Chapter 160: A Trip Out of the Palace, Nangong Mian’s Old Home
“…”
The etiquette official’s momentary look of surprise didn’t escape Luo Xue’s notice, and her expression turned serious.
From her expression and words, it seemed that the etiquette official knew about this.
She knew “Luo Xue,” and also knew that Concubine Min was acquainted with “Luo Xue.”
But she hadn’t told Concubine Min’s daughter…
There must be a hidden reason.
However, Luo Xue didn’t ask.
Since the etiquette official didn’t intend to tell her, asking would probably be futile.
“Since there are no lessons today, Madam, can I leave the palace for a while?”
Luo Xue blinked, a hopeful expression on her face.
“…You can leave the palace, but not alone, Your Highness. This is for your safety.”
The etiquette official’s expression softened slightly.
“Your Highness must find this old servant’s constant nagging annoying. I won’t follow you, but someone still has to protect you.”
“It’s not that I find you annoying, Madam, I just want to… clear my head…” Luo Xue lowered her head slightly, looking at the ground. “It’s fine if someone accompanies me… but I don’t want anyone from the palace.”
The people in the palace were too shrewd. Luo Xue’s every move would be watched. She didn’t want to be constrained after leaving the palace.
The etiquette official paused, then realized that Her Highness had just returned from the Cold Palace and probably hadn’t recovered from her encounter with her Mother Concubine.
She needed some time to clear her head, and the people in the palace would only remind her of unpleasant things… It seemed she could only ask her for help.
“I understand, Your Highness just wants to go out with Nangong Mian, I’ll contact her for you.” The etiquette official said faintly.
“Sister Mian? Yes, yes!”
Luo Xue’s face lit up with genuine joy this time.
This was an unexpected surprise. Nangong Mian was a naive and easily fooled girl.
And Luo Xue also wanted to learn more about the Nangong clan.
But seeing the etiquette official’s expression, Luo Xue seemed to realize something and coughed awkwardly, lowering her head slightly.
“Ahem…”
Had she been too happy… The madam still had some strange misunderstandings.
Looking at the seemingly shy Princess Xue, the etiquette official could only sigh.
Her Highness hadn’t given up… her worries from yesterday seemed to be true.
Well, Nangong Mian would be leaving the Imperial Sacred Land in a few days anyway.
By the time they met again, it would be many years later.
By then, Her Highness should have matured and learned to let go of such inappropriate feelings.
“Your Highness, please wait in your palace for a while. This old servant will go and make arrangements…”
The etiquette official stood up, paused, and then added,
“But I still have to remind you that even within the Imperial Sacred Land, under His Majesty’s protection, there are still many unsavory characters. Your Highness, please be discreet and don’t attract attention.”
“Okay, I understand.”
Luo Xue nodded obediently and sat down on the bed.
The etiquette official didn’t say anything more, bowed, and hurriedly left.
…
Noon, Imperial Sacred Land.
The imperial palace complex stood atop the immortal mountain, and surrounding the mountain was the renowned Imperial Sacred Land, the Great Qin Imperial Capital.
As the center of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, this place was where the dynasty’s fortune converged, blessed by the Immortal Emperor, comparable to the best blessed lands.
And it wasn’t just a capital city, but more like a vast nation.
The territory encompassed by the Imperial Capital was comparable to one of the nine provinces.
Besides those born here, only cultivators at Foundation Establishment and above could enter the Great Qin Imperial Capital.
In other words, a Foundation Establishment cultivator who could control wind and rain in a city within the nine provinces and four domains could only be considered an ordinary person in the Great Qin Imperial Capital.
The prosperous Imperial Capital was divided into several rings, one nested within another.
The further in, the higher the quality of spiritual energy, and therefore, the higher the required cultivation level for entry and residence.
The innermost first and second rings were only for the imperial family—although the imperial family wasn’t as large as the ancient clans, it wasn’t just a few royal members either.
Luo Xue had six older brothers and four older sisters, most of whom had already started their own families and had descendants, some even having over a hundred generations.
If she followed the proper address, they would have to call Luo Xue “Great-Great-Grandmother”…
Of course, Luo Xue had a title, and they usually addressed her as “Your Highness Princess Xue.”
The most noble members of the imperial family, like Luo Xue, naturally lived within the imperial palace.
And those next in line lived within the first and second rings of the Great Qin Imperial Capital.
It was worth mentioning that Nangong Mian’s residence was within the first ring because she was a member of the Empress’s family—and the Empress, after all, was also part of the imperial family…
However, Luo Xue wasn’t interested in the first or second rings. She found even the imperial palace boring, let alone these places that imitated it.
The same went for the inner rings. She came out to understand this world, so she wouldn’t be clueless when she eventually escaped.
It was always good to plan ahead. Luo Xue felt this was increasingly necessary.
But the etiquette official wouldn’t allow her to go to the outer rings. Although the Imperial Capital was the safest place in this world, Princess Xue’s safety was paramount, so they compromised and chose the fifteenth ring.
A small girl in a light gauze veil and bamboo hat walked ahead excitedly, while a slightly taller girl yawned and followed sleepily behind.
“Xue… slow down…”
Nangong Mian rubbed her eyes, struggling to stay awake, and sighed.
“Sister Mian, what’s wrong?” Luo Xue couldn’t help but smile wryly. She stopped and looked back. “Aren’t you a cultivator? Why are you so sleepy?”
“I haven’t slept in days… Now that we’re in the Imperial Capital, I have to have some fun before leaving.” Nangong Mian said helplessly. “And my cultivation technique doesn’t involve meditation… I’m not good at staying up late.”
“It doesn’t have to be like this, does it?” Luo Xue blinked.
No wonder Nangong Mengxiang had to sleep almost every night… so that was it…
“Eh, who knew you would suddenly want to leave the palace… and Madam dragged me along.” Nangong Mian rubbed her temples and quickened her pace to catch up with Luo Xue. “Not that I don’t like it… but it would have been nice to have some notice.”
She had treated yesterday as her last day in the Imperial Capital, planning to sleep all the way back to the Nangong Sacred Land.
After all, when Nangong Mian came to the Imperial Capital from the Nangong Sacred Land, she had already been awake for almost a month…
She was only at the peak of Foundation Establishment and couldn’t stay awake for decades like those powerful cultivators.
And with the Desolate Extinction Scripture, it was probably impossible anyway.
“How about, Sister Mian, you go back and sleep first?” Luo Xue suggested. “I can walk around by myself.”
“…Xue, if I dared to do that, Madam and Sixth Granduncle would kill me.”
Nangong Mian looked deeply at Luo Xue. Did this princess not realize how important her status was in the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty?
One of the Immortal Emperor’s only eleven children, even in other immortal dynasties, they would send an entire elite squad to protect her, in case of any accidents.
Even now, although seemingly only accompanied by Nangong Mian, there were many eyes and ears watching them, just not as closely.
“Mmm…”
Because her memories hadn’t fully merged, Luo Xue subconsciously still saw herself as she was in her previous lives.
Her status in this life was very high…
“It’s fine, I’ll just wake up a bit more.”
Nangong Mian slapped her cheeks hard, startling the people around her, who quickly moved away, thinking she was crazy.
“It’s also fine… I’ll just walk slower.”
Luo Xue slowed down, walking beside Nangong Mian, whose face was slightly red (from slapping herself).
Although Luo Xue was sixteen years old now, considered an adult in the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, her physique was still small.
Although Nangong Mian wasn’t as tall as Nangong Mengxiang, she still had a normal build for a young woman, at 1.6 meters tall, half a head taller than Luo Xue.
Walking together, they looked like sisters.
Luo Xue was simply dressed in a plain dress and a light gauze veil and bamboo hat to conceal her hair and face.
The name of Princess Xue was known throughout the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, and every silver-haired girl would attract attention. Luo Xue didn’t want to be noticed.
Nangong Mian was much more casual. This wasn’t the Sun and Moon Twin Halls, so she didn’t have to wear elaborate formal attire.
To Luo Xue’s surprise, she was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt and a knee-length skirt.
If not for the fact that the style of these clothes wasn’t much different from the clothing in the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, Luo Xue would have suspected that there were fellow transmigrators here.
“Xue, where do you want to go?” Nangong Mian asked.
They were currently near the residential area of the fifteenth ring. There were many buildings here, rented out by various factions in the Imperial Capital, equipped with cultivation formations.
Most cultivators who came to the Imperial Capital couldn’t afford to buy a residence and would rent one here.
“Hmm…”
Luo Xue thought for a moment. She actually wanted to go to a free market.
Such places were more chaotic, and she could obtain a lot of information just by listening to people’s conversations.
But needless to say, if she suggested it, Nangong Mian would definitely object.
Nangong Mian wouldn’t dare to take the princess to such a place…
“Is there an auction house for cultivators here? I want to take a look.” Luo Xue asked. “Also, didn’t Madam say she would arrange for me to start cultivating? It would be good to learn some things in advance.”
Auction houses were another type of chaotic place, but because they had some rules, they weren’t as disorderly as free markets.
And… to be honest, after cultivating for so long, Luo Xue had never been to such a classic place.
She had planned to go during her last trip to Ghost Demon Pass, but what happened later… was better left unsaid.
“There should be, no problem, I’ll find one.”
Nangong Mian’s expression relaxed, seeing that Luo Xue’s request wasn’t too unreasonable.
“However, we’re probably not lucky enough to encounter a large-scale auction, at most just some daily auctions and exhibitions.”
Large-scale auctions required preparation, while daily auctions were for less valuable items.
As for exhibitions, some rare but not particularly valuable items would be displayed in the auction house’s exhibition hall.
These items could be bought outright, or one could place a bid, and if no one offered a higher price by the end of the exhibition, they could obtain the item.
However, most items in the exhibition hall were bought outright.
Nangong Mian specialized in collecting resources from Foundation Establishment secret realms in the Nangong Sacred Land, and she also needed to exchange some of these resources for things she could use, so she was naturally very familiar with these matters.
Therefore, when Luo Xue mentioned the auction house, Nangong Mian felt right at home, even her drowsiness disappeared.
With her keen sense for auction houses, it didn’t take long for Nangong Mian to lead Luo Xue to one.
“Yo, it’s this one again.” Nangong Mian looked up at the signboard and immediately smiled. “I almost forgot, it’s a chain.”
Luo Xue also looked up. The auction house’s signboard was a large hammer striking the sky, without any words.
“The Big Hammer Auction House, that’s what I call it.”
Nangong Mian told Luo Xue casually, without lowering her voice, instantly attracting the attention of those around them.
These gazes weren’t friendly, some were slightly displeased, and some seemed to be mocking Nangong Mian for being a country bumpkin, not even recognizing the famous Tianlie Auction House in the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty.
However, not many noticed Luo Xue. She was small and quiet.
“I’m very familiar with this place. Come, I’ll show you around.”
Nangong Mian became excited and, even forgetting their difference in status, took Luo Xue’s hand for the first time and led her into the Tianlie Auction House.
If the auction house was a home, then the Tianlie Auction House was Nangong Mian’s old home.
Every time she fenced stolen goods… no, every time she dealt with resources, there would always be some things that other auction houses couldn’t or wouldn’t accept.
Only the Tianlie Auction House took everything, so Nangong Mian had a very favorable impression of this place.
However… this wasn’t the Nangong Sacred Land.
Just as Nangong Mian was about to enter the auction house, the guard at the door stopped them with his spear.
“Ladies, you can’t enter.”
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