Sea City, in the Jing Kingdom, firmly held second place among the kingdom's nine great cities.
It spanned more than two hundred li and was densely populated, with over a million inhabitants.
The city bordered the vast sea, its surging waves stretching as far as the eye could see.
From Ford City to Sea City, Qing Chen had trekked a thousand li, almost crossing the entire Jing Kingdom before finally arriving.
When Qing Chen finally stepped into Sea City,
the sights before him were almost more than his eyes could take in.
Compared with Ford City, where Qing Chen had lived before,
Sea City was far more prosperous, glittering like a radiant pearl.
Shops lined both sides of the streets like the teeth of a comb:
silk shops, jewelry stores, teahouses, and taverns.
The dazzling array of establishments bustled with activity, voices boiling up in a clamor.
Pedestrians thronged the streets, carriages and horses streamed past, and assorted dialects mingled with vendors' cries.
Beside it, Ford City seemed like a little country town, its luster eclipsed.
Sea City's architecture was distinctive, combining the rustic elegance of the Central Plains with the lively grace of the coast.
Its blue bricks and dark roof tiles revealed a unique refinement that made people linger, reluctant to leave.
"Oh, you look like you're from out of town."
A rather sharp-witted, long-haired youth approached Qing Chen and struck up a conversation.
"How could you tell?" Qing Chen asked, looking warily at the long-haired youth.
"This is how I earn my rice. If I couldn't tell you were a newcomer, wouldn't all my years at this have been wasted?
"People who come and go from Sea City regularly are long used to the sights here.
"When you led your horse into the city just now, you kept looking left and right at both sides of the street. That told me this was your first visit," the long-haired youth said.
"Oh? And how exactly do you earn your rice?" Qing Chen asked curiously.
"Then you've asked the right person. I grew up in Sea City. How many teahouses, taverns, brothels, and inns there are here-I know them all inside out.
"Whether you're looking for a place to stay or something else, just ask me. All I need is a little tip."
The long-haired youth's eyes darted about, his face eager.
Qing Chen casually tossed him a tael of silver, and the youth caught it with overflowing delight.
Ordinary customers gave him only a few copper coins, while this tael of silver was enough to cover a month's expenses. This truly was a generous patron.
"That's a deposit. Answer my questions well, and there'll be a handsome reward," Qing Chen said generously.
"Ask away, sir! I'll tell you everything I know and hold nothing back!"
The long-haired youth spoke eagerly, looking at Qing Chen as though he had seen the God of Wealth.
"Have there been particularly many outsiders this month?" Qing Chen asked.
"Yes, yes, yes. This month has been strange. Not only have distinguished people from the Jing Kingdom's other cities come, but people from the other six kingdoms have been arriving one after another too.
"Judging by their splendid clothes, they're either rich or noble. The whole city is under martial law now, and the restrictions are very tight."
The long-haired youth hurried to answer.
"Where do these people usually stay?" Qing Chen continued.
"The distinguished visitors from the other six kingdoms are usually received by this city's officials from the Office of Diplomatic Affairs and lodged at the Guest Reception Hall. The distinguished people from our Jing Kingdom are received by the city lord himself and usually lodged at the Hall of Honored Worthies beside the city lord's residence," the long-haired youth replied.
"Take me to the inn nearest the Hall of Honored Worthies," Qing Chen said calmly after listening.
And so Qing Chen followed the long-haired youth for a little under half an hour, arriving at a place called the Sea City Inn.
Qing Chen casually tossed him another tael of silver, then entered the inn amid the youth's endless thanks.
A month earlier, he and Zhao Ningyi had agreed to meet here.
At precisely noon, they would meet and talk at the inn nearest the Hall of Honored Worthies.
Now Qing Chen sat at the first table inside the entrance of the Sea City Inn.
Five or six exquisite dishes covered the table, and a bottle of aged wine waited to be opened.
Time passed, and then a woman in red stepped into the inn.
Her face had been cold as frost, but when she caught sight of the familiar figure inside the inn's entrance,
a smile instantly blossomed, drawing glances from the passersby around her.
"I've missed you this whole month. What about you? Did you miss me, or did you miss that token?"
Zhao Ningyi approached Qing Chen, a teasing note in her words.
At this, Qing Chen lost his usual quick wit. He merely gave a soft "Mm," his expression slightly unusual.
"What's wrong? Are you unhappy?" Zhao Ningyi keenly noticed the change in him and asked with concern.
"If I really have a spiritual root, what will you do?"
Qing Chen asked the question as though prompted by ghosts and spirits.
"Hmph, then I'll have Father tie you up and refuse to let you leave!"
Zhao Ningyi feigned anger, then smiled and said,
"Why are you suddenly asking about this?
"In another hour, the exalted immortals from the Condensed Jade Sect will arrive. We'll know then.
"Look, I even made you a pair of blue boots.
"I've been learning for so long, but I've only ever made them for Father and Mother."
A warm current rose in Qing Chen's heart at her words. Across his two lives, this was the first time anyone had sewn clothing for him.
He was a little dazed, unsure how to respond, and merely murmured,
"They're beautiful. But why are they blue?"
"Because I feel as though you have a lot of things weighing on your heart.
"Seeing blue things makes people feel better.
"I spent an entire month making them. Hurry up and praise me!"
At that moment, Zhao Ningyi was like a child, her face full of anticipation as she sought credit.
Qing Chen opened his mouth and accepted the boots, but fell silent.
Zhao Ningyi still looked happy, then handed Qing Chen an ancient-looking token.
"Keep it safe. Ford City only has this one," she reminded him.
Qing Chen accepted the token and softly said, "Thank you."
"That's all?" Zhao Ningyi muttered, somewhat dissatisfied.
"If tomorrow's test shows I have no spiritual root, I'll put everything aside and roam to the ends of the earth with you."
Qing Chen gazed at Zhao Ningyi and spoke firmly.
Hearing Qing Chen's words, Zhao Ningyi felt an inexplicable flutter of unease.
"Why do I suddenly feel so uneasy?"
Qing Chen said nothing. He merely took a piece of jade from inside his robe and handed it to Zhao Ningyi.
"This is a piece of jade I found on a mountain. It's very precious. I still haven't come across anything made of the same material. It's yours."
In truth, it was a fragment from the jade bottle that had held the spirit pills, which Qing Chen had hacked apart. He had picked up all the scattered pieces. What if they proved useful someday?
Even a mosquito was meat, however small. Hadn't it come in handy now?
"It's beautiful." Zhao Ningyi accepted the piece of jade Qing Chen handed her, but she was not delighted as she usually was and fell silent.
The two sat quietly like that. After an unknown stretch of time, Qing Chen suddenly felt the urge to drink rise within him.
Just as he was about to drink, he suddenly heard the wild roar of ocean waves, followed by thunder in broad daylight!
Then clear peals of bells echoed through the air.
"They're here," Zhao Ningyi said softly, but her voice no longer held its earlier joy.
"Let's go." Qing Chen stood and took a step forward all the same.
The two walked silently along the road. As they passed a small pond, carp of various colors swam back and forth within it.
Zhao Ningyi suddenly spoke.
"Look at those two carp. The one on the left wants only to leap over the Dragon Gate and become a dragon. The one beside it knows full well that it cannot compare, but is still willing to accompany it all the way to the Dragon Gate.
"In the end, it can only watch helplessly as the carp on the left becomes a dragon and soars through the sky. Or perhaps the carp on the left will fall onto the riverbank before it ever clears the Dragon Gate.
"Tell me, how wonderful would it be if they could simply swim freely through the water like this?"
Time passed, and before they knew it, they had reached the shore.
The sight before him left Qing Chen deeply shaken: an immortal ship lay quietly upon the sea.
The immortal ship was over a hundred zhang long and more than ten zhang wide, like a small island floating in the air.
It gave off a faint spiritual glow, casting the surrounding space into a hazy, mysterious light.
Profound runes flowed across the hull's surface, allowing anyone to sense its extraordinary aura at a glance.
Suddenly, auspicious clouds appeared on the horizon, and a group of immortals in magnificent Daoist robes came walking through the air.
Intricate runes embroidered on their robes emitted a faint spiritual glow.
They seemed to walk through the void, each step sending out ripples.
Hundreds upon thousands of people had already gathered beside the immortal ship, all distinguished figures in fine clothing.
The instant the immortals appeared, they dropped to their knees and kowtowed devoutly.
Qing Chen hurriedly pulled Zhao Ningyi down to kneel as well. All was silent, and no one dared speak.
A voice seemed to carry through the void, proclaiming the Dao. It was not loud, yet it reached everyone's ears with extraordinary clarity.
"Those holding tokens, step forward."
The words fell, yet no one dared step forward. They had clearly been shaken by the sight of the immortals' arrival.
For a moment, their minds reeled, and they could not move a muscle.
"Come forward at once! If you delay past the appointed time, this humble Daoist will guide you no further!"
The mighty shout pulled everyone's minds back to reality.
Only then did scattered people begin jogging forward,
their heads lowered as they approached the immortals.
Qing Chen turned to glance at Zhao Ningyi, his gaze somewhat complicated,
then turned and walked toward the immortals' great ship.
The immortal formed hand seals, sending streams of spiritual light into those who came forward.
"No spiritual root."
"No spiritual root."
"Low-grade water and wood spiritual root. Come aboard."
"No spiritual root."
"No spiritual root."
"Middle-grade five elements spiritual root. Acceptable. Come aboard."
"No spiritual root."
"No spiritual root."
"High-grade wind spiritual root? Not bad. Come aboard at once."
"No spiritual root."
"No spiritual root."
More than a hundred people seemed like quite a crowd, but beneath the spiritual lights flashing through the air,
they were all tested in less than a quarter of an hour.
Only a dozen or so people remained on the ship's side.
The others, who had no spiritual roots, had their tokens confiscated and were sent back.
Only then did Qing Chen learn that not everyone had the opportunity
to invite an expert to test their children's spiritual roots, as Ford City's city lord had.
Most people simply came with their tokens to try their luck.
"Qing Chen!" Just then, a woman in red suddenly ran out of the crowd.
"Why do you have a spiritual root? Why?" Her tears fell like rain.
Everyone present stood like carvings of wood and statues of clay, their eyes wide and their tongues tied.
They had never imagined anyone would actually dare shout before the immortals.
Had this person lost her mind? Was she courting death?
"Ningyi, withdraw at once! The immortals are here. Do not be impudent!"
A stern-looking middle-aged man caught the woman in red and rebuked her in a low voice.
Qing Chen looked at the woman in red and opened his mouth, but said nothing. Then he turned and walked toward the immortal ship.
Watching Qing Chen's retreating figure gradually climb aboard the immortal ship, Zhao Ningyi seemed to fall into a stupor.
"May you become an immortal!" Her voice drifted softly away in the wind.