Murim's Weakest Princess-Chapter 98: Gold and Silver

The river market was as interesting as Anji thought it would be. At first, her brother was visibly uncomfortable, but as he gradually warmed up to the bustling scene, they started to explore the merchant boats near the banks.

"If you’re into exploring different kinds of food, I would recommend visiting those boats," Zhou Fu pointed at a row of narrow boats tied together like a raft.

Listing the exotic food that they sold, the handsome boatman watched as the young master’s face scrunched up in disgust. In contrast, the ladies seemed more excited about trying different food combinations.

"Smoked freshwater snails sound interesting," Anji commented. "I’ve always wanted to know if they tasted like shellfish." frёewebnoѵēl.com

Having eaten their local delicacies before, Zhou Fu described them closer to chewy salted mushrooms.

"Most tourists enjoy them paired with strong fruit wine, but I think you should wait until you’ve reached adulthood to try that. Children normally enjoy these grilled snails mixed with meat skewers and rice."

To reduce the pressure of manning up to the challenge of trying new dishes he was uncomfortable with, Anji suggested sharing her food with Mingshen, using the excuse that she still wanted to eat dinner later. Gracefully accepting his younger sister’s excuse, Mingshen ordered two skewers of snail and meat that came with generous dipping sauces.

The freshly grilled snail skewers smelled delicious. Anji told Gu Ying to order an extra skewer so she could give it to Zhou Fu. Her generosity surprised the boatman. However, Anji did not think much of it. She simply treated him the same way she treated the servants in the Celestial Dragon Sect.

Touched by the generosity of his passengers, Zhou Fu thanked them and enjoyed the expensive local delight.

Watching Anji and Gu Ying enjoy the skewers, Mingshen found the courage to change his mind. He took a bite from the skewer Anji offered.

"How is it?" Anji asked as her brother chewed. Fears were usually best conquered one step at a time with lots of encouragement and company.

Nodding in approval at the surprisingly mild taste, Mingshen realised it wasn’t as slimy as he thought it would be. Although the texture was different, it reminded him of wild mushrooms soaked in more salt than usual. The dipping sauce helped to blend the strange flavour.

"It’s acceptable," Mingshen begrudgingly admitted. "Not as bad as I thought it would be."

Grinning, Anji giggled. "Shadows are usually bigger than the objects. It’s usually how rumours are amplified a hundred-fold."

Mingshen had no comebacks for that, but he fell into deep thoughts for the rest of the river tour. His parents often praised his younger sister’s wisdom. Of the four siblings, Anji was the brightest of them all. Mingshen might be smart, but his intelligence could never compare to Anji’s profound wisdom. That was the difference between a smart scholar and a genius. Instead of feeling defeated, he smiled as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.

He still had a long way to go if he wanted to catch up to his baby sister.

"Young miss," Zhou Fu called out just as Anji was studying some handicrafts fashioned from smooth river pebbles. "It isn’t often that we have such a cloudless sky. Would you like to see the lake that turns from gold to silver? This special phenomenon could only be seen when the moon is visible before the sun sets."

Although the town was known for its silver scenery, Anji was not one to turn down an opportunity to witness a lake that could transform from gold to silver. However, they had to make haste to catch the moment.

Leaving the river market for later, Anji sat tight and held onto her older brother as Zhou Fu picked up speed, rowing them to a lesser-known viewing spot where his customers could enjoy the rare view.

Docking at the far end of the lake, Zhou Fu heaved a sigh and wiped the sweat off his brow using the sleeve of his shirt. Although these weren’t the heaviest passengers he had to ferry, the speed of his rowing made him work up a sweat. The sun set quicker in spring than it did in summer. He almost did not make it.

"You can stretch your legs on land for a while and enjoy the sunset," Zhou Fu smiled, pulling out his water skin and taking a swig.

Nodding in agreement, Anji stumbled when trying to get up. After sitting for so long, her legs had fallen asleep. Mingshen was no better. Anji had practically used his lap as a cushion the whole trip. Only Gu Ying remained mobile. The female bodyguard stretched for a while and alighted from the boat. She assisted the children to disembark while the boatman docked their ride.

There was nothing special about the lake initially. The evening sun was still far above the water. Anji enjoyed the cool breeze and mountain scenery while nibbling on snacks. However, when the sun dipped past the waterline, Anji finally saw the magic Silver Water Town was famed for.

The ripples of water on the lake’s surface soaked up the golden rays of the sinking sun, turning it the same colour as molten gold. The light was so bright that Anji had to squint her eyes. The lower the sun sank, the brighter the lake blazed. It was as if it was unwilling to depart.

Despite its reluctance to leave, Anji watched as the golden blazing ball of fire disappeared. Almost immediately, the moon that its day counterpart had outshone made itself known as if waiting for its turn.

The golden lake shimmered with silver light, sparkling according to the ripples of the water on its surface. Almost instantly, the weather turned chilly. Although it was still bright, Anji thought the silver water was more charming than the golden sparkles. It was gentler and more mysterious in nature, with the unpredictable glimmer thanks to the ripples.

"Ah-choo!"

The sneeze prompted Gu Ying to remove her outerwear and drape it over Anji. Snapping into his protective older brother mode, Mingshen declared they could enjoy the silver river view from their hotel and should start heading back.

Zhou Fu picked up his oar and waited for the passengers to board the vessel before pushing off. It was a long way back to town, but he did not mind going the extra mile for a generous patron.

Personally, the young boatman thought the silver water was overrated. The best scenery was when gold turned into silver, which rarely happened, and he did not share this with many people. It was Zhou Fu’s little secret that he enjoyed, but for some reason, he wanted this little girl to see it. If his younger sister were still alive, she would be around this young mistress’ age. Seeing how much Anji enjoyed it, Zhou Fu was certain his late sister would have loved it too.