Chapter Eighty-Seven: Penglai Fairy Island (Part 2)

  As they strolled along the edge of the forest, about half an hour later, the trees thinned out and the ground gradually revealed a yellowish-green color where the forest and grassland met. After passing by several clusters of intertwined flower trees, Shen Bailian suddenly felt that her eyes had brightened, only to find that she had already walked out of this patch of flower trees and was once again under the warm sunlight.

  As she walked out from under the tree shade, Shen Bailian suddenly saw the sunlight and felt a stinging sensation in her eyes. She hastily raised her sleeve to cover her face, using the shadow cast on her face to squint ahead. All she saw was the azure sky, crystal clear like a sparkling crystal, reflecting the lush green grass below that seemed to be dripping with dew. The gentle breeze carried the warmth of spring, softly rustling the willows and whispering secrets in her ear, only stirring a few strands of hair on her shoulders. The wind blew gently, and the wild grass, over a foot long, swayed in waves towards the horizon. In the distance, a faint, shimmering light flickered, casting a kaleidoscope of shadows, where towering buildings stood like a mirage at the edge of the sky.

  "Ziying, look!" Seeing the small city, Shen Bailian's eyes lit up, and she thought to herself that what that Zhen'er girl had said was indeed true, that it was a city where the descendants of the ancient tribe lived. She turned her head excitedly and smiled at Murong Ziying, "I didn't expect there would be people on this island too, let's go take a look." As she spoke, she quickened her pace and soon walked ahead.

  Murong Ziyin slowly shook his head, seemingly quite helpless, and responded with a single word: "Okay." However, he himself did not notice the hint of a tolerant smile that involuntarily rose at the corner of his lips.

  Shen Bailian's heart was slightly excited, and her feet couldn't help but exert some real strength, so her speed was naturally much faster than before. Before long, the two of them arrived at the front of a small town. As they drew closer, it became clear that what had been shimmering with sparkling waves earlier was actually a small river. The river was only about one zhang wide, but it had been artificially dug out to encircle the entire city, and there were many flowers and grasses planted on both banks, which were lush and vibrant. The water of the river was clear and transparent, reflecting the greenish-white stone bricks below and the dozens of fish swimming back and forth, making a very beautiful and elegant sight.

  Behind the moat stood the towering city walls, also made of bluish-white stone blocks, with shallow carvings of floral patterns and auspicious symbols on the stones. The ancient simplicity was accompanied by elegance, and only a few wisps of moss seeping out from the gaps between the stones revealed a hint of vicissitudes. Under the arched city gate, people came and went in an endless stream, bustling with activity. Shen Bailian and Murong Ziyin followed these people into the city, curiously observing their appearance along the way. They found that most of the descendants had fair skin, delicate features, and were dressed in a rather elegant manner. The women, in particular, wore bright, thin silk dresses, revealing a crescent-shaped expanse of snow-white neck and shoulders, as well as two arms. Occasionally, when their skirts fluttered up, they would reveal slender, bare feet. Their heads, necks, wrists, and ankles were adorned with many strings of fresh flowers, which was quite different from the women of the Central Plains, and had a unique charm.

  Shen Bailian was sizing them up with great interest, unaware that in the eyes of these remnants, he and Murong Ziyin were truly one of a kind. Especially the young girls, who would glance at them with unveiled curiosity, then pull their companions over to whisper a few words, and even flash a smile when they met their gaze, completely unselfconscious about their behavior. Some were even bold enough to grab a handful of flowers from the small baskets on their arms and stuff them into Shen Bailian's hands before running off with a smile.

  Looking at the girl's slender figure leaving like a fragrant breeze, Murong Ziyin's face was very solemn, and he frowned and scolded in a low voice: "Harming the wind and customs!" It seemed that if his own sisters were so reckless, they would not be spared from being lectured.

  Shen Bailian smiled and said, "It's just that the customs of the people are not much different from those of the Central Plains. Besides...that girl is only pleased with you, why must Ziying be so calculating?"

  Murong Ziyin's lips were pursed tightly, and she no longer spoke. Shen Bailian glanced sideways, just in time to see a hint of embarrassment flash across his face, and couldn't help but secretly laugh.

  Two people entered the city, and all they saw were people coming and going in a hurry, more than ten times busier than what they had seen at the city gate. As they strolled along with the crowd, the surrounding shops and stalls gradually increased, and the air was filled with various fragrances, either savory aromas that tempted people, which must have been food stalls, with customers eating beside them, or fragrant scents that assailed the nostrils, accompanied by many soft and gentle voices, which must have been cosmetics and jewelry stalls, surrounded by a group of young women. There were also vendors selling fresh flowers, as well as knives, swords, and daggers. Although it couldn't be said to have everything one could possibly want, it was still a dazzling sight to behold, not comparable to the prosperous cities in the Central Plains, but enough to satisfy their curiosity.

  Shen Bailian was often secluded in the mountains when he was young, and had no chance to go down the mountain to play. Later, after leaving Qionghua Sect, he was busy running around, covered in dust, and even more so, he didn't have the mood to stroll around. This time, coincidentally, he caught up with the market, and looked at it until his eyes were wide with wonder. Several times, he bumped into things he had never seen before, and even unknowingly stopped to take a closer look. If not for Murong Ziyu constantly turning back to pay attention to him, and pulling him away by the sleeve in time, the two of them would have almost gotten lost in the crowded market.

  However, before passing by a shop, Shen Bailian suddenly turned back, but didn't see Mu Rongziying's figure. He hastily looked around and only then saw the hem of the blue-white Taoist robe disappear behind the door curtain of that shop. He hurriedly chased after her and also entered the small shop.

  That small shop had no sign outside, and inside it was very narrow. If not for the row of copper and iron tools on the shelves against the wall, it would be hard to tell that it was an iron store at all. The island's climate was warm and pleasant, but this house was hot and noisy with the sound of clanging metal echoing in one's ears, which explained why there were no other customers besides them. But Muyun Ziyin seemed to ignore all these, walked past the large iron stove in the middle of the hall, and went straight to the iron anvil at the corner where a tall and sturdy blacksmith was wielding a big hammer.

  The man wore a short jacket and thin pants, his height was impressive but he didn't look particularly robust, only when he raised his arm to hammer did the muscles bulge, revealing the power hidden in his bones. His tiger eyes were fixed on a piece of metal burning red hot on the anvil, even though there were two more people in the room, he didn't have time to pay attention. After Murong Ziyin walked over, she didn't call out to him either, but stood quietly beside him, watching how he forged.

  The blacksmith hammered the metal dozens of times, and it gradually took shape on the anvil, revealing the form of a short-handled sword. He tilted his head to examine it for a while, then continued hammering, stopping again after a moment to look at it, shaking his head before hammering a few more times. After repeating this process several times, he finally picked up the tongs and submerged the short sword into a bucket of water that had been prepared next to the anvil. The water in the bucket was as black as ink, just like the seawater of the underworld. As soon as the red-hot sword was submerged, it let out a hissing sound, and white mist rose up, gradually engulfing the entire iron bucket.

  The work came to an end, and the blacksmith finally stopped his hands, putting down the tools in his hand, unhurriedly raised his head, and swept over with a pair of sharp eyes. His gaze was like lightning, passing over Shen Bailian's face, stopping for a moment on Murong Ziyu's body, and finally falling on the huge sword scabbard behind Murong Ziyu.

  "Brother, you also seem to know about smelting techniques, but what brings you to this humble shop of mine?" the blacksmith suddenly said.

  Murong Ziyin calmly nodded: "Among the common people, there are many strange individuals. Your casting skills are extraordinary. If you intend to make a name for yourself, this place wouldn't be just a 'small shop', would it? I am Murong Ziyin, and since childhood, I have been interested in sword casting techniques. Throughout my life, I have only wished to collect famous swords from all over the world and learn all the techniques of sword casting. Therefore, when I heard the sound of iron being forged, I couldn't help but come take a look. Indeed, it was not a wasted trip."

  Shen Bailian listened intently, and the blacksmith's gaze also changed. He had known Murong Ziyin for these days, but it was the first time he heard him say so many words in one breath, with a tone that was quite friendly, which was really rare. It seemed that this blacksmith must have some extraordinary skills to make the iron tree bloom... no, to make the iceberg speak.

  The blacksmith also heard the sincerity in Murong Ziyu's words and couldn't help but look at him a few more times, his tone also softened: "It's just a trivial skill, I'm ashamed to accept your praise. I see that you have a sword scabbard on your back, with sharp energy emanating from it, clearly containing a powerful weapon. It seems that your skills far surpass mine, and yet you talk about learning how to cast swords? You're really making fun of me."

  Murong Ziyin, however, was quite serious and solemnly said: "The ancients said that among three people walking together, there must be a teacher. Your casting technique has its own unique style, with many innovative aspects. I should seek your guidance, and you don't have to be too modest."

  The blacksmith's eyebrows slightly raised, a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, and his expression completely relaxed: "Brother, you really are... never mind, since you've taken a liking to me, discussing together won't hurt." He glanced around the room again, then said, "This place is messy, let's go to the backyard instead. Please follow me." With that, he didn't even bother with the shop's business and strode towards the backyard.

  "I think neither of you is from Penglai Island?" The blacksmith said as soon as they entered the backyard house.

  Shen Bailian was taken aback and smiled: "Sir, aren't you asking because our attire is different from the locals?"

  The blacksmith nodded slightly and looked at Murong Ziyin: "It's not all because of this, but this brother Murong is wearing a white robe... I found it strange as soon as I saw it. You know that in Xun City, let alone the entire Penglai Island, there are only a few people who dare to wear white robes and walk around freely. The two brothers' appearance is also different from us, so I had this idea."

  Shen Bailian thought carefully and recalled that the people she had just seen were all wearing bright and colorful clothes, but indeed not a single one was wearing white. She found it even more strange and couldn't help but ask another question: "Why are there so few people on the island who wear white clothes?"

  The blacksmith smiled faintly and explained, "You don't know, in Xun City, white is revered. Unless you are a person of noble status, you can't wear white clothes. If ordinary people dare to offend, the patrolling guards in the city will not easily forgive them."

  Shen Bailian thought for a moment and said: "But just now we came all the way and didn't see anyone blocking our way to punish us, did we?"

  The blacksmith smiled wryly and let out a soft sigh, saying, "There's another reason for this." After a pause, he began to explain in detail, "Do you know that the royal family of our Xun City is not actually a direct descendant of the royal bloodline? Decades ago, the palace was in chaos, and the previous king and other direct descendants were all killed in the internal strife. It's said that at that time, a prince with exceptional swordsmanship managed to resist the rebels and escape, but he was never heard from again, and the direct bloodline became extinct. The current royal family is actually a side branch that rose to power, but over the years, the new king has been acting in ways that are unpopular among the people, and many commoners are dissatisfied with the current royal court. If someone accidentally offends the royal family, others will often cover for them, and few will push them out to be punished. The city guards won't bother with such matters unless they happen to witness it themselves. You two have been traveling without being harassed, probably because of this reason."

  On Penglai Island, these old events had been told to Shen Baiying by Kunhai Zhen before, so she was not surprised, but when she heard the blacksmith mention "Xun City", "White Clothes" and "the prince with superb swordsmanship" one after another, her heart suddenly moved, and a scene flashed in her mind, it was a white-clothed young man who came ashore from the sea, saving people with his sword, that person told her at the time that he was called... Xunheng...

  Living abroad, wearing white clothes and having a different appearance from people in the Central Plains, with an air of loneliness and nobility...

  "Really!?" Shen Bailian's eyes flashed with a hint of unusual color, and she hastily asked: "The previous generation of the royal family you mentioned... was it the Xun surname?"

  The blacksmith nodded: "That's right. The Xun family has been the royal surname since the city was built, and the name of Xun City is also derived from this."

  Shen Bailian sat stupidly in her seat, her eyes cast downward at the ground, a wave of unspeakable sorrow and regret surging up in her heart. It turned out that he had such a past, no wonder he never mentioned his past when they were on Mount Kunlun, no wonder his personality became so cold and indifferent, no wonder...

  On the other side, Murong Ziyin had already discussed his affairs with the blacksmith. Shen Bailian sat beside him but never spoke again. He was quietly and deeply immersed in that past affair.