[Vol. 6] Chapter 67: Ji Province and the Xiangshou
A day later, the Music Fairy Ship successfully docked at the canal pier in Ji Province’s Xiangshou County.
As the gangway lowered, the last group of passengers disembarked in an orderly fashion.
“Well then, it’s ti for us to part ways, Miss ng Rui. Who knows when we’ll et again? I can only wish that your Music Fairy Ship and its performances flourish more and more.”
Murong Yun said with a smile as he waved farewell to the silver-haired young woman who had co to see them off. She responded with a graceful bow, her deanor exuding the elegance of a refined lady.
“Thank you, Mr. Murong. I also wish you a safe journey and smooth endeavors,” she replied with a polite smile.
The priestess standing next to a white-robed middle-aged man waved casually and grinned. “Oh, co on now, no need for all the formalities. We’re all familiar with each other! When you’re back from Cangyun Mountain, you might end up riding the “Music Fairy” to so other destination.”
“Well… it’s not…”
Murong Yun murmured, shaking his head as if lost in thought. He then stepped aside to let others speak. ng Rui, taking the cue, moved forward a few steps and handed a long, cloth-wrapped item to Violet.
“Violet, this is the ancient zither you’ve been practicing with. It’s called [Cloud Dream], and it’s the first piece I ever made under my teacher’s guidance. While it’s not a renowned masterpiece, it’s more than enough for regular practice.”
“We’ve shared lessons together, and while it wouldn’t be accurate to call us master and disciple, we’ve built a strong bond. Let this [Cloud Dream Zither] serve as a nto of that.”
“…?”
The priestess looked at ng Rui in surprise but didn’t reach out to accept the gift.
“Isn’t this your personal instrunt? If you give it to , what will you use?”
The elegant young woman, dressed in a flowing pink dress with long hair cascading down her back, rolled her eyes playfully and replied with a hint of mock annoyance.
“The Music Fairy Ship has drifted along the Kaiyuan River for years. As its captain, do you really think I don’t have other instrunts? I’ve simply grown used to playing [Cloud Dream], which is why I’ve kept using it. It’s not a big deal.”
She pushed the zither forward again with both hands.
“Take it, take it! If you keep refusing, are you saying my humble gift isn’t good enough for you? Do you think the [Cloud Dream Zither] doesn’t match your status?”
“Ah… fine, then.”
With ng Rui putting it that way, Violet, who wasn’t the type to fuss over formalities, nodded and casually stored the zither in her bag.
After a mont of thought, Violet reached into the void, a pitch-black space, and pulled out a necklace with a small golden gem hanging from its end. She handed it to ng Rui.
“I can’t just take your gift without giving sothing in return. Here, take this as a thank-you. I crafted it myself. It’s a bit plain, but it’ll be useful if you keep it with you. You can figure out how to use it when you have the ti.”
ng Rui’s eyes lit up. She blushed slightly but quickly reached out to accept the necklace, imdiately fastening it around her smooth, jade-like neck.
“Wait… does this an we’ve exchanged gifts?”
“What else would you call it? Oh, and don’t show that thing off to just anyone. It’s bound to attract unwanted attention.”
Seeing ng Rui nod in understanding, Violet and the others didn’t linger any longer. They said their farewells, turned, and disembarked, setting off on their journey.
For a long while, ng Rui stood there, gazing at the distant figures until they disappeared from view.
“Violet… Violet. Such a mysterious and fascinating girl, with a charm that’s hard to resist,” ng Rui murmured as she gently touched the golden gem hanging from her neck. Its faintly familiar glow and soothing aura were comforting.
Her smile gradually turned bittersweet.
“It’s a pity that those who understand this kind of thing are only a minority. She… probably doesn’t think of things that way. Soone as remarkable as her must already have countless admirers chasing after her. In the end… it’s just wishful thinking on my part.”
Soon, ng Rui’s smile returned, brighter than ever.
“It’s fine, Violet, it’s really fine. Our connection won’t end here. Even if things don’t develop in *that* way, the Music Fairy Ship will always welco you… I’ll be looking forward to our next eting~.”
…………………………
“By the way, Violet, do you have a spouse or soone you care about back in your hotown?”
Walking along the riverside pier in Xiangshou County, Ling Feng suddenly turned her head and asked this question, seemingly casually but with a hint of curiosity.
“Huh?”
Both Bai’er and Murong Yun also turned to look at her, their intrigued gazes landing squarely on the priestess, who could only stare back in confusion.
“I don’t think so? Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?”
“…‘I don’t think so’?”
Ling Feng frowned slightly, her tone taking on the weight of a parent lecturing their child.
“Matters of life like this shouldn’t be answered with ‘I don’t think so.’ Either you do or you don’t, there’s no room for ambiguity. It’s not sothing to take lightly, nor should you be indecisive about it.”
“Uh…”
“Well, now that you ntion it, I’m a little curious too.”
After hesitating for a mont, the white-robed middle-aged man chid in.
“Miss Violet, have you never had feelings for anyone before? I’ve never seen you grow particularly close to anyone. While it’s natural to maintain boundaries between n and won, still…”
“Hey, hey, what are you guys doing, conducting a background check? Let be clear, I don’t have *any* interest in you in that way. Not even a little bit. If you’re thinking of courting , you can give up right now!”
Perhaps searching for a way to shut down the awkward conversation, Violet thought for a mont and loudly declared this with a teasing grin.
“First of all, I can only accept soone stronger than or at least equal in strength! If you want to propose to , kid, you’d better forget about it!”
“Uh… what?”
The group suddenly fell silent, speechless.
After traveling along a sowhat lively road, they exited the pier and officially entered Xiangshou City, the capital of Xiangshou County, which is built along the canal.
The county derives its na from its vibrant and diverse ecosystem of spiritual beasts.
While it ranks among the top three largest counties in the Western Origin Spirit Kingdom in terms of land area, its level of developnt is one of the lowest. Most of its territory consists of untouched spiritual valleys, lakes, and ancient forests, rarely visited by humans.
Due to its proximity to the spiritual core of Cangyun Mountain, located at the center of the [Ancient Spirit Realm], Xiangshou County has a thriving industry of spirit pet breeding and trading. This industry accounts for over half of the local economy and is the cornerstone of the region’s culture and livelihood.
“As a result, Xiangshou County is one of the most recently established counties in our nation,” Ling Feng explained as they walked, showcasing her encyclopedic knowledge.
“For a long ti, this area was considered part of Cangyun Mountain’s surrounding influence zone. It only had scattered villages and settlents, inhabited by self-sufficient, uncivilized people or, you could say, remnants of a civilization from a thousand years ago.”
She continued, “Later, I believe it was in the year 617 of the Four Saints Era, when Cang Tianheng, the fifth Saint of the Western Origin Spirit Kingdom, made a decision. With a huge investnt and several years of effort, he extended the Kaiyuan Grand Canal in all directions, increasing its length by nearly one-third, and reaching several relatively remote counties in the surrounding area.”
“One of these counties was what we now know as Xiangshou County.”
The canal’s developnt brought economic opportunities, human connections, and new ideas. Previously isolated residents began engaging with the outside world, opening up trade and cultural exchanges.
“Over the next hundred years, the county flourished. However, the differences between local and national governance systems caused increasing friction.”
“To resolve this, local leaders and the seventh-generation emperor of the ti held multiple negotiations. They ultimately decided to incorporate the county into the Western Origin Spirit Kingdom while granting it autonomy as a special administrative region.”
“It’s been over two hundred years since then.”
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