(Normally, the story would proceed to Penacony's plot, but considering there are still many characters in the Xianzhou to cover, let's dive into the story of the High-Cloud Quintet instead, hehe.)
8:25 PM.
"The sun in the sky never tires, but the Dragon Master on the ground is worn out~"
"Work is exhausting~ Work is exhausting~ Where's my savings at~"
Under the night sky, Bailu hummed a nursery rhyme, swaying as she walked toward home.
Perhaps because of the major incident a few days ago—when the Lord Ravager invaded the sacred land of the Vidyadhara, Scalegorge Waterscape—the Dragon Master was swamped with work and, in a rare moment of kindness, granted Bailu a few days off.
Oh, of course, this so-called "time off" wasn't a complete break. It meant Bailu's work hours were adjusted to 6:50 AM to 8:00 PM.
For Bailu, this was already a generous rest.
Suddenly finishing work at 8:00 PM, Bailu felt a bit unaccustomed. She stood in the bustling Aurum Alley, where usually, when she passed through, the only lights on were the streetlamps.
The aroma from a nearby tavern wafted through the window, making Bailu swallow hard. Though her heart was eager, the thought of her less-than-wealthy wallet quickly dispelled the idea.
"Huh? Is that…?"
Bailu's peripheral vision caught a familiar figure. She turned to look and saw, at the entrance of a hotpot restaurant, a white-haired youth with a bandaged head sitting outside, mixing sesame paste in a bowl.
Old Jing?
…
"…Haha, Boss Gui, here's your sesame paste."
After mixing the sesame paste, Jing Yuan handed the bowl to Guinaifen across from him with a sheepish smile, looking every bit like a diligent Xianzhou assistant.
Guinaifen examined the sesame paste closely and nodded slightly. "Not bad. When it comes to eating Xianzhou cuisine, you're the real deal, Old Jing."
"Hey, when you're old, this is about the only thing I'm good for," Jing Yuan replied.
"Hmm, since you did well today, I won't make you do the boulder-smashing-on-chest routine tomorrow."
…
"Five portions of greens, fifteen; one portion of lamb, twenty-eight; two portions of fish balls, fourteen; three portions of vermicelli, twelve…"
Yanqing sat between them, diligently recording today's bill in a small notebook, completely ignoring the conversation between the two.
The adult world seemed a bit complicated. Logically, his teacher had helped save the Luofu, so he should have gained both fame and fortune.
But reality was different: due to the incident's importance, it couldn't be publicized, so fame was out of the question. His teacher wanted to live a quiet life as an ordinary Xianzhou citizen, so fortune was off the table too.
In the end, because his teacher had fled the scene during a live broadcast, Little Gui had to pay two months' worth of wages as compensation. To make up for it, his teacher had to work as an indentured assistant for two months.
"Hey, kid, we're finally out for a meal. Stop keeping track," Guinaifen said, poking Yanqing's forehead irritably. "Why don't you learn a bit of your teacher's carefree attitude about spending money?"
Yanqing stayed silent, quietly putting away his notebook.
Soon, the first round of dishes was ready. Jing Yuan picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of meat in Yanqing's bowl. "Kids eat first. You're still growing."
Yanqing thought for a moment and placed a piece of meat in Guinaifen's bowl. "No, Sister Guinaifen should eat first. Lately, our food and debts have all been covered by her."
Guinaifen let out a soft hum and spread her hands toward Jing Yuan. "The great hero eats first. He went through a lot saving the Luofu."
At those words, Jing Yuan and Yanqing instinctively exchanged a glance: You betrayed us?
The events surrounding the Ambrosial Arbor's sealing were the Cloud Knights' top secret. No matter what happened, they were sworn to silence. How did Little Gui know?
"Keep staring. Go on, let's see how long you two can keep up the eye contact," Guinaifen said with a cold smirk. "If the Cloud Knights hadn't come to me directly, I wouldn't have known you two were off doing something so dangerous behind my back."
Jing Yuan & Yanqing: (blinking).
"Hehe~ Busted…"
Just as the two were awkwardly scrambling for an explanation, a silly laugh came from the side. The three turned to see Bailu hiding nearby, drooling while watching the drama unfold.
"Huh?"
Realizing she'd been spotted, Bailu scratched her head awkwardly and stepped forward. "Sorry, I saw Old Jing and wanted to say hi. I didn't mean to eavesdrop…"
Though she was an old friend of Jing Yuan's, she wasn't all that familiar with Yanqing or Guinaifen.
"You…" Guinaifen narrowed her eyes, leaning closer to Bailu, then suddenly exclaimed, "The Luofu's number one Master Bai!"
—The Luofu's number one Master Bai!
Bailu froze, those seven words echoing in her mind, stirring a subtle emotion in her heart.
"You… you've heard of me?" Bailu asked tentatively.
"Of course!"
Guinaifen replied matter-of-factly. "Don't you know? Haven't you collaborated with tons of famous Luofu streamers? I've seen you in so many people's videos."
"Me?" Bailu pointed at herself, her eyes brimming with uncontainable joy. "Really? Am I famous?"
"Absolutely! Come, come, sit down, let's chat!"
And just like that, Guinaifen naturally pulled Bailu into the meal. The two talked at length about the topic, and it was clear Bailu was genuinely thrilled.
Being well-known meant she could earn a few extra bucks a day!
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Guinaifen, but you can call me Little Gui. Master Bai, to be honest, you have so much untapped potential. If you find the right approach, getting rich overnight isn't a dream!"
"Really?!"
"Of course! I hear you don't have a verified account on any platform, right?"
"Right, right, right!"
"That's perfect! Starting tomorrow, I'll take you into streaming. With your fame, you could easily rack up hundreds of thousands, even millions, of fans."
"Really? How much money could I make?"
"Hmm… I'm not sure about that. Probably… five figures?"
"Really? That's amazing!"
"Totally! Come on, eat with us!"
"Thank you! You're such a good person!"
…
Jing Yuan picked at the greens and vermicelli in his bowl, feeling a bit nostalgic. "Youth is wonderful. The last time I saw a scene like this was eight hundred years ago."
"…"
His words instantly silenced the table. Guinaifen, Yanqing, and Bailu all stopped and turned to look at him in unison.
Jing Yuan: ?
"Don't mind us, keep going," Guinaifen said. "This is the part where you're supposed to dive into your memories, right?"
Truth be told, though the three of them had known Jing Yuan for a long time, they knew nothing about the past of this perpetually calm "old man." So when Jing Yuan unwittingly began reminiscing, they all put down their chopsticks and listened intently.
"You guys… fine, fine."
Stared at by three young pairs of eyes, Jing Yuan shrugged, cleared his throat, and began to recount:
"Eight hundred years ago, I was a martial arts failure. That is, until I met her."