White walls adorned with fresh green vines, with brown roots faintly visible through gaps in the leaves.
Under the sunlight, a flock of white pigeons flew overhead.
The bustling street was teeming with people. There were vendors shouting their wares, passing travelers, and merchants from far away.
A blacksmith was hammering away at the edge of the street, producing a rhythmic ding-dong sound.
A clown was juggling small balls by the roadside, drawing applause and cheers.
Tall camel humps appeared like islands in a sea of people, incredibly fascinating.
The so-called White City was not as aloof as its name suggested. On the contrary, it radiated vitality everywhere.
Looking up, Gray could see clothes hanging on balconies on both sides of the street, some freshly hung and still dripping with water. *A young lady held a stick, continuously beating the sheets,* while *a girl stretched her neck to look down from the balcony.*
*A child was playing with a ball on the balcony*; the ball missed its mark and fell towards Pas, who caught it swiftly and tossed it back.
"Thank you!" The child hugged the ball and happily exclaimed to Pas.
At the corner of the street, a stage was set up, with several actors cheerfully performing a new play, drawing laughter from the gathered audience.
As Gray crossed the arch bridge, he saw flocks of white geese swimming below. The moss on the bridge's stone bricks felt slippery to the touch.
Two old men were fishing on the bridge, glaring at each other, boasting about who caught the bigger fish.
Near the bridge, a few old ladies were arguing for some unknown reason, their voices so loud that the whole White City could hear.
People gathered everywhere, talking and doing various things, all these scenes converged into Gray's mind thanks to Magic Power, forming a colorful tapestry of diverse individuals, mesmerizing Gray.
*Even the strongest Lich's city could not have this impact.* Though there were many undead there, most lacked self-awareness and existed mechanically.
Here, each person, each life, was an independent being. New stories unfolded constantly, making them irresistibly attractive to a Lich.*
"Knight! Knight! Knight! Knight!"
A group of children chased after Yilin's team, reaching out their small hands to Gray.
"What do they want?" Gray turned to ask Pas.
"They want money." Pas reached into his pocket, pulled out a few copper coins, and tossed them out.
Instantly, the children went wild.
"I see." Gray reached into his pocket too, but he pulled out silver coins. In fact, he only had silver coins. He threw them out as well.
This time, not only the children went wild, but even the adults joined in the scramble, creating chaos that forced the team to halt temporarily.
"Is this right?" Gray turned back again, seeing his companions all staring at him with wide eyes, including Yilin.
"What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" Gray asked.
"No, you did it just right." Yilin said with a polite smile.
When Yilin passed by, nearly half the people would stop what they were doing and take off their hats to greet her. Yilin returned the gesture with a polite smile.
Naturally, Gray, who rode a tall horse and was closest to Yilin, became the focal point of attention. Countless people nodded and saluted him, their passionate gazes making Gray feel elated.
"I like it here." Gray soon concluded, "This is what being alive feels like!"
"Wake up, you've been dead for a long time." The Black Cat sneered from behind.
"I was using a metaphor. A metaphor. Get it? Besides, don't you think a Lich is actually another form of life?"
"No!"
"'All living, existing, and self-aware beings are life.' That's what the Bible says."
"Damn! You really read that stuff!" The Black Cat suddenly felt that "a Lich reading 'The Knight's Growth Guide'" didn't sound so bad anymore.
Fortunately, Priests don't wear full armor, a Lich can't pretend to be one.
"Mr. Gray." Abi Robbs squeezed his horse over to Gray's side, holding a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other, and whispered to Gray, "You don't have a residence in the White City, so we're planning to arrange for you to stay in the castle. You'll stay with the guards, is that alright?"
"I need a separate room."
"Of course! We'll arrange for you to stay in the best guest room! Moreover, after settling in, I'll have someone come to measure you, so we can forge new armor for you, and armor for your horse, too."
"Forging new armor?"
"Yes. You don't want others to see your appearance, which is fine, Miss Yilin has already agreed. But you should at least wear a more dignified set of armor. After all... you are now one of the most important Knights of the Beisher Family. The expenses for replacing your weapons and armor will be fully covered by Miss Yilin."
Gray stared blankly for a moment and casually replied, "Alright."
"Great, that's settled then!" Lowering his head, Abi Robbs began jotting down in his notebook.
"Have you thought this through? He wants to forge new armor for you and the Bone Horse." The Black Cat asked expressionlessly.
"Is there a problem?"
"They need to take measurements?"
"And then?"
"Then, when they take off the armor to measure you and the Bone Horse, they'll be shocked to find out that you're both skeletons. The new Baron of the Beisher Family is a Lich. This news would stir up the entire continent for half a month."
The Bone Horse got scared, stopped abruptly, and was bumped by Mike, who was walking behind.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing! Nothing!" Gray quickly shook his head and continued riding forward on the Bone Horse, but his spine felt a chill.
Finally, they passed through the crowded streets and reached the Beisher Family's castle at the center of the White City.
To be honest, compared to the Beisher Family's castle, Count Caspar's castle, or any that Gray had seen underground, paled in comparison.
Rather than for military defense, this castle was genuinely for living.
The towering white walls looked like snowy mountains from a distance. Upon crossing the spacious moat and passing the heavily guarded castle gates, the true Beisher Family's estate appeared before Gray.
The outer walls of the castle were large enough to encompass a small town, and inside, instead of densely packed buildings, there was a vast, empty, giant garden.
Compared to the crowded streets of the White City, the whole world seemed to open up.
Straight and spacious cobblestone paths, with lush gardens filled with well-tended flowers and plants on either side, accompanied by bird chirps and delicate sculptures.
Directly ahead was a huge square, at the center of which lay a fountain. The water splashed like raindrops, with faint rainbows visible. The outflowing water streamed through man-made creeks, nourishing everything in the garden, then flowed out through the castle's channels into the moat.
At the left end was a church with a tall bell tower and colorful stained glass walls, the Beisher Family's private chapel, and the tallest building in the White City.
At the right end was a sturdy, standalone small fortress, where the Beisher Family's Personal Guard resided, complete with a private plaza, stables, training grounds, and even a race track.
Following the main stone path straight ahead, you'd arrive at a three-story mansion covered in vines. It was exquisitely detailed, as if it belonged in a fairy tale.
At the mansion's entrance stood two statues, each five meters tall, of knights riding fine horses and holding long spears. Below the statues lay a meticulously trimmed garden.
Leading his horse through the castle gates, Gray was dumbfounded. If he had eyelids, he'd probably open his eyes wide in shock. But sadly, his hollow eye sockets revealed nothing, so he just stood there, gawking. *Using clumsy movements to express his fascination with such a sight.*
*Indeed, he had never seen such a thing before.*
*Even the most powerful underground Lich didn't have a castle like this.* It's not that they couldn't build it, but they simply couldn't imagine it. *A Lich's life revolves around Magic and more Magic; perhaps due to their endless lives, they don't understand cherishing, nor have they learned to enjoy.* Thus, *a Lich, no matter how long-lived, no matter if they could flatten a duchy with one hand, could never possess a residence like this Duke's mansion.*
*For a Lich, this seemed like another world entirely.*
*Alright, it was another world.*
"Hey, hey, stop daydreaming, everyone's watching you." The Black Cat suddenly interjected.
Gray was startled, realizing he had fallen to the back of the group. Everyone had stopped and was quietly watching him. The Bone Horse was grumbling as if ashamed to have such an inexperienced owner.
"What's wrong?" Yilin asked.
"Nothing, nothing!" Gray quickly shook his head and followed.
Turning her face, Yilin continued discussing the next steps with Abi Robbs.
"Will Gray's armor be ready by tonight?"
"Tonight? That's too rushed, impossible."
"Then find a suitable set for him to wear for now. I plan to invite all the nobles in the city tonight for a ball. They should know that I've returned with the army, I need to meet them. Maybe they have something to say, or want to hear me speak. If we delay until tomorrow, I fear they might make bad speculations. Gray, as the new Baron, must attend. I want everyone to see Gray."
"Understood, Miss Yilin. I will prepare everything for you. Should I send invitations to all the nobles in the White City?"
"Yes, to all."
Gray walked behind, cautiously listening, feeling a chill running down his spine. He really had a spine!