Chapter 221: Wangjiang Tower

Mu Feng quietly heightened his vigilance. Unexpectedly, however, nothing unusual occurred for the rest of the journey. He saw no trace of spies from that great Devil Leader, Blind Master Bi Luotian, nor did he encounter any swordsmen from the Immortal Sword Sect. The trip was peaceful the whole way. More than ten days later, he smoothly arrived at Jiangling Prefecture.

During the day, he traveled. At night, he sought lodging. After Uncle Fu went to sleep, Mu Feng would either sit cross-legged in the guest room, meditating in quiet cultivation, or he would slip out quietly to hunt. He plundered the blood essence and Yang Energy of beasts, tirelessly persevering in his cultivation.

The Elite Realm wasn’t just a watershed moment in cultivation; it was also a turning point in his life.

According to the agreement with his mother, once he broke through to the Elite Realm, he could face her directly and learn about his origins. Many puzzles would be resolved at that time.

Sadly, although he strived hard throughout the journey, and the signs of a breakthrough grew ever clearer, he still couldn’t achieve it upon reaching Jiangling Prefecture. The gap between the peak of the Mortal Realm and the early stage of the Elite Realm was a difficult hurdle. He seemed agonizingly close, yet impossibly far. Many cultivators never managed to cross it in their entire lives. No matter how strong they were, they remained Mortals until the day death claimed them.

The walls of Jianning City were impressive enough, but compared to the walls of Jiangling City, they paled into insignificance.

As the Prefecture of the Southern Borderlands and the headquarters of the Tongtian Empire’s Southern Army, Jiangling City boasted walls over ten meters high. Sentry towers stood atop them, and every few paces stood a fierce-looking sentry, clad in armor, expressionless. Everyone entering or exiting the city underwent rigorous inspection.

However, despite the strict security and tight scrutiny, it did nothing to dim the city’s bustling prosperity. Merchant caravans from all directions formed an endless stream. A colossal canal, nearly a hundred meters wide, connected directly to the Jinsha River thousands of miles away. Boarding a boat at the docks outside the city and sailing upriver could take one all the way to the Imperial City tens of thousands of miles distant. From near the city gate, the river surface seemed almost entirely covered with boats large and small. Vessels heading north carried away food, golden nanmu wood, and other local products by the shipload. Boats bound south brought vital supplies the Southern Borderlands lacked – salt and pig iron.

“Young Master Mu, look there,” Uncle Fu, knowing Mu Feng was new to Jiangling, pointed out sights and provided commentary along the way. “Those tall, grand vessels on the river are the unique tower ships of our Tongtian Empire. It’s said these ships can not only sail rivers but also voyage far out into the open sea. The fleet of the Nanshan Merchant House within the city reportedly once went as far as the faraway Western Lands. The people there are tall and big, with blue eyes and golden hair, wild and unruly like savages. It’s a land barely civilized, but filled with gold and silver! Each time the fleet ventures there, it returns laden with mountains of gold and silver.”

“Oh, is that so?” Mu Feng offered a faint smile, dismissing such common gossip without a second thought.

Since his meridians were repaired and he stepped onto the path of cultivation, his interest in mundane matters had greatly diminished.

The reason he had traveled the long distance to Jiangling Prefecture to study was twofold. One part was to one day attain the highest honour in the Imperial Examination, fulfill his mother’s wish, and clear his father’s name as the man they called a criminal. The other part was to learn the principles of life and conduct from books, amass diverse knowledge, and lay a solid foundation for his cultivation.

After waiting near the city gate for about half an hour, their carriage finally moved with the flow of people through the magnificent gates of Jiangling City. The area outside the walls was prosperous; inside, it was even more vibrant, the streets alive with people.

Uncle Fu drove the carriage slowly, pointing out landmarks along the way and explaining the buildings to Mu Feng. After turning down several streets, he suddenly pointed towards a tall tower not far away. “Young Master Mu, look! That tower is Jiangling City’s renowned Wangjiang Tower (River-Viewing Tower). It stands nine stories tall, and the view becomes more expansive with each higher floor. Standing on the top floor, one can not only look down upon the entire city of Jiangling but also gaze far along the Great Canal flowing tirelessly onward. The scenery is extraordinary and has always been a must-visit destination for scholars like you.”

Wangjiang Tower?

Mu Feng’s heart stirred, suddenly recalling something his mother had mentioned. “Stop, Uncle Fu. Stop right here. No need to go any further. You’ve worked hard along the journey, old master. I wish you a smooth trip back to Jianning City. When you arrive, please be good enough to let my mother know I’ve arrived safely.” As he spoke, Mu Feng jumped down from the carriage and handed the elderly coachman a money pouch he had prepared well in advance.

“Young Master Mu, there’s still some distance to the Xiangshan Academy, you…” Uncle Fu accepted the silver pressed into his hand, surprised.

“It’s fine. I’ll walk this last bit myself,” Mu Feng smiled, waving before turning and striding directly towards the imposing Wangjiang Tower nearby.

“Truly, the greater the skill, the greater the capability, the better one is to deal with, and the lower their profile!” Uncle Fu sighed, watching Mu Feng’s retreating figure. He then turned the horses around and drove the carriage away swiftly.

The street teemed with people, packed densely, making movement difficult. Yet Mu Feng, tall and imposing as he looked, moved like a nimble fish through the crowd. Before people could bump into him, an unseen force gently parted them aside. Soon, he stood before Wangjiang Tower. The couplet pasted beside its doors brought him to an abrupt halt.

“Gaze Upon Mountains, Gaze Upon Water, Gaze Upon the River;

Admire Flowers, Admire the Moon, Appreciate Wine.”

The horizontal scroll read simply: Wangjiang Tower (River-Viewing Tower).

“Good!” Glancing at the couplet, Mu Feng nodded and strode inside.

His plain blue robe was simple cloth, travel-stained, not suggesting great wealth or noble birth. Yet his upright posture and imposing bearing forbade any underestimation. Quickly, a sharp-eyed waiter approached. “Sir, welcome! Would you prefer Huadiao or Amber?”

“Bring a first flagon of Huadiao. The ninth floor,” Mu Feng instructed calmly and made to climb the stairs.

“Young master, about that…” the waiter hesitated slightly.

Mu Feng lifted an eyebrow. “Hmm? Is something wrong?”

“The ninth floor… it’s all private booths, sir. Reservations are required. And… regardless of whether food or drink is ordered, an immediate payment of twenty taels of silver is necessary to ascend.” Seeing Mu Feng was unfamiliar, seemingly a first-time visitor, the waiter hurried to explain.

The ninth floor was a special zone of Wangjiang Tower, not just for anyone. Twenty taels of silver were enough to halt most ordinary people in their tracks.

“Twenty taels?”

Mu Feng was also surprised, but reacted swiftly. Before leaving, gifts given to him had been sold for silver. Some was left for his mother’s living expenses; the rest he carried as travel money. It wasn’t a fortune, but he had twenty or thirty taels. After a brief moment of thought, he extracted twenty taels of white silver from his robe, along with some loose silver, and placed them into the waiter’s hand. With a smile, he said, “Young brother, I made a reservation three days ago. I already paid the twenty-tael deposit. Have you forgotten?” When mentioning the deposit, Mu Feng paused deliberately, his tone slightly emphasized.

Sure enough, the sharp waiter caught on quickly. Ensuring no one was watching, he discreetly pocketed the extra silver scraps. He then bowed respectfully. “Right this way, respected sir. The private booths on the ninth floor… they’re fully booked for today, all taken. However, since you insist, I’ll see what I can do. I’ll find you a riverside booth that’s not occupied at the moment. But… it may be a bit rushed. Would that be alright…”

“No problem. I’m just going up alone for a few cups of wine, sit a short while, then leave,” Mu Feng understood the waiter’s hint and didn’t bother pressing further. Guided by him, Mu Feng soon reached the topmost floor and settled into a gracefully furnished private booth. Looking out through the window, the river landscape spread before him, breathtakingly beautiful.

“Did Mother and Father come here twenty-some years ago, enjoying this view of the mighty river together?” Thinking back to his mother’s words, Mu Feng became lost in thought.

To him, his mother was the most beautiful and talented woman under heaven. He wondered what kind of man his father had been, that so many years after his death, his mother would still cherish his memory, her face lighting up with happiness at the thought. While caught in this reverie, suddenly, the hoarse, low notes of an erhu drifted in from outside. The sound carried a deep weariness, seeming faintly familiar, as if he’d heard it somewhere before.