The King of Black Fog

Yang Qinglan remained silent, her hands resting on Li Changzhou's shoulders, her face so close it seemed to lightly lean against his chest.

Li Changzhou breathed in the fragrance of her hair, his whole body trembling slightly.

The figure of Yang Qinglan, originally slender and well-proportioned, felt astonishingly petite in his embrace, like holding a fledgling bird, warm and with utmost care.

He took a deep breath and tried to tighten his embrace a bit more.

"What's wrong with you?" Yang Qinglan suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?" Li Changzhou immediately dispersed the strength gathered in his hands, denying it completely, "I wasn't using any strength, really."

"This, I—" Li Changzhou also realized his own state.

Unable to think of an excuse, he confessed, "Ever since I met you, I haven't had, um, interactions with it, so I might be a bit too energetic."

"What are you thinking about now? Planning anything bad?" Yang Qinglan's voice sounded not angry but somewhat curious.

"...Is wanting to hold you a~bit~tighter considered bad?"

Yang Qinglan fell silent for a while, then suddenly laughed, "Is this what a virgin is like?"

"Yes," Li Changzhou laughed too, taking the opportunity to hold her a bit tighter, both of them slightly scalded by the surprising warmth.

Yang Qinglan seemed to emit a faint nasal sound.

Her face already buried in Li Changzhou's chest, the sound now playfully tickled straight into his heart.

"...Forget it, forget it!" Li Changzhou gave up.

He gritted his teeth and let her go, as continuing this way, even just being close, was unimaginable.

Pitiful, the virgin!

Only then did Yang Qinglan realize what she had done and said out of shyness just moments ago.

She didn't dare look down, shifting her gaze away as the breeze blew, making her face feel cool.

Li Changzhou hurriedly turned away, pretending to admire the peonies.

After a moment, Yang Qinglan smoothed her hair messed up by the wind, settling her emotions.

"Let's go."

"You go ahead."

At his words, Yang Qinglan glanced unconsciously and could only see his back.

She smoothed her long hair again, but this time the wind didn't get a chance to tousle it.

"How much longer?" she couldn't help but laugh and scold.

"Probably, quite a while," Li Changzhou slowly began to accept it.

If he just honestly faced his own desires, there was nothing to be shy about, he convinced himself.

Yang Qinglan chuckled a few times, about to leave, when Li Changzhou suddenly called out to her.

"Qing Lan!" He didn't dare turn around, only slightly tilting his head, "Are we dating now?"

"Dating? Why?" Yang Qinglan didn't understand.

"Not even this?"

"What do you mean by this?" Yang Qinglan countered.

"You—"

Seeing him look like someone played with then discarded, Yang Qinglan laughed again.

She couldn't help sizing him up, noticing his slender frame that felt so broad-shouldered and chested when she leaned against him.

"When I'm confident that being with you won't make me jealous of you and your sister, I'll be with you."

"Why? There's absolutely nothing between Qian Xia and me," Li Changzhou didn't understand.

"It's precisely because there's nothing that I need time," Yang Qinglan said, "There's clearly nothing, but I'd still get jealous—I mean in the future, for now, if you spoil her, I'll just think you're a good brother."

"Then how can you be sure that you'd definitely get jealous after we're together?" Li Changzhou pursued.

"Because I'm a woman."

"No, you're a fairy."

Yang Qinglan giggled lightly, "Yes, and you're a handsome man."

"Isn't that a curse?" Li Changzhou remembered that Yang Qinglan never cursed, so she tended to give compliments when she did.

"It is, but also isn't," Yang Qinglan laughed, pausing for a moment before asking, "Are you not better yet?"

"...No."

"Then I won't wait for you."

"It's because you're in the way here!"

"So, I'm a hindrance, am I?" Yang Qinglan pretended to ponder.

"No, sorry, it's just me having bad thoughts about you," Li Changzhou apologized.

Yang Qinglan hummed in satisfaction, "Bye~"

"Bye."

Just as Yang Qinglan was about to leave, she suddenly smiled and said, "If in the future Qian Xia says you indulge too much, I can testify for you."

"Miss Yang, with a conflict of interest, the effectiveness of your testimony will be diminished, you—"

Before he could finish, the overly candid Li Changzhou was "thrown" into the peony bushes by Yang Qinglan.

Ascending the covered walkway, Yang Qinglan moved with light steps.

She couldn't resist stretching out her hand, stroking each pillar on the walkway like she was plucking the strings of a harp.

◇

After cleaning off the peony petals, flower branches, and leaves on his body, Li Changzhou entered the palace-style living room in the backyard where Yang Qinglan had already returned to her usual self, transforming from the girl who could say "still able to jump" into the ethereal Gu She Fairy, resembling a snow lotus.

The two exchanged a glance, their expressions unchanged.

After the exchange, Li Changzhou noticed that everyone was playing mahjong.

The aunties, along with the Chun Emperor and Li Qianxia— were at a table with Second Aunt and Fourth Aunt from Gusu.

"Qian Xia, in Song City, they don't call it 'playing mahjong' but 'striking mahjong'," the Chun Emperor said while playing, "In the 1950s, there was still such a nursery rhyme echoing in the alleyways, 'Wash rice, cook night meal, when supper's ready, switch on the lights, bring out the mahjong...strike a little mahjong, come come white against white'."

Because he couldn't reveal the future, the deliberately vague mention of the 1950s referred to the 20th century's 1950s, which were the next 20 years.

"Oh." Li Qianxia nodded.

As a beginner, just dealing with the cards required her utmost focus.

"Striking mahjong is not just about striking mahjong," continued the Chun Emperor. "At a mahjong table with four people, anyone with a bit of experience doesn't need to talk, or even to ask questions, just a glance and they understand whether they are qualified to sit at this table. For example, the two playing with us, they aren't qualified."

"Why aren't they qualified?" Li Qianxia hesitated about where to place the two of bamboo while asking subconsciously.

"Do you think they are qualified?" the Chun Emperor challenged.

"Hmm—" Li Qianxia realized but didn't want to vocalize such discrimination.

She was born in the countryside, to a life of poverty, in the lowest tier, naturally despising the division of people into classes, even though she herself was in the highest class.

Conversely, the Chun Emperor was born into wealth, accustomed from childhood to classifying people, viewing everyone as inferior.

"Chun Emperor, could you talk about Visualization?" Li Qianxia changed the subject.

The Chun Emperor played with mahjong tiles made of jade and ivory, looking at Li Qianxia with a meaningful smile.

"Alright." Just when Li Qianxia thought she might disagree, she consented.

"Your application of the Thunder Map...Pong!" The Chun Emperor declared 'Pong', and then played a tile, "...is too superficial."

"Hmm." Li Qianxia nodded.

"I have also studied the Thunder Map, and it's quite decent. To use a gaming term, it's about a B rank."

"B rank?" Li Qianxia drew a tile and hesitated before playing it, "Chun Emperor, what rank is your 'Cloud Riding Mist'?"

"A," said the Chun Emperor. "The lowest level of Visualization is C rank, which unlocks one level of potential; B rank unlocks two levels; A rank, three levels; and S rank... well, more than three levels."

Potential development, it seemed, was not to be taken lightly, Li Changzhou thought.

"The higher the rank, the better?" he asked.

"In theory."

"Theory? What about in practice?"

"Practically speaking, what suits oneself is the best," the Chun Emperor said slowly with a smile.

Li Qianxia nodded, remembering the night her brother carried her on his back. He also told her not to seek the best blindly, but that the life that suits her best is the best.

"How do you determine what suits oneself?" she asked.

"First, see if you can learn it—if you can't learn it, everything else is moot;

"Next, whether your potential can sustain the consumption of Visualization—some people can manage Visualization at C or B levels, but at A level, it could kill them in one go. Look, my white hair is a side effect from studying A level, although it was due to a little accident;

"Finally, whether you can obtain it—for example, the three of you can only obtain the Thunder Map, so you can only study the Thunder Map."

"What about Combat Skills?" Li Qianxia asked further.

"Visualization, after all, is just a child's study. Combat Skills are similarly just playing house; everyone's basically the same. C level is what you are playing now with nothing special; B level has one feature, the ability to materialize Visualization, like my releasing mist. Based on different Visualization techniques, A level effects differ."

"And S rank?" Li Qianxia pressed on.

The Chun Emperor smiled faintly, her gaze drifting thoughtfully towards Li Changzhou and Yang Qinglan.

"This time, if you perform well in the ambush on the Fire God Hall Master, and if we are all satisfied with each other, we could cooperate to vie for an S-rank Visualization," she said.

"You have a way to obtain S-rank Visualization?" Yang Qinglan spoke up.

"Of course." The Chun Emperor nodded. She had her turn at mahjong but didn't play a tile, and the other two dared not hurry her, while Li Qianxia's mind was clearly not on the game.

"Do you know about ship tickets?" she asked.

"Yes," Yang Qinglan answered.

"It seems your evaluation at the First Stage isn't low," the Chun Emperor commented. "After this cooperation, if we can all satisfy each other, I will come to Ming City to find you."

The Chun Emperor no longer talked about Visualization, focusing intently on playing mahjong.

Of course, she still took the opportunity to educate Li Qianxia:

"Qian Xia, in this era, actually, the mahjong table is the best opportunity for women to show off their diamond rings. Look at you, you don't have a single diamond ring, surely the ladies will mock you."

"I'm not married; where would I get a diamond ring from?"

"Not being married is good. What's good about being married? Once married, regardless of gender, their head is branded as a slave."

The contemplating marriage Yang Qinglan couldn't help but retort:

"Qian Xia, every form of strength has its corresponding weakness, and every weakness also has its corresponding strength. Those who only see the weakness are doomed to be life's losers."

"Losers? Haven't I seen the strength of being single?" the Chun Emperor retorted like an echo in a valley.

"You have, but you haven't seen the strength in marriage."

"Has anyone ever told you that you are very annoying?" the Chun Emperor, extremely resistant towards a woman as beautiful as herself—something she had never encountered or even imagined before—replied.

At this point, she couldn't be bothered to reason, forgoing debate for a direct personal attack.

"No, everyone has liked me since I was young," Yang Qinglan replied calmly.

"Heh." In 1928, the Chun Emperor responded with the sarcasm and dismissiveness typical of a hundred years later, her tone also filled with the confidence of someone attractive and indifferent.