Chapter 22

Lin Yu stepped barefoot onto the thick, coarse deck of the Chengmu, moving leisurely out from the dim, cramped quarters below. As he emerged, the blazing sun burst overhead, the sky vast and cloud-strewn, and his vision widened at once—everywhere he looked was an endless expanse of deep blue sea, the horizon a distant blur where water met sky.

The ship rocked gently beneath him, the briny, damp wind carrying the scent of salt as it tousled a few strands of golden hair resting on his shoulder. Standing on the deck, Lin Yu was all but caressed by the refreshing breeze, his elven ears twitching in contentment, his slender, almond-shaped eyes narrowing in pleasure.

Above, seabirds with white and gray wings soared and dipped like tossed threads, occasionally flapping vigorously as they darted between the ship's towering masts and billowing white sails.

It was now the third day since they'd left the city of Moyi.

Lin Yu reached up, grasping one of the ship’s ropes—sturdy as iron chains and hoisted high—his movements nimble as he swung himself up, leaping with the agility of a monkey until he sat securely atop the upper deck of the port side, his view now even broader.

Sprawled lazily on the sun-warmed deck, Lin Yu closed his eyes and drifted into a light doze, thoroughly at ease.

Yet, when the body relaxes, the mind inevitably drifts to those events that left deep impressions or aroused latent resistance. Lin Yu was no exception. His thoughts wandered with the gentle breeze back to three days prior—this same hour.

Back then, he’d still been at the grand residence of the city lord in Moyi, and it seemed that every matter had nearly been settled, the dust almost ready to fall.

The mastermind had been caught, the frenzied monster subdued, the city lord’s daughter rescued, and Lin Yu himself was being honored as a distinguished guest. Yet, just as everything appeared to be unfolding according to plan—

That morning's council ended abruptly and sullenly under the city lord’s thunderous, almost ink-black scowl, the gathering dispersing in discord.

And the promised reward—so earnestly assured at dawn—was neither granted nor explained.

In the main hall, Xius introduced Lin Yu to Xiu Wei, who wore a water-blue peach-blossom robe and a mischievous, seductive smile—a half-elf, it seemed, with blood from another lineage as well.

Xiu Wei admitted this cheerfully enough, though as he spoke, his gaze flicked toward Xius with a provocative, meaningful glint, his own face expressionless.

Lin Yu, for his part, noticed that Xiu Wei lacked the pointed ears typical of elves and was strikingly delicate and beautiful—a little too much so to be entirely believable. But it wasn’t his place to inquire further.

He nodded awkwardly, but Xiu Wei, hair loosely gathered, had no intention of letting him off so easily. With a twist of his slender waist, water-blue skirts swirling, he slipped past the rattan chair to stand before Lin Yu, his boneless-soft hand resting naturally on Lin Yu’s stiff neck.

Staring wide-eyed, Lin Yu dared not protest, only casting a pleading look at Xius.

“Brother…” Xius frowned.

“Well, well… What’s this? You’re finally speaking to me without that frozen mask on your face? But relax, I’m not going to eat him… Just want to inspect the goods, that’s all.” The enchanting figure leaned against Lin Yu, tilting his drunken-looking cyan eyes toward Xius, while his hand, as sly as a snake, slipped inside Lin Yu’s collar.

“What inspection?” Xius asked, his tone cool.

Yin Fei, observing al