Chapter 179: Hidden Palace
Anji entered the portal last. She was already craving Aunt Wine’s sesame balls, but it was still too early for a snack. Thankfully, everyone arrived directly at the old academic central without incident. Instead of allowing them to roam freely in the entirety of the inner courtyard, which might be full of dangerous things, it was Yan Ping’s idea to create an isolated ground for them. Anji remembered the Academic Central as a very complicated place. After the renovation, it was as huge as a palace, although not any less complicated.
The man-made waterfall and lotus pond had to be the highlight of this place. Truthfully, it was hastily built to hide the old traces of the slum city that remain sunk at the bottom of this huge lake. There was only so much rubble they could scatter around. However, none of the guests suspected a thing. They praised the newly built pavilions and many bridges connecting them in a complicated maze.
"This is the Lotus Lake," Anji explained while guiding them on a needlessly long walk to the main establishment. "As the lake is specially built for viewing, please refrain from drinking, washing or swimming. We have a private well and hot spring bath for that purpose included in the establishment provided for your stay."
That part was not a lie. The well was an original structure, and the hot spring bath was constructed with water redirected from the heated spring deep within the mountains, which was used for cultivation and medical therapy. Thanks to the convenient use of spells, no digging was involved to transport the water. Anji thought the idea was too lavish when her shifu first mentioned it. However, her teacher was far-sighted enough to include as many luxuries within the enclosed area as possible to entertain guests. An entertained guest is less likely to go snooping around forbidden areas.
Although many people were surprised by how much the humble Mystical Qilin Sect splurged for the combat training program, they were still thrilled at the idea of having a private hot spring bath experience in the comfort of their room. Nobody knew how the sect could dig and construct such complicated structures, but the ladies were over the moon when Anji dropped hints about how hot spring baths were known to have many health benefits that might also improve skin complexion.
"I didn’t know the Mystical Qilin Sect was rich," Shao Yin mused. "How much did it cost to build this place?"
Chuckling soullessly, Anji replied without any hint of humour.
"Only three hundred forcefully recruited slaves, high stakes robbery, and mass eviction of a slum-like city. There’s nothing a little force won’t resolve."
Staring at the child of not over ten, nobody knew if Anji was joking. She did not look like she was telling a joke. Not even Zhao Wanting knew what her daughter was thinking. Zhao Mingshen studied his younger sister. There was a dark cloud on her forehead when she mentioned that. How much had she suffered in the few months here? On the other hand, Zhao Ruiting blinked twice and simply thought nothing more of it.