Lin Ming smiled and said, "Right, let's go all out. But Xiaodong, be careful when you go out these next few days."
"Hm? Are you talking about that Wang Yigao?"
"Yeah. He'll retaliate. Not openly, but he'll come at us from the shadows. We've made a real enemy of him..." Lin Ming's voice dropped slightly as he spoke. 'If Wang Yigao just lets this go, then the matter is over. But if he tries something sinister, or even sends assassins, then I won't hesitate to give him a taste of his own medicine. I won't take that step unless I'm absolutely forced to, though. After all, Wang Yigao's father is the Military Lord of the Tianyun City Guard Army. If I get found out, it'll be a disaster.'
...
The trade fair of Tianyun City was located in the city's outskirts. It was the largest marketplace in all of Tianyun Country, hosting a summit once a year. When it did, High-Tier Martial Artists from Tianyun Country and even neighboring countries would gather here to buy and sell whatever they needed.
Lin Ming arrived at the entrance to the trade fair. Seeing the bustling crowds and the dazzling array of goods, he couldn't help but be secretly amazed. This was a world of the rich, the noble, and the powerful. It wouldn't even be surprising to randomly pick someone from the crowd and find they were a Meridian Condensation Stage Martial Artist.
He was just about to enter when a commotion rippled through the crowd. Lin Ming turned to look and saw a luxurious, pure-white carriage arriving at the square in front of the trade fair, accompanied by the crisp clopping of hooves. The carriage was pulled entirely by prized Snow Dragon Horses. A Snow Dragon Horse could travel two thousand li a day and possessed incredible endurance. A single one cost nearly ten thousand taels of gold. Forget about ordinary rich young masters; even the direct lineage disciples of great families might not be willing to buy one.
'Who could be riding in that? A carriage worth tens of thousands of taels of gold... It can't be the Royal Family, can it?' Lin Ming wondered.
Just then, Lin Xiaodong said, "See that Golden Lance Knight Shield emblem on the carriage? That's a carriage from the Marshal's Mansion."
"The Marshal's Mansion? You mean Marshal Qinn?" Lin Ming asked in return.
"Who else could it be? Tianyun Country only has one Marshal."
In the military structure of Tianyun Country, a Ten Thousand Men Commander was already a high rank, also called a Commander. Above the Commander was the Military Lord, above the Military Lord was the General, and only above the General was the Marshal. For the past eighty years, only one person in the entire Tianyun Country could be called Marshal.
The common folk of Tianyun Country might not know the Emperor's name, but no one was ignorant of the Marshal's.
National Guardian Grand Marshal Qinn Xiao. Over eighty years ago, Tianyun Country was invaded by the Dongyang Country, plunging its people into misery. At that time, the Royal Family was forced to flee south for refuge. Only Qinn Xiao remained in the north, leading the Qinn Family Army to perform repeated miracles, reclaim lost territory, and save the northern commoners from their fiery ordeal. After three years, the Qinn Family Army finally defeated the Dongyang Country and re-established the capital. In that same year, Qinn Xiao was enfeoffed as Marshal and, along with a group of military veterans, established the Celestial Fate Martial Mansion.
Although the Celestial Fate Martial Mansion couldn't compare to the Seven Profound Martial Mansion—established by the Third-Grade Sect, the Seven Profound Valley—due to its heritage, it was nonetheless the royal military academy of Tianyun Country. Graduating from the Celestial Fate Martial Mansion and joining the army guaranteed a good post.
Qinn Xiao himself was the honorary headmaster of the Celestial Fate Martial Mansion. His own cultivation had reached the Mid-Stage Postnatal Realm. The Postnatal Realm came after the Meridian Condensation Stage, a realm far too distant for ordinary Martial Artists.
At that moment, the carriage stopped. Lin Ming took a deep breath. 'Could it be Qinn Xiao himself inside? He's a true living legend.'
The carriage curtain was drawn aside, and to Lin Ming's surprise, a young woman stepped out.
Seeing this young woman, Lin Ming was stunned, while Lin Xiaodong's eyes were completely fixed on her. This was the very definition of a beauty that could topple nations.
The young woman wore a white dress, and her long, jet-black hair cascaded down her back. Her skin was as clear and translucent as Beautiful Jade, and her face was as radiant as the bright moon. Her eyes shone like autumn waters, her nose was exquisitely shaped, her chin was delicate, and her neck was as long and elegant as a swan's. There was truly not a single flaw to be found. Moreover, she possessed an aura that blended wisdom and sanctity, making one inevitably think of two words upon seeing her: unparalleled beauty.
Accompanied by her guards and maids, the young woman slowly entered the trade fair grounds. Everywhere she passed, it was as if the red carpet burst with infinite color, as if peach blossoms were quietly blooming. The young woman herself was like a dancer gracefully moving through a forest, inspiring endless reverie.
Without a doubt, the young woman became the center of everyone's attention. The luxurious carriage worth tens of thousands of taels of gold, her outstanding appearance, the Qinn Family that had stood strong for eighty years—any one of these things was enough to make her the focus of the entire event.
Only after the young woman had disappeared from sight did Lin Xiaodong reluctantly tear his eyes away.
Lin Ming asked, "Who is she? Do you know her?"
Lin Xiaodong replied, "I know her, but she doesn't know me. She's Qinn Xiao's granddaughter, Qinn Xingxuan. She's just... perfect." Lin Xiaodong clicked his tongue in admiration as he spoke. Lin Ming just made a sound of acknowledgment. He had already guessed the girl's identity, so he wasn't surprised in the least and had no intention of asking further.
Lin Xiaodong glanced at Lin Ming and added with a smile, "That girl has a Sixth-Grade Martial Cultivation Talent."
"Wh-what?"
Lin Ming was dumbfounded. "A Sixth-Grade Talent!? Are you sure?"
Before this, the highest talent Lin Ming had ever seen was Fourth Grade. As for a Fifth-Grade Talent, there wasn't a single one in all of Qingsang City. There might be some in Tianyun Country, but they could surely be counted on one hand. And now, he had just learned that the girl who walked past was a Sixth-Grade Talent. It was something he couldn't even imagine!
Lin Xiaodong had expected this reaction from Lin Ming. He said, "I say, Brother Min, don't you think her looks are even more stunning than her Sixth-Grade Talent?"
Lin Ming said, "I think her talent is more stunning. A Sixth-Grade Talent! I've never even heard of such a thing! Speaking of which... what's her Martial Arts Realm now?"
Lin Xiaodong shrugged. "I'm not sure about that. It must be ridiculously high. With such great talent and being born into a great family, it wouldn't be surprising if she'd reached the Body Cultivation Fourth and Fifth Layers. But... Brother Min, why do you always ask about this cultivation stuff? Aren't you the least bit moved by seeing such a perfect girl?"
Lin Ming paused. He wasn't made of wood. A fair lady is a gentleman's good match, and Qinn Xingxuan was indeed perfect. It was just that the matter with Lann Yunyue had made him understand that romance was something to be pursued only after he had enough power. Right now, it was meaningless. He asked back, "What, you like her?"
"No, I'm just admiring her. A girl like that is too far out of my league. I wouldn't dare to have any ideas. I don't know how many people in Tianyun City dream of being the lucky one, but none of them are worthy. In the future, she'll probably enter a real Sect, like the Seven Profound Valley or something. She's already a Core Disciple of the Seven Profound Martial Mansion. We mortals can't compare. And the most jealousy-inducing part is that she's also an Inscription Master."
"Inscription Master?" Lin Ming wasn't familiar with such special professions. Generally, these occupations had very few practitioners, extremely high requirements, and were also incredibly expensive. The money spent on Martial Cultivation was just a drop in the bucket by comparison.
"Yeah. Inscription Masters can use special materials to engrave Arrays and runes on weapons and equipment, or create talisman papers to enhance them. It requires great talent, comprehension, and Soul Power. If you become an Inscription Master, making money is as easy as eating and drinking!"
"But it's a pity. Ordinary Martial Artists don't get the chance to even try. Even if you have the talent, there's no hope of mastering it. Practicing it means wasting huge piles of materials—it's just too expensive. Of course, for the Qinn Family, that amount of money is just a drop in the bucket. I heard Qinn Xingxuan's Inscription Technique has already reached a very high level of attainment. Her peers can only eat her dust, and even many from the older generation would have to admit defeat."
Lin Xiaodong had received a formal Martial Arts education and knew much more about these things than Lin Ming. He was in the middle of an eloquent speech when he suddenly noticed Lin Ming was looking down, lost in thought.
"Brother Min... Brother Min, you weren't hit too hard by all this, were you? It's normal not to be able to compare to a Proud Daughter of Heaven like her."
"I'm fine," Lin Ming said, waving his hand dismissively.
'So that's it! That tiny Soul Fragment, those Magic Arrays, Inscriptions, Engravings, all those symbols and mysterious characters, and all those weapon diagrams that were ancient and emanated a powerful aura—they're all about Inscription Masters!'
'To think that the things I temporarily ignored would actually be so valuable.'