Shin landed in the harbour alongside his companions. Some of them, like Kesyl, was just relieved that they didn’t have to stay aboard the wavy ship anymore. As for the others…

“Wow...” Someone gasped in awe, but no one knew who. Why? Because the rest were in a similar state. The Longyu Clan’s harbour town was much more different than anything Shin or his companions had ever seen. The architecture was unique, and its streets didn’t match those that Shin was familiar with. For one, there weren’t any paths for horses or mounts to walk through. Instead, there were two large rivers separated by a metal divider. Boats ferrying goods or passengers replaced the carriages that Shin was most familiar with.

The buildings were mostly wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Unlike the traditional doors that pivot in or out, the Lantis Republic adopted sliding doors, which allowed more space for customisation. Most of the denizens of the realm wore thick fur coats over their silken robes, to combat the constant cold weather. Speaking of which, Shin found the place to be quite chilly as well. Longyu Reef was rather south of the equator, which meant that it experienced the full brunt of the four seasons, something Shin wasn’t used to.

Longyu Tian noticed his slight shivering and asked warmly. “Cold?”

“No, I’m fine,” replied Shin while taking a deep breath in. He was a little cold, but as a Spirit Spectre, his immune system was at least a dozen times more resistant than an average human. Shin just needed some time to adapt to his new environment.

Longyu Tian found this to be adorable. Chuckling, she remarked: “You don’t have to put on a tough face, even Spirit Saints like I use warm clothes, see?” The black-haired lady brought out a white fur jacket, which startled the snowy white gerbil that was nesting in Shin’s clothes. Bingbing remembered the time when Longyu Tian halted time and got in front of Shin without her knowing. If the Saint wished for it, she could add the Kamaitachi’s fur into her collection with ease. So, Bingbing dug deeper into Shin’s bosom, entirely unlike what a bodyguard Spirit Beast like her should do.

“Haha, I’m not going to harm you, silly beast.” The Saint of Time continued to smile.

‘Is she constantly in a good mood?’ Shin wondered to himself. Ever since he first got here, Longyu Tian had constantly been laughing away, tearing down the mythical image Shin had of a Spirit Saint. The youth had always thought that a Spirit Saint was a lofty being, unhindered by the affairs of mere mortals. Yet, now that he had spent some time with one of the world’s most famous Spirit Saints, Shin couldn’t help but think that the woman was so… Human.

Of course, there was no way that Shin would have known that Longyu Tian wasn’t always this amiable. In fact, those in the Longyu Clan knew her as an Ice Queen, unfazed by emotions in whatever shape or form. If the current Longyu Clan Master saw the Saint of Time’s contemporary expression, how dastardly would he feel?

While Shin was still deep in thought, Longyu Tian turned to the aide that had been waiting to welcome them and took out a matching black fur jacket. “By the way, here’s your coat. I hope I got the size right.”

It would be rude for Shin to deny the Spirit Saint’s goodwill. He slipped his hands into the sleeves of the coat and almost instantly, he could feel his blood warming up. Bingbing, the ice-elemental Kamaitachi was a little miffed that the temperature rose dramatically and slipped out of his robes and settled down on Shin’s shoulders. The coat was a little baggy for his liking, but it wasn’t too jarring that it was uncomfortable. Adding to his good looks and slightly pinkish face from the cold winds, the full ensemble of the outerwear and Spirit Beast, made Shin seem like a young prince from an exotic country.

“How do I look?” Shin asked Kanari, who had been spellbound by the perfect combination.

Unable to hold herself back, the maiden grabbed onto Shin’s hands with a mystifying smile. “You look like the most handsome man in the world.”

“Oh, stop that...” Shin blushed, as his red face turned even more charming.

“...” That exchange didn’t go unnoticed. Longyu Tian, as well as the dozens of guards, sent to escort Shin back to the Longyu Clan’s headquarters, all stared curiously at the couple. Naturally, it made the atmosphere a little too awkward for Shin to bear, so he immediately shook Kanari’s hand away. Kanari was also flustered. First impressions matter, and she had just blown it by letting her emotions take over. Still, the future Duchess of Highgarden regained herself and reverted back to her elegant poise.

For the first time, Longyu Tian’s eyes glazed over, and her smile disappeared. “... There are coats for all your friends as well. Hand them around. We’re moving to the River Train station next.”

Longyu Tian wasn’t going to mistreat her guests. Be it as it may, Kanari, Lady Seph and the rest of Sin’s entourage are representing the Himmel Empire and were essentially honoured envoys. If the Lantis Republic disregarded them, it would be tantamount to souring relations between the two nations. Still, even though Longyu Tian couldn’t outright chase them out, she could show her displeasure through hidden actions.

Kanari tried on the grey silk robe that had been prepared for her only to find out that it was way too large. The sleeves were at least three times what it was supposed to be, and the baggy aspect of the coat made Kanari seem like an overweight woman, even though her proportions were one that would make the goddesses cry out in envy.

Puckering her lips, the maiden whispered to Shin: “I don’t think Saint Longyu Tian likes me very much...”

“Haha...” Shin didn’t know how to reply to that, so he just bitterly laughed. Longyu Tian’s objective was as clear as day. Get Shin to commit to the Longyu Clan and by extension, the Lantis Republic. That meant marrying a Longyu Clan maiden and settling down for good in Longyu Reef. Kanari’s existence was a wedge in the Spirit Saint’s plan so it was expected that she would look at Shin’s girlfriend unfavourably. Perhaps in the future, Longyu Tian would open up to having Kanari around Shin, but as it stood now, the young man doubted that the two would have any cordial exchanges in the near future.

The crowds were oddly minimal, even though it seemed like a busy day at the harbour. Were the residents in Longyu Reef uninterested in Shin’s arrival? No, it was the contrary. Thousands of men and women flocked to the port hoping to catch a glimpse of the Prince of Water and the Pearl in the East. Shin was unaware of this, but cultivators that awakened the Mark of the Celestial Dragon were celebrities throughout the Lantis Republic, particularly if they were Luminaries like Shin and Bingying.

Historically, those with the Mark of the Celestial Dragon would go on to become great leaders in the future. For instance, Saint Longyu Tian was once a fresh-faced junior that bore that enigmatic mark, and she went on to become one of the most dominant Spirit Saints of her time. So it was natural for the residents of Longyu Reef to become excited about Shin’s prospects.

Still, it wasn’t safe to expose either Shin, Bingying, Longyu Tian or the representatives of the Himmel Empire to the thousand-strong crowd. So the guards barricaded the area for the smooth transition of the procession, allowing Shin to move through the relatively empty streets unhindered.

Fifteen minutes later, Longyu Tian had led the group into a vast river, far more extensive than the ones that Shin had seen before. Rapid currents, ones faster than any that Shin had ever seen in his life, sped rapidly straight towards the north. There was a tinge of mana seeping out of the water, giving it a little bit of an artificial hue. There was no way that this river was natural, Shin thought. Then he looked around at the building that sheltered them.

They were brought into a station made out of solid brick. The ceilings were about twenty metres high, and the platform was so vast that it could comfortably accommodate a herd of elephants. Just like the streets before, the Longyu Clan had made sure that no ordinary citizen could step foot into the train station, so the place was as barren as can be. However, the silent stalls and hundreds of chairs, markers and luggage area hints to Shin that this terminal was perhaps one of the busiest regions at its peak.

And then… There was the train.

Ten metres high, ten metres wide and about a hundred metres long, the train looked like a deluxe ship instead of its standard and inefficient counterparts in the Terre Continent. Unlike the traditional trains that Shin was familiar with, this one ran on hydropower, being dragged along according to the rapidly flowing river. If not for the heavy metal stoppers anchoring the River Train in place, it would have long sped away, following the flow of the artificial river tracks.

“How does a train like this work?” Emma ambled forward, her mind wholly attached to the wondrous invention.

Longyu Tian smiled once more. “It uses the propulsion of the river to move forward. Additionally, the ends of the train are equipped with two densely powered aether engines, allowing it to speed up and slow down at the operator’s command. It’s the preferred choice of transport in the Lantis Republic.” The Spirit Saint caressed the head of the ice-elemental markswoman. Unlike her disdain for Kanari, Longyu Tian quite enjoyed the company of the orphans, whose parents were former members of the Awter Clan anyway. She continued to elaborate lovingly. “It’s maximum speed is two hundred kilometres per hour. If we use it, we can reach the Longyu Clan Headquarters, which is about five hundred kilometres away, within three hours.”

“Three hours?!” Emma hollered out, her eyes bulging out of their sockets. She wasn’t the only one, though. Everyone from the Himmel Empire who had overheard their conversation was in a similar state, especially the two Spirit Venerates.

They have long heard rumours of the River Train, but due to the Lantis Republic’s tendency to hermit up, none of them had ever witnessed it for themselves. Two hundred kilometres an hour… That was way faster than any carriage or aether car that the Himmel Empire or the Kori Federation could rely on. To travel five hundred kilometres on the Himmel Empire roads, it would take days, several even, to traverse that great distance.

Lady Seph was particularly intrigued. Even though she was a medical researcher, the Spirit Venerate could appreciate the marvellous engineering ingenuity of the Lantis Republic. At the same time, Lady Seph felt terrible for her own home country, who still hadn’t figured out how to adopt the inventions of Spirit Immortal Dream effectively. If the previous Imperial Courts had the wisdom to invest in Spirit Immortal Dream as the Lantis Republic did, would they have a River Train of their own?

The interior of the River Train was just as spectacular as the outside. Crystal chandeliers hung from the top of the ceiling, bringing a blinding radiance into the otherwise dark cabins. The seats were intricately sewn together and wide enough to fit a fully grown bear. Diamond decanters were placed at the bar while fresh refreshments filled with the Lantis Republic’s most desirable sweets were being rolled out on trolleys to feed the honoured guests.

“Is this paradise?” Ella muttered under her breath. Emma nodded in agreement. Evidently, this cabin was specially designed for those from the main bloodline of the Longyu Clan to use, similar to the Imperial Pegasus Carriage that only those from the Imperial Family could use. Most likely, Longyu Tian travelled to the harbour using this very same River Train.

“Alright, all of you settle down!” Longyu Tian barked out. “We’re running a little late, so we have to hurry. If we delay any longer, the dinner at the headquarters will start to turn cold.” She helped Shin to a seat next to her, leaving Kanari out alone. Shin wanted to sit next to the maiden, but Kanari gently shook her head. It was as if Shin could hear her thoughts being transmitted into his brain.

‘Just sit with Saint Longyu Tian. We have other opportunities to be together later on.’

“...” Unwillingly, the young man let Kanari sit alongside the twins, while he stayed in his place.

Shin didn’t know then, but… His love life was about to reach its first rocky obstacle.