novelraw Chapter 2199 - 2198
Chapter 2199 - 2198
The architecture of the City Lord’s Mansion is quite Western-style.
Tall Roman columns, a colossal square, a carefully crafted garden, and fountains adorned with various statues standing prominently.
Everyone was gathered in the square, and in the direct direction of the square, there was a pavilion over a hundred meters tall.
A veiled woman already sat atop it.
A maid stood beside her, whispering in her ear, appearing very excited about today’s grand event.
The City Lord’s daughter, however, was very composed, sitting upright without turning her head, eyes looking straight ahead.
Someone whispered, "Didn’t I say? This girl must be ugly. Look, she doesn’t dare show herself with that veil covering her face."
"What do you know? A wife who brings prosperity to her husband, I just like that kind of woman."
Someone laughed out loud and shouted towards the pavilion, "Beauty, you are mine; no one can take you from me."
The surrounding people jeered and laughed, "This guy must be crazy."
"He’s definitely after the dowry."
"It’s not that easy; the City Lord will surely set challenges for us."
"Just wait, this enormous wealth isn’t easy to obtain."
"..."
As everyone was discussing, a dignified middle-aged man, clad in brocade robes and a jade belt, gestured for a group of Daoists to ascend the pavilion.
The Daoists were indeed well-known figures.
They sat in the lower tier below the City Lord’s daughter. The City Lord stepped out and pressed his hand towards the crowd below, smiling broadly, "Thank you, dear friends, for coming to join the grand ceremony to select a groom for my daughter. My mansion, Wan Baochun’s, is aglow with brilliance! After the great hall ends, I will hold a feast here to entertain you. Eat and drink to your heart’s content, sober not allowed."
Someone flattered him, immediately raised an excited arm and shouted, "Old Master Wan is generous!"
"A thousand blessings to the City Lord!"
"City Lord, you are too kind!"
"..."
Wan Baochun raised his hand, laughing, and said to the crowd, "Then let’s begin today’s groom selection ceremony! I want to tell you about the benefits of becoming my son-in-law. As you know, I have no sons, just this precious daughter. If anyone becomes my son-in-law, all the industries in Tian Cha City will belong to you and my daughter."
"Good!"
"Good!"
"Good!"
"..."
The crowd passionately cheered, and there were indeed many eager to become the City Lord’s son-in-law.
Long Fei glanced around; regardless of age, at least thirty to fifty thousand men were raising their arms and shouting.
Wan Baochun smiled and pressed his hand, saying, "Alright, I won’t waste your time any longer. The challenge for today’s groom selection is simple. Just complete this challenge, and you will become Wan Baochun’s son-in-law."
He raised his hand and spread out a scroll in the air.
The scroll was over ten meters wide and more than thirty meters long.
Above, there were landscapes, all filled with women between the mountains and waters.
These women were reclining, lying, playing the zither, frolicking, playing chess, or playing ball, all in beautiful and enticing forms.
Though they were rendered in black-and-white ink, in the air, they appeared as if they were truly alive.
They could move, speak, and even laugh enticingly.
Everyone was momentarily dumbfounded, and those with weak resolve nearly drooled from gazing at the women in the painting.
Wan Baochun smiled and introduced to everyone present, "As you can see, this painting is an ultimate treasure collected by this City Lord, the Peerless Beauty and Heavenly Scent Scroll.
Though it is merely a painting, inside it forms its world, with tens of thousands of beauties.
Whoever enters will enjoy an emperor-like treatment, surrounded and served by these beauties.
Inside the painting, you can eat, drink, just like in our world.
The challenge is very simple, which is for you to enter. If you can successfully come out, then you will be my son-in-law."
"So simple?"
Someone eagerly shouted.
Someone asked, "What if hundreds, thousands come out? Will the young lady marry so many people?"
The City Lord Wan Baochun laughed, "Dear friends, I ask you not to underestimate this painting.
This ancient painting reaches the True Immortal level, and the spatial patterns within are extraordinarily profound, not easily deciphered by common folk.
Upon entering, I will give each of you a talisman.
To come out, you just need to crush this talisman.
I hope everyone remembers, this world contains too many enticing things. Once lured within, one might quickly forget where they are, spending their entire lives within the painting.
I hold this groom selection ceremony once a year, and now, it has been held for three consecutive years, with tens of thousands of talented youths enticed by the painting, none successfully exiting on their own."
"What?"
"So many?"
"That’s bizarre!"
"..."
The crowd was startled, secretly acknowledging that this groom selection was indeed not easy to complete.
Someone asked, "Can’t the City Lord release them?"
Wan Baochun shook his head, saying, "This magical treasure is at the True Immortal level, and I cannot fully refine it. You must come out yourselves; I cannot assist you."
Someone asked, "What kind of time exists inside the world of the painting? Is it the same as our outer sect?"
Everyone nodded, thinking if they could enter, it would be wonderful even to grow old there.
Enjoy a lifetime of blessings truly worth it.
Wan Baochun said, "As far as I know, the Time Law inside differs from the outside. Except for the women in the painting who can live eternally, anyone entering will rapidly age and die. Our external world’s one day might equate to their year, decade, century, just a blink of an eye."
Someone curiously asked, "What happens after someone dies?"
Wan Baochun replied, "Good question. Once someone dies inside the painting, their essence, qi, and spirit will be absorbed by it, as if they disappeared, returning themselves to that world."
The crowd erupted, at least half deflated like popped balloons, their heads drooping.
Wan Baochun announced, "Now the ceremony begins. The talisman you received upon entering is your key to exit. I hope everyone can maintain their true self, thoroughly explore within, and become Wan Baochun’s son-in-law!"
"Alright!"
Someone excitedly shouted, "Wee seek fortune amidst danger; cultivators fear nothing. With the talisman from Old Master Wan, I will come out simply by breaking it when I wish."
"Yes, as long as I keep my mind pure, I won’t be seduced by beauty."
"What’s there to fear? Who dares to explore with me, the Flirting Gentleman?"
"..."
Fearless ones noisily stood up, rushing towards the painting.
Upon nearing within one meter of the ancient painting, they were drawn into it by its Mysterious Light.
Long Fei felt his heart stir, secretly noting the ancient painting held an uncanny resemblance to his Mountains and Rivers Map.
Except the Mountains and Rivers Map had a larger space, with more perfected Laws.
Generally, those unaware of Space Law would be trapped upon entering.
Inside, the Time Law dares not interfere.
A day outside might equate to a lifetime inside.
Unconsciously, people would perish due to the ancient painting’s Time Law, thoroughly absorbed and decomposed within.
It was called a world; in essence, it is a kind of time-based magical treasure.
Long Fei glanced at Wan Baochun, secretly suspecting the City Lord deliberately used the guise of bride selection to exploit people’s greed for refining his ancient painting.