174: Chapter 164 174: Chapter 164 Tang Feiyang, a few years ago during that competition, had not made an appearance in Immortal Venerable City.
At that time, he was still a Juren, and Immortal Venerable City had not witnessed an incident as significant as the present one.
There was no need for their family to take action, as they owned estates in this area and it was common for various powers to have their own resources in the major Immortal cities.
Tang Feiyang dismounted from the carriage and, leading a group of disciples, entered the large estate.
These people had previously only studied in a school and were on a mission this far from home for the first time.
They found everything fascinatingly new.
“Hehe, the house is pretty good, let’s each find ourselves a room.”
“I wonder what the cuisine here is like?”
“I’d prefer to go out for a walk.”
Amidst the excited voices of the disciples, Tang Feiyang received a request for an audience.
“Young master, this servant has been waiting here for a long time.
I’ve prepared rooms for you and your evening meal.”
“Good, lead the way.” Tang Feiyang followed the butler into the room that was his.
The other Disciples found their rooms as well, entered them, and then, driven by curiosity, came out to explore the estate.
They were invited into a large dining hall, urged to go inside and eat.
“Do we have any wine?
Bring us some wine.”
“Are there any beauties here?
It wouldn’t be bad to have some beauties accompany us!”
“Hehe, I wonder if Immortal Venerable City has any beauties?”
The discussions among the disciples went unanswered by the servants bringing the meals, who simply kept their heads down.
“Sorry, young masters.
Our estate usually doesn’t have its master present, so it’s just us subordinates.
For your arrival this time, we could only hire a chef.”
“What a pity, such a large estate and all males; drinking without the company of beauties is less enjoyable.”
“We’ve been all males at the academy, and here we are again, all males.
It’s so dull.”
These young men, around twenty years old, looked every inch the scholars, but a few had the air of dashing young noblemen.
However, Tang Feiyang dined alone in his room and didn’t ask for wine to be served.
While he was eating, someone came to report to him:
“Young master, there is a lady outside who claims to be your cousin.
She has arrived at the gates of the estate in a horse-drawn carriage, accompanied by several maidens and guards.
I’m not sure if you recognize them?”
“My cousin?” Tang Feiyang frowned upon hearing the butler’s words.
This cousin was a young lady from the Duke’s Mansion and indeed his cousin, from his mother’s side of the family.
In recent years, she had often visited his home and had a tendency to cling to him.
He didn’t like this cousin at all, as she was just as willful and spoiled as Long Feifeng.
She was not the type of woman he preferred—knowledgeable, gentle, and charming.
However, due to her identity as his cousin from his mother’s family, he had never been too harsh with her.
Their departure this time had been conducted in secret, so how had his cousin learned of his whereabouts?
As Tang Feiyang pondered this, he didn’t suspect his mother of leaking his movements; she hadn’t even known the time of his departure as it had taken place in the dead of night.
The only possibility he could think of was that his cousin had tracked them, perhaps she had secretly come to Immortal Venerable City and seen them in the city.
“Invite them in and have my cousin come to see me.”
“Young master, are they also to be accommodated here?
Considering that we are all men staying here, would it not be somewhat inconvenient?”
“If it truly is my cousin, then we have no choice but to let them stay here.
It would be even less secure for them at an inn.
That is, unless the cousin’s family from the Duke’s Mansion has an estate here as well.”
“Understood.”
The butler left and soon returned with a woman dressed in red.
Upon seeing Tang Feiyang, she said:
“Cousin, how can you come here without telling me?”
As she spoke, she found a stool and sat next to Tang Feiyang.
“How did you get here?
Did you follow us?”
“Hehe, I won’t tell you…
Cousin, I’m hungry.”
“Time to eat…”
At this point, the butler had someone bring in more food, and the girl in red began eating unceremoniously.
“How long has it been since you last ate?”
Tang Feiyang was used to seeing his cousin eat only a little bit of food, but now she was wolfing it down without any of the usual grace.
“We’ve been gnawing on buns and dry rations for the past two days, and we didn’t dare stay in a guesthouse, nor did we dare go out to buy meals.
I’ve never suffered like this before.”
“Why did you come here?”
“Of course, to join in the fun!
Knowing cousin was coming here, naturally, I followed to join in the fun.”
“I came here on a task.
This place is a den of dragons and snakes; you, as a girl, should not rent a house here.”
“How can that be?
Having come all the way to Immortal Venerable City, I don’t want to leave it.”
“Does your family’s Duke’s Mansion have a place to stay in Immortal Venerable City?”
“Our Duke’s Mansion isn’t like your Minister Mansion; we don’t have a house here.”
“So, what if I don’t let you stay here and make you pay to stay at a guesthouse yourself?”
“Cousin, I know you’re not that heartless.
Hehe, I’ll listen to you, cousin.
Wherever you go, can I come along?”
“No, you have to stay in your room all the time.
All of us disciples are men; you can’t even step out of the room.”
“Cousin, how can you do this to me?
It hasn’t been easy getting to Immortal Venerable City.
Let me wander around this city, or at least around this garden, okay?”
“It’s not about whether it’s okay or not; it’s dangerous outside.
Besides, we are on a mission.
With so many men living here, it’s inconvenient for you as a single woman.”
“Cousin, I still attend school and go to poetry meetings.
I know most of the juren who came here with you; there’s nothing inconvenient about it.”
“It’s not good for a lady’s reputation to be spread around like this.
It’s better to heed my advice, or else you should leave.”
“Cousin…”
The girl in red pouted winsomely and had someone fetch the butler to bring more wine and tea.
While they were eating, a group of male disciples was chattering outside the door.
“Hey, they said there were no girls here, how come a girl got in?
Did she come looking for our Jinshi brother?”
“It seems our brother Tang has a lady friend.”
“Brother, this lady friend of yours is quite pretty!
It seems we know her; she’s the cousin from their Duke’s Mansion.”
Tang Feiyang and the girl in red also heard the male voices chattering away at the door as they ate.
“Look, Cousin, they’re coming here even if I don’t go out.”
“Tomorrow I’ll send someone to take you back to Imperial City.”
“No, no, I’ve finally made it to Immortal Venerable City, and there’s a competition in two days.
I must watch the competition before I go back.”
“The competition will be so crowded; how can you get in?
It’s too dangerous for a woman like you.”
“I can disguise myself as a man.
I’ve gathered the clothes already.
Hehe, I’ll pretend to be one of your disciples.”
The girl in red was quite proud of her own idea.