The Longbridge Canal lay in the southern part of Winter Arrival City. It was a grand canal that ran from north to south through the Tianyuan Kingdom, like a giant bridge spanning the entire country and connecting its northern and southern regions. That was how it got its name. As if to prove the name fitting, a large trestle bridge had been built every few kilometers along the canal, making it easy to cross from one bank to the other.
The Longbridge Canal had been dug eight hundred years ago. The country had poured all its resources into the project, linking several major rivers. Tens of thousands of people with supernatural abilities had been mobilized over the course of its construction. Few countries anywhere in the world could match such a feat.
I was now aboard a ship bound for the Imperial Capital, traveling south along this man-made wonder toward the Central Plains.
A superfamily's ship was naturally extraordinary. Though it was far inferior to the ships on Earth, it was still the finest vessel that Spirit Star's current level of industry could produce.
Function came second. What mattered was the decor! I was aboard the fleet's flagship, where all the important people were staying. Gold, sandalwood, jewels, and all kinds of luxuries I couldn't even name were everywhere on this lavish ship. Luckily, my earlier trip to the Winter Arrival Hotel had made me immune to such things, so I wasn't cowering like some country bumpkin.
My room was in the middle of the ship. At my insistence, Si Nan Yuan had arranged the most "plain" room she could find for me. By plain, she only meant the style was more understated. There were no flashy things like gold or jewels, but my sharp eyes still noticed that the tiles and wooden furniture were made of extremely high-quality materials. If I damaged anything, I couldn't pay for it even if they sold me.
It was a warm afternoon, just after lunch, the kind that made you drowsy. But I couldn't get any rest, because—
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river! Don't bully a poor young man!"
Si Nan Ying leaned her body to the left, spreading the fingers of her left hand to cover half her face.
"Heaven and earth are not benevolent; they treat all things like straw dogs!"
Si Nan Ying changed poses, crossing her arms above her head.
"Heaven has forsaken me, so I'll defy heaven and become a demon!"
She changed poses again, legs spread apart, one hand on her hip and the other pointing forward.
"A dragon has reverse scales; touch them and you die!"
She twisted her upper body sideways, one hand against her forehead and the other beneath her chin.
"If heaven betrays me, what's wrong with slaughtering all living things!"
Her knees bent slightly as she pulled open the front of her shirt with one hand.
"My fate is mine to command, not heaven's!!!"
At last, she struck Kakarot's iconic Kamehameha pose.
"Break!"
Whoosh! A bubble shot from her palm, flew through the open window, and struck a huge fish leaping out of the river. The unfortunate fish instantly burst into a spray of blood. The power and blast radius were controlled with incredible precision.
"Hahaha! Above heaven and below heaven, I alone am supreme! Hahahahahaha!"
Si Nan Ying threw her head back and laughed, her laughter so arrogant it gave me a headache.
Ever since she'd learned to control her supernatural ability, she'd been in a constant state of excitement. She had more energy than she knew what to do with, and whenever she had free time, she tested her ability before getting lost in self-admiration and laughing nonstop.
To be honest, I was partly to blame... I was the one who'd taught her those weird poses. At first, I'd just thought it would be fun to show her a few classic poses from JoJo and Dragon Ball. I never expected her to get hooked. Now she struck a pose every time she unleashed a move. Why did poses look so cool when the Joestar Family and Saiyans did them, but so adorably stupid when she did them?
Though I'd taught her the poses, those wildly over-the-top lines were all her own. "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river! Don't bully a poor young man!" and "My fate is mine to command, not heaven's!" The more I heard them, the more they sounded like standard Dragon Proud Heaven lines. Could she have the makings of a Dragon Proud Heaven?
But when I thought about her background, it did fit: she was the youngest daughter of a major family, immensely talented but long neglected. After going out on a trip, she'd finally learned to control her power and become a genius powerhouse. Now she was going back to show off...
...Wasn't that the standard opening of a Dragon Proud Heaven novel?
Had I somehow ended up connected to a Dragon Proud Heaven? That didn't sound so bad. After all, in novels, being Dragon Proud Heaven's underling wasn't a bad deal—as long as you pretended to be utterly loyal and sucked up to him, you'd be treated well. Come to think of it, Dragon Proud Heaven usually referred to a man. What should you call a girl with Dragon Proud Heaven attributes? Mary Sue? Dragon Proud Tsundere? Feng Xiang Tian? Wu Zetian?
I was lost in thought when I heard a knock outside. Before I could respond, Si Nan Yuan opened the door and walked in... Hey, hey, at least wait for me to say something! What if I happened to be doing something private?
Si Nan Yuan glanced at Si Nan Ying, who was completely absorbed in admiring herself, and shook her head helplessly.
"Miss is so excited. It's a good thing that she can control her ability, but it's not good for her to get this arrogant over it." As she spoke, she looked at me. "It would be nice if someone could take her down a peg."
"You mean I should take the chance to fight her and teach her a lesson?"
"It's wonderful that you're so understanding."
"Come on... You didn't come here just for that, did you?"
"Correct." Her expression instantly turned grave. "Elder Hong wants to see you."
"Elder Hong, Miss Liu is here."
"Come in."
I pushed the door open and went in, feeling a little nervous. Elder Hong's room was at the back of the ship. Some unknown design made it so that no sound from outside could get in, and none from inside could get out.
The room was furnished very simply, but I realized it had to be the most expensive cabin on the ship. Its four walls weren't made of ordinary materials; they were fashioned from solid slabs of high-grade spirit stone. The moment I stepped inside, I felt much more refreshed.
Elder Hong looked pale and unwell, but he still insisted on sitting upright in a wooden chair, as if preparing for a formal meeting. I couldn't help admiring him a little more.
I imitated him, sitting upright in the chair across from him, my back straight, feet together, and arms resting on my thighs. I even lowered my hood. The instant he saw my face, he looked impressed. When he noticed my proper posture, there was even more appreciation in his eyes. It seemed he had a good impression of me.
"I never imagined Miss Liu would be so beautiful. Once you reach the Imperial Capital, you'll certainly outshine the young lady of the Tartaglia Family."
"You flatter me." I didn't know what to say to his sudden praise. After a moment's thought, I settled on the safest reply.
Elder Hong stared at me for a while. His sharp, gleaming eyes made me feel as though he could see right through me, and I couldn't help feeling a little flustered. Still, I kept my expression calm and sent him a friendly signal.
After a moment, Elder Hong looked away and smiled faintly. "What a cautious girl. You know how to read the room and handle people. Much better than that unruly one."
"Ah... well..."
Elder Hong waved a hand, signaling that the subject was closed.
"Now, let's get to the point."
He leaned forward slightly.
"When we reach the Imperial Capital, please help Little Ying."
Help her?
My mind raced as I tried to figure out what he meant. Si Nan Ying had told me before that, among the six siblings, she was the one with the least support, and she couldn't even protect herself. Having little support meant she needed companions she could trust. Over the past few days, we'd grown closer, and I'd come to understand her personality and abilities fairly well. If she wanted another ally, I was the obvious choice. Elder Hong had just said that he believed I'd outshine the young lady of the Tartaglia Family once I reached the Imperial Capital. Standing out meant people would try to recruit me. After spending these past few days with them, I'd learned quite a bit about Elder Hong and Si Nan Yuan. If I joined her four older brothers, it would inevitably hurt Si Nan Ying. In that case, we'd surely end up on opposite sides.
So... Elder Hong was really asking whether I wanted to be a friend or an enemy.
If I chose friendship, I'd be warmly welcomed.
If I chose to be an enemy... I probably wouldn't even make it out of this room.
If that was the case, there was only one answer.
"Once we reach the Imperial Capital, if she runs into trouble..." I chose my words carefully. "I'll stand by Little Ying. Even if I can't help, I certainly won't hold her back."
Elder Hong's brow relaxed. He seemed satisfied with my answer, and I let out a small sigh of relief.
"Then I'll be counting on you to look after Little Ying from now on."
He solemnly held out his hand, and we shook.