Volume Three, Chapter 100: A Single Tear

Before Yu finished speaking, Old Wei suddenly looked up at the sky. Yu followed his gaze and saw three figures flying in the distance.

"Damn it, they really won’t leave us alone!" Yu’s face darkened with anger, but Old Wei noticed this quietly. He said in a low voice, “You go hide in the cabin first. I’ll deal with them.”

Yu shook his head. “It’s no use; they’ve left their marks on me.”

“Oh~?”

At that moment, little Mi, who had been asleep, rubbed her drowsy eyes and woke up.

Old Wei smiled upon seeing her. “Just in time! Little Mi, big brother has some unclean things on him; can you help cleanse him?”

Little Mi instantly perked up and said cheerfully, “Sure! It makes me very happy to help big brother.”

She puckered her lips and blew softly. Yu felt a cool stream flow over him, as if he had been purified. All the lingering foul energy vanished without a trace, leaving a refreshing and comfortable sensation.

“All done,” Little Mi said with a bright smile.

“You should go hide in the cabin now.”

“Okay.” The figures had already flown in. Yu did not hesitate further and turned into the cabin.

Though the boat looked small on the outside, the cabin was surprisingly spacious, dry, and comfortable.

Outside the boat, the three figures flew closer—it was Ye Yun and his companions. They had been tracking Yu all along but showed no signs of weariness.

“Fisherman, have you seen anyone swim past here?” Ye Yun asked.

Old Wei glanced at the three and replied calmly, “Never seen anyone.”

“Then...”

“Wow! The two divine-like elder sisters are so beautiful!” Before Ye Yun could finish, a pure, innocent voice interrupted him.

Little Mi by the railing blinked her big eyes, gazing innocently at the ethereal An Shu and her companion floating in the air.

An Shu immediately showed great affection upon seeing Little Mi.

She flew over, crouched down, and softly asked, “Little sister, what’s your name?”

“I’m Little Mi.”

“Little Mi, such a cutie! I’m Sister An Shu...” Their conversation diverted Ye Yun’s intended question.

Ye Yun grew slightly impatient. “Junior Sister Shu, we should focus on finding that thief. Let’s not waste time here.”

An Shu frowned but could only stand reluctantly. She took out a pile of snacks from her bosom and handed them to Little Mi. “These are my favorite treats, very tasty. Here.”

Little Mi took them with a beaming smile. “Thank you, Sister An Shu!”

An Shu gently tugged Little Mi’s small braid, reluctant to part. “Goodbye, Little Mi!”

“Goodbye, Sister An Shu.”

Though it was their first meeting, there was a lingering reluctance to part. Little Mi rarely saw strangers, especially such a beautiful and gentle elder sister, so she felt a touch of attachment.

An Shu felt an immediate maternal affection toward Little Mi, her motherly light shining forth.

Little Mi waved her small hand, seeing the three off.

Yu stepped out of the cabin, watching their departing backs, and sighed softly.

“Big brother, you’re so good. Why do they call you a thief?” Little Mi asked innocently.

Yu smiled wryly and patted her little head. “Big brother and they have some misunderstandings.”

“Oh~ Big brother, you have to be careful. Except for Sister An Shu, the other two are really bad people.” Little Mi’s serious expression was amusing.

Old Wei laughed heartily. “Little Mi, you can’t just call people good because they gave you things, and bad if they didn’t.”

Little Mi pouted. “No! I can just feel their hearts are dark, especially that big brother—there’s a ghost living inside him.”

Old Wei and Yu burst into laughter as Little Mi’s pout deepened.

The next day at noon, the little boat docked at a small pier. This was the town Old Wei had mentioned.

Yu and the two elders bid each other a reluctant farewell. Though they had spent only one day together, Old Wei and Little Mi had given Yu a warmth akin to family, especially Little Mi, who felt like a dear sister.

Little Mi found it hard to part, pouting with a tear welling at the corner of her eye. The tear rolled down onto her palm. She touched the droplet with her fingertip, and it rolled on her small finger without bursting.

She grabbed Yu’s large hand and gently placed the tear in his palm. “Big brother, this is a gift from Mi’er. With it, you’ll never fear water again, and Mi’er can use it to find you anytime.”

Yu stared at the crystal-clear tear. It slowly seeped into his palm, vanishing without a trace.

Yet, he felt as if a tear had been added to his heart.

“Thank you, Mi’er. When you miss big brother, tell grandpa to take you to find him.”

“Mm~ I will.” Little Mi nodded vigorously.

“Goodbye, Old Wei. Goodbye, Little Mi.”

“Goodbye!”

“Goodbye, big brother!”

Yu steeled himself and turned away.

The elders watched him leave from the boat. They did not disembark but turned the bow and sailed into the distance.

“Mi’er, big brother will become someone remarkable, just like you.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

---

Yu entered the small town, learning it was called Linhe Town.

Though not large, Linhe Town was a river port. Many merchants passed through, so there was a courier station and a freight market.

Yu headed straight to the transportation market, the busiest place in town. Though small, it bustled with people—taverns, inns, shops, mercenaries—all were present.

He went to the livestock section, only to find it nearly empty, with very few animals for sale.

He learned that a large caravan had passed through days before and bought almost all the livestock.

After a round of searching, Yu found only one thousand-mile crane—the creature he needed—in the entire market. But it was emaciated and looked sickly.

The thousand-mile crane, though named a crane, resembled an ostrich but was much larger. Even this sickly one was over two meters tall, with long slender legs making up most of its height.

It had a nearly one-meter-long beak and an S-shaped neck. Though it possessed enormous wingspan, it could not fly; its heavy body had long since grounded it.

However, the thousand-mile crane was extremely fast and commonly used by cultivators as a mount. Especially for long journeys, it was less tiring than flying devices, with comparable speed.

“How much for this thousand-mile crane?” Yu asked the gaunt, sickly owner who looked even more worn out than the bird.

Without lifting his eyelids, the old man lazily said, “Two thousand.”

Yu was furious. “You dare charge two thousand for this sickly, dying crane?”

The droopy bird let out a mournful cry, as if protesting Yu’s curse.

Its owner seemed too tired to get angry, waving his hand. “Then go look elsewhere.” He closed his eyes again.

“You’re a real swindler. You’re blatantly fleecing me. You know this market only has this one thousand-mile crane left... Hey, wake up! I’m talking to you.” But the old man seemed truly asleep.

Yu lost his temper and changed tone. “Can you lower the price?”

The old man finally opened his eyes but replied half-heartedly, “No, but I can give you some extra feed.”

The thousand-mile crane was not only fast but also very gluttonous. Unless raised free-range, few could afford to keep one. To ride it on a journey, one must bring ample food.

Yu pointed to a large pile of hemp sacks beside him. “If you include all these, I’ll buy it.”

The old man jumped up as if pricked, suddenly energetic. “You’re the real swindler! This feed alone is worth two thousand. That crane’s practically free. Besides, this feed will last it six months. Where are you going that you need so much?”

“Then give me half?” Yu had learned the art of bargaining through hardship in his previous life.

“No, at most a third.”

“A third is too little; it won’t get me to my destination. Give me half, and I’ll add one hundred more.”