Xuanxia

Chapter 379 Entering Beijing
“My goodness, that old woman who died in the car was an eighth level person?!”

Fu Qingzhou sighed in his mind: "Old man, you are quite amazing."

"This is the first day you know my abilities?" The Smoker said proudly, "I'm only at the eighth level, I can kill with a flick of my finger!"

Fu Qingzhou raised his eyebrows: "Old man, your strength has recovered a lot in recent days, right?"

"Ok?"

The smoker's voice became erratic: "Is there?"

"No need to pretend, it's obvious that the Black Star Divine Iron is of great help to you..." Fu Qingzhou said softly: "You only saw it once, and it has such a strong effect?"

"Not strong, the effect is not strong at all, I am not strong either!" The Smoker said quickly: "I am very weak, I can't help you at all, you should quickly get me the magic iron, so that I can take a closer look!"

In the carriage, Qiu Chan had fallen asleep because she was too tired.

After Zhu Mei got back in the car, she started to complain about being hungry. Tang Jiao found some dry food, but Zhu Mei didn't dare to eat it. She insisted that Tang Jiao eat with her before she started eating... So they both ate their fill.

After eating, Zhu Mei quickly leaned on Tang Jiao's shoulder and fell asleep.

"Big brother."

Tang Jiao suddenly whispered, "We are almost at the capital."

Fu Qingzhou hummed softly at her: "Are you scared?"

"I am afraid."

Tang Jiao nodded. After a night of running around, her hair was a little messy. Her bangs were draped in front of her eyebrows, swaying with her eyelashes when she blinked. "I'm afraid that I won't be able to overturn the verdict for my father. I'm even more afraid... even more afraid..."

Fu Qingzhou knew what she didn't say.

Was her father, Tang Zhun, really wronged?
That was many, many years ago. At that time, Tang Jiao was just a little girl who knew nothing. Maybe the person who secretly sent her out of the capital... told her a white lie?
After all, in that situation, no one would say in front of a helpless little girl that your father is actually a corrupt or evil official, right?

"Don't think too much." Fu Qingzhou said with a smile: "You are so kind, your father must be a good man and a good official."

Tang Jiao looked at him, smiled sweetly, and nodded vigorously.

At this moment, Yuan Ziping's long whistle came from outside the car: "Sir, Miss, we have arrived in the capital——"

Fu Qingzhou and Tang Jiao were sitting by a window in a corner. When they heard the sound, they reached out and opened the small curtain on the window at the same time.

Looking from afar, you can see the city walls towering into the clouds, like an indestructible barrier that isolates this prosperous city from the outside world. The early morning sun shines on the ancient bricks, reflecting the mottled traces of history and exuding a heavy and solemn atmosphere.

The outline of the capital city appeared huge in the distance, and when the carriage gradually approached, the shock was even more soul-stirring. The tall city gate was like the mouth of a giant beast, swallowing every path entering, revealing an indescribable majesty and mystery.

"Ha, it really is this."

The voice of the smoker sounded in Fu Qingzhou's mind: "Xuanjing City."

"Xuanjing City..." Fu Qingzhou blinked: "Is this city called Xuanjing?"

"At least that was my name at that time."

The Smoker said leisurely, "A long, long time ago, it was the largest city in the world... Xuanjing City is located where the five great caves and heavens converge. It is the place with the most prosperous spiritual energy in the world, and it is also the place where the world's luck converges. Every lord of Xuanjing City is at least a Xuan-star level expert."

Fu Qingzhou realized something: "That's not right. You said you died hundreds of years ago?"

"Yeah? What's wrong?" the smoker asked lazily.

"Dayan has been established for hundreds of years." Fu Qingzhou said: "Although I don't know much about Dayan's history, I know that the name of the capital is Yanping, which was given by Zhao Yuanyan, the founding emperor of Dayan... It's not Xuanjing at all."

"Hmm?" The smoker's tone changed a little: "Hundreds of years? How long has Dayan been established?"

Fu Qingzhou scratched his head: "I can't remember clearly, five hundred years? Six hundred years? It's about this time."

"..."

The smoker fell silent.

"What's wrong?" Fu Qingzhou asked, "You don't even know how long you've been dead, do you?"

"Damn it, I don't know!" The Smoker muttered unhappily, "I think my soul left my body right after I died, right? That should be right? My memory of time is fine. I stayed in that ghost temple on Bailu Mountain for 692 years..."

As it spoke, its own voice gradually faded away.

Fu Qingzhou raised his eyebrows... No way, after all this time, the smoker might have remembered the time wrong?
After it died, didn't it immediately turn into a ghost?
In fact, it has existed for a longer time than it says?
At this time, Yuan Ziping's voice came from outside the car: "Sir, Miss, we are about to enter the city. The imperial guards will need to check it later."

"Ah."

Fu Qingzhou came back to his senses, responded, and gently woke Qiu Chan up: "It's time to wake up."

"What's the matter?" Qiu Chan opened her hazy eyes: "Is it time to go to morning class?"

"What morning class..." Fu Qingzhou laughed: "We have arrived in the capital."

The inspection was nothing special. Everyone entering the capital had to undergo an inspection. In the early morning, people entering the capital had already lined up in a small queue outside the city gate. They waited for a while, and then it was their turn.

This kind of routine inspection was a piece of cake for Yuan Ziping, who was once a squad leader of the Imperial Guards. Fu Qingzhou and his companions only had to get off the bus and stand for a while while Yuan Ziping led the Imperial Guards through the process.

Soon, the carriage slowly drove into the city.

The morning glow fell like fine sand, dyeing the streets and alleys of the capital city with a faint golden color.

The carriage slowly drove into this bustling city. The wheels rolled on the bluestone slabs, making a dull and rhythmic sound, which was intertwined with the singing of birds in the early morning and the creaking of shop doors opening in the distance. It was quiet, yet like a prelude to prosperity.

Qiu Chan and Tang Jiao squeezed at the window, staring at both sides of the street intently. At this time, some rouge shops and brocade shops had opened their doors, and all kinds of exquisite goods were displayed outside... No matter what kind of woman or what mood she is in, she will always be attracted by shiny things.

Exquisite carvings, intricate paintings, towering eaves...every detail demonstrates the luxury and prosperity of this city.

There was a constant stream of pedestrians, their clothes were colorful, and all kinds of silk and satin sparkled in the sun.

Suddenly, the carriage turned a corner and Fu Qingzhou's vision suddenly became clear.

A huge complex of buildings suddenly came into view.

Its towering city walls appear even more solemn and majestic in the sun, and every brick seems to be soaked in the vicissitudes of thousands of years of history. On the city walls with flags flying and swords and guns standing tall, there is a towering corner tower at regular intervals. They seem to be the guardians of this world, standing there and overlooking the entire capital.

That is... the imperial city.

It is too tall and too big, like a crouching dragon, silently and majestically surveying its territory.

"Sir." Yuan Ziping asked outside the car, "Where are we going next?"

"Let's not look for an inn. We're going to stay in the capital for quite a while. Let's just rent a yard. Old Yuan, you're familiar with the capital, so I'll leave this to you."

Fu Qingzhou lowered the curtain and replied, "It should at least be able to accommodate us, and...it should also have a dedicated utility room."

(End of this chapter)