Questioning the source of her income?
At first, An Fei didn’t know how to reply to the young woman standing alongside of the Heavenly Guardians.
Moreover, the five men who towered over the Hundred Clan Coalition seemed to adopt a slightly wary attitude against her, as though the young woman possessed a great identity.
Hence…
“I bid a hundred gold taels because I possess such wealth,” the young girl revealed a delicate smile.
“However, one must not ask for someone’s knowledge without dividing first their own. Will the young lady please enlighten this one of the validity of her bid? As for the Earth Guardian, this little one is unsure of what the young lady means?”
The voice was quiet and soothing to the ear, akin to the light morning rainfall that graced the world only in the spring. Nonetheless, the blatant mockery within the young girl’s response instantly provoked a change in expression for the young woman.
“Questioning the source of my income?” she scowled, her hands reaching towards the veiled hat veiling her countenance.
“A mere commoner dares question this princess?”
With a faint breeze, the veiled hat was removed to reveal the mystical manifestation of beauty to the world. At the same time, the final auction for the transference array quotas had completed.
This meant that the young woman’s timing in revealing her countenance posed either good or negative results for both parties.
“That countenance!? Eastern Commandery Princess Feng Guanyin!?”
“Why is the Eastern Commandery Princess here at a barren place like Tianfeng City!?”
“Commandery Princess is going to the Ju Yuan Jian District? That…”
The dwindling atmosphere of the plaza abruptly blazed with a passionate ardor tinged with a mixture of emotions.
The diminished voices of the crowd could no longer be contained by merely just the Hundred Clan Coalition’s Heavenly Guardians – for the presence of a Commandery Princess triumphed over all.
Within the Shattered Star Continent, the massive landmass was divided into three relatively equal proportions by Great Yong, Great Yan, and Bei Tang empires.
From a simplistic analysis alone, it was impossible for a single emperor to manage even a third of a territory of such size even if they were a cultivator – no, it was even more so because cultivators existed in this world.
When compared to An Fei’s past, the Shattered Star Continent’s surface area was equivalent to that of the entire Earth of the modern world, landmass and oceanic elements included. It was inevitable that the Imperial Families of the various empires would relinquish portions of their authority and power, in order to remain standing as the dominant power of the land.
The military to guard the land, the Hundred Clan Coalition to safeguard the people within, and the Commanderies to guard from external elements.
At the least, that was An Fei’s perspective on the matter – or what she had been exposed to so far.
The Commanderies were attributed to the north, south, east, and western regions of Great Yong’s massive territory, and each was presided by a member of either the Lu Imperial Clan, or the Empress’ Feng Clan.
Though much was unknown by the common people of Tianfeng City, An Fei could still eavesdrop on a few snippets of information.
The sons of the Commanderies were valiant and brave, unafraid of charging into devastating danger whilst accomplishing many pursuits of both the secular world and jianghu alike. The daughters, on the other hand, were exceptionally skilled at the Four Arts of Virtue, and each possessed a devastating and temperament capable of bewitching any man or woman.
“…a Commandery Princess wants to head to Ju Yuan Jian District?”
An Fei’s murmur wasn’t intentional, nor did it contain any mocking sentiment.
The young woman took in stride as she briefly nodded with a lucid gaze, unaware that the young girl besides her had almost no information regarding the infamous reputation of Ju Yuan Jian District in the first place.
“Just picking up a useless brother of mine,” Feng Guanyin released a light sigh of exasperation.
“This is the third time he has run away to that infamous place in a season. Before long, that hideous affront to the Feng Clan will face his demise in that pit of evil. However…”
Now that I have revealed my identity, shouldn’t you reveal yours as well?
Since those were the words that you have thrown into my face, shouldn’t you honor them?
The silence was accompanied by the implicit questions posed by the princess, and An Fei pondered about what she was to offer in exchange.
The young girl found herself challenged once again by her lack of knowledge regarding the social climate of her surroundings.
Should she introduce herself as An Fei, the daughter of the third-rank Minister of Defense Wei Xuan? Or was she to remain by her alias, Xu Lingxue of an unknown origin?
One crucial aspect of her choice relied on the relationship between her father and the Lu Imperial Family – was it pleasant or unpleasant?
How about the Empress’ familial clan?
With Wei Xuan’s careful management in retaining a peaceful atmosphere around the young girl when she remained in Jiang’an, there was no way for An Fei to know of the peculiar relation between Lu Jing Yi and the soured relationship with the Feng Clan.
Nonetheless, the Empress’ particular actions regarding the night below the moon with Tian Mu, the Heavenly Sword Sect’s Grand Elder, was sufficient…
“I am Xu Lingxue from Jiang’an,” the young girl declared with a low voice.
“My family’s presence within the Imperial Court is not sufficient to be considered on par with the Commandery Princess’s identity.”
“But there’s none of the respect befitting that of an official’s daughter when communicating with a Commandery Princess, is it not?” Feng Guanyin raised her eyebrow with a slight touch of contempt.
“Furthermore, why is an official’s daughter who is not of age, playing outside of Jiang’an? Where have your morals gone to – the morals that each woman must possess?”
“If we speak of morals, then Commandery Princess must answer the same question,” An Fei displayed a thin smile, though the mockery failed to mask its presence.
“The Commandery Princess is also not of age; even if it were to collect a misbehaving family member, heading the Ju Yuan Jian District as a female – much less an underaged girl – is hardly befitting that of morals. Great Scholar Tie himself has once stated that Imperial identity does not allow for exemption against the basic code of morals.”
“Oh, an official’s daughter dares to display contempt towards the Imperial Family!? How audacious – do you think that you are above judgement simply because your father is an official?”
“In the Imperial Court of Jiang’an, his Imperial Majesty allows for the officials to openly criticize him. Perhaps the Commandery Princess didn’t know!”
“Er…”
Atop the wooden platform, the five Heavenly Guardians didn’t know what actions to take regarding the current situation. They wished to step forwards to defuse the situation, but couldn’t find the courage within themselves.
The Hundred Clan Coalition was far weaker than any of the Commanderies of Great Yong – as per the Imperial Clan’s will.
Moreover, they couldn’t easily offend the young girl of unknown identity as she too was able to raise a bid of a hundred gold taels without batting an eye, and to top it further – the crowd was watching with a heated gaze!
How embarrassing!
Look, in the opening of that young girl’s pouch, wasn’t there an easily discernible glint that could only belong to coins of gold? Even if it wasn’t exactly a hundred gold taels, they couldn’t cast away their dignity and force her to expose the amount upfront before such a crowd…
“C-c… Commandery Princess, Young Miss Xu, let us discuss this in private, shall we?”
The man dressed in the indigo robe clasped his hands and lowered into a deep bow, his motions smooth and effused with graceful dignity.
Alas, the shaking of his voice and the fine crystalline beads dotting his forehead were obvious indicators of his opposite emotions.
“…very well. Let first conclude the matter of the transference arrays.”
Feng Guanyin adopted the appropriate mannerisms of a Commandery Princess as she quickly and ruthlessly defused the undesirable circumstances with a single word.
With a sigh escaping their throats, the five Heavenly Guardians waved their sleeves to whisk the winners of the quota, the numerous figures atop the wooden platform vanishing into a stream of light.
The crowd could only watch in bated breath. Wang Qinian had yet to recover from his abrupt shock when the young girl had already left, ruthless and decisive as though a blade chopping through paper.
Certainly, he regretted not having gained access from the peculiar information regarding Xu Lingxue’s identity and wealth earlier, but the young girl was harboring a greater regret at the moment.
“…oh, why did I not expect this at all?”
An Fei’s sigh was rather desolate as she stared at a mixture of prominent and devastating cultivators standing across from her. At the forefront, was Yang Jian with Shen Haoren, Tang Yunhe, and Wen Jiu on either side.
