The ride to the city was one that took till late in the evening. Blue sky turned an iridescent orange as the sun dipped between two mountaintops and eventually fell below the horizon. Qing Shen felt her heart nearly stop at the beauty of the scene, but her heart stopped in a different way as suddenly the carriage dipped onto the steepest part of the valley walls.

For a second, Qing Shen felt weightless. Her stomach rose as her bottom left the seat she was in, and if it weren’t for the rumbling of the carriage around her, she would have sworn they were in freefall.

A scream tore its way from her mouth, high pitched and full of fear. She had no way of knowing what was going through Li Ling’s mind on a good day, but suddenly sending a carriage down nearly vertical wall was something she never expected. However, in between her screams, Qing Shen heard the hollers of delight from Li Ling up in front, and the silent laughs from Zhang Yong calmly floating next to her. As if the previous scene was only a dream, she felt the carriage level out and her bottom safely returned to its position without the slightest bit of discomfort.

It was only after her heart stopped thumping in her chest that her wits came back to her. Somehow, the carriage wasn’t even the least bit harmed by such a normally dangerous maneuver, and Qing Shen could only glare at the softly chuckling Zhang Yong.

“You could have warned me.” She groused, moving the curtains to get a better view out the window.

The boy smiled in the corner of her vision. “And ruin the surprise? Besides, you looked ready to run down the side of the gorge anyways, so no need to thank me.”

Qing Shen huffed, watching as the carriage sped through bumpy gravel and maneuvered around larger boulders in their way. There wasn’t much foliage, but the girl saw a couple bunches of trees and shrubs a little ways away from the city itself.

“I really shouldn’t be surprised anymore with all the stuff you keep pulling out of nowhere.” Qing Shen spoke up again.

“Well,” Zhang Yong hummed, his face trying to fall into the persona he had said he needed but failed. “I can warn you next time, if that’s what you want?”

“No!” Li Ling yelled from the front. “Sister Shen needs to be surprised constantly! What will happen if she loses that aspect of her? I’ll be heartbroken!”

“I’m glad to know that my worth is being judged by my normal reaction to crazy situations…” Despite how dull her words sounded, Qing Shen couldn’t quite keep the smile off her face, and from the light laugh next to her, Zhang Yong had clearly seen it.

Still, the trio continued to converse about anything and everything. Qing Shen surrendered herself to the butt of the joke for the most part, but only because she felt that it was easier to interact with Li Ling that way. The dark-haired girl had Qing Shen confused about many things, so having a way to simply laugh and talk was nice, for lack of better words.

Zhang Yong had chosen to only intrude on the conversation at minor points, offering only a few words to Li Ling’s train of dialogue. He seemed quieter than usual, and Qing Shen could see his face becoming a little more restrained with every passing second. She knew he was getting into character, but the closer to the city they got, the more the newest maid felt that she couldn't quite associate the innocent and understanding boy that she first met with the cold and aloof one in front of her. It was like he changed completely.

By the time they were at the gates, Qing Shen was starting to get nervous around him. She didn’t know what he was going to do next.

“Halt! Please show identification before entering!” A voice boomed from outside, and Qing Shen took a moment to peek a little from her window.

Two massive, wooden doors stretched up into the stone ramparts of Feilong city. There was a split in the middle, allowing the two doors to swing outwards. On the doors were a multitude of metal strips that extended from the stone walls to the middle of the doors before extending up and down their lengths like a series of lattices. Large rivets held the metal on the slabs of wood, and Qing Shen could see that there were signs of wear and tear on the doors themselves.

Small divots cut themselves into the metal lattice work, and some parts of the doors were dented slightly, as if a battering ram had bounced off of it recently. Parts of the wood were scorched black, proving that even fire couldn’t get through their impressive size. They were signs of a battle, and considering that the city still stood, there was little doubt on who was the victor.

Qing Shen’s eyes then roved to the person that stopped them. She couldn’t determine his age, but he was garbed in green tinted armor and wielded a long spear. With a small activation of her Essence Vision, she was shocked to see that his strength was actually greater than hers at the moment. A small amount of apprehension bubbled up within her as she compared herself with him; up until now, she had been feeling that her recent increase in strength would have given her an edge on anyone they came across.

“I said please show some identification!” The presumed guard stated again, and Qing Shen could actually see his patience wearing thin as he spoke.

“Sorry!” Qing Shen spoke first, inching her head out the window so that the guard could see her. She had no idea how she compared to him in a fight, but her instincts were telling her that it was a losing battle. “We’ll get everything ready!”

Turning to Zhang Yong, Qing Shen felt a little bit of worry begin to spike her actions. She was nervous about her first time in the city, and suddenly getting called out at the gate hadn’t helped a thing. However, when she looked over at Zhang Yong, all her worries escalated to their maximum.

He was no longer sitting in his seat; he was laying on it. One leg was dangling off the side of the cushions while the other was bent and propped up on the seat itself. Zhang Yong’s back was leaning further into his cushions as if there wasn’t a worry in the world.

“Go forwards.” He commanded.

“Wai- wait! Are you trying to start a fight?!” Qing Shen only got more worried as the carriage suddenly lurched forwards. Her eyes widened as the guard’s face grew red, and the man marched right up to their carriage with his spear raised.

“Don’t blame me for your mistake!” The man yelled, and Qing Shen sighed, getting ready for a fight.

“I’m sorry too!” Qing Shen yelled back, feeling her Spiritual Essence flood through her Meridians. Honestly, she just wished someone told her something like this would have happened before she came.

However, before the fight could even start, Qing Shen saw another source of power rapidly approaching them. Her confidence about facing someone fairly stronger than her petered out to a cowardly whine. Whereas the guard that was charging them looked like he was in the Cycling Essence stage like her, this new person looked like they were wreathed in an armor of ethereal blue. Their Essence moved as if it were a weapon within the hands of a seasoned warrior, controlled and ready to act on any threat.

“You idiot!” The new person roared, slamming down next to the charging guard and kicking up a cloud of dust. Qing Shen felt the ground shake beneath the carriage, and all her Essence Vision allowed her to see were the impossibly fast movements of the newcomer.

They grabbed the guard’s wirst, locking his arm in place before picking the man up, as if he were a toy instead of a fully armored soldier. In an instant, the guard was slammed into the ground, and Qing Shen gaped silently at how the newcomer was shoving the the guard’s face into the ground while also pushing their forehead into the gravel. It was such a surreal sight that she almost forgot about the fact that the man probably jumped right off the top of the ramparts to get there. Almost.

“I apologize to the Young Master and Miss! This little one’s actions were due to my own neglect to train a new, competent guardsman, so please take out your anger on myself!” The man said, his voice echoing through the ground with such force that Qing Shen felt her teeth chatter. She couldn’t quite see through the dust still in the air, but she could see the man’s hulking silhouette through the dirt cloud. He looked larger than the Half-Corrupted beast she fought!

“Don’t let it happen again.” Zhang Yong whispered, yet it still seemed to reach their ears. The carriage continued through the now open gates as the massive slabs of wood and metal were slowly pulled open by a series of more guards. Qing Shen had to cup her hands around her ears to drown out the loud sounds of metal grinding on metal as the door’s hinges seemed to haven’t been slicked.

Qing Shen heard another bang behind them as the doors finally opened, and she continued to see the guard and massive man smashing their foreheads into the ground. “Thank you for your kindness! Young Master Zhang’s kindness is said to reach the heavens and even Immortals learn how gracious a heart can be!”

If anything, Zhang Yong just scowled at the compliment before seeming to bear them no mind.

“That’s,” Qing Shen craned her neck, hearing their voice of the guard lowering his voice to a whisper. “That womanizing bastard of a noble? I thought he holed himself in his villa with all his prostitutes?”

The girl winced as the ground thumped once more, but she clearly saw the massive man’s hand slamming the guard’s head deeper into the ground. “Shut it you idiot! Whether he is or isn’t doesn’t matter, he’s got dealings with the Ba family in the center district. One word from them, and they’ll have us all hanged for contempt of nobility.”

Qing Shen knew she shouldn’t have heard anything. They were whispering it, and it was only with her using her abilities to the utmost that she even heard anything. The words were a sour reminder that the rumors surrounding Zhang Yong were much worse than she previously thought.

“What did they say?” Zhang Yong’s words snapped her train of thought closed, and she locked eyes with him for a second. For only a moment, she froze before quickly looking out the window.

“They were just apologizing.” She lied.

Luckily, Zhang Yong didn’t pursue the matter, and despite the hammering of her heart, Qing Shen felt that was for the best. She honestly had no idea why she lied at that moment. Instinct, perhaps? Or maybe it was the conflicting emotions bore down upon her shoulders as Li Ling’s outburst rang in the back of her mind?

It was something completely different, she decided. When she locked eyes with Zhang Yong a moment ago, all she saw were blank eyes. There was no emotion behind them; almost as if he were looking at her like she was a speck of dust.

And, for that moment, Qing Shen felt like that was his true face.

In the ensuing silence, the blonde tried to look out the window to distract herself. She saw the well maintained roads, cobbled with stones that fit together into pathways, and the carriage barely bounced as it traveled over them. There were wooden houses and shops lining the edges of the street, and people milling about as they walked and talked on their way to their destinations. However, she also saw others pointing at the carriage and whispering inane rumors.

At one point she locked eyes with one of the people whispering, and the woman in question gave a weak smile. It wasn’t warm like the ones she received from her own mother, nor was it Li Ling’s infectious smile of happiness. All there was in it were pity and guilt.

Qing Shen closed the curtains after that. She didn’t know when, but her excitement had died down to a disappointed mewl.

“Not as exciting as the trip here, right?”

Qing Shen flinched at the voice. It was warm and upbeat, like the usual Zhang Yong, but the speed at which his tone changed startled her more than anything.

“Oh,” his voice was quiet again, apprehension taking his words so much that she felt a little guilty. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to startle you too much with my act.”

Qing Shen blushed. Some part of her was relieved that he admitted to the previous act. “N- no, it’s alright! I was just annoyed why everyone was judging you so much.”

Zhang Yong smiled wryly. “I told you about it already, but I guess seeing it is a different thing entirely. If it’s any consolation, I’m pretty sure that the people don’t think too bad about you. You’ll be fine with a little rumors.”

“And what about you?”

“That…” Qing Shen felt conflicted at how quickly Zhang Yong’s voice petered out. However, it only took a couple of seconds before he gave a weak chuckle. “Well, I’ll live.”

A frown on her features was countered by the smile he shot back to her. It was a grin that took away her worries, and made her feel rather embarrassed about earlier. “Anyways, don’t let those… people get in your head. In fact, how about you take the carriage for a couple joyrides later; I’m sure you’ll enjoy it after a few times.”

“Yeah right…” Qing Shen scoffed, feeling a small smile on her face. Her previous disappointment had been pushed to the back of her mind as they wove down the city.

It didn’t take that long to get to the inner walls of the city, and while they were definitely more fortified, none of the guards stopped them this time. Qing Shen nearly marveled at the sight of all the guards bowing to their carriage as it passed by. Her mind was split with one part enjoying the sight while the other wanted to tell them all to stand up.

However, they passed through them without her having to speak her mind. Li Ling hadn’t spoken as much after they entered the city, but it was Zhang Yong that drew the most of Qing Shen’s concern. The boy was back to his cold persona, ordering Li Ling to turn down the the nicer streets. In the lulls of quiet, Qing Shen took the time to actually observe this part of the city as there were less people pointing and whispering at them.

The roads were the first thing that she noticed. Where the roads before were just fairly flat pieces of stone and gravel put together, these ones were paved with perfectly cut stone that fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Next, she observed each house. Every single one looked as if they were built by hand, carved wood and stone set together till they were almost like beautiful pieces of artwork. They were also much larger than any building she previously saw, yet they all still had space to put a few trees on their property.

Less people ambled about, too. Qing Shen saw only a few in the roads they traveled down, and most of the time all she saw were more carriages shaking down the network of pathways. Still, the people she did see walking down the roads all seemed to be stronger than her. In fact, nearly every one of them had the very same armor of Spiritual Essence surrounding them as that massive man at the first gate did.

Feeling a little put out by how many strong people seemed to be living in the city, Qing Shen shifted in her seat, turning off her Essence Vision so that she couldn’t see all the experts simply walking down the street. She imagined being as strong as them one day, but seeing how many people had reached that level of strength only made her more conscious about how weak she was. Even after convincing herself that she would get strong enough to help Zhang Yong and Li Ling, she was still weaker than the people who lived in luxurious villas.

Slowly, the carriage stuttered to a stop, and Qing Shen peeked out the window to see they had arrived at the largest villa in the city. The place looked almost like a palace compared to the rest of the houses nearby.

Her eyes then found a portly man standing at the entrance to the villa. He was silk robes embroidered with stone walls, and a smile was forced on his face.

“Welcome, Young Master Zhang.” He bowed awkwardly, his smile straining with the jerky movement. “We have been waiting for you. I hope your ride was pleasant and without any trouble.”

“It was acceptable.” Zhang Yong said, getting out of the carriage with the help of a demure Li Ling. Qing Shen had to rapidly school her features or else she would have gone wide eyed at the completely different facial expression of her excitable friend.

“Please come, come! We can talk business over some wine, and…” the man dabbed his sweaty forehead with a sleeve. He seemed to be looking over to one window of the massive villa.“About your… friend, a great figure like him is naturally aloof and quiet, but is there anything that I should get him as well?”

“Quiet?” Zhang Yong quirked an eyebrow, amused. “He just sounds bored.”

“O- of course! Then, we shouldn’t keep someone like him waiting for so long, but about your…” he looked over to Qing Shen and Li Ling. “Helpers, should I get a room for them too, or will they be in your room?”

“They’ll stay in my room, so get someone to lead them there.”

Qing Shen narrowed her eyes at the conversation, activating her Essence Vision to sneak a glance up at the room the man had gestured at before. Her breath nearly left her lungs as she found a silhouette of solid blue instead. The person in that room gave off the strongest presence she had ever seen before, and their Essence seemed to extend far beyond their body, radiating small bursts of blue grains that found every structure of stone nearby. She couldn’t quite understand what was happening, but their Spiritual Essence did something to the surrounding earth by their sheer presence alone.

“Oh, I nearly forgot!” The portly man turn back around to face Qing Shen. “You must be the newest maid that Zhang Yong asked for! It is nice to meet you; I’m the city lord, Ba Sing, but you may address me with whatever title you want.”

Qing Shen’s sense of reality was slowly crumbling as they were led inside the city lord’s residence. Zhang Yong certainly didn’t do things by halves, apparently.

However, the girl honestly wondered how complicated her Young Master had suddenly become.