117: Chapter 0117 The Carriage and Horse Farm

The coachman, who was the Faceless Boy, curled his lips into a faint smile.

"Little Liu'er, how many years has it been since you joined Yanyu Pavilion?"

The woman answered flatly, "Fifteen years."

"Heh... It's been that long already. I remember when you first took the Pavilion Master as your teacher, you were still just a little girl."

The Faceless Boy sighed with emotion. "Yanyu Pavilion has existed for thirty years, and I have followed the Pavilion Master for thirty years."

"Twenty years ago, my 'Faceless Profound Art' reached Great Completion, and I stepped into the Grandmaster Realm. Yet, I still did not leave; I continued to devote my heart and soul to Yanyu Pavilion."

"Because in my eyes, your master would sooner or later make Yanyu Pavilion the 'Sixth Great Sect' of the Tianwu Continent!"

"We would no longer be rats crossing the street in the eyes of the world, but a dignified and upright great sect!"

The woman frowned. "Even the Five Great Sects do not dare to provoke us. Why pursue such empty fame?"

"Haha..."

The Faceless Boy laughed and said, "To live in this world, one must have some pursuits. Once you step into the Martial Arts Grandmaster realm, you will naturally understand your Third Uncle's thoughts."

The woman shook her head. "I only know that you have broken the rules! Once this precedent is set, Yanyu Pavilion will never know peace again!"

"I exactly don't want peace!!"

A flash of ruthlessness crossed the Faceless Boy's eyes. "On what basis can the disciples of the Sword Forest and Blade Mountain become honored guests of imperial relatives and high officials?"

"On what basis can the disciples of the Academy enter the court as officials and reach the pinnacle of power?"

"On what basis can those ox-nosed Daoists and old bald donkeys of the Buddhist Sect travel the world swindling and deceiving?"

"As for our Yanyu Pavilion, in terms of martial arts, there is the Pavilion Master, Second Brother, and me—three Martial Arts Grandmasters!"

"The Thirteen Pavilions of Yanyu have over a hundred assassins combined. Even if we don't match the Sword Forest or Blade Mountain, can we not match the other three?!"

"In terms of prestige, whenever Yanyu Pavilion is mentioned in the martial world, everyone pales at the sound. Where are we inferior to them?!"

The woman sighed. "Third Uncle, you've become obsessed! The Five Great Sects have a thousand years of heritage; how can our thirty-year-old Yanyu Pavilion compare?"

"In the Thirteen Pavilions of Yanyu, how many people would truly give their lives for the pavilion? They are nothing more than a motley crew, here only for the money."

"Haha... You're right! But heritage must be fought for by oneself!"

The Faceless Boy said proudly, "Little Liu'er, just watch. Once I kill this infinitely glorious Border God of Slaughter, Yanyu Pavilion will truly head toward its peak!"

"When that time comes, all assassins will take pride in joining Yanyu Pavilion, and they will naturally no longer be a motley crew!"

"The heroes of the world are competing for dominance; what harm is there in adding one more Yanyu Pavilion?"

The woman lowered her head. "It seems you have made up your mind."

"The Pavilion Master sent you here simply because he wanted you to persuade me and make my heart soften."

The Faceless Boy waved his hand. "Forget it. For the decisions he cannot make, I will make them for him!"

"You are a Martial Arts Grandmaster; I cannot stop you."

The woman cupped her hands. "The Pavilion Master said that for this 'sure-kill order,' Yanyu Pavilion will not assist you in completing it."

The Faceless Boy laughed loudly. "The Pavilion Master has a good plan... If I succeed, Yanyu Pavilion officially steps onto the stage."

"But if I fail, Yanyu Pavilion can also wash its hands of the matter, saying I acted on my own..."

A trace of complexity appeared in the woman's eyes. This was the world of assassins, where interests were above all else.

"Little Liu'er, give this back to your master!"

As the Faceless Boy spoke, he tossed a pitch-black nameplate to the woman.

On it was clearly written the character for 'Three'.

This was the Yanyu Pavilion assassin's rank plate; the higher the number, the higher the rank.

"Tell him that this assassination has nothing to do with Yanyu Pavilion! I have repaid his kindness in full!!"

After saying this, the Faceless Boy took a large gulp of wine and smashed the wine pot directly onto the ground!

Raising the horsewhip, the carriage continued on its way, heading toward Baishui City under the cover of night.

The woman in purple watched the departing carriage and sighed softly.

"Third Uncle... take care."

...

Baishui City.

Early in the morning, Princess Meng Xi and Diplomat Zhong Lang went out to wander around.

To avoid drawing attention, both of them wore Central Plains attire.

Yet even so, Princess Meng Xi's fair skin and beautiful face, combined with the slightly wild temperament of a grassland woman, still caught people's eyes.

"Princess, someone is following us."

Diplomat Zhong Lang glanced at the four Zhenbei Army soldiers behind them and frowned.

"It's good enough that they haven't locked us up. Let them follow if they want."

Princess Meng Xi didn't bother to care and began strolling through the city.

But before long, Princess Meng Xi discovered... this city was strange!

The most obvious thing was the ground here—what on earth were these 'cement' roads?

The main road was even divided into two paths, separated by wooden railings.

One side was for carriages, the other for pedestrians.

The carriages sped along very quickly, while on the pedestrian side, there were many vendors whose businesses were doing quite well.

At intervals along the road, there would be a 'Carriage Depot' for carriages and horses to park.

Absurdly, the 'Carriage Depots' were watched over by elderly men and women. If you stayed longer than a stick of incense, you had to pay a fee, with prices clearly marked!

Princess Meng Xi and Diplomat Zhong Lang watched in stunned silence. This worked too?! You have to pay just to stop your carriage or horse!?

"Hey, stop pretending and come over here! I want to ask you something!"

Princess Meng Xi was truly curious and called over the Zhenbei Army soldiers who were following them.

"This Carriage Depot fee—do they really collect it?"

Princess Meng Xi pointed at the 'fee schedule' by the side of the lot. For over half an hour, it actually cost one tael of silver!? It was practically robbery!!

The soldier nodded. "They do! Some Carriage Depots collect dozens of taels of silver a day!"

"Then... does no one object?" Princess Meng Xi asked curiously.

"At first, we also thought, who would be willing to pay this money? But later, the Carriage Depot business was surprisingly good, and no one complained!"

Another soldier said dismissively, "You don't understand! Those who go out in carriages are either rich or noble; they're all wealthy masters!"

"I've heard that many young masters and young ladies especially like to park their carriages in crowded places to show off whose carriage is more grand!"

"Even the two carriage dealerships in the city have made a fortune!"

Diplomat Zhong Lang realized, "Princess, this is just like how some nobles in our Western Qiang tribe like horse racing; they just like to show off!"

Though Princess Meng Xi found it speechless, she couldn't help but admire the person who came up with this moneymaking method—they were truly a genius!

It collected money, stimulated commercial development, and improved transportation efficiency!

Killing three birds with one stone!

After a morning of running around, Princess Meng Xi and Diplomat Zhong Lang were constantly shocked.

Advanced public toilets ensured the city didn't have the heavy-smelling corners found elsewhere.

Commoners used cheap bricks and mud to build heated brick beds for the winter. The structure was ingenious and amazing!

In the market, cured meat and pickled vegetables could be seen everywhere.

Salt is such an important resource; did they really not feel any pain using it so vigorously?

The construction site of the City West Guild Hall left Princess Meng Xi even more awestruck. She had thought Lin Xiao was building an imperial palace!

She awkwardly discovered that as a Western Qiang princess, her living conditions might not even be as good as the low-level commoners here!

When it came time for lunch, Princess Meng Xi and Diplomat Zhong Lang returned to the Baiyu Pavilion they had visited yesterday.

Being a Western Qiang princess, the Baiyu Pavilion waiter led the two of them directly to the third floor.

Su Wansha already knew about their situation, so she immediately arranged a private room.

"Princess, Lord Zhong, please enjoy your meal. These are all our shop's signature dishes."

"The General said that when you two come to Baiyu Pavilion to dine, you can just charge it to his account."

Princess Meng Xi looked at Su Wansha, who was dressed in men's clothing, and secretly praised her as a true beauty.

She was about to inquire about Su Wansha's background and get some information when she saw a waiter come looking for her.

"Boss, Miss Ning has arrived."

Su Wansha's expression brightened with joy; she had finally waited for her. Thus, she immediately curtsied and said, "Princess, please excuse me!"

Soon, Su Wansha walked out.

Diplomat Zhong Lang frowned in displeasure. "Princess, this woman is too rude. She actually left like that without waiting for your permission? She clearly doesn't respect our Western Qiang!"

Princess Meng Xi's beautiful eyes flickered. "Miss Ning... I wonder who she is. She seems to have quite a significant background."

"Lord Zhong, find a waiter to ask and find out what the situation is."