Chapter 7 - Second Sister
Corner City of the Horned Lodge is the largest city in the east.
The walls of Corner City of the Horned Lodge tower high, with guards standing watch. As they approached the city, they could see a long line of people entering.
Lin Chuyu felt a flutter of anxiety as she saw Corner Lodge right before her. With a pleading tone, she said, "How about you take me to find Divine Dawn? Let's not go in; once we find Divine Dawn, I’ll repay you tenfold for the money I owe Vajra."
Ji Zichen shot her a glare, doubting whether Lin Chuyu had lost her mind. He reacted strongly, "That's not how it works. Do you think I'm an idiot? You believe all the wealth in Divine Dawn belongs to you? Yes, you have the Vermilion Bird Pearl, but you’ve never seen it shine. That means Divine Dawn is still far out of your reach. Enough talk; we’re going in. How else will you repay me? Sure, you saved me once, but I saved you too; that cancels out. You still owe me for Vajra’s money—don’t even think about skipping out on that!"
Lin Chuyu sighed. Deep down, she knew that the chances of finding Divine Dawn were slim. Although the Vermilion Bird Pearl would react when close to Divine Dawn, it was like searching for a needle in a vast desert—she might spend her whole life without any good outcome.
Seeing that he wouldn’t agree, she didn’t press further and thought to herself, “I’ll just go home for now and figure out how to find the ruins later.”
The two slowly rode toward the city gate. Ji Zichen appeared indifferent on the surface, but his thoughts were quite different. He tentatively asked, "If you really can’t pay Vajra’s money, I might show some mercy and let you exchange it for the Vermilion Bird Pearl."
Lin Chuyu shot him a disdainful look and spat, "You wish! You think a few hundred taels of silver can buy the Vermilion Bird Pearl? Do I look that foolish?"
Ji Zichen chuckled to himself, thinking, “I need to come up with a way to trick her into giving me the Vermilion Bird Pearl.”
They followed the line and took half an hour to reach the city gate. There were guards at the entrance, and a Rotund Guard Captain stepped forward to block their path.
The captain wore a stern expression as he scrutinized Ji Zichen for a moment. His gaze fell on the bamboo box strapped to his horse, which bore the words The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant. The captain said, "The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant? Are you here to sell magical artifacts at Corner Lodge?"
Ji Zichen smiled slightly and replied, "Yes, I came here a few years ago as well."
The captain turned his attention to Lin Chuyu and asked, "Who is she to you?"
Ji Zichen said, "I met a friend on the road. She lives here, so I offered to take her back."
The captain stared at Lin Chuyu, feeling that she looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had seen her. "What is your name and where do you live?" he asked.
Lin Chuyu did not disclose her name and casually replied, "I live at Anhe Residence."
The captain's expression changed as he suddenly remembered where he had seen Lin Chuyu. He was about to bow respectfully when Lin Chuyu anticipated his gesture and said, "May I go in?"
The captain quickly replaced his serious demeanor with a friendly smile. He understood that Lin Chuyu did not want to reveal her identity. "Congratulations on returning to the city, miss. Please enter," he said.
Lin Chuyu glanced at the captain. "Congratulations on my return? What do you mean by that?"
The captain smiled without answering and turned to Ji Zichen. "Although you came here with this young lady, the rules for entering the city cannot be broken. Do you have any documentation?"
Ji Zichen looked at Lin Chuyu and thought, "Congratulations for just returning to the city? Is this captain drunk? The way he treats her suggests she must have a significant status at Corner Lodge." Ji Zichen felt pleased, thinking, "It seems she is the daughter of a wealthy family; there's no way I can avoid this bill now."
In a good mood, Ji Zichen took out the documentation. After the captain reviewed it, he smiled and said, "You may both enter the city."
Just as Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu took a few steps forward, the captain called out to them again. He pointed to the left side of the city, where a square area was marked off. Inside were more than ten heads mounted on wooden stakes. The captain warned them, "Recently, there have been some unruly people in the city. It’s best not to wander out at night. However, since the celebration is about to begin, I won’t stop you from enjoying the festivities."
With that, the captain returned to his original position and called out, "Next!"
The two made their way toward the center of the city. On both sides of the main street were tea houses, taverns, and pawn shops, interspersed with weapon shops. Along the way, many vendors with large umbrellas lined the streets.
The street extended east and west with a continuous flow of pedestrians—some carrying burdens on their shoulders, some driving ox carts delivering goods, others urging donkeys pulling carts, and many stopping to admire the scenery. Towering city towers stood at the center while buildings lined up neatly on both sides.
Near the inner city was a large square featuring a grand fountain at its center. A magnificent Azure Dragon stood in the middle of the fountain, and many people gathered around it to rest. Lin Chuyu stole a few glances at him and asked, "Your friend—are you an ordinary relic expert?"
Ji Zichen was indifferent to the prosperity around him, but he was very concerned about Lin Chuyu's words. He retorted, "What do you mean by that? Are you looking at me?"
Lin Chuyu chuckled lightly and said, "It’s nothing. I was just asking. A master is a master, and a novice is a novice. Just answer and stop getting angry."
Ji Zichen smiled proudly and replied, "You haven't been to The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant. When you get the chance to go, you'll know whether I'm a master or not."
Lin Chuyu sighed bitterly and murmured to herself, "By the time I get back, it will be difficult to come out again."
Ji Zichen shot her a glance and said, "What? Speak up!"
Lin Chuyu shot him a sideways glance but didn’t respond. She noticed a crowd gathered on the other side of the square and wondered aloud, "The captain has a ceremony? How come I didn't know there was any ceremony at Corner Lodge today? What kind of ceremony would attract so many people?"
Ji Zichen hadn’t been to Corner Lodge in a long time and didn’t know what the ceremony was either. Since Lin Chuyu was interested, he wanted to see what the commotion was about. He said, "Let’s go take a look."
Lin Chuyu nodded repeatedly, "Yes, let’s see what kind of ceremony it is."
The two made their way toward the gathering crowd, where everyone seemed excited. Lin Chuyu, caught up in the atmosphere, curiously asked, "Why are they so excited?"
This question didn’t need Ji Zichen to answer; Lin Chuyu had already seen the source of their excitement. However, her expression suddenly changed as she could no longer feel happy. She saw rows of scarred slaves—men, women, and children—all wrapped in tattered cloth around their lower bodies. Their upper bodies were bare, and they were shackled with handcuffs and leg chains. It felt as if she had been doused with cold water.
Yet the surrounding crowd was jubilant, exclaiming, "Oh! Oh! Oh! They’ve arrived! There are quite a few slaves!"
The slaves were lined up in three rows coming from the West Gate, stretching endlessly. A frail female slave collapsed to her knees, possibly from dehydration or hunger. Upon seeing this, a guard escorting the slaves scowled and struck her with his whip. The female slave cried out in pain but managed to stand up despite her suffering. The guard shouted angrily, "Don’t mess up the line!"
Lin Chuyu had never witnessed such a large-scale slave trade before; she stood there in shock. Beside her stood a middle-aged man with stubble who noticed her wide-eyed stare and chuckled, "How about it, miss? Isn’t this quite an unprecedented spectacle?"
Lin Chuyu exclaimed in disbelief, "How... how can there be so many slaves?"
The middle-aged man said, "This is the first batch of dowries sent by the Western King. He is going to marry the Second Sister of the Cornerstone City Lord."
Ji Zichen felt disgusted by the act of using slaves as dowries. Having spent years searching for relics, he had seen too much of such things. He usually chose to turn a blind eye to them, but now he asked, "Have you seen enough?"
Lin Chuyu, however, reacted unusually and shouted, "Who says the Second Sister is getting married? Who is spreading rumors?"
The middle-aged man replied, "The dowry has already been sent; what rumors are there? If you don't believe me, go check the bulletin board."
Lin Chuyu angrily stormed away from the crowd, and Ji Zichen hurried after her. "What’s wrong? Do you know that Second Sister?"
Lin Chuyu appeared flustered and did not answer. Instead, she muttered to herself, "It can't be true. The Corner Lodge doesn't need slaves. The Western King sending slaves must not be for a dowry."
Ji Zichen said, "You're really naive. Slaves are money; they can be sold on the street to the highest bidder."
Lin Chuyu's face turned pale in an instant. "But they are people! How can they be sold like goods?"
Ji Zichen's gaze turned heavy as he replied, "To those in power, slaves are just resources, not people. Mines and farms everywhere need labor, and slavery is the best solution for that. It's fortunate for them to be sold as slaves because at least they are still alive."
Lin Chuyu could hardly believe such absurdity. "These are just excuses to justify the sale of slaves!"
Ji Zichen shrugged. "Whatever it is, these are rules set by those in power."
With a pleading tone, Lin Chuyu said, "Brother Ji, can you find a way to save them?"
Ji Zichen seemed to hear a very amusing joke and laughed. "Save them? Do you think this is Tuxia Village? I don't have overflowing compassion. The guards here are not Sand Bandits but well-trained Aldebaran Soldiers."
Suddenly, Lin Chuyu was jolted awake by the cold reality. She gave a self-deprecating smile. "Actually, I know it's impossible; it's just that seeing those slaves makes me feel so sorry for them."
" Ji Zichen said, 'Your reaction is so strange. What does the dowry given to you have to do with me?'
Ji Zichen smiled unconsciously and added, 'Don't act like you aren't the City Lord's Second Sister.'
Lin Chuyu turned her head away, not allowing Ji Zichen to see the tears that had fallen.
Though Lin Chuyu did not respond, Ji Zichen was startled to see her crying. 'You can't really be the City Lord's Second Sister!'
Lin Chuyu led Ji Zichen to the Jiaoshu City Office. To enter the inner city, they needed to report to the Jiaoshu City Office. As soon as they entered the City Officer's area, a city official recognized Lin Chuyu at a glance. The official was momentarily taken aback upon seeing Lin Chuyu accompanied by Ji Zichen, then quickly knelt and greeted her, saying, 'Peng Zu pays respects to Second Sister.'
Ji Zichen stared at Lin Chuyu in disbelief. 'You really are Second Sister!'
Lin Chuyu forced a smile and replied, 'Get up, Lord Peng.'
Peng Zu stood up and called over a guard, saying, 'Quickly inform the City Lord that Second Sister has returned, and call back those who went out searching for her.'
The guard responded, 'Yes, my lord,' and then withdrew.
Lin Chuyu turned to Ji Zichen and said, 'Brother Ji, no matter what happens, I still want to thank you for bringing me back. You should stay here at the City Officer tonight; I will have someone send money over.'
Ji Zichen asked in surprise, 'Since you are the City Lord's daughter, how did you end up at Yellow Sand Plain?'
Lin Chuyu forced a smile and replied, 'I just went out for some fun.'
She then addressed Peng Zu, saying, 'Lord Peng, this is Ji Zichen; he is my lifesaver. Lin Guardian was killed by Sand Bandits at Yellow Sand Plain. If it weren't for Brother Ji, I wouldn't have made it back. Please arrange for him to rest here.'
Peng Zu acknowledged her request, saying, 'Yes, Second Sister,' before departing."
As Lin Chuyu watched Peng Zu leave, she softly asked, "Brother Ji, where will you go after tomorrow?"
Ji Zichen gazed back at her, feeling an inexplicable sense of reluctance in his heart. However, he did not show his emotions. He smiled and replied, "Of course, I will wander around and sell some magical artifacts."
Lin Chuyu forced a bitter smile. "Will we still be able to meet again?"
Ji Zichen said, "You're going to marry the Western King. I think we won't have the chance to see each other again."
Lin Chuyu sighed sadly. "Yes, it seems we won't have that opportunity."
At that moment, Peng Zu approached and said, "Second Sister, the sedan chair is ready. It's time to get in and head to the city."
Lin Chuyu nodded, her gaze lingering on Ji Zichen. "I'm leaving now, Brother Ji."
Ji Zichen tried to lighten the mood. "Go on, go on. Just remember to send the money without any deductions."
Lin Chuyu smiled brightly. "Don't worry, I won't shortchange you."
She entered the sedan chair, which then began its journey toward the inner city.
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