Chapter 245: Lord Chu Ci

When it was his turn, he took a deep breath as he looked towards what looked like an empty street on the other side and stepped over the threshold.

He immediately appeared inside the city and found that his view instantly changed. It looked completely different from the inside of the gate. They were standing in a wide, sweeping, curved street made with large, multi-colored cobblestones, each almost two to three feet in size, and walls the same light sandy brown as the outside, covered with lush green climbing vines, interspersed with some kind of drooping purple flower covering a good portion of the walls. 

He couldn't see more than a few hundred paces ahead as the street was curved and had a pretty good idea why this city was named the Winding City.

As he looked outside, over the wall, he found that he was also several floors above where he initially started from. Logically, they should have still been on the ground floor, but Yang noticed as he looked down below that they were halfway up the city already. He could see the hustle and bustle of the city on the tiers below due to the lower floors being larger than the one above them.

Yang felt his Senior Brothers shifting around him and turned back to see a group of cultivators making their way towards them. The person leading them was an elegant-looking man with dark chestnut brown hair, dressed in tasteful scholar-style robes. He had a slim build and elongated features, making it almost seem like he was looking his nose down at them, only belied by the wide, sincere smile on his face.

“Fellow Daoist Lu Feng, Welcome to Winding City,” he said, opening his arms wide in a gesture of hospitality. “You have greatly honored us with your presence.”

Senior Brother Lu Feng gave a slight bow of his head, and Yang, along with the rest of his Senior Brothers, followed suit.

“We are pleased to have set our gazes upon the magnificence of your city, Lord Chu Ci,” Senior Brother Lu Feng replied smoothly.

The City Lord, Lord Chu Ci, looked visibly pleased at the compliment to his city, along with the cheer squad he had brought along.

Senior Brother Lu Feng motioned towards their group as he introduced all of them, starting with their Little Uncle. “This is Elder Zi Ang, a sect brother of my Master and his personal guard, Elder Shao You.”

Lord Chu Ci gave a deep bow. “Elder Zi Ang, Elder Shao You, your presence in our city honors us. I hope you enjoy the offerings of our Winding City,” Lord Chu Ci said, looking immensely pleased at the presence of a peer of his Master.

Little Uncle smiled faintly as he gave a regal nod of his head while Senior Shao You mainly stared back blankly.

Senior Brother gestured towards Yang and his other Senior Brothers. “These are my junior brothers. I’ve brought them along to enjoy your city.” One by one, he pointed out each of them in order of their ranking until he reached Yang.

“And lastly, this is Chen Yang,” Senior Brother Lu Feng gestured towards him. “My Master’s thirteenth and youngest disciple.”

Surprise rippled through Lord Chu Ci and the people in his entourage. Lord Chu Ci recovered and asked, “Thirteenth disciple?” Lord Chu Ci looked curiously at Yang. “I was under the impression Venerable Hua Yong only had twelve direct disciples?”

Senior Brother Lu Feng gave him an amicable smile. “He was only accepted a year ago.”

Lord Chu Ci looked pleased as he slightly fiddled with his hands before retrieving a pouch from his sleeve, holding it out to Yang. “A small meeting gift, Fellow Daoist.”

Yang instinctively refused, taking half a step back and waving his hands to decline, but before he could voice his refusal, Senior Brother Lu Feng’s voice directly echoed in his head. “Accept it and address him as Senior Chu Ci.”

“You are Daoist Lu Feng’s Junior Brother,” Senior Chu Ci urged him, pressing the pouch towards him. “It is merely a small token, Daoist Yang.”

Yang received the green velvet pouch with both hands as he gave the bow of a junior. “Thank you, Senior, but please, just call me Junior Yang.”

Lord Chu Ci looked pleased at being called Senior by him but shook his head. “How could I possibly address a disciple of Venerable Hua Yong and a brother of Venerable Xiao Zhan as my junior?”

“Chen Yang is a child and still in the Qi Condensation realm. It is more than appropriate for Fellow Daoist to treat him as a junior,” Senior Brother Lu Feng interjected calmly.

Lord Chu Ci took a few moments of polite hesitation before he conceded with a smile.

Yang was well aware he had just been used by Senior Brother Lu Feng in a diplomatic gesture.

Senior Chu Ci waved his hand and led them through the path while speaking to Senior Brother Lu Feng. “I hurried as soon as I received word of your arrival.” He looked at Senior Brother Lu Feng as he said, “if you had sent a message before your arrival, I would have ensured a formal procession to welcome you at the main gates with honors befitting your sect.”

“We prefer to travel simply,” Senior Brother Lu Feng said calmly. There is no need to draw excessive attention before our formal matters are concluded.”

Lord Chu Ci and his companions frowned and started looking anxious. Senior Brother Lu Feng knew what was going through their mind and interjected before they could work themselves over nothing. “Fellow Daoists need not look so worried.” He assured them. “White Cloud Sect is sincere with this alliance, and as long as the terms discussed are kept to, the matter is done.”

“That is good.” Lord Chu Ci’s shoulders visibly relaxed, and he nodded. “Once the contract is signed we were hoping to announce it during the Founding Day celebrations.”

Senior Brother Lu Feng inclined his head. “It’s up to Fellow Daoist how and when you inform your residents, as long as it is within the first year of the alliance”

They finally reached the bend in the road, and Yang realized it opened into the main street through a small arched doorway covered by a curtain of vines.

Stepping through the threshold, Yang found wide curving streets with vendors lining the inner side of the spiral, with stalls and doorways behind them leading to stores, while the outer edge of the street was left open for people to walk around and to take in the views of outside and at the lower levels of the city.

As Yang trailed behind everyone, he saw people going quiet and bowing respectfully towards their City Lord while casting curious looks at Yang and his Senior Brothers. 

Instead of stairs, the city's levels were connected by a long main path that steadily wound upwards.

As they ascended floor by floor, Yang noticed a shift in the types of goods being sold.

Those on the lower floors were smaller, more cluttered, and selling basic things. Fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. But as they reached higher and higher, the vendors' wares kept growing more luxurious and refined, selling fabrics, jewels, and beautiful objects of art. By the time they reached the remaining floors, the traders were exclusively dealing in cultivation supplies, manuals, tools, talismans, and even alchemy ingredients and pills.

Yang's eyes darted from shop to shop, trying to take in as much as possible. His curious self, unable to resist the allure of so many new things to explore. 

He was reminded of the time when he went down the outer sect peak to buy snacks for Senior Sect Brother Lin Yi. He hadn’t dared to look around too much in consideration of his purse, but now thanks to his Master, he was practically a tycoon and could shop to his heart's desire.

Finally, they reached the top floor, entering through a gazebo that seemed to act as an entrance from the lower floor to the large domed palace on the top floor.

As they were led into the grand palace, Yang saw various servants in pristine uniforms moving about with their day while armored guards were stationed at every doorway and gate.

They were led to a large private wing through the side entrance, and into a large hall with heavy double doors without any guards. They all came to a stop as the doors swung open to reveal an enormous space in a semicircle with a plush seating area occupying the curved perimeter and tall single doors lining the flat wall. Yang counted a dozen identical doors.

Senior Chi Chi stopped at the threshold and didn't step further. “I have arranged these quarters specifically for you and your companions. Please ring the bell in your rooms to call the servants should you require anything.”

Senior Brother Lu Feng graciously accepted and expressed his thanks, praising Senior Chu Ci’s hospitality.

The moment Lord Chi Ci left and the door swung closed behind him, the smile Senior Brother Lu Feng had been wearing vanished from his face, as he unceremoniously dropped himself like a stone into the couch with a tired sigh. 

His gaze swept over all of them before resting on Little Uncle.

“Little Uncle, would you care to join the talks before the contract is signed?” Senior Brother Lu Feng asked. “It's not appropriate for me to take complete lead when an elder in both hierarchy and age is present.”

Little Uncle looked utterly appalled at the suggestion and let out a barrage of coughs to show what he thought of the suggestion before he bluntly refused him. “Nephew Lu Feng, I am lacking in health, and I fear I would just bring the sect down. And you need not think that our sect doesn’t care for such trivialities.” He looked about to faint and leaned against Senior Shao You, who supported him to a plush chair before retrieving a fan and beginning to wave it.

“We may not care, but others certainly do!” Senior Brother Lu Feng retorted before he took a deep breath and got his temper under control. Bringing his hands to rub at his temples. “At least agree to take the gifts I have brought from the sect. It's not proper for me to act as lead while you’re present.”

Little Uncle looked displeased and put upon but agreed with a sigh. “Very well. I shall be the one to pass the gifts the sect has prepared to welcome them to the fold, but you shouldn’t expect any further assistance from me; the sect has assigned this task to you.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Senior Brother Lu Feng muttered dryly under his breath.

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