The city walls were towering and majestic, with a bustling scene below. There were commoners discussing among themselves, guards conducting checks, scholars elegantly discussing the spring scenery, and old friends catching up.

“Did you come from outside the city? Did you arrive just in time for the first day of the month?” the heroine asked.

“Just as planned,” Song You replied.

“Why did you arrive so late?” she inquired.

“I was delayed on the road,” he admitted.

The Daoist and the heroine stood face to face at the city gate.

“I was worried that you might not come to Changjing at all or that you might have come but not sought me out,” Heroine Wu said with a smile. “Or perhaps you remembered the wrong gate.”

“I was concerned that you might have forgotten the agreement we made or that I might have arrived too late, and you would no longer be in Changjing,” Song You confessed. “Or that you might be here but think I would not come.”

The heroine tucked her hands into her sleeves and continued chatting with him, “People of the

jianghu

value trust and integrity. If we didn’t have an agreement, that would be another matter. But since we did, how could we easily breach our trust with each other?

“I had some business to attend to and arrived late that day. By the time I got here, it was already dark and the city gates were about to close. I kept waiting but never saw you, so I suspected you might have come that day and we just missed each other.”

“When was that?” Song You asked.

“Last May,” she answered.

“Then why did you continue coming after that?”

“I just had a suspicion! If not, wouldn’t I disappoint you?” She continued, “If you could deliver a letter from so far away, surely you wouldn’t possibly come to Changjing and not seek me out?”

“Indeed...”

Song You couldn't help but reflect on how she must have been disappointed many times over the past two years—when she had been waiting here every day for a month, and then every first day of the month for over twenty months.

“Let’s go! Let’s enter the city!” The heroine then led the way into the city.

As they walked, she glanced back at his horse and remarked, “Your horse has grown even more beautiful, and its coat is so shiny. What do you feed it?”

It seemed like things were much the same as they had been back then.

Song You followed behind her, glancing up at the city gate. He crossed thousands of mountains and rivers to get here.

At last, he arrived at Changjing.

***

As they walked through the bustling streets of Changjing, the city displayed its grandeur and prosperity. The streets were crowded with people coming and going and heavy traffic, yet it was different from the busy scene in Anqing County.

Anqing County was too small, with narrow streets that were crowded only during the Great Liujiang Gathering. In contrast, Changjing had wide avenues and the entire city was immense, still packed with traffic and people. If one looked closely, many faces from the west and even farther lands could be seen, with varied hair colors, skin tones, and eyes.

Song You moved through the city calmly, taking in his surroundings.

In this moment, the Great Yan was undeniably a grand empire, and Changjing was undoubtedly a magnificent city. Its splendor was dreamlike, boasting the largest area, the most people, the greatest wealth, and the most powerful authority in the known world. There was no one in this era who did not marvel at it.

Yet, as Song You walked through it, he also sensed much demonic aura. It was as if demons and monsters were as enamored with the city’s prosperity as the people from distant lands.

“You haven’t changed much in these two years,” the heroine said.

“You remain as charming as ever,” Song You replied.

“Say what you will, I don’t even have a mirror to verify your remarks,” she joked.

“Every word I say is true.”

Song You shifted his gaze from Changjing to the heroine. Her round face still looked youthful and did not look aged at all. Two years ago, she had looked young, and often hid her face to avoid being underestimated. It seemed that nothing had changed.

“By the way, where are you staying? Do you have a place to stay?”

“Not yet.”

This heroine was the only old acquaintance Song You had in Changjing, making it a perfect opportunity to seek her advice. “On the way, I heard that the housing prices in Changjing are very high. Do you know if there are any affordable inns or cheaper places to stay? I plan to stay in Changjing for a while.”

“How cheap are you talking about?”

“Something comparable to Yidu.”

“Forget about it. Renting or buying a house here is much more expensive than in Yidu,” the heroine said with a glance at him. “Many people who come to Changjing on official business, or even officials who live here, can only rent a more modest place. Even high-ranking officials can’t afford to buy property, so you can imagine how expensive it is.”

“I only need a cheap rental.”

“In that case, you might want to look into the rental properties from the Housing Bureau. I rented my place from the right-wing of the Housing Bureau...”

The heroine slowed her pace slightly, scratched her head, and continued, “But with the imperial examination going on, their properties might be fully occupied. Plus, as a Daoist with no official business in Changjing, it might be difficult to get a place through them. Their properties are usually in high demand.”

“Are there any haunted houses in Changjing?”

“Dream on!” The heroine laughed. “You still don’t understand how sought-after housing is in Changjing. Even I would consider renting a haunted house if it meant I could secure a place to live!”

“Do you have any other suggestions?”

“Actually, I do, if you’re willing.”

“Please, go ahead.”

Heroine Wu said, “The place I’m renting was originally rented by a friend of my master when he was young. The rent was paid in advance until next year, but last month, he got involved in some trouble and died outside. The place is vacant now.

“I took over his rental agreement and got the place cleaned up. I was planning to rent it out to someone in the

jianghu

who wouldn’t mind it to earn a bit of extra income. If you can’t find anywhere else, you could be my neighbor. When the lease ends, you could talk to the Housing Bureau and perhaps, with a bit of money under the table, you could continue staying there.”

Song You hesitated. “Is that okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? He’s dead and has no relatives here, and the agreement is in my hands, so I have the final say,” the heroine said with a smirk. “However, the place is in the western part of the city, among poor common folk. The house is small, close to the street, and it gets quite noisy in the morning. If you prefer peace and quiet, you might want to look elsewhere.”

“Then I’ll accept your offer.”

“Just make sure you don’t shortchange me on the rent. It saves me the trouble of finding someone else, which can be quite a hassle. I can offer you a bit of a discount—let’s say a thousand wen per month.”

“Deal!”

“One more thing. I assume you have your own business to attend to, and so do I. Generally, we’ll go about our own affairs. When we meet up, we can have a nice meal together and chat. If you need anything or need help, just let me know. Otherwise, we won’t interfere with each other’s lives. You don’t have to concern yourself with what I'm doing.”

“Understood!”

“By the way, how long do you plan to stay in Changjing?”

“Until next year.”

“That works out perfectly!”

The heroine then led him to her residence. Changjing was indeed vast, and it took a long time to navigate through the city.

Heroine Wu was a talkative and carefree person, and it didn’t take long to dissolve the awkwardness of their two-year separation. Remarkably, those two years of no communication didn’t seem to have diminished their connection; they felt even more familiar with each other meeting again now than before.

As Song You conversed with her, he pondered and looked around. This was the Western District, primarily inhabited by merchants and commoners, with many people from foreign lands also residing here.

The place where Heroine Wu rented her house was quite remote, almost on the edge of the city. The advantage was that the rent was cheaper. Through the Housing Bureau, it was even more affordable. The area was spacious, and many houses even had a small plot of land where people grew vegetables or raised livestock.

Heroine Wu opened her door. “Come in. I’ll find the key. You can take a look around. The houses here are all quite similar; ours is considered one of the better ones. It’s a two-story building, and it’s not easy to find such a big place in the capital…”

She continued to rummage through the cabinet while lamenting, “When I first came to Changjing, I lived in a single-story cottage; that was truly uncomfortable.”

“Alright…” Song You looked around casually.

The houses here were all two-story buildings facing the street, which was convenient for shopping but likely noisy in the morning. Generally, the downstairs was used for cooking and receiving guests, while the upstairs was for sleeping. Even though the space was small, it was well-equipped.

This worked fine too. If it were a whole courtyard, he definitely wouldn’t be able to afford it; even if he could, it would probably have to be shared with several tenants.

Living here wasn’t as comfortable and serene as the elegant small courtyard in Yidu, but it was not uncomfortable either. It offered a sense of freedom and was closer to the everyday life of the common people, possibly providing a different kind of experience.

“This place doesn’t have space for keeping a horse, but there’s a place nearby that specializes in horse boarding. They have boarded many horses and charge reasonable fees. You just need to visit regularly, take the horse out for exercise, and clean it. I can take you there later,” Heroine Wu said as she found the key.

As they walked outside, Song You said, “I noticed there are many barren mountains outside the city. I’ll let the horse roam freely, and I’ll look for it later.”

“Will you be able to find it?”

“If fate allows it.”

“What if you can’t find it?”

“Then it must have found its own way of life.”

“Heh…” Heroine Wu smiled broadly, having opened the door and handed him the key. She didn’t enter but leaned against the door, watching him and asking, “Have you had dinner?”

“Not yet.”

Heroine Wu continued to lean by the door. “Unfortunately, it’s already dark. Recently, the city has been plagued by demons and ghosts, and the palace has imposed a curfew. The guards patrol every day. We’ll have to postpone our meal until tomorrow, and I’ll host you then. By the way, you’d better bring your horse inside tonight.

“I happen to have a pot of vegetable porridge left over from yesterday. I’m worried it won’t be good by tomorrow. If you don’t mind, you can have it to fill your stomach.”

Song You said, “I still owe you a meal.”

“Right, then you can treat me tomorrow.”

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

“Do you have any recommendations for good restaurants?”

“There’s a lamb soup noodle place down the street that’s quite good.”

“Lamb soup noodles?”

“What’s wrong? Don’t you eat lamb?”

“It’s too simple.”

“Isn’t it good enough if it’s tasty?”

“I owe you a good meal.”

“Oh…” Heroine Wu, leaning by the door, thought for a moment and said, “Then I’ll add two more slices of lamb.”

Song You couldn’t help but smile.

It seemed that the heroine noticed that Song You had just arrived in Changjing and that his finances might be a bit tight. She couldn’t bear to have him spend too much money. Her response was quite charming, and not wishing to argue further, Song You decided to save up a bit more money and take her to the legendary Yunchun Restaurant for a meal.

It was already dark.

Heroine Wu brought an oil lamp so he could settle into the house. By the time he finished tidying up, the vegetable porridge was already warmed up.

The so-called vegetable porridge was just chopped vegetables cooked with rice, without any other flavors. It seemed to be something the heroine usually ate, and it was not suitable for receiving guests. But under these circumstances, she didn’t feel embarrassed about taking it out to make do for a friend.

Each of them had a bowl of porridge and sipped it. The porridge was steaming hot and quite comforting.

By the time he finished drinking, he had raised the bowl and tilted his head back with an open heart. Even the thin porridge tasted like a delicacy.

Only the cat refused to eat it, looking around with its head up. It was already aware of the world inside the walls and underground nearby, pondering whether to eat from its own home or someone else’s tonight.