Chapter 290: Chapter 259 Hanger-on of an Aristocrat_1

The two got off from the carriage, one after the other. Many servants had long been standing at the entrance to the mansion, waiting for them to arrive.

Five people, all cultivators who had reached the Golden Core Stage, stood in the forefront.

Their clothes, mannerisms, and temperaments all differed, clearly indicating that they were anything but ordinary servants.

“Your Highness, you must be tired!” the five of them said in unison.

“Hmm!”

Li Youlan nodded slightly and introduced the people to her companion with a smile, “This is Friend Xu Mu, my good friend from Chi Zhou Prefecture. He will be living here as a hanger-on of an aristocrat in the future. Please take good care of him!”

“Understood!”

All the servants bowed in acknowledgement. Only the five in the forefront simply clasped their hands as a sign of respect. They made no attempt to hide their divine intent, openly evaluating Xu Mu.

Xu Mu remained calm and in turn used his divine intent to examine the five individuals.

All five of them were in the early stages of the Golden Core Stage, and there were four men and one woman.

“Friend Xu, let me introduce you!”

Li Youlan pointed at a middle-aged man, whose eyes were squinted as if he was always smiling, much like an old fox. He said, “This is Friend Lu Kui. Like you, he is also a hanger-on of an aristocrat in my mansion. He manages the entire mansion along with Amu.”

Amu, mentioned by Li Youlan, was the elderly maid with silvery hair who met them when they got off the ship. With a cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage, she had been a palace maid and had stayed with Li Youlan for over two hundred years.

“Nice to meet you, Friend Lu!” Xu Mu greeted, clasping his hand.

“You’re too kind, Friend Xu!”

Lu Kui smiled back. His hand naturally extended for a handshake, but seeing no response from Xu Mu, he discreetly pulled it back. He didn’t say anything about this sligt, but his eyes flashed with a hint of frostiness.

Li Youlan pointed to the next person, a middle-aged man who looked like a farmer ready for fieldwork with his trouser legs and sleeves rolled up, and said: “This is Friend Jia Zhiyi, who is remarkably proficient with The Way of Beast Tamer. He is responsible for all of the monster beasts and spirit birds in the mansion.”

“Nice to meet you, Friend Jia! I hope for your guidance in the times to come!” Xu Mu said.

“Friend Xu, you’re too kind. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know.” Jia Zhiyi replied with a hearty smile that instantly made him seem approachable.

“This is Friend Hong Xi, who is renowned for his proficiency in Body Refinement throughout the imperial capital!”

Li Youlan pointed at a man who was twice as large as the norm and was decked out in a sleeveless training garment.

“Nice to meet you, Friend Hong!”

“Don’t mention it!”

Hong Xi replied in a deep, resonant voice but didn’t say anything more, as if he was a man of few words.

Li Youlan pointed to the fourth person, the only woman in the lot.

“This is Qiao Qianqian, also known as Friend Qiao, a rare tier seven spirit plant cultivator. She’s temporarily in charge of all spirit plants, spiritual medicine trees, and unusual flowers and plants in the mansion. If you need to buy any spiritual medicine, you can contact Friend Qiao. She has many sources that not only provide high-quality herbs but also offer them at very reasonable prices!”

On hearing Li Youlan’s words, Xu Mu’s eyes sparkled as he said with utmost courtesy, “I might have to inconvenience you in the future, Friend Qiao. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Friend Xu, don’t mention it! We are all here to serve the princess. If you ever need anything in the future, don’t hesitate to instruct me,” Qiao Qianqian replied cheerfully.

She bore a resemblance to Li Youlan in terms of temperament, being fresh and elegant. But compared to Li Youlan, she exuded an even greater sense of vitality, her whole being radiating an exuberant life force as if she was a bamboo shoot after a spring rain, ready to burst forth at any moment.

Her smile also carried a warm and friendly vibe, making people feel as if they were bathed in spring breeze, reminding them of the goddess of life.

Finally, Li Youlan pointed to the last person, a beautiful youth with a jade-like face, rosy lips, and silk ribbon obscuring his eyes. He had an androgynous air about him.

“This is Xu Lingyu, also known as Friend Xu. He is highly proficient in soul techniques!” Li Youlan said lightly.

“Greetings, Friend Xu!”

Facing Xu Mu’s greeting, Xu Lingyu made a gesture with his hands but said nothing. It was unclear whether he could not or chose not to speak, but Xu Mu did not mind.

“Friend Xu, I will take you to your quarters first for a brief rest. The banquet will still take a while! How does that sound to you?”

“I will do as the princess instructs.”

“Very well! Let’s go inside!”

Li Youlan took the lead as everyone followed her into the princess’s mansion.

The entire mansion was divided into east, central, and west sections. Each section was laid out strictly along the central axis from south to north, forming multiple courtyards. Apart from the three great halls along the central axis, there was no sense of grandeur. The layout of the entire mansion seemed to haphazardly incorporate a large number of residential areas around the three palaces.

The layout was not as good as Zhao Yan’s private residence in Chi Zhou Prefecture. It was unclear whether Li Youlan was being discreet or simply too lazy to make changes.

Beyond criticisms about the housing arrangement, other aspects were acceptable.

Especially the decorative plants and trees, they were interspersed very appropriately. Each one was bursting with life, filling the air with the fragrance of flowers. This injected a certain charm to the ordinary mansion.

“It seems that this Qiao Qianqian is indeed extraordinary. All these plants are spiritual, and though not of high grade, to keep them so vibrant in such narrow gaps between buildings is no easy feat!” Xu Mu praised inwardly.

People come and go in the mansion, and the cultivators take a share of the spiritual energy, causing a chaotic mixture of energies. Normal spirit plants would struggle to survive in such an environment, let alone flourish.

“Such talents are essential for the family’s development. Perhaps it would be beneficial to build a good relationship with them. After settling in Xu Family, they can help cultivate some more!” Xu Mu thought quietly to himself.

During his observation of these spirit plants, he discovered an anomaly, that is, the blue spirit flowers were particularly favored, making up almost half of all spirit plants.

Was it due to the name? Or did Li Youlan just prefer these flowers?

Most people have a certain fondness for the things represented in their names.

The word for orchid in Li Youlan’s name is ‘lan’, which also means blue. A preference for blue flowers was understandable.

Looking at Li Youlan’s clothes, they were also blue.

Everything seemed to fit.

This information might be useful in the future, Xu Mu made a mental note of it.

As they were crossing through the second palace gate along the central route, Li Youlan let Lu Kui and the others disperse. There were just a few maidservants with her, Elder Jin following behind, continuing on with Xu Mu.

This indicated that Xu Mu’s quarters were further inside, and the conveyed information of privilege made a few in the party turn around to sneak a few more glances at Xu Mu’s back.

Anyone would know that the closer to the center, the better the location.

Li Youlan, as the owner of the mansion, lived in the Tengluo Court on the east side of the central sacrificial hall. The sacrificial hall, which housed the ancestral tablets, was not a suitable living area. The four courtyards situated around it were considered the most central and best locations in the mansion.

In Da Yuan Dynasty, the east is considered more prestigious, and hence, Li Youlan resided in the eastern Tengluo Court.

The other three courts were the Purple Heart Courtyard to the south, Blackwood Courtyard to the north, and Falling Star Courtyard to the west.

Apart from these four courts, there were eight other courts that held slightly lesser status, located adjacent to the four. These twelve courts were all located within the third palace gate.

Originally, only three people lived within the three palace gates. There was Li Youlan, Elder Jin, and another who was also a retainer of an aristocrat, who was the only such person living there and currently not inside the mansion.

It now seemed that Xu Mu would become the fourth person to move in.

Soon after, everyone received the news that Li Youlan had arranged for Xu Mu to stay in the Falling Star Courtyard.

“The princess has actually arranged for him to stay in Falling Star Courtyard, there will certainly be quite the show now!”