The flower-light voice sounded beside his ear again. Pei Ye turned his head. The misty, faint silhouette rested both arms on the water, half her body exposed just like his.
"Other than me, you're the first person to come here," she said.
"What is this place?"
"I don't know either." The faint silhouette gently shook her head.
"..."
"If you want to beat that man, go ashore and listen." She tilted her head toward the boy, propped up her cheek, and smiled. "Pei Ye, it was a pleasure to meet you. May everything go smoothly for you."
Pei Ye said nothing before she dissolved before his eyes. He raised his hand and looked. Sure enough, the scale-flower on his wrist had vanished completely.
Pei Ye dragged his heavy body ashore. A radiant spring landscape indeed awaited him. Once again, he experienced the feeling of entering the Phantom Tower that night. This garden was not particularly large. Buds lined the paths, birds called for clear skies, and the layout was grand and meticulous... He looked down at the path beneath his feet: a neat, clean expanse of white, paved entirely with precisely cut marble.
The style was familiar and distinctive, though he had only become familiar with it over the past few days-this was the style within the walls of Daming Palace.
Only here, the fish, birds, flowers, and trees all grew freely. Peach branches reached outward, flowering sprays spread and bloomed, unlike the neatly pruned plants outside.
This little grove was not very large. After barely a hundred steps, Pei Ye stopped.
He stood in the shade, gazing at the lawn ahead, warm and soft with spring sunshine. A richly dressed figure in a light top and long skirt sat on the ground before a low table. Her top was