Shao Yun followed closely behind Dunyarzad and Dehya, weaving through the bustling crowd until they arrived at the Zubayr Theater, located in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.
Dunyarzad pointed toward the grand stage ahead and said brightly, "This is the Zubayr Theater. You can come here to watch performances when you have time!"
Shao Yun looked in the direction she pointed. Before him stood a magnificent, awe-inspiring stage.
He couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, that's a huge platform!"
The stage was indeed vast.
Still, Shao Yun didn't find it particularly crude—after all, this was probably just the main performance area. Rooms for rest, dressing, or makeup were likely tucked away in other corners.
While Shao Yun was carefully observing the structure of the Zubayr Theater, Dunyarzad suddenly lit up, her eyes sparkling as if she had just spotted a treasure.
Her gaze fixed upon a figure not far away—a girl dressed in a sea-blue costume and skirt.
She had crimson hair tied into twin ponytails, and atop her head rested a beautiful crown adorned with black double horns.
At that moment, the girl stood with her back toward them, seemingly deep in thought.
Recognizing her instantly as Nilou, Dunyarzad called out with excitement, "Nilou! Sorry, I'm late!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Nilou turned around at once.
The moment her eyes met Dunyarzad's, she ran up to her in delight.
"Dunyarzad! I was so worried! You hadn't shown up for so long—I thought your family had locked you up again. Thank goodness, you actually managed to escape!"
Then Nilou's lively eyes caught sight of Dehya standing beside Dunyarzad, and a flicker of surprise crossed her face.
"Oh! What's Dehya doing here? Don't tell me… she caught you?"
Dunyarzad smiled softly, stepping lightly to the side as she began to explain the situation patiently.
"Well, something like that did happen. But now, Dehya's one of us."
Dehya crossed her arms and nodded in agreement, confirming it.
"That's right," she added. "Master Homayani has allowed this, but under one condition—that I mustn't leave his or Mr. Shao Yun's sight."
As she spoke, Dehya gestured toward her side.
Following the direction of her hand, Nilou's gaze landed on the tall, powerfully built man dressed in a Legend of the East outfit.
Seeing such a formidable figure for the first time, Nilou couldn't help but show a mix of awe and admiration in her eyes.
She stared up at Shao Yun blankly for several seconds, unable to collect herself.
Finally, as if waking from a dream, she steadied her breath and introduced herself with a hint of nervousness.
"Hello! I'm Nilou, a dancer and performer here at the Zubayr Theater."
Shao Yun removed his hat and performed a polite tipping gesture. "Hello. I'm Shao Yun—just a nameless nobody."
When Shao Yun once again referred to himself self-deprecatingly, Dehya sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Mr. Shao Yun, there's no need to be so modest. That kind of excessive humility already sounds like showing off."
Shao Yun tilted his chin slightly and retorted in a teasing tone, "But it's true. Have you ever heard of me having some grand title—like your Flame-Mane?"
Dehya frowned slightly, trying to recall if she had ever heard anything about Shao Yun before.
In the end, she had to admit, "Well… no, I actually haven't."
Nilou, intrigued by their exchange, turned to Dunyarzad and asked curiously, "What kind of person is Mr. Shao Yun, anyway?"
Dunyarzad thought for a moment before explaining, "Hmm… how should I put it? Mr. Shao Yun played a very important part in convincing Dehya to join us."
Then, both Dunyarzad and Dehya recounted to Nilou how Shao Yun had appeared, and how he had managed to pin Dehya to the ground at the Lambad Tavern.
When Nilou heard that Shao Yun had actually defeated Dehya, her eyes widened in astonishment. "Really? Dehya was beaten by Mr. Shao Yun?"
Dehya nodded calmly, showing no attempt to hide the fact. "Yes. It's not that strange, honestly. The world is vast—there's always someone stronger."
Though she said it easily, being defeated was never something to take pride in.
After all, not many people could be as thick-skinned as Enjou, who could take a beating and act like it was completely normal.
To ease Dehya's embarrassment, Dunyarzad coughed lightly and changed the topic.
"Ah, right. Mr. Shao Yun's wife is very interested in matters concerning the Lesser Lord Kusanali, so I brought him here to the Grand Bazaar to show him the preparations for the Sabzeruz Festival."
Upon hearing that Shao Yun's wife wanted to learn about the Lesser Lord Kusanali, Nilou's eyes lit up with genuine excitement.
"Oh, really? Your wife wants to know about the Lesser Lord Kusanali? I'm a devoted follower myself! Is there any way I can help?"
Nilou's eagerness to help came partly from gratitude—because Shao Yun had aided Dunyarzad—and partly from her own devotion and kind-hearted nature.
Hearing this, Dunyarzad's face brightened with delight. "The more, the merrier! In that case, Mr. Shao Yun and I have already agreed—we'll tell his wife the story of the Lesser Lord Kusanali over dinner at the Lambad Tavern. You should join us; I'll treat you to something delicious!"
Turning toward Shao Yun, she asked, "You don't mind if Nilou comes along, do you?"
Shao Yun nodded lightly—he had no reason to refuse.
"Of course not."
With that matter settled, Dunyarzad and Nilou began discussing the festival stage arrangements—the decorations, and the Dance of the Sabzeruz.
Before stepping onto the stage with Nilou to check the setup, Dunyarzad turned back to Shao Yun. "Mr. Shao Yun, we still need to discuss some details about the festival. If you're not interested, feel free to look around."
Shao Yun accepted the suggestion readily—he truly had little interest in stage design.
"Alright, thank you."
Dehya quickly followed after the two girls, calling out, "Miss, wait for me! You can't leave my sight!"
Although Shao Yun had been told to enjoy himself, he found that without Lumine by his side, he couldn't bring himself to care about exploring.
So instead, he returned to the front of the Zubayr Theater, standing quietly, as if waiting would somehow make time pass faster.
Besides missing Lumine, he was also expecting a certain guest.
Just as he anticipated, within five minutes, he spotted Katheryne's figure amidst the lively bustle of the Bazaar.
She appeared to be basking in the joyous atmosphere of the upcoming festival.
Shao Yun immediately knew—it had to be Nahida in disguise.
Without hesitation, he strode forward, grabbed Katheryne's arm firmly, and said in a low but sharp voice, "Hold it right there, Katheryne—or should I say, Nahida!"
Possessing Katheryne's body, Nahida could only give a slightly awkward smile in response to his aggressive tone.
"Hello again, Mr. Shao Yun. This is our third meeting, isn't it? But really, there's no need to greet me so enthusiastically."
Shao Yun narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening slightly. His tone grew impatient. "Enthusiastically, my ass. What kind of schemes are you playing at this time?"
Nahida tilted Katheryne's head in confusion, pretending innocence. "Mr. Shao Yun, I'm afraid I don't understand. Could you explain?"
Shao Yun's expression hardened. "Don't play dumb with me! I never agreed to help you plan some kind of birthday celebration. Why did you introduce me to Dunyarzad and make me pretend to care so much?"
At this, Nahida visibly relaxed, letting out a small sigh of relief.
"Oh, that? Isn't that because Lumine and Paimon asked you to gather information about me? Introducing you to Dunyarzad was simply my way of helping you."