After parting ways with the group, Rover took Abby around to see if she could find any clues about her own or Abby's identity.
Meanwhile, Lucian expressed his desire to look for a good place to live, as it wasn't ideal to keep staying in Magistrate Jinhsi's residence.
Moreover, Jinzhou City was a crucial stronghold for Huanglong and an important outpost against the Tacet Discord tides, making it less than ideal for long-term residence.
According to Relic Merchant Chen Pi, there was a place called Taoyuan Vale outside the city that seemed quite nice, so Lucian decided to check it out.
The two agreed to meet up later in Taoyuan Vale.
...
Taoyuan Vale was located between Stone Pile Plain and Qichi Village, so Lucian set out from the northern gate of Jinzhou City and headed northwest, arriving quickly.
The first thing that caught his eye was a massive peach tree sprawled atop a small hill.
Not only was there a peach tree on the hill, but the village below was also filled with them. Their pink leaves fluttered through the air, painting a beautiful scene.
It had to be said—Taoyuan Vale was truly a great place to retire, with every household owning their own farmland.
A leisurely, rustic atmosphere permeated the air.
Lucian decided to head up the hill first to get a bird's-eye view of the entire Taoyuan Vale.
However, as he reached the mountainside, something unexpected seemed to happen.
Amidst the hazy mist, he felt as if he had accidentally wandered into another space.
Before him, the winding mountain path was gone, replaced by an endless grassland. The sky was a deep azure, with a few pure white clouds drifting lazily across it.
Sunlight spilled over golden wheat fields, creating dazzling patches of light.
In the distance, rolling mountain ranges stood like giants guarding the land, their peaks crowned with eternal snow that shimmered silver under the sun.
On the grassland, thousands of animals ran freely—antelopes, zebras, and herds of wild buffalo chased and played across the vast expanse.
A winding river cut through the grassland, its water so clear you could see the bottom. Lush reeds grew along its banks, and occasionally, a few waterfowl skimmed the surface, sending ripples across the water.
Lucian scratched his head. "What the hell? Where'd I end up now? Is this even still Jinzhou?"
Baffled, Lucian walked forward, only to find that the scenery around him didn't change as he moved. It was as if he were trapped, every step leaving him in the same place.
Just as Lucian began to suspect that he might have been caught in some Resonator's ability, a young girl's voice suddenly called out from behind him.
"U-um… excuse me…"
Lucian turned to look. The girl had slightly curly hair, wore thin golden-framed glasses, and had striking pink-blue heterochromatic eyes.
Her clothes were adorned with landscape patterns, with delicate brushes and paperweights hanging from her waist—it was as if she had draped a painting over herself, giving her an exceptionally graceful and ethereal appearance.
Her slender legs were clad in pristine white stockings, radiating purity.
"I-I'm sorry… I… I didn't mean to…"
Lucian tilted his head in confusion. Was the girl stuttering?
Her face was flushed with embarrassment, her fair cheeks tinged pink as she lowered her head, not daring to meet Lucian's eyes.
Lucian reassured her, "No rush, take your time."
The girl took a deep breath. "Actually… I'm a Resonator…"
Lucian had already figured that out—the girl's Tacet Mark was on the back of her right hand.
He nodded. "Yeah, I noticed. So, this place was created by your Resonance ability?"
The girl nodded slightly. "Yes…"
"…I'm really sorry! I got too absorbed earlier and didn't mean to…"
[Option 1: Demand the girl offer herself to you as compensation. Reward: 10,000 points.]
[Option 2: Demand the girl pay you 1,000,000 Shell Credits to soothe your wounded heart. Reward: Talent 'Endless Fortune']
[Option 3: Demand the girl give you her white stockings as an apology. Reward: 5,000 points.]
Lucian smirked. "So, how do you plan to make it up to me?"
The girl blinked. "Huh? Make it up to you…?"
Lucian nodded solemnly. "Exactly. When I first stepped into this space, I felt dizzy, nauseous, and like I was about to keel over at any moment."
"So, you'll need to compensate me for medical fees, lost wages, nursing costs, transportation, lodging, nutritional supplements, emotional distress, and so on. Let's say… 1,000,000 Shell Credits."
Lucian listed everything off with ease, leaving the girl utterly overwhelmed—especially when he mentioned the 1,000,000 Shell Credits. She felt like she'd just stumbled into a disaster.
Did she really have to pay him that much?
Well, it was her ability that caused the trouble, but… wasn't 1,000,000 Shell Credits a bit excessive?
She remembered how she'd once spent days painting for someone else and only earned 20,000 Shell Credits. How long would it take to earn 1,000,000? She'd never even seen that much money in her life.
Seeing the girl nervously clutching the hem of her clothes, Lucian burst out laughing.
"Just take me out of this space first. We'll talk about the rest later."
"O-okay…"
The girl picked up the brush at her waist and drew a wooden door in midair, as if the entire world were her canvas.
Passing through the door, they arrived at the highest point of Taoyuan Vale's hilltop.
There stood a pavilion, with an easel in the center—the canvas depicted the exact scene Lucian had just experienced.
Lucian examined it closely. He had to admit, the painting was incredibly lifelike, as if the brushstrokes themselves held divine power.
"Um… Mr. Lucian, hello. My name is Zhezhi…"
"You know me?"
Zhezhi nodded. "Yes… I saw your name and photo in the Jinzhou Daily before."
Lucian checked his reputation points—they had already reached over 80,000. Surprisingly, they still hadn't hit 100,000. Had Jinzhou's market already saturated?
"Your painting is rich in color and masterfully composed. You've got the touch of a true artist."
Zhezhi's cheeks flushed slightly. "Thank you…"
Lucian abruptly changed the subject. "But no matter how good the painting is, compensation is still due."
Zhezhi: "…"
"C-can you be a little lenient…? I really didn't mean to…"
"I'm usually very careful with my abilities, but today, the scenery was so captivating that I got too absorbed and lost control…"
Lucian stroked his chin, eyeing Zhezhi. "You don't look like you're rolling in money. If you can't pay, how about offering yourself instead?"
Zhezhi's face instantly paled. "W-what?! Offer myself…?"
She frantically waved her hands. "N-no, no, no… that's not possible, I…"
Lucian huffed in annoyance. "This won't do, that won't do…"
"You do realize that as Magistrate Jinhsi's intelligence officer, my time is extremely valuable!"