Chapter 295: Carving Wood into a Hairpin, a Gift from the Heart

General Huang Shanhai cried out from a distance and even circulated his internal energy to run faster. He rushed before Qin Haoxuan and knelt down to kowtow without a moment’s hesitation, pleading for his men. “Supreme Immortal, please forgive them! They were unaware of your identity and were deceived by a villain. If they have offended you, I beg you to show mercy and spare their lives.”

Qin Haoxuan had no interest in causing more slaughter to begin with. Since the Garrison General was pleading, he relented and said to the stunned soldiers, “In the future, do not treat human lives so carelessly.”

Although Qin Haoxuan’s tone was light and his voice was not loud, to the soldiers’ ears, it was like claps of thunder.

Seeing that Qin Haoxuan did not intend to pursue the matter, Huang Shanhai finally breathed a sigh of relief. These immortals were transcendent beings. Even if he had killed all the soldiers present, including himself, no one would have stood up for them.

Huang Shanhai shouted, “Why are you not apologizing to the immortal at once?”

The terrified soldiers began to kowtow like pounding garlic. Just as they were about to apologize, Qin Haoxuan said in a cold tone, “Apologies are unnecessary. But remember this. You hold great power in your hands and can easily decide the life and death of others. I hope you use this power wisely and do not treat human lives so carelessly again. Otherwise, I will not spare you.”

“Yes, yes, yes…” the soldiers stammered, their hearts filled with terror. So immortals truly did exist in this world.

“Scram!” Huang Shanhai, still kneeling, turned his head slightly and berated his subordinates. “Throw the corpse of the Sergeant Major who offended the Supreme Immortal into the mass grave for the dogs to eat. Now all of you, get out of my sight.”

Soon, the soldiers, who were so drenched in cold sweat they looked as if they had just been fished out of water, fled the scene.

Even though they were soldiers, they were fundamentally just mortals. They held an instinctive fear of the high and mighty immortals, especially when these immortals had displayed such terrifying means. Killing them would have been as easy as flipping a hand.

It was likely that the events of this day would become a shadow that many of these soldiers would never forget for the rest of their lives, and they would not dare to act so recklessly and tyrannically in the future.

Watching the soldiers flee in disarray, Qin Haoxuan stood his ground, sighing in his heart. ‘If I were an ordinary person, I would have had no choice but to take a detour when encountering these wolf-like soldiers. If they wanted to kill me, then this day next year would have been the anniversary of my death. But I am a cultivator. Immortal and mortal, immortal and mortal… entering the mortal world has made me completely understand what this distinction means! Back in the Taichu Sect, my strength and status were at the very bottom, but compared to these mortal soldiers, I realize that I am actually very powerful. Only through comparison does one know their own strength. Without comparison, you never know how strong you truly are!’

“You are Huang Shanhai, right?” After his moment of reflection, Qin Haoxuan looked down slightly at the Garrison General who was still kneeling on the ground and said, “You may rise. Take me to the Zixiao Imperial City.”

“Yes! This humble general will take you to the imperial city at once.” Although Huang Shanhai was puzzled as to why the three of them were going to the imperial city, with his status, how could he dare to ask such questions? He nodded in assent, scrambled to his feet without hesitation, and personally led the three of them towards the Zixiao Imperial City.

Qin Haoxuan and Xing followed behind Huang Shanhai, but Lan Yan remained where she was.

Xing turned his head and asked Lan Yan in surprise, “What’s wrong? You’re not coming?”

“You two go ahead. I won’t go,” Lan Yan said with a mischievous smile, teasing, “The little lovers are reuniting after a long separation, sweeter than newlyweds. What would I be doing there? Making myself a nuisance?”

Xing slapped his forehead as if struck by a sudden revelation and exclaimed, “That’s right! The little lovers are meeting. What would I be doing there? Qin Haoxuan went through so much trouble to get ten days of leave. If we went along, we would definitely spoil the mood, definitely spoil the mood.”

With that, Xing put on an exaggerated, tragic expression and said to Qin Haoxuan, “Good brother, although I haven’t seen Xu Yu in a long time either, thinking of our deep friendship, I shouldn’t disturb your little reunion. For your sakes, I have decided not to go.”

Qin Haoxuan’s face turned beet red. Then, seeing through Xing’s righteous expression to his true intentions, he exposed him without mercy. “You’re coming whether you want to or not. Don’t even think about leaving my side. I won’t give you the chance!”

Xing, his intentions seen through, had a crestfallen look on his face. In an instant, he fell from heaven to hell, his head drooping like a defeated rooster.

Qin Haoxuan then said to Lan Yan, “Miss Lan Yan, it’s not good for you to be alone. Why don’t you come with us? It’s really no problem.”

Lan Yan cursed him inwardly as a blockhead. ‘Your little lover’s reunion, what would another woman be doing there? Even if she’s a cultivator, Xu Yu is still a girl. I know the jealous nature of girls all too well. Bringing another woman to meet her—only a blockhead like Qin Haoxuan would think it’s no problem, right?’

“I’m not going, I’m not going, absolutely not!” Lan Yan looked around and said to Huang Shanhai, “Arrange a place for me to stay. I’ll wait for them here.”

Qin Haoxuan still insisted, “It’s really no problem.”

Lan Yan cursed him as a blockhead a few more times in her heart and ignored him. Huang Shanhai looked at Qin Haoxuan with a troubled expression, then at this young mistress, and finally, gritting his teeth, he said, “If you wouldn’t mind, we do have a few clean guest rooms in the Garrison Command for honored guests.”

“Fine, this will do,” Lan Yan said with a wave of her hand. She followed a soldier summoned by Huang Shanhai to her room, waving from a distance. “Blockhead, go and have a good reunion with your little lover. I’m going to take a look around the capital!”

As the economic, political, and cultural center of the Soaring Dragon Nation, the royal capital was extremely large, equivalent in territory to an entire county. The Zixiao Imperial City, located in its very center, took up half of the capital’s area.

The outer parts of the capital were inhabited by commoners, wealthy merchants, and various nobles and ministers. But in the Zixiao Imperial City, only the emperor, his wives and daughters, and his sons resided. Not even the emperor’s own brother, a Royal Highness Prince, was qualified to live there.

Under Huang Shanhai’s guidance, the group of three walked towards the Zixiao Imperial City.

With Huang Shanhai’s status as the Garrison General, he did not have the privilege of riding a horse or taking a carriage in the capital. After he explained this respectfully, Qin Haoxuan didn’t mind, as it was a good opportunity to see the secular customs of the city along the way.

The roads of the capital were very wide, enough for five horse-drawn carriages to travel side-by-side. The streets were bustling with pedestrians, and from time to time, high officials and nobles would pass by in carriages and sedan chairs. At such times, the common people would voluntarily make way, showing the clear class system in the capital.

The shops lining the roads were magnificent, with uniform gray tiles and white walls. They were bright and spacious, and the merchants and customers coming and going were like a river of carp, haggling, socializing, welcoming and sending off—a truly lively scene.

The saying, “The world bustles with people, all for the sake of profit; the world bustles with people, all for the sake of gain,” was perfectly illustrated here.

Looking at these mortals, Qin Haoxuan couldn’t help but recall his childhood. Back then, wasn’t his greatest dream to sell his handmade carvings in the capital for a good price, and then return home to honor his parents?

Before the age of eight, Qin Haoxuan had not yet learned to hunt. His family was poor at the time, and being sensible at an early age, he couldn’t bear to see his parents toil so hard. At a young age, he had begun to think of ways to earn money, and handmade carvings were his earliest attempt.

It was only later that he learned to hunt and obtained the little snake, which completely changed his life. He no longer needed to earn money by carving wood, but the act of carving a piece of stubborn wood into various shapes had already become his hobby and interest.

He had now seen the splendor of the capital that he had longed to see most in his youth. But because he had witnessed the even more magnificent vistas of cultivation, he was no longer moved by this mortal prosperity. His eyes were cool and detached, as if he were looking at an external matter, an external scene, without a single ripple in his heart.

Having decided to see Xu Yu this time, Qin Haoxuan had carved a butterfly-shaped wooden hairpin as a gift long in advance. The butterfly on the hairpin was absolutely his most meticulous work, especially after he had learned to carve inscriptions during his cultivation, which had led to great progress in his carving skills.

A smile tugged at Qin Haoxuan’s lips. He imagined that when Xu Yu saw this exquisite wooden hairpin and the lifelike butterfly on it, she would surely smile happily.

Following Huang Shanhai, after about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they could already see a tall, crimson city wall in the distance.

Huang Shanhai explained with great enthusiasm, “The walls of the Zixiao Imperial City are a bit lower than the outer city walls, but they are still five zhang tall. They are constructed entirely of green bricks that were fired for ten years. Their hardness is in no way inferior to iron blocks. The defenses of the imperial city can be said to be an iron bastion!”

As they approached the Zixiao Imperial City, the chaotic shops were replaced by massive, opulent mansions, bearing plaques such as “Tiger Might General’s Residence,” “Left Guard General’s Residence,” and “Grand Censor’s Residence.” This was the residential area of the nobles and high ministers.

As Huang Shanhai led Qin Haoxuan and Xing past these magnificent residences, his eyes couldn’t help but show a hint of longing and envy. He was a mortal, and naturally could not escape the secular desires for money and power. Huang Shanhai also stole a glance at Qin Haoxuan and Xing. The eyes of these two youths, who looked to be only seventeen or eighteen, were calm, without a single ripple of emotion. They looked at these luxurious mansions as if they were ordinary objects.

What he didn’t know was that if these so-called luxurious mansions were compared to the architecture on the Taichu Sect’s Emperor Peak, they would look like the houses of the nouveau riche—the materials and workmanship were crude, they had no sense of style or grace, and only served to flaunt wealth.

In Huang Shanhai’s eyes, attaining a high official position, getting rich, and being granted a residence near the imperial city by His Majesty the Emperor was a lifetime goal. But in Qin Haoxuan’s eyes, these mansions were of such poor quality they were an eyesore. How could they possibly arouse his interest?

Different experiences, different perspectives, the difference between immortal and mortal.

‘An immortal, this is what an immortal is!’

After walking for about half an hour, the three of them finally arrived at the foot of the imperial city.

Xuanwu Gate, the great west gate of the imperial city. It had red walls and black tiles, and the gate tower was over ten zhang tall, topped with countless arrow towers and crossbow turrets. The Imperial Guard, wearing bright yellow jackets, with refined steel sabers at their waists and toad-shaped caps on their heads, stood guard here.

Upon arriving, Huang Shanhai said to the two of them, “Supreme Immortals, this is as far as this humble general can go. In a moment, I will introduce you to a eunuch from the Dashifang who can take you inside the imperial city.”

“Good. Thank you, General,” Qin Haoxuan said with a slight smile, gesturing for him to make the introduction.

(End of Chapter)