Chapter 109: A Tour of Chang'an

The next day.

The carriage of the Great Chu delegation rolled slowly out of the Court of State Ceremonials, parading ostentatiously through the streets of Chang'an. Inside the carriage, Fan Li lay in the most comfortable position possible, treating the woman sharing the space as if she were invisible.

The person accompanying him was not Princess Changle. Since being summoned to the Weiyang Palace, the Princess had been staying by the side of the Han Emperor every day. The one currently riding with him was the Holy Maiden of the Cold Moon.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" the Holy Maiden asked coldly.

"Sightseeing," Fan Li replied with a smile. "This is my first time in Chang'an, and I intend to take in the city's beauty. As the saying goes, 'A thousand houses like a chessboard, twelve streets like garden plots.' Are you not curious, Holy Maiden?"

His casual question struck a chord with her. Born into poverty and having entered the path of cultivation by sheer luck, she had never experienced the luxuries of the mundane world. Since becoming the Holy Maiden of the Pure Land, she had been forced to maintain an image of detachment, never daring to show even the slightest hint of worldly desire. In truth, the splendor of Chang'an had long since stirred her heart.

Yet, Fan Li was her target for assassination. How absurd it was to be touring the city with him.

*Fan Li must be relying on the public crowds to make it inconvenient for me to strike!* she thought to herself, feeling a surge of irritation.

This time, she was spot on.

As the carriage departed the Court of State Ceremonials, news of Fan Li and the Holy Maiden traveling together had already reached Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan. Within the city of Chang'an, these three factions had eyes everywhere. No matter where the carriage went, its movements were being tracked with precision.

Fan Li was helpless in the matter. It was a rare opportunity to visit Chang'an; it would be a pity not to explore. But if he wanted to enjoy himself without constantly guarding against a sneak attack, the best way was to keep his would-be assassin by his side. After all, how could he possibly defend against an assassin at the third rank of the Mahayana Realm?

*Very well, there are still several days before the ceremony. There will be opportunities to strike from the shadows,* the Holy Maiden thought. *It is rare for me to leave the Pure Land, and it would be a shame not to see the beauty of Chang'an while I have the chance!* With that thought, she set aside the impulse to kill.

Touring Chang'an.

Fan Li’s first goal was to seek out local delicacies. What was "water-basin mutton," and what exactly was a "sesame flatbread"? He avoided the famous restaurants managed by master chefs, choosing instead to patronize street stalls and even peddlers.

"Fire-crystal persimmons—fresh!"

Hearing the peddler’s cry, Fan Li’s eyes lit up. He stopped the man and asked, "Are these truly fire-crystal persimmons?"

The peddler, seeing Fan Li’s extraordinary attire and the luxurious carriage behind him—a vehicle fit only for high officials—was so frightened he nearly knelt on the spot.

"Easy now, I’m just a customer and you’re the seller. Why the kowtowing?" Fan Li laughed, stopping him. "Just tell me, is this really the legendary fire-crystal persimmon?"

The peddler was stunned, stuttering, "My lord... I do sell fire-crystal persimmons, but I’m afraid... I’m afraid they aren't the legendary items you speak of."

Fan Li realized his own slip of the tongue. In his past life, he had been obsessed with these persimmons after seeing them in a popular historical drama, thinking about them for a long time. But now that he was in Chang'an, they were just common, everyday fruit—hardly the stuff of "legend."

"Give me ten pounds," Fan Li said, smiling as he tossed a gold bean to the peddler.

In this world, not everyone had the privilege of cultivation. Aside from talent, one needed capital. The lives of common folk were just as mundane as his own before he had transmigrated. He hadn't prepared any currency for the Han Empire, but he figured gold was a universal constant, so he kept a few gold beans on him.

"Ah? This!?" The peddler took the gold bean and was dumbstruck, quickly kneeling again. "My lord, this is too much! I cannot provide change for this. Please, spare me—take the ten pounds of persimmons as a humble offering."

Ten pounds of persimmons weren't even worth half a tael of silver, let alone gold. The peddler assumed Fan Li was intentionally making things difficult and began to tremble like a leaf in the wind.

Inside the carriage, the Holy Maiden was frustrated. She had wanted to experience the prosperity of Chang'an, yet here she was, accompanying Fan Li as he bullied a street vendor.

"As the Duke of Jin of Great Chu, do you not feel ashamed of such base behavior?" her voice, dripping with disdain, drifted from behind him.

Fan Li looked puzzled. He was just spending money to buy something—how was that base? Then, he suddenly realized! *Damn, I’ve been misunderstood.*

He helped the peddler up and firmly pressed the gold bean into his hand. "My friend, I am genuinely here to buy persimmons. Keep the money; no change is needed."

Without waiting for the peddler’s stunned reaction, Fan Li grabbed the persimmons and walked away.

Inside the carriage, the Holy Maiden pursed her lips, glaring at him. But when she saw him pierce a persimmon with a hollow straw, suck out the juice and pulp, and then reveal a look of pure enjoyment, she found herself feeling a flicker of anticipation. However, since Fan Li was her intended target, how could she possibly ask him for food?

"Would the Holy Maiden like to try one?" Fan Li asked, glancing at her with a smile. He didn't expect to bridge any gaps between them; he simply realized he’d bought too many persimmons and didn't want to waste them. It was a pity Tuan Tuan wasn't with him; feeding the pet would have been better than feeding the Holy Maiden.

"Hmph!" The Holy Maiden kept her face straight, clinging to her dignity. "What kind of person do you think I am? Do you think I care for such common street fare?"

Fan Li shrugged. Suit yourself.

In just half a day, he bought sesame flatbreads, shredded mutton, and fried dough twists. Although they were street snacks, they represented the true flavor of Chang'an. Fan Li ate with great relish, until the Holy Maiden finally couldn't take it anymore!

"Are you finished yet?"

"Ah?" Fan Li said, his mouth stuffed with mutton, grease on his lips. "What is it? Does the Holy Maiden need something?"

The Holy Maiden’s face was as cold as frost. "If you must dine, can you not find a decent establishment? Along the way, I have seen the Juxian Pavilion, the Qionglin Pavilion, the Yaoyue Pavilion—is not any one of those better than this?"

The higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. The Holy Maiden was filled with resentment, and she found Fan Li increasingly intolerable. But her outburst allowed Fan Li to see right through her.

*So, the Holy Maiden cannot truly be detached from worldly things or free from desire? The Brahma Sound Pure Land? If your heart is still in the mundane world, how can you call yourself a 'Pure Land'?*

Fan Li sneered inwardly and set the mutton aside. "My apologies, Holy Maiden. I hadn't considered that. I assumed that with your supreme cultivation, you had long since reached the state of 'fasting' and had no interest in worldly food."

The Holy Maiden’s mouth twitched. Given her status, how could she admit she was hungry?

"I am, of course, not hungry!" she said, her teeth gritting together.

"Very well," Fan Li laughed. "I have eaten my fill and would like to walk it off, so I shall leave the carriage. If you don't mind, why not accompany me on foot through Chang'an?"

The Holy Maiden was so angry she could have jumped! He was even going to abandon the carriage? Was he intentionally slighting her?

Before she could protest, she heard Fan Li add, "I hear that the shops in Chang'an gather the rarest treasures from all over the world. There are many goods here that one cannot even find in the Chu capital of Pengcheng. It really is a wonderful place for shopping."

"It is a rare trip to Chang'an, and it would be a wasted journey if I didn't buy a few rare trinkets to take home."

Only then did he seem to remember her presence. "Holy Maiden, are you interested in a bit of shopping?"

The Holy Maiden paused, struggling internally. She searched his face repeatedly, finding his expression sincere, and finally, she let down her guard.

"I am... not interested in shopping."

"But since I am accompanying you, I suppose I shall take a look."