Therefore, the capital city is named after David Reed, and even the country itself is called the Blue Cloud Empire. Although some other nations have also obtained and continuously researched the ‘cloud dove’, only the Blue Cloud Empire is able to utilize it on a large scale. David Reed is also the national bird of the Blue Cloud Empire.

“This isn’t a place for the likes of you Four Pests—this is a place for talented scholars and beautiful ladies to meet.”

“Haha… That’s right, you should go to places like Wanhua Pavilion or Lan Kwai Fong.”

“Or why don’t you learn from your boss at home—at worst, just rape a maid at home… haha…”

At that moment, several voices full of arrogance and mockery reached his ears, snapping William Clark out of his deep thoughts as he wandered the streets. Rape a maid—he hadn’t expected that even after leaving the The Clark Family and escaping those strange looks, he would still hear such a grating phrase. William Clark didn’t even need to think or guess; he already knew these people were definitely talking about something related to him.

“Damn lackeys, how dare you talk about the young master! Are you tired of living?” At this moment, an angry shout rang out. Out of the corner of his eye, William Clark saw a frail figure suddenly charge into a group of wolf-like guards.

William Clark looked up and saw a wide inner river beside him, with no fewer than a hundred boats of all sizes moored on the water. Flower Boat Street, also known as Scholar and Beauty Street, was a bit different from ordinary pleasure districts. The visitors here were mostly scholars and literati, who played chess, strummed the zither, recited poetry, composed couplets, tasted wine, listened to the wind, and admired the rain… The expenses here were several times higher than those at regular pleasure houses, yet countless people flocked here, and the annual Flower Boat Courtesan Competition was famous throughout the capital.

Gradually, Flower Boat Street gained its reputation: for elegance, ambiance, and class, you came to Flower Boat Street, but sometimes it could take you a year or more to win someone over. Those who could persuade a beauty from the flower boats to spend the night with them were considered exceptionally talented and promising. Countless young scholars set this as their goal, believing that true scholarly romance should be like this, while only the lower, vulgar types would go to places meant solely for venting desires. Here, it was all about mood and charm.

Hearing someone nearby mention him, William Clark finally realized he had unconsciously wandered onto Flower Boat Street. Turning his head, he saw a frail figure leading several followers toward a large boat. There were people standing both on the bow and the shore, and they immediately started fighting.

“Damn it, Michael Bolton, you bunch of lackeys dare to hit me!” At this moment, the frail person who had charged in first and most fiercely was thrown out. Fortunately, his followers caught him in time, but he had still taken a few punches to the face and looked quite disheveled. The key was that his body was so thin it seemed a gust of wind could blow him away; even a minor injury made it seem like he might drop dead at any moment.

At the bow of the boat, leading two groups of people—more than a dozen imposing guards—stood a man not yet thirty but already slightly balding: Michael Bolton of the Clark Residence. With a fake smile, he said, “Young Master Thompson, that’s a bit harsh. Would I dare lay a hand on you? But this Drifting Snow Boat has already been reserved by my young master and Young Master Foster. If you want to barge in, of course I have to stop you. Young Master Thompson may be wealthy and powerful, but there’s still a first come, first served rule. Even if this went to the authorities or to the elders of our families, I’m afraid Young Master Thompson wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.”

Michael Bolton’s words were soft yet sharp, laced with barbs. He knew that this Young Master Thompson was currently under house arrest and must have sneaked out, not daring to make a big scene, which was why he spoke this way.

George Thompson, the only male heir of the The Thompson Family of Songville. George Thompson’s grandfather had five sons, but those five sons together had twenty-three daughters and only this one male heir, George Thompson. He now had eight older sisters and fifteen younger sisters, a legendary story widely told in Songville. Most importantly, almost every year the The Thompson Family kept breaking this record, each time giving the upper class of Songville more to gossip about.

George Thompson’s grandfather was once Edward Clark’s right-hand man, the top general under Edward Clark back in the day. Over a decade ago, he died from old wounds and was posthumously honored as a second-rank Protector of the Nation. George Thompson’s father is now the Minister of Justice, and among his four uncles, one is a great general and three are generals. With the old master of the The Thompson Family of Songville gone, this family background would be considered average, not top-tier.

But the The Thompson Family’s true strength lies in the fact that eleven daughters have already married out—one to a prince, five to generals, and the rest at the very least to high-ranking local officials. Moreover, the The Thompson Family is aligned with the The Clark Family faction, so even though the old master has passed away, it remains one of the top aristocratic families in Songville.

As the only male heir of his generation, the The Thompson Family naturally treasures George Thompson like a precious gem, afraid he’ll break if they hold him, afraid he’ll melt if they speak his name. George Thompson is absolutely one of the most notorious playboys and wastrels in Songville, and only William Clark, who took him to the flower boats at the age of nine, the city’s number one playboy, can keep him in check. However, his health has been deteriorating, and the The Thompson Family has already secretly notified all the major pleasure venues in the capital: anyone who dares let George Thompson in again can expect to be shut down.