Clearly the Real Deal

After their playful squabbling, everyone recovered from Lu Li's shocking remarks.

Rover nodded to Yangyang. "Don't worry."

Easygoing as ever, Chixia said, "Yeah, yeah, A Piao and Lu Li are right. We've reported everything to the Frontier, the Military Strategy Office, and the research institute. We've done everything we can for now."

"Besides, this is Jinzhou in Huanglong. Jinzhou! When has this place ever been completely peaceful over the past thousand years? Remnant tides come every year, and we've always gotten through them together."

"And if the sky falls, we've got someone tall like Jiyan, the Midnight Rangers' general, to hold it up. If the ground collapses, we've still got the Magistrate and the Sentinel to keep things steady! Besides, we're no freeloaders ourselves."

"Chixia's right." Yangyang finally set aside her worries.

"Then do you two have any plans for these next three days, A Piao, Lu Li?"

Lu Li planted his hands on his hips. "If possible, I'd like to invite all three of you on a date!"

At that, A Piao rested a hand on Lu Li's shoulder and leaned toward his ear. "I'm up for it."

Chixia said, "Hey! Can you be serious for once?"

Lu Li replied, "Going on a date with three beautiful ladies is serious business."

Yangyang blushed again. "I... I have other things to do, so I'm afraid..."

Yangyang was also a member of the Midnight Rangers. Although she was only a temporary investigator, she had aspirations of her own.

Then she turned to Rover and said seriously, "A Piao, could we take a look at the tokens the Magistrate gave you?"

A Piao nodded and took out the four tokens to show everyone.

Chixia picked up a pink candy. "It's round. I remember this! I ate this kind of candy when I was little. They're called candy balls, right?"

"But I don't think I've seen candy like this lately... Has it gone out of fashion?"

Yangyang smiled sweetly too. "That brings back childhood memories. I remember how sweet it was."

"I was terribly afraid of injections when I was little. A few times, after I got a shot, the nurse rewarded me with one of these candies."

"But what could the candy... mean?"

Lu Li nodded as if he had figured something out. "Isn't it obvious? A Piao is a guest in Jinzhou. They must be hoping A Piao has a sweet time here."

Chixia said, "...Well, that's not impossible!"

Yangyang picked up the second token, a leaf with an unusual color.

Chixia said, "That leaf's color is pretty special. But I can't tell what tree it's from."

Yangyang looked thoughtful. "I seem to sense something from it..."

"Hmm... No, it's nothing. Just a very faint sensation, so faint it feels like I imagined it... Maybe I really did."

"I can't tell what kind of tree this leaf came from either. Sorry, A Piao."

None of them had any idea what to make of the leaf.

Next, A Piao held up the third token, a black fruit.

"Mangosteen," Lu Li suddenly said.

Chixia looked over at him. "Mangosteen? Is that what you call it where you're from?"

Yangyang chimed in. "In Jinzhou, we call it mangji persimmon."

"It isn't a fruit native to Jinzhou. It's usually shipped here by land or water. You can find it at the nearby market."

"But it isn't always available. Remnant tides and battles are frequent in Jinzhou, so transport routes are easily cut off. Still, things have been much better since the Midnight Rangers were established than they were in the first few years after the Lament."

Lu Li took the fourth item, a small sundial.

He studied the sundial thoughtfully.

Chixia asked, "What? Did you figure something out?"

Lu Li exhaled. "It's old, clearly the real deal, but not much use."

Chixia said, "..."

Yangyang said, "..."

A Piao said, "..."

Yangyang said, "This looks like a... miniature sundial."

A Piao asked blankly, "What's that?"

Yangyang said, "It's a timekeeping instrument that tells the time using the direction of the shadow cast by the sun."

"Generally, the markings on the dial represent the twelve traditional two-hour periods, and indicate the solar terms and months. But this sundial's face is a little unusual."

"The outer ring should be a time scale dividing the day into twelve periods according to the twelve earthly branches."

"The inner ring seems to use the four divine beasts to indicate directions. The Illustrated Records of the Three Auxiliary Regions states, 'The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise are the four spirits of heaven, governing the four cardinal directions. Kings model their palaces, towers, and halls upon them.'"

Lu Li picked up where she left off. "Generally, the Azure Dragon represents east, the White Tiger west, the Vermilion Bird south, and the Black Tortoise north."

"Time and direction, then? But the time a sundial displays changes with the actual time... And without sunlight, a sundial is completely useless."

Yangyang nodded in agreement. "It seems you know a great deal too, Mr. Lu Li."

"Yangyang, you don't have to be so formal with me!"

Yangyang flushed slightly. "All right..."

Chixia exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! That sounds really complicated..."

Sundials had existed in Lu Li's previous world too, having been invented over a thousand years ago.

Although they had almost fallen out of use before he crossed into this world, they still held considerable cultural value.

After all, they reflected humanity's understanding of time.

A Piao said, "Since we don't have any real leads, why don't we go to the research institute first?"

Chixia said, "Right, Bai Zhi's still waiting there!"

Lu Li gave an awkward smile. "I think I'll sit this one out..."

No way could I go there. That long-legged beauty looked like she wanted to eat me alive. If I actually went, she might slice me up for research.

Yangyang said, "But... Bai Zhi seems to want you to come."

Earlier, Bai Zhi had kept studying Lu Li with great interest. Yangyang had noticed it all.

Lu Li said, "Come on, I'm just an ordinary guy. There's nothing worth studying about me."

Seeing the slightly guilty look in Lu Li's eyes, A Piao smiled faintly. "In that case, let's not force it."

"Why don't Yangyang and I go to the research institute, while you show Lu Li around Jinzhou, Chixia? We'll meet up once we're finished."

Touched, Lu Li said, "A Piao, you're a good person."

"..." Did I just get the 'you're a good person' line?

Chixia said, "Sure! I'll take Lu Li around, then."

With that, the four parted ways.

On the way, Chixia planned to take Lu Li to Panhua Restaurant.

Lu Li quietly took Chixia's soft, smooth hand. When he saw her blush without pulling away, delight surged through him.

Although Chixia was a Jinzhou patroller who went on duty or carried out assignments every day, her hands had hardly any calluses. Perhaps it was because she always wore gloves.

"Chixia, do you think this counts as our first date?"

"This is way too hasty. A date is serious business. You have to prepare properly, and I haven't prepared anything this time..."

Lu Li chuckled. "Personally, I think every moment I spend with you is a date."

Chixia chided him playfully. "You and that silver tongue..."

As the two laughed and teased each other, neither noticed.

A butterfly with unusual coloring rested briefly on Lu Li's shoulder, then drifted away on the wind.