Volume 1: Absolutely No Same Parallel Universe Chapter 27: One Fortress, One Manor, One Gate

  Hong Gu smiled understandingly and didn't continue asking. She looked around and said with a smile, "Look, the divine doctor and Fei Gongzi have arrived."

  I followed her gaze and looked over, and indeed, the divine doctor Du Naha and the mind-reading young master Fei Qingyun were walking towards this side from afar. Thinking of Fei Qingyun's incredible ability, I secretly worried that after drinking wine the night before, my brain wasn't clear, and if this 'mind-reading young master' could see through other people's thoughts, wouldn't he have already seen through my origins?

  Hong Gu saw me frowning and asked in surprise: "What's wrong, little sister?"

  I knew I was out of line and hastily laughed, saying: "Oh dear, I'm worried about this 'Mind-Reading Young Master's' special ability. Anyone in front of him seems to have no secrets."

  Hong Gu smiled lightly and said: "You're worried about this? The words I told you that night, you actually believed them."

  "Ah, could he be reading minds? Is he teasing me?" I asked in surprise. He had clearly read the question on my mind just the night before!

  Hong shook her head and smiled: "It's true, but how is it possible that all thoughts can be read? Who would dare to stay with him then?"

  I felt slightly relieved and curiously asked: "What's going on?"

  Hong Gu glanced in their direction and mysteriously smiled at me: "Every time you see him, even if you look into his eyes, just don't think about the secrets you don't want others to know."

  "It's like that." I nodded, the Mind Reader can only read the questions others are thinking about, those secrets hidden deep in their hearts, as long as they're not always remembering it, there shouldn't be a problem.

  "Don't be so shy, Master Fei won't casually read people's minds." Hong Gu shook me and said with a sly smile.

  She misunderstood again, I couldn't help but laugh. Standing up and greeting them: "Great Doctor and Lord Fei are having a leisurely time."

  Dunahai still had a faintly smiling expression, nodded slightly at me and walked over to sit down. Fei Qingyun, on the other hand, bowed to me and smiled: "Madam, you've been keeping us in suspense for quite some time."

  My face turned red and I hastily said: "Ning Xi didn't intentionally conceal it, please forgive me."

  Fei Qingyun smiled warmly and said: "How dare I blame you, madam? 'Ning Xi' is your pen name, isn't it?"

  I blurted out: "Fei Gongzi has seen through the little girl, if you don't mind, then call me 'Ning Xi'." Last night I didn't expect to be exposed so quickly, and my true name was revealed. Now I can only pretend it's my own name.

  "Has your wife's injury healed?" Du Naha asked suddenly.

  I was stunned by his question, and only then did I remember that I had applied his exclusive medicine 'Ice Muscle Dew' on myself. It seemed that Du Naha had already smelled it the night before, and he must have suspected my identity at that time. This person's depth is not to be underestimated.

  "Is your sister injured?" Hong Gu exclaimed in surprise.

  I smiled and said: "Ning Xi is just slightly injured, it's nothing serious, I must thank the divine doctor for his secret medicine, but it's really a waste of great talent on a small problem."

  Hong Gu smiled suddenly: "Yes, only the castle owner can give such a rare medicine to his sister to rub her injuries."

  I smiled awkwardly, seeing that Du Naha didn't mind either. I caught a glimpse of Fei Qingyun staring at me intently out of the corner of my eye, and I was slightly taken aback, not daring to make eye contact with him. So I changed the subject: "By the way, why didn't we see Fatso today?"

  "Doesn't the lady know? Wu brother has gone out with the castle owner."

  "Oh, Fatso went too? The night before he was still drinking and having fun with us, didn't seem to take this big matter to heart. I shook my head in wonder: "Ning Xi didn't know that every time Wu brother sends goods, he goes?"

  Fei Qingyun smiled warmly and said: "You'd better ask Hong Jie about this, it's been less than a year since I arrived at Furong Fortress."

  Hong Gu smiled lightly and said: "How can it be every time? This is the first time this year, in previous years the castle owner wouldn't go personally either."

  "Why go this year then?" Jin Niang had mentioned that someone would take charge of this batch, but didn't elaborate. I was very curious about what kind of world it was, whether there were also rivers and lakes, factions, or something else.

  Hong Gu smiled and said: "Sister has just arrived in our Da Qi country, not understanding the situation is also natural. Lord Fei often mingles with the rivers and lakes, so let's have Lord Fei explain it."

  Fei Qingyun smiled calmly and nodded slightly at Hong Gu, saying slowly: "I'm just a mediocre person, after wandering outside for a few years, I haven't achieved anything, but I have some knowledge of Jianghu's mundane affairs."

  He paused and continued: "Our country, Dà Qí, is bounded by the sea to the east and the Inviting Moon Mountains to the west. Although it may not be as vast and sparsely populated as the northern border of Wèi Chén, it has the most fertile land. The southern country of Fèng Míng, although located in a dense forest with rich mountain products, does not have the majestic and rugged landscape of our Dà Qí mountains and rivers."

  He finished speaking and looked at me. I was stunned for a moment, as I had been completely bewildered by the situation on this continent over the past few days. Hearing him say that, I really wanted to ask about the general situation of these three countries. Seeing his serious expression looking at me, I finally reacted and realized that with my current identity as the daughter of Feng Ming country's Taishi, even if I didn't leave the house, I shouldn't be unaware of this situation. His intention in looking at me was probably because he mentioned Feng Ming country and was afraid I would take offense at his comparison, so he was asking for my attitude. I reacted quickly and busily smiled at him to indicate that I didn't mind.

  He smiled and nodded, continuing: "My country of Daqi has a long history, with many talented individuals emerging one after another. As a result, there are now numerous sects in the Jianghu, but currently, the most influential ones are 'One Fortress, One Manor, One Gate'."

  "Could it be Furong Fortress?" I added.

  "It's true." Fei Qingyun nodded and smiled at me, "And 'Yi Zhuang' is the 'Red Eagle Manor', which has been dominating the Jianghu for many years. The Red Eagle Manor was built hundreds of years ago, even before our great Qi country's first emperor founded the nation. Everyone in the manor has a tattoo of a red eagle on their left shoulder, hence the name. It's said that the Red Eagle Manor has a deep connection with the imperial court, and there are even rumors that it's a special organization set up by the court among the people. However, these are just hearsay, and it's impossible to verify them until now. Although the Red Eagle Manor holds a high position in Jianghu, they usually keep a low profile, and won't easily take action unless there's a major event happening in Jianghu."

  I listened attentively to his narrative, silently digesting the information in my mind. Fei Qingyun continued, "There is another 'gate' that is even more mysterious and extraordinary. Since the establishment of the Red Eagle Manor, there has been the existence of the 'Thousand Silence Gate'. The Thousand Silence Gate is a secret organization in the Jianghu world. According to legend, each generation of its leader possesses supernatural abilities that can penetrate heaven and earth. However, they never reveal themselves and no one knows who their leader is or how many members they have. They do not participate in any Jianghu disputes but specialize in resolving all sorts of difficult matters, including assassinations, espionage, theft, and more. Nevertheless, they are not someone you can hire with money; they need to evaluate the task and deem it worthy before accepting it."

  What's worth it? Isn't that just a typical gang, I muttered to myself, but my mouth said: "It seems that's the most famous place in Furong Fortress?"

  Fei Qingyun nodded and said, "Although Furuong Fortress was built for only seven years, it has become famous all over the world because of Furuong Cream. The master of Lingbao is a rare talent in this generation. In the past seven years, Furuong Fortress has expanded rapidly and attracted many talented people to join them. Its reputation and status are even surpassing that of Chiying Manor. Now that Furuong Cream has been designated as a royal tribute, it has attracted the envy of many parties, so we must be extra careful on this delivery trip."

  "Why are so many people coveting, can't they grow it themselves?" I wondered. In my previous life, my knowledge of this poppy was limited to various films and books, but it seemed that no one had ever heard of anyone monopolizing it, planting it shouldn't be difficult, why did it seem like only the Poppy Fortress could produce it?

  I am carefully recalling the knowledge of my past life about this pitifully small amount of opium, and suddenly thought of the scene I saw on that day at the altar, a flash of insight in my mind, could it be that people in this world are not unable to cultivate, but rather do not know how to refine?

  Fei Qingyun smiled and said in a low voice: "How could the secrets of Afu Rong's cultivation and refining be so easily leaked out?"

  I was momentarily stunned, and when I looked up at him, I saw a flash of sharpness in his eyes that left me dazed. When I took a closer look, the inquiry and doubt in his eyes quickly disappeared, and he restored his usual warm and courteous demeanor. Had he read my thoughts just now? Or had I misseen it? I was somewhat suspicious, but for the time being, I couldn't find any reason, so I could only withdraw my gaze with a hint of embarrassment.

  Dunahai suddenly coughed lightly twice beside me, and I was taken aback, only then remembering that this topic of Ahfurong shouldn't be discussed so casually. For a moment, I felt somewhat embarrassed, unsure whether he was reminding me or Fei Qingyun, but now that I'm nominally the mistress of the manor, it seems rather inappropriate for him to discuss these things with me.

  Hong Gu saw the situation and quickly changed the subject, Fei Qingyun also didn't mention it again. They talked and laughed about what happened when they drank wine the night before. I put aside my doubts and listened to them talk about how Fatso stole Master Lu's wine. The story was vivid and interesting, and for a moment, everyone forgot about the awkwardness earlier. Anyway, in this Guiwu Courtyard, I felt at ease.

  It was already noon, and I suddenly realized that I had been out for half a day. I stood up and bid farewell to them: "I forgot to say goodbye to Jin Niang when I went out this morning, and now she must be looking for me everywhere. I won't bother you all anymore."

  Hong Gu quickly got up to see me off, and I didn't decline. We left together. I thought of Fei Qingyun's previous words again and asked Hong Gu in a low voice, "Does everyone know that the castle owner has gone out?"

  Hong Gu pulled my hand tightly and whispered, "Not everyone knows, didn't the castle owner tell his sister? This time the cargo route is extremely perilous. Besides the iron armor guards who escort us every time we deliver goods, there are also many masters following along, but the list of people following along was only notified at the last minute."

  "Hmm." I responded lightly, feeling a faint sense of strangeness rising up, but couldn't quite put my finger on what was wrong.

  After bidding farewell to Hong Gu, I returned to my residence and carefully observed the surroundings. This Furen Fortress seems deserted, but it's actually full of mystery. The massive mountain city is quietly situated in a corner, with every courtyard gate tightly closed. Unlike the ancient courtyards I've seen before, each one has a name plaque, even the "Gui Wu" courtyard, which was probably named by its occupants themselves. If an outsider unfamiliar with the terrain were to enter, it would take at least a few months to figure out the layout and functional structure of this place. What a deeply hidden and secretive Ling Yi, I vaguely guessed his intentions in my heart.

  Jin Niang saw me return, didn't ask where I went, just smiled at me and quickly helped me change clothes and have a meal. I felt increasingly close to Jin Niang, and in my heart, I had a faint sense of guilt towards her. If Ling Yi couldn't find a suitable body for me or Gu Qingying, then the young lady of their household might never be able to return, and I didn't know what would happen to her at that time.

  I pulled her and asked: "Jin Niang, have you ever made plans for your own future?"

  Jin Niang was taken aback by my question and shook her head after a long while, saying: "Miss's future is my future."

  As soon as I loosened my grip, I couldn't tell who the girl she was talking about was, but it probably wouldn't be me. I smiled wryly, of course she would be talking about Gu Qingying, what do I have that she can rely on?

  For the next two days, I didn't go out and stayed in my room, thinking about how to mix my hook ring and pulley with something to take to Master Lu for processing. I was also considering whether it's possible to improve some coarse clothing, so that my escape preparations would be more thorough.

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  Almost 4,000 words long chapter, wow hahaha, everyone give me votes and collect it