Chapter Fifty-One: Wind Chimes and the Old Sword
After lingering by the Peach Blossom Stream for a while, Jiu Ya enthusiastically dragged Rong Jiang to continue strolling around Linzi City. She fully embodied the spirit of "being shameless and eating her fill," pestering Rong Jiang to introduce her to the local customs, special snacks, and interesting places in Linzi. Her face was always adorned with a bright yet slightly cheeky smile, and she called Rong Jiang "Ranran" affectionately at every turn.
Rong Jiang, who had originally planned to observe the situation and investigate Jiu Ya's true intentions, was caught off guard by this enthusiastic offensive. She wondered to herself why this Demon Lord was acting so familiar and intimate with her, when she had never interacted with him before.
The two strolled along, stopping frequently, until they finally arrived at a market street specializing in all sorts of items. The prices here were reasonable, neither expensive nor cheap, making it a popular spot for ordinary people to browse and bargain. It was during the Peach Blossom Festival, and the market was bustling with activity. Many vendors had simply spread cloths on the ground, displayed their goods on them, and sat beside them, loudly hawking their wares – a vibrant and lively scene.
The market offers a wide variety of goods, from everyday items to antiques and toys, from women's hairpins and rings to men's swords, a dazzling array that is hard to resist.
As Rong Jiang approached a somewhat deserted corner stall, she paused. Jiu Ya, with her sharp eyes, immediately noticed that the stall seemed to sell secondhand goods, mainly weapons, but most of them were rusty and in ordinary condition.
A sudden thought flashed through Jiu Ya's mind, and she suddenly remembered a detail from "The Glory of the Underworld"—when Rong Jiang was traveling in the human world, she seemed to have bought an old sword called "Cheng Guang" from an inconspicuous stall. This sword was mentioned very little in the book and was far less famous than her natal sword "Ruo Sheng", but it seemed to have always been by Rong Jiang's side, with an inexplicably tenacious presence.
Her gaze swept quickly across the stall, immediately locking onto a string of slightly worn wind chimes hanging to the side, and next to the wind chimes was an extremely inconspicuous longsword. The scabbard was simple, the hilt was only engraved with the simplest Big Dipper pattern, and the whole thing was gray and dull. Compared to the weapons around it, even those with a cold gleam beneath their rust, it looked like a mere filler.
"That's it!" Jiu Ya exclaimed confidently, pointing immediately at the string of wind chimes. She laughed exaggeratedly, "Ranran! Look at these wind chimes! They have such a unique design, and the feather bells must make a very clear and crisp sound!"
Rong Jiang followed her gaze, her eyes sweeping lightly over the ordinary wind chimes before finally settling on the dusty Cheng Guang sword beside them. The usual faint smile on her lips seemed to deepen slightly, and a complex emotion, barely perceptible, flickered in her eyes, but her tone remained calm: "These wind chimes are quite unique. If A-Jiu likes them, she can buy them."
"Ranran also thinks it's unique, right?" Jiuya replied with a grin, knowing full well that the two of them were lying through their teeth—the wind chime was as ordinary as could be.
Rong Jiang nodded slightly, then turned to the stall owner who had been dozing with his eyelids drooping, and asked in a gentle voice, "Excuse me, old man. Do you know where you got this sword?" Her slender finger pointed to the Cheng Guang sword.
The stall owner, an elderly man with gray hair, raised his eyelids upon hearing the voice, squinted at the sword for a while, and then replied in a muffled voice, "I bought it... I'm old, I can't remember exactly which shop I bought it from. I have too many things, who bothers to remember the origin of this kind of scrap metal? If you like it, Miss, just give me a few copper coins and take it. It's just taking up space." Hearing this, Rong Jiang was silent for a moment, then sighed very softly. She didn't ask any more questions and directly asked about the price of the wind chime and the sword.
The old man casually quoted a very low price, and Rong Jiang immediately took out the corresponding copper coins to pay. She handed the wind chime, worth only a few copper coins, to Jiu Ya, then reached out and grasped the scabbard of the Cheng Guang sword. Her hands were fair and slender, a stark contrast to the rusty, simple scabbard. She didn't seem to care, however, her fingers tightening as she firmly held the sword in her hand.
Jiuya watched in utter disbelief. He... bought it? No haggling? Don't people usually haggle when buying things in the mortal realm? This guy is truly extraordinary!
However, since the money had been paid and the item was in hand, Jiu Ya wouldn't say anything more. She happily accepted the slightly worn wind chimes, gently shaking them to produce a not-so-pleasant tinkling sound. But this was the first gift Rong Jiang had "given" to her! Although she had hinted at it first, and Rong Jiang had paid for it, this was practically irrefutable proof of their improving relationship! The path to currying favor had seen a glimmer of hope again! Life was indeed full of hope!
She was happily playing with the wind chimes when her gaze inadvertently swept over Rong Jiang's right hand holding the sword. Suddenly, she noticed that Rong Jiang's knuckles were slightly white. The gesture didn't seem like she was just casually holding a newly bought old item; rather, it was as if she was tightly clutching something precious that had been lost and found again.
A huge question arose in Jiu Ya's mind again: What was so special about this seemingly ordinary sword? The book never detailed it, and she couldn't sense any spiritual energy fluctuations from what she saw. Could it possibly be more powerful than Rong Jiang's natal sword "Ruosheng," which was intimately connected to her and accompanied her in her battles? That was impossible!
After strolling through the market, the sun had risen high in the sky, and the sunlight had become quite scorching, reminding people that it was noon.
As a demon lord whose life was quite regular when free from political troubles, Jiu Ya naturally felt hungry when it was time to eat. The considerate Bai Yu immediately stepped forward and gently reminded her, "Miss, it's almost noon."
“Okay, I understand.” Jiu Ya smiled and turned to Rong Jiang, extending an invitation: “Ranran, you must be hungry after walking for most of the day. Our inn is still a bit far from here, so why don’t we find a place nearby for lunch? I know a restaurant up ahead that looks quite nice.” She pointed to a rather grand two-story restaurant at the exit of the street.
Rong Jiang had no objection to this, and nodded slightly: "When in Rome, do as the host says."
The group then headed towards the restaurant called "Drunken Spring Breeze." The restaurant's first-floor hall was spacious, furnished with many square tables, filled with diners of all kinds, bustling with noise and a lively atmosphere. The second floor had several elegant private rooms, which were much quieter.
Bai Yu cleverly took the initiative and arranged a quiet private room on the second floor facing the street. After serving Jiu Ya and Rong Jiang to their seats, he and Li Yue tacitly withdrew and went to dine in the main hall on the first floor. Although Jiu Ya repeatedly said that there was no need to be formal, in Bai Yu and Li Yue's deeply ingrained belief, there was a distinction between superiors and inferiors, and they could never dine at the same table as their lord.
The lobby on the first floor was crowded with people, and the food was relatively ordinary and affordable. Bai Yu simply ordered three dishes and a soup, and then sat down with Li Yue at a table in a corner. The surroundings were noisy, but Bai Yu subtly moved her fingertips, and a small soundproofing spell quietly enveloped the two of them, ensuring that their conversation would not be overheard by others.
“Li Yue,” Bai Yu lowered her voice, her brows furrowing slightly, “What is the background of that Miss Rong? His Majesty is being a little too enthusiastic towards her, isn’t he?” She really couldn’t understand why His Majesty, who was always calm and composed, would treat a mortal woman he had just met so differently.
Li Yue shook his head honestly, his expressionless face revealing nothing: "I can't sense any unusual aura. He just looks like an ordinary mortal. Perhaps... he just happens to be to the Venerable One's liking?" He was better at discerning killing intent and hostility, and was not sensitive to such complex interpersonal interactions.
“Miss Rong’s appearance is truly one in a million,” Bai Yu had to admit. “I’ve never seen a mortal so beautiful. Her bearing… I think it’s no less than our Venerable One’s.” Although she was somewhat dismissive of Rong Jiang’s mortal status, her aesthetic sense was objective.
"Really?" Li Yue blinked, looking blank. "I didn't pay much attention to her face." He mainly relied on sensing bone structure and energy fluctuations to identify others; physical beauty or ugliness was of little significance to him.
"Hmph, it's pointless to talk to someone as face-blind as you!" Bai Yu pouted in annoyance. She had learned the term "face-blind" from Jiu Ya and felt it was the perfect description for Li Yue.
“I can tell the difference!” Li Yue tried to explain. “Each individual’s skull structure and energy imprint are unique…”
"Hehe." Bai Yu gave him two words, along with a roll of her eyes.
"Hehe...what does that mean?" Li Yue asked seriously.
Bai Yu rested her chin on her right hand, her gaze drifting towards the private room on the second floor. She lowered her voice, a hint of gossipy excitement in it, and said, "Nothing interesting. Hey, if our Lord were a man, I'd understand his behavior immediately—he's clearly taken a liking to that girl and's fawning over her!" She even started imagining that if the Lord truly liked her, taking this mortal girl back to the Demon Realm as a concubine wouldn't be out of the question…
“But Your Excellency is a woman!” Li Yue bluntly pointed out the key issue, finding Bai Yu’s idea utterly absurd.
"That's why I find it strange!" Bai Yu tugged at her hair in annoyance. "It can't be that we hit it off immediately and became best friends, right? There are people who fall in love at first sight, but how can we become lifelong friends after just one meeting?"
“Her actions have their own reasons and deeper meanings; why should we speculate about them?” Li Yue was quite open-minded.
Bai Yu thought about it and agreed, "That makes sense... His Majesty is wise and discerning; perhaps this Miss Rong has something special that we haven't noticed." She decided to stop worrying. Just then, the waiter started serving the dishes, so she picked up her chopsticks and turned her attention to the fragrant human food before her. "Forget it, let's eat! Human food is really delicious!"
Meanwhile, in a private room on the second floor, Jiu Ya enthusiastically pushed the menu towards Rong Jiang: "Ranran, what would you like to eat? Don't be shy, it's on me today!" She tried her best to play the role of a hospitable "local guide," her mind racing with calculations: to win her heart, you must first win her stomach! Although the big shot might not need to eat... her attitude had to be on point!
Rong Jiang took the menu, her eyes scanning the dishes. A hint of nostalgia flashed in her eyes, and she smiled gently, "Since A-Jiu is hosting, let A-Jiu arrange it. I'm not picky about these things."
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