Chapter Ten: Farewell in the Mortal World... Again

The clear sound of a flute lingered in the air as Zisang looked around, but there was no one playing the flute in sight. Lowering her head, she took a few more steps, and the flute's melody grew louder.

Between the two canyons, a small boat swayed gently as it emerged from the water, bearing a figure dressed in blue. There was no fisherman on board, yet the boat floated effortlessly against the current.

Suddenly, the flute ceased, and the blue figure on the boat flew up, seeming to draw closer to her. Feeling uneasy, Zisang turned to run but bumped into something hard, like a wall, causing her head to ache.

Cursing silently, Zisang rubbed her forehead, then glanced at the person in front of her. She froze, staring blankly at the figure before her.

Even the palm she had raised inadvertently froze in midair, unaware that it had been locked by the person in front of her.

"Nan Xianyi, do you have a death wish?" Zisang gritted her teeth, startled and annoyed. She never expected Nan Xianyi to follow her all the way from Fusang!

Nan Xianyi grinned, releasing Zisang's hand and crossing his arms. Zisang rubbed her sore wrist before massaging her throbbing forehead.

"Nan Xianyi, I've repaid my debts to you. Why do you keep haunting me?" Zisang asked nonchalantly, while Nan Xianyi replied playfully.

"Your debt may be settled, but mine isn't!"

Suddenly, he cupped her crimson cheeks in his hands, drawing his fair and delicate face closer to hers. As he leaned in, Zisang instinctively turned her head away.

But before she could react further, Nan Xianyi whispered near her ear, "Even if I die, I won't forget how you risked your life to save me from the Thunder Punishment."

Still stunned by the recent surprise, Zisang stared at the smiling youth before her.

With a mischievous gleam in his peach blossom eyes, Nan Xianyi looked as if he had stepped out of a painting, illuminated by the light behind him.

However, his next words made Zisang want to kick him immediately.

"Just now, did you think I was going to kiss you?" Nan Xianyi teased, earning him a glare from Zisang.

Unable to endure her icy gaze, Nan Xianyi rolled his eyes, but Zisang seemed oblivious.

The two found a shady spot to sit down, and Zisang asked with feigned seriousness, "Why did you leave Fusang to come here?"

Nan Xianyi replied without hesitation, "Master ordered me to bring you back."

"Don't talk nonsense. Be serious," Zisang retorted.

But Nan Xianyi insisted earnestly, "It's true. Master said that if I bring you back, I can redeem myself."

Half doubting, half believing, Zisang asked, "Really..."

"Of course," Nan Xianyi affirmed.

Following the river upstream led them to Yuzhou City. After days of travel, they hadn't eaten properly, so Nan Xianyi found the best restaurant in town, called "Yipinju."

It was said that many nobles and aristocrats would hire their chefs for banquets.

Zisang lifted a bowl the size of a bucket, marveling at the equally large stack of bowls on the table.

"Nan Xianyi, are you a reincarnation of a pig demon? No, even pigs can't eat as much as you," Zisang joked.

Nan Xianyi indulged in the feast, saying, "You don't understand. The most unforgivable thing in this world is to waste good food."

Zisang's eyes sparkled with amusement.

Suddenly, a fortune teller caught Zisang's attention. Turning back, she saw a Daoist in a flowing robe, holding a cloth banner with neat rows of characters.

"Miàofǎ Xīngjūn reincarnated, offering accurate divinations. If it's not accurate, it's free."

Curious, Zisang approached and read the words aloud, then asked, "Is this true?"

The Daoist, with a confident smile, replied, "Of course."

"Alright, then tell my fortune."

After a moment of calculation, the Daoist chuckled and said, "Your marriage fortune has arrived."

"Who is it?" Zisang inquired, scanning her surroundings.

The Daoist smiled mysteriously, "The secrets of fate cannot be revealed."

Zisang raised an eyebrow, amused. "Old Daoist, you've said so much without saying anything."

Embarrassed, the Daoist laughed awkwardly before continuing, "But this relationship is ultimately a doomed one."

"Doomed? What do you mean? Tell me more."

"The person has a calamity in their fate, and you are their calamity. Close at hand, it brings disaster; far away, it brings fortune. You two are destined to be incompatible."

"Why..." Zisang's wrist was suddenly grabbed, and she was pulled away.

As they left, Zisang glanced back at the Daoist, who was still smiling harmoniously. But when she looked again, he was lost in the bustling crowd, his figure nowhere to be seen.

"All of that is nonsense. Why do you believe him? What did he say to you?" Nan Xianyi spoke, sounding as if he had vast experience, but who knows how many times he had been deceived behind his back!

Disdainful, Zisang blinked and smiled, saying, "He said I would make a fortune!"

Nan Xianyi immediately covered his face and sighed, "See! I told you he's a fraud!"

Zisang lowered her head and chuckled, saying no more.

"Sugar people... sugar people..." The cry from the roadside caught Zisang's attention. She asked, "What are sugar people?"

Nan Xianyi pointed to a nearby stall.

The stall displayed various cute sugar figurines, which caught Zisang's eye. Being a fox, she immediately fancied the white fox-shaped sugar figurine.

Nan Xianyi sighed helplessly, his eyes filled with indulgence.

Checking her purse for money, Zisang realized she had lost a silver coin.