16 – Arriving at Jinling [1]

  Trundle, trundle…… Listening to the hypnotic, monotonous sound of the wheels, Xue Qilin propping her head with her hand couldn’t help but yawn . Her long strands of hair moved about . She was looking out of the window, bored .

  At first, she wondered if her hair would get messy if it hadn’t been washed for a few days, but today was the third day, yet her hair was still smooth .

  She was a bit speechless with this result . Could some mysterious change have occurred when I changed genders? Then she thought narcissistically – is that what they call flawless beauty?

  Whistling, a sparrow flew past in front of her eyes, as if it was used to the aura of humans .

  It’s already the 788th .

  After she left the Merak Palace and embarking on a journey to Jinling, the idle Xue Qilin has been counting the birds flying by the carriage .

  She was too idle .

  She hated traveling long-distance . Previously, due to some high-tech trinkets, she could still bear it . But now……

  Xue Qilin gave a deep sigh, relaxed her body, and fell backwards, lying on the floor . The floor of the carriage was paved with cushions . She rolled over, her delicate face rubbing lightly against the cushion .

  “Ah, I’m going insane!” After a while, unable to stand it, she shouted, and then buried her face in the cushion .

  The gentle sound of a page being turned entered her ears, and Xue Qilin lifted her head . Luo Qing kneel sitting beside her was quietly reading a book .

  She seemed to be reading a prose, novel ,or something the like . Xue Qilin has tried to read it before . Unfortunately, it was written in classical Chinese, which looked no different from an alien language . Although she could understand every word, but after the words were combined into a sentence, she could not make heads or tails of it .

  Xue Qilin slightly tilted her head . The petite Gong Tianqing huddled in a corner quietly embroidered what looked like a rabbit .

  Sigh, it’s so boring……

  “Little Qing…… we aren’t there yet?” Xue Qilin asked in a sullen voice .

  A bitter smile on her face, Luo Qing looked away from her book, shook her head, and uttered: “Not yet . ”


  “I’ve heard this answer 633 times!”


  In other words, she had asked this question 633 times .

  At first, Luo Qing would look out of the window before answering Xue Qilin, but this time, she answered without doing so .

  “Young Ancestor, this, this should be the 641st time……” Sitting in the corner, Gong Tianqing timidly corrected her, which made Xue Qilin feel embarrassed .

  “Whatever . Anyway, I’m bored!” Suddenly, Xue Qilin thought of something . Her eyes lit up, and she stared at Gong Tianqing: “Little Qing, let’s play a game?”


  “What, what game?” Gong Tianqing asked timidly .

  Nevertheless, she put down her embroidery, clearly a bit interested .

  After all, Gong Tianqing was only 14 years old . She was at the age of being fond of playing games . Despite being timid, the mention of a game still arose her interest .

  Xue Qilin sat up and rubbed her hands, saying: “Let’s play rock-paper-scissors . The winner shall pinch the face of the loser, what you say?”


  “This……” Gong Tianqing hesitated, looking very embarrassed .

  Maybe unable to stand it anymore, Luo Qing spoke: “Young Ancestor, it shouldn’t take long now . Just bear with it . ”


  “I don’t want to, I don’t want to!” Bored, Xue Qilin rolled around on the floor and acted all pampered, “I want to play, I want to play!”


  She seems to have forgotten the dignity that she, who was in heart, should have .

  “Ok, okay then!” Gong Tianqing reluctantly agreed .

  I can finally touch that adorable, tender face! Xue Qilin sat up with a whoosh and pulled up her sleeves, ready to rumble, “Come, come, come!”


  Luo Qing sighed helplessly . Xue Qilin failed to notice the look of pity in the other party’s eyes .

  “One, two, three!” At three, the two extended a hand at the same time .

  Xue Qilin looked at Gong Tianqing’s small hand clenched into a fist, and her face stiffened . She herself had scissors .

  “Young Ancestor, ple, please excuse this martial grand niece’s offense . ” Gong Tianqing reached out with her shivering hand .

  Xue Qilin gawked at the small lily-white palm approach, and then pinch her face .

  It was neither painful nor itchy, but the delicate sensation from the other party’s fingers was enough for Xue Qilin to relish in the sensation .

  Well, this game is really nice . She felt like she would profit no matter who won or lost . Until……

  Gong Tianqing had paper, while Xue Qilin gawked at her stone . Feeling like weeping, she looked at Gong Tianqing, who happily extended her hand and pinched her again .

  Heavens! This Little Qing is a wolf in sheep’s clothing .

  Up to now, they played a total of 288 times . Gong Tianqing’s record was 288 victories and 0 defeats . Xue Qilin suffered a crushing defeat .

  “Young Ancestor, do, do you want to continue?” Gong Tianqing seemed to be addicted to this game . Pinching a corner of her clothes, she looked at Xue Qilin with an expectant expression .

  “Continue! Why wouldn’t I continue?!” I don’t believe that I can’t pinch you once! Xue Qilin’s eyes were shot with blood, jut like the eyes of a gambler who was on a losing streak .

  Just as they were ready, and Xue Qilin was going to shout “one”, the carriage stopped .

  The initiate disciple Qian Duoduo responsible for driving the carriage opened the curtain, stuck his head inside, and spoke: “Young Ancestor, Elder Luo, Senior Disciple Sister Gong, we arrived . ”


  Arrived!? Xue Qilin hurriedly put on her shoes and stepped out of the carriage . Her buttocks felt sore . She really didn’t want to stay a second longer in the carriage .

  “At last!” With a light jump, Xue Qilin alighted the carriage, and then stretched herself without saying another word .

  Then, she started to do stretches, to work out the muscles of her sedentary body . At the same time, she complained in a low voice: “Anyway, how come Little Qing’s so fierce?!”


  “Young Ancestor, you mustn’t judge Qing’er by her appearance . She has never lost in a game . She’s also an expert in mahjong . ” Luo Qing uttered in amusement .

  Did she deliberately wait until now to tell me this? Xue Qilin was stunned, then wanted to complain, but finally, the scene reflected in her eyes left her speechless .

  Magnificent – probably only this word could describe the scenery in front of her .

  The tall and sturdy city wall continued without end in sight . Above the city gate, a big word was written – Jinling, exuding an overwhelming and ancient aura .

  Is this Jinling? Xue Qilin had often heard that ancient cities of China were a sight to behold, and today she finally realized what that really meant .

  In front of the city gate’s checkpoint was a long queue of people and carriages, and the carriage of Xue Qilin and company has just stopped at the end of the queue . Soon, however, some people appeared behind them . It was already dusk, yet there were still so many people rushing into the city, which was a testimony to the prosperity of the city .

  There were not only many people going in, but also many people going out of the city, with countless carriages and travelers passing by Xue Qilin . The wide road was extremely crowded .

  Looking at the frightening queue before her, a bitter expression crept onto Xue Qilin’s face . Well, yes, she hated queuing .

  Perhaps it was because the time to close the gate was nearing, but what looked like would take at least two hours to reach the checkpoint, unexpectedly, took less than 30 minutes .

  The process of customs clearance was much simpler than what Xue Qilin had imagined . According to Luo Qing, the people of Demimonde just hand to hand over two silver coins before being waved in by the soldiers .

  The space before her eyes widened, and a dense crowd of buildings filled her field of vision . The broad road ahead of her was full of people .

  “Elder Luo, where are we going next?”


  “The Qinhuai Inn along the Qinhuai River . ”


  Suddenly, Xue Qilin butted in and asked: “How far is that?”


  Luo Qing thought for a moment before answering softly: “It’s some distance away . ”


  “Let’s walk there . I really don’t want to sit any more . ” Saying that, Xue Qilin shivered . She really had enough .

  In conclusion, Qian Duoduo drove ahead in the carriage, while Xue Qilin and the other two girls followed behind .

  Although everything on the road seemed novel, but soon, Xue Qilin got tired, looked away, and started a conversation: “When is that damn banquet?”


  “Tomorrow evening . ”


  “What shall we do later? We’re not going directly to bed, right?”


  “What else can we do apart from going to bed?”


  When Xue Qilin thought carefully, she felt like the other party was making sense . People of ancient times went to bed very early . By the time they settled down, she reckoned that all the shops would be closed .

  “Anyhow, someone is tailing us ever since we entered the city . ” Xue Qilin’s eyes narrowed, yet her tone was leisurely . She had long since noticed that there were eyes focused on her .

  “Some, someone is tailing us? Scared, Gong Tianqing jumped up and looked around . With this action, Xue Qilin suddenly no longer felt the eyes glued on her . But she guessed that the other party just looked away for a moment, and didn’t give up tracking them . This was the intuition of a fighter .

  “Qing’er, don’t be nervous . ” Luo Qing soothed Gong Tianqing, and then continued indifferently: “It should be someone from the Heavenly Sword Sect . ”


  Her tone of voice lacked any surprise . Apparently, she has expected as much .

  “So we’ll just have him follow us?”


  “He probably just wants to know where we’re going to stay . ”


  “What of it?” Xue Qilin was confused .

  Luo Qing sighed and said helplessly: “It’s all for the purpose of sounding us out at night . ”


  “Hey! That sounds fun!” Xue Qilin’s originally listless eyes suddenly glowed with astonishing brilliance .

  Well, she has been bored to the core .

  *

  Qinhuai Inn – the word qinhuai refers to the Qinhuai River running through Jinling City . The inn was built along the Qinhuai River, which shows its importance . According to Luo Qing, the Qinhuai Inn was indeed one of the best hotels in Jinling . In addition to its main building, the Qinhuai Inn also included several courtyards for extremely wealthy people or caravans . Luo Qing casually picked one of the courtyards . Following which, Xue Qilin had a thought – it seems that Qi Qiqi’s wallet is quite full .

  Although the courtyard of the Qinhuai Inn was indeed luxurious, far surpassing Xue Qilin’s courtyard in the Snow-facing Abode, but she didn’t seem to care too much about that . After she put down her luggage, she left in a hurry . She went outside and, with a light bounce, jumped onto the roof .

  “So you were here, Young Ancestor…… I’ll have someone prepare hot water, do you also want?” A voice came from below .

  It was Luo Qing . She seemed to have been looking for Xue Qilin for a while .

  “No need, wait until I’m done with my exercise!”


  “Exercise?”


  “Didn’t you say that people from the Heavenly Sword Sect will come to feel us out? I’m waiting here for them!”


  Luo Qing was stunned at once, then immediately shook her head, and said no more . She turned around and left ……

  This wait took a whole night .

  The moment dawn arrived, Xue Qilin with dark circles around her eyes suddenly stood up and cursed in rage: “Heavenly Sword Sect! This hatred is absolutely irreconcilable!”


  [1] – Golden Hill was changed to Jinling, which is an old name for Nanjing