Chapter 13 The Ancestral Home of the Shi Family
Tie Dan followed the house servant inside, being stared at by the surrounding archers. After passing through over ten high walls with battlements and three or four alleys with side doors, he finally entered the side courtyard. Suddenly, the scene before him changed, becoming bright and clear.
Although it was the severe winter season outside the city, where all things were hibernating and the sun sank below the horizon with a chill in the air, inside the courtyard walls, it was unexpectedly warm. A gentle breeze had been blowing for days, and everywhere you looked, beautiful trees were lush, and exotic flowers bloomed. A stream of clear water flowed from the depths of the flora, cascading through the rocks below.
Taking a few more steps forward, the space opened up, revealing several thatched cottages, surrounded by mulberry, elm, hibiscus, and zhe trees with fresh shoots, forming two rows like green walls. There were plots and fields neatly arranged, likely where the house servants and laborers lived.
Looking further, he saw another belt of an inner wall made of red bricks and green tiles, surrounded by red walls and green trees, a blue stream flowing like jade, and white stone railings. These encircled the pavilions, resembling a fire dragon emerging from the water. From afar, he could vaguely see lofty buildings with carved beams and painted rafters nestled between the mountains and the treetops. That must be where the Shi family's inner residence and the women's quarters were located.
Such a large household with manors and guards at every turn, each gate was guarded by soldiers, every one of them was a martial cultivator trained in body refinement. Even Tie Dan was a bit nervous.
It wasn't that he feared such a dragon's den, but he simply didn't know the way.
It was embarrassing to say, but Tie Dan wasn't a real dog, or one could say he hadn't truly transformed into a canine yet, so he didn't have a dog's nose. In the past, when he commanded the pack, it was the hunting dogs who tracked the path. On the vast plains, things were clear at a glance, and the roadways and pathways were straightforward. Earlier in Liangzhou City, he just headed for the biggest and tallest estate doors he could see.
But once he entered the high-walled courtyard of this Gate Valve, through winding paths and obscure alleys, the estate gates and courtyards blended together, and his view was blocked by the palace walls. The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and human presence, and all the winding paths among artificial mountains and plants made it impossible to tell north from south, east from west. Adding to the distraction was paying attention to the attendants and guards around him, so when he turned back suddenly, he couldn't remember where he came in...
Hmm? That smell is...
The house servant leading the way also kept an eye on Tie Dan, alert the moment he heard footsteps slowing down behind him. But when he turned, following Tie Dan's gaze, he understood what had caught his attention.
Over at the outer courtyard, where the house servants lived, some people were farming. With such a large estate and good fields, planting some immortal vegetables and spirit plants for personal use was only natural.