Prince of Wealth in a Cultivation World

"So, you're running from your family," Noir began, carefully phrasing his question, "but is the matter so serious that it forced you to leave home?" He knew he might be overstepping, asking something she'd rather avoid.

To his surprise, she didn't evade the question. "My father wants me to marry the son of the Prime Minister of the Chu Kingdom," she explained, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice.

"He's already married, with a son my age. Recently, his son became a disciple of the Resihi Sword Sect, and to celebrate, the Prime Minister's son wants to marry again." She paused; the frustration now evident.

"Let me guess," Noir ventured, "they must have been offered something in return. Otherwise, your family wouldn't have agreed. And if they were threatened, you wouldn't be angry at them, would you?" His bold guess hit the mark.

"Yes," she confirmed.

"He promised to help me become a cultivator like him, and in the future, he'll help other members of the Lin family join the Resihi Sword Sect. Even though we're a cultivation family ourselves, we're nothing but ants compared to big sects like the Resihi Sword Sect." She laid bare the reasons for her disagreement with her family.

Noir, who had been observing her intently, spoke. "Your family is either foolish, or they lack confidence in their own abilities. Looking at you, I can tell your family's status isn't less than the Prime Minister's. So why are they so eager to trade you away?"

"My father is the Royal Marshal. Our family's status was once on par with the Prime Minister's, but after his son became a disciple of the Resihi Sword Sect, their reputation overshadowed ours, and even the royal family treats them with greater deference."

"All because of that? Is the Resihi Sword Sect really that famous?" Noir mused. The name Resihi Sword Sect seemed vaguely familiar.

"Wait a minute," Noir thought. "Isn't that Ju Jahiyan's sect?"

Ju Jahiyan had mentioned being from there, but seeing how he'd been flustered in front of Po Baoshan and Lady Yana, Noir suspected the Resihi Sword Sect was somewhat inferior to the other two sects.

"You really are from the wastelands," she said, smiling at Noir's bewildered expression. "Otherwise, you'd have heard of the four great sects and the five minor sects of the mainland."

"Listen," she said, "the four great sects are the Resihi Sword Sect, the Herbal Alchemy Sect, the Celestial Spirit Sect, and the Mystic Arts Pavilion and The five minor sects are the Flowing River Sect, the Silent Mountain Sect, the Whispering Wind Sect, the Shadow Dance Sect, and the Iron Body Sect."

She explained in detail, but Noir remained confused. He felt like he was missing something. "What about the Divine Mammoth Sect and the Dragon-Phoenix Sect?" he asked.

"Never heard of them."

Her answer was immediate and unwavering, yet utterly unbelievable to Noir. He could tell she wasn't lying, though.

"What? You haven't heard of them? They're supposed to be incredibly famous, known throughout the world," Noir exclaimed, incredulous.

Noir asked, his tone laced with confusion, "How could she not have heard of them? Even Ju Jahiyan, from the Resihi Sword Sect, knows about them." He couldn't wrap his head around it.

Just as he was about to press her with more questions, he sensed someone else approaching. A woman climbed onto the rooftop.

"Lin Yulan! What are you doing here alone with this man?" Yue Ying demanded, approaching cautiously, her eyes still wary of Noir.

"Relax, Ying'er," Lin Yulan said calmly. "He's not here to harm me. Come, sit down." She turned to Noir. "I haven't introduced myself. I'm Lin Yulan, and this is my sister, Yue Ying." She offered the introductions. Noir nodded.

"I'm Noir," he replied, his gaze drifting towards the rising sun as it slowly climbed into the vast sky.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of galloping hooves approaching rapidly. A voice rang out, clear and loud, cutting through the air, "The authorities are here! Everyone is instructed to come out of their houses and gather at the centre of the village!"

Fortunately, the inn was right next to the gathering spot so three of them remained on the roof, watching as people rushed from their homes, shops, and workplaces, all converging on the village centre to await the arrival of the authorities.

Lin Yulan and Yue Ying knew who the authorities were looking for, but they remained calm and waited, while Noir simple sat beside them, waiting for the unfolding drama.

"They seem to be here for you, right?" he asked, watching the surging crowd rushing as if their lives depended on it.

"Yes, they are," Lin Yue answered gracefully. "Ying'er…accidentally killed the authority's son on our way here. He and his men were harassing us, demanding we warm his bed for the night in exchange for safe passage through their village."

"Accidentally?" Noir's tone was stern, edged with anger. "Even if you had intentionally killed that moron, I'd say you did a great job." He was furious at the authorities, who, instead of protecting the people of the wastelands, acted like bandits themselves.

Lin Yue giggled, while Yue Ying looked at Noir with surprise. She hadn't expected such words from him.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Noir asked, watching several men on horseback ride into the village centre, acting like tyrants.

"Where are those two women who killed our young master?" the man in the front yelled as they entered the village centre, brandishing a broad sword at the crowd.

The crowd looked terrified, none of them daring to lift their heads. The lead rider pointed his blade at a middle-aged man. "You! Come here!" he shouted.

"M...me?" the man stammered, stumbling backward but He had no choice but to crawl towards the rider, who watched him with amusement.

As the man drew closer, he felt the sharp tip of the broadsword against the back of his neck. "Tell me," the man on the horse threatened, "have you seen two women wearing veils here?"