"In that case, I shall take my leave first."
Downstairs at Drunken Home Tower, He Xiuyuan saw that it was getting late and immediately cupped his hands, preparing to depart.
Zhong Xiuyun knew she couldn't keep He Xiuyuan, so she could only nod slightly and then watched him disappear into the distance.
After He Xiuyuan had walked a few steps and was out of sight, the maid beside her finally asked with a strange expression, "Young Miss, just who is this Young Master He?"
Just now, listening to the things He Xiuyuan said, she had a strange look on her face. If it weren't for He Xiuyuan's act of pouring wine at the end, she would have thought he was a swindler.
"'Just who' is a good way to put it. I thought you were going to call him a Jianghu swindler."
Hearing this, Zhong Xiuyun turned to her maid and praised her.
The maid giggled, "I'm not stupid, I saw with my own eyes Young Master He pouring so much wine into that wine gourd, and it never filled up."
"It looked like it could hold a whole lake. It was truly amazing!"
As the maid said this, her eyes couldn't help but sparkle. She vaguely felt that she had seen an Immortal.
However, whether it was truly an Immortal, she would only know after her Young Miss confirmed it.
Zhong Xiuyun looked in the direction He Xiuyuan had left and sighed softly, "Whether Young Master He is a human or an Immortal, I'm not entirely sure, but I know he is no Mortal. It's best you keep today's matter to yourself and not speak of it to anyone."
"Yes, this maid understands!"
Hearing this, the maid's expression turned serious, and she quickly responded.
"Hmm, let's go home. This matter still needs to be discussed with Father. It's just a pity that Father tried to meet Young Master He many times before but was never able to. "
"This time Young Master He appeared, but Father still couldn't meet him. He must be very disappointed."
Zhong Xiuyun sighed repeatedly as she spoke.
Such an extraordinary person like He Xiuyuan was truly not someone you could meet just by wishing to.
The maid beside her tilted her head slightly, thought for a moment, and then followed her Young Miss back towards the Zhong Residence...
"It seems the Song family is doing well."
Outside the Song Residence, He Xiuyuan stood on the courtyard wall and scanned the Song Residence. Seeing that the Song family was as it always had been, he felt a little relieved.
Furthermore, the Spell he had left in the Song Residence earlier had not been triggered, so it seemed the Song family had not attracted any evil spirits during the past year.
In that case, he could leave with peace of mind.
Seeing this, He Xiuyuan withdrew his gaze and then gracefully floated down from the courtyard wall, his robe stirring a gentle breeze that rustled the branches of a small tree nearby.
"Hmm?"
In the courtyard, a woman suddenly looked up, staring at the small tree by the courtyard wall not far away. The small tree was rustling its branches.
"What's wrong, Young Miss?"
The maid beside her saw this and followed her gaze, but she didn't see anything.
Song Sijun looked at the courtyard wall in the distance with a puzzled expression. Just now, she seemed to vaguely feel someone there, but when she looked closely, there was no one.
"Nothing, I must have been mistaken."
Song Sijun shook her head and stopped thinking about it.
The next day.
He Xiuyuan woke from his sleep, and after washing, he left the inn alone. There were many vendors on the street, and the rich aroma of various snacks drifted over.
He Xiuyuan's appetite was whetted by the smell, and he immediately went to buy various unique Chang'an specialty snacks.
After a moment, He Xiuyuan had acquired many local delicacies. One hand was laden with food, while the other was stuffing food into his mouth.
He Xiuyuan then successfully left Chang'an and walked to the Grand Canal. Just as He Xiuyuan was wondering where the Dragon Lord would be waiting for him, a strong gust of wind suddenly swept across the water.
Then, a thick mist appeared over the entire Grand Canal, enveloping it in dense fog.
The fishermen and boatmen nearby, seeing such a thick mist covering the water, were all momentarily stunned.
They had never seen such a dense fog in all their time here; it was so thick that they could barely see anything a foot away.
Some boatmen who were already preparing to set sail immediately stopped when they saw this.
"The Dragon King is crossing the river! Everyone, don't move your boats yet. Wait until the fog clears before departing!"
Just then, an elderly man shouted loudly.
Some experienced boatmen nearby also quickly shouted, "The Dragon King is crossing the water! Don't move your boats!"
He Xiuyuan, carrying his food, was stunned by these words, then asked a nearby boatman with some confusion.
"How do you know it's the Dragon King crossing the water?"
He Xiuyuan was a little surprised. He looked into the thick fog but didn't see any Dragon King. How did this boatman know?
"Ah, it's all passed down from the older generation. They say that there was such a thick fog back then, and a boatman who didn't make way for the Dragon King had his entire boat overturned."
The boatman beside him, seeing He Xiuyuan's humble inquiry, recounted the old legend.
He Xiuyuan's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this. Could it be that this old Dragon had done such a thing back then?
Just as He Xiuyuan was thinking this, his expression suddenly shifted. He saw a procession of carriages and horses approaching from within the mist.
These carriages and horses were indeed different from those in the Mortal world. Leading them were shrimp soldiers and crab generals, and seahorses were pulling a massive carriage made of crystal.
However, the boatmen and others beside them seemed not to see it, still shouting for people to wait.
He Xiuyuan did not hesitate upon seeing this and immediately walked into the water. After only a moment, He Xiuyuan's figure disappeared into the thick fog.
And the boatman, who was still shouting for people not to set sail, turned around to find He Xiuyuan's figure gone...
"Little Friend He is still punctual!"
He Xiuyuan stepped on the water and arrived in front of the seahorse carriage.
Ao Qing, inside the seahorse carriage, looked at He Xiuyuan with a smile and then invited him to get in.
He Xiuyuan didn't stand on ceremony. He got in while eating a bun, and then saw Ao Qing give an order, and the massive procession of carriages set off towards the East Sea.
Inside this enormous seahorse carriage, Ao Qing and a young woman were already seated.
The woman sitting beside Ao Qing had two small, delicate pink horns on her head. She was looking at He Xiuyuan with curiosity, especially when she saw the various snacks hanging from He Xiuyuan's hand, a hint of surprise appeared in her eyes.
