parentshiftbook Chapter 263: Goodbye Squid
Chapter 263: Goodbye Squid
"Is Captain Moyu in the pavilion today? Has he been on a mission?" Zhang Ping asked directly, getting straight to the point.
Although each captain of the Flying Pavilion is assigned to a specific flying vessel, they do not accompany the vessel on every voyage. After all, inter-domain voyages often last for months, which would be too much of a waste of cultivation time. Without a rotation system, even with abundant spirit coins and resources, few cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage would be willing to do such a arduous task. Therefore, each flying vessel is equipped with three to four rotating captains who take turns on duty.
Upon hearing that Zhang Ping had sought out Mo Yu, the female cultivator's smile immediately became more respectful, and she bowed even lower: "Please wait a moment, sir, this servant will go and inform Captain Mo Zhou immediately!"
"Hmm." Zhang Ping nodded slightly and stood there waiting.
A moment later, the female cultivator returned quickly, her face beaming with joy: "My lord, Captain Mo Zhou just finished his seclusion yesterday and is currently resting at Youyu Courtyard. This servant will take you there right away!"
"lead the way."
Zhang Ping followed the female cultivator through layers of corridors to a secluded courtyard deep within the Flying Pavilion. The courtyard was extremely spacious, and upon entering, one could hear the gurgling sound of flowing water. In fact, the courtyard had a running water system, with a small artificial lake dug out of the grounds. A clear stream meandered through the entire courtyard and eventually flowed into the lake.
Underfoot is a smooth, rounded cobblestone path, and beside it, a crystal-clear stream reveals colorful koi swimming leisurely among the water plants. Weeping willows line both sides of the path, and in late spring, their tender green buds sway gently in the breeze, like smoke or mist. Combined with the pavilions and waterside terraces, it evokes the gentle elegance of a Jiangnan water town.
"I never expected that Cuttlefish, who seems so carefree, would have such a unique place to live," Zhang Ping thought to himself.
After passing through two carved archways, the familiar figure finally appeared in the small pavilion in the middle of the lake.
Mo Yu wore a long black dress made of the finest ice silk, with an excellent drape. She was already tall and had a wide frame, so this kind of long dress wouldn't normally look good on her. However, her curvaceous and sexy figure managed to give her a unique air of heroism and charm, especially in certain areas where she was surprisingly full.
Zhang Ping glanced at them discreetly, then strode forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, "Captain Mo, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
Upon seeing Zhang Ping, Mo Yu's eyes lit up instantly. He quickly stood up to greet her, his face beaming with undisguised joy: "Zhang Ping! What brings you here?"
She warmly pulled Zhang Ping to sit down at the stone table, loudly instructing the maid to serve the finest spiritual tea, her tone full of joy: "Last time I came out of the ruins, my injuries were too severe, and I was in a hurry to return to the pavilion to prepare medicine and heal my wounds. I left in such a hurry that I didn't even leave a way to contact you. Later, I sent people to look for you in Penglai Immortal City for several days, but we couldn't find any news of you. We thought you had already left here and gone to travel around, and we might never see you again in this lifetime."
Cuttlefish was always spirited and straightforward, saying whatever came to mind. She did indeed have a good impression of Zhang Ping, but it wasn't romantic love; it was purely a bond forged in life-or-death situations. After all, if Zhang Ping hadn't saved her in the ruins, she would have long since become the prey of that behemoth at the Overlord Realm.
Zhang Ping was taken aback at first, but then he understood what she meant and couldn't help but sigh: "I didn't stay in the Immortal City for long before I went to the Thousand Mountains region and set up a small sect there. If Sister Mo has time in the future, you are welcome to visit me anytime. I will welcome you with open arms."
He used to think it was just a farewell without saying goodbye; cultivators at the Divine Realm had long lifespans, and he could always see them again if he wanted to. But once he arrived in this world, he realized that what Mo Yu said was not an exaggeration at all. Such farewells that turned out to be permanent were all too common in the cultivation world.
Especially those wandering knights like him, who roamed the world without any ties or obligations. Today they might be drinking on the Penglai Plain, tomorrow they might be searching for treasure in the Luoxia Marsh, and the day after, they might be venturing into the abyss. Most cultivators are bound to one place by their families and sects for their entire lives, and very few can travel all over the country.
The path of cultivation is inherently fraught with peril, and many who leave never return. This is especially true for wandering knights, who are accustomed to looking forward and rarely look back. Therefore, for them, a simple farewell often becomes a final goodbye.
Mo Yu had always thought Zhang Ping was a free-spirited wanderer, so since their last parting, he had been thinking about him constantly, fearing he would never see his savior again. Now, upon learning that Zhang Ping had actually established a sect in the Thousand Mountains region, he was even happier. Establishing a sect meant having a foothold, which meant that Zhang Ping would stay in the Penglai Plain for a long time, and there would be plenty of opportunities to meet him in the future.
A warm spring breeze swept across the pavilion in the middle of the lake, ruffling the black skirts of the squid, and carrying a faint, bamboo-like fragrance into the air. Zhang Ping picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and his gaze fell on the koi swimming on the lake's surface.
Mo Yu looked at him, momentarily at a loss for words. Her initially relaxed state of mind had inexplicably turned into a strange awkwardness. Unconsciously, she reached up and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear before starting a conversation: "Tell me, you didn't come to Penglai Immortal City just to see me. Tell me, is there anything I can help you with?"
Zhang Ping put down his teacup, looked at her with a mischievous smile, and said, "What? Can't you come to see Sister Mo if there's nothing wrong? I came here specifically to admire Captain Mo's demeanor."
"Heh, you're such a smooth talker." Squid rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't help but smile. This joke instantly dissolved the subtle awkwardness between them, and the atmosphere returned to its usual relaxed state.
After the joke, Zhang Ping stopped beating around the bush and directly stated his purpose: "I do have something I'd like to trouble Sister Mo with. I need two materials, a meteorite and a divine wood heart. I've searched through all the records in the Thousand Mountains region but haven't been able to find them. I thought your Flying Pavilion is well-informed, so I came to ask."
Upon hearing this, Mo Yu frowned, pondered for a moment, and then took out a thick ancient book from her storage ring, her fingertips quickly turning the pages. After a while, she looked up at Zhang Ping and said, "Both of the things you want are available in the Flying Pavilion's storeroom."
"However, both of these are rare strategic resources and are not for sale to the public. Only internal personnel can exchange them using contribution points."
"That's good! That's good!" Zhang Ping breathed a sigh of relief and quickly cupped his hands in greeting, "Then I'll trouble Sister Mo to help you out. No matter how many contribution points you need, I'll convert them into spirit coins or other materials. You definitely won't lose out!"
Squid rolled her eyes at him again, annoyed, and put the ancient book away: "Why are you being so polite with me? Wait here, I'll go get the paperwork done for you."
Watching the squid turn and leave, Zhang Ping smiled sincerely.
With the meteorite and the Heart of the Divine Tree, the beast pattern of the Mechanical Heart could be successfully imprinted. He wanted to see just how much of a surprise this special beast pattern from another civilization could bring him.