At the port of Liyue Harbor, Ling Feng leaned against the railing, gazing at the distant sea. Majestic sailing ships traversed the waters, creating a spectacular scene. At least, Ling Feng had never seen so many, nor such large vessels.
"What are those things floating on the sea?"
Shenhe, having lived in seclusion with Cloud Retainer since she was very young and never having visited Liyue Harbor before, was completely unfamiliar with these sailing ships.
"Shenhe, you don't even know what a sailing ship is?"
Yanfei sounded surprised. She was only now realizing that despite Shenhe being in her twenties, she was ignorant of many things when shopping, like sailing ships.
"Yes, I always followed my master to cultivate in the mountains; I've never seen such a thing."
Shenhe nodded. What kind of sailing ships could there be in the mountains? The mountains were filled with trees and other natural elements, not such novelties.
"A sailing ship is a means of transport that can carry people on water. By riding on it, you can cross the sea to other places, much like a carriage."
Yanfei explained, even offering an analogy to help Shenhe understand.
"A means of transport like a carriage? I think I understand a little."
Shenhe mused, tapping her chin as she absorbed Yanfei's explanation, which was quite easy to grasp. Carriages, as a form of transportation for people, were not uncommon even in the wilderness.
"The sea… so that's how it is."
Ling Feng stared blankly at the ocean. His family wasn't wealthy, and his parents were busy with work, never having taken him and his siblings to see the sea, not even the coast. He had only seen pictures taken by others on his phone. Experiencing it firsthand, the feeling of the sea breeze and gazing at the vast ocean was incredibly refreshing.
...
"Yanfei."
"Oh, is that Keqing? Is there something you need?"
Just then, Yanfei heard someone call her name. She turned around and saw Keqing approaching them.
"Nothing much, I was just passing by and saw you, so I came to say hello. And who are these two?"
Keqing asked, hands on her hips and a smile on her face, then she looked at Ling Feng and Shenhe standing beside Yanfei. She didn't notice anything particularly special about Ling Feng, but Shenhe's otherworldly aura was too conspicuous. Even an ordinary person would immediately sense that this person was no ordinary individual. And for such a person to be with Yanfei, who was a half-adeptus, she was likely an adeptus visiting Liyue Harbor or paying respects to an adeptus hidden within the city. As for Ling Feng, although she couldn't discern anything, her intuition told her that he was definitely not an ordinary person either.
"Oh, these two were entrusted to me by Ganyu to show them around Liyue Harbor. I cannot disclose their specific identities."
Yanfei's statement was quite clear: she couldn't reveal Ling Feng and Shenhe's identities, at least not here. Very few people knew their true identities, mostly just other adepti, with the exception of Xiangling. Xiangling, after all, was a disciple of Granny Ping, and was thus qualified to know about Ling Feng and Shenhe.
"I see. I understand."
"Then I have other matters to attend to and won't disturb you further. I'll be going now."
Keqing nodded. She wasn't foolish; she understood the hidden meaning in Yanfei's words. As the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, if she couldn't grasp such a subtle message, she might as well resign. She didn't want to linger and spoil their enjoyment, so she decided to leave. As for Ling Feng and Shenhe's identities, she could always ask Tianquan Ningguang. Ningguang's intelligence network was formidable, and information about Ling Feng and Shenhe might have already been gathered upon their entry into the city.
After Keqing left, Yanfei spoke again.
"The person who just left was Keqing, one of the current Liyue Qixing, the Yuheng. She is extremely diligent and serious in her work, often working overtime with Ganyu."
"Alright, let's go. We're heading to Heyu Tea House. It's said that Mr. Yun will be performing tonight."
"Opera! I'd love to witness it." Ling Feng nodded.
"Eh, Ling Feng, you know about opera?" Yanfei asked, a little surprised as they walked. She had expected Ling Feng to be unfamiliar with it and was prepared to explain. To her surprise, Ling Feng knew what opera was. She wondered if other worlds also had opera, considering Ling Feng came from another world.
"Yes, in my world, opera is considered a national treasure. However, very few people learn to perform opera nowadays."
Ling Feng explained, then shook his head with a hint of melancholy. In his world, the national treasure of opera was almost forgotten, with very few people pursuing it.
"I see, then there's no need for further explanation. Let's hurry, or we'll miss the performance."
Yanfei then successfully forgot that Shenhe might not know what opera was. It wasn't until they were halfway there that she remembered Shenhe might be clueless about it. And indeed, Yanfei spent a long time explaining opera to Shenhe as they walked, before Shenhe finally understood.
At six in the evening, Ling Feng and the two others arrived at Heyu Tea House and secured seats. The surroundings were already crowded with people, all of whom had come to listen to the opera.
"Wow, so many people?" Ling Feng scanned the area, finding nothing but a sea of faces, easily numbering over a hundred. He truly hadn't expected such a large turnout for an opera performance. This also spoke volumes about how popular Mr. Yun's performances were. Ling Feng felt fortunate they had arrived early, otherwise, they would have missed out on good seats.
"Mr. Yun is coming on stage!"
Someone suddenly exclaimed, and the bustling crowd instantly fell silent, all eyes fixed on the stage.
"Huh? Mr. Yun is a woman? And a Vision holder?"
Ling Feng's expression shifted to surprise when he saw a woman walk onto the stage. He had assumed Mr. Yun was a man, but it turned out to be a woman, and also a Vision holder. However, Ling Feng remained silent. The venue was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard, and he wasn't brave enough to cause a scene and be embarrassed.
As the curtains fell, the orchestra began to play, building the atmosphere. Yun Jin, seeing the mood set, started her performance. Ling Feng watched Yun Jin turn around on stage, his expression once again struck by her beauty. When she first appeared, he had only glimpsed her profile, recognizing her to be attractive. But seeing her full face, he realized she was far more than just attractive. If he were to rate her beauty on a scale of ten, he would confidently give her a nine! It wasn't just her appearance; as soon as she began to sing, Ling Feng was completely captivated, feeling as though he were there, utterly enthralled.