Chapter 50: The walk

Chapter 50: Chapter 50: The walk

Zhao Linger looked around the room one last time before turning toward Zhao Lianyu.

She reached for the storage ring on her finger and gave it a small twist, checking that everything she had packed was properly stored inside.

"So, when should we set off, Miss Imperial Envoy?" she asked.

After taking two steps toward the door, she suddenly stopped and turned back, squinting slightly.

"Miss Lianyu. Can I call you Miss Lianyu?"

"As early as possible," Zhao Lianyu replied calmly to the first question.

She remained standing behind her, then slowly adjusted the veil covering her face before answering the second question without any change in her expression.

"No, Princess. Please don’t address me as Miss Lianyu."

Zhao Linger tilted her head slightly, her cheeks puffing out.

"Aww, why not?"

"Because I am an Imperial Envoy. And you are a princess."

Zhao Lianyu said it so naturally that it almost sounded like the matter had already been settled.

With a turn of her heel, she walked toward the door and briefly checked the corridor outside before turning back to Zhao Linger.

"That doesn’t really explain anything."

"It is sufficient explanation."

Zhao Linger stared at her for a few seconds before letting out a small sigh.

She walked over to the table and picked up a small jade pendant she had nearly forgotten to pack, turning it between her fingers before slipping it into her storage ring.

"You’re really serious about everything, aren’t you?"

Zhao Lianyu simply looked at her.

"I suppose so. It’s difficult not to be serious when you have responsibilities like mine, Princess."

Zhao Linger’s lips twitched as she shook her head and walked toward the door.

"Fine, Miss Imperial Envoy."

Zhao Lianyu followed behind her without saying anything.

The moment the two stepped outside, the quiet atmosphere of the residence gradually faded as they entered the main corridor of the Royal Palace.

Morning sunlight streamed through the open sides of the walkway, falling across the polished stone floor and the tall crimson pillars supporting the sweeping roof above them.

The palace was already wide awake.

Servants moved between the halls carrying trays of food, scrolls, and various items needed for the day’s work. Guards patrolled the corridors, their armor catching the sunlight whenever they passed beneath the open sections of the roof.

Whenever they noticed Zhao Linger, they stepped aside and bowed respectfully.

"Good morning, Princess."

"Good morning," Zhao Linger replied with a small smile.

She continued along the corridor, her gaze occasionally wandering toward the familiar gardens.

A small stream flowed beneath a stone bridge beside them, its clear water passing between clusters of spiritual flowers. Somewhere farther away, the sound of wooden swords striking against one another echoed from one of the training courtyards.

Zhao Linger listened to the rhythmic sounds for a while before turning her attention toward the woman beside her.

"Miss Imperial Envoy."

"Yes, Princess?"

Zhao Linger slowed slightly, looking at Zhao Lianyu with open curiosity.

"If I may ask, how old are you exactly?"

Zhao Lianyu’s expression remained calm, but her eyes narrowed slightly above her veil.

"Why do you ask?"

"I suddenly realized that I don’t actually know much about you." Zhao Linger clasped her hands behind her back as she walked, her chest slightly puffed out. "You’re an Imperial Envoy, you’re a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and Father trusts you enough to send you with me. That’s about all I know."

She thought for a moment before continuing.

"And for someone to be sent on a task this important, I presume you must be exceptionally skilled at your..."

She paused, seemingly trying to find the right word.

"What was the word..."

A few steps later, her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Ah, yes. Your line of work, like you said just now."

Zhao Lianyu was silent for a few steps.

Her white robe moved gently around her legs as she walked, and the faint sound of her footsteps blended with the distant activity of the palace.

"Counting from the day I was born, I am currently sixty-two, Princess."

Zhao Linger’s eyes widened slightly.

"Sixty-two?"

"Yes."

"You don’t look sixty-two at all. If anything, you look like someone in her early twenties."

Zhao Lianyu glanced at her.

"That is natural, Princess. I am a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

She continued walking as she explained, her tone calm and matter-of-fact. She did not seem to mind Zhao Linger’s lack of knowledge.

"Once a cultivator breaks through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, their lifespan increases to around five hundred years."

"At that stage, a cultivator can also alter their appearance, choosing whether to appear younger or older."

"It is common for female cultivators to retain a younger appearance."

Zhao Linger looked at her face again, this time with greater interest.

"So you chose to look this young?"

"Yes. Don’t you want to stay beautiful even in old age, Princess?"

...

"That’s true..." Zhao Linger nodded slowly. "Eternal beauty does sound rather captivating, Imperial Envoy."

She looked down at her own hands before letting out a small sigh. She patted her cheeks a few times before dramatically turning toward Zhao Lianyu.

"I’m still only at the fifth layer of Qi Condensation. That’s too far away from me."

"My father has stopped encouraging me to cultivate and has started forcing me to swallow pills instead..."

She paused and turned to look directly into Zhao Lianyu’s eyes.

"Tell me, am I really that bad?"

Zhao Lianyu glanced at her, the faint smile beneath her veil hidden from Zhao Linger’s view.

"You are still young, Princess. There is no need to rush."

"I know." Zhao Linger lightly kicked a small pebble out of her path. "But when you say five hundred years, it suddenly makes Foundation Establishment sound incredible."

"It is a significant threshold, Princess. Our kingdom depends on Peak Foundation Establishment experts, especially the High Lords, to defend our land from the demons."

They continued through another courtyard, where a large pond sat beneath several flowering trees.

A few golden spiritual fish moved beneath the clear water, their scales flashing whenever they surfaced.

Zhao Linger watched them for a while before another thought seemed to occur to her.

"Then what about the legendary Golden Core cultivator?"

Her voice carried a hint of curiosity as she looked toward Zhao Lianyu.

"How long can those terrifying beings live? My father has always told me that realm is almost impossible to achieve."

Zhao Lianyu’s footsteps slowed.

She did not answer immediately.

The calm expression on her face remained unchanged, but her eyes shifted slightly toward the distant palace roofs.

"According to legend..." she finally said, "a Golden Core cultivator can live for up to a thousand years."

Zhao Linger’s eyes widened, her voice shaking slightly.

"A thousand?"

"Yes."

She looked toward the sky, apparently trying to imagine what it would be like to live for that long.

"Then someone who reached Golden Core could watch countless generations of their family grow old and pass away."

"That is one way to put it."

Zhao Linger was quiet for a few steps.

"And no one in the kingdom has reached it?"

Zhao Lianyu shook her head.

"Not that we know of."

Zhao Linger nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful.

"A thousand years..."

She repeated the words quietly, her gaze lingering on the sky beyond the palace roofs.

She seemed to think about it for a few seconds before shaking her head and continuing down the corridor beside Zhao Lianyu.

They passed several familiar halls and courtyards along the way.

The Royal Library stood quietly behind a pair of stone statues, while farther ahead, the sound of weapons striking against wooden training dummies echoed from one of the royal guards’ training grounds.

Zhao Linger walked at an easy pace, occasionally glancing toward the gardens and buildings as they passed.

Zhao Lianyu remained beside her, her hands resting calmly behind her back.

Eventually, they passed through another archway and entered the outer grounds of the Royal Palace.

A broad stone plaza stretched ahead, and their carriage was already waiting there.

Several servants were gathered around it, securing supplies and checking the interior while others stood nearby with the travel provisions prepared for the journey.

Two powerful spiritual beasts were harnessed at the front, their large bodies shifting slightly as they waited.

Several Zhao Family guards were also waiting beside the carriage, and among them, two stood out immediately.

Both were Foundation Establishment cultivators.

One was a broad-shouldered middle-aged man with a short beard, dressed in dark-red armor bearing the Zhao Family emblem.

The other was a woman in her thirties, her long hair tied neatly behind her head and her armor marked with the same insignia.

Their spiritual energy was restrained, but their cultivation could still be faintly sensed.

When Zhao Linger and Zhao Lianyu approached, the guards immediately straightened their backs.

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators stepped forward and cupped their hands.

"Greetings, Imperial Envoy."

"Greetings, Princess."

The remaining guards followed.

"Greetings, Imperial Envoy."

"Greetings, Princess."

The servants nearby also stopped what they were doing and bowed.

"Greetings, Princess."

Zhao Linger gave them a small smile.

"Thank you for preparing everything."

The servants quickly bowed again before returning to their work.

Zhao Lianyu looked toward the two Foundation Establishment guards.

"Is everything ready?"

"Yes, Imperial Envoy," the middle-aged guard replied. "The carriage and supplies have been inspected. We are ready to depart."

Zhao Lianyu nodded.

"Good."

Zhao Linger looked over the carriage.

It was considerably larger than an ordinary carriage, constructed from dark spiritual wood with polished golden patterns running along its sides.

The Royal Family’s emblem was carved prominently on the front, a golden dragon coiling around a circular sun, with nine small golden stars arranged around the outer edge.

She walked closer and lightly touched the carriage’s side before glancing toward the two spiritual beasts.

"Father really prepared everything."

Zhao Lianyu simply nodded.

"His Majesty is wise."

Zhao Linger smiled and stepped onto the carriage.