Chapter 969: Entering the Imperial Capital

“The kindness of my benefactor, I will never forget in this lifetime!”

Liang Shicheng knelt respectfully on the ground and performed a deep bow to Wang Chen. “If I cannot repay you in this life, I will find a way to express my gratitude in the next!”

Behind him knelt a lovely young woman and a small child.

Wang Chen reached out and lifted him up, smiling as he said, “After you go back, don’t run around anymore. The world is not safe; stay at home and be with your Family.”

Liang Shicheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied with embarrassment, “I will remember your words, my benefactor!”

In truth, Wang Chen’s reminder was unnecessary; after returning to his hometown this time, Liang Shicheng didn’t plan to leave again.

Next time, he might not be so lucky!

Wang Chen waved his hand. “You may go.”

After destroying the lair of the Qianfeng Bandits and collecting all the wealth they had amassed over the years, he took Liang Shicheng and his wife and child down the mountain.

Wang Chen spared the elderly, weak, women, and children of the Qianfeng Bandits, so he certainly wouldn’t harm Liang Shicheng, an unfortunate soul who had been forced into a life of banditry out of desperation.

With a mindset to do good thoroughly, he even waited with Liang Shicheng’s family until they found a merchant caravan traveling south.

The Sky Road served as an important passage in the territory of Daliang, frequented by many merchants and travelers. To ensure safety, they usually traveled in large groups.

Typically, passing merchant caravans would not take in unfamiliar travelers mid-journey to avoid infiltration by bandits’ spies.

However, after revealing his identity and giving the caravan leader a purse of silver, Wang Chen arranged for them to escort Liang Shicheng and his family to Dingzhou.

This settled the matter perfectly.

Mounting his yellow horse, Wang Chen continued his journey north.

On the way, he traveled day and night without stopping, only pausing to rest if his mount became fatigued.

During this time, Wang Chen encountered no obstacles or troubles. After leaving the Ten Thousand Mountains, he crossed through two large counties before arriving in the capital region.

At this point, there were still three days until the day he would meet with the emperor.

His yellow horse had lost several pounds from the long journey.

The imperial capital of Daliang, Daye, was an ancient capital of six dynasties, with five dynasties having established their capitals here over three thousand years, leaving behind countless stories and a large city.

After making Daye its capital, Daliang undertook significant expansions, establishing four fortified cities and connecting the waters of the Canglan River through excavated channels, laying out an impressive array of the four auspicious creatures: Qiongqi, Baihu, Xuanwu, and Zhuque.

It was said that the entire capital region housed 1.75 million households, with a population exceeding ten million. Daye City alone had over one million households. In terms of both quantity and scale, no other city in the Cangqing realm could compare.

For five hundred years, Daliang had gathered seven-tenths of its essence here, demonstrating an unmatched prosperity!

On the roads leading to Daye City, the fields and paths intersected, with estates and villages densely scattered. The travelers and merchants on the road were numerous, causing significant congestion.

Especially in the areas just a few miles from the city gate, the crowd became so tight that Wang Chen could only lead his yellow horse forward bit by bit, taking a full two hours to finally enter the city.

And the lively scene inside Daye City was even more noteworthy!

When Wang Chen was in the local counties, he witnessed the decline of a dynasty.

Officials were greedy, making life hard for the people, and demons disrupted the peace.

However, upon arriving in Daye, he felt a stark contrast; the thriving atmosphere was vibrant like flowers blooming and fire cooking in oil!

Moreover, Wang Chen sensed that the Instant he entered Daye City, his own energy connected in a very subtle way with the imperial capital, as if a hidden power had been bestowed upon him.

Following the regulations, Wang Chen first reported to the Yiluan Directorate.

The Yiluan Directorate is divided into internal and external divisions, and given Wang Chen’s current status, he naturally did not qualify to enter the main palace.

He went to the external division.

After a series of identity checks, Wang Chen met with Deputy Commander Liu Chaozong, who was in charge of the external division of the Yiluan Directorate!

Liu Chaozong, appearing to be around forty, had an impressive and dignified demeanor. He received Wang Chen in the conference hall, displaying a gentle yet slightly detached and aloof attitude towards him.

The Deputy Commander didn’t say much to Wang Chen, only detailing the points to pay attention to during the audience with the emperor, before calling in a member of the Blood Guard, Baihu, to accompany Wang Chen to the inn for rest.

After Wang Chen left, Liu Chaozong sat in the conference hall, motionless, seemingly lost in thought.

After a moment, a fair-skinned, beardless man with a delicate demeanor quietly appeared. “Master Liu?”

Liu Chaozong suddenly came to his senses and stood up, saying, “Master Li.”

Master Li smiled, “Have you seen that young fellow? What do you think?”

His voice was sharp and high-pitched, which made it somewhat uncomfortable to listen to.

Liu Chaozong’s reaction was a bit strange; after a moment of hesitation, he responded, “I can’t see through him.”

“Hmm?”

Master Li was quite surprised. “Even you can’t see through such a young little guy?”

As the Deputy Commander of the Yiluan Directorate, Liu Chaozong possessed peak cultivation at the fifth level martial sect master, ranking among the top within the Blood Guard system. Many predicted he would break through to the sixth level within ten years!

Most importantly, Liu Chaozong’s skills weren’t gained through spirit pills; he was a battle-hardened warrior.

For someone like him to be unable to see through a young boy in his teens was indeed unfathomable!

“Indeed.”

Liu Chaozong smiled ruefully. “His aura has already reached the fifth level, but I can’t probe or lock onto it. He probably possesses secret arts or a secret treasure that interferes with my keen sense.”

“Interesting!”

Master Li chuckled. “If there’s a chance, I would also like to meet this young fellow.”

“That’s easy.”

Liu Chaozong replied, “I’ll arrange it.”

“No rush.”

Master Li waved his robe sleeve. “Let’s wait until after his audience with the emperor.”

Liu Chaozong nodded silently.

Meanwhile, Wang Chen had already left the Yiluan Directorate and was unaware of what transpired after his departure. He arrived at the nearby inn, accompanied by Baihu.

This inn was established by the Yiluan Directorate specifically to host Blood Guard officials visiting Daye. It was not only well-located but also boasted good facilities.

As a Qiandu and the Grand General of Demon Suppression, Wang Chen occupied a separate small courtyard, complete with maidservants and attendants at his service.

However, Wang Chen did not care about these comforts. After settling in, he was too eager to explore to rest from his journey. He took an attendant familiar with Daye City’s environment and first took a stroll through a few of the busiest streets.

The next day, Wang Chen embarked on a frenzied shopping spree all by himself.

Several large merchants in Daye City became Wang Chen’s main focus. He spent large amounts of gold and silver buying various precious medicinal materials, completely indifferent to the prices as long as the quality was good!

In just two days, Wang Chen became the top customer of these businesses, and his reputation quickly spread throughout the merchant circles of the imperial capital.

Many people came to know that a wealthy young benefactor had arrived from afar, and he was only in his teens!