Chapter Sixty-Seven: Extreme Region, Xiangshou

A day later, the Le Xian ship smoothly docked at the canal terminal of Xiangshou County in the Extreme Region.

The gangway lowered, and the last batch of passengers disembarked in an orderly manner.

“Well then, we take our leave, Miss Mengrui. It’s hard to say when we might meet again. As a lone wanderer, I can only wish you all the best for the future of the Le Xian ship and the Le Xian flower market.”

Murong Yun smiled and nodded in farewell to the silver-haired girl who had come to see them off. She graciously returned the gesture, radiating an air of refined elegance.

“Thank you, Mr. Murong. I wish you a safe journey and smooth sailing in all matters.”

The Priestess, standing beside a white-clad middle-aged man, waved her hand and casually smiled.

“Oh come on, we all know each other, so let’s skip the formalities. When I return from Cangyun Mountain, who knows, maybe I’ll catch the Le Xian to another place.”

“Hm… I hope everything goes smoothly.”

Seemingly lost in thought, Murong Yun shook his head and fell silent, allowing space for conversation. Mengrui took a few steps forward and handed a long, wrapped object to Vilyric.

“Vilyric, this is your practice guqin, named Cloud Dream. It’s the first piece I completed under my teacher’s guidance… It may not be a renowned ancient instrument, but it’s more than sufficient for regular use.”

“We have been through a teaching session together, and while it can’t be called a master-disciple relationship, our bond is still quite substantial. Consider this Cloud Dream as a token of remembrance.”

“…?”

The Priestess looked surprised at Mengrui but didn’t reach out to take it.

“Isn’t this your personal instrument? If you give it to me, what will you play?”

Adorned in pink and with long hair cascading down her back, the elegant girl shot a glance back at her, pouting playfully.

“The Le Xian has been drifting on the Kaiyuan River for many years, and as a captain, how could I not have spare instruments? I’ve just gotten used to Cloud Dream and haven’t changed it, so it’s not a big deal.”

She nudged the guqin forward again.

“Take it, take it! Are you turning your nose up at my modest gift, thinking Cloud Dream doesn’t suit your status?”

“Eh… well, fine then.”

Since the conversation had reached this point, Vilyric wasn’t one to shy away or be polite, so she eventually nodded and tucked the guqin into her backpack.

After a moment’s thought, she pulled out a necklace from the pitch-black void, adorned with a tiny golden gem at the end, and handed it to Mengrui.

“I can’t just take your things, so here’s a return gift. It’s something I crafted myself; though a bit crude, it should be beneficial to keep on you. Take your time figuring out how to use it.”

The girl’s eyes lit up, and a bit shyly, she quickly reached out and put it around her smooth, jade-like neck.

“Is this… a gift exchange between us?”

The Priestess tilted her head in astonishment.

“Why not? Oh right, remember not to show it off to others, as it’s bound to attract attention.”

Seeing Mengrui nod slightly, Vilyric and the others decided not to linger any longer and began to bid farewell, turning and stepping off the ship, heading far away.

A long while later…

“Vilyric, Vilyric… What a mysterious, wonderful girl with an enchanting charm.”

As she watched the figure at the end of her sight gradually fade into nothingness, the pink-clad girl stroked the golden gem on her neck, which emitted a faint, familiar aura and glow, her smile slowly turning a touch bittersweet.

“It’s a pity that a group like mine, with such preferences, is ultimately just a minority. She… probably hasn’t thought about that at all. With such an outstanding lady, I can’t imagine how many talented youths are chasing after her. In the end, it’s just me pining away…”

But soon, Mengrui’s face brightened again.

“It’s alright, it’s alright, Vilyric. Our fate together won’t end here. Even if we can’t reach that kind of relationship in the end, the Le Xian will always welcome your arrival…”

“I’ll be looking forward to our next meeting ~”

…

“By the way, Vilyric, do you have a marriage or someone special back in your hometown?”

As they walked along the riverside dock of Xiangshou County, for some reason, Ling Feng suddenly turned around and asked somewhat intentionally.

“Ah?”

Bai’er and Murong Yun also curiously turned to look, their odd gazes leaving the Priestess completely dumbfounded.

“Uh, I don’t think so? Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?”

“…I don’t think so?”

Ling Feng frowned slightly, adopting a serious tone like a parent educating a child.

“Such major life matters cannot be hedged with ‘I don’t think so.’ If you have someone, you have someone; if not, then not. It can’t be taken lightly, nor can you waver!”

“Eh…”

“Speaking of which, now I’m a bit curious too.”

After a moment of hesitation, the white-clad middle-aged man interjected, “Miss Vilyric, have you perhaps never had a romantic affection? I’ve noticed that I’ve never seen you overly intimate with anyone. While it’s reasonable to maintain distance between genders, still…”

“Hey, hey, what’s going on here? Are we taking a census? Just so you know, I have absolutely no interest in you, not even a tiny bit. If you want to pursue me, you might as well give it up now!”

It seemed she was searching for a suitable excuse, as the Priestess thought for a moment and quickly declared aloud.

“First of all, I can only accept someone stronger than myself or of equal strength! If you want to pursue me, buddy, you better practice for another eight hundred years!”

“Uh… huh?”

Everyone fell into an awkward silence.

After traversing a not-so-peaceful path, they exited the dock and formally entered Xiangshou City, built against the canal.

The name “Xiangshou County” derives from the rich and diverse spirit beast ecology found here.

Although this county ranks among the top three in land area across all the counties of the Orthodoxy Spirit Nation, it is regarded as one of the least developed; most regions are remote spirit valleys, lakes, and primitive forests.

Furthermore, due to the influence of Cangyun Mountain, located at the heart of the Ancient Spirit Realm, the spirit pet breeding and trading industry in Xiangshou County has flourished extraordinarily, dominating over half of the market’s financial circulation—it forms the most crucial foundation of the local culture, with no second to it.

“Thus, Xiangshou County can be considered one of the last formed counties in our nation. For a long time, this area was within the radiation range of Cangyun Mountain, with a minimal number of scattered villages and towns that did not belong to the Orthodoxy Spirit Nation or any of the four nations. It was a self-sufficient and uncivilized populace or, one might say, the remnants of a millennium ago.”

As they walked, Ling Feng shared her nearly encyclopedic knowledge, offering insights to the group.

“I recall that it was in the 617th year of the Four Holy Era when the fifth-generation Holy Monarch of the Orthodoxy, Emperor Yuan Tianheng… made the decision to invest a hefty sum over several years to continue extending the Kaiyuan Grand Canal eastward, adding about a third of its length to cover several relatively remote counties.”

“And that included the current Xiangshou County.”

“The circulation brought by the Kaiyuan Grand Canal introduced new economics, networks, and trends. Residents of the once isolated localities began gradually encountering more new things, opening pathways for trade and cultural exchange.”

“After more than a century of continual transformation, this place has become more prosperous. However, the problems arising from differing regulatory systems have also become increasingly evident.”

“To establish mutually beneficial relationships, local leaders engaged in multiple negotiations with the Holy Monarch, who had reached the seventh generation at that time, ultimately deciding to fully integrate into the Orthodoxy Spirit Nation system, forming a unique county that belongs to our nation but enjoys autonomous rights.”

“To this day, it has been over two hundred years.”

   

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