"T-This..."
Yi Chen’s eyes widened, seeing the inferno raging, which even managed to shake Du Ming Li’s Qi barrier.
Just when he thought that the basent’s roof would collapse upon them any second, the hidden inscriptions on the wall glimred and absorbed the destruction that would have buried the two of them.
Sensing that the barrier had stopped shaking, Yi Chen’s breathing finally relaxed a little, and turning towards Du Ming Li, he asked, "I-Is it over?"
To his question, she didn’t respond imdiately.
Instead, her gaze went past the barrier as the dust began to settle, confirming that there was no chance of a secondary explosion, and she nodded.
"Yes...it’s over." As she said that, the blue Qi barrier around them dissipated, and an intense smoky sll bombarded their nostrils the next instant.
Her eyes glimred the next mont as the smoke obscuring their vision was all pushed aside.
The gateway had crumbled to dust, and so did the platform it was raised on.
"...How long would it take for it to be repaired?" Yi Chen asked the first question that ca to his mind.
"This...I greatly apologise for this accident, Young Master Chen."
The mont Du Ming Li heard Yi Chen’s words, the first thing she did was to bow deeply towards him in an apologetic manner and continued, "Since it wasn’t used for months, I failed to keep a regular check on it during this period, which led to this accident.
If not for my complacency, this accident would never have happened. Therefore," Du Ming Li’s tone sharpened the next second, "Young Master Chen doesn’t need to worry; I’ll ensure that the transportation array is fixed within a month’s ti, and during this period all your expenses will be taken care of by the Red Velvet Pavilion."
"...A month?" Yi Chen’s brows couldn’t help but raise at the news, "Can’t it be done any faster?"
"Unfortunately, it can’t...I’ll have to call experts from one of the nearby Great Kingdoms to get it repaired. Just that will take a couple of weeks." Du Ming Li said with a pursed smile.
"Then...aren’t there any other transportation arrays that I can use?" Yi Chen asked curiously.
At that question, Du Ming Li let out a sigh and just shook her head, "Although there are many other teleportation arrays in the Kingdom, Young Master Chen won’t be able to use them...it’s the sa with .
All the arrays in the Kingdom are under the Violet Heaven House and are restricted only to their mbers.
It’s also because of that reason I’ll have to physically call for experts rather than making use of the several teleportation arrays in the kingdom...it’s really a bitter feeling, but there’s nothing we can do about it."
She clenched her jaw for a second before letting out another breath.
"I see...so I’ll have no choice but to wait for a month, huh?" Yi Chen muttered. It wasn’t really a question but sothing that was directed towards himself.
However, Du Ming Li still answered.
"Please forgive for this inconvenience. In this period, if there’s any problem that Young Master Chen encounters in the city, then you can always ask about it." Du Ming Li said while bowing to him once again.
’...I can’t even go back now,’ Yi Chen thought to himself bitterly.
If he had decided to go on foot back to the White Jade Kingdom, then it would have taken him almost two months from the Purple Carp Lake.
However, now not only had almost ten days passed since then, but he was also several kilotres away from the Purple Carp Lake.
Even if, out of frustration, he were to decide to rush there on foot now, there was no way he’d be able to reach it in ti for the Heavenly Azure Dragon Sect’s entrance test.
Thus, seeing Du Ming Li’s bowing figure, even though he felt irritated, he swallowed it all.
Letting his irritation out on her won’t be beneficial to him in any way. Even if her cultivation wasn’t at the Ninth Qi Absorption Stage, he wouldn’t have resorted to that, as getting on her bad side would not be beneficial to him in any manner.
"I understand, Lady Du...no one could have anticipated sothing like that. Moreover, you even shielded from the impact, so I’m also grateful to you...I just hope that you’ll be able to call the experts as fast as possible and get this repaired."
Hearing Yi Chen’s cooperative words, Du Ming Li felt extrely relieved. With a flush of gratefulness and relief in her voice, she raised her head and promised, "Rest assured, Young Master Chen, I’ll ensure that they arrive here in the quickest possible manner."
"I’ll trust Lady Du on that." Yi Chen nodded with a pursed smile.
Hearing him and seeing that smile on his face, Du Ming Li couldn’t help but feel guilty and imdiately said while gesturing towards the stairs, "Let guide you upstairs first, and we can discuss the details regarding your accommodation and any other doubts that Young Master Chen would have."
"Alright." Yi Chen nodded and soon accompanied her to the reception hall.
...
Sitting on a comfortable chair, Yi Chen took a gentle sip from an exquisite-looking cup. The instant the tea flowed down his throat, a rush of coolness spread through his mind, making him close his eyes to embrace the sensation.
When he opened them, he couldn’t help but feel light as a relaxed smile ford on his face. His gaze imdiately went towards Du Ming Li, who was sitting on the other side of the table, carrying a wide smile on her face.
"I hope the tea is to Young Master Chen’s liking." She said the mont their eyes t.
Hearing her words, he imdiately responded with the sa relaxed smile on his face, "It...my head...it has never felt so light before."
"I’ll take that as an affirmative," Du Ming Li’s lips curled at his response as she took a sip from her cup as well and enjoyed the sensation for a couple of seconds.
Wanting to feel the sa sensation again, Yi Chen too was about to take another sip a few seconds later, but Du Ming Li’s words entered his ears at that mont.
"These leaves, they are called the Natal Revisiting Leaves, how about it? I got a few stocks of them with here. Would Young Master Chen like to have so?"
Du Ming Li suggested.
In reality, these leaves weren’t for sale, and she had bought them exclusively for her personal enjoynt.
However, she felt that if this small gesture could lighten Yi Chen’s frustration, then it was worth it.
"I would love to." Yi Chen answered with bright eyes the very next mont.
Du Ming Li softly chuckled seeing his reaction, and the next instant ten packets of tea leaves had appeared next to Yi Chen.
"These are all the stocks I have for now. They would last for at least a year, so Young Master Chen won’t have to worry about his tea for quite so ti."
"T-This..."
Yi Chen couldn’t help but hesitate seeing the ten packets beside him. Even though they were only ten packets from the heavenly feeling he had just felt, he knew that they weren’t cheap at all.
Before he could state his mind, Du Ming Li cut him off with a gentle smile, "I know our branch has caused great inconvenience to Young Master Chen, so think of this as a small gesture of making up for it. I’ll be greatly disheartened if Young Master Chen were to refuse this."
"Then...thank you, Lady Du." Yi Chen replied with a pursed smile.
Hearing his reply, the smile on Du Ming Li’s face brightened. "You’re always welco, Young Master Chen. Please, enjoy your tea."
She said while gesturing towards his cup.
Yi Chen nodded, and for a few monts no one exchanged words and fully enjoyed the relieving sensation that coursed through their bodies with each sip.
A while later, Du Ming Li took out a polished white stone from her storage ring and handed it to Yi Chen.
"That’s a Sound Transmission Stone. With its help, Young Master Chen can contact anyti if you need sothing, and I’ll also do the sa if there’s sothing urgent I need to relay to you."
Yi Chen nodded and accepted the stone.
"As for your accommodation, I’ve already talked to soone, and a carriage will be here to pick you up soon." Du Ming Li inford the next mont.
"Thank you." Yi Chen said with a subtle smile and, thinking of sothing, said, "I’m also in need of so lower-grade spirit stones, so can Lady Du help exchange a few of them?"
"Sure." Du Ming Li agreed, and a while later, Yi Chen got a few of his stones exchanged and placed them inside his storage ring.
While at it, he also learned that there were three forms of currency used in the Kingdom. Printed notes, Spirit Stones and the Yellow tablets.
"Is there anything else Young Master Chen needs my help with?" Du Ming Li asked with a welcoming smile.
Yi Chen was about to shake his head since there really wasn’t anything else he needed, but there was sothing he had been curious about, so he decided to ask her about it.
"While there’s nothing else that I need, I was indeed curious about sothing..."
"Oh? What is it?" Du Ming Li responded with interest apparent in her eyes.
"It’s about this disease nad Brown Flu which affects almost everyone in this kingdom...I heard about it a little while making my way towards the city. However, I still wanted to confirm what I’ve heard from soone knowledgeable like Lady Du.
Though I’ve been told that I’ll have to keep breathing this air for at least a year to catch this sickness...I still can’t help but feel cautious."
Since there was no brown discolouration on Du Ming Li’s face, Yi Chen was sure that if there were any precautions one needed to take, she would definitely be aware of them.
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