April 18, 2018

As the clear spring water in the corner of the Golden Jade Immortal Platform transformed into a human form, the entire palace seemed to become even more dazzling and brilliant.

Zhao Lingbo, the personal maid of the City Lord Golden Jade, possessed a flawless and sweetly beautiful face, a tall yet gracefully full figure, and two large, round eyes that seemed to speak with liveliness. Most unforgettable was her long blue hair, flowing like water yet as transparent and smooth as gems.

With just a simple entrance, Zhao Lingbo successfully captured everyone’s attention present.

Not only the guests but even the seasoned performers hired by the Golden Jade Immortal Platform couldn’t help but be momentarily dazed by the grace of this Lingbo Fairy.

The elderly man playing the chime slowed his hand by a half-beat, the young man playing the flute falteringly lost his breath, and the swaying dancing girl couldn’t help but stumble in her steps.

Though a maid, Zhao Lingbo appeared like a dazzling queen, showcasing an unmatched presence. Even Li Wanqing, who had seen her share of beauties, was taken aback, unable to find the usual words of praise that would come to mind when encountering a beautiful girl. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

What words could possibly describe such unparalleled grace?

And this peerless woman was merely Zhao Chenlu’s personal maid?

While everyone was astonished, someone stood unaffected and stepped forward.

Wang Jiu walked up to Zhao Lingbo and said, "We don’t need any additional services, you can leave now."

"..."

Zhao Lingbo’s clear-spring-like smile froze for a moment, then she chuckled lightly, "Thank you, Mr. Wang Jiu, for your consideration, but serving the esteemed guests is an order from Lord City Lord himself. I dare not neglect my duties."

Wang Jiu was puzzled and said, "But you’re now refusing to execute my request, doesn’t that count as negligence?"

Zhao Lingbo immediately showed a grievance expression, such that her sweet features shifted slightly, evoking a sense of sympathy: "But going away with nothing done doesn’t align with Golden Jade’s hospitality etiquette."

"So what you need isn’t to meet our needs but to satisfy the hospitality protocol of Golden Jade. In other words, even if we don’t require any service, you have to forcibly implement a set of service procedures to fulfill Zhao Chenlu’s orders? Hmm, that’s quite a bureaucratic mindset. But then, if we reach our destination and are unsatisfied with your forced procedures and file a complaint, what will you do? Shift the responsibility to the inadequate details of the direct superior’s order?"

The question posed out of curiosity by the Celestial Divine Sword turned Lingbo’s clear-spring smile into an ice sculpture.

"I’m sorry, I indeed didn’t consider it well. So... shall I leave now?"

Wang Jiu nodded: "Goodbye."

"Um, goo-goodbye..." Zhao Lingbo, bowing her head and with reddened eyes, waved to Wang Jiu and the others, then turned to Shen Qingming and others, showing an innocent and pure smile, "Sorry to trouble everyone. If there’s anything you need, just call me..."

Even Shen Qingming couldn’t bear to see it anymore.

"Alright, alright, you can stay."

Zhao Lingbo’s eyes widened, overflowing with surprise: "Really?"

Shen Qingming couldn’t withstand such a look, turning her head slightly: "Stay and tell us about the customs of Golden Jade City."

Wang Jiu curiously said, "I can talk about the customs of Golden Jade City too. I’ve already read the entire encyclopedia about Golden Jade City yesterday..."

"What we need from you now is just to shut up!" Shen Qingming grabbed a cake from the table and threw it over, "You’re so annoying! Just eat your cake!"

After sealing Wang Jiu’s mouth, Zhao Lingbo could finally perform her duties normally.

"Regarding the customs and people of Golden Jade City, indeed there are many texts introducing it externally, and you all should have done some preparation before coming, so I won’t say much. I’ll just talk about topics you might be interested in, such as Lord City Lord."

Shen Qingming and the others indeed perked up their ears.

Though Golden Jade City is fine, it’s not really what everyone’s interested in. The main focus of this trip to Golden Jade City is actually Zhao Chenlu. There are already countless stories about this legendary figure in Xiangzhou, but it’s hard to say how much is true and how much is embellished.

Of course, as Zhao Chenlu’s personal maid, Zhao Lingbo wasn’t expected to provide 100% truth, but at least the information would surely be more substantial than the soft articles published in major newspapers.

"Firstly, because Lord City Lord is famous worldwide, I won’t dwell on the well-known issues but will share a few lesser-known stories. For example, people often say that Lord City Lord acts independently in Golden Jade City, holding all the power, and is the most dictatorial and domineering patriarch among the Seven Great Noble Families..." Zhao Lingbo paused, looking at the curious faces in front of her and smiled, "I must say, people are not wrong; the dictatorship index of Golden Jade City is higher than that of Shen City."

As she spoke, Zhao Lingbo extended her delicate finger, condensing the moisture in the air into fine ice crystals, which floated like ink to form words.

"According to our data from a month ago, the dictatorship levels of the Seven Great Noble Families, ranked from top to bottom, are approximately as follows: Zhao Family in Golden Jade is first, Shen Family second, Feng Family third, Lu Family fourth, Li Family fifth, Shang Family sixth, and finally, Luo Family. Among these, the index of our Zhao Family is set at the standard value of 100, while the second-ranked Shen Family is only at 73. As you can see, the level of dictatorship is very high; in Golden Jade City, over 90% of governmental directives, including guidelines and detailed plans, are solely issued by Lord City Lord, and others are just responsible for executing them without needing to or being allowed to comment on the City Lord’s Order—so despite the consistently high level of dictatorship in recent years, the governmental workforce has been greatly streamlined."

As Zhao Lingbo finished speaking, she unsurprisingly saw several faces filled with astonishment.

Probably no one expected her to so openly speak of Zhao Chenlu’s authoritarianism. Though Zhao Chenlu’s achievements are also world-renowned, the word "dictatorship" still carries a certain original sin in contemporary Xiangzhou, instinctively provoking resistance.

"People outside of Golden Jade City often show such expressions upon learning about its governance structure, as if the long-desired promised land has been tainted by something dirty. But in reality, thanks to Lord City Lord’s ability to eliminate all political adversaries with thunderous means and to impose her will with uncompromising dominance, Golden Jade City has been able to make further breakthroughs on the original framework over the years. Today, we are no less than Heaven-Reaching City, which is reputed as the number one in the world. This would have been unimaginable before Lord City Lord took over."

"Indeed, the development of Golden Jade City over the years is evident," said Li Wanqing. "In the past, everyone would prefer shopping in Heaven-Reaching City, but now they all recognize only Golden Jade."

Zhao Lingbo laughed and said, "The most famous industrial chains of Golden Jade City in recent years were all planned and implemented by Lord City Lord herself, including fashion art, popular entertainment, and so on. There are many anecdotes in the folk about certain items being invented by the City Lord of Golden Jade... actually, most of them are true. She really is that knowledgeable and talented, and those who are closer to her sense it even more. So when you arrive in Golden Jade City and hear unbelievable legends about Lord City Lord, please feel free to believe them."

At this point, some listeners already felt a slight discomfort.

Because this talk sounds too far-fetched! Although it’s already known that as a personal maid, you would definitely highly praise your master, but praising her to such an extent inevitably makes one feel as if their intelligence is being insulted.

"Your expressions are very typical of outsiders’, so... it seems meaningful for me to be here explaining it to you, especially since, upon arriving in Golden Jade City, you are likely to be personally received by Lord City Lord. If there is a misunderstanding of her in your heart, that would be inappropriate. For instance, when Lord City Lord says something whimsical and incredible, please believe it as truth first, and it’s best if you treat it as a lifelong motto. If you truly believe her views are contrary to your own worldview, I sincerely suggest correcting your worldview as soon as possible. Currently, Golden Jade City has considerable achievements in the field of worldview remodeling, and just a small impact of Elemental Magnetism can transform you completely; someone of dignified character could instantly become a lecherous and perverted fool."

Before the words were finished, Li Chaolu’s eyes lit up: "Really?!"

Zhao Lingbo was startled, "I, I was just using a metaphor... but if you really intend to do so, it is technically feasible."

"Great, brother, your illness finally has hope for a cure." Li Chaolu clutched his chest, clearly relieved.

Zhao Lingbo continued, "Returning to the main topic, when Lord City Lord makes a suggestion or so-called request... it’s best to treat it as a command not to be refused. Trust me, this is also in your best interest. Over the years, her suggestions have never been wrong, and those who insist on opposing this view usually encounter inexplicable misfortunes. For example, Hongwu True Master, who once served as Vice City Lord—also Lord City Lord’s uncle—faced a terrible disaster because he opposed Lord City Lord’s cityscape planning."

As she got to this point, Zhao Lingbo’s bright and sweet face suddenly darkened as if she were a young person telling ghost stories at a late-night gathering, immediately provoking the listeners to think about various natural and man-made disasters.

Shen Qingming asked dumbfoundedly, "What happened to him?"

Zhao Lingbo said, "He was dismissed."

"..."

"Hongwu True Master was not only deeply cultivated but had always had a great interest in governance, so his dismissal had a significant impact on him. He originally had beautiful black hair, but it turned gray overnight, which was extremely terrifying."