The permanent population of Qinghe County City exceeds ten million, and its vastness can be imagined. Although the main streets within the city are very wide, the Snow Treading Horse could only move forward at a 'strolling' pace. It took nearly an hour to travel the eighty miles from the city gate to Longshan Tower, and it was already completely dark.
"Finally here." Dongbo Xueying looked at the Longshan Tower before him.
In front of Longshan Tower, huge crystal lamps illuminated the area, making it much more magnificent than the Longshan Tower in Yishui County. The massive courtyard walls alone covered an area of one or two li.
There were also large groups of guards patrolling around.
"Get off the horse." The two black-armored guards standing at the main gate had an imposing aura, likely at least at the Flowing Star level.
Dongbo Xueying also dismounted, flipped his hand to show the black iron token, and said, "The county city should have received news of my arrival."
One of the black-armored guards walked over and smiled, "Are you Dongbo Xueying from Yishui County?"
"It's me," Dongbo Xueying nodded.
"We have already received news of your arrival. Hand over your horse to me, and you can go in. Someone will take you to your accommodation." The black-armored guard helped lead the horse.
"Thank you for the trouble." Dongbo Xueying handed over the horse and entered through the main gate of Longshan Tower's massive courtyard.
Inside the vast Longshan Tower, green trees provided shade, and the flowers and plants were very beautiful.
Crystal lamps were scattered among the flowers and plants. Although it was already dark, the entire Longshan Tower was almost everywhere illuminated by the crystal lamps.
"Lord Dongbo, please follow me." A maid greeted him, "Visitors from outside are all accommodated in the Jiahuigarden on the east side. A small courtyard has been specially prepared for you in Jiahuigarden! It's best not to leave Jiahuigarden... other places might be important areas of Longshan Tower. Someone will come to take you to meet the tower lord early tomorrow morning."
"Alright." Dongbo Xueying nodded.
Inside Longshan Tower, the stone-paved paths were surrounded by various exotic flowers and lush vegetation. Even on some courtyard walls, faint patterns of magical arrays could be seen.
After a short walk, they arrived at a garden gate.
"This is Jiahuigarden." The maid led the way, "Your small courtyard is inside."
"There are quite a few courtyards here." Dongbo Xueying smiled and glanced around, seeing dozens of small courtyards, arranged in two rows, facing each other.
"The county city has many tasks, and experts from all over often come. Today is relatively quiet, and Jiahuigarden is only half full. Usually, the entire Jiahuigarden isn't enough to accommodate everyone." The maid smiled, "This is your accommodation for tonight." She then pushed open the courtyard gate.
Suddenly, the door of the opposite small courtyard creaked open.
Dongbo Xueying turned to look.
The door of the opposite courtyard opened, and a maid carrying a tray came out, while a young woman in a green robe was about to close the door. She also saw Dongbo Xueying and immediately understood that this black-robed young man was the one who would be staying in the opposite courtyard.
"Female mage." Dongbo Xueying could sense it.
This young woman in a green robe had the unique mysterious aura of a mage, which was actually the aura of magic! She also emitted a faint coldness, something Dongbo Xueying was very familiar with, as his mother and brother specialized in ice magic. The woman before him was clearly also an expert in this area.
"However, her aura feels even stronger than Bai Yuanzhi." Dongbo Xueying was surprised.
He was surprised by the young woman's appearance and her youth!
His brother was the most handsome man he had ever seen. And this young woman in a green robe... was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen! Her beauty was like an ice lotus on a snowy mountain, with a very unique aura. In Yishui County, there were also many beautiful women, and Youyue was one of the top ten most beautiful women he had seen.
But this young woman in a green robe made Dongbo Xueying instantly recognize her as the most beautiful, due to her unique aura!
"Mages are full of wisdom, and the more powerful the mage, the more knowledgeable they are. This woman looks so young, yet seems even stronger than Bai Yuanzhi." Dongbo Xueying was somewhat surprised.
However, he did not know.
While he was surprised by her, the young woman in the green robe also felt a sense of extraordinary presence from the young man before her. Years of studying the natural world... made Dongbo Xueying's sharpness more internalized, and his aura more natural and simple. It was this internalized simplicity that made the young woman in the green robe secretly surprised: "He is clearly not a mage, yet his mind is so well-trained?"
Mages place great importance on the mind and soul.
...
The two merely glanced at each other and politely nodded and smiled.
"Creak." The young woman in the green robe closed the courtyard gate.
Dongbo Xueying also entered his own courtyard.
"Lord Dongbo, I will bring your food shortly, and I won't disturb you further." The maid then left.
******
The next morning.
Not long after finishing breakfast, a maid from Longshan Tower came to invite Dongbo Xueying, as the details of the task would be announced today.
In a quiet hall.
Dongbo Xueying entered the hall and immediately saw a white-haired, robust old man. The old man also nodded slightly at Dongbo Xueying.
"Lord, please find a seat. Once everyone is here, the tower lord will arrive soon." The maid said.
After sitting down,
Dongbo Xueying picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down. Someone else entered the hall, and it was the young woman in the green robe he had seen the previous night. The young woman in the green robe glanced around and saw the white-haired, robust old man and Dongbo Xueying. She was somewhat surprised, thinking it was quite a coincidence to meet again after staying in the opposite courtyard last night. She nodded slightly at the two and sat down.
"Is it Mage Jingqiu?" The white-haired, robust old man's eyes lit up, and he said, "I didn't expect to meet Mage Jingqiu here. What a coincidence, I am Tang Xiong!"
Dongbo Xueying was somewhat surprised.
Some of the powerful figures in Qinghe County were listed by Longshan Tower, and he had read about them.
Tang Xiong was fine, a Silver Moon Knight over 160 years old. At his age, there was little hope of breaking through to the Title level.
As for Mage Jingqiu... she was extraordinary.
She was a pride of Qinghe County, Yu Jingqiu, from an ordinary family, who entered Changfeng Academy to study magic. At the age of twenty, she broke through to the Flowing Star level and was retained to teach at Changfeng Academy. At the age of twenty-three, she broke through to the Silver Moon level! According to the records, Yu Jingqiu should now be only twenty-five years old.
At twenty-five, she was already a seasoned Silver Moon Mage, a talent that was indeed terrifying. A Transcendent Mage at Changfeng Academy had taken her as a personal disciple, and at such a young age, she had a more than 90% chance of reaching the Title level.
"So it's her." Dongbo Xueying was somewhat enlightened.
"Ha ha ha..." Suddenly, two more people entered.
A somewhat cold young man and a black-haired old man.
The cold young man was dressed in fine clothing, and the robe he wore could cause the surrounding aura to change, clearly a powerful alchemical armor.
"Jingqiu, I didn't expect you to be here too." The cold young man was excited, "Ha ha, I chose a task at random for this training trip, and I didn't expect to meet you, Jingqiu. What a coincidence, we must be very fated."
The young woman in the green robe frowned slightly, "It is quite a coincidence."
The cold young man glanced around, seeing the white-haired old man and a younger black-robed young man, which made him somewhat displeased. He glanced at the white-haired, robust old man and casually said, "Move aside."
"Is it Lord Bai Rong?" The white-haired, robust old man, Tang Xiong, obediently moved aside, not wanting to disturb him and the female mage.
Bai Rong?
Dongbo Xueying also understood who he was, Si Bai Rong!
He was one of the top figures among the younger generation of the Si family in Qinghe County. Si Bai Rong was in his fifties, a Silver Moon Knight with a lifespan of nearly two hundred years. At his age, he could still maintain a youthful appearance! Because he was relatively young, he had a good chance of breaking through to the Title level in the future. Therefore, his status in the Si family was quite high.
The Si family dominated Qinghe County.
If they said you were guilty, you were guilty! Even a fellow Silver Moon Knight like Tang Xiong was somewhat fawning, as he couldn't afford to offend them. It was a small matter for the Si family to find a reason to arrest a Silver Moon Knight. Only those who broke through to the Title level had the power to crush the mundane, and only families established by Title-level figures had the right to speak on equal terms with the Si family.
The cold young man then sat next to the female mage, quite close, "Jingqiu, why do you always avoid me? It really hurts me."
Swish.
The young woman in the green robe stood up and left her seat. The hall wasn't very large, so she glanced around and walked to Dongbo Xueying's side, sitting down a seat away.
"Jingqiu." The cold young man, Si Bai Rong, walked over and suddenly glanced at Dongbo Xueying, clearly finding him a nuisance. He frowned and said coldly, "Move aside."
Dongbo Xueying held his teacup, took a sip, and ignored him.
Si Bai Rong's face immediately turned sour.
"Humph!" Si Bai Rong snorted coldly.
"Ha ha, everyone is here?" A laugh came from outside, and a red-robed bald old man walked in.