Chapter 117: The Stowaway

Chapter 117: The Stowaway

Ji Xinghuo strolled through the streets of Yunxiaocheng, a bustling city nestled below the clouds. The streets were wide and flat, teeming with life, lined with a myriad of shops and towering residences.

If one ignored the appearances of the pedestrians, it felt remarkably similar to the cities of Earth in the Starry Realm.

The Winged Folk valued height, so their buildings soared skyward, with dozens of stories reaching for the heavens. Amidst the staggered heights, flowers, trees, and greenery flourished, creating the impression of aerial gardens.

This architectural style was consistent throughout Yunxiaocheng, blending nature seamlessly with the constructed environment, making a stroll through its avenues a delightful experience.

The passersby on the street presented a diverse array of forms.

Ji Xinghuo encountered numerous unfamiliar races and several other extraterrestrial beings from the Thousand Peaks and Deepwoods.

However, the most prevalent were the Winged Folk and the Human Race.

The Earthlings' resemblance to the Starry Realm's Human Race was striking, from their features to their physiques and auras; they were decidedly average. Unless they revealed their extraterrestrial origin, others would likely mistake them for a Human subspecies.

This similarity spared them a lot of trouble, as extraterrestrials tended to stand out in the Starry Realm.

Yunxiaocheng lacked a public transportation system, as the Winged Folk had little interest in steam technology. Those who ventured out did so by flight or with the aid of mounts.

Riding his Silver-winged Pegasus, Ji Xinghuo blended seamlessly into the street scene.

Soon after entering the city, he spotted several others riding the same breed of horse as him, as well as a diverse array of other mounts—some flying in the sky, some running on the ground, and some swimming in the water—too many for him to recognize them all.

The city was well-ordered.

Every few minutes, patrols from the Winged Folk's City Guard would soar overhead. In the event of a conflict, a guard would promptly descend from the skies to intervene. Disobedience was met with immediate execution.

After exploring the city for over an hour, Ji Xinghuo's eyes had feasted on a myriad of wonders.

Yunxiaocheng left him with a sense of novelty intertwined with familiarity, a blend of primitive and savage aesthetics complemented by advancements that even technology couldn't replicate.

It was a melting pot, welcoming all races from afar.

Yet, it maintained a strict hierarchy, with the Winged Folk as the undisputed ruling class.

With his magnetic field perception almost constantly active, Ji Xinghuo scanned his surroundings, his face suddenly betraying a hint of surprise.

He turned his mount around and headed down another street. Soon, he arrived at an inn.

The sign at the entrance displayed multiple languages.

Among them were the familiar Chinese characters and several major languages of Earth.

"Wanderer in the Clouds."

Ji Xinghuo's magnetic field had already scanned the entire inn. It wasn't very large—a building of over ten stories, with the first five floors designed in the style of Earthly hotels. There weren't many guests, only a few dozen, but they were all Earthlings.

As he approached the inn, a waiter at the entrance noticed Ji Xinghuo and his eyes lit up.

"Do you need a room, sir?" the waiter asked.

Hearing the Interstellar Common Language, Ji Xinghuo felt a surge of warmth and nodded. "Yes." He dismounted and handed the reins to the waiter. "Please take care of it."

While mounts were convenient for outdoor travel, they could be troublesome when not in use.

The more exquisite the mount, the more challenging it was to manage.

Thus, many extraterrestrials didn't own flying mounts not because they couldn't afford them but because they didn't want the burden. These mounts were often useless in battle and couldn't be abandoned casually; their death would also result in a significant financial loss.

"Rest assured, sir," the waiter assured him, patting his chest. "We have professional mount caretakers at the inn, with ample experience. We'll take good care of your pegasus."

"That's good to hear," Ji Xinghuo said with relief.

He stepped into the lobby of the Wanderer in the Clouds, where a woman who was evidently the manager had already heard his entrance and greeted him with a smile.

She appeared to be in her thirties, her features refined and sharp, with a name tag on her left chest.

Ji Xinghuo glanced at it and saw her name was Jiang Wei.

Based on the strength of her magnetic field and etheric energy fluctuations, he deduced that she was a high-level extraterrestrial with considerable power.

"Greetings, esteemed guest," Jiang Wei said warmly. "May I ask your surname?"

"Xin Liaoyuan," Ji Xinghuo replied, using a familiar alias. There was no need to reveal his true identity in Yunxiaocheng.

Jiang Wei didn't pry further and swiftly completed the check-in process before personally escorting him upstairs to his room, introducing the inn's services along the way—services that were quite similar to those on Earth.

"Manager Jiang," Ji Xinghuo asked, "when is Queen Aiqi's Yuan Shou celebration?"

"The 19th of Xiyue," Jiang Wei replied.

Ji Xinghuo did the calculation and realized it was only twelve days away. He had to enter the celestial Yunxiaocheng and investigate the item connected to the Myriad Manifestations Star Pupil before the Yuan Shou celebration ended.

However, it wouldn't be wise to inquire further at the moment.

Unaware of Ji Xinghuo's intentions, Jiang Wei took the initiative to introduce some of the activities that would take place during the Yuan Shou celebration, which spanned a half-month before the main event. These included a flight technique competition, a beast battle in the arena, martial arts duels, performing arts and dance presentations, and the Feather Lantern Festival, among others.

It was said that many Winged Folk families, in an attempt to curry favor with the queen, prepared numerous precious treasures to be presented to her during the celebration.

"Offerings..."

Ji Xinghuo's heart sank.

Would the item he sought be among those treasures to be presented to the queen? If Queen Aiqi, with her discerning eye, recognized its extraordinariness and claimed it for herself, then his chances of obtaining it would be slim to none.

"Thank you, Manager Jiang," Ji Xinghuo said, his face betraying none of his inner turmoil. After a moment's thought, he asked, "I originally came to explore the Starry Realm and happened to learn about Queen Aiqi's Yuan Shou celebration, so I rushed over to join in the festivities. But upon arriving in Yunxiaocheng, I realized that regular folks like me can't enter the celestial city. I was wondering if you might know of a way?"

Jiang Wei's expression changed slightly. "It's quite difficult for outsiders to obtain permission to enter the celestial city."

"There must be a way," Ji Xinghuo said with a smile.

Jiang Wei gave him a meaningful look, hesitating for a few seconds before speaking. "It's a risky and costly endeavor, and success is not guaranteed."

Ji Xinghuo took out several stacks of cash and handed them to her.

Each stack was worth 100,000 Asia Dollars, totaling half a million.

"Please help me find a way, Manager Jiang." Ji Xinghuo was encouraged by her words and showed his generosity. "This is for your trouble. If I succeed in entering the upper city, I'll double the amount."

Jiang Wei looked at the cash in her hands, unable to refuse such an offer. "Please wait for a couple of days, Mr. Xin."

"Alright."

Ji Xinghuo saw her out and then stepped onto the balcony, taking in the street view below.

With his magnetic field perception, he noticed that after Jiang Wei returned to the hotel lobby, she called over one of the hotel attendants and whispered something to him. The attendant then mounted a horse and left the hotel. Ji Xinghuo tried to track the attendant with his magnetic field perception, but soon lost him as he rode out of range.

"I hope she can really find a way," Ji Xinghuo muttered to himself as he lay down on the bed to rest.

He waited for several hours, nearly half a day.

Night fell, and the darkness gave way to a starry sky. The city lit up, the trees planted along the streets, and the various flowers and plants on the upper levels glowed with fluorescent light, releasing the energy they had absorbed during the day in a dazzling display of colors. Compared to the bustling metropolises of Earth, Yunxiaocheng offered a fantastical sight.

After dinner, Ji Xinghuo was playing with Qinghong in his room when his magnetic field perception alerted him to Jiang Wei's approach. He quickly put Qinghong away.

He opened the door after hearing her knock.

"Manager Jiang."

"Mr. Xin, you're in luck," Jiang Wei said in a low voice. "I asked around and found a possible way. It was meant to be a trial, but I received a response sooner than expected. However, you'll have to meet with the person directly."

"Now?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"Yes."

Jiang Wei explained in detail, "The person is a Winged Folk, and we have a bit of a connection. She's from a noble family and owns a restaurant in the upper city. She comes down to the lower city every few days to purchase ingredients and can bring someone up under the pretext of hiring restaurant staff."

It was obvious that this was not an official channel.

"Can she be trusted?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"She's done this before," Jiang Wei replied. "Many people, especially those who admire the upper city, are willing to pay a price to visit for a few days. The royal city guards are aware of this, and they usually turn a blind eye."

Ji Xinghuo frowned. Such gray-market activities were usually ignored by the authorities, but when a major event like the Yuan Shou celebration was approaching, they might decide to crack down on them.

Sometimes, they might even engage in entrapment.

It seemed that the Tianyu Kingdom was not much different from Earth in this regard.

"Now that it's a special occasion, will there be any problems?" Ji Xinghuo asked, concerned.

"She told me that it's business as usual," Jiang Wei replied, though her expression suggested that she didn't entirely believe those words herself.

Ji Xinghuo considered this for a moment. He had to take the risk. "How much does she charge?"

"One hundred thousand True Dragon Coins."

It was more expensive than he had anticipated.

"Since you're not a Winged Folk, it's more troublesome, so the price is three times higher than for them," Jiang Wei explained. "If you can accept this, please go and meet her tomorrow morning. If all goes well, you should be able to enter the upper city by the afternoon."

"Thank you." Ji Xinghuo took out another 500,000 Asia Dollars and handed them to Jiang Wei.

She immediately gave him a piece of paper with an address written on it. Ji Xinghuo glanced at it and saw that it was not far from his current location.

The next morning, Ji Xinghuo left the Cloud Wanderer and soon arrived at the address, which turned out to be a nearby ingredient market.

They all looked like birds.

However, one could judge their clan based on the color of their feathers.

This female Winged Folk had beautiful wings; her feathers were smooth and adorned with colorful patterns, resembling exquisite silk fabric. In the Tianyu Kingdom, such wings symbolized a noble status, for she belonged to the Lingyu Clan, the same clan as Queen Lingqi.

There were hundreds of bloodline clans among the Winged Folk, and the Lingyu Clan was known for their exceptional beauty and powerful innate talents.

"Lady Yan Kong," Ji Xinghuo greeted her respectfully in the language of the Tianyu Kingdom.

Yan Kong had round pupils like irises, resembling eagle eyes. She wore an exquisite silk robe, and the wrinkles on her claws indicated her advanced age. However, her posture exuded an air of nobility as she sat there, lazily glancing at Ji Xinghuo.

"So you're the Earthling that Jiang Wei mentioned, wanting to enter the upper city?" Her tone carried a hint of arrogance.

Ji Xinghuo bowed his head and replied, "Yes."

"Hmm..."

Only then did Yan Kong bother to give Ji Xinghuo a proper look, scoffing, "An alien actually dares to aspire to enter the upper city. In this era, it seems like anyone dares to aim for the heavens."

"Aiming for the heavens" was an idiomatic expression in the Tianyu Kingdom, similar to a toad lusting after swan meat.

Ji Xinghuo felt displeased but kept quiet.

"Alright." Yan Kong waved her right claw dismissively. "I know you aliens; each one of you is proud and arrogant, thinking you've grasped the world's truth."

She fixed her gaze on Ji Xinghuo. "There's only one thing between us—you give me money, and I'll take you to the upper city."

"Do you have the money?"

Ji Xinghuo silently took out a gold dragon coin worth 10,000.

Yan Kong's eyes lit up, and she eagerly took the coin, admiring it in her claw. She no longer paid attention to Ji Xinghuo and waved her claw. "Go to the back and wait. Someone will disguise you, and the rules will be explained to you."

Ji Xinghuo exited through another door in the room.

Behind it was a large courtyard with a carriage-like cargo box. Several Winged Folk were loading baskets of ingredients onto it.

A female Winged Folk tossed a set of clothes to Ji Xinghuo and ordered him to change into them.

It was a plain cloth outfit, with a colored feather emblem on the collar, sleeves, and chest, signifying the servant status of the Lingyu Clan.

"Get to work," the female Winged Folk commanded brusquely.

Ji Xinghuo joined the line of people carrying ingredients.

Most of them were Yan Kong's restaurant staff, along with a few Winged Folk and Xingyue Clan members who had just changed into their uniforms, clearly sharing the same goal as him—to enter the upper city.

Soon, the cargo box was filled.

The female Winged Folk blew a loud whistle, and four gigantic eagles descended, each grabbing a corner of the cargo box. As their wings fluttered, creating strong winds, they lifted the cargo box into the air, with the female Winged Folk flying alongside them, directing the eagles toward the skyward city of Yunxiaocheng.

An hour later, the female Winged Folk landed with the now-empty cargo box.

This process was repeated several times.

Ji Xinghuo worked as a laborer for eight hours, and during this time, several others also changed into the uniforms, becoming Yan Kong's free labor force.

Finally, in the afternoon, they finished loading the last batch of ingredients.

"Everyone, get in," Yan Kong instructed.

Ji Xinghuo entered the cargo box and sat next to a basket of vegetables, smelling of various ingredients, appearing no different from the actual employees.

The cargo box shook as the giant eagles grabbed it and lifted it into the air.

Ji Xinghuo watched as the ground below grew farther and farther away. The airflow outside buffeted the cargo box, causing it to sway, but the Winged Folk were accustomed to this, their faces unperturbed.

Above them, the sky city of Yunxiaocheng loomed larger in their field of vision, like a massive shadow descending upon them.

They ascended rapidly.

Ji Xinghuo activated his Myriad Manifestations Star Pupil interface, and the arrow, which indicated his position, constantly changed direction. However, it always pointed to the same location.

After about ten minutes—

Finally, the cargo box reached the same height as Yunxiaocheng, but before they could admire the majestic sight of the sky city, they landed on a platform located at the city's edge.

Bang! The cargo box touched down, surrounded by a group of Winged Folk guards clad in exquisite armor.

In the sky above the platform, squads of royal guards patrolled the airspace.

Ji Xinghuo's magnetic field perception detected two Legendary powerhouses among them. He averted his gaze, not daring to look further, maintaining his role as a restaurant employee.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end