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Bathed in the fading twilight, they continued their journey.
Guided by the Cloud Knights, Bochang and his companions swiftly arrived at the location where Yukong's Division would entertain them.
Since it was dinner time, naturally, they couldn't partake within the Palace of Astrum's work area. Instead, they were led to a side hall nearby.
Welt Yang had already taken his seat, following the custom on Xianzhou Luofu—each honored guest dined at their own small table, with considerable space between each person.
The head seat, unsurprisingly, belonged to the Yukong Division Head. Below her sat Welt Yang, Dan Heng, Bochang, and so forth...
Everyone seated themselves in two rows facing each other.
Stelle was directly across from Bochang.
Each small table offered a variety of teas, pastries, fruits, and dishes, allowing guests to choose whatever they desired.
Yukong exchanged pleasantries briefly before inviting everyone to begin eating.
The cuisine aboard Xianzhou Luofu differed significantly from that of Jarilo VI, reminiscent of flavors Bochang remembered from before his transmigration. He found the meal both comforting and enjoyable.
Throughout the banquet, Yukong casually conversed with everyone, ensuring no one felt neglected—not even Bochang, despite their previous tense exchange. She greeted him warmly amidst the discussions.
Yukong rarely spoke about her children; instead, she engaged everyone in lively conversations on various topics. Bochang listened intently to numerous intriguing tales.
March 7th even volunteered to share stories herself. Although not perfectly fluent, Dan Heng and Welt Yang occasionally prompted and supplemented her narratives, making them quite entertaining.
Serval spontaneously offered to perform a rock song. It must be said...
Serval's singing was exceptional; even without accompaniment, her voice captivated like it had its own melody. When she strummed her guitar, the performance became utterly mesmerizing.
The fox ears atop Yukong's head gently twitched as she praised, "Miss Serval's performance is truly remarkable. With some exposure on Xianzhou Luofu, you could undoubtedly become a phenomenal star."
With her talents and striking looks, the blonde woman had all the makings of a successful celebrity.
"It's true that others have suggested this before, but... people have their own aspirations." Serval shook her head.
Yukong's comment was casual, with no intention to pursue the topic further.
After the rocking finale,
Bochang found himself nudged by March 7th to play a segment on the erhu.
In no time, hosts and guests alike were thoroughly delighted.
After enjoying their fill of food and drink,
Bochang, Serval, March 7th, and others departed from the Palace of Astrum.
Just as they stepped outside,
Welt Yang and Dan Heng were approached by Qingni with a request.
Apparently, during Yukong's mission to rescue Qingni earlier,
he had lost a personal ornament at Stargazer Navalia.
Qingni wished to retrieve it, intending to return it to Yukong in hopes of mending their strained relationship.
Indeed,
the bond between Qingni and Yukong was somewhat tense due to...
Qingni's desire to become an aerialist, while Yukong vehemently opposed this aspiration.
This conflict arose from their differing ambitions.
Furthermore, today's incident where Qingni unauthorizedly piloted the star ferry for emergency repairs on the vault of heaven
had left Yukong deeply dissatisfied.
Although it was already evening,
there was still ample time before resting hours.
Accepting Qingni's commission, Welt Yang and Dan Heng headed back to Stargazer Navalia once more.
Bochang, Serval, March 7th, and the rest did not join them but ventured towards a musical instrument shop...with plans to purchase a bass guitar.
With Bochang now possessing a storage pouch,
its ten cubic meters provided ample space for various items.
Previously, he had retrieved his erhu from Pascal's belly and stored it within the pouch.
As for why he didn't store Pascal itself:
The robot was simply too large, making it better suited to remain at Yuchen Inn.
With Serval's assistance,
Bochang selected a decent bass guitar.
As for payment, naturally it was once again Bailu who footed the bill.
Although Asta had transferred ten million Credits to Bochang at once from Herta's account...
Since Tianque Pavilion would reimburse them, why pay out of pocket? With confidence, Bochang gratefully accepted Xianzhou Luofu's gift.
Serval then led everyone to the public square where she often performed. Although not as large as Exalting Sanctum's Central Plaza, it still drew a considerable crowd.
Perhaps due to her street performances over the past few days, Serval had gained quite some popularity here; several people greeted her warmly upon arrival.
Indeed... those with exceptional skills are always well-received, no matter where they go.
With Serval leading the way, Bochang and the others followed closely behind.
After walking only a short distance, Serval stopped and said, "I usually perform right here. Bochang, do you want to join me or play your erhu separately?"
"Let's play together since I've already bought the bass guitar," replied Bochang, reaching into his pouch.
In no time, he found the bass guitar. With a firm pull, he extracted it from the yellow storage pouch—a scene reminiscent of Doraemon pulling items from his four-dimensional pocket.
Bailu glanced curiously but remained unimpressed. As a young dragoness with her magical gourd, she didn't envy such gadgets; her treasured gourd had ample space.
The onlookers from Xianzhou Luofu also showed little surprise. To them, it was just another space item...
These items were available for purchase, albeit at a premium price, so everyone understood their value without being overly impressed.
"March, Stelle, will you just watch from the sidelines?" Serval asked, holding her black guitar and ready to perform. Even before starting, a spontaneous crowd had gathered around them.
Feeling slightly pressured, Bochang found solace in his bass guitar, which gave him enough confidence to avoid stage fright. As he took a deep breath to compose himself,
March 7th chimed in, "We don't know any instruments, so of course we'll be spectators here. This is what they call 'enjoying the show as casual observers.' Bochang, make sure to give it your best; I'm going to record this." With that...
The pink-haired girl raised her camera.
Ignoring March 7th, Bochang turned to Serval and suggested, "Should we bring Pela and Lynx over later?"
With the teleportation rings, summoning the drummer and keyboardist would be effortless. Last night, Serval likely already called upon Pela and Lynx to assist with the performance.
As for how Bochang knew this...
Of course, this was because all teleportation rings were linked to Bochang's own. Whenever there was a transmission request between different rings, he could sense it and even interrupt it if desired.
This explained why Bochang suddenly remembered Serval just before bedtime and sent her a message.
"Oh, them... I don't think it would be convenient right now," Serval shook her head.
Xianzhou Luofu's daytime corresponded to Jarilo VI's nighttime. Based on their conversation last night with Pela, at this hour, she should be having breakfast and getting ready for work.
"Alright then." Bochang nodded.
The duo began performing together. With the addition of the bass guitar, Serval's music gained greater depth, becoming more powerful and resonant.
To an untrained ear, the presence or absence of Bochang's bass might not seem significant. However, for Serval, the bassline served as a compass, providing a clear direction that kept her focused without drifting off during performance.