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Xianzhou Luofu, Cloudford.
What met the eye were various Star Skiffs laden with goods, and spaceships coming and going.
The shouts of unloading and loading workers were incessant.
As many merchant troupes came from different civilizations across the universe, there was no shortage of people in strange attire here.
And amidst the crowd, there were these two individuals.
One wore a black round hat, a black long robe, and ink-colored round spectacles. (Referencing the Heaven and Earth Cripples from Stephen Chow's 'Kung Fu')
He also held an erhu and had a pistol tucked into his waist.
The other wore a bamboo hat, had a long sword wrapped in straw at his waist, an inner bamboo-green Hanfu, an outer straw-yellow cloak, and a blade of grass in his mouth.
Seeing their destination drawing closer, the young man dressed as a martial artist raised a hand to remove the grass from his mouth, then leaned towards the musical artist beside him.
"Nan Li, are you sure that the ferry envoy won't see through our disguise?"
That's right!
The two who appeared at Cloudford were none other than Nan Li and Jing Yuan.
After some elaborate disguises, they were now planning to head to the dock to sneak onto Tingyun's Minghuo Merchant Troupe.
Compared to Jing Yuan's apprehension, Nan Li seemed quite nonchalant.
"What's there to be afraid of? I used a mask given by Aha for the disguise."
"I still have faith in the power of the Aeon of Joy's mask."
The Aeon of Joy, also known as Aha, the [Aeon of Elation].
To ask why Nan Li would possess a mask bestowed by Aha, one must go back to when he, Nan Li, assumed the alias of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
At that time, he helped one civilization after another liberate themselves from the cruel rule of The Abundance.
When Nan Li saw the people of those civilizations enjoying the joy of newfound freedom, he laughed along with them.
He didn't expect this laugh to attract Aha.
And he was bestowed with a mask by it.
"Look what Aha saw? An Aeon Envoy of The Abundance, actually engaging in The Hunt's activities."
"Oh and it's not just that, interesting, truly interesting, ah hahaha"
Just like that, as the other party's belly laugh gradually faded into the distance, a mask appeared in Nan Li's hand.
In fact, it wasn't just the Aeon of Elation; Nan Li had also met the Aeon of memory.
Even a long time ago.
At that time, he was still wandering in soul form through various corners of Luofu, watching the Xianzhou people work from sunrise to sunset every day.
After experiencing major events—the Second The Abundance War, the Luofu Imbibitor Lunae Rebellion—he attracted the gaze of the Aeon of memory.
Actually, even without the gaze of these two Aeons, he was already a follower of these two paths.
If one were to simply compare how far he had walked on which path, at that time [Elation] and [memory] far surpassed [The Abundance].
Hundreds of years of soul wandering, Nan Li needed to find fun.
Because he was alone, he especially cherished everything and everyone he saw each day.
Thus, during that period, Nan Li had already become a follower of these two paths.
It was only when he truly embarked on the [The Abundance] path that he molded a physical body from Ambrosial Arbor materials and came to the Dan Ding Division to serve as a medical officer.
And by the time of the Third The Abundance War, Nan Li had again embarked on the [The Hunt] path.
In other words, Nan Li was a multi-path follower.
It is worth mentioning that.
The distance Nan Li had currently traveled on the [The Abundance] path had already surpassed many other paths during the period of establishing the Tree God Alliance.
Although Aeons follow a very singular path, for the people of this universe, there is no limit to how many paths one can embark on.
In fact, there are quite a few known multi-path followers in the universe.
Take for example a certain Lord of Destruction—Xing Xiao.
She was originally an Aeon Envoy of [Harmony] Xipe, then was poached by [Destruction] Nanook, becoming an Aeon Envoy of Destruction.
Although she became an Aeon Envoy of Destruction, Xing Xiao still possessed abilities related to a [Harmony] Aeon Envoy.
In terms of coordinating large armies, she achieved a tactical feat that only existed in theory... "Even if Miss Tingyun really sees through us, it should be fine, right? With her intelligence, she'll naturally assume we're on a secret mission and tacitly cooperate with our actions."
Nan Li said this, and Jing Yuan nodded in agreement.
"Hmm, you have a point."
Tingyun, after all, was the current helm of the Sky-Faring Commission—Yukong's favored successor.
In terms of ability and intelligence, there was naturally nothing to say.
"How about it, you're about to become a Sea Ranger, aren't you happy?"
"Happy? Not really, after all, I've long passed the age of harboring dreams."
"Tsk, don't think I don't know you showed off in front of the mirror for a long time after putting on that outfit."
Saying this, Nan Li pulled out his jade amulet and sent several photos to Jing Yuan.
Jing Yuan opened the jade amulet and saw that Nan Li had sent him several photos.
The photos showed himself in a martial artist's outfit, striking various poses in front of a mirror.
Jing Yuan felt a surge of something called "shame" well up inside him.
"No, when on earth did you take these?"
"Quickly delete the photos, we're still good friends who tell each other everything."
"No way, I still need to show them to Yanqing later."
Upon hearing this, Jing Yuan couldn't stand it and immediately tried to snatch Nan Li's jade amulet.
Nan Li also put away his jade amulet immediately, then gave Jing Yuan a disdainful smile.
The meaning was "You just wait to be mocked by Yanqing."
Seeing this, Jing Yuan couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
"You... alas~ No wonder you gained the favor of the Aeon of Joy."
Just like that, the two playfully bickered for a while, then arrived at the dock where the Minghuo Merchant Troupe was located.
Tingyun, who was busy checking goods against a manifest and directing workers to load, was suddenly interrupted by a merchant troupe member who walked over.
"Lady Tingyun, someone is looking for you."
Saying this, the person pointed to the two individuals not far away.
Following the direction of the person's finger, Tingyun saw the disguised Nan Li and Jing Yuan.
"Hmm, alright, hand over the inventory task to you, I'll go see those two guests."
"Yes."
Having simply completed the handover, Tingyun gracefully walked towards the two people not far away.
"My name is Tingyun, and I am the person in charge of this Minghuo Merchant Troupe. May I know the esteemed names of you two guests?"
Jing Yuan spat out the blade of grass from his mouth, then cupped his fists towards Tingyun and said.
"I am Liuguang, a Sea-faring Ranger."
After speaking, Jing Yuan stepped aside, revealing Nan Li.
"This is my companion, also a Sea-faring Ranger."
As soon as his voice fell, Nan Li picked up his erhu.
A melancholic melody began to play, causing some passersby to cast curious glances.
Five seconds later.
Nan Li put away his erhu, turned, and spoke to the empty air beside him.
"A single tune breaks the heart, where in the world can one find a kindred spirit?"
"I am Sea-faring Ranger Ju Feng."
Seeing Nan Li's action of speaking to the air, Tingyun's expression changed slightly, from a beaming smile to a hint of worry.
"Sir Liuguang, may I ask if your friend is..."
Towards the end of her sentence, Tingyun pointed to her own eyes.
"Yes, Ju Feng has been blind since childhood and is used to it."
"But please don't worry, Miss Tingyun, he has already reached the realm of 'blind in eye, but not in heart,' and it doesn't affect his normal daily life at all."
After Jing Yuan finished speaking, Nan Li picked up his erhu again.
As if to provide a concluding piece for his words.
"I see..."
Tingyun nodded, then began to get to the point.
"May I ask what brings two renowned Sea Rangers to seek this humble girl?"
In reality, Tingyun had never heard of "Liuguang" and "Ju Feng" among the Sea Rangers.
But she still made sure to say "renowned," which was a social tactic.
Of course, she also didn't question the authenticity of their identities.
Guests with unknown identities, it's best not to offend them if possible.
As for the Interastral Peace Corporation's bounty on Sea Rangers, that was none of the Starcruiser Alliance's business.
"It's like this, Ju Feng and I are planning to leave Luofu, and we were wondering if Miss Tingyun's merchant troupe could give us a ride for part of the journey."
"May I ask Sir Liuguang to inform this humble girl of your destination? If the merchant troupe's current direction of travel is entirely opposite to your destination, that would be quite troublesome."
"Haha! Actually, neither of us knows the exact destination. We're Sea Rangers, after all; we make our home wherever we go in the universe. Wherever there's injustice, that's where we go. We'll disembark naturally when it's time."
As Jing Yuan spoke, he also recalled his childhood dream of becoming a Sea Ranger.
He believed that a Sea Ranger should be just like this.
After finishing, Jing Yuan's tone shifted again.
"Of course, we will naturally pay for the fare, so please don't worry, Miss Tingyun."
Hearing this, Tingyun opened the fan in her hand and covered her mouth.
"I will take the liberty of waiving the fare for you two esteemed sirs. Since we are all followers of the esteemed Aeon Imbibitor Lunae, I would naturally not charge for such a small favor."
"Then... thank you very much, Miss Tingyun." Jing Yuan cupped his fists in salute to Tingyun.
Nan Li also held his erhu and struck a pose of cupping his fists in salute, only he was still facing the empty air.
Seeing this, Tingyun closed her fan and gave Nan Li and Jing Yuan a slight smile.
"In that case, I shall now arrange guest rooms for you two esteemed sirs. Please follow me, and try not to get lost~"
Jing Yuan again cupped his fists to show his gratitude and acknowledgment.
Nan Li, meanwhile, played a few seconds on his erhu.
Just like that, Jing Yuan and Nan Li followed behind Tingyun, successfully blending into the Minghuo Merchant Troupe's merchant ship.
Soon, Tingyun stood between two rooms, extending her hands to indicate the room locations for Jing Yuan and Nan Li respectively.
"These two rooms are for you two esteemed sirs. This one is for Sir Liuguang, and this one is for Sir Ju Feng."
"Now, please rest here for a moment, and patiently wait for one or two hours."
"Once the time is up, the merchant ship will set sail."
Seeing this, Jing Yuan also spoke up at the appropriate moment.
"Thank you, Miss Tingyun, for personally leading the way."
"No problem, it's just a few steps, after all. If you two esteemed sirs wish to eat, you can use your jade amulet in your rooms to order, and staff will deliver it to your door."
"Of course, you two esteemed sirs can also move to the dining area downstairs. This time, our Minghuo Merchant Troupe has invited two master chefs from [Aromatic Delights] to accompany us."
"Thank you for the information."
"Now, I still have work to complete, so I won't disturb your peace here, esteemed sirs."
"Miss Tingyun, take care."
Just like that, to the sound of Nan Li playing his erhu, Tingyun's figure disappeared around the corridor corner.
"Two Sea Rangers whose names I've never heard before?"
"I wonder if they are real or fake. Should I investigate?"
"Hmm... It's still uncertain whether they are friend or foe, so it's best not to provoke them."
Tingyun, who had paused for a moment at the corner, had already made her decision.
In reality, the Minghuo Merchant Troupe wasn't only staffed by merchant troupe members; there were also many like Nan Li and Jing Yuan who were hitching a ride.
It was just that the two of them gave Tingyun a strange sense of familiarity.
Leaving aside the one named "Ju Feng" for now.
Many people in Tingyun's memory didn't match up.
Instead, "Liuguang" gave Tingyun a very distinct feeling, as if he were someone from the Xianzhou Luofu management.
"Oh dear~ How troubling. I hope everything goes smoothly on this trip for this humble girl."
Meanwhile, Jing Yuan and Nan Li had already walked into the rooms Tingyun had just assigned to them, one after another... [Jing Yuan: Nan Li, do you think that with the two of us gone, Luofu might encounter a formidable enemy invasion?]
[Nan Li: Think positively. Besides, even if a formidable enemy does invade, even if Fu Xuan and the others can't handle it, isn't there still that person?]
[Jing Yuan: Indeed, I am confident in her strength.]
[Nan Li: Alright, don't overthink things. From now on, just focus on being your Sea Ranger, Liuguang.]
[Jing Yuan: You too, Sea Ranger—Ju Feng.]
Closing the chat interface, Nan Li put away his jade amulet.
He could understand Jing Yuan's recent concerns.
In fact, Nan Li had also worried about this before formulating this plan.
This was also one of the main reasons he called Bai Heng over from the Tree God Alliance.
To be honest, Bai Heng's current strength was quite formidable.
It would even exceed many people's imagination.
After all, her soul had been nurtured in the Ambrosial Arbor for hundreds of years.
Furthermore, the body Nan Li molded for her wasn't just made from any random materials taken from the Ambrosial Arbor.
The material grade used to create the body was even better than the [Ambrosial Arbor Divine Fruit] Huàn Lóng used in her original timeline.
Anyway, the current Bai Heng's strength was terrifying.
Without saying she could crush stars with her bare hands, she could already crush planets with her bare hands.
She could even smash stars with her physical body.
If there were truly some ignorant fools who went to Luofu to cause trouble, Bai Heng would show them what absolute violence was.
Thinking of this, Nan Li took out his jade amulet and sent a message to Bai Heng.
[Nan Li: Bai Heng, pay attention to Yanqing's recent condition. If he's still the same, you can appropriately intervene to correct him again.]
(Yanqing: Huh? Me fighting Bai Heng? Teacher Nan Li, you really think highly of me.)