Night fell.
The ferry left the harbor and was enveloped in misty rain, leaving only the faint glow of lights along the riverbank visible.
Soybean-sized raindrops hammered the deck. Xie Jinhuan folded his oil-paper umbrella beneath the eaves of the boat tower, while Bu Yuehua straightened her skirt a little and asked:
"What did you and Zisu go off to do just now? Why were you being so secretive? And you looked like you had something to say to me, but held back..."
Xie Jinhuan had run into the eldest senior sister of Azure Nether Sword Manor. Seeing Senior Sister Hua afterward had certainly made it hard to keep a straight face. Still, he did not explain in detail just then, merely putting an arm around her shoulders and heading back:
"Let's talk in our room. Anyway, something interesting happened."
Seeing this, Bu Yuehua asked no further questions and went upstairs carrying the Reed-Flower Chicken, who had eaten and drunk his fill and promptly fallen asleep.
The ferry ran directly to Misty-Wave City without stopping along the way, a journey of roughly three days. It was practically packed to bursting. Most peddlers crowded onto the deck or into the corridors, and itinerant performers could even be seen singing ballads and telling stories beneath the eaves.
Nangong Ye had originally intended to book three rooms, but Xie Jinhuan was kindhearted. Although he no longer lacked travel funds, he had booked only one room to leave accommodation for fellow cultivators.
Now, Xie Jinhuan passed through the corridor and pushed open the door. The modest room was lit, its table, chairs, and stools neatly arranged.
Big Ice Lump, dressed in a black skirt, sat cross-legged on the bed in meditation. She had replaced the bedding with the clean sheets and pillowcases she had