Chapter 158: The Vastness of Chang'an
It was evening when Liu Sheng arrived in Chang'an.
As the flying vehicle soared above, Liu Sheng got her first impression of Chang'an: the city was immense.
From above, the majestic city walls stretched beyond sight, wide streets crisscrossed like a chessboard, and houses, densely packed, resembled colorful blocks.
Spiritual light flickered everywhere, giant spiritual light billboards shone with neon brilliance, and moving mirages floated above the houses; flying vehicles traversed the sky, and countless cloud sedans leaped, a dazzling sight.
This was a scene Liu Sheng could scarcely have imagined in Little Green Garden, Li County, or even in the capital city of Chaosui where she studied, let alone Qinghe.
It was utterly unimaginable that the application of Spiritual Artifacts in Chang'an City had reached such a profound Realm.
The flying vehicle descended, and Liu Sheng, holding Ling Xiaoshu's hand, followed her Senior Brother and Senior Sister out of the carriage.
Her second impression: there were many people.
The crowd surged, and everywhere her gaze fell, there were people's backs of heads, and anxious faces.
Especially the countless, omnipresent eyes.
A strange sense of unease welled up in her heart, as if every move she made after getting off the flying vehicle was being watched.
Outside the flying vehicle station, there were rented cloud sedans everywhere, and as soon as someone emerged, they would noisily swarm forward, some even opening their doors directly, pulling people in, and then flying off.
“These cloud sedans, they… they… kidnap people!” Lu Shen watched, dumbfounded.
Like Liu Sheng, he came from a small place and had never seen such a sight.
Liu Sheng and the others were also greatly surprised and began to discuss.
“Aren't cloud sedans supposed to be unmanned?”
“They can even add spell formations to solicit customers! Genius!”
“Yes, the cloud sedans in the capital are all made by Hongfu Hall under the Ministry of Works; the imperial court… ahem… needs to make money,” Zhong Youzhi, being a native of the capital, also found the scene of cloud sedans 'kidnapping' people a bit embarrassing, and he cleared his throat as he explained.
“That makes sense.”
“If Qinghe Weaving Institute can produce Ten Thousand Affairs Hall, why can't the Ministry of Works have Hongfu Hall?”
“According to recent analyses of the official gazettes, though not explicitly stated, it's clear the imperial court's inner coffers are so thin they can't be seen by others.”
“Inner trousers or inner treasury?”
“It doesn't matter.”
“Suddenly, it occurs to me, the person in charge of that Hongfu Hall wouldn't happen to be… our…”
“Bah, bah, bah, how unlucky.”
“But Mother wants us to find…”
At the same time, Zhong Youzhi happened to ask everyone about their lodging.
“Does everyone have a place to stay? If not, why not stay at my house? My house is quite spacious.”
This was truly humble; just looking at Zhong Youzhi's daily flamboyant attire and knowing he was from the capital, they didn't believe his family didn't own hundreds of mu of land.
Lu Shen was the first to decline.
His parents had always admonished him that even though their family was not well-off, he should not take advantage of others casually.
He scratched the back of his head and said hesitantly, “I've made arrangements with a classmate to rent a room together at Tongfu Inn.”
Qu Chunyan also refused: “I'm staying at my uncle's house.”
Zhong Youzhi didn't even look at Lin Shuying.
“No need to ask Young Miss Lin; after all, she's the daughter of the Dali Temple Vice Minister.”
Only then did Liu Sheng learn about Senior Sister Lin's family background, and she was slightly surprised, sighing that among those from the capital, Senior Sister Lin was quite low-key compared to Zhong Youzhi.
However, Qu Chunyan and Lu Shen showed no expression, probably having already known during their months of acquaintance.
“Junior Sister, what about you?” Lin Shuying asked with concern; she knew Liu Sheng wasn't a local. “If it's really not possible, you can also stay at my house.”
Liu Sheng shook her head: “Thank you, Great Senior Sister! However, I've also arranged to stay with my friend.”
“Alright, a journey of a thousand miles must eventually come to an end,” Zhong Youzhi unfolded his folding fan, pretending to sigh behind it.
Qu Chunyan lightly tapped his head with her sword hilt: “Enough, see you at the Examination grounds in five days.”
“Ow, that hurts.” Zhong Youzhi clutched his head.
Lin Shuying let out a chuckle, but after thinking for a moment, she added another reminder.
“Study well at home these few days, and don't even look at spirit messages; focus on preparing for the Examination.”
“Why?”
Liu Sheng had been planning to explore Chang'an City in her free time these days.
Lin Shuying shook her head: “There are always constant disturbances before the Examination every year; I don't know if it's a feng shui issue.”
“May the Supreme God be above, let's not talk about feng shui.” Zhong Youzhi loved to argue, but he was met with another roll of Qu Chunyan's eyes.
“In any case, be careful and don't get involved in trouble.” Lin Shuying's expression was quite serious when she said this.
Therefore, Liu Sheng firmly remembered this instruction.
Lu Shen also nodded silently, looking as if he had learned a lesson.
Finally, it was time to say goodbye; everyone shouted various auspicious wishes and waved as they departed.
“Good luck with the Examination!”
“May you know every question!”
“May what you don't know not be tested!”
“Junior Sister is sure to come out on top!”
...
Liu Sheng watched as her Senior Brother and Senior Sister each hailed a cloud sedan, and then she hailed one herself.
After all, she was a small boss now; it was time to enjoy herself a bit.
Moreover, Chang'an was vast, and as a newcomer, it was best not to waste time on the road.
And, she needed to take Senior Brother Lu Shen with her.
Only he and she were going in the same direction, to an inn near Azure Dragon Temple.
There were many inns there, all newly built and not expensive, so many examinees coming to the capital often chose to stay there.
The cloud sedan floated lightly, weaving among the aerial mirages and neon signs.
Liu Sheng lifted the curtain, and Ling Xiaoshu's head squeezed in beside Liu Sheng, both watching with great interest.
Lu Shen, too, rarely put down his book, captivated by the view from the other side.
“Zhang's Ironworks, the best choice for slaying ghosts.”
Accompanied by a strong, deep, and magnetic male voice, a pile of giant swords and sabers danced wildly in the air, and cloud sedans passed through them unharmed.
Then, an exaggeratedly large spiritual light billboard came into view: “Grandmist Ninth Generation spirit message, the unrivaled choice for trendsetters, welcome to Baibao Hall for purchase!”
Below, there was a small line of text: “Authorized by Hongfu Hall.”
Next to it, a mirage rotated in the air, showcasing this latest model of spirit message.
“The term 'trendsetter' is quite novel; I wonder if it means chasing the wave of fashion.”
“The price can't be low, can it? Just looking at its understated luxurious gold-inlaid jade exterior, it should be the unrivaled choice for the wealthy.”
Subsequently, the cloud sedan passed several flashy mirage billboards, then suddenly flew to a spot where seductive music began to play.
In the ambiguous afterglow of the setting sun, many graceful, charming female figures danced in mid-air, swaying their waists.
One woman, in particular, was exceptionally eye-catching; her beauty bloomed like a peony, and her sheer red dress looked even more vibrant in the evening glow. Beside the mirage floated a line of small characters: “Furong Pavilion's Chun Xiao.”
This Chunxiao Guniang's mirage was incredibly lifelike; as the flying vehicle brushed past her half-exposed shoulder, she gazed at the cloud sedan with alluring eyes, her expression mournful, as if trying to keep Liu Sheng and Lu Shen in the flying vehicle.
Lu Shen's face turned red, his throat dry, and he quickly pulled down the curtain, not daring to look again.
It was a good thing he didn't look, because the next female mirage was even bolder and more proactive, extending her tender, scallion-like jade fingers to caress the passing cloud sedans.
Even Liu Sheng felt a little hot.
“This must be Chang'an City's red-light district…”
Liu Sheng looked down; beneath the cloud sedan were countless pavilions and towers, connected by small bridges and long corridors, with large red lanterns hanging everywhere.
The place was bustling with noise, and people flowed endlessly.
“Indeed, it's a very direct red-light district.”
Firecrackers even exploded beside the cloud sedan; thankfully, they weren't real firecrackers, but merely spiritual light, otherwise they would have caused numerous aerial accidents.
But the explosive sound so close by frightened Ling Xiaoshu, who hid in Liu Sheng's arms, not daring to come out.
After passing this market, there was another commercial street, with an endless stream of aerial illusions.
Liu Sheng pressed against the window, her eyes wide, watching intently, afraid of missing anything.
All of this seemed so real yet illusory, making Liu Sheng unable to distinguish where she truly was.
If it weren't for the compassionate god's face of the Supreme God still overlooking the human world above her head, Liu Sheng would have almost thought she had entered another world.