Cultivating Immortality Begins with Acting as a Girl Chapter 022

“Miss, past the city gate ahead, we’ll be in East City.”

Shan Congfeng rode a magnificent, glossy-coated stallion, riding parallel to Song Ling’s carriage.

At this moment, they were on their way to the Jiang family in East City.

Regarding this matter, since Song Ling had decided to use the Jiang family’s power to deal with Fu Zong, she was already prepared to pay the corresponding price.

Song Ling pulled back the curtain and saw the scenery outside.

A towering, wide city wall stretched across the front, with a semi-circular archway below that allowed several carriages to pass side by side. In front of the archway was a long queue of people, most of whom had fair complexions and clothing, and even had carriages, horses, and servants accompanying them.

In stark contrast were the onlookers on both sides of the road, dressed in ragged clothes, with sallow faces and emaciated bodies, watching the queue with incredibly envious eyes.

This was their closest distance to “wealth and nobility.”

Shan Congfeng did not take Song Ling to queue, but instead passed directly from the side, heading straight for the city gate.

At first, everyone was somewhat displeased, but when they saw the group of Qianye Gang members following behind, they all shut their mouths.

At the city gate, a team of armored and weapon-wielding soldiers were collecting entrance fees from those in the queue, one by one.

The leading captain among them saw Shan Congfeng riding over and immediately cupped his fists in a bow: “Is Gang Leader Shan entering East City?”

Then he looked at the carriage beside him with some curiosity and asked, “This carriage contains…?”

For the Qianye Gang Leader to personally escort someone, the identity of the person inside must be extraordinary.

Just then, Shan Congfeng replied:

“The one in the carriage is the Jiang family’s eldest daughter, Jiang Yuling.”

The captain gasped. He immediately became respectful and bowed to Song Ling’s carriage: “Xu Pengfei, captain of the East City Gate guard, greets Miss Jiang Yuling!”

Song Ling did not show her face, merely giving a soft “hmm” from inside the carriage.

Xu Pengfei’s expression remained unchanged, not feeling anything amiss at all. It was normal for such a great figure to have such an attitude.

To have his name enter the other party’s ears this time was already fortunate.

“I will have them make way immediately, please allow Miss to enter the city.”

Xu Pengfei said, then had his subordinates open the gate completely and form two lines.

As the carriage entered East City, the surroundings seemed to change completely.

The ground was paved with smooth bluestone slabs, and the buildings on both sides of the street were exquisitely carved and painted, with upturned eaves.

All kinds of shops were dazzling, and the hawkers’ cries intertwined with customers’ haggling, creating a lively atmosphere.

From time to time, men and women in luxurious clothes could be seen, either strolling leisurely or stopping at a stall to pick out desired items. The air was filled with the aroma of various foods: the smoky smell of roasted meat, the sweetness of fresh fruits, and the faint tea fragrance wafting from teahouses, making one salivate.

All of this was a world of difference from the impoverished scene of North City.

Song Ling’s heart was shaken.

Within the same city, the disparity in living standards could be so great…

On one side were corpses everywhere, and on the other, singing and dancing.

Truly a man-eat-man world.

…

Outside the main gate on the east side of the Jiang Mansion complex.

A young girl in a red silk skirt held a long whip, her gaze sharp as she looked ahead, seemingly waiting for something.

“Miss, isn’t what we’re doing improper?”

A young maid-like girl beside her, twisting the hem of her clothes with both hands, said with a worried expression.

The red-skirted girl raised an eyebrow and snorted, “What’s improper about it? I merely want to personally greet my cousin who has come from afar. Is that wrong?”

Her Yanliang Gege had always been at odds with Jiang Yujin. Now that Jiang Yujin’s sister was returning, if she could be made to lose face before entering the door, it would undoubtedly make Jiang Yujin look bad, and Yanliang Gege would surely be happy.

“But…”

The maid wanted to say more but was glared back into silence by the red-skirted girl.

“Shut up! Don’t think that just because Mother arranged for you to come here, you can point fingers at me. In the end, you’re just a lowly maid, with the blood of those commoners from the outer city flowing in your veins. Being able to serve me is a blessing you’ve cultivated for eight lifetimes, don’t push your luck!”

The red-skirted girl’s words were sharp and merciless.

The maid’s expression dimmed, and she lowered her head, no longer speaking.

At this moment, the sound of carriage wheels rattling came from a distance, accompanied by the light clatter of hooves. A luxuriously decorated carriage slowly approached the Jiang Mansion gate.

The red-skirted girl’s eyes lit up, and she immediately straightened her back, tightly gripping the long whip in her hand.

The carriage stopped steadily. Shan Congfeng dismounted, respectfully walked to the carriage door, and gently lifted the curtain.

“Miss, we’re here.”

“Good.”

Just as Song Ling was getting out of the carriage, the red-skirted girl raised the long whip in her hand and sharply cracked it on the ground in front of Song Ling, making a loud “crack” sound.

Startled, the horse reared its front hooves and was about to bolt forward. Fortunately, Shan Congfeng was quick-witted and, with the immense strength of a first-rate martial artist, reined the horse in. Song Ling’s body swayed slightly but showed no panic, remaining steadily on the ground.

Song Ling’s gaze turned slightly cold. If it weren’t for Shan Congfeng just now, although there would have been no danger to her with her strength, it would undoubtedly have made her appear awkward and flustered upon her arrival at the Jiang family.

“Thank you, Gang Leader Shan.” Song Ling nodded slightly in thanks.

“It’s what this subordinate should do,” Shan Congfeng said in a deep voice.

Song Ling then looked at the red-skirted girl and asked, “Who are you?”

The red-skirted girl looked at Song Ling’s clear and beautiful face, her heart filled with surprise.

She had originally heard that Song Ling grew up in the mountains and countryside outside the city, and presumed she would have grown into a crude and unrefined appearance. She never expected her to be so clear and refined, and with an extraordinary temperament, which even made her, a girl with ill intentions, subconsciously feel amazed.

However, realizing this, her heart became even more enraged.

Why?

How could someone who grew up surrounded by commoners be more outstanding than herself, a young lady who had been pampered since childhood in a wealthy place?

If at first she had only targeted Song Ling to make Yanliang Gege happy, now she genuinely felt jealousy and hostility towards Song Ling herself.

The red-skirted girl curled her lips into a cold smile, her eyes revealing arrogance and provocation:

“My name is Yuan Yuechan. My mother is the seventh daughter of the Jiang family head. Today, I specifically came to welcome you, Cousin.”

Song Ling had previously briefly asked Shan Congfeng about some of the Jiang family’s relationships, knowing that the current Jiang family head had many children, mostly illegitimate. Yuan Yuechan’s mother was one of the many illegitimate daughters.

So he smiled indifferently:

“I wondered who it was. Turns out it’s just an outsider born of a concubine.”

Song Ling’s voice was calm and cool, without the slightest emotional fluctuation, yet every word was like a needle, accurately piercing Yuan Yuechan’s heart.

Yuan Yuechan’s face instantly turned ashen.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze. The maid beside her was so scared she didn’t dare to breathe, trembling.

Being a Jiang family member was her young mistress’s most proud identity label, and now it had been mercilessly torn off by Song Ling…

“What an ignorant country bumpkin! Today I’ll teach you what manners are!”

Yuan Yuechan was so furious she almost lost her mind. The long whip in her hand drew a sharp arc in the air, like a spiritual snake emerging from its hole, striking directly at Song Ling’s face.

Shan Congfeng’s expression changed, wanting to intervene, but was stopped by a look from Song Ling.

The moment Yuan Yuechan wielded her whip, he saw that she was a third-rate martial artist of the same realm as him, but her skill was loose, clearly not having seriously studied martial arts. Even without considering the breakthrough move, Wind Splitting Moon Slash, she was far from his match.

Facing this whip, Song Ling channeled internal energy into her palm and, in a flash of lightning, grabbed the whip’s body.

Then, she yanked it back hard!

Yuan Yuechan felt an irresistible force coming from the long whip. She involuntarily stumbled forward a few steps, almost falling to the ground.

Song Ling held the long whip, her gaze cold:

“To have lived in such a privileged environment since childhood, yet only possess this much skill, truly a waste.”

…