In the Heavenly Palace, Far from Mortal Men

By evening, the ox cart party finally arrived safely in Xitang Town.

Zhuang Hong and Liu Yueling bid farewell to the old man and his son. Before leaving, Zhuang Hong gave the old man some of the silver he had taken from the Ox Pen King and the others, leaving the old man so excited he scarcely knew what to do with himself.

Then, led by Liu Yueling, Zhuang Hong checked into an inn.

As the lamps were being lit, the exhausted Zhuang Hong was about to take a short rest when Liu Yueling came knocking at his door.

Zhuang Hong opened it and saw Liu Yueling's eyes sparkling in the candlelight.

Liu Yueling said, "Zhuang Hong, come on. I'll take you somewhere special."

Zhuang Hong forced himself awake and followed Liu Yueling.

Liu Yueling led Zhuang Hong outside Xitang Town, quietly climbed a watchtower, and looked back down upon the town's exceptionally long main street.

At this hour, lanterns had been hung along both sides of the street, lighting the road brightly. Red, yellow, blue, and green dotted the scene as people strolled down the street in groups of two and three.

From where Zhuang Hong stood, the brightly lit street winding through the night resembled an enormous dragon of light.

Illusory yet real, tranquil yet bustling.

Liu Yueling quietly watched the remarkable sight before turning to ask Zhuang Hong, "What do you think? Doesn't this little town look especially beautiful from up here?"

Zhuang Hong had seen more dazzling lights and more prosperous streets than this.

Yet looking down upon the town from atop the high watchtower gave him a different feeling. Accompanied by the ever-present chirping of insects in the night, his heart gradually quieted.

He nodded earnestly. "It's beautiful. It feels as though we're in the Heavenly Palace, far from the mortal world."

Liu Yueling's eyes suddenly widened. "Yes, that's exactly the feeling! I've always wanted to put that feeling into words, but I never could. I never expected you to sum it up in a single sentence."

"'In the Heavenly Palace, far from the mortal world.' That's exactly it."

"Whenever I arrive in a new town, I like climbing to a high place at night and quietly watching the lights of countless homes. At times like that, I realize that I'm different from most people."

"I've been to many places and seen many kinds of people, including the common folk struggling in the mud just to fill their stomachs, high officials and nobles singing and making merry day and night in pleasure quarters, scholars devoted solely to the teachings of the sages and determined to govern the nation and save its people, and martial heroes who upheld justice and defended the weak against the strong... Gradually, I came to see through many things.

"The more I saw, the more I knew, and the calmer my heart became. Even when I traveled alone, I never felt the slightest fear. I knew I could protect myself and accomplish certain things..."

Liu Yueling spoke at length while Zhuang Hong listened quietly, growing more and more impressed by this seemingly delicate young woman.

Perhaps she understood how to live more clearly than most people.

As Liu Yueling spoke, she suddenly smiled. "I don't know why I've told you so much. Perhaps it's because, deep down, I feel that you can understand what I'm saying. I think you might be the same kind of person as me."

Zhuang Hong smiled. "No. You're someone who likes to talk, while I'm the exact opposite—I like listening to people tell stories. So when you meet me, you end up talking more."

"Haha, that actually makes a lot of sense. That's just the kind of person I am. Wherever I go, I like finding someone pleasing to the eye and talking to them endlessly. Wherever I go, I meet new friends and get to know different people. That makes every new day worth looking forward to."

As she spoke, Liu Yueling suddenly looked at Zhuang Hong. "What happened to you today shocked me. I never imagined such enormous monsters existed in this world. It feels as if I've come to know this world all over again. So, Zhuang Hong, after I've told you so much, shouldn't you tell me who you really are?"

Zhuang Hong said, "You didn't bring me here tonight just to pry into my secrets, did you?"

"Tell me."

Zhuang Hong said, "I'm a traveler from a very, very distant place. That place is called Earth."

Liu Yueling waited for a long while, then asked in astonishment, "That's it?"

"That's it. I'm done..."

"You're brushing me off."

"I'm not. It's just that I'm not very good at telling stories. How about I tell you the story of the Ugly Duckling?"

"Who wants to hear you tell a story?"

"Then what should I do?"

"Tell me about Earth. I'm going to Earth someday too."

"Then I'll tell you about Earth."

The next day, Zhuang Hong and Liu Yueling set off together for Luo Family Village.

As they walked and chatted, Liu Yueling told Zhuang Hong about her travels across the Anlan Continent, while Zhuang Hong told her of Earth's wonders.

When he mentioned mobile phones and computers, her eyes widened as round as bells. When he spoke of airplanes, she could not help looking up at the azure sky, imagining what it would be like to fly above the clouds...

Then Liu Yueling told Zhuang Hong, "I have to visit Earth at least once in this life and see mobile phones, computers, and airplanes!"

Zhuang Hong said softly, "You'll have the chance."

As they traveled, they met a young man named Xiang Dongping. He claimed to be an incomparably noble prince and a Sky Bridge Warrior, one rank above Liu Yueling's Secret Knowledge Warrior.

Liu Yueling asked curiously, "You're a prince? I heard the princes are fighting for the throne right now. Why aren't you competing for it?"

She did not doubt Xiang Dongping's identity as a prince, because she could tell whether someone was sincere, and she only ever befriended sincere people.

Xiang Dongping said indifferently, "Anyone who fights for it is an idiot. I'm no idiot, so they can fight all they want. I ran away to live freely on my own. I heard Luo Family Village has an incredibly fierce monster called the Thousand Shadow White Dragon. I'm more interested in that. I want to tame it into my pet beast."

Liu Yueling said, "You? You can't do it. I think Zhuang Hong might be able to, though, because he's the real professional monster hunter."

Zhuang Hong was walking while half asleep. Hearing his name, he suddenly raised his head.

"No one called you. Go back to sleep!" Having spent two or three days with Zhuang Hong, Liu Yueling already knew of his habit of dozing off while walking and found nothing strange about it.

Xiang Dongping, however, looked at Zhuang Hong curiously. Finding nothing remarkable about him, he said, "Zhuang Hong isn't even a warrior, is he? How could he tame a powerful monster?"

"You'll have to ask Zhuang Hong that. I just think he can."

Xiang Dongping said dramatically, "I heard that You Baojiang, known as Phantom Hand, also went to Luo Family Village two days ago. Guess what happened? He couldn't do a thing to the Thousand Shadow White Dragon and was even injured by it. Even Phantom Hand You Baojiang couldn't manage it. I think we're only going there to join in the fun, haha."

Liu Yueling asked in surprise, "You Baojiang, one of the Anlan Ten Great Experts?"

Xiang Dongping said, "Surprised, right? They say You Baojiang couldn't even touch the Thousand Shadow White Dragon. The monster was clearly right in front of him, but no matter how fast he attacked, he missed every time. In the end, he flew into a rage and spent an entire day struggling before leaving in a huff.

"It wasn't just You Baojiang. The other Ten Great Experts have all taken their turns too, because every gambling house has opened bets: whoever captures the Thousand Shadow White Dragon will earn the universally recognized title of Number One Under Heaven.

"That's the title of Number One Under Heaven. Who wouldn't want it? If I tame the Thousand Shadow White Dragon, I'll be Number One Under Heaven!"

Liu Yueling laughed. "You might as well compete for the throne. You'd have a better chance of becoming Number One Under Heaven that way."

Listening to their idle chatter, Zhuang Hong became slightly more alert, because the Thousand Shadow White Dragon they described sounded rather like a Void Spirit...

If it really was a Void Spirit, then if it wanted to hide, it was only natural that people in this world could not touch it.

Thinking of this, he subconsciously rubbed his stomach. I swallowed that hundred-legged monster a few days ago. It should be almost fully digested by now.