About five days had passed since the incident in which the Fish Beasts turned into demons.
During that time, Official-Merchant's fleet on the Skywalk had naturally become the enforcer of order.
But thanks to Shen Xuan's efforts, the incident had caused no losses.
And what about the Flying Boat Cheng Yu was aboard?
People were forgetful, that much was clear. At first, the passengers aboard the Flying Boat had fiercely discussed the incident, while some were still immersed in the joy of having their friends and family return from the dead. For a while, excitement had reached a fever pitch.
But as time passed, people gradually returned to how they had been at the beginning.
The scholars and men of letters gathered on the Flying Boat's deck once again, brimming with poetic inspiration over the Fish Beasts' transformation into demons.
Cheng Yu also let Niu Ba out, spending each day on the deck feeling the wind high in the sky and telling stories about Passerby A.
During this time, Shen Qian kept trying to approach Cheng Yu. Knowing that haste would get him nowhere, Cheng Yu maintained an attitude consistent with his earlier behavior.
He remained wary of Shen Qian and kept his distance.
Because of Niu Ba's bloodline, however, Shen Qian persisted in trying to make contact with Cheng Yu.
After she had made several friendly overtures, Cheng Yu was "finally willing" to have a chat with her.
In a corner of the Flying Boat, Shen Qian looked at Cheng Yu and said,
"I've placed a barrier around this spot. Can you tell me now why you have a member of the Demon Race with you?"
Cheng Yu looked at Shen Qian. Instead of answering her question, he asked,
"Before that, shouldn't you tell this humble Daoist how you