si-mexico Chapter 110 Liu Mengli
Chapter 110 Liu Mengli
Of course, inquiring about the situation of ancient aristocratic families was a major taboo, so they never dared to ask openly, but only tried to find out indirectly through various channels.
However, Kongming was not afraid of this at all. After all, he had never admitted to being a member of the Sima family. Was it not allowed to have the surname Sima?
As for the fact that Kongming was chased to the Desert of Death, Li Xin and the others considered it insignificant, so the Holy City did not receive any news about it.
The next day, Kongming and Zhao Yun left the inn.
The streets of the Holy City were bustling with people, and the two men, dressed in casual clothes, blended into the crowd, keeping a low profile.
"Zilong, this Holy City, as an important hub connecting the Holy State, truly lives up to its reputation. It is teeming with cultivators and far surpasses ordinary cities," Kongming said softly to Zhao Yun beside him, his tone containing both praise and caution.
Zhao Yun nodded, glancing around discreetly, and said, "What the Prime Minister says is absolutely right, but the more so, the more careful we must be. Should Zilong go and deal with the two cultivators behind us?"
Zhao Yun's words carried a hint of coldness, clearly indicating that he had already noticed two pairs of eyes secretly watching him.
Kongming smiled slightly and shook his head. "There's no need to rush. Since they only dare to follow secretly, it means they're still wary of the power behind the Cloud Hidden Inn. I'd like to see what they're really up to!"
Just as the two were talking, a clear bell rang out, and a carriage slowly drove into the street in front of the Cloud Hidden Inn.
The carriage was decorated in a simple yet magnificent style, with intricate patterns of mythical beasts carved on its body, and each step was accompanied by the soft sound of bells.
Kongming glanced sideways and saw that the carriage was emanating a faint aura of power. Clearly, this was no ordinary carriage, and even a master at the peak of the Golden Core stage would probably not dare to approach it easily.
After the carriage came to a stop, a beautiful young woman dressed in a gorgeous long dress and with an elegant demeanor slowly stepped out of the carriage, exuding nobility in every gesture.
The surrounding cultivators stopped and made way for them, their eyes filled with both amazement and a sense of awe.
This woman was none other than Liu Mengli, the daughter of Liu, the city lord of Kousheng City.
Although she was unable to cultivate, she had lived in her father's shadow since childhood, and no one dared to look down on her, so she sometimes acted recklessly.
After getting off the carriage, Liu Mengli walked straight to the Yunyin Inn, followed by a maid carrying an ancient zither.
Hearing the surrounding crowd talking, Kongming gave Zhao Yun a wink, and the two of them returned to the Cloud Hidden Inn as if nothing had happened.
Back at the Cloud Hidden Inn, Kongming and Zhao Yun found a seat near the corner of the lobby.
The manager of Yunyin Inn rushed over upon hearing the news and showered Liu Mengli with concern, clearly quite surprised by the young lady's sudden arrival.
Kongming casually sipped his tea, but in his heart he was calculating that if he could take this opportunity to establish a relationship with the city lord, it might bring them a lot of convenience.
Then, he stood up, straightened his clothes, and slowly walked towards Liu Mengli's direction.
As he approached, he coughed lightly to attract Liu Mengli's attention, in a way that seemed natural and unobtrusive.
Liu Mengli was tuning her guqin when she heard the sound. She looked up and saw a handsome and extraordinary man smiling at her.
Kongming bowed slightly. "I am delighted to see the guqin in your hands, Miss. May I have a look?"
Seeing this, the head steward grew impatient and shouted, "Who are you? The young lady is here; who gave you the right to speak!"
Kongming glanced at the steward, whose cultivation level at the Golden Core stage was clearly evident.
Kongming smiled faintly, a hint of indifference flashing in his eyes, yet he replied politely, "Please forgive me, Steward. I have some knowledge of music, and seeing the extraordinary sound of the zither played by the young lady, I was filled with admiration. Therefore, I took the liberty of requesting to see it, and I have no other intentions."
The innkeeper glared at Kongming coldly, seemingly displeased with his behavior.
After all, there were quite a few people in this Holy City who wanted to get close to Liu Mengli, but because Liu Mengli was there, they did not act immediately.
He snorted coldly, about to speak again, when he saw Liu Mengli gently raise her hand, stopping him from taking any further action.
Liu Mengli's gaze lingered on Kongming, and after a moment, her cherry lips parted slightly.
"Steward Xu, it's alright. Since this young master has some knowledge of music, let him take a look." Liu Mengli's voice was clear and melodious, like heavenly music.
She gently put down the guqin in her hands, stood up, and slowly pushed the guqin toward Kongming.
Upon seeing this, Kongming quickly stepped forward, took the guqin with both hands, and moved gently and respectfully.
He gently plucked the strings, and a melodious yet slightly melancholic sound immediately filled the air.
"What a fine guqin! However, it is quite old. Although the tone is mellow, it has lost some of its clarity. It seems that it needs to be properly tuned to restore its former glory."
Kongming's words revealed his profound understanding of the guqin, which made Liu Mengli glance at him a few more times, a hint of surprise and admiration flashing in her eyes.
“What you say is absolutely right, young master. I acquired this zither by chance, and after more than a thousand years of weathering, its sound is indeed not what it used to be. If you truly have the skill to bring it back to life, young master, I will definitely reward you.”
Kongming smiled slightly and said, "Miss, you flatter me. Although I dare not claim to be a master, I am willing to give it a try. However, tuning is not something that can be accomplished in a day. One must calm down and study carefully in order to grasp its essence."
A sly glint flashed in Liu Mengli's eyes as she said softly, "I'll give you ten days. In ten days, my cousin will arrive in Kousheng City. This is a gift I've prepared for her."
Upon hearing this, Kongming's lips curled into a smile. There were rumors that this Lord Liu was a relative of the Sima family of Shengzhou, and the cousin that Liu Mengli mentioned might be from the Sima family.
"Ten days is a tight but sufficient time. I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations, Miss," Kongming solemnly replied.
Liu Mengli nodded, then said to the steward beside her, "Steward Xu, prepare a 'Emperor's' room for this young master."
“Miss, this is against the rules. The ‘Heaven’ class rooms are always reserved for people from the Holy State or Nascent Soul cultivators,” Steward Xu said with a troubled expression.
Upon hearing this, Liu Mengli smiled gently and said, "This young master is not only proficient in music, but also able to see the essence of this zither. Rules are made by people, so would you make an exception for me today?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed Steward Xu's face, then he sighed and said, "Very well, since Miss has said so, it would be rather rude of me to disagree!"
After saying that, he turned around and led Kongming toward the direction of the Heavenly Palace. After walking for a while, Steward Xu suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at Kongming and the other man with a cold expression on his face.
"I don't care what your purpose is in approaching Miss, but I must warn you that the Liu family and the Sima family of Shengzhou have deep ties. If any of you intend to harm Miss, you will face the wrath of both the Liu and Sima families. Do you understand?"