507 Returned Home, Yet Thinking About Eleven Streets Away

While she was crossing the Bridge of Helplessness, she was almost run into byan auntie hurrying home to avoid the snow. Just as the auntie was about to fallover, Xu Yourong extended a hand to support her. It was only then that the auntie realized that there was a girl holding anumbrella on this snowy bridge. As she was saying her thanks, she saw the thindress the girl was wearing and said in concern, "My lady is wearing solittle—aren't you cold?" Xu Yourong shook her head. Holding up the umbrella, she continued her walkthrough the snow. As she walked from the Imperial Palace to the southern section of the city,she saw the familiar streetscapes from her childhood. When she crossed a stonebridge, she saw the overhanging eaves of her home and its walls that hadclearly just been whitewashed. Even she who so carefully guarded the serenity of her Dao heart could not helpbut feel a little disconcerted. From the moment they knew that the diplomatic mission from the south hadentered the capital, the middle gate of the Divine General of the East's estatehad been opened wide.  Without mentioning the crowd that had braved the snow towait on the streets, just speaking of the stewards and subordinates of theDivine General's estate, even their eyes were about to turn green fromanticipation. Carrying the umbrella, Xu Yourong walked over. Under the eyes of the entirecrowd, she walked into the Divine General of the East's estate. No one was able to tell just how she had gotten in. Those stewards andsubordinates who had busied themselves for dozens of days in preparation forthis day were all stupefied. Just who was this person? With a rustle, she folded her umbrella and then lightly knocked it against thegate of the estate, shaking the snow from the surface of the umbrella to theground. With a sob, Shuang'er shot through the gate. However, because she had beenstanding for quite a few hours, her two legs were rather sore. In her flusteredstate, when she arrived in front of Xu Yourong, she could barely stand straightand almost kneeled in front of her. Xu Yourong held out a hand to support her, asking, "You've never been socourteous in the past. In the few years that I haven't been here, who has beenteaching you the rules?" Of course, she was just teasing, but Shuang'er couldn't even manage a smile.She could only persistently sob and then, feeling her actions ratherhumiliating, incessantly wipe her face with her sleeve. In an instant, themakeup that had been applied with such meticulous care was ruined. Finally, the people of the estate began to react. Nanny Hua quickly steppedforward, her lips trembling, but she couldn't manage any words. "The Young Lady has returned!" Someone yelled out, the firecrackers were instantly lit, and fireworksilluminated the somewhat gloomy snowy sky. In the clamor, another person yelled, "We can't call her ‘Young Lady’, we haveto call her ‘Holy Maiden’!" "We respectfully welcome the Holy Maiden!" Seeing the swiftly closing middle gate, the crowd that had been waiting in thesnow for so long instantly dispersed, traveling to various places to spread thenews. The Phoenix had returned home. "You're wearing so little, what happens if you freeze?" Madam Xu led Xu Yourong along by hand, her face deeply concerned as tearsdripped from her face.” "How could my family's little Phoenix be frozen by the ordinary winds andunrefined snow of the human world?" Xu Shiji said with a smile as he lightly stroked his beard. He seemed the verypicture of a proud and gentle father. He sighed, "We haven't seen each otherfor several years; you've grown so much. You actually…really did become theHoly Maiden." Upon her entering South Stream Temple, he and many others had basicallyconfirmed that his daughter would become the Holy Maiden of the south in thefuture, but he had not expected the day to come so quickly. With this singlethought, he couldn't help but get excited. He was seventy percent proud andpleased, thirty percent free and relaxed. He knew in his heart that even if hewere to now have other thoughts, the Divine Empress would not treat him as shedid before and at least allow him to preserve a little face. As for the Tianhaiclan and those grand ministers in the Imperial Court, would any of them darepersist in ridiculing him behind his back? As for those fellows that had onceembarrassed him…he suddenly thought of Chen Changsheng and his mood abruptlyturned sour and his complexion turned rather ugly. …… …… In everyone's imagination, the Holy Maiden was inevitably possessed of anunearthly beauty, holy and dignified, conscientious with her words andlaughter, and sitting upright and still. Although this innate impression wasnot necessarily correct, it was already impossible to shatter. Although it wasimpossible for Xu Yourong to do as her junior and senior sisters did and walkas if untouched by the wind and seem as clean as a white lotus, on the fewoccasions when she appeared before the masses, even she would pay closeattention to her words and actions, doing her utmost to only smile withoutspeaking. Only in front of the Divine Empress and her master the Holy Maidencould she act more naturally, to act like a member of the junior generation andspeak of interesting things. Moreover, it was only in front of Shuang'er, themaid who she had grown up with, that she could truly relax, just like now. She was currently rolling around on a bed, her black hair flying every whichway. At the end, she opened her arms and lay flat on the bed, sighing, "Ah,it's still this bed that's comfortable to sleep in." "Young Lady, this is far too inelegant." Shuang'er quickly found a blanket to cover her and then sat by the bed,looking at her in a daze. She was very happy, but for some reason, the rims ofher eyes were gradually turning red. Xu Yourong asked, "Just what's going on? Could there really be somebody thatdares to bully you?" She had asked this question as soon as she entered the estate, but she hadjust been joking then. She was keenly aware that she could search the Xu Estatefrom top to bottom and not find anyone who would dare bully Shuang'er. Becauseof the orders she had left back then, even her mother would not treat Shuang'erpoorly. But now it seemed that matters were not as Xu Yourong had imagined, soshe naturally wished to know what was going on. Shuang'er wiped her tears, looking at her as if hesitating to say something.Finally, she sadly said, "But if someone bullies the Young Lady, what then?" Xu Yourong giggled, "The foolish little girl is still so foolish! Who dares tobully me? You don't know, in the Garden of Zhou when I encountered Nanke, theDemon Princess that I mentioned in the latter, if it was one on one, I coulddefinitely…" "Young Lady, you know who I'm talking about," Shuang'er interrupted. Xu Yourong sat up and slowly began to tie up her black hair. She then wrappedher arms around her legs and fell silent, thinking about something. Shuang'er was very aware that when the Young Lady was small, she would oftenfall into a daze like this when alone. Just like when she was small, seeingthis made one want to protect her. It was a completely different image from thecalm and imposing manner that was displayed before the populace. Seeing her young lady do this now, Shuang'er couldn't help but grow uneasy."Young Lady, I didn't intentionally plan to make you angry. Don't think aboutit anymore." Xu Yourong looked at the bright lantern on the table and suddenly announced,"There's something I want to ask you." Shuang'er asked, "What thing?" Xu Yourong turned her head to look at Shuang'er and calmly asked, "Back then,you said, he and Princess Luoluo were in the Orthodox Academy…did youpersonally see it?" Rather nervously, Shuang'er implored her, "Young Lady, it's so difficult foryou to come home even once; just what's the meaning in mentioning that discipleof shamelessness?" Although it had not been acknowledged, the phrase 'disciple of shamelessness'was seemingly enough to illustrate many things. Xu Yourong no longer asked any questions. Hugging her knees, she gazedsilently out the window at the falling snowflakes for a very long time. If this were one of her previous returns to the capital, she would definitelyhave not wanted to go out again. However, today, for some reason, she didn'twant to stick around in her home. She wanted to go out for a walk, go out tosee. Perhaps it was because, compared to her last two returns, the capital had someplaces that were different. For example, the Weiyang Palace had many more NightPearls than in her childhood. Or that a bridge pier of the Bridge ofHelplessness had been struck by a boat last summer and had gotten somewhatcrooked, but was now being repaired. Or how the trees by New North Bridge hadgotten much lusher for some reason. Or that the old gate of the OrthodoxAcademy covered in ivy had been replaced by a new gate… Or how that guy was in the capital. Separated from her by eleven straight streets. If an ordinary person were to walk it, they would only need an hour, and thiswas with the snow making the road slippery. If she walked, she would only need a few moments. If she rode the White Crane, then it would require an even shorter time, justthe blinking of an eye. The snow outside the window suddenly grew flurried, as did her emotions. Sheblinked her eyes and realized that the White Crane had landed in the courtyard. She stood up and draped a cloak over shoulders, then walked out. Shuang'erhurriedly clasped the stove to her chest and followed. On the snow, the White Crane was preening its feathers. A strange and discordant cry resounded in the night, and the gray young Pengalso descended. It had gone off to play somewhere, but only when it saw theWhite Crane did it also come flying over. The moment it reached the ground, itburied itself under the White Crane's wings. It seemed like it was fawning overit and also like it was deliberately provoking it for attention. The WhiteCrane straightened its neck, seeming very helpless, but it did not seem topossess any intention of driving the Peng away. This small courtyard was a restricted area of the Divine General of the East'sestate. Without Xu Yourong's approval, no one could enter, not even Xu Shiji orMadam Xu, so there was no need to worry that the young Peng would scare anyone. "What bird is this?" Shuang'er asked as she looked at the plain, gray bird. In her eyes, this bird really did seem rather ugly, but this White Cranewell-known for its love of cleanliness actually did not shun this bird'sintimacy. This made her rather shocked. "A pheasant," Xu Yourong replied. The young Peng stuck its head out from the White Crane's wings and shot her abitter glance of resentment. "Holy Maiden Peak truly is no ordinary place. The pheasants that live on themountain actually look so vicious." Shuang'er clapped her hands in praise, then suddenly remembered something."Ah, then I'll go and prepare some more water and fruit. I originally onlyprepared it for the White Crane." Hearing this, the resentment in the young Peng's gaze grew even heavier. It had already lived out a vegetarian life at Holy Maiden Peak for half ayear. Only occasionally when Xu Yourong went to the village to play mahjongcould it avail itself of the opportunity to eat a little meat, eating thingslike dried meat or porkchop. Today, it had come to the flourishing capital and,as it flew over, it had seen so many appetizing and tender humans, and therewere also those tough and nutritious cultivators. Its mouth was watering untilit almost couldn't stand it, but it turned out… It was still just going to eat fruit? Although it must be known that it had never tasted human flesh in its entirelife, the impressions left on its divine soul from its previous life wereunforgettable. "This pheasant likes to eat meat." Xu Yourong glanced at the young Peng. It was just an ordinary glance, yet the young Peng felt like its soul had beenwashed in the coldest water for three days and nights. The burning desires thatit had just begun to have all instantly vanished and it didn't even dare tothink in that direction. "If there's blue lobster in the house, get some for it to try." The young Peng was ecstatic at these words and incessantly swayed its headback and forth. The memories from its previous lives within its divine soultold it that the flesh of the blue lobster was incredibly delicious. Shuang'er helplessly replied, "There is none." Xu Yourong was a little surprised, thinking to herself, my family knows that Ilove eating the blue lobster of Clear Lake Restaurant. Logically, just as theydid the last two times, they should have prepared some. Why isn't there any? "It's impossible to eat blue lobster in the entire capital." Shuang'er hesitated for a while, then finally said, "Because the OrthodoxAcademy bought Clear Lake Restaurant, so you can only eat it there." Xu Yourong was taken aback. She had not expected…to so quickly hear the nameof the Orthodox Academy. The young Peng was thinking about what sort of place the Orthodox Academy wasand that it should find the chance to eat up all the people within, then slowlytake its time feasting on the blue lobster. The White Crane suddenly let out a clear cry. Xu Yourong realized that the White Crane had actually spent half the day atthe Orthodox Academy. Presumably…it had been playing around with that guy? While Shuang'er went to get some other meat, she stood in the darkness, thecloak draped over her as snow fell, thinking about some things.