The water-shadow screen soon displayed images.

Beside it, a storyteller swayed his folding fan as he narrated leisurely.

“Last time, we spoke of… the thousand-zhang rays of light atop Mt. Firmament, where, in an instant, the clouds parted, the snow cleared, and the sky stretched blue for miles.”

“Behold—a white-haired maiden and a black-haired youth stood amidst it all, like heaven’s favored children, like a goddess descended to the mortal realm.”

“With but a flick of their fingers, the mountains and valleys shifted with the seasons, and the streets and alleys transformed anew.”

“Who might these two be? None other than the resurrected Magistrate of Jinzhou and her appointed intelligence officer, the extraordinary Lucian.”

“As the saying goes, ‘The spring thunder stirs, and the clouds part to reveal the sun.'”

“And as another proverb states, ‘Only in the direst straits does one find rebirth.’ Without such extremes, how could there be renewal…”

The residents of Hongzhen nearby clapped and cheered.

Lucian also applauded: “Bravo! More! So good! Love it!”

Rover rubbed her forehead: “And there he goes, showing off again.”

Abby huffed: “If I’d been there, I would’ve been the star of the show!”

Lucian: “Ah, right right right.”

“Abby, you’re just a newborn. No need for such unrealistic fantasies.”

Abby stomped her foot: “What do you mean, newborn?!”

“I might not remember, but I’m definitely not ordinary!”

Lucian: “Ah, right right right.”

“Even if I’m not as strong as the Sentinel, I’m definitely Solaris’s strongest Resonator!”

Abby shrieked: “Aaaah! Rover! Look at him! He’s infuriating me!”

Rover simply blew lightly on the fragrant tea in her cup, took a sip, and watched the two bicker with a smile, her eyes narrowed.

Jué chewed and swallowed her candied hawthorn: “Abby is somewhat similar to me, but also different.”

“You’ll have to find the answer to that in your future travels.”

“As for Lucian, while your strength is indeed top-tier now…”

“Solaris is teeming with talent, and there are many Resonators with extraordinary abilities.”

“You still have a long way to go before becoming the strongest.”

As soon as Jué finished speaking, a woman wearing sunglasses knocked on their table.

The group turned to see none other than Sanhua.

“Sanhua? What are you doing here? How’s Jinhsi?”

Sanhua glanced at them: “Lucian, Rover, and this is…”

Rover: “You can call her Jiao-Jiao.”

Sanhua gave a slight nod and answered Lucian’s question: “I’m here because Jinzhou has some official matters to coordinate with Hongzhen, so I came to find Lady Xinyi.”

“I happened to see you all here and thought I’d say hello.”

“As for the Magistrate, she’s fine now—awake and under Changli’s care.”

Lucian nodded slightly: “That’s good to hear. But come to think of it, you’ve been working hard too…”

After Jinhsi left Jinzhou, Sanhua had been handling the city’s affairs.

It seemed Sanhua was not only deeply trusted by Jinhsi but also far more than just a “bodyguard” in Jinzhou.

Sanhua: “Compared to what you’ve been through, this is nothing.”

Then she noticed the little girl named Jiao-Jiao studying her intently.

Puzzled, she reached to remove her sunglasses for a clearer look.

But Lucian extended a finger and pushed them back up.

With a grin, he said: “Stare too much, and you might get a stye!”

Sanhua: “…”

She immediately understood.

Since Lucian knew the details about her eyes, this little girl must be more than she appeared.

Jiao-Jiao, still chewing her candied hawthorn, remarked: “Such caution is truly Jinhsi’s good fortune.”

Sanhua raised an eyebrow—such a young girl addressing the Magistrate so casually? Though her voice was childish, her tone carried an air of maturity.

In Jinzhou, few could call the Magistrate by her true name, and in Sanhua’s memory, this little girl was not among them.

Seeing Sanhua lost in thought, Lucian said: “Let’s go. We’re also heading to see Xinyi. You’ll understand once we get there.”

“I’ve grasped the situation.”

“Will taking human form affect your original body?”

Jué: “It won’t have any impact.”

Sanhua: “I never expected it to be like this…”

Jué: “Please keep this confidential. I’d prefer not to have too many people know my identity.”

Xinyi nodded slightly: “Understood. Jinhsi mentioned your next destination is the Black Shores?”

Rover nodded: “Yes, but right now, we don’t know how to get there.”

Previously, Aalto had only told them that when the time came, someone would guide them.

The Black Shores were shrouded in mystery. Even after all this time in Jinzhou, information about them was scarce.

Xinyi: “I’ve been handling affairs on Mt. Firmament for many years and know little of the outside world.”

“Since that guest from the Black Shores said so, all you can do is wait.”

Jué gave a slight nod: “In the meantime, Lucian will focus on healing me.”

Lucian: “…”

Am I just a damn tool now?

Rover: “Since the two of you still have official matters to attend to, we won’t take up any more of your time.”

After leaving the mountain gate, the group arrived at the Spirit Sand Hot Springs of Mt. Firmament.

These hot springs had the effect of soothing muscles and relieving fatigue.

The Spirit Sand Hot Springs were beloved by the people of Hongzhen. In their years of isolation, the townsfolk had developed a variety of hot spring-related leisure activities around them.

“So relaxing~”

Lucian closed his eyes, immersed in the hot spring. Rover wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her head on his shoulder, looking utterly content.

The Spirit Sand Hot Springs were open-air, a natural resource of Mt. Firmament, found everywhere.

Snowflakes drifted down, complementing the warmth of the springs.

Abby floated on her back in the water: “I feel completely at ease…”

Lucian pulled out the Legendary Fishing Rod from his system space and cast the line into the spring with a flourish.

In a dim stone chamber, a young girl with pale blue hair cradled a porcelain piece lovingly.

“The glaze is smooth as jade, lustrous as fat. Though not ancient, the craftsmanship is worthy of collection!”

After examining it for a while, she noticed a thin white thread above the porcelain.

Puzzled, she rubbed her head: “What’s this?”

She reached out with a small hand and tugged the thread—

Before she could react, an immense force yanked her upward.

“Ah—!”

Watching Lucian fish leisurely, Jué frowned: “You have a line but no hook. How will you catch anything?”

Abby also looked over curiously: “Wait, there aren’t even fish in this hot spring!”

Lucian smirked: “You just don’t get it. Watch and learn—”

Before he could finish, he felt a heavy tug on the rod.

His expression turned serious as he reeled in sharply—

A blue figure shot out of the hot spring, accompanied by a childish scream.

“Waaaaah—!!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep