Zhang Hanshan heard this, condensed spiritual power in his hand, and pried a fist-sized stone from the wall, handing it to the old man. "Here," he said.
The guide old man took the stone, aimed at the spot he had just seen, and threw it with force.
The stone disappeared in mid-air before it hit the ground.
"This..." Qing Lianzi and Cao Bei Jie looked grim, as they both felt more than one spatial fluctuation within.
"What's wrong?" the old man asked, turning back.
"Let's just say... if we go in, we might be teleported to different places. In other words... as soon as we enter, our group will be scattered."
"But we have no other choice," Dewen Sen stated.
Indeed, apart from this passage, which was possibly exchanged for Qian Xiao's life, there was no other exit.
To advance was death, to retreat was also death.
"Everyone," Dewen Sen said helplessly, "From now on, you can all act independently. But if you encounter each other, please help each other after confirming each other's identity."
"How about this, when we meet, we'll use a secret password," Qing Lianzi suggested after a moment's thought. "One person asks 'What are you doing here?', and the other replies 'I'm looking for something to eat.' What do you think?"
Everyone nodded, memorized the password, and then entered the staircase one by one.
...
"Make way! Make way!"
"Don't push! Don't push!"
"Who stepped on my shoe?"
"Holy shit! Someone's groping my ass! Get out, gay!"
Mo Chuan felt a dizzying sensation, and before the dizziness and nausea subsided, the noisy clamor, like that of a marketplace, was about to explode his brain.
"Hiss... Where is this place..." Mo Chuan got up from the ground, only to find himself on what seemed to be a bustling street, with an extremely tall building directly opposite him.
"Is that... Loulan Palace?!" Mo Chuan was startled by the scene before him. He scanned his surroundings, noticing a large number of men dressed in ancient Western Regions style, all pushing their way towards Loulan Palace. Meanwhile, other elderly, young, women, and children were on the edges of the street, laughing and watching the spectacle.
Mo Chuan shook his head to clear his senses and decided to assess the current situation. Ever since his last venture into White Dragon's memory, Mo Chuan had become somewhat accustomed to such scenarios.
"Old sir, what's happening here?" Mo Chuan asked.
"A Great Teng person?" The old man who was asked the question seemed to be a scholarly type. After examining Mo Chuan's attire, he gestured and indicated with his words that he didn't understand Great Teng language and would have to find someone from the royal court.
"Ancient Loulan language pack downloaded. Would you like to purchase it for 100 gold coins?" The system's voice rang out like timely rain.
"Although it feels a bit like gouging prices... I'll buy it!"
"Installing language pack... Installation complete."
Suddenly, Mo Chuan understood what the old man in front of him was saying: "Great Teng person, you need to find the royal court. There are very few people here who know the Great Teng language..."
"Old sir," Mo Chuan interrupted the old man in ancient Loulan language, asking, "What is happening here?"
"You know Loulan language..." The old man was also speechless for a moment, but he still replied, "The Emperor is recruiting a consort for his most beloved youngest daughter. Any capable individuals can participate in this 'catching the embroidered ball' event."
"As long as you catch the embroidered ball and successfully answer the questions from the Emperor, Empress, and Princess, you can become the royal consort."
"So it's about marrying into wealth," Mo Chuan muttered, looking at the men who were crammed together. He sighed helplessly and began to wander aimlessly along the street, looking for any information that could help him leave this illusion.
Perhaps due to the grand occasion, many large shops were distributing free snacks and drinks to passersby. Before long, Mo Chuan had a bag of pastries in his left hand and a cup of pomegranate juice in his right, continuing his exploration while eating.
Suddenly, the noisy crowd in the distance fell silent. Mo Chuan looked up and saw a man with a stern yet somewhat listless expression standing on the balcony of the fifth floor of Loulan Palace. With the help of someone akin to a superpower user, he was delivering a speech:
"Firstly, I welcome all warriors to participate in this grand occasion! I, Harvey Imolagu VIII, hereby..."
What followed was a long and dull speech.
Mo Chuan was now standing in an alley not far from the crowd. He had also summoned his raven flock to keep watch for him. Through the ravens' perspective, Mo Chuan clearly saw the speaker's appearance, and his face darkened – wasn't this the incompetent ruler he had seen in the murals on the first floor just now?!
But then Mo Chuan noticed the girl behind the emperor, who had a distinctly Western Regions appearance: light golden hair, sapphire blue eyes, and ivory skin. The jewelry made of gold and gems adorning her highlighted her nobility, and the white veil on her face added a touch of mystery.
"How should I put it... it's not that she doesn't look like her father... it's just that she must have taken after her mother completely." Mo Chuan continued to munch on his pastries, watching these people scramble forward as if enjoying a show. After all, according to the guide old man's explanation, this Harvey VIII was basically the last ruler of the ancient Loulan Kingdom.
...
Ronnie Imolagu was in a bad mood.
Her father's country had been attacked by the Xiongnu. Now, Loulan's weak military strength was completely incapable of repelling the Xiongnu's advance. Yet, her father wasn't thinking of mobilizing the army and calling for a nationwide effort. Instead, he was covering up the news and using her to find a capable son-in-law to lead the imperial guards against the Xiongnu army.
When the old ministers had called her father an incompetent ruler, Ronnie hadn't believed them. But now, seeing her father's actions, she couldn't help but reconsider.
Furthermore, it was hard to say if her father truly loved her, as he was trading her happiness and love for a possibly extended reign.
Knowing that she could no longer find true love, Ronnie only wished to find someone who looked somewhat presentable, and hoped she wouldn't become a widow...
Oh, this...
Ronnie scanned the crowd below, her eyes twitching slightly.
Why were they all from Han?! And the bizarre-looking ones at that! Either they had very thick arms but legs like matchsticks, or their faces looked extremely similar to the "flat emperors" depicted in the palace murals. Were there no normal-looking men in the entire kingdom of Loulan?! (Appearance can be referenced by the art style in One Piece.)
Just as Ronnie's heart was turning to ashes, her gaze inadvertently shifted towards the area outside the crowd, and her eyes lit up.
She saw a Great Teng man, dressed somewhat unusually, leaning against a mud wall, holding a bag of honey cakes and watching the spectacle...
Watching the spectacle?
Hey! Am I not as important as honey cakes?!