Xiao Chen's carriage moved swiftly through the air, pulled by nothing. A glittering aura surrounded it, affording it the ability of flight to swiftly drive through the skies.
They had taken to the air from the moment they departed the Xiao Clan Manor, allowing Jin Huang to behold Greenwind Province from far above.
He stuck his head out of the open window.
"...It's huge."
The forests stretched endlessly beneath them. Low mountain ranges rolled across the horizon like the backs of sleeping dragons.
Rivers shimmered beneath the afternoon sun, twisting through the wilderness before disappearing into distant valleys.
Villages appeared only occasionally, tiny clusters of rooftops that looked no larger than grains of rice from this height.
Every so often, stone roads connected them to larger settlements surrounded by sturdy walls.
Jin Huang scratched his head. "I knew it was big."
He looked farther into the distance. "I didn't know it was this big."
Xiao Chen smiled faintly from the opposite seat, "Greenwind Province is only one province. There are four others in the Scarlet Dominion, and the Imperial Seat which is essentially a minor province."
Jin Huang slowly turned. "You're saying this isn't the entire world right here?"
"That's right. This is just a fraction of it."
"No flipping way!" Jin Huang stuck his head out again, eyes darting all over.
Xiao Chen chuckled. "You'll understand eventually. In my line of work, there's quite a lot of travelling that needs to get done. You'll soon see most of the Nine H-"
Xiao Chen gave a harrumph. "Pardon me. I meant to say you'll soon see most of the Vermillion Gate World."
"I can't wait." Jin Huang continued staring outside, pushing until almost all of him was hanging out the window.
For a while, neither spoke. Then the silence ended abruptly with Jin Huang's exclamation.
"What the cheese and crackers!"
Xiao Chen didn't even look up. "What is it this time?"
"Is that a flying tortoise?!"
"It is. We must be passing by the eastern region's 'Slow 'N Steady' branch. They're a mail company that exclusively uses flying tortoises." Xiao Chen explained expertly.
"Why though?"
"Beats me. I think the owner just really likes tortoises."
Jin Huang watched the enormous beast lazily drifting through the clouds. As it got closer, he saw that it was laden with a large sack of mail, and was even wearing a hat.
"Amazing. I want a hat."
Moments later...
"What in the world is that?"
"A cloud whale. They often come down from the Sky Islands that exist somewhere up there beyond even this world. I don't know why they like it here."
"It looks as big as a mountain."
"It's probably bigger." Xiao Chen casually remarked.
There was a brief pause from Jin Huang before he spoke again. "Can we eat one?"
"I've never heard of anyone trying."
"I volunteer to be the first!"
Xiao Chen quietly decided not to encourage that line of thought.
Without warning, a sheet of parchment magically appeared in the air before him, unfurling itself with a soft flutter.
Golden characters slowly emerged upon its surface that Xiao Chen calmly read.
His expression changed very little. Only the slightest lift of an eyebrow betrayed that anything written upon it was of interest to him.
Once he reached the final line, the words dissolved and the parchment folded itself, then quietly vanished.
Jin Huang blinked, "Did that paper just... leave?"
"It returned to its sender."
"Oh... that's convenient."
"It is." Xiao Chen reached toward the elegant pouch fastened at his waist.
Unlike Jin Huang's spatial ring, this pouch bore intricate silver embroidery that shimmered faintly whenever touched.
He retrieved another sheet of parchment, a brush and a small vial of ink.
With swift, practiced strokes, he penned several lines as the ink glowed briefly.
The paper then folded itself before disappearing into empty air.
Jin Huang stared, "Can you do that with people as well?"
"If you have the appropriate magic circle or rune attached," Xiao Chen stated matter-of-factly.
"Oh. Those sound like they're expensive."
"Only mages with a Mana Core can cast a spell like that. As for skilled mages who can draw such a magic circle, they'd still need to have at least reached Sea Expansion."
Jin Huang nodded solemnly. "Then I'll steal one someday, and use it to travel everywhere."
"Please don't."
"I was just joking, Xiao Chen."
"For your sake," the dark-skinned man rubbed his eyes, "I hope so."
"Yeah, me too."
Not long afterward...
"I'm hungry now. What do you have in that magic bag?" Jin Huang sat back and looked expectantly at Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen reached into the embroidered pouch once more, this time withdrawing a wrapped parcel.
Steam was still escaping from the paper.
Jin Huang accepted it as though receiving a priceless inheritance. "It's still so warm."
"Preservation runes."
"I love preservation runes," Jin Huang salivated.
He immediately began eating. Between bites, he continued watching the world below, exclaiming with a full mouth.
"What in tarnation!"
"What now?"
"Those cows have six legs!"
"They're magic cattle. Their milk is quite useful in elixirs, actually."
"Yeah but... they have six legs!"
A few minutes later, Jin Huang saw something else that perplexed him.
"What the... is that rice?"
Xiao Chen glanced outward to confirm and nodded, "Rice terraces. Yes."
"So much rice..."
"They feed several cities."
"I wish them success."
Another bite of his food disappeared, and the carriage continued onward.
They crossed forests, mountains, lakes, fields and, occasionally, they passed other flying artifacts in the distance.
Elegant boats, mages riding flying objects like brooms, giant books and even living creatures.
There were even massive birds carrying merchant caravans.
Jin Huang waved enthusiastically at all of them. Most ignored him, but one child waved back.
Jin Huang declared the journey to be worthwhile.
And so, days passed.
At a certain point, Xiao Chen became almost impossibly busy.
Hardly an hour would go by without another enchanted parchment appearing before him.
Some messages were brief and others required lengthy replies.
The expensive pouch seemed inexhaustible.
Letters appeared and letters vanished. Brushes scratched softly across parchment.
Sometimes Xiao Chen would simply gaze out the window for several minutes before responding.
Other times he wrote immediately.
Jin Huang eventually stopped paying attention. Instead, he discovered something unexpected.
Despite not requiring sleep... He was bored enough to do it anyway!
He curled up across one of the cushioned seats and was asleep within moments.
As he snored, the carriage continued flying.
Outside, the scenery slowly changed.
Inside, Xiao Chen continued quietly handling correspondence long into each day.
More than a week slipped by. Jin Huang finally reached his limit.
He stretched dramatically, "I can't do this anymore."
Xiao Chen looked up from another letter. "Hm?"
"I've seen enough trees. I've seen enough mountains. I've seen more than enough confusing lifeforms."
"I need to walk."
"Why not just sleep some more?" Xiao Chen asked as he scribbled another response.
"I've slept so much that I can't sleep even a second more."
Xiao Chen laughed softly as his latest correspondence vanished into thin air. "Fortunately for you..."
He leaned over and looked out the window, "...we're stopping today."
Jin Huang sat upright immediately. "We are?"
"Something's come up, so we've got to make a stop in Yellow-Tooth Town."
"What's there?"
"A package that I need to collect."
"For your merchant business?" Jin Huang asked as he stuck himself out the window.
"Sure."
Jin Huang grinned. "So I can explore?"
"I won't need you this time; I trust this source. So feel free to-"
Xiao Chen suddenly paused looked at Jin Huang with an unsure expression.
"Actually, put this on."
Out of the magic pouch, an obsidian ring appeared in the air, hovering and rotating just within Jin Huang's reach.
Jin Huang took it and wore it next to his spatial ring. The obsidian ring adjusted its size to fit.
"Cool. What's it for?"
Xiao Chen reached into his clothes and revealed a circular obsidian pendant hanging from his neck. "So I always know where you are."
"Oh," Jin Huang measured the ring in his gaze.
The carriage slowly began descending.
Far below, a modest town came into view.
Yellow-tiled roofs clustered around a bustling marketplace. Stone walls enclosed the entire settlement.
Beyond them stretched fertile farmland and orderly roads. Several banners fluttered proudly from the watchtowers.
Upon each banner was embroidered the crest of the Mo Clan, whose territory they were now in. The western region of Greenwind Province.
As the carriage settled gently toward the ground, Jin Huang was already halfway to the door.
A whole new town awaited him.