Back at the inn, Liu Shinian asked us to place the fabric on the table.
Then, he led Ali to the window.
From this vantage point, one could see the hurried passersby.
Among them were many wealthy merchants, noble ladies, and learned scholars.
Ali instantly understood his intention, gazing at the pedestrians and saying,
"I understand.
Brother Liu means for me to observe the people on the street and change our attire accordingly."
Liu Shinian patted his shoulder with satisfaction, saying,
"Indeed, you grasped my idea at once.
Muye, come here and see what you want to wear."
"Oh."
I slowly walked over to them and looked out.
After observing for a long time,
I finally chose a woman wearing a pink floral dress and a rabbit-shaped bun.
She held a fan and appeared graceful and dignified.
"Let it be her,"
I said, pointing at the woman.
Ali nodded slightly, then walked to the table and tossed the pink fabric towards me.
He then produced a leaf and flicked it over.
The leaf landed on the fabric, emitting a dazzling light.
The intense light blinded me.
After the bright flash, Liu Shinian examined me carefully and praised,
"I didn't expect you to look so good in this outfit, Muye.
You have a bit of the charm of a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally adorned."
I seemed to have heard this poem somewhere before; it sounded like it was from an ancient poet.
How did Liu Shinian know it?
"Liu Shinian, how do you know this poem?"
I asked him curiously.
Liu Shinian looked at me with confusion, then after a while, he said,
"Oh, I heard it from someone else before. You recognize this poem too?"
"Yes, I know this poem. It was written by Li Bai for Prefect Wei."
"Li Bai? Who is that?"
Liu Shinian had lived in this world for many years and had never heard of anyone named Li Bai.
When Muye mentioned it, he was only confused and bewildered.
Could there be someone in this world whom he didn't know?
I explained,
"Li Bai was a great poet.
It's just that he is not from your world, so naturally, you wouldn't know him."
Liu Shinian responded with a "Oh" that sounded like he half-understood, then said,
"It's my turn. Let me see who I should choose."
He looked at the people passing by outside.
He finally settled on a young man wearing a wide-sleeved, bamboo-patterned green robe.
He held a book of poetry, appearing quite learned.
"Him,"
Ali came over to look, then flicked a leaf onto the green fabric.
He then controlled the fabric, making it fly and land on Liu Shinian.
Liu Shinian spun around and put on the clothes.
He smoothed the two sideburns hanging in front of him and smiled slightly.
He unbuckled the sword at his waist, tossed it into the air, and caught it.
He displayed a gentlemanly smile, striking a pose.
However, he truly looked good in this outfit.
He had the air of a young man who had just emerged from seclusion, unaware of the world's dangers.
"How is it, do I look good?"
He looked at us expectantly.
Ali praised him,
"You look great. That person earlier had an air of scholarly refinement.
Now, Brother Liu, you have the aura of a young hero."
"Hahaha, Ali, you understand me best. What about you, Muye?"
He wanted me to praise him too. I thought for a moment and decided to compliment him.
"As the saying goes, 'Like jade on the path, a peerless gentleman.'
When you are serious, you are indeed a handsome young man.
It would be best if you didn't get too handsy."
Liu Shinian couldn't help but laugh at my praise.
"Are you praising me or putting me down?"
"Naturally, I'm praising you, with a bit of advice."
"Alright, alright, I accept your praise. It's your turn now, Ali."
Ali slowly walked to the window and looked outside.
He saw a wealthy merchant dressed in bright yellow.
He held two dark round beads in his left hand and wore a string of prayer beads on his right.
One look and you could tell he was rich.
Ali pointed at the man and said,
"I'll wear that outfit."
Liu Shinian looked carefully, finding it a bit awkward, and asked him,
"Do you really think it's suitable? Perhaps you should choose something else."
"No, since we are going to Qianji Hall, we naturally need to have a wealthy merchant.
Otherwise, how would we show we are rich?"
"Hahaha, Ali, you're thinking ahead."
Ali turned back to the table, picked up the yellow fabric, and draped it over himself.
With a casual blow, the fabric transformed into the desired form and was worn.
He raised his hands to the sides, conjuring two large black round beads in his left hand.
In his right hand, he conjured a string of prayer beads. He was just a little short.
He truly looked like a wealthy little magnate.
Liu Shinian couldn't help but laugh at Ali's new look, "Hahaha.
I must say, you look quite adorable."
I also found him somewhat cute.
Ali smiled shyly and said,
"Alright, since we have our new clothes,
Let's head to Qianji Hall."
"Okay, let's go."
Liu Shinian was unusually prompt this time, agreeing readily.
Perhaps it was because of the new clothes.
The three of us left together, heading towards Qianji Hall amidst the surprised glances of passersby.
Qianji Hall was located north of Nanhai City.
There stood the tallest and most prominent skyscraper in the entire city, which was Qianji Hall.
Qianji Hall was surrounded by a red mud wall, about twenty meters high.
At the entrance, on either side, stood two stone lions, half a person taller than a normal human.
There were also two gatekeepers, one on the left and one on the right, one responsible for collecting money and the other for opening the door.
The one collecting money had a table placed to his left.
He sat leisurely on a chair, recording accounts.
The one on the right was in a more unfortunate position, standing by the door, waiting to open it for people.
Liu Shinian asked Ali for sixty gold coins and walked to the payment counter.
The attendant, without looking up, asked,
"How many people?"
"Three?"
Liu Shinian replied.
"Sixty coins."
He extended his hand to receive the payment. Liu Shinian handed over the money.
The attendant weighed it lightly to ascertain if it was the correct amount, then asked again,
"Names."
"Liu Shinian, Ali, Liu Muye."
The attendant flipped open a thick ledger and wrote down our three names.
Then, he looked up and said to the person on the right,
"Open the door!"
"Yes."
Upon receiving the order, the person lightly tapped the side.
Instantly, the large wooden door opened automatically, revealing a dazzling golden light.
Before Ali and I could react, Liu Shinian pulled us into the golden light.
Beyond the golden light lay a joyous immortal realm that amazed the world.
Crimson carved pillars, gilded pavilions,
And the jade glazed tiles covering the roofs, constantly catching the eye.
Everywhere exuded luxury and grandeur.
Then, looking at the people coming and going, all dressed in opulent attire.
Some wore embroidered dragon robes, others wore phoenix-patterned skirts adorned with a hundred flowers.
There were also those elegant individuals in light blue robes, holding books and chatting cheerfully.
Each scene was like stepping into another world within this foreign realm.
I was stunned, my mouth agape, unable to speak for a long time.
Liu Shinian saw my astonished expression, shook his head, and sighed at my lack of worldly experience.
He reached out and patted my head, saying,
"How is it, beautiful, isn't it?
This is your first time seeing it, right? You're shocked."
I nodded silently. Liu Shinian laughed heartily.
"I knew you'd be like this. Everyone who comes here for the first time is.
If you want to know what's most famous and fun in Nanhai City, it has to be Qianji Hall."
"Oh, I can roughly understand why you like coming here. It is indeed incredibly luxurious."
At this moment, someone walked towards us from a distance and inquired,
"Young Master Liu, is it the same room as last time?"
"Yes."
Seeing that someone recognized him, he felt even more important in front of me.
His confident face seemed to proclaim that this was his territory.
I slightly raised my eyes, feeling disdainful.
"Young Master Liu, it's still one hundred gold."
The person said.
Liu Shinian turned back and looked at Ali again. I knew what he was going to do.
I wanted to stop him, but he preempted my thoughts.
He immediately shouted,
"Master Zhang, Master Zhang!"
Fine, he was too much.
To find Master Zhang, I had no choice but to withdraw my hand.
Looking at him resentfully, I reached into Ali's pocket and took out the bag of gold coins myself.
I handed it all over to the person.
The person smiled with satisfaction,
"Everyone, please follow me."
"Hey, hey, hey, there's extra money in there, give it back to me."
Just as I was about to step forward to reclaim the change, Liu Shinian grabbed me and pulled me back.
He walked ahead with the air of a master, leisurely saying,
"Don't shout. That's for food expenses. Keep up."
This Liu Shinian, he doesn't use his own money but spends ours lavishly.
If I don't teach him a good lesson, I swear I'm not human.
I rolled up my sleeves, preparing to grab Liu Shinian and give him a beating.
Ali watched my burgeoning anger and placed a hand on mine.
I looked at him in surprise, and Ali smiled slightly, gently comforting me,
"Forget it. It wasn't our money to begin with.
There's no use in keeping it by force. It's better to spend it."
Ali's soft words of comfort
Extinguished the anger that was about to erupt from me.
That's right, this money was given to us by others.
We didn't earn it through our own efforts, so it's fine if it's spent.
Once I realized this, I felt at ease.
However, I still had it in mind that after leaving Qianji Hall,
I would find an opportunity to properly educate Liu Shinian.
With his extravagant spending, how would he survive in the future?
We followed the person to the tallest building in the center.
The person led us inside the building.
Then, they took us into a small door on the left side of the main hall.
That small door looked like an elevator from the mortal world.
Curiously, I followed them inside, wondering what the person would do.
Then, I saw him turn around and pull down a long rod behind him.
The floor beneath us suddenly vibrated slightly, and I felt the platform slowly ascend.
It was truly novel; I didn't expect to ride an elevator here.
Halfway up, it suddenly stopped.
The person very gently said to Liu Shinian,
"Young Master Liu, you know the room. I'll take you this far."
"Okay, thank you."
"You're welcome."
We then stepped out of the moving platform and onto the corridor.
Immediately, the sounds of people laughing and playing reached my ears, very noisy.
I looked around curiously, but Liu Shinian pulled me over.
"Don't wander off, you'll get lost."
He said gently, just as when we first met, with a sweet smile. I was momentarily taken aback.
I suppose he is a karmic debt from my past life, a fated rival in this one.
I nodded and followed him.
We arrived at a corner, stopping before a sliding door made of paper.
Liu Shinian pushed it open with force. The room inside was quite spacious.
However, it was still adorned with dewy red flowers, and a blue embroidered screen was placed in front.
Several straw mats were laid on the floor, emitting a jasmine scent.
Liu Shinian, that scoundrel, while I was distracted by the amazement,
Had already reclined on the floor, propping his chin with one hand and fanning himself with the other, his face full of languor.
I couldn't help but complain,
"You're too rough."
He was unconcerned and even used Ali as a shield.
"Look, Ali is similar to me."
Ali sat down one by one, finding his posture. Hearing us talk about him,
He turned around, smiled sheepishly, and then changed the subject.
"How are we going to find Master Zhang?"
Liu Shinian stretched lazily, slowly got up, and sat by the small table.
Crossing his legs, he said unhurriedly,
"No rush, no rush. Let's eat something before we look for him."
It was then that I noticed he was sitting on a small table. I pointed it out to him disdainfully,
"You're sitting on the table."
Liu Shinian waved his hand dismissively again,
"It's fine, it's fine."
Looking at the empty small table before me, I asked doubtfully,
"Where is the item?"
"Someone will bring it soon."
Although it sounded absurd, judging by Liu Shinian's demeanor, he wasn't lying.
So, I waited quietly.
Indeed, after a short while, someone knocked and entered,
Carrying a tray with several plates of desserts.
Looking at them, I couldn't help but swallow.
After the person left, Ali eagerly picked up a piece of Hundred Flower Cake and tasted it,
Happily exclaiming,
"So sweet, it's delicious!"
"Really? Let me try too."
I couldn't help but taste it myself. It was as he said, sweet and refreshing.
"Do you want some?"
I asked Liu Shinian.
He looked at our messy eating with disdain.
It seemed he was tired of this feeling.
He suddenly said,
"Eating like this, really, leave some for me."
Saying that, he suddenly dived in, grabbing haphazardly and eating ravenously.
His eating posture was like that of a starving ghost who hadn't eaten for a hundred years.
In a short while, he had devoured a plate of delicacies.
Ali and I looked at him in surprise.
He, however, looked completely satisfied, not caring what others thought of him.
He simply wiped his mouth and stood up.
"I'm going out for a walk. You two stay here."
Saying that, he swaggered to the door and opened it.
He didn't go out but instead peered outside from the doorway.
At that moment, he saw a maid walking towards them.
He pretended to flirt and reached out to stop her.
The girl looked surprised, but Liu Shinian didn't hesitate and grabbed her.
With a swift strike, he knocked her unconscious and dragged her into the room.
Ali and I looked at him in astonishment. He sighed and whispered,
"Quick, come help!"
Only then did we understand and step forward to help him drag the person.
With lightning speed, Liu Shinian quickly stripped the maid's clothes and handed them to me.
Fortunately, she was wearing undergarments, otherwise, this pervert would have seen everything.
I was still wondering what to do when he fumbled and put the clothes on me, saying,
"After you go out from here, turn left.
Then you'll see the moving ladder at the corner.
You can tell the person operating the ladder that you want to go to the rooftop.
There's a Tianji Pavilion on the rooftop, which is a place for meetings.
Master Zhang should be there. After you find him,
Explain your contact method and return immediately."
I nodded, carefully picked up a plate of desserts, and went out.