The two continued to bicker and chat as the chariot flew through the air, Yan Ling occasionally refilling the oval hole with Spirit Stones to keep the chariot going. This flying chariot was far faster than any carriage or caravan Liang Chen had ever been on, it could also fly in a straight line over the various nations, saving a lot of time as it headed for King's Mirror city, the capital of Snow Mirror nation.
Snow Mirror nation was located close to the center of the Fallen Cloud continent, so they had to head south for quite a long distance, even passing Eternal Stream city. Liang Chen guessed that it would likely take around three to four months if he wished to reach it using a normal carriage, but using this golden chariot, they managed to reach Snow Mirror nation after as little as a week, utterly astonishing Liang Chen.
Snow Mirror was a nation that was perpetually covered in snow, reminding Liang Chen of his time in the Mystic's Hidden Realm. It was a bit smaller than the other nations, but the average strength of its soldiers was a bit higher than the other nations, allowing them to stand equal with the others. The capital, King's Mirror, was a magnificent city, something that Liang Chen could see clearly thanks to their high altitude.
The capital itself was in the form of a spiral that formed a massive defensive array, the streets forming the lines, while the castle and the various buildings owned by the Bai clan served as the focal points of the formation. Every building in the city was built out of ice that was strangely murky, preventing others from looking into the buildings from the outside.
The castle was also rather strange, as it wasn't one large building, but several medium-sized ones that were either connected by long hallways or were placed close to each other. Each of the castle buildings was either round or oval in shape, with the roof being dome-shaped in form, bulging outwards and ending in a slight point.
By the time their chariot reached the city, the sun had already set long ago, the land descending into darkness. But it didn't seem to matter to Yan Ling, who flew the chariot directly to the castle, landing in front of one of the oval-shaped buidlings that was a bit larger than the others. This building was also decorated with several banners that hung down the sides, banners carrying the mark of the royal family, a blue turtle carrying a mountain on its back.
The chariot landed in front of the building, the snow beneath it releasing a light crunching sound. The two large doors that led into the building were hurriedly thrown open, a somewhat short and chubby man who had short brown hair and was clad in silk clothing quickly stepping forward. There was some sweat on his forehead and neck, and his clothing was a bit disheveled, so it was clear that he had hurriedly dressed and rushed out to greet them.
The chubby man quickly dipped into a graceful bow, stepping to the side and beckoning for Liang Chen and Yan Ling to step onto a blue carpet that led into the building.
"Young Masters, this lowly one is Steward Zhan. The Crown Prince and his siblings have prepared a feast for you in the welcoming hall, so please."
Liang Chen and Yan Ling were somewhat curious how they had managed to throw together a feast this quickly, as they had clearly not expected them to arrive when they did. But they didn't voice their question, Yan Ling storing the chariot into her interspatial ring and following the carpet deeper into the building.
Liang Chen also stepped onto the carpet and followed Yan Ling, the two walking shoulder to shoulder, with Steward Zhan following a few paces behind them, keeping a respectful distance. Liang Chen took this chance to observe the interior of the castle, which was filled with statues carved out of either ice or ivory, as well as many large and gorgeous paintings.
The carpet they were following was lined with guards clad in white armor, each one standing with straight backs and presenting their weapons in a respectful manner. It didn't take long for them to reach a large set of doors engraved with the mark of the royal family, Steward Zhan quickly jogging forward and pushing open the doors.
Stepping into the room behind the door, they entered a large circular hall, a long table placed at the center of the room. A large variety of dishes, both hot and cold ones, covered the table, servants clad in black uniforms rushing to place more food on the table.
Standing in front of this long table was a group of 11 people, seven women and four men. Their ages varied greatly, the youngest one being a blue-haired girl who looked like she was only seven, and the oldest one being a slim and elegant man with silky blue hair who seemed like he had reached his late thirties.
With Liang Chen and Yan Ling entering the hall, the rushing servants immediately halted everything they were doing, putting away the trays they were carrying and kneeling on the ground. The 11 people also stepped forward and bowed, the oldest looking one taking a step forward and introducing himself.
"Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Young Masters. I am Song Bowen, the Crown Prince of this small nation, and these are my siblings. We have prepared this meager feast and a small welcoming gift, please give me some face and accept them."
The blue-haired and black-eyed Song Bowen calmly and gracefully introduced himself, a young female servant running over after he finished speaking. She kneeled in front of Liang Chen and Yan Ling, presenting the silk pillow she was carrying. On top of the silk pillow laid two interspatial rings, both of surprisingly high quality. Liang Chen was at a bit of a loss at what he should do, but seeing Yan Ling accept one of the rings, he did the same.
And sinking part of his mind into the ring to check the contents, he instantly understood why Yan Ling said that this mission would net them a good profit. The ring was filled with various types of cultivation resources, ranging from herbs to Demonic beast pieces, or even some liquids and pastes that had been prepared by alchemists, people who specialized in making pills and medicines.
Liang Chen was rather curious at why this Song Bowen was willing to hand over so many resources, but that was only because he didn't understand Song Bowen's position. As the Crown Prince of Snow Mirror nation, Song Bowen had to keep the interests of his nation in mind, especially when so many of the other nations could be considered their enemies.
If he could leave a good impression on someone from the Storm Wolf sect, not only would his position as Crown Prince be strengthened, but they might even aid if the nation was in danger of being attacked by the other nations who served the Bai clan. Liang Chen wondered if they were also going to accept the feast, glancing at Yan Ling. He had no idea how to act in a situation like this, so he could only leave things up to her. Yan Ling had accepted the interspatial ring, but after glancing at the table filled with food, she shook her head.
"Greetings, Song Bowen. I am Yan Ling, and this is my Junior Brother, Liang Chen. We are grateful for your gifts, but as it is late, we would like to postpone the feast and get some rest."
Yan Ling put a heavy emphasis on the words Junior Brother, sending Liang Chen a stealthy smirk. Song Bowen wasn't perturbed by Yan Ling's refusal, quickly nodding his head with a smile, waving at Steward Zhan.
"Of course, forgive me for not realizing that you would be tired. Please allow Steward Zhan to show you to the prepared quarters, I hope you will find them adequate."
Steward Zhan quickly ran over, bowing to Song Bowen and then to Liang Chen and Yan Ling, leading them out of the hall and back to the entrance of the building. With Steward Zhan leading Liang Chen and Yan Ling away, the other servants also quickly retreated, only leaving behind the 11 children of the royal family.
Song Bowen let out a deep sigh, his back damp and cold from sweat. Standing face to face with people who could likely decide the fate of his nation, there was no way he wouldn't be nervous. He turned his head, glancing at his equally nervous siblings. After a short moment, the youngest girl let out a somewhat hesitant noise.
"Big Brother... Are we really going to do this?"
Song Bowen looked at his youngest sister, Song Yanyue, letting out a deep sigh. He felt a twinge of pain in his heart, but he still gave a resolute nod of his head.
"We have to. If we can gain their favor, our nation will be far more secure in the future. If we do well enough, we might even be moved closer to the headquarters of the Bai clan, or even to the Floating Rose nation, at which point no one will dare move against us or our citizens."
Song Yanyue and the other siblings nodded their heads, their faces growing resolute as they split up and started the final preparations of their plan. While they were doing this, Steward Zhan led Liang Chen and Yan Ling out of the building, bringing them over to a somewhat smaller building a few hundred meters to the left of the oval-shaped building.
This building was smaller, but it was a bit more luxurious, the outside of the building decorated with statues and various rainbow-colored flowers that could bloom through the snow. Steward Zhan opened the doors, which were made from green jade, bowing and indicating that they should enter.
The inside was just as luxurious, with even more statues and pillars decorating the corners and walls. The entire floor was covered in a fuzzy carpet made from a strange white fur, a pleasant aroma drifting through the air. The building was rather small, only containing six other rooms, besides the entrance room that was right past the doors.
Steward Zhan led Liang Chen and Yan Ling to their rooms, which were placed right next to each other. The rooms were decorated even more extravagant than the rest of the building. The bed was large enough to fit five people and was completely covered in strange and fine silk that Liang Chen had never seen before. Various flowers that released a calming aroma were placed at the four edges of the room, the aroma also seemed to help stimulate the body, increasing the speed at which one absorbed Qi.
A dresser made out crystal leaned against the wall, with a round table made out of jade stood at the center of the room, a crystal pitcher filled with spicy wine standing ready. Even the three chairs around the table were luxurious, made out of a material that resembled gold, covered in sapphires and rubies.
Seeing such a needlessly luxurious room, Liang Chen could only click his tongue. He walked over to the bed and sat down, crossing his legs and closing his eyes. He didn't start to cultivate, spreading out his senses as far as he could, keeping a close watch on all the buildings in the castle. He was observing the actions of every living being thanks to the electricity flowing in their nerves, keeping an eye out for people that might harm Song Bowen and his siblings.
But after only half an hour had passed, he was forced to stop this. He retracted his senses and opened his eyes, his gaze landing on the door to his room as he let out a sigh.
"No need to wait out there, you can enter."
There was a startled yelp from outside his room after he spoke, the door quickly opening. Song Bowen's seven sisters entered the room, even the youngest one, each of them clad in a light blue negligee that was so thin it was practically see-through. They weren't wearing any underwear, so their private areas were fully visible to Liang Chen. The two oldest of the sisters were able to keep a somewhat composed face under his gaze, but the five youngest ones turned red, either from shame or something else.