Jin Shu walked along a narrow dirt street, more akin to a well-trodden path than a proper road. As he passed a stack of crates, Yin’er’s tiny witched, and her eyes snapped open. “Fish!” she squeaked, her excitement radiating as she locked her gaze on the crates brimming with fish of various sizes and species.

  Jin Shu paused and approached a man stag the crates. “Sir, could I buy one of these fish?”

  The man straightened, giving Jin Shu a once-over befruffly asking, “Whie?”

  “That one!” Yin’er piped up, pointing with a small paw to a fish that resembled ah rainbow trout, but with colors so vivid it seemed otherworldly.

  The man bli the talking creature, his expression briefly stunned. Yet, clearly aced te occurrences, he quickly refocused on the fish she indicated. “That one’s expensive,” he said.

  “It’s just one fish. How expensive could it be? Ten gold?” Jin Shu asked casually.

  The man froze, then whipped his head around to stare at Jin Shu, wide-eyed. He looked even more astohan when Yin’er had spoken. After a moment, he raised three fingers.

  “Thirty gold?!” Jin Shu excimed.

  “No. Three silver,” the man said with an exasperated sigh.

  “Oh.” Jin Shu pulled a gold from his poud offered it. “I only have gold on me.”

  The maated, eyeing the . “I don’t have ge for that.”

  “Keep it,” Jin Shu said with a shrug. “sider it a thank-you for the trouble.”

  The man finally accepted the , motioning for Jin Shu to take the fish. Yin’er eagerly snatched it up, her joy palpable.

  As they turo leave, the man called after them, “You shouldn’t funt your wealth, young man.”

  Jin Shu gnced over his shoulder, a faint smile on his lips. “Thank you for the advice, but I’ll be fihose who’d rob me for a few gold aren’t strong enough to pose a threat. And anyone who is stronger wouldn’t waste their time on a few s.”

  His tone wasn’t arrogant—just matter-of-fact.

  As they walked, Jin Shu took the fish from Yin’er. With a knife in one hand, he expertly opehe fish and removed its bones, discarding them into a er of the space within his ste earring. He made a mental o dispose of them ter. Once finished, he hahe ly deboned fish back to Yin’er, who eagerly accepted it.

  “Why does it look like you’ve dohat before?” Biyu asked, walking beside him. Her gaze was sharp, her curiosity piqued as she observed the deft precision with which he had hahe fish.

  “I have,” Jin Shu replied casually.

  She tilted her head, clearly intrigued. “You have? When?”

  “When I was in…” He began but trailed off, realizing his mistake. He couldn’t very well expin that he’d dohis hundreds of times in another world. “Never mind. I haven’t.”

  “Huh?” Biyu blinked, her fusion evident.

  “I’ve just seen the chefs at home prepare fish before,” Jin Shu said smoothly, trying to brush it off. “I must’ve picked it up from watg them.”

  “Whatever you say. Anyway, we’re here.” Biyu poio the building at the end of the street. It stood along the riverbank, its weathered exterior blending into the surrounding docks. A wooden sign above the door read: Dock Office.

  ch!

  Yin’er bit into her fish right o Jin Shu’s ear. He winced and carefully plucked her off his shoulder, setting her down on the wooden porch outside the building. “Eat your fish. We’ll be right back.”

  She nodded, barely looking up as she tinued dev the fish.

  Inside, Jin Shu let Biyu step ahead to speak with the portly man behind the ter. His face was ruddy, and his fingers were stained from the ink of the records book he was browsing.

  “Are there any ships heading to Fa Hou?” Biyu asked.

  The man gnced up, his expression dull. “Pirates have been active tely. No ercial vessels are sailing until they find muards.”

  “No ships at all?” she pressed.

  “Hmm… one moment.” The man leaned down, rummaging uhe ter before pulling out a worn ledger. He flipped through the pages, pausing to run a sticky finger down one of them. “There’s one, but it’s a private vessel. You’d o speak to the owner directly,” he said, tapping the page. “Oh, and it’s set to sail soon.”

  “What does it look like?” Jin Shu interjected, his tone urgent.

  The man shrugged, unfazed by Jin Shu’s iy. “It’s at the end of the docks. Big one—you ’t miss it, if it’s still there.”

  Without wasting a moment, Jin Shu and Biyu hurried out the door.

  As they exited, Jin Shu scooped Yin’er up. She was still mung on her fish, entirely unbothered by their haste. Together, they rushed down the creaking docks toward the rge boat moored at the very end.

  They arrived just as a sailan untying the m line.

  “Where we find the owner of this ship?” Jin Shu asked.

  The sailor tilted his , motioning to a man standihe aft of the vessel. He was older, likely in his fifties or sixties, dressed in fine silks of blue and silver that shimmered faintly in the sunlight.

  “Sir! Could we buy passage on your ship?” Jin Shu called out, his voice carrying over the gentle pping of the river.

  The man, who had been watg their hurried approach, gave them a measured once-over. “And who might you be?” he asked, his tone calm but inquisitive.

  “I am Jin Shu of Bck Mountain City’s Jin family,” Jin Shu replied fidently, hoping his family name would smooth the way.

  The man raised an eyebrow, his expression thoughtful. “And your panion?”

  Jin Shu hesitated, his mind rag for an ahat wouldn’t reveal too much. Before he could speak, the younger Jin Shu, buried deep in his soul, blurted out, “She is my wife!”

  Jin Shu blinked in shock at the slip, but it was too te to take it back.

  Beside him, Biyu stiffened, gng at him in surprise. Yet, to his relief, she didn’t tradict the statement.

  The older man tio study them, his gaze sharp. For a moment, his ear twitched subtly, as if listening to a sound only he could hear. After a pause, he nodded. “Hm. Yes. e aboard.”

  Jin Shu and Biyu exged a brief gnce before stepping onto the wooden pnks leading to the ship’s deck. Once aboard, they made their way to the aft, where the older man awaited them, his expression unreadable.

  The man opened his mouth to speak, but his expression suddenly shifted. Subtle ges pyed across his face for several seds before he turned back to Jin Shu, his lips pressed into a thin line. Before anyone could break the silence, loud, hurried footsteps echoed across the deck from behind Jin Shu and Biyu.

  Startled, Jin Shu turoward the source of the noise. Araordinarily beautiful young girl bounded up the steps, her petite frame exuding an air of elegance. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen but was small and delicate, dressed in a sparkling, jewel-studded robe that shimmered with each step. Her long hair streamed behind her, adorned with glittering jewelry that caught the evening sunlight. The sun's rays refleg off the gems created the illusion of a radiant rainbow halo around her.

  For a brief moment, Jin Shu felt a flicker nition but couldn’t quite pce who she was.

  When she reached the top of the steps, stopping just a meter away, the girl suddenly leapt toward him with startling speed. “Shu-gege!” she cried, her voice full of excitement.

  Jin Shu instinctively tried to sidestep, but his back hit the ship’s railing, leaving him o go. The girl collided with him head-on, a human-shaped missile covered in hard, sparkling jewels.

  “Oof!” The impaocked the wind out of him, aumbled backward onto the wooden deck.

  Yin’er leapt off his shoulder mid-fall, clutg her fish protectively in her jaws as she nded gracefully on the deck.

  “Shu-gege!” the jewel-cirl cried again, her voice brimming with joy. She buried her head against his chest, rubbing against him like an affeate, lonely puppy.

  Jin Shu instinctively wao push her off, but as he gnced down at her small, delicate frame, he hesitated. What if I hurt her? The thought kept him frozen in pce, leaving him stud helpless.

  With no other options, he turo Biyu for help, shooting her a pleading look.

  Biyu’s eyes narrowed behind her veil, sharp and calg. Though her face was hidden, the iy in her gaze spoke volumes. She set—he could sehat much—but he had no idea why.

  Before he could say anything, she turned away with a sharp “Hmph,” leaving Jin Shu to fend for himself.

  Jin Shu stared after Biyu, bewildered by her sudden shift in demeanor. What had upset her so much? He didn’t have time to dwell on it, though, as the girl ging to his chest let out another delighted squeal, clearly unbothered by the brewing tension around her.