Jiang Chen and Lumine didn't head straight for Mingyun Village.
Instead, they went down toward the shoreline.
The path down had not seen travelers in a long time; weeds had overrun the trail, and occasionally a few snakely creatures slithered by.
Each time one showed its head, Jiang Chen cut it down in an instant — he simply wouldn't allow those things to linger in his sight.
Descending the slope, they arrived at Yaoguang Shoal.
The sand here was fine and soft — a natural beach. Jiang Chen nodded in approval at the quality of the sand.
The three of them strolled along the shore. Choosing a building plot could wait; for now they just wanted to enjoy themselves.
"Jiang Chen, Jiang Chen!" Paimon squealed, splashing.
"The sea water here is warm!"
"How amazing."
Paimon crowed as she played in the surf. The water wasn't icy at all — pleasantly warm, comfortable. Jiang Chen squatted and dipped a hand in.
"Indeed," he said. "Probably lots of sun exposure. Warm water usually means plentiful seafood."
"If we go clamming or foraging here, we'll get a great haul."
Sure enough, while wandering the beach he spotted fat crabs — many of them. Since nobody had come around to bother them, the crabs had grown complacent. They were basically handouts.
Jiang Chen grabbed a big, swaggering crab. "Nice and plump," he said. "Grab some more — we'll have these for lunch."
Paimon's eyes lit up. "Yay! I'll help!"
Paimon dove in, but she was clumsy. Crabs are not harmless when provoked.
"Ow! Lumine, help — it pinched me!" she wailed, holding a wounded finger. Tears instantly followed the earlier excitement. Lumine rolled her eyes but helped remove the crab's pincer.
"You idiot, Paimon!" she scolded, though secretly she found the scene a little funny.
"Grr, I'm going to eat you!" Paimon snarled at the crab, nursing her wounded finger with determination. Jiang Chen chuckled. "We'll braise it later. Don't be embarrassed — you were just careless."
Despite the brief crab crisis, the trio spent some time foraging. They found a stretch of beach and grass that seemed ideal for a house site — near the Guyun relics and the tree that marked the area in the game, except, of course, the real world lacked treasure chests and Primogems. No wishes, no constellations — fewer conveniences than the virtual world offered, but perfect enough for their needs.
"We should buy this land," Jiang Chen said. "It's a good lot. From the tide marks, even at high tide the water shouldn't reach this far."
Lumine walked the perimeter, considering. "It's nice, but what if a flood comes? If the upstream swells, we could be isolated."
"No problem," Jiang Chen said casually. "The elevation is fine. Unless a god decides to make trouble for us, this won't get flooded."
Lumine frowned, imagining huge elemental disturbances. Jiang Chen grinned. "If a god shows up, come try me."
"How much would it cost to buy all this?" Lumine asked. The area seemed vast — surely out of reach for ordinary folks.
"We don't need to buy every inch," Jiang Chen answered. "Just the high ground. The rest can be left alone — anyone else who wants to build can take the lower sand. Only the upper patch matters for farming and building."
That made sense. On the shore, usable land was limited; if it could grow grass, it could farm — that's the bit worth owning. Lumine agreed. They could afford that.
They roasted the crabs right there on the beach. Paimon gleefully devoured the crab that had attacked her, revenge achieved in a single bite. After they ate and relaxed, they continued toward the Guyun area.
But Jiang Chen didn't want to take the long, winding path back.
"We'll fly directly," he said. "Paimon, hold Lumine tight."
Paimon didn't hesitate; she clutched Lumine's arm. Lumine looked puzzled. Fly? How? Before she could process, Jiang Chen wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted. Lumine's face immediately flushed beet-red.
"Ah! You—!" she sputtered.
"Don't move! If you struggle, Paimon might fall!"
Paimon echoed anxiously, "Yeah! Don't move, Lumine — you might drop me!" She took Jiang Chen's warning very seriously.
Lumine bristled. "Paimon, you can fly too, right? What are you worried about?" Then she realized with a jolt: Jiang Chen's hands had drifted upward.
"Hey, stop that! Hands off!" Lumine snapped, cheeks aflame. "You—this is the biggest loss I've ever taken!"
The scene ended with her indignation far louder than any actual danger.
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