After a long journey, Gu Yanwu finally arrived at Gao Family Village proper.
By the time he stepped down from the train, dusk had already settled.
Standing on the platform, he watched as the sun slowly sank toward the west, tumbling behind the hills. The fall looked rather serious—as if Old Man Sun had tripped badly and wouldn't be getting back up anytime soon. At the very least, Gu Yanwu wouldn't be seeing him again until tomorrow morning.
Gu Yanwu was not fond of poetry, nor did he have the habit of forcing verses out of scenery.
So he merely glanced once and thought nothing more of it.
Instead, a question surfaced quietly in his mind.
The immortal guided me here… but what exactly am I supposed to see?
Just as that thought formed, he heard people who had disembarked alongside him chatting nearby.
"Oh! The sun's finally down—how lucky! We arrived just in time."
"Exactly, exactly. We'll get to see the moment the lights come on. That's the real spectacle of Gao Family Village."
Gu Yanwu was startled. He turned toward them and cupped his hands politely.
"May I ask, sirs… what do you mean by 'the lights come on'?"
The men laughed.
"Gao Family Village proper has already switched over to electric lighting. Every evening, once the sun fully sets, all the public lights turn on at once. That moment—ah—it's truly breathtaking."
Gu Yanwu's expression went blank.
Before he could ask further, a cheer suddenly erupted in the distance.
Outside the main fortress walls of Gao Family Village, a large crowd had already gathered. Many were holding tablet computers, watching the time tick down.
"The lights are coming on!"
"Countdown!"
"Ten—nine—eight—seven—"
Gu Yanwu stood there, completely dumbfounded.
When the final count ended, the crowd shouted in unison:
"Lights on!"
In the very next instant—
A row of lights flared to life along the eaves of the train station.
Then, as if responding to a silent command, lights ignited across the entire village.
The main fortress and the Gao Family Village commercial district lit up first—brilliant, colorful lights outlining rooftops, streets, towers, and walls. Buildings that had moments ago been swallowed by dusk were suddenly revealed in vivid clarity, glowing like something pulled straight out of a dream.
Gu Yanwu sucked in a sharp breath.
"Ah—!"
Around him, the villagers and visitors erupted in cheers.
"We see it!"
"So beautiful!"
"I'll never get tired of this—even after a hundred times!"
Gu Yanwu stared, stunned, then turned to the person beside him.
"What kind of lamps are these? Why are they so bright? Oil lamps? Candle lamps?"
The man chuckled.
"Electric lights."
"Electricity?" Gu Yanwu instinctively pointed at the sky. "Like lightning?"
"Yes," the man laughed. "Exactly like lightning."
"Really?" Gu Yanwu pressed.
A burly villager nearby joined in, grinning.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun caught the lightning from the heavens and stuffed it into our lamps."
Gu Yanwu: "!!!"
The shock was so great it nearly made his cerebellum shrivel.
At that moment, someone laughed nearby.
"All right, stop scaring the guests."
A man stepped forward, lightly chiding the burly villager. The villager stuck out his tongue and ran off.
Only then did Gu Yanwu get a clear look at the newcomer.
He wore official robes. Judging by the decorations, he was a seventh-rank official.
Gu Yanwu's heart jumped.
Seventh rank… in a mere village of Chengcheng County?
The Chengcheng County Magistrate was famous—Liang Shixian, a renowned Donglin Party member who had once refused to collect taxes to protect the people, openly defied the Emperor, and was subsequently reprimanded and frozen in place, serving over seven years without promotion.
Thinking this, Gu Yanwu hurriedly bowed.
"Greetings, Lord Magistrate!"
The man laughed.
"No, no. I'm not the magistrate here. I am Shi Kefa, Judicial Commissioner of Xi'an Prefecture."
"Judicial Commissioner of Xi'an?" Gu Yanwu blurted out. "Why would a Judicial Commissioner be in a mountain village of Chengcheng County? Has there been some mistake?"
Shi Kefa waved his hand casually.
"Don't worry about such things here. Official rank isn't worth much in this place."
Gu Yanwu froze.
"Then what matters?" he asked instinctively.
Shi Kefa smiled.
"Ability."
Gu Yanwu: "???"
Shi Kefa gestured broadly toward the blazing lights.
"Look at all this. These lights were created by a student named Ji Menghan. His standing and respect in Gao Family Village far surpass mine, a mere Judicial Commissioner."
Gu Yanwu could only manage a weak sound.
"Uh…"
Shi Kefa sighed, full of genuine admiration.
"I truly envy him. His grasp of physics is extraordinary. If only I had been half as talented."
Gu Yanwu: "Uh??"
Seeing the young man's utterly confused expression, Shi Kefa laughed kindly.
"You've come from far away, haven't you? Take your time. There are many fascinating things in this village—far more than just these lights. Walk around, look carefully, and see for yourself."
With that, Shi Kefa turned and disappeared into the bustling crowd in the blink of an eye.
Gu Yanwu stood there.
Speechless.
Utterly bewildered.
After a while, hunger reminded him of its existence.
He decided to find something to eat.
Following the glow of the streetlights, Gu Yanwu made his way toward the lively Gao Family Village commercial district.
Bathed in countless colorful lights, the entire area looked unreal—like a city conjured from a dream.
At the center stood an especially luxurious building. From afar, it looked unmistakably like a brothel.
Gu Yanwu thought to himself, Eating while listening to music wouldn't be bad.
He approached—then stopped.
Upon closer inspection, it wasn't a brothel at all.
The sign read: Shuixian Grand Restaurant.
"…Why does a restaurant look like this?" Gu Yanwu muttered. "Is something wrong with these people?"
But his stomach answered for him.
Never mind. As long as there's food.
He stepped inside.
Immediately, a young waiter approached. Neatly dressed, clean-cut, and handsome—nothing like the rough tavern servers Gu Yanwu was used to.
"Esteemed guest," the waiter said with a smile. "Please follow me. Do you have a reservation?"
Gu Yanwu shook his head.
"No."
"Just one person?" the waiter asked. "Please come this way. We have small tables available."
He seated Gu Yanwu, poured him tea, and smiled again.
"What would you like to eat? We offer a full range of northern and southern delicacies."
Gu Yanwu raised an eyebrow.
A small village in Shaanxi dares to claim it has both northern and southern cuisines?
Fine. Let's test you.
"Do you have Jiangsu cuisine?" Gu Yanwu asked.
The waiter smiled brightly.
"Of course. I'll bring the Jiangsu menu right away."
Moments later, the menu was placed before him.
Nanjing Roast Duck.
Pengcheng Fish Balls.
Old Duck Soup.
Stewed Shengqiao.
Square-Cut Roast Pork.
Lamb Hidden in Fish.
Crystal Pork Hock.
Stewed Crab Roe Meatballs…
Gu Yanwu stared.
If he didn't know better, he would have thought he'd returned to Jiangsu, seated in a grand restaurant of his hometown.
He pointed.
"This—Nanjing Roast Duck."
"Yes, sir."
"And this."
"One Pengcheng Fish Balls."
Wait.
Something was wrong.
Gu Yanwu suddenly looked up.
"Waiter… you can read?"
The waiter laughed.
"I know a few characters."
Gu Yanwu's eyes widened.
"You can read… and you're working as a waiter?"