Yuan Zhong didn’t sleep well that night. He spent the whole time playing with the little wooden figure that could sing and dance, squeezing it every now and then, occasionally pouring some tea into it to watch its funny expressions as it moved and sang. Every time it performed, he couldn’t help but laugh.
The next day, when he saw Ji Tan Yin again, for some reason, he found her much more pleasing to the eye.
He remembered how Tang Hua would always boast about having two stunning maids by his side. But what was that compared to having a master craftsman like Ji Tan Yin next to him?
Yuan Zhong was in an unusually good mood, eager to see her make something else interesting. Early in the morning, he found her working hard in their inn room, engrossed in chiseling and polishing something. Curious, he moved closer to see what she was doing—she was polishing a glass lens, and there were already a dozen finished ones beside her.
“…You’re still making those annoying things,” he grumbled, still holding a grudge against the Forgery Detection Mirrors. He wanted to smash every single one of them.
“This isn’t a Forgery Detection Mirror,” Tan Yin replied, her face glowing with pride. She was clearly filled with the sense of accomplishment and pride that only a skilled craftsman feels about their work. She handed a small lens to Yuan Zhong and gestured for him to hold it up to his eye. “Here, look at me.”
Yuan Zhong did as instructed. Through the lens, her appearance became ridiculously distorted—her head looked round and large, and her eyes blinked with a silly expression.
“There’s nothing special about it,” he said, tossing the lens back and forth in his hands. “What kind of toy is this?”
“It’s called a Good Fortune Mirror,” Tan Yin said with complete seriousness. “Look at the people on the street.”
When he looked through the lens at the bustling crowd outside, Yuan Zhong suddenly noticed that some people had small red clouds above their heads, while others had small black clouds, with varying degrees of darkness. He watched as a man with a cloud so black it looked like ink had his coin purse stolen by a pickpocket, completely unaware, and then enthusiastically walked into a gambling house—likely to be beaten and robbed soon.
“This is interesting!” Yuan Zhong exclaimed, watching with great amusement. He pointed the lens back at Tan Yin, but there was nothing above her head.
“What does it mean when there’s nothing?” he asked, curious.
“It means there’s neither good luck nor bad luck for the next few hours. But the Good Fortune Mirror only works on mortals; it can’t predict the fortune of immortals or demons,” she explained.
Yuan Zhong spent the next half-day playing with the mirror, fascinated. Suddenly, he noticed several cranes descending from the sky, carrying immortals with a divine aura on their backs. When he looked at them through the Good Fortune Mirror, they glowed with a brilliant golden light, and the large character for “Immortal” was imprinted on their foreheads, making them look absurd.
The mirror could even identify immortals and demons! Yuan Zhong looked at his reflection in a bronze mirror, and sure enough, the character for “Immortal” was glaring back at him, making him look rather ridiculous.
He had thought to suggest that Tan Yin change the overly silly character, but before he could say anything, she eagerly leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Grand Monk, do you think the Good Fortune Mirror could sell for a good price?”
As soon as her hopeful gaze met his, Yuan Zhong couldn’t bring himself to dampen her enthusiasm. He blurted out, “A hundred taels of silver each, I suppose.”
Burdened with the responsibility of supporting the Grand Monk’s luxurious lifestyle, Tan Yin was so thrilled by the prospect that she didn’t even stop for a drink of water. She grabbed her mirrors and dashed off to sell them, her feet barely touching the ground.
Could she still be thinking about the fine clothes, gourmet food, and beautiful women I mentioned yesterday? Yuan Zhong wondered. This girl is really too sincere.
Feeling a rare twinge of guilt, he leaped gracefully out of the window and landed softly in front of the inn’s entrance, just as Tan Yin was stepping out.
“Little Ji…” he cleared his throat, speaking in a rare, gentle tone. “How about selling the Good Fortune Mirror to me for a hundred taels?”
He was almost moved by his own kindness and generosity. Maybe Ji Tan Yin was right—perhaps he was a good person after all?
Tan Yin looked at him with wide, skeptical eyes and suddenly asked, “Do you even have money? I don’t do credit.”
With that, his good mood and the carefully crafted illusion of being a kindhearted person shattered instantly. He scowled, snapping, “Hurry up and sell them! No dinner until you’ve sold them all today!”
His cruel and heartless words drew disapproving glances from the people around them. They looked at the delicate girl with sympathy, shaking their heads in pity. What a sin, one man muttered. Even immortals are forcing good girls into such hardship these days. How the world has changed!
Fuming, Yuan Zhong watched as Tan Yin slowly walked away. But after a few steps, she turned back, hesitating for a long moment before quietly asking, “You… you’ll wait for me, right?”
Her head was slightly lowered, long lashes fluttering. She looked worried, as though afraid he’d slip away and leave her behind again. Yuan Zhong’s anger melted away, replaced by a swell of pride and an unexpected tenderness.
No one had ever treated him like this before, especially not a woman. Her persistent clinginess and fragile demeanor fed into every man's fantasy of being needed, of being admired. Of course, he couldn’t help feeling smug. But he also knew there had to be a reason why Ji Tan Yin was sticking to him. She surely had a purpose, though he didn’t know what it was, nor could he figure out her true identity.
His feelings toward her were complicated—disgust, curiosity, admiration, fear, and even a vague sense of disappointment.
But at that moment, he didn’t want to see that expression on her face. Before he could even process his thoughts, the words slipped out: “...I’ll go with you.”
Ji Tan Yin wasn’t the type of cheerful and lively girl who charmed everyone she met. Despite her gentle appearance, she wasn’t exactly warm or particularly capable.
Her sales methods were clumsy and old-fashioned. She wandered from store to store, carrying the Good Fortune Mirrors, asking each shopkeeper if they were interested. At first, the shopkeepers, familiar with Miss Ji for her Forgery Detection Mirrors, greeted her kindly. But when they heard the Good Fortune Mirrors cost a hundred taels each, their expressions turned sour.
By noon, her face was flushed from the sun, and sweat dripped from her nose, but she hadn’t sold a single mirror.
Yuan Zhong followed her from a distance, leading the Jile Bird and watching her as she earnestly demonstrated the usefulness of the mirror to shopkeepers. She gestured animatedly, looking a bit silly. She had actually believed him when he said the mirrors could sell for a hundred taels each. She could spend a lifetime trying to sell them at that price and still never succeed.
As the sun reached its peak, even the Jile Bird was wilting, hiding in the shade and refusing to come out. Sighing, Yuan Zhong was about to put an end to her foolish efforts when he noticed her walking toward him. Her pale face was covered in sweat, but she was smiling—she had been smiling more and more over the past few days.
“I sold one,” she said, grinning, her sweat dripping down her neck. Her bright white teeth shone as she added, “We can eat something good now. Want to get lunch?”
Yuan Zhong squinted slightly, then suddenly gestured to her. "Come here."
Tan Yin, puzzled, walked over, but he swiftly snatched the package of Good Fortune Mirrors from her arms and, without a word, stuffed it into his own sleeve.
“One hundred taels for each, sold to me,” he said with a grin. “No need to bargain.”
Tan Yin sighed. “But... I don’t offer credit…”
Before she could finish her sentence, he interrupted, “It’s not credit. Your money is bound to end up in my hands anyway. Think about it—doesn’t that make sense?”
Tan Yin stared at him. His face was still hidden behind that plain, expressionless mask, his brows furrowed in what seemed like deliberate annoyance, and his mouth curled like a common street thug. Yet, there was a hint of a deep, concealed smile in his divine-looking eyes. Perhaps uncomfortable under her gaze, he furrowed his brows even more and coughed awkwardly.
“Let’s eat then. It’s on me,” she said abruptly, turning on her heel and walking away without waiting for his response.
Yuan Zhong hurried to catch up with her, leading the Jile Bird as he followed, asking insistently, “What are we eating? I don’t want dumplings. I want good food and wine.”
“Beef noodles.”
“I don’t eat beef.”
“Chicken noodles, then.”
“I don’t eat chicken.”
“Lamb noodles.”
“I don’t eat lamb.”
“…Fox noodles.”
“…Vile woman.”
In the end, it wasn’t clear what kind of meat noodles the shop owner served. Tan Yin had just taken a sip of the broth when a commotion broke out on the street. Moments later, a line of luxurious carriages sped past, pulled by qilins.
The customers in the noodle shop gasped in admiration. “Such grandeur! Only the master of Xiangqu Mountain could pull off something like that!”
Xiangqu Mountain? The name sounded familiar. Tan Yin continued eating while trying to recall where she had heard it before.
She had barely taken a few more bites when another procession of carriages passed by, this time pulled by water-avoiding beasts. The onlookers once again marveled, “Those are the beasts from the Dragon King's palace in the west! Even the Dragon King is getting involved?”
Tianguang Kaihe (Heavenly Light)? Tan Yin’s chopsticks paused mid-air.
During the brief time it took for them to finish their meal, countless immortals and demons had passed by in their grand carriages. Tan Yin had never seen so many of them gathered in one place before. Tianguang Kaihe—what could that be? Even she had never heard of it.
“Eat your noodles,” Yuan Zhong said, giving her head a light push.
Caught off guard, she dropped her chopsticks. Without bothering to pick them up, she asked, “What is Tianguang Kaihe?”
Yuan Zhong signaled the waiter to bring a clean set of chopsticks before answering. “It’s a good omen. Legend has it that those who witness the Tianguang will be blessed with good fortune and have their wishes fulfilled. This time, it was the immortal Yuqing of Sa Luo Mountain who predicted that the Tianguang Kaihe would appear here in Yandu, in the Chenshang Kingdom. That’s why all these immortals and demons are gathering here.”
“A good omen? Wishes fulfilled?” Tan Yin frowned. “How come I’ve never heard of this before?”
Suddenly, she understood why this strange Grand Monk had lingered in Yandu. He was probably here to witness the Tianguang Kaihe as well.
“Do you have a wish?” she asked seriously, already bracing herself for the ridiculous answer he might give.
Yuan Zhong only smiled, but he said nothing.
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