Mu Xinlian only rested for less than three hours before climbing out of bed. Her true essence had not fully recovered, but it was more than enough for her needs.
She put away the black windbreaker she had tossed onto the bed and took out a new pale yellow colored dress from her storage artifact.
The earlier she reached her destination, the safer it would be. Although the chance of being followed was low, Mu Xinlian still felt it was necessary to change her clothes for a bit of disguise.
Exiting through the main door, she saw only a faint glow on the horizon. The sun had not yet risen.
Mu Xinlian summoned her flying cloud, sat on it, and began accelerating as she poured spiritual power into the artifact.
There were not many people on the roads at this hour, so Mu Xinlian traveled even faster than the day before. The sound of rushing wind filled her ears.
“I’m already approaching the southern part of the immortal city. If nothing goes wrong, I should arrive before noon.”
Along the way, Mu Xinlian appeared calm and composed on the surface, but the closer she got to her destination, the more nervous she felt.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t afraid. After all, this was her first time carrying out such a dangerous mission.
Even when she had first arrived in Cloud Mist Immortal City years ago, she had not been this tense. At least back then, Uncle Yang Jingwen had been with her. Now, she was completely alone.
About half an hour later, the sky had brightened and more people appeared on the streets. Although Mu Xinlian’s low-altitude flight on the flying cloud was not affected by pedestrians, she still slowed down slightly.
Nothing eventful happened along the way. Mu Xinlian safely arrived at the entrance of First Grade Residence.
First Grade Residence truly lived up to its reputation as a high-class establishment. It was built with carved beams and painted rafters, magnificent and grand, its scale rivaling that of some smaller palaces.
Mu Xinlian dismounted from her flying cloud and stepped onto the ground. In the distance, she saw two Foundation Establishment cultivators wearing identical uniforms standing guard on either side of the main entrance.
Just as she was about to walk into the main hall, one of the Foundation Establishment cultivators reached out to stop her.
“Miss, may I ask if you have a reservation token?” the man asked politely.
“I’m here to meet someone. I don’t have a reservation.”
Hearing that she had no reservation, the cultivator who stopped her frowned slightly.
“I’m sorry, but without a reservation you cannot enter. That is the rule here.”
Mu Xinlian frowned as well.
“Is there really no way to make an exception? Although I don’t have a reservation, I do have this.”
As she spoke, Mu Xinlian took out an official seal.
The Foundation Establishment cultivator took the seal and examined it, confirming that it was indeed an authentic eighth-rank official seal of the immortal kingdom.
The cultivator’s attitude changed immediately. A flattering smile spread across his face, and his tone became even more respectful.
“Ahem. Oh my, why didn’t Miss mention earlier that you are a court official? How could this lowly one dare block Your Excellency?”
Mu Xinlian was not surprised by the man’s sudden fawning behavior. She calmly glanced at the other Foundation Establishment cultivator who had remained silent the entire time.
“May I go in now?”
“Please, enjoy your time inside, Your Excellency.”
Stepping onto the red carpet and entering the first-floor hall, Mu Xinlian saw a golden prosperity tree placed in the center. Red paper slips hung from its branches. Beneath the golden tree, several women dressed in colorful gauze horse-face skirts were playing musical instruments.
It was not yet noon, so there were not many people on the first floor.
Mu Xinlian randomly grabbed a uniformed staff member and asked, “Do you happen to know a Golden Core cultivator who comes here often to drink? He has a very good-looking appearance.”
The person she stopped shook his head.
“Miss, I’m a newcomer who hasn’t been here long. I don’t know who you’re looking for. Besides, your description is too vague. There are far too many Golden Core seniors coming and going here every day.”
The staff member was telling the truth. This was the capital of the immortal kingdom, after all. In an ordinary immortal city, there might only be twenty or thirty Golden Core cultivators in total, but in Cloud Mist Immortal City, they were practically everywhere.
As a famous restaurant in the immortal city, First Grade Residence saw no fewer than a hundred Golden Core cultivators pass through its doors every day. However, Nascent Soul cultivators and above were much rarer, with only a few appearing on average each month.
Seeing that asking the staff was useless, Mu Xinlian ordered a few glasses of low-alcohol wine and found a seat.
Sitting on a curved sofa, she rested her elbows on the table and propped her chin on her interlaced hands.
“Trying to find someone through ordinary staff isn’t realistic. The foot traffic here is way too high, especially after the afternoon.”
“Should I ask one of the managers?”
The thought crossed her mind, but Mu Xinlian quickly dismissed it.
“Managers are at least Golden Core cultivators. Besides, I’ve never met Shen Qingci before. Asking about him directly would definitely raise suspicions.”
“Young Miss said Shen Qingci usually comes in the afternoon. Looks like I’ll have to use the dumb method and wait.”
She sat there until the afternoon. The ice in the wine glasses on the table had completely melted. Mu Xinlian hadn’t touched a single cup, but she had eaten all the fruit.
The number of people gradually increased, and the first floor became crowded.
Only a minority went upstairs to book private rooms. Most people were looking for entertainment right here on the first floor.
During her wait, several Foundation Establishment cultivators approached and invited Mu Xinlian to drink with them, but she rejected them all without hesitation.
Patience paid off. After waiting for several hours, Mu Xinlian finally spotted Shen Qingci in the crowd.
Just as the image He Shu had shown her, Shen Qingci truly possessed a face as beautiful as a flower.
Dressed in white robes, Shen Qingci walked across the red carpet. He made no effort to conceal his Golden Core aura, causing the surrounding Foundation Establishment cultivators to subconsciously keep their distance.
Sensing someone watching him, Shen Qingci turned his head slightly. His gaze met that of a gray-haired young woman.
Mu Xinlian blinked and continued staring straight at him.
Shen Qingci was certain he had never seen Mu Xinlian before, but finding it strange that she kept staring at him, he sent a sound transmission from afar.
A gentle male voice sounded in Mu Xinlian’s mind: “Little girl, is there something you need?”
Upon hearing the transmission, Mu Xinlian nodded immediately without any hesitation.
Seeing her reaction, Shen Qingci grew even more curious. He was surprised that she showed no trace of astonishment.
In the past, whenever he communicated with others, people would usually be startled upon hearing a male voice come from such a devastatingly beautiful face. Yet this young girl he was transmitting to showed absolutely no surprise.
Could she already know my identity? Is she a newly dispatched spy from the kingdom? But why is her cultivation only at the early Foundation Establishment stage? And I haven’t heard any news about new spies being sent recently.
Shen Qingci became more cautious. He decided to meet with Mu Xinlian and sent another sound transmission.
“Since Miss wishes to meet with Shen, please come to Room 603 on the sixth floor.”
After sending the message, he stopped looking at her and casually walked up the stairs.
Mu Xinlian followed after seeing Shen Qingci head upstairs. She was extremely excited and quickened her pace, nearly bumping into someone in the process.
I’ve really made contact with Shen Qingci. Young Miss was right.