"What's going on?!"

In a quiet corner of the imperial city, inside an inconspicuous study, the current prime minister furrowed his brows tightly, clutching a piece of paper in his hands with the latest news from Zizhi'an.

Despite having ordered a news blockade, the information about the overt assassination attempt in the court had still spread throughout the streets, causing significant damage to the dignity of the court even without major casualties.

More importantly, the leaking of the news implied a serious problem with his control over the palace. After ordering the news blockade, the imperial city immediately went into complete lockdown, with all gates closed and no one allowed in or out until the ban was lifted. Under such circumstances, the fact that the news still got out was definitely intentional.

Furthermore, the assassination attempt by the orphan from the Liu family itself was suspicious enough. How could he, on his own, have bypassed the layers of internal surveillance and patrols to reach the grand hall?

When Minister Wu Shengchen investigated afterwards, it was revealed that all the silver-armored palace guards who should have been guarding outside the hall had been withdrawn due to an unreasonable order from the Chief of the Imperial Guards, a command that had no relation with him, as testified by many eyewitnesses.

"Those two kids... can't wait anymore?"

Minister Wu Shengchen muttered to himself with a grim expression.

"Grandpa Wu, your face looks terrible, are you okay?"

A concerned voice came from beside him, as Jojo asked nervously. From sneaking into the palace hidden in a wine barrel to the recent assassination attempt in the hall, Jojo had experienced quite an adventure in the past night and half a day. Even though she might have a bit of a wild temperament usually, at this moment, she realized that she seemed to have encountered a big event.

"Grandpa is fine."

Wu Shengchen raised his head, squeezing out a faint smile. "Jojo, just stay here at ease, don't worry your father. Grandpa will handle the remaining matters."

Yes, step by step.

Wu Shengchen gently rubbed his temples, when suddenly there was the cooing sound of a pigeon outside the window. A gray messenger pigeon flapped its wings and flew in, landing on the table with a small bamboo tube tied to its red claws.

Taking out the paper from inside, Wu Shengchen raised an eyebrow, then left the table and walked towards the door.

"Jojo, stay here for now. Lunch will be brought by a maid. Remember, you must behave this time and not worry your father anymore."

...

"Is quite spectacular up close."

Aya stood under the dark tower, looking up and marveling.

Previously seen from afar across several palaces, it was only slightly taller, but the visual impact increased exponentially upon approaching the tower. The first thing that caught the eye was the three-tier circular base, with its dark-colored railings and steps contrasting starkly with the bright colors predominant in the surrounding imperial city. After climbing about seven to eight meters of steps, Aya entered the entrance of the priestess tower.

"Hmm, that old man said he had already informed Xingjian. I wonder if it's true..." Aya murmured as she entered, feeling a bit apprehensive.

As soon as she stepped through the entrance, the light dimmed instantly. However, subtly, the floor and the walls, ceiling exuded a crystal-like quality amid the deep black, shimmering with specks of light akin to the night sky. Despite the dimness, the path ahead was clear.

The issue was even though she could see the path, there was an emptiness around her, with no stairs in sight. Did they expect me to fly up there? Aya surveyed her surroundings and then looked up at the seemingly endless dome above.

Wait, why isn’t there anyone around? Isn't this supposed to be the priestess tower? Since Xingjian's status corresponds to the pope, there should at least be some attendants or something in his residence, right?

"We are not the same as the Western churches, at least we do not have religious taxes, nor do we pretend to serve God while living extravagantly." A lazy voice, as if reading minds, emanated from Star Jian.

The voice of the one with whom Milt had dealt with resonated in the surrounding space, finally easing Aya's tension.

"So you finally found me here, Gold Dragon... Ah, what was that name again... Astili..." a somewhat troubled voice.

"Aya... You are definitely doing this on purpose, right? Tiran called my name in front of you!" Aya said with a dark face, but feeling somewhat relieved inside.

Before the words could fade away, the feeling of solid ground under Aya's feet suddenly vanished, and for a split second, the scene in front of her plunged into darkness, as if blinking her eyes, only to regain clear vision to find herself elsewhere.

The floor and walls around her were still made of the same translucent yet opaque black stone material as the tower she had seen moments ago, but the environment was much brighter now.

Aya found herself standing in the center of a hall, at the intersection of a cross-shaped corridor, with four open doors leading to four pathways spreading out around her, each corridor about four to five meters wide and over ten meters high, leading to the surrounding platform outside.

"Hoho, feel honored, Westerner... Western Dragon? This is the top floor of the Zodiac Tower, where no outsider has set foot for many years."

One of the doors, similar to the one in Milt, showed Star Jian leaning against the railing, clad in a black veil gown, facing Aya.

"Wow... Impressive." Aya clapped her hands robotically, staring expressionlessly at Star Jian.

Somehow, even though she was in need, Aya couldn't help but feel irritated by the pretentious display. Besides, having dealt with Angels, Demon Lords, and deities, she had seen grandeur before, so she remained composed.

True to her title, Star Jian didn't seem a bit embarrassed even in the awkward silence, quickly adjusting her posture to restore the image of a wise astrologer rather than flaunting herself as a wealthy landowner.

The benefits of "astrology," or rather the "causal lines" that Star Jian could see, were indeed many, such as knowing in advance why Aya had come to see her.

"So, you know why I've come to find you, right?"

Taking a deep breath, Aya clasped her hands in front of her chest, bowed her head earnestly, and said, "In consideration of the undisclosed dealings my family have with Miss, please help me lift Yuan's seal!"

But after a moment of silence, Aya discreetly raised her head to sneak a peek, seeing the subtle expression on Star Jian's face, which made her heart skip a beat.

"Um, Miss Star Jian? Sister? Lady Star Jian? Could you please give me a definite answer?"

"Are you referring to that name... Yuan?"

Instead of answering Aya directly, Star Jian posed a question to her, "The person who opened the Outrealm gate in Milt after I left, is it him?"

"According to his claim, that is indeed his name... Hey, do you know this person?"

After responding, Aya suddenly realized that, based on Star Jian's question, she might know that person?

Though she hadn't fully grasped the nature of their relationship, Aya's intuition signaled trouble, prompting her to subtly shuffle backward.

"I do know him, albeit only having met him once."

With her eyes lowered, Aya couldn't see Star Jian's gaze, but her words caused Aya's heart, which had just settled, to plunge into an abyss. "I am sorry, but... I apologize, Aya."

Aya's reaction was swift, as she had been prepared for the awkward atmosphere just before Star Jian spoke. The invisible energy scales surrounding her body erupted into a fierce wind, lifting Aya up like a cannonball towards the open door in the back.

However, after flying less than ten meters, Aya suddenly felt an unimaginable heaviness in her body. Instead of the graceful arc she should have followed, she plummeted straight down as if being cut by a knife, unable to move as the invisible gravity pinned her to the hard black stone floor.

Star Jian's steps light, moved closer to Aya. All Aya could think of was one word, "Fooled, your uncle Yuan!"

...

"Achoo!"

In the bustling marketplace of the Central District, the hustle and bustle of people and vehicles continued without anyone paying much attention to a teenager sneezing as he passed by. Little did anyone know that this would lead to a global bio-crisis... curse that spicy smell!

Rubbing his nose, Yuan squinted and looked up at the sun, its dazzling sunlight seemed to trigger another series of sneezes.

"Ugh... is this some sort of sun allergy?" Yuan quickly looked away from the sun.

As he would put it, today was more like a break. Everything in Luo Jing had been taken care of, so all he needed to do was wait and see. So, he decided to take a day off for himself and a few others around him.

Moreover, a city as vibrant as Luo Jing was a rare sight, especially after what had happened. Yuan wasn't sure if the city could maintain its prosperity. So, it was better to explore and experience the beauty of the city.

Speaking of which, Vera had dragged Minglin off... Although Minglin was a respectable immortal and Vera knew her boundaries, Yuan still felt that trouble was more likely when the two were together.

Lost in messy thoughts, Yuan aimlessly wandered the streets and alleys.

The Central District was the liveliest part of Luo Jing, free from the dirt and chaos of the Lower District but not as devoid of life as the Upper District with its nobles and merchants. It truly embodied the essence of the city.

Take the brothels, for example. In the Upper District, the brothels were so discreet that one couldn't tell they were brothels. Live music, flowing drinks, courtesans living a standard of life comparable to high-ranking ladies, excelling in playing the pipa, poetry, and painting. The rich young men not only needed wealth but also talent, as it was embarrassing to not be able to compose poetry on the spot.

As for the Central District, the standards naturally couldn't compare, but the variety was endless... *ahem*.

The diverse offerings of East Land alone were worth mentioning, and it seemed even Western styles had made their way in?

Prince Yuan stopped in front of a certain door on Fengyue Street, pondering as he stroked his chin and stared at the sign in front of him.

"Cat ears, maids, white stockings..."

Yep, he was in. Without hesitation, the young man took that step.