"Well, after spending so much time together, I could more or less tell that you were a little different from usual." Songyan rubbed his chin and leaned closer to Bai Jun. "How about it? My powers of observation are actually pretty impressive, right? Do I have that great detective vibe now?"
"Not even close! And you're seriously disgusting. Why are you staring at me all day?" Bai Jun pulled a disgusted little cat face and immediately grabbed a case file, swatting Songyan's approaching face away like he was shooing flies.
"Hey, you're truly unreasonable. I came over here out of the kindness of my heart to comfort you, and you called me disgusting. My heart hurts from how angry I am." Songyan clutched his right chest, looking utterly devastated as he staggered back toward the window.
"Your heart's on the right?"
"Oh, sorry, wrong side." Songyan froze, then moved the hand pressing against his right chest over to the left.
Bai Jun sighed, far too lazy to keep talking nonsense with him. His left hand sorted through the files on the desk while his right handed Songyan his teacup. Under Songyan's puzzled gaze, he explained, "What are you standing there for? Make me some tea."
"Fine, fine, fine. I guess I was just born to toil." Though he complained aloud, Songyan obediently went to make Bai Jun a cup of tea. By the time he returned from the water dispenser, Bai Jun's desk had already been cleared.
Bai Jun thanked him and accepted the tea. He had not had any water since morning, so he could not be bothered with whether it would scald his mouth. After blowing lightly across it, he began to drink slowly.
"Hey! Qing Yan, I remember you spent some time in Zhuming before, right? I just remembered something interesting about Zhuming!"
While Bai Jun drank, Songyan, who had nothing better to do, suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Although he was usually lazy and negative, he was always unexpectedly enthusiastic whenever it came to sharing gossip and interesting stories. He cleared his throat and rather haltingly began recounting a tale he had heard from Mr. Xiyan a few days ago.
"Have you heard the story of the wandering hero? It was said that among Zhuming's greatest masters of swordsmanship and craftsmanship, there were eight renowned figures known as the 'Flame Wheel Eight Leaves.' They all came from Zhuming's Cloud Cavalry and Artisanship Commission, studying craftsmanship and swordsmanship under Huai Yan. They were the master artisans in charge of all manner of weapons at the Flamewheel Forging Palace—the pillars holding up modern-day Zhuming."
"However, in the second year of Yuanhe... uh, no, it should have been Star Calendar 8094. A mysterious master appeared in Zhuming from who knew where. No one knew his name, origins, or lineage, yet with a single blade and by himself, he swept through the Flame Wheel Eight Leaves in one night. Logically, such an astonishing feat should have made him famous throughout the world, but this great hero simply brushed off his sleeves and left after the deed was done, concealing both his identity and name. Even today, it remains one of Zhuming's great mysteries."
"Pfft—! Cough, cough, cough! What the hell is that?"
Bai Jun suddenly began coughing violently, spraying a mouthful of tea uncontrollably across Songyan's face. Songyan had been speaking animatedly and had not expected this at all. He was instantly drenched, his expression shifting from surprise to helplessness.
"Was the story really that shocking? Or had you heard about it while you were in Zhuming?" Songyan helplessly wiped the tea from his face, sounding faintly reproachful yet amused.
"It's fake. I've never heard of it." Bai Jun wiped the corner of his mouth and denied it without hesitation.
"But... Mr. Xiyan made it sound so convincing. It felt really real. Why don't you go listen to it sometime?"
"I think anyone who seeks a sense of reality in fictional stories must have something wrong with their head." Bai Jun pointed at his temple and handed Songyan several tissues so he could wipe his face, which was his way of apologizing.
Songyan did not argue. He merely accepted the tissues with a grin and wiped his face. "That's true, I guess. But stuff like this doesn't matter. Who cares whether it's real or fake? It's fun to listen to. Even if that wandering hero really existed, what did that have to do with us?"
As he spoke, he pulled a photograph from his clothes and stuffed it into Bai Jun's hands without explanation.
"What's this?"
Though puzzled, Bai Jun still accepted the photo. It showed a small white cat, its soft fur like flowing clouds reflecting snow, lustrous and full-bodied, looking both handsome and dignified.
"If you're really in a bad mood, you can take over the missing-cat commission for me and apply for a morning of fieldwork. You don't actually have to search for it. Just find a teahouse somewhere and get some proper rest."
Songyan stretched lazily and continued with a smile, "Anyway, I've been looking for that cat for a week and still can't find it. I'm starting to wonder whether some family caught it and stewed it for meat."
"Is that how you curse someone else's cat...? Still, thanks for the thought."
"It's nothing, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." Songyan waved it off carelessly. As he turned and walked back to his own desk, he did not forget to remind him, "Oh, right. If you hear of any job where you help some rich young lady walk her dog every day, remember to tell me. I can quit my job at the Earth-Balance Commission anytime."
"Keep dreaming. If a job like that existed, I'd be the first to quit and apply." Bai Jun laughed as he teased him, slipped the photo into his pocket, and stood up again.
He thought Songyan was right. Rather than sit in the office worrying himself sick, he might as well go out for a stroll. He could read at Sanyu Bookstore, listen to storytelling at Mr. Xiyan's place, or, if he got tired of drinking tea at Buye Hou, find Qing Que for a few rounds of cards. Once he had some free time over the next few days, he could ask Jing Yuan about the Medicine King's Legacy. He ought to know something.
Oh, right—the newly rented house in Aurum Alley also needed to be cleaned when he had time.
Having settled on a plan, Bai Jun felt much better. He took the missing-cat notice and went to apply to Jing Yan for fieldwork.
Jing Yan did not say much. If anything, she had long been annoyed that Songyan had spent an entire week looking for a cat. Now that Bai Jun had taken over, she was actually relieved.
Leaving the Public Office, Bai Jun found the streets at their finest. Seasonal spring blossoms flourished on both sides of the road, forever dancing in the lingering wind. Petals drifted down like falling snow, scattering gentle specks of softness everywhere.
After crossing the bustling street, Bai Jun found himself holding a skewer of rosy, translucent, plump, crystalline sweets—what Luofu people commonly called Qiongshi Bird Skewers.
Bai Jun was not particularly interested in them. He had only seen Qing Que and Bailu enjoying them often, and for some reason, he suddenly felt like trying one today.
"Not bad. Pretty tasty..."
As he wondered whether to visit Sanyu Bookstore and browse its new arrivals or go to Buye Hou for tea, Bai Jun gave the skewer a simple review.
Forget it, he would stroll around Xuan Ye Avenue in the Starcruiser Sea Hub. He had heard that Buye Hou had brought in a batch of excellent Dan Ding Needle tea. Brewed in a covered bowl with boiling water and poured quickly, the tea was neither strong nor bitter, fresh, fragrant, mellow, and just right.
He hailed a taxi skiff at the skiff sea. Before long, he arrived at the skiff harbor of the Starcruiser Sea Hub. The place was packed with Outworlders who had just entered through the Jade Realm Gate. Most of them looked distinctly different from one another, but all wore cameras around their necks. Brimming with excitement, they took photos of the stone lions at the harbor and the Jade Realm Gate behind them, as curious as children who had only just learned to walk.
A woman in an extravagant formal dress pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed. "Oh, my heavens, this is simply too beautiful. Everything looks so extraordinary. This is scenery one could never see on Penacony!"
Her male companion, dressed in a suit, excitedly stopped Bai Jun just as he stepped off the taxi skiff. In an odd translated voice filtered through a synesthesia beacon, he asked, "Hey, old pal! Please wait—uh, I mean, friend. Could we ask an enthusiastic local Xianzhou friend to introduce us to the area? I swear there must be plenty of fascinating places here. And what could be more exciting than hearing about such interesting locations?"
Bai Jun blinked his wide, startled eyes, swallowed the Qiongshi Bird Skewer in his mouth, glanced around, then pointed at himself. "Me?"
"That's right, beautiful Xianzhou friend. Among everyone I have ever known, your beauty is unquestionably among the very finest. Only that Family singer renowned across the universe could compare with you." The man did not seem to realize that he had gone off-topic at all. On the contrary, he happily continued rambling.
"Who asked you?" Bai Jun helplessly cut him off. His eyes returned to their lifeless, half-lidded state as he shrugged. "You want to know what fun places there are on the Luofu?"
"Yes, yes. Those Cloud Cavalry friends and Tianbo Division friends all said, 'What's worth seeing on the Luofu? It's all boring!' But I believe you must know some places, right?"
No, actually, I don't know what there is to see or do on the Luofu either.
Bai Jun silently mocked them in his heart, but pointed with his right hand toward Exalting Sanctum on the other side of the skiff sea. "Go there. The Imperial Jade Card Game hall—the most entertaining place in all the Xianzhou. When you're tired of playing, turn right next door to the restaurants in Aurum Alley. Have braised pork intestines hotpot with stir-fried liver, then wash it all down with a huge bowl of Soda Mung Bean Milk. Only true old Luofu gourmands know that flavor."
"Oh! My sincere thanks. I swear to the Family that you are absolutely the warmest and most hospitable Xianzhou person I have met. I wish you a wonderful life."
After thanking him, the woman lifted the edge of her skirt and bent in salute. Then the two walked away arm in arm, sweetly enjoying their rare vacation.
Bai Jun returned the salute, watched them leave, popped another qiongshi fruit into his mouth, and turned to continue toward Xuan Ye Avenue.
It was not exactly deceiving them. Only old Luofu gourmands really ate those things. As for whether other people could handle them... whatever. Wasn't traveling all about experiencing something new?
As he rounded a street corner, Bai Jun caught sight of the right side of the road from the corner of his eye and stopped. His gaze fixed on a girl in yellow with chestnut twin-tails standing by the wooden railing. She stood by the skiff sea, blankly staring up at the sky and watching star skiffs pass through the harbor, though who knew what she was thinking about.
Just as Bai Jun wondered what was wrong with her, the girl suddenly stretched one hand beyond the railing. Then half her body leaned over the edge of the bridge, and the toes of her raised foot gradually lifted from the ground.
Seeing that she was about to cross the railing and fall into the skiff sea, Bai Jun was horrified. He could not spare another thought, clamped the Qiongshi Bird Skewer between his teeth, and lunged toward the yellow-clad girl by the bridge.
Chapter 24: Kid, Don't Elbow Me (5k)
The Jade Realm shone bright, its fields of jade vast and rippling.
Star skiffs flowed into the sea-market like clouds and mud, while endless travelers crowded the celestial gate.
Whenever travelers entered or departed the Luofu, they only needed to look up to see the vast Jade Realm Gate. The spatial membrane within it churned like a vortex, unsupported and unanchored, yet it breathed in and out star skiffs and vessels of every size. But that was merely ordinary. More magnificent still was the towering divine spirit above the Jade Realm Gate, seemingly forged from lightning itself. With radiant majesty, it stood in the void beside a Formation Blade over a hundred feet tall, awe-inspiring beyond measure.
It was said that this was a gift of the Reignbow's divine power, known as the Heavenly Mandate Thunder Palace's Chief Commander of Thunder and Lightning, Pursuer of Demons and Sweeper of Filth. It maintained peace across the region, and its current wielder was the General of Divine Strategy, one of the Xianzhou's renowned Seven Arbiter-Generals.
All travelers wishing to enter the Luofu looked up in reverence at this divine presence. The timid and cowardly did not even dare raise their heads to meet its gaze.
Among them was a girl in yellow who looked to be about sixteen. Her features were delicate and lovely, with a faint heroic spirit between her brows. She was undeniably a beauty in the making. Yet what drew more attention was the enormous sword she carried with some unfathomable strength.
The sword was two feet and one inch long, far larger than ordinary weapons. Its appearance vaguely suggested antiquity, yet its twin edges were as thin as cicada wings, sharp enough to slice hairs blown upon them. Every passerby who saw it turned to stare in amazement. But the girl seemed burdened with worries. She only furrowed her brow, faint annoyance showing on her face as she muttered, "Oh no, oh no... what was the Sword Heart Incantation Mom told me again?"
The girl was Sushang, a native of Yaoqing. Responding to the Cloud Cavalry's call, she had come to the Luofu to join the Cloud Cavalry's campaigns and train herself through battle. By all rights, it should have been an important day worth remembering, but the moment she arrived, she had committed a grave taboo. In her nerves, she had forgotten the "Sword Heart Incantation" her mother had especially told her to recite repeatedly!
The Sword Heart Incantation was something her mother had taught her while honing her swordsmanship. According to her mother, the heart was the foundation of martial arts. Only by refining one's heart and spirit into formlessness could one understand that a sword was merely an external tool. Grass, wood, stone, and bamboo could all become swords. Follow one's heart and strength, and roam free and unrestrained—only then could one be said to have truly entered the gates of the Great Void Sword Art.
What was she supposed to do? She had spent years pestering her mother before being allowed to come join the Luofu Cloud Cavalry this time. If her mother found out that she had forgotten the Sword Heart Incantation the moment she left home, she would probably fly over on a sword herself to drag Sushang back. Even having her father plead for her would not help.
At the thought of returning to those miserable days of vegetarian meals, reciting incantations, and practicing swordsmanship morning and night, Sushang felt as though the sky had collapsed.
Before she could come up with a solution, the Cloud Cavalry guard at the checkpoint raised a hand and motioned her forward. "Next! Quickly present your Xianzhou Alliance travel permit, Luofu entry permit, conduct certificate, certificate of no criminal record, and other documents. There are many people behind you, so don't waste time!"
Sushang jumped, stuffed the "Luofu Travel Guide" she carried into her clothes, and clenched her teeth so hard they trembled. Yet she could only bite the bullet and step forward.
"Even gold and stone can melt, but our oath... uh, what came next?" Sushang handed over the required documents one by one. She had intended to salute this Cloud Cavalry senior, but barely half a second into the words, she completely forgot them.
"Even gold and stone can melt, but our oath shall not break." The Cloud Cavalryman took the two documents, gave them a quick glance, then looked up at Sushang. He asked in surprise, "You're a newly enlisted Cloud Cavalry soldier?"
"Y-yes, I am!"
Hearing the girl's Yaoqing accent, the Cloud Cavalryman grinned and waved as he handed back the papers. "Fine, fine. Young one, just pass through. But there are so many people behind you, so we still need to go through the process. What oath are you gambling on? State your name, origins, reason for entry, and the rest one by one."
Sushang nodded. It seemed she had used Luofu historical references wrong again.
With no other choice, she picked up the Square Vision Mirror and truthfully reported what was written on the document as the man requested. "Name: Sushang; belongings: one 'Xuanyuan'; origin: living in..."
The girl gave an awkward laugh and scratched her head. "Um, Mr. Gate Guard, how exactly do you write the Yao character in Yaoqing again?"
"'Radiant splendor spits fire; Yao fields shelter marshes.' This yao symbolizes the sun and moon, so it is written with sun, zhai, and fang. Understand?" Though the Cloud Cavalryman was somewhat irritated, he held back the urge to kick her away because she was only a young girl, patiently continuing his explanation.
"Then... how do you write zhai again?"
At that, even the Cloud Cavalryman could not resist rolling his eyes. He personally wrote the characters for Yaoqing for her. Before Sushang could finish writing the address for whatever building on Amber Street, the Cloud Cavalryman waved her away to save her from wasting any more time. Before she left, he did not forget to add one more reminder.
"Young lady, you should read more books!"
"What? This young lady just forgot for a moment, that's all! Right, I only forgot for a moment!" Sushang puffed out her cheeks and grumbled unhappily, before suddenly realizing something. "That's right! I only forgot the Sword Heart Incantation for a moment! Maybe if I eat a meal and get some sleep, I'll remember it!"
Having used such ingenious methods to overcome her inner enemy, Sushang happily admired the scenery along the way. Entry procedures on the Luofu were exceptionally complicated. After more than a dozen large and small inspections, she had long been unable to contain her excitement. She had never been the sort to sit still, and now she could finally run around and stretch her limbs.
Come to think of it, this was her first time traveling far from home!
It was March, and the spring breeze was delightful.
The Starcruiser Sea Hub was unquestionably one of the Luofu's most prosperous areas. Centered around the towering Seat of Divine Foresight, the buildings lining both sides of the streets included teahouses, restaurants, pawnshops, and workshops. Vendors beneath huge parasols stretched through the open spaces along the road in both directions, all the way toward the quieter suburbs beyond the city. Yet the streets remained endlessly crowded.
As she wandered idly through the bustling streets, her steps felt light. Brilliant sunlight spread across the green tiles and red walls everywhere she looked. The jutting eaves, the shop banners fluttering high overhead, the star skiffs gliding in glittering streams, the unending flow of pedestrians, and those tranquil, contented smiles soon left Sushang dazzled. She found a high platform beside a flowering tea tree, set the Xuanyuan Sword against the trunk, then leaned on the wooden railing and stood on tiptoe to look out around her.
"Wow, so this is the Luofu! It's really so much livelier than our Yaoqing!"
In her memories, Yaoqing only became so prosperous during major festivals. How could it be as lively as the Luofu all the time?
Yet after her excitement faded, a worry quietly rose in her mind—the question of where the Luofu Cloud Cavalry registration office was.
"I remember Mom saying the Cloud Cavalry registration office was at some kind of... main headquarters?" Sushang weighed the hilt of the Xuanyuan Sword in her hand and frowned as she tried to recall it. After a long while, with her brain nearly overloaded, she decided to abandon the thought.
She had never been good at using her head. Instead of standing around and thinking herself into a corner, she might as well walk around and ask some locals.
Sushang looked ahead and raised both hands, spreading her index fingers and thumbs to form a picture frame. She boxed the scenery before her within the rainbow-shaped bridge between her fingers and the street connected to it at the bridgehead. At a rough glance, there were crowds everywhere, chaotic and disordered. But upon closer inspection, she spotted several squads of Cloud Cavalry soldiers on patrol. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately had an idea.
Just as she was about to head to the street across from her and ask the Cloud Cavalry seniors for directions, flower petals drifting into her vision seized her attention.
Such pretty flowers...
A girl's heart was always full of romance. Watching the white blossoms flutter down, Sushang instinctively extended her left hand toward a petal falling before her, trying to catch it.
This white tea tree standing by the road had grown differently from the others. Its branches stretched beyond the wooden railing and grew freely over the boundless skiff sea. The waist-high guardrail slightly obstructed her movement, leaving her fingertips just half a step short of the falling petal.
Without thinking, she hooked her right hand around the railing. Her long, fair left leg stretched hard behind her, while half her body leaned out over the skiff sea, balanced on the toes of her right foot.
Her fingertips were about to touch the petal when a gust of wind swept past. Her lifted hair happened to cover her eyes, and by instinct, Sushang closed them. Yet in that instant of surprise, she lost the balance she had carefully maintained.
"Eh?"
Before her mind could even react, her body swayed and pitched forward. With no point of force or support in the air, she was about to inevitably fall into the skiff sea when a warm, powerful hand seized her fair leg hanging in midair, saving Sushang from falling.
The next second, the hand gripping her fair leg suddenly exerted force and yanked Sushang back up. Bai Jun lowered himself with the motion and steadily caught Sushang as she nearly fell to the ground.
It should have been an utterly classic and romantic first meeting, but something went wrong at the very last moment—amid the panic, Sushang's elbow happened to slam into Bai Jun's chest, and her head followed by smashing into the bridge of his nose.
"Guh—!"
With a pained groan, Bai Jun fell to the ground. The Qiongshi Bird Skewer in his mouth flew straight away, and that was not even the end of it—the girl's body fell onto him as well.
Fortunately, Sushang was light, and her body was soft and fragrant. On top of that, Bai Jun exercised often, and his sturdy muscles absorbed much of the impact. Otherwise, that blow would have knocked him unconscious.
Even so, the impact on his nose was very real. It hurt so badly that tears streamed from Bai Jun's eyes. He had no mind to appreciate the soft warmth in his arms, nor did he have any intention of taking advantage of the girl. He immediately released his grip and pushed Sushang, who still had no idea what was going on, away from him.
"You idiot!"
Once Bai Jun recovered, the first thing he did was seize the chestnut-haired girl by the shoulders. His cornflower-blue eyes stared at her with extraordinary seriousness. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? Falling into the skiff sea might not hurt you, but did you think about how fast the passing star skiffs are? What if one of them hit you? Do you know how serious the consequences could be?"
Only then did Sushang, who had been completely dazed, belatedly realize what had happened. She blinked slowly, panic appearing on her exquisite, pretty face. Yet she was not frightened by what had just happened. Instead, she raised a trembling finger and pointed at Bai Jun's lips.
Under Bai Jun's confused gaze, Sushang finally squeezed out a dry, guilty voice. "Th-that... you, you're bleeding."
Bai Jun froze for a moment, then noticed a warm flow across his face. Once he realized what it was, he hurriedly covered his nose. Yet he could still feel warmth seeping through the gaps between his fingers, so he quickly tilted his head back to keep the nosebleed from staining his collar.
There was no need to think about it. The collision just now had definitely caused it.
Naturally, Sushang understood that. She hurriedly searched her pockets, intending to take out tissues and wipe the blood for her benefactor. But after fumbling around, she came up empty-handed. Only then did she remember that the tissues in her pocket had long since run out.
In her frantic state, a flash of lightning crossed Sushang's mind, and she instantly came up with an emergency solution. Gathering her courage, she moved close to Bai Jun. Under Bai Jun's nearly stunned gaze, she pressed her white sleeve against his nose. After several wipes, things only became more of a mess. Her sleeve gradually soaked through with blood, but Sushang did not care in the slightest. Only when the sleeve was completely stained crimson and the bleeding finally stopped did she stop.
Well, it seemed that when someone was speechless enough, they really could laugh.
Bai Jun shook his head with a bitter smile, helpless amusement mingling in his eyes as he looked at Sushang's bloodstained sleeve. He silently swore to himself that this particular breed of idiot was surely a once-in-a-century rarity.
"I'm sorry. It was all because of me that you got hurt, benefactor."
Sushang sat on her knees with them pressed together, looking restrained and proper. Her small hands rested neatly on her legs, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes into a knot. She lowered her head slightly and stared gloomily at the ground, her ashamed and despondent voice seeming to make the air around them much heavier.
"Don't call me benefactor."
Before you continue