At this moment, even the hidden corners that no one ever noticed were unable to escape his perception.

He could perceive that behind the cabinet, the wall was already moldy, a patch of moss creeping across it.

Beneath the bed, a spider was busily reinforcing its web, and there were even two tiny victims already suspended in its silken threads.

In just a dozen breaths, He Lingchuan had mapped every detail of his room. This was supposed to be one of Shihuan City’s finest inns, and he was staying in one of its best chambers. Yet in the unseen, shadowy corners, it was still… less than clean.

Hm, there are even two copper coins lodged in the cracks of the floorboards.

Even though he was a beginner, he felt that his spiritual sense was steady enough for him to extend it further outward, and so he did. He attempted to have his spiritual sense explore beyond the confines of the room he was in.

The wall by the door was too thick, so his spiritual sense could not quite push or make its way through. Hence, he turned toward the window instead.

All at once, his mind and spirit cleared. It was as if he had broken free of some invisible shackles. The room around him came into view again, now sharper than before.

A wave of delight surged through He Lingchuan. With a single thought, he had reached the realm of “spiritual projection,” where spiritual sense leaped free of the body’s confines and expanded outward on a wide scale.

He “saw” the medicine ape squatting beside an oversized pill furnace, hands weaving seals as it refined medicine. Mao Tao was tidying up the courtyard when a glimmer caught his eye beneath a tree root. He quickly dug with his dagger and pried out a small chunk of broken silver. Beaming, he bit it to test.

At that moment, He Yue walked in, glancing around. “Where’s my big brother?”

Mao Tao answered, “The eldest young master is cultivating. He said not to disturb him.”

“Do you think you can hurry him along? We’re leaving soon.” With that, He Yue stepped back out, bathed in sunlight.

He Lingchuan wanted to follow, but the instant his spiritual sense touched the sunlit ground, a stabbing pain pierced his head like needles. He cried out involuntarily.

The shout echoed in his room, snapping him back to awareness. He automatically withdrew from meditation, clutching his head as the ache lingered.

This was the price of overreaching.

A beginner’s spirit and soul were still fragile. Even though the sun was already merely an hour from setting, the true fire it contained was far beyond what he could endure. If a stray soul were caught in sunlight, it would instantly be annihilated. His living soul was stronger and more robust, but even so, overconfidence could easily turn to disaster.

He shook his head, breathing through the pain. Didn’t the Meridian Art say that the first attempt at “Opening Heaven’s Eye” carries an eighty percent failure rate? Why does it seem like I succeeded quite easily? I even managed to project my spirit.

Does this mean that my spirit and soul are stronger than most?

Well, I guess that makes sense. My soul has lived through two lives, after all.

Pleased with himself, He Lingchuan pushed open the door.

Mao Tao rushed up. “Young Master, you’ve finally finished! The sun’s almost down!”

“Tell the innkeeper to bring hot water. I need a bath.”

“Yes.” Mao Tao turned to do as he was told, but He Lingchuan’s eyes fell on the tree root where he had been digging earlier. He said casually, “You do know that cats and dogs love to piss on cracks like those, right? That’s where they tend to mark their territory.”

Mao Tao’s face turned green. He spat several times in disgust.

Before he could straighten up, He Lingchuan kicked him lightly behind the knee. “Go fetch my hot water, now!”

“Yes.” Still gagging and bewildered, Mao Tao shuffled off. Did the young master say that because he saw me digging earlier? Could he have been peeking through the door crack earlier?

The thought sent a chill crawling down his spine.

Just then, Madame Ying’s servant arrived with a set of fine robes, urging the eldest young master to wash and dress. He Lingchuan bathed away the sweat of training, bound up his hair, and donned the new attire. Before long, he looked the very image of a spirited young lord.

That night, the Zhu Family was holding a banquet at Luming Garden to celebrate Zhu Xiu’er’s return. And the He Family was set to attend.

* * *

“Is this Luming Garden really up in the mountains?” Madame Ying lifted the carriage curtain to peer outside. Night had already fallen, hiding the scenery. Only the black silhouette of Mount Bijia loomed against the sky.

The family’s carriage wound along the mountain road. It was no narrow goat path but a broad highway wide enough for three carriages to ride abreast. The afternoon snowfall had ceased, and workers had cleared the way, allowing the black stone pavement beneath to show.

The carriage rolled smoothly, no different from how it would in the streets in the city.

As dusk deepened, braziers were lit on both sides of the road to guide the way up the mountain.

Madame Ying leaned out the window. Ahead of them, beyond the blazing braziers, countless points of light snaked along the winding slope, a glittering dragon of lanterns stretching into the distance, each of which marked a carriage heading for Luming Garden.

Every one of those lights likely belonged to a noble family, a great clan, or a wealthy household of Shihuan City. She drew her rabbit-fur cloak tighter around her shoulders, exhaling a plume of white breath. “Just how many families are climbing the mountain tonight!”

Fixer Liu sat with them in the carriage, offering his commentary on the situation. He craned his head out for a look, then drew it back with a smile. “Many of the imperial relatives, aristocrats, and magnates from the capital have purchased estates in Shihuan City. It is, after all, the secondary capital. Furthermore, there are fewer restrictions in place here, and homes are close to the river, making them more comfortable to live in. And since Lord Zhu chose Luming Garden for tonight’s banquet, I’d say half the city’s noble families will be making an appearance.”

Madame Ying asked curiously, “Is there something special about Luming Garden?”

“There is, indeed.” Fixer Liu pointed up the mountain with his thumb. “It’s one of the imperial family’s hunting estates.”

The He Family stirred with surprise. He Yue could not help blurting, “Lord Zhu can host a banquet in an imperial hunting estate?” For him to flaunt his family’s joy on such a scale, should the Emperor not have censured him for it?

“Back in the days of the founding emperor, Mount Bijia was fenced off, stocked with deer, hares, boars, sheep, and even a few wolves as game for the hunt. The compound at the summit became known as Luming Garden[1],” Fixer Liu spoke nonstop, clearly familiar with the story. “In the late emperor’s time, though, there were already three imperial hunting villas near the capital, all larger and closer to the palace than this one. His Majesty said there was no need for so many hunting areas, saying that it would be better not to waste them. Hence, Shihuan City’s Luming Garden was opened to the public. Any official of sufficient rank could rent it for a banquet, though the price is more than several times that of the best city restaurants.”

Fixer Liu chuckled and added, “But the estate keeps imperial chefs on staff, and from the tableware to the protocols, everything is of the highest grade. That’s why the place is always booked solid. You have to reserve at least half a month in advance.”

Expensive meant prestigious. If even the Emperor had dined and hunted there, then Luming Garden naturally became the pinnacle of wealth and status. It was no wonder that the gentry flocked to it.

“So the late emperor was this down-to-earth?” Madame Ying sighed.

He Chunhua said nothing. He Lingchuan, however, gave a short, derisive laugh.

Madame Ying shot him a glare. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing. Just that the carriage up ahead has lost its lantern. The driver can’t seem to light it again.” He Lingchuan pointed forward. Only then did he notice that the vehicle was smaller and shabbier than the others. It was plainly a hired carriage, and it looked quite out of place amid the procession of grand coaches.

Which fallen noble family does that belong to?

Madame Ying knew her eldest was only making excuses, but he cracked open a melon seed and said nothing further, smiling to himself.

Only her younger son thoughtfully explained, “Mother, what he means is that the late emperor was pragmatic. After the floods in the Hongchuan sixteen years ago, the treasury has been running deficits. I’ve heard the state has been spending beyond its means for years, the shortfall only growing.”

At the mention of finances, Madame Ying blinked, suddenly understanding.

So, the state was broke, and the late emperor had no choice but to turn even the imperial hunting estates into revenue streams.

“Don’t underestimate Luming Garden’s revenue.” Fixer Liu chuckled. “I’ve heard that just last year alone, it raked in two hundred thousand taels of silver.”

Madame Ying was moved. “So it really is a golden goose!”

“The wealthy of the capital are fat and flush, thick-necked and broad-bellied,” He Lingchuan muttered, then asked Fixer Liu, “Whose carriage is that up ahead?”

Fixer Liu leaned out for a look, then shook his head. “There’s no family insignia, nor a surname on the lanterns, and the coach itself is clearly rented. They’re likely just some petty official. Tonight’s banquet is packed with dignitaries, and it’s a rare chance for small fry to cling to the great and powerful.”

Mount Bijia was not tall, no more than two hundred meters in height, so the winding road ended quickly.

The He Family dismounted. Before them stood the main building of Luming Garden. It was grand, brilliant with light, and bustling with honored guests.

When they turned around, another breathtaking scene appeared before their eyes: a vast sea of lights beneath the mountain.

Luming Garden was built atop a massive outcrop near the summit called Eagle’s Beak Rock. From here, one could take in nearly all of Shihuan City at a glance.

Night had just fallen, and the bustling second capital already glittered with lamps and lanterns. From above, it was as though the stars themselves had dropped to earth, as though celestial palaces had descended onto the mortal realm.

The warmth of human life rose up to meet them.

Madame Ying exclaimed, “I can almost make out the people moving along the streets! Oh, doesn’t that building look like the inn where we’re staying?”

He Lingchuan exhaled slowly, suddenly understanding why the nobility favored Luming Garden for their banquets.

In the true capital, no one was permitted to live above the emperor.

This sense of looking down upon the masses, surveying ten thousand kilometers in every direction—this was a feeling that was typically reserved for the monarch alone.

An attendant hurriedly came to report that Minister Zhu Xiyan of the Court of the Imperial Stud was personally coming to greet them. As Minister Zhu Xiyan appeared before them, he bowed to He Chunhua, then turned to his granddaughter and said, “Xiu’er, aren’t you going to thank the ones who saved your life?”

Zhu Xiu’er gathered the hems of her robes, then bowed formally to He Chunhua, his wife, and the two brothers.

Only once she had straightened up did Madame Ying step forward, warmly grasping her hand. “Enough of these formalities! You’ve been traveling with us for half a month. Now that you’re home at last, are you happy?”

Emotion welled in Zhu Xiu’er’s heart. “Like a weary bird returning to its nest, I finally have a place to belong.”

He Lingchuan glanced at her. The jewels in her hair glittered, and rouge had banished all traces of her former pallor, leaving her looking radiant.

Zhu Xiyan then led the He Family into Luming Garden, seating them at the left-hand middle table of the grand hall.

They had been welcomed in by the host himself. With Madame Ying chatting affectionately with the evening’s guest of honor, Zhu Xiu’er, the He Family naturally drew every eye.

A herald’s voice rang out, “Governor-General of Xia Province, He Chunhua, with family in attendance!”

At once, the He Family became the focus of the entire gathering.

Nobles in embroidered robes and tall hats surged forward with cries of welcome.

He Lingchuan looked left, looked right, and saw smiles everywhere, so he had to smile back. After a few dozen greetings and a few dozen perfunctory exchanges, his cheeks were stiff. He ultimately found an opportunity to slip out and took it.

Finding refuge in a corner, he slapped his face hard a couple of times to bring life back into his muscles.

The people of Shihuan are far too enthusiastic.

He Yue popped up from who knew where, sidling over with a wine pot and cup in hand.

He Lingchuan waited for him to pour a cup of wine before asking, “You’re allowed to drink?”

“Why not? Aren’t we here to enjoy ourselves?” He Yue grinned. “Besides, Mother has no time to mind me tonight.”

1. Note that Luming can be directly translated to deer’s cry. ☜