Hearing this, the students couldn’t help but cast envious glances in Nangong Mian’s direction. They too dreamt of riding in the carriage pulled by the mythical beast. Alas, they weren’t as fortunate as Nangong Mian, and the possibility of experiencing such a ride in their lifetime remained uncertain.
From the outset, Nangong Mian had been aware of Ye Qin’s exceptional status, but even he was taken aback by just how extraordinary it was. A carriage pulled by a mythical beast – not just one, but six of them! The question on everyone’s mind was, “What could Ye Qin’s identity possibly be?”
“Third brother?” Seeing that Nangong Mian didn’t respond, Ye Qin called out again.
“Okay.” Nangong Mian came back to his senses and nodded with a complicated mood.
The dean couldn’t help but put aside his envy as he glanced at the carriage. He then turned to Ming Zhao and said, “Let’s proceed.” Ming Zhao, in turn, signaled to the students to quickly mount the backs of the waiting birds.
Nangong Mian, under the envious gazes of his fellow students, gracefully ascended into the carriage. When Huang Quan saw the carriage, all her worries about Ye Qin dissipated. Following Nangong Mian’s lead, Huang Quan also entered the carriage, and Ye Qin brought up the rear.
As the three of them settled into the carriage, the driver resumed his position and guided the carriage away. With six white-winged horses, the carriage took to the sky, soaring over the heads of the students below. Envy welled up in the eyes of those below as they watched the spectacle.
With the departure of the white-winged horse-drawn carriage, the previously felt weight of anticipation lifted, and the two birds, rejuvenated, took flight once more.
The journey from Tianhuang Capital City to the Tianqi Empire, including rest breaks, typically took seven days. However, this duration was for a journey by flying bird, not the swift white-winged horses.
Baiyi Ma, the white-winged horse, covered the distance in just three days. As Ye Qin and his companions arrived at the capital of the Tianqi Empire, the dean and others were still en route. The white-winged horse-drawn carriage came to a halt outside a stately mansion within the city. The driver alighted from the carriage, followed by Nangong Mian, Huang Quan, and Ye Qin.
The driver addressed Ye Qin, saying, “Master, everything has been arranged in the house.”
“Very well,” Ye Qin replied. “You may go.”
The driver nodded and departed in the carriage.
“Quanquan, third brother, let’s enter,” Ye Qin suggested, opening the mansion’s front door.
Nangong Mian and Huang Quan followed Ye Qin inside. The mansion was empty but tidy, indicating that someone had recently cleaned it.
“With the competition approaching, many people are arriving in the imperial capital,” Ye Qin explained as he walked further into the mansion. “You should stay here until the dean and the others arrive. When they do, they can book an inn, and you can join them there.”
He added, “You’re not obligated to stay there. We’ll regroup once they arrive.”
“In any case, we should stay together for better coordination,” he continued. Nangong Mian turned to Huang Quan and said, “Quanquan, you don’t have a communication stone, do you?”
Huang Quan shook his head, replying, “No.”
A communication stone was crafted from a special spiritual stone in Zhongzhou Continent. Once activated by adding a drop of blood and spiritual power, it could be used for communication. By placing two communication stones together and leaving the power of the communication stone owner, people could contact each other. Due to their uniqueness, these stones were quite expensive.
Nangong Mian possessed one, but Huang Quan hadn’t been able to activate it previously due to her lack of spiritual roots. Consequently, Nangong Mian hadn’t purchased one for her. While at the academy, Huang Quan hadn’t ventured far from home and had no need for such a stone.
“Ye Qin, do you know where I can purchase communication stones in the imperial capital?” Nangong Mian inquired. “I’d like to buy one for Quanquan.”
