Chapter 12 A Long-Awaited Method.
Yin Chen and Uncle Hui didn't have much luggage—a few changes of clothes and some daily necessities—which they easily stored in an old-fashioned but perfectly functional storage soul tool bracelet.
This was one of the heirlooms left by Yin Chen's parents; the internal space was about one cubic meter, which was enough for them for now.
This residence held too many memories for Yin Chen. Although he knew that his return from Xingluo City was likely far off, and the chances of him coming back in the future were slim, it was, after all, the only memento left by his parents in this life.
Uncle Hui had already made arrangements, hiring a trustworthy and honest man from the neighborhood to come and clean and maintain it regularly, with the fee prepaid for several years.
This expense was not a burden for them, who still had a pension and some savings.
Preserving this root was perhaps more of an emotional comfort and a sense of ritual.
Everything was ready, and outside the courtyard gate, a magnificent and elegant carriage had been waiting for a long time.
The carriage was a deep, dark purple, with sleek lines. It wasn't pulled by ordinary horses, but by a special soul-guided mechanical structure that emitted a gentle fluctuation of soul power.
The shafts and wheel hubs were engraved with intricate and complex silver runes, which occasionally flashed with a barely perceptible halo as energy subtly shifted, showcasing its advanced soul-guided technology.
The carriage body appeared to be made of a mixture of some kind of hard soul beast skeleton and a special metal, lightweight yet sturdy. The windows were constructed from a single piece of highly transparent crystal glass, with exquisite mithril patterns along the edges.
Opening the door revealed an interior of luxury and comfort that contrasted sharply with the understated elegance of the exterior.
The carriage space was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside, clearly utilizing some kind of space-expansion technology.
The seats were wide and soft, upholstered in exquisite velvet with a deep blue background, embroidered with the Star Luo Empire's royal emblem—the Star Crown—in silver thread.
Thick, soft, snow-white carpets covered the interior, making no sound underfoot.
A small, fixed tea table held delicate pastries and a set of lustrous white jade teaware, a faint, calming incense fragrance lingering in the air.
Although Yin Chen knew that soul-guided technology was already quite advanced at this time, he was still surprised. If the Star Luo Empire was like this, one could only imagine how advanced the Sun Moon Empire's soul-guided technology was.
However, considering the Sun Moon Empire's research into humanoid soul-guided devices, Yin Chen wasn't surprised. They were even preparing to build Gundams; their technological level was no less than in his previous life, and perhaps even more advanced due to supernatural factors. It was just that due to the global situation, its adoption wasn't as widespread.
At least the common people's living standards were still very primitive; they couldn't afford such soul-guided devices, and many didn't even possess soul power enough to operate them.
However, once Xuan Ziwen of Mingde Hall developed the sealed milk bottle and obtained an energy source, commoners could also begin to use soul tools, which was undoubtedly a step forward for civilization. What flattered Hui Bo the most was that Princess Xu Jiujiu did not ask him to ride in the ordinary carriage prepared for servants, but instead smiled and gestured for him and Yin Chen to enter the main carriage together.
"Hui Bo, please come along too. The journey to Xingluo City is not short, and the carriage is spacious, so there is no need for formalities."
Xu Jiujiu's voice was gentle, without the slightest hint of condescension.
Hui Bo waved his hands repeatedly, saying in a flustered manner, "Your Highness, this... how can this be? This old servant is of lowly status, how can I ride with Your Highness..."
"Hui Bo has taken care of Yin Chen for many years, and his contributions are great. There is no need to belittle yourself." Xu Jiujiu interrupted him, her tone sincere.
"Besides, Yin Chen would probably prefer you to be by his side."
As she spoke, she glanced at Yin Chen with a smile.
Yin Chen understood that this was undoubtedly the princess's method of winning people's hearts, meticulous and hitting the nail on the head.
But he had to admit that the move was indeed effective.
He looked at Uncle Gray beside him, who was so excited that he was at a loss for what to do and whose eyes were a little red, and felt a warmth in his heart.
Before he awakened his memories, this old man had given him unconditional love and protection; this affection had long surpassed that of master and servant.
"Uncle Grey, since Your Highness is so kind, we shall respectfully accept."
Yin Chen gently tugged at Uncle Grey's rough hand and said softly.
"Eh, alright, alright… Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."
Uncle Grey, feeling apprehensive, almost tiptoed to sit carefully in the outermost seat of the carriage, his body still ramrod straight, not daring to relax completely.
Yin Chen sat down opposite Xu Jiujiu.
The carriage was equipped with a highly efficient shock-absorbing soul-guiding array; when starting, the bumps were barely noticeable, only the scenery outside the window gradually receding reminded them that they were moving.
The carriage was very quiet, with only the extremely low hum of the soul-guiding core and the subtle crackling of incense burning in the incense burner on the tea table.
Xu Jiujiu elegantly picked up a cup of flower tea that a maid had poured in advance, took a small sip, and occasionally glanced at the quiet white-haired boy opposite her, her gaze filled with inquiry and contemplation.
Yin Chen turned his head to look at the street scenes rushing past the window, the familiar outline of Yu Ming City gradually shrinking and fading into the distance.
He felt the soft seat beneath him, the delicate fragrance lingering in his nostrils, his heart calm and undisturbed.
He knew that this comfortable journey was the beginning of a wider and more complex world.
And the beautiful princess beside him was his first key node in this new world.
He needed to rely on her power, and he had to find his own way to survive and develop within the web she had woven.
The wheels rolled, carrying the group of people with different thoughts, leaving the border town and speeding towards the heart of the empire, the center of the gathering of heroes—Xing Luo City.
On the way, the atmosphere in the carriage was initially calm and polite.
But Xu Jiujiu finally couldn't suppress her curiosity, her amethyst-like eyes looking at Yin Chen, asking with just the right amount of expectation:
"Yin Chen, I've heard that your martial soul is extremely special, with the time attribute? I wonder... if I would have the honor of seeing it?"
Yin Chen glanced at her, not refusing.
He knew that demonstrating value was the first step to securing investment.
He nodded slightly and said softly, "Alright."
Yin Chen's thoughts stirred, and his soul power awakened and circulated within him like a gentle stream.
His aura suddenly became ethereal and ancient.
This wasn't the usual growth of fur or change in physique when a beast spirit possesses someone, nor was it the manifestation of a weapon spirit solidified in its hand.
The first thing to change was his eyes, which were already like shattered gold.
Deep within those golden pupils, it was as if invisible hands were being moved, and intricate, complex silver engravings composed of tiny specks of light appeared, rotated, and froze in mid-air. His originally round pupils had transformed into two slowly rotating miniature clocks, containing endless mysteries of time; each subtle tremor of the hands seemed to guide the flow of light around them.
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