Chapter 422: The Island of Delicacy
Translator: Panda_Penn Editor: Chrissy
The Clouds City. Lu Li and Ming Yu appeared in the Teleportation Formation. Escorts of the Palace of Peaceful Heavens knew them and a leader of the escorts greeted the two.
Lu Li acknowledged with a nod and then hurried to a branch of a chamber of commerce of the Pavilion of Delicacy. Here, the branch chief Jiang Hua welcomed them in.
If it were only Ming Yu here, Jiang Hua wouldn't have come out to greet him. But Lu Li was a different story. After serving Lu Li tea, Jiang Hua asked, "Young Master Lu, you have come in person. Do you have any orders?"
Jiang Hua even used the word "orders", which was a testimony of his respect towards Lu Li. Lu Li answered straightforwardly, "I need to meet Lady Qi, right now!"
"Lady Qi?"
Jiang Hua felt he was pushed into a difficult situation. He frowned and asked, "Lady Qi has gone back to the City of Delicacy and I don't have the authority to contact her. Should I send a word to Patriarch Hong and then ask him to contact her?"
Who could tell how long it would take with sending messages to this and that like this? Lu Li thought about it and said, "No need. Bring me to the City of Delicacy. I will see her in person."
"Alright."
Jiang Hua was afraid to disobey Lu Li. If Lu Li really had some urgent matters, Jiang Qiling would blame Jiang Hua for delaying and he could lose his position.
Jiang Hua made some arrangements and then teleported away with Lu Li in person. The City of Delicacy was a bit far away. After teleporting for more than 10 times, they finally made it to a giant city.
It was approaching dark. The setting sun colored the entire city with a yellow and red sunset glow. The majestic and ancient city appeared to be more magnificent.
Jiang Hua showed Lu Li and Ming Yu to a luxurious tavern which was a Jiang Family property and checked them into a separate yard. After that, Jiang Hua left and said he would invite Jiang Hong here soon.
Lu Li and Ming Yu grabbed something to eat. After the time for three incense sticks to burn, Jiang Hong came. Upon hearing that Lu Li wanted to meet Jiang Qiling, Jiang Hong felt the matter to be tricky.
"Last time after she came back, Lady Qi tried to reach the Noble Lord Realm but…she failed and she was injured. She was recovering at the Island of Delicacy and I don't have the authority to meet her now."
Lu Li's mind was weighted down by anxiety after he heard Jiang Hong's explanation. Lu Li asked out of concern, "Is she okay? Will there be any after-effects?"
"She is okay!"
Jiang Hong answered, "She was in too much a hurry. She didn't achieve stability before she began to cultivate to the Noble Lord Realm and it backfired. Our master has used a mysterious plant that can make sure that she will not have any problems in her cultivation. She needs to have some quiet rest so our master has ordered that nobody can go and disturb her…"
Lu Li and Ming Yu looked at each other, feeling anxious. The Song Family Patriarch might be entering the Northern Desert at any time now and by then, he would cause so much trouble and destruction that the Empire of Godly Prowess could be torn apart.
Lu Li kept questioning Jiang Hong, "Isn't there another way?"
Seeing how pressing Lu Li was, Jiang Hong made up his mind and answered, "Yes, there is! We cannot enter the Chamber of Fairies where Lady Qi lives, but we can think of a way to let Lady Qi to call us in. Come with me to the Island of Delicacy."
Jiang Hong was quite clear about what Jiang Qiling thought of Lu Li and what kind of person she was. If she was angered, the entire Jiang Family could be turned upside down.
Jiang Hong led Lu Li to an elegant courtyard at the north. There were so many buildings in the yard and pavilions and water-features that Lu Li and Ming Yu felt lost among them.
After walking for an hour, they came across a lake. Jiang Hong explained, "This is the Lake of Delicacy and there is the Island of Delicacy in the middle. Only Jiang Family disciples are qualified to live here."
"Oh, I see."
Lu Li nodded. There was a Mystic Armor Mountain in the Mystic Armor City that only allowed disciples of the Lu Family to live in. Now there was an Island of Delicacy in the City of Delicacy where only disciples of the Jiang Family resided.
Did all the 12 Royal Families like to do this to show off their uniqueness and their high status?
Jiang Hong brought them to a dock where they boarded a boat instead of flying across the lake.
"There are many Inhibition Formations in the lake. Flying and diving into the water will both trigger the Inhibition Formations. Anyone that dare to break into the Island of Delicacy can be killed even before they realize what is going on."
Jiang Hong explained. The boat travelled fast. There was a warrior on the boat taking control. Jiang Hong turned back to him and said, "Take us to the Cliff of Fairies."
Jiang Hong was a patriarch of the Jiang Family. He was not of a very high status, but he was a patriarch nonetheless. The warrior turned the boat around to the front left.
Lu Li and Ming Yu didn't understand it. Jiang Hong smiled and explained, "Lady Qi likes to have some alone time on the cliff. But it will be up to luck to see if you can meet her."
"Okay~"
Lu Li walked to the deck at stem, looking into the distance. The boat was fast. In the time for three incense sticks to burn, a huge island presented itself.
The sun was setting. There was only a ray of sunset glow as red as blood. The entire Island of Delicacy became blurry and dreamlike.
Closer, closer!
Lu Li and the others saw a precipice which was only more than 600 feet, not very high. But it was steep. There were stones and rocks below. Water splashed against the rocks, spraying everywhere.
"Jiang Qiling!"
Lu Li saw a person on the cliff, a girl in a red dress. She sat on the edge of the cliff, bare-feet, dangling her legs over the edge. The wind was strong, whipped her dress, revealing her smooth shins every now and then. She didn't comb her hair into a bun today. She let her hair hand over her shoulders, dancing in the wind.
Jiang Qiling gazed into the distance, no idea that a boat was coming. Her eyes were empty as if her soul was sucked out.
Jiang Qiling's lips were red, like flames. Her skin was white, as white as that of Bai Xiashuang and Bai Qiuxue. Her porcelain skin highlighted her lips, giving her a particularly enticing look. She had a goblet of Bloody Rose in one hand. Her beauty was breathtaking under the ray of sunset glow.
Lu Li said nothing. He looked at the girl on the cliff. Suddenly, he felt sorry for her.
He felt like—there was only this girl in the world, so alone, so lonely, so abandoned by the world…
Jiang Hong was about to shout to her when Lu Li waved no. He stood on the boat, gazing into her from hundreds of feet away.
Jiang Qiling had no idea that someone had come. She sat, depressed.
With time passing by, it grew darker. The night enveloped Jiang Qiling. Still, she didn't move. She sat in the dark, sinking into the night.
Lu Li could not wait any longer. He made a coughing sound and said, "Lady Qi, do you feel bored, drinking alone? Should I accompany you and have a tour in the lake at night?"
"Buzzing~"
Jiang Qiling's eyes glowed, as bright as dancing fireflies in the dark. She turned her looks downward. When she saw a cyan-robed young man on a boat, a beautiful smile blossomed on her face. Her white teeth stood out in the dark.
"Whoosh!"
She smashed at the cliff and then flew down like a fire phoenix towards the boat. But there were two people faster than her. They rushed down from above and their killing intent enveloped Lu Li and the others.
"He is my friend. Get lost!"
Jiang Qiling glared like a goddess of death. The two people paused in midair and flew back to the cliff.
Jiang Qiling flew down and stood next to Lu Li. Her previously empty eyes were filled with delightful glows. With such a big and sweet smile on her face, her eyes formed two crescent moons. It seemed that she had come back to life.
"Oh great…"
Jiang Hong sighed to himself, seeing how Jiang Qiling reacted. She looked much like a girl with first awakening of love saw her crush…