When Luo Ran eventually woke up, he discovered that he was unbound and laying on a soft bed within a very well-furnished room. He was still wearing his dusty clothes, and even the vines that once held him fast were strewn all over the bed.
Rising, he subconsciously massaged the back of his neck and cracked it.
"I hope no one violated me," Luo Ran said as he felt himself up to make sure everything felt normal.
Walking away from the bed and to a separate space of the room, he stood before a wash basin and a silver mirror. He began to remove some of his clothing, taking a look at his face.
Luo Ran possessed an appearance that was difficult to reconcile with the ridiculous man he so often made himself out to be. He was a handsome young man with a slender, well-proportioned build and long, dark hair that cascaded freely down his back, individual strands shifting like black silk in the soft wind.
His features were refined, almost delicate, with sharp eyes and a calm, composed expression that could easily belong to a noble heir of some ancient clan, however, there was something distinctly unconventional about Luo Ran. He looked less like an ordinary cultivator and more like a wandering young master who had spent far too much time admiring himself in polished bronze.
At first glance, one might mistake him for a dignified prodigy. It would only take a few minutes of conversation to reveal just how thoroughly mistaken that assumption was.
As he stood in the mirror admiring himself, the door to the room was kicked open. In came Jin Huang, clutching a ball of clothing items which he tossed onto the bed. It did not take much looking around for him to see Luo Ran standing in the washroom.
"It's you!" Luo Ran paled and tried to become one with the wall behind him.
Jin Huang grinned and waved disarmingly, "Relax, Luo Ran. Clean yourself up and take a look at these clothes I brought. Meet me outside the room when you're done."
With that, he left the room. Luo Ran blinked a few times, calmed himself, and sighed. "I might as well. First chance I get, though, I'm outta here!"
After a number of minutes, Luo Ran got dressed in a simple but well-made black and white robe, his long hair falling freely down his back. As soon as he stepped out of the room, he gasped.
Before him stretched the upper residential levels of the main branch of the Obsidian Treasury, so high above the ground that the streets below seemed almost like narrow streams winding through an enormous city. Yet it was the sight beyond the building that truly captured his attention.
The Imperial City of the Scarlet Dominion spread endlessly beneath him, its grand architecture bearing the colors of its ruler everywhere he looked. Crimson rooftops and scarlet walls dominated the cityscape, contrasted by pale stone foundations and elaborate golden ornamentation.
Towering buildings rose between wide avenues, their surfaces decorated with banners and magical formations bearing the insignia of the Scarlet Emperor. Above it all, countless magical lights glimmered like stars even in the daylight.
But the sky was perhaps the most astonishing sight.
Flying carriages moved through carefully arranged aerial lanes, some traveling slowly between the buildings while others sped along elevated routes that stretched across the city like invisible highways.
Magical flying arks, enormous compared to the carriages below, sailed through the heavens in orderly streams. Every now and then, one would rise or descend between designated levels, merging into the endless flow of aerial traffic.
Luo Ran stood completely still, his mouth hanging slightly open.
Behind him, Jin Huang leaned casually against the wall, arms folded across his chest as he watched the young man's reaction with an amused expression.
Luo Ran slowly turned his head. "What the hell? When did we get here!?"
Jin Huang's smile widened. "A few days ago! You were asleep for so long, I almost thought you died from a teeny little slap behind the head."
Luo Ran looked back toward the city as he subconsciously massaged the back of his neck, only just processing Jin Huang's word. He snapped, "Wait what!?"
Jin Huang laughed and, although Luo Ran was pissed, he for once had absolutely nothing to say. The sight before him was simply too grand.
"Come on. Let's go have breakfast. You must be starving."
Luo Ran amicably followed as they descended the stairs and entered the lower floor, where there was a spacious common area. Leading him into the dining room, Jin Huang introduced him to two people seated at a sizable dining table.
"Luo Ran, meet Xiao Chen and Meng Lan."
Xiao Chen, adorned ordinarily, nodded slightly. Meng Lan had no reaction, instead continuing to sit idly near Xiao Chen.
"Good day," Luo Ran gave a small bow, only to yelp softly and almost fall over when he received a slap on the back from Jin Huang.
"Oh, lighten up!" Jin Huang laughed at Luo Ran's sheepish demeanor. "Where's the guy who tried to scam me, huh? Come on, sit with me over here."
Jin Huang sat down and immediately started chatting with Xiao Chen. Luo Ran joined him shortly after, feeling as though he did not belong. However, hunger was truly beginning to grip him, and he patiently awaited the food.
"Like I was saying, Xiao Chen," Jin Huang started, "I can easily concoct those medicinal pills for you, but I want a BIG bonus, okay? I'm talking HUGE!"
Xiao Chen chuckled, "Naturally you'll be paid extremely well. I think you're on your way to being my most well-paid employee."
Jin Huang shot him a look, then turned to Luo Ran, "See, Luo Ran, this guy here is technically my boss. He's the Owner of the Obsidian Treasury, and starting today, we're gonna be working for him here at the main branch."
Luo Ran nodded absently... then he almost fell off his chair. "Wait! You mean- !!!"
Jin Huang nodded; Xiao Chen massaged his eyes and said, "You're sure we can trust this kid?"
Nodding like a chick pecking rice, Jin Huang smacked his chest and said, "Of course we can. After all, this is my one and only subordinate! My lackey! My right-hand man! Luo Ran!"
Luo Ran did not know whether to laugh or kill himself. When had he ever decided this? Was he no longer in control of the trajectory of his life?
No. He couldn't accept it. He had to escape!
Just as he was about to search for an exit, another set of doors opened up and servants poured in with food. In a matter of seconds, the table was filled with all manner of delicacies and drink. As quickly as they came, the servants bowed and left.
Xiao Chen and Meng Lan ate quietly as they conversed in between, while Jin Huang ate savagely. However, shortly after they started eating, all three of them were shocked by an unexpected sight.
Luo Ran had not only started crying... he was eating even more savagely than even Jin Huang!
Fistfuls of food vanished into his mouth, where Luo Ran did not even appear to chew them. Instead, he seemed to just swallow the food whole before continuing to the next dish.
Xiao Chen was mortified. He could not believe that someone else like Jin Huang existed. As he thought about the amount of money he would have to spend on food, he inwardly urged himself to hurry up and start paying Jin Huang. That way, he could force him to shoulder the responsibility of paying him and his 'subordinate's' food bills.
Jin Huang, who was incredulous at first, swiftly became elated. "Good subordinate! Dig in, dig in! Xiao Chen is a most generous host! There's several more tables of food where this one came from! Haha!"
Xiao Chen felt the urge to beat Jin Huang black and blue. Meng Lan had to calm him down.
Luo Ran suddenly paused and gazed intently at Jin Huang. Suddenly, he lowered his head and said, "Forgive me, Boss. I had eyes but could not see what was right in front of me! This lowly one shall be your loyal subordinate from this day until his last!"
Jin Huang inhaled a turkey leg as he guffawed, and rapidly clapped Luo Ran on the shoulder. "Good, good! Come on, don't hold yourself back and eat! Eat!"
So it was that Jin Huang and Luo Ran proceeded to eat practically the entire table's worth of food. Xiao Chen had no choice but to have more food brought, and in the end, they ended up going through five similar servings of food.
Shockingly, even as Jin Huang felt stuffed and started drinking jug after jug of water, Luo Ran was still eating just as ravenously!