After the run-in at the local Alchemist Association, Jin and Yuri continued their second day touring the city. Although this wasn’t Jin’s first time in Azure Lake City, he wanted the girl to experience the world-at-large for herself. A person with high cultivation but with no real life experience or common sense would only become a tool for others to exploit later down the road.
“Maste...I mean Jin, what’s that?” she asked, referring to a giant polyhedral glass building situated in the middle of a park. There was a sizable crowd going in and out, mainly parents with their children.
“That would be the city’s famous Zoological Sanctorium. It’s considered a landmark in the Taishan Region,” described Jin. “I thought you might want to see it.”
“I do,” she said excitedly, grabbing him and hurrying to the admissions queue.
As they neared, they realized there were also many young couples waiting in line. The attraction was apparently a popular destination for dates. Jin and Yuri glanced at each other.
The interior of the Zoological Sanctorium was even more eye-catching than its architecture. On the first floor, rows upon rows of exhibits, each expertly designed to mimic various natural habitats, divided the sanctorium into different viewing areas. Due to the advanced array formations put in place for protection, the patrons, generally non-cultivators, had the luxury to safely spectate creatures like the horned sabertooth and the three-eyed crow in close proximity. Out in the wild, these creatures were common causes of premature deaths.
On the second floor, the sanctorium housed a large open balcony and a fancy restaurant for the more wealthy clientele. For some of the rich and idle, the balcony offered them a place to lounge after seeing the attractions. For others, it was simply a regular spot to chill with friends.
Young Master Meng and Cheng Shi sat at a small table in full view of the exhibits below. Leisurely sipping his tea, the young master ignored the growing attention that he was attracting. A new face - and easy on the eyes - inspired many of the wealthy young ladies to gossip about his identity.
One young woman confidently approached their table.
“Would you care to join us, my lord?” she invited. The woman was a stunner herself. “Good tea depends on not only the quality of the leaves but also whom you drink it with.”
She insinuated that Cheng Shi, likely a servant given his poor choice of wear, wouldn’t qualify as good company.
The young master didn’t even so much as acknowledge her presence, instead choosing to focus on the two youths downstairs. He tracked the girl as she visited each exhibit, merrily dragging the boy along.
“My lord?” the woman inquired again, unused to being ignored.
“You are unworthy to speak in my master’s presence, lady. Scram,” said Cheng Shi dismissively.
The woman froze in disbelief, then shook in fury. Clearly, she had never been looked down upon by a servant, much less offhandedly dismissed by one.
“I wasn’t talking to you, slave. I shall have you whipped for your impudence.” She summoned one of her guards, a stout man holding a leather bullwhip. “Break him!” she ordered.
Before the poor man could react, Cheng Shi flicked the air, jettisoning a pellet of qi that expanded into the size of a fist when it collided with the man’s chest. The unsuspecting guard flew across the balcony and was dead before he hit the ground.
There was absolute silence. Most couldn’t understand what had happened, but gradually it dawned on the more knowledgeable patrons that Cheng Shi was no ordinary cultivator. Only a late-stage qi adept, an envious existence in the Ming Kingdom, could have emitted qi with such precision and control.
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The woman’s brother rushed to the table and kowtowed, forcing his sister to do the same. At first the woman struggled to lower herself, but her brother’s vice-like grip on her arm eventually conveyed the severity of their predicament.
“My lords, my sister is uneducated and foolish. Forgive her stupidity,” the brother implored.
Young Master Meng, caring little for the escalating situation, was vicariously enjoying the sanctorium through Yuri and Jin. Since his mood was good, he dismissed the man and his sister with a wave of his hand. Crisis averted, the brother expressed his gratitude and scurried away with his sister.
While the conflict was occurring upstairs, Jin had only briefly looked up to the balcony, sensing a slight disruption in the qi flow. However, with Yuri already moving on to the next exhibit, he thought nothing more of it.
The two stepped into a glasshouse, joining a group of parents and children and a female tour guide.
“Welcome to the Heavenly Monarch Butterfly Exhibit,” the guide introduced. “For many of you who don’t know, heavenly monarch butterflies are extremely rare creatures in the Taishan Region. According to historical accounts, they are sentient entities composed purely of qi and exist without a physical body. Fifty years ago, one of the founders of our sanctorium, a preeminent array master, purportedly trapped three heavenly monarch butterflies in this very glasshouse. Since the array formation couldn’t be moved, the city eventually decided to fund the construction of a sanctorium around it. In other words, this exhibit is reason we can enjoy all these attractions today.”
“Mama, why can’t I see anything?” a child interrupted.
“Good question,” the tour guide answered, saving the mother from making something up. “That’s because they are shy creatures and rarely appear before the naked eye. Legends say those favored by heavenly monarch butterflies are blessed existences.”
“Wait, so how do you know any of them are trapped here? Have you seen one before?” a skeptical parent questioned.
The tour guide shook her head. “Since the sanctorium’s founding, no one but the array master has claimed to have seen them. Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop the millions of tourists and cultivators who come here every year to try their luck.”
“Aww, I wanna shee da pwetty buddafries too,” another toddler remarked.
Jin chuckled when he heard the tour guide’s explanation. Maybe half of what she said was true. Heavenly monarch butterflies were indeed sacred creatures, even in the High Realms. But to this day many immortal scholars debate what they represent. Jin had personally only seen a heavenly monarch butterfly once before.
“Wow, look!” someone shouted all of a sudden.
Incredibly, twelve, not three, dazzling butterflies of radiant blue sprung into view one by one. Everyone in the vicinity gawked, wide-mouthed and in awe of the butterflies’ otherworldly beauty, including Young Master Meng, Cheng Shi, and many of the patrons upstairs.
Yuri smiled, feeling extremely lucky to have seen these beautiful creatures on her first trip to the sanctorium.
Yet what happened next came totally unexpected. In synchronous flight, all twelve heavenly monarch butterflies began spiraling in the air, leaving behind a trail of qi dust. They descended around her, coming to a stop on her head, shoulders, and her outstretched palm. Fearing for their fragility, Yuri tried to stand perfectly still, inadvertently becoming part of the main attraction herself.
The butterfly on her palm danced around playfully. Yuri succumbed to the temptation and stroked its wings, which seemed to make the butterfly happy. She looked around and saw everyone else flabbergasted.
“Uhh, Jin, what does this mean?” she nervously asked, noticing he was in a daze.
Up until she spoke, the scene had caused Jin to zone out. The first and last time he saw a heavenly monarch butterfly was when one had landed on Tian Long’s hand. It was also the day he met Tian Long, the day that completely changed his life.
‘Just who is this girl?’ Jin wondered, though he wasn’t the only one to think those thoughts. As if possessing a heretical physique wasn’t enough, she could even befriend reclusive celestial spirits.
‘It means we need to leave,’ realized Jin, abruptly escorting her out of the glasshouse and towards the sanctorium’s exit. The butterflies vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
Yuri also realized they were now drawing far too much attention - many of the patrons didn’t want her to leave. They fought through a reluctant crowd.
Up above, Young Master Meng rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He made a spur of the moment decision and whispered instructions to Cheng Shi, who hastily glided down from the balcony to catch up to the fleeing youths.
Sitting back down to sip his tea, Young Master Meng allowed himself a small smile. Contrary to his expectations, the day hadn’t been a complete waste.