With their points tallied, the servant lady handed a jade key to Kent. "This grants residence. A full pavilion on the eastern terrace, overlooking the central peak."
Fatty Ben snatched it eagerly. "At last! Beds, food, walls—civilization!" He waddled ahead like a man escaping death itself.
Their pavilion was no ordinary lodging. It sprawled across terraces of jade stone, carved into three levels. The first floor held vast gardens of luminous flowers, their scent easing fatigue. The second level contained endless chambers with soft beds and flowing streams of warm water for bathing. The topmost level bore a grand hall of redwood pillars and carved beams, vast enough for a banquet.
As they stepped inside, even the proud Amelia's eyes softened. Sophia smiled-faintly. Bai Qi, still clinging shyly to Kent's sleeve, whispered, "This… is more luxurious than the estates of entire clans."
Fatty Ben threw himself on a couch and groaned with joy. "I will die here. And I will die happy."
