right?"

"Yes, I can, but now deep into the night, it would be intrusive to use Will-spirit to probe inside...

"Right, that kid is never happy without women around him, and now with the magistrate footing the bill, I guess he’s had courtesans summoned again."

The man in black let out a sigh of relief:

"Then, Young Master, shall we go through the gatekeeper..."

"You seem to have cultivated a Cultivation Technique related to the sound path? Just shout it out, tell him Xu Changtian misses him."

"Third Young Master, now that the nobles of Guangyang City are gathered, and it’s late into the night, I fear causing disturbance..."

"Whoever dislikes it can come to me directly. What are you afraid of?"

"...." the man in black.

"..."

"..."

Amidst the tumultuous snow night and the gurgling river, the tranquility was suddenly broken by a deep voice:

"Third Prince, my Young Master invites you out for a chat!"

The voice, bolstered by enormous Origin Qi, was deafening; the icicles hanging under the exquisite attics shattered into Ice Crystals, spreading out from the front gate of the estate.