Zhao Rong remembered that on the wedding night, Gui seemed to have just woken up as well.
Upon learning that it was in the Xuanhuang Realm, it bombarded him with a myriad of bizarre questions.
Those strange and arcane terms were hard not to leave a deep impression on Zhao Rong.
Among them, Gui had asked whether the Du You Ji Clan was still in the Wangque Continent.
Oh, right, along with that, there was also a family called the Qingyang Han Clan and a sect named Wei Ran Sect.
When people first arrive in a new environment, they instinctively seek out familiar things to fend off the fear of the unknown and to gain a sense of security.
Zhao Rong nodded slightly.
So, for Gui, who once held a high position before its fall,
was the Du You Ji Clan among the familiar people and things it deemed worth looking at in the secluded Wangque Continent, ranking at the very forefront, perhaps even foremost?
Later, when Zhao Rong occasionally asked out of curiosity, Gui mostly skirted the question vaguely without going into detail.
However, its tone and the occasional words let Zhao Rong perceive some useful information.
Gui seemed to have a grudge against a family named ’Ji Clan’.
The first time Zhao Rong asked about it, it had made a venomously sarcastic remark, calling them ’a wasted family hiding under the blessings of their ancestors’.
This sarcasm alone was worth pondering over.
Moreover, in Gui’s words, the Du You Ji Clan should be a branch of this ’Ji Clan’ in the Wangque Continent.
And it was they who first established Du You City, standing solemnly at the boundary of heaven and sea.
All of this matched up with the legendary tales Miss Lu had just relayed, coinciding in certain aspects without prior arrangement.
This rarely mentioned Du You Ji Clan was the ancient family that inherited the powerful position of the ruler of Youwang.
They were once the rulers of the Wangque Continent in history.
Are they now like all things ancient and old, vanished in the dust of Time River’s years?
In any case, aside from Gui, Zhao Rong had never heard this name from anyone else.
Even in Miss Lu Wan’s story, only the title ’Youwang’ was mentioned.
At this moment, thinking of this, Zhao Rong’s expression flickered.
He immediately pursed his lips and said without changing his demeanor, "Miss Lu, is there a family with the surname Ji in Du You City?"
Lu Wan pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "Ji? Such a strange name, where did the young master hear it? Among the notable families in the city, none bear this surname."
Zhao Rong nodded slightly.
This Youwang family bears the surname Ji.
So, had he just learned a piece of knowledge that had been lost to secrecy?
Additionally, Zhao Rong found Miss Lu Wan’s story about the ’Origin of Wangque’ quite interesting.
Setting aside the truth of the story and whether the name of the Wangque Continent was really changed by Youwang,
the mere tale that has spread, of Youwang being assigned to the then barbaric Wangque Continent, ascending to You Mountain and longing for the ’Central Continent Palace,’ is exquisite.
Whose palaces were those, after all?
Did the first Youwang truly miss his homeland so much that he specifically had to ascend a height to gaze into the distance?
Looking at the Li River flowing into the sea before him, Zhao Rong arched his eyebrow.
He knew very little at the moment.
These thoughts were merely out of boredom and vague guesses.
The truth of the matter is still unknown and might forever be shrouded in the dust of history, never to see the light of day.
Perhaps Gui, this ’old Sword Spirit,’ might know something.
Later on, he could ask about it to expand his knowledge.
Zhao Rong shook his head, thinking no further.
But then he felt a bit itchy to speak—how come Gui hadn’t woken up yet...
It had told Zhao Rong to call it once he reached the Fu Yao Realm, and now he was only left with the final one of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians—the Yangwei Meridian.
Never mind, Zhao Rong thought this was actually quite nice. Older people do like to nap; it’s understandable.
And it was certainly better than having it stay up all night, disturbing his reading.
Zhao Rong closed his eyes for a quiet moment.
This train of thought, he was directly ’muttering’ in his Heart Lake...
Three breaths later, still no sound came from within the Heart Lake.
No voice of a Sword Spirit with ruffled feathers.
"Seems it’s not pretending to be asleep..."
Zhao Rong murmured to himself.
Seated in the carriage, Zhao Rong, while enjoying the autumn scenery, listened to Lu Wan as she detailed the customs and folk stories of Du You City.
Soon, they reached Du You West City.
The West City, compared to the Immortal-filled East City, was busier.
There was a mix of the worldly atmosphere of the mortal markets and the mystical aroma from the Cultivator fairs on the mountains blended together.
Mortals and Cultivators mingled in a bustling scene.
But Zhao Rong did not stay long; after buying some out-of-season fruits that Qing Jun and Qian’er liked to eat, he boarded Miss Lu Wan’s awaiting carriage again.
Zhao Rong changed his plans en route, not heading straight to the Taiching Prefecture, but asking Lu Wan to stop the carriage when they passed through East City.
He strolled along a bustling street in East City.
The surrounding crowd was hustling and bustling, predominantly comprised of Cultivators in various exotic attires.
Zhao Rong, dressed as a scholarly young man, did not stand out in the crowd.
He did not visit the most famous Cultivation commercial streets in East City, for the items he wanted to buy should also be available here; there was no need to waste time.
Today he was to meet Qing Jun and did not have much time to dawdle.
Thus, Zhao Rong aimlessly wandered the street lined with shops of all sizes.
Before long, after walking the street back and forth three or four times, he confirmed his interest in a bustling shop he had just passed, aptly named ’Prosperous Treasures.’