A nondescript corner of Aurum Alley.
Kenta stealthily poked his head out, looking left and right, and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that no one was chasing him.
"Phew—, I'm safe, for now…"
He wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, thinking he had saved his kidney today.
"Hmm? What are you doing here, being so sneaky?"
Suddenly, an unfamiliar, small female voice sounded from behind Kenta.
Kenta:
"!!!"
'Behind me! Damn it! When?!'
He whipped his head around, only to find no one there.
"???"
He looked around, but still saw no one.
"Strange, where did they go?"
He muttered to himself in confusion.
"Hey!"
Suddenly, the voice came again.
Kenta was startled.
'I get it! It's a Stand attack!'
But before he could react, Kenta felt a soft little hand tap his knee.
"Don't ignore me, I'm down here!"
Kenta looked down.
He saw a small l*li, about the same height as Hook, with white and purplish hair, standing indignantly at his feet.
Her smooth hair was braided into two pigtails behind her head, and a blue and white Xianzhou-style dress covered her upper body. Her two chubby little legs wore a pair of cute small boots, and a large gourd was attached to her waist.
But none of that was the main point.
Kenta immediately noticed the small Dragon Horns on the girl's head and the Tail behind her, almost as big as she was.
Seeing Vidyadhara on the Xianzhou was not uncommon, but Vidyadhara with Dragon Horns and a dragon Tail was very rare. Because a Vidyadhara with such features could only have one identity — the current Dragon Sovereign.
"Are you… the Dragon Lady of Elixir, Bailu?"
The little l*li, hearing her name called out, proudly lifted her small head.
"Yes, it's good that you know this young lady."
Kenta fell silent.
He looked at the shadow of an old friend on her, suddenly feeling a little melancholic.
'Bai Heng, how much longer until you wake up?'
Kenta sighed inwardly.
In that battle, he had successfully activated Bai Heng's consciousness using the Power of Abundance "borrowed" from Phantylia, combined with his own Remembrance ability, and a small trick left from a thousand years ago.
But the awkward thing was that Kenta could only confirm that Bai Heng would awaken, but couldn't say when or how she would awaken, or what her physical body would be like. He would plan for that later, as her original body had been destroyed in the great war. However, Kenta estimated that her consciousness would likely awaken in the Abyssal Realm.
He had also discussed this matter with Jingliu, Blade, Jing Yuan, and Dan Heng. And he learned about Bailu from them.
Kenta said he would never forget the shocked expressions on everyone's faces that day when they heard what he said.
Especially Blade; Kenta remembered him glaring fiercely at Dan Heng again, as if to say:
"This is much more reliable than your broken Ultimate Dragon Transformation Technique."
So, now seeing Bailu, his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
"Alas."
He sighed with a hint of weariness.
"I wish to buy osmanthus and share wine, but alas, my old friend…"
Bailu:
"…"
'What is this guy talking about?'
She looked at Kenta, who had inexplicably fallen into a melancholic state, and suddenly felt a headache coming on.
"Hey! Don't just get all sentimental by yourself! You still haven't answered my question, why are you being so sneaky here?"
Kenta snapped back to attention upon hearing this.
He looked at the girl in front of him with a very kind and loving gaze.
"Nothing much, I'm practicing the Human Emperor's Stride."
He answered vaguely.
"Hmm, although I don't understand what you're saying, it sounds very impressive."
Kenta chuckled at Bailu's reply.
"By the way, Miss Bailu, where are you headed?"
His tone was unprecedentedly gentle, and he even wore a serene smile. He looked at Bailu with a bit of a filter.
The girl only felt that the man in front of her had suddenly become inexplicably pleasant, but she still honestly answered the question.
"Oh, this young lady wants to go to Aurum Alley. There are some really delicious shops there! It's just that this time I escaped… cough, I mean, I didn't bring much money with me this time, so I'll probably only be able to taste a few things."
After Bailu finished speaking, her Tail behind her drooped listlessly, indicating her owner's low spirits.
Kenta laughed when he heard this.
"Oh? Is Miss Bailu worried about money? Coincidentally, this humble one is quite well-off and also wanted to explore Aurum Alley but didn't know where to go. Would Miss Bailu be willing to accompany me?"
Bailu's eyes instantly lit up upon hearing this.
"Really? Yes, yes! This young lady knows all the good food and fun places in Aurum Alley!"
And so, the duo, one tall and one small, set off.
— — — — — —
"Immortal Happy Tea, delicious Immortal Happy Tea…"
"Soda Soy Milk, authentic Soda Soy Milk…"
"Luofu Special Ramen tasting is now free, the boss won't wait for you…"
Inside Aurum Alley.
Bailu strutted ahead on her short legs.
She held a Qiongshi Bird Skewer in her left hand and Immortal Happy Tea in her right, while Kenta carried a bowl of Spicy Beef Offal for her. She looked utterly content.
"Kenta, Kenta! I want to eat that!"
Bailu pointed to another stall.
Kenta smiled.
"Take it, take it all, you can have anything, just take whatever you want."
He said gently to Bailu, then turned to the boss.
"I am General Jing Yuan's senior disciple. Send the bill to the Seat of Divine Foresight."
Kenta felt like he was taking his good daughter out to play, and someone else was paying for it.
After just a few hours of interaction, their relationship had become very harmonious.
"Little Bailu, where do you want to go now?"
Xuan casually asked.
To his surprise, she glared at him angrily when she heard this.
"This young lady isn't little at all! Don't look at me like this, I'm already 300 years old! I'm a reliable adult!"
Kenta didn't speak. He wanted to ask if the calculation method for adulthood for long-lived species was really the same as for short-lived species, but he ultimately didn't voice the question.
'Forget it, just assume she's an adult. Mind your own business when it comes to two-dimensional matters.'
Eventually, the two parted ways at a corner. Bailu said she was returning to the Alchemy Commission, and Kenta didn't say much for now, inviting her to visit him again next time.
"Okay! This young lady will come find you next time she wants to eat… uh, next time she misses you!"
Kenta left, and Bailu smiled, waving at his retreating figure.
When Kenta's figure disappeared at the end of the road, the bright smile on the girl's face gradually faded, and her raised hand slowly lowered.
"Sister Bai Heng, is that him?"
Suddenly, she spoke to the air.