Yu Lingxi’s only impression of the Immortal City of Desire was the great fire in the fourteenth year of Tianzhao when it was burned into a human inferno.
At that time, Yu Lingxi was secluded in a side courtyard of the Zhao Mansion. Even at half a city’s distance, she could see the flames reddening half the night sky as people ran in panic, their cries chilling to hear.
No one knew how the fire started, only that from then on, the Immortal City of Desire existed no more in this world.
Yu Lingxi felt wavering in her heart.
The day of her father and brother’s imperial expedition was approaching, and the black market in the Immortal City of Desire was her only hope now.
Not trusting anyone else with this task, Yu Lingxi looked toward Tang Buli, who was nibbling on a pear, and blinked her eyes: “Ali, would you help me with something?”
Half an hour later, Yu Lingxi slipped away from her family, bringing two sharp-eyed and tight-lipped guards, and successfully boarded the carriage sent by the Tang family.
The carriage rocked and swayed as it drove toward the Immortal City of Desire.
“Right, we should put these on too.”
Tang Buli pulled out two veils from somewhere, one red and one plain.
She gave the plain one to Yu Lingxi, explaining: “It’s the rule in the Immortal City of Desire. Those who go there for entertainment are often people of status who fear having their weaknesses exposed. To prevent complications, everyone wears a veil or mask to conceal their identity.”
Yu Lingxi nodded in understanding and tied on her veil as instructed, leaving only a pair of charming, lively almond eyes exposed, blinking rapidly.
Tang Buli observed Yu Lingxi’s reaction and suddenly said: “Lingxi, since your illness, I feel you’ve changed quite a bit.”
Yu Lingxi leaned against the carriage window, hand supporting her chin, and asked: “How have I changed?”
Tang Buli shook her head, lifting her veil to eat her pear: “I can’t quite put my finger on it, just that you’ve become much braver. In the past, you wouldn’t just actively come to such a place—even hearing the name ‘Immortal City of Desire’ would make you jump in fright.”
In her previous life, having spent two years by Ning Yin’s side, she had seen far more terrifying scenes—what was a small, soon-to-be-destroyed Immortal City of Desire to her now?
Fortunately, Tang Buli wasn’t one to dig deeper. She lifted the carriage curtain and looked out: “We’re here.”
Just inside the main gate of the Immortal City of Desire, it seemed no different from an ordinary market street, with vermilion doors, green curtains, and glass lanterns everywhere.
However, following Tang Buli further in, entering a dim underground hall, they came upon a towering relief-carved gate that seemed to reach an unfathomable height.
The gate, carved with fierce beast patterns, slowly opened, as if revealing another frenzied world, with thunderous excitement rushing forth.
This underground city never saw daylight, its lanterns burning day and night. Visitors concealed themselves behind various masks as they gambled, killed, reveled in debauchery, drinking blood and devouring flesh.
In wooden cages of the brothels, beautiful, numb girls were confined, listlessly beckoning to passersby to attract customers.
Yu Lingxi even saw people from a gambling house beating a debtor, his screams continuous while the crowd around wildly cheered “Beat him to death!”
Yu Lingxi frowned and sighed: “Such a place deserves to be burned down.”
Tang Buli looked bewildered: “Burn down what?”
Yu Lingxi coughed lightly: “Nothing.”
Passing through the restless crowd and descending another level, the lanterns grew dimmer.
The so-called black market was merely a quiet row of shops, permeated with the scent of age and decay.
Tang Buli led Yu Lingxi into an apothecary, with the two guards following closely behind.
The shopkeeper was a delicate, frail-looking young man, but when he raised his head from behind the counter, the oil lamp illuminated the scar on the other half of his face, as terrifying as a ghost.
“What do you want?” His hands continued working the abacus, his voice lifeless.
Yu Lingxi acted as if she hadn’t noticed his grotesque face, asking calmly: “Do you have Nine Abyss Incense?”
The withered hand on the abacus paused.
The shopkeeper lifted his eyelids to scan Yu Lingxi, then said: “This is a banned substance. Three hundred taels, non-negotiable.”
“How much?!”
Tang Buli exclaimed: “What kind of worthless medicine costs so much?”
Yu Lingxi, however, sighed in relief and quickly said: “Deal!”
As long as it could help her father and brother escape the northern expedition disaster, no amount of money was too much.
Yu Lingxi had brought all the savings from her youth, removed her hairpin and bracelet, and even borrowed twenty taels from Tang Buli, barely scraping together enough for the Nine Abyss Incense.
She took out the prescription carefully folded in her sleeve, compared it, and confirmed it was complete.
Then she packed the hard-won Nine Abyss Incense together with the prescription and said with a smile: “Ali, I’ll send someone to your house tomorrow to return the money I borrowed.”
Tang Buli waved her hand generously: “Hey, with our friendship, no need for such formalities!”
This feeling of having someone to rely on was truly wonderful.
Yu Lingxi felt warmth in her heart: “Let’s go back.”
She was so preoccupied with the Nine Abyss Incense in her bosom that when she turned to leave, she failed to notice a black shadow staggering in face-to-face.
“Mmph!”
Her shoulder was painfully bumped, causing Yu Lingxi to cry out, dropping the prescription and Nine Abyss Incense.
Tang Buli quickly steadied Yu Lingxi, glaring at the youth who had entered: “Can’t you watch where you’re going?”
Yu Lingxi’s first reaction was to crouch down to pick up the medicine, raising her head to say: “It’s alright…”
Her voice seemed to be forcibly choked off as Yu Lingxi’s eyes suddenly widened.