The three horses did not slow down. The entry and exit permit for Tiger Roar City was waving in Mingfeng's hand, but neither Yuanjue nor Fengfei had any intention of taking it to take a look.
Seeing that neither Yuanjue nor Fengfei intended to take it, Mingfeng shrugged and put it away.
"That's the general situation in Tiger Roar City. However, everyone can find out this information. As for the more inside information, I haven't had time to dig it out yet..." As she spoke, Mingfeng's voice suddenly lowered, as if it was because this matter had not been handled perfectly.
"It's not your fault." Yuan Jue's comforting words drifted to Mingfeng's ears on the wind. A smile immediately appeared on Mingfeng's little face.
“However, our first stop isn’t Tiger Roar City—the nearest city is Shangfeng City, which is three days’ journey away. But we’re almost at the nearest town.” At this point, Yuan Jue suddenly smiled, his heart filled with excitement as he looked at the scenery slowly unfolding in the distance.
It was a charming little town, exuding gentleness and grace even from afar. Such a town, radiating a refined and delicate atmosphere, was absolutely unique in the White Tiger Kingdom.
In the White Tiger Kingdom, everyone, from the rulers and officials to the common people, is extremely fierce. They are all tall and burly. Someone as delicate and graceful as Bai Zhi is absolutely unique within the White Tiger Kingdom's royal family. But the most extraordinary place is this small town called Water Town. In this town, whether old or young, men or women, everyone is extremely refined and gentle. Even the most ferocious-looking man is far more gentle and kind than the most handsome scholar outside.
However, no one in the world dares to underestimate the people of this water town. Though they are all gentle as water and as beautiful as celestial beings, and seem easily bullied, each person in this town possesses a unique cultivation method, said to have been left behind by the town's founder. This method can only be practiced by those with the bloodline of the water town. Upon achieving a certain level of mastery, one can sense the presence of others in the town—similar to telepathy. However, this ability is limited to sensing whether others are alive and well. But even this small effect is already incredibly powerful.
Even more incredible is that they can not only sense each other's living conditions, but also, influenced by their cultivation technique, they are undoubtedly the most loving town on the entire continent. They don't even use money; if anyone needs anything, they just ask, and everyone will help.
Of course. Water towns don't refuse visitors—although the people of these towns don't need to trade with each other, their towns can't produce everything. Therefore, many things still need to be purchased from elsewhere. And this purchasing power comes from visiting merchants.
Although Yuanjue had told them many things about the water town before they entered it, Mingfeng and Xuetuan still couldn't help but open their mouths in surprise when they actually saw the whole town—every house in the town was separated by water, and the only way to walk was by waterway.
The wide waterways are adorned with large boats—these boats are for merchants traveling through the water town. Merchants always carry a lot of luggage, carriages, horses, and goods, which ordinary small boats simply cannot bear. Even more numerous are the small, covered boats that weave between the houses—these small boats are used by the local residents for daily travel, but also by those who want to earn extra money while enjoying the scenery of the water town.
The entire water town is surrounded by a hundred-zhang-wide lake, and the glow of the sunset shines on the water, making it extremely beautiful and moving.
Yuanjue was the first to stop at the entrance of Shuixiang Town.
At the main entrance of the water town stands a huge dock, where many boats of all sizes are moored. Pedestrians come and go in a constant stream, and the bustling scene brings a faint smile to Yuan Jue's face.
"Four guests—" a voice suddenly rang out from Yuan Jue's left front, "I wonder if the four guests are going to enter the water town?"
Yuan Jue looked up at the sound and saw a young man wearing a short brown satin vest. His handsome face was full of gentle smiles, and his eyes shone with a similarly warm light. Just from this appearance, Yuan Jue understood why there were so many people coming and going at this dock, yet there was no noise or impatience.
Yuan Jue nodded and said softly, "The four of us were just passing through this place, but we had long heard of the famous water town, so we couldn't help but come and take a look. It truly lives up to its reputation."
The young man had a blush on his face, seemingly embarrassed to speak with Yuan Jue, but Yuan Jue also noticed the proud look on the young man's face.
"He's got a real personality," Yuan Jue thought to himself, glancing around before asking, "I wonder if we could venture into the water town for a look?"
The young man let out a soft "Ah," then slapped the back of his head in realization, saying apologetically, "I'm so sorry, I completely forgot why I came." As he spoke, a bright, dazzling smile spread across his face. "I came to invite you aboard!"
The young man pointed to a large ship not far behind him, his face displaying both pride and tenderness—two somewhat extreme expressions that seemed perfectly natural on his face.
The young man took a few steps toward the door of the large ship, then seemed to remember something and said to Yuan Jue with a look of annoyance, "I forgot again, I forgot to introduce myself, how stupid of me."
"Hello, my name is Shui Yichen, and I am just an ordinary person from this water town."
Chapter Seven: A Life of Wine, Women, and Debauchery
Yuan Jue looked at the slender, pale hand outstretched in front of him and felt a little embarrassed—he was not used to any physical contact with people, and perhaps apart from Feng Feixue and Tuan Mingfeng, there was no one else.
But at this moment, Yuan Jue didn't know how to refuse the person in front of him.
The person in front of Yuanjue was Shui Yichen, the first person they met after arriving in the water town.
A few days ago, they accepted Shui Yichen's invitation and boarded the boat. However, Shui Yichen then disembarked and searched for suitable passengers at the dock—their boat wasn't full, and sailing into the water town like that would be somewhat uneconomical. Everyone in the water town who owned large boats did this, making sure all the rooms were occupied before setting sail.
The ship Yuanjue and his companions were on was very large, with not only rooms for individual living but also large rooms for many people to live together; there were bathing areas for individual use as well as bathing areas for many people—of course, these areas were only used by men. The women's rooms all had private bathing areas, which shows the thoughtfulness and meticulousness of the people in the water town.
Because these boats in the water town needed to allow merchants to come and go, places for transporting goods, horses, and carriages were naturally indispensable. The horses of Yuan Jue, Feng Fei, and their companions were housed in a stable on one side. None of the horses on the boats showed signs of seasickness; they were all energetic and vigorous. This was, of course, for a reason: each large boat in the water town possessed a special protective barrier—a barrier that made it impossible for humans or animals to feel the swaying of the boat, effectively reducing seasickness and other discomforts. Furthermore, animals generally have lower sensitivity than humans, thus virtually eliminating the possibility of seasickness.
After settling Feng Feimingfeng and Xue Tuan, Yuan Jue involuntarily went up to the deck and looked at the scenery around the ship.
Suddenly, Yuan Jue's gaze fell on Shui Yichen.
Shui Yichen was soliciting suitable customers at the dock. She wore a shy smile, gentle yet reserved.
Under the glow of the sunset, the water appears even more gentle and tranquil.
Even Yuan Jue, a man who is usually calm and collected, found Shui Yichen's appearance at this moment to be very moving, so how much more so would others?
Just as Yuan Jue was marveling at the sight, someone suddenly approached Shui Yichen.
He was a richly dressed young man with an oily face, his legs unsteady. He was clearly a纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled, dissolute young man) whose body had been ravaged by wine and women.
Suddenly, he approached Shui Yichen, his face full of lewd and teasing intent. He lifted Shui Yichen's chin and said, "You're really beautiful. It's a waste for you to be soliciting customers at the dock. Why don't you come with me? I'll make sure you live a life of luxury!"
As she spoke, the fingers that were hooking Shui Yichen's chin lightly brushed across Shui Yichen's face.
Shui Yichen gasped, looking as if he had never encountered anything like this before. He stood there, stunned, his face blank. Only when the lecherous playboy's fingers brushed against his cheek did he finally react with alarm and try to back away, but the playboy grabbed him and pulled him into his arms.
"Oh. Is the little beauty shy?" The lecherous playboy moved closer to Shui Yichen, his disgusting mouth getting closer and closer to her.
Only when the water subsided did they realize what was happening, and screams followed.
There were plenty of people from the water town around. Hearing the sound, they immediately gathered around. Even Shui Yichen's father came out—Shui Yichen's father was the captain of the boat Yuan Jue was on.
"Guest, please release my child." Shui Yichen's father's expression was not agitated, and his tone was extremely calm, as if he were not talking about anything related to his child.
“Father…” Shui Yichen seemed surprised that his father would stand up for him, and his expression immediately became excited.
However, Shui Yichen's father did not look at Shui Yichen. He remained calm as he watched the dissolute playboy who was holding his child in his arms and harassing him.
The people from other water towns around didn't seem to be protecting their own people as rumored, suggesting that Shui Yichen's existence was somewhat special.
Yuan Jue watched with great interest, showing no intention of stepping forward.
It turns out that although Shui Yichen is from the water town, his bloodline is not pure—if that were all, he wouldn't have been ignored by the others in the water town. Shui Yichen's biggest problem is that he cannot cultivate the unique martial arts of the water town. This makes it impossible for him to resonate with the others in the water town. Shui Yichen's father even considers Shui Yichen a stain on their family and has never acknowledged Shui Yichen's identity in public.
But this time it seems to be an exception.
"Oh?" The lecherous playboy raised an eyebrow at Shui Yichen's father. "Since it's the beauty's father who's speaking, I naturally shouldn't refuse. However—" As he spoke, the playboy suddenly kissed Shui Yichen on the cheek, his face full of intoxication, but his words were infuriating: "However, the beauty isn't my beauty yet, so I don't want to hear what the beauty's father has to say."
Shui Yichen's father's expression remained unchanged. Seeing that he couldn't reason with this debauched playboy, he turned and left.
"Father!" Shui Yichen cried out as he watched. He struggled violently in the arms of the debauched playboy. Although the playboy's body had been hollowed out by wine and women, he still had some cultivation. Therefore, Shui Yichen, who had no cultivation at all, could not break free from the playboy's hold.
As Shui Yichen struggled, the lecherous playboy's face grew increasingly red, and his eyes gradually filled with lust. He wanted nothing more than to kill Shui Yichen on the spot.
Suddenly, the lecherous playboy let out an evil laugh and said to Shui Yichen's father's back, "Does the beauty's father not want me to release her?"
Shui Yichen's father stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around.
“It’s very simple,” the lecherous playboy said smugly, seeing his father obediently stop in his tracks. “If my beautiful father could also fall into my arms, I would definitely let her go. Tsk tsk, my beautiful father certainly has more charm than I do!”
This statement stirred up a hornet's nest, and the entire dock erupted in chaos.
Shui Yichen's father glared angrily at the debauched playboy, suppressing his rage as he said, "Our water town doesn't welcome people like you. Please leave!"
"You think you can just leave me like that? I..."
Before the lecherous playboy could finish his sentence, he was hit by a water balloon and fell into the water, unable to escape the sinking water in his arms.
"How dare you..." The debauched playboy flew into a rage, shoving Shui Yichen aside and ordering his men to attack the people of the water town. But the people of the water town were no ordinary people; they attacked in unison, and the debauched playboy was forced to flee in disarray.
Amid the chaos, many people were trampled. Yuan Jue had a fairly good impression of Shui Yichen, so he helped pull Shui Yichen onto the boat across the river.
But because of this action, Shui Yichen became attached to Yuanjue.
Chapter 8 Refusal
Today, a few days after entering the water town, Yuanjue suddenly felt like taking Mingfeng out for a stroll, and the small boat they randomly boarded turned out to be a simple boat with oars.
At first, Yuanjue thought it was nice to have an acquaintance introduce him to the water town, but as Shuiyichen continued to cast shy and curious glances at him, he began to feel uncomfortable.
In the water town, small waterways replace roads, and the only land beneath the houses is duckweed, which floats on the water.
Yuanjue sat in the small awning boat, watching the houses around him float gently. The sunlight of the setting sun cast layers of shadows on the white walls, and water birds flew low under the eaves of the houses, creating ripples.
Shuiyi sank to the stern as he rowed, while Mingfeng swayed sleepily in the middle of the boat.
Suddenly, the entire ship jolted violently, as if it had struck something.
Yuan Jue looked up and was surprised to find that in the wide expanse of water, the sinking water had caused his small boat to collide with someone else's large ship.
The boat shook violently from the collision. Mingfeng immediately woke up and steadied herself, while Yuanjue remained seated motionless in the boat. However, Shuiyichen suddenly lunged forward and fell onto the deck, causing the boat to sway from side to side.
Yuan Jue subconsciously looked at Shui Yichen, wondering if he had been injured in the fall. At that moment, many people came out of the large ship opposite.
The one leading the group was actually Shui Yichen's father.
"What happened?" Shui Yichen's father had a cold expression. Although the boat had been hit, he remained unperturbed.
A boatman nearby answered the question, and the father, whose body was sinking, immediately looked toward the small boat where Yuanjue was.
His face darkened when he saw the water droplets lying on the ground. But when he saw Yuan Jue and Ming Feng, his expression softened: "I'm so sorry to have startled our guests."
It turns out that Shui Yichen's father still remembered Yuan Jue and had a good impression of Yuan Jue, a man with the same gentle temperament as Shui Xiang. Naturally, he spoke much more gently.
"Why don't you come with us, guests? We'll also enjoy the scenery of this water town."
Yuan Jue thought it was a good suggestion and, without much thought, leaped onto the deck of the large ship. Ming Feng followed.
At that moment, Shui Yichen, who had fallen to the ground, got up and stood on the small awning boat, looking up at her father on the deck of the large ship, her eyes filled with tears: "Father, can I... get on?"
“I am not your father,” Shui Yichen’s father denied calmly. He then turned to Yuan Jue and introduced himself: “My name is Shui Yunlou. People in town call me Uncle Lou. If you don’t mind, you can call me that too.”
"My name is Yuan Jue," Yuan Jue introduced himself. Feeling the scorching heat of Shui Yichen behind him, he said somewhat uncomfortably, "Uncle Lou, why don't we let Shui Yichen board the boat?"
Although Yuan Jue's suggestion was quite impolite, he clearly saw that Shui Yunlou didn't dislike Shui Yichen; on the contrary, he seemed to have a faint protective affection for him. Therefore, Yuan Jue, unusually, felt a desire to help, since the father and son seemed to have a very good impression of each other.
Shuiyunlou paused for a moment, but his face did not show displeasure. In fact, there was a hint of joy in his eyes, but it was fleeting.
“Since it’s Young Master Yuanjue’s suggestion, I certainly won’t refuse.” With that, Shuiyunlou bid farewell to Yuanjue: “I still need to go back and keep watch. Those young lads in the cabin are a bit reckless. I hope you have a good time. If you need anything, please have someone pass on the message, and we will certainly fulfill your request.”
After that, without even looking at the sinking water, he left directly.
The water in the awning boat below had naturally reached the ears of Yuan Jue and Shui Yunlou's conversation, and he couldn't hide his joy. He quickly rowed the small boat to a nearby dock and moored it, then stared at Yuan Jue expectantly without saying a word.