Chapter 471: Chapter 305: Nianjun Enters the City, the Lady Schemes, Leshang Is Charitable, Will They Meet?

Flying Dragon City is adorned with gold bricks and jade towers, extravagant to the extreme, with thick snow piled on the roofs, while flocks of cold geese glide lowly across the sky. Crowds in the city flow like streams, horses and carriages move in order, and occasionally armored soldiers parade along the streets.

While still at the Guesthouse for Celestial Visitors, Li Xian learned from the waiter that Flying Dragon City has three magnificent sights: "Sunlight on the Golden Roof," "Jieyou Tower," and "Dragon Roar Echoing in the Gorge"... Each year at this time, many Jianghu guests and cultured patrons gather in Flying Dragon City to appreciate these sights.

The Great Wu Dynasty spans vast territories, with complex river networks, townships as countless as the hairs on a cow. Townships that earn a name within the territorial map are considered noteworthy. Flying Dragon City, with its unique region and distinct style, is marked on the map.

Li Xian, Jin Yi, and others entered the city, and after walking half a mile, Li Xian caught sight of a familiar figure from the past. A purple dress fluttered in the wind, and she had not been seen for over a year. She had grown increasingly graceful, her extraordinary charm difficult to conceal in a crowd.

It was Gu Nianjun. Had once met her in the Prefecture City, this lady had looked down upon Li Xian, and since that meeting, they had not seen each other for a long time. Li Xian, having experienced countless perilous situations, journeyed through ups and downs, leaving Yihetang Manor, temporarily joining Flower Cage Sect, and finally returning to remnants of the Candle Sect... Unexpectedly, in such a remote place, he encountered her again.

Li Xian frowned slightly: "Strange, why is this woman here? If she’s here, perhaps Xiaofan is also here? My identity is special, there’s no rush to meet. If we meet, it’s likely I’ll receive a cold glance. I should only determine if Xiaofan is here, ignore this woman."

He thought that since the two had no friendship and were mere acquaintances, they did not bother with each other.

He then decided to observe in secret, suddenly slipping into a dark alley. Gu Nianjun’s brows furrowed suddenly as she turned around, but saw nothing unusual. Only the shouts of ordinary city folk hawking and selling wares, moving busily, feeling something strange about it.

Someone nearby asked, "Nianjun, what’s wrong?" Zhou Shijie, dressed in luxurious brocade, looking extremely handsome, with a jade bamboo hairpin tucked in his hair, accomplished in both martial arts and literature, asked with concern.

Gu Nianjun replied, "Don’t worry, I just have a vague feeling that someone is watching me."

Zhou Shijie laughed, "What’s strange about that? Nianjun, you have natural beauty, those who steal glances at you aren’t few, are they? If they want to look, let them look. After all, you..." His eyes burned, his heart afire, almost wanting to say, "After all, you’re also mine." But he restrained himself.

Gu Nianjun glanced at Zhou Shijie, shook her head and said nothing more. Turning away, she wandered elsewhere, just having arrived at Flying Dragon City. She noticed many food stalls by the street, selling sugar figures, twisted dough pastries, sweet beans, spicy tofu, sticky rice cakes... Her refined temperament and stunning beauty made her stand out among the small stalls and vendors.

Gu Nianjun walked to a small stall, pointed with her delicate hand at a sugar figure, and said with a smile, "I want this one." She bought some fragrant hot snacks. Zhou Shijie lightly shook his folding fan, always eager to pay the bill.

Zhou Shijie said, "Who would’ve thought, Nianjun, that you actually like these foods. Indeed, these things aren’t rare, they can be found in Prefecture City as well. But I don’t seem to have seen you eat them before?"

Gu Nianjun smiled, "There are many things you don’t know." She didn’t elaborate.

Zhou Shijie said, "Nianjun, you have no familial ties with Li Xiaofan, why are you so concerned about him? It was heard that he is in Flying Dragon City, so you even detoured to meet him."

Gu Nianjun said, "Brother Shijie, you have no family ties with me either, so why are you always following me?" Zhou Shijie blushed, "I... I saw you coming, I was worried you might get hurt, so I followed."

He let out an "Ah," using his own feelings as a gauge, and said, "Could it be, Nianjun, you... you like that kid?"

Gu Nianjun smiled without speaking, her attitude hard to fathom. She thought, "Xiaofan has extraordinary talent, destined for greatness. I purely see him as a younger brother, treating him with sibling affection. If we talk about liking... I, Gu Nianjun, prefer heroic men soaring high, standing strong and unmatched with the world. Alas, such men, how many truly exist in this world? Zhou Shijie has read poems and books for years, his head filled with romantic matters. He can’t be considered heroic, standing strong."

Zhou Shijie noticed a hint of disdain, secretly gritting his teeth, yet managed to suppress it, asking, "Nianjun, once you’re out of the Prefecture, will you return?"

Gu Nianjun shook her head, "Not going back." Zhou Shijie asked, "Why not return?" Gu Nianjun answered flatly, "I’ve completed my studies, naturally no need to return."

Walking along the street, she suddenly stopped to think, then carefully explained the reasons. After all, years as classmates had created some lasting sentiments. She said, "I went to study in Qiong Heavenly Mansion mainly because of the great Fu family."

"Now that the Fu family values Xiaofan, letting him travel and study early. Leaving the Qiong Heavenly Mansion, if I stay in the Prefecture City, it’s merely wasting time. Therefore, I take this opportunity to leave the Prefecture City."

As it turns out...

Fu Haoran was once a Celestial Official, holding a high position, but because of certain reasons within the dynasty, he was demoted to teach at Qiong Heavenly Mansion. Qiong Heavenly Mansion is a barren place, and throughout history, indeed there were Celestial Officials demoted there.

Gu Nianjun had read Fu Haoran’s discourse on poetry and painting, greatly admiring this elder, and had thoughts of deepening her studies in civil dao. When she heard he was at Qiong Heavenly Mansion, she specially went there to study, seeking academic guidance.

Zhou Shijie enjoyed the leftover blessings from his ancestors and inherited a lingering thread of ethereal fortune. It seemed to be connected to both civil and martial dao, which is why he arrived at Prefecture City to study and met Gu Nianjun, thus becoming infatuated with her.

But if we talk about his devotion, it was far from reliable. At a banquet in a pavilion, he still had a haunting image of a figure in a white dress in his heart. Her graceful demeanor often appeared in his dreams, elusive and without a trace, hearing her dream voice call "Young Master," his body tingled with pleasure, not wanting to awaken. But he always suddenly awoke with a shock, realizing that "Young Master" was called for someone else, feeling endless sadness.

Zhou Shijie both craved civil dao and couldn’t abandon martial dao for longevity. Thus, being "accomplished in both martial arts and literature," he stirred waves in Prefecture City, earning much admiration, yet he was actually facing an awkward situation—the "martial arts" could hardly reach deeper achievements, and his civil dao knowledge was inadequate to seize fortune.