Chapter 786: She’s Not Human

On the streets of Dayu City, a horse-drawn carriage made its way slowly toward the Yangchun Inn.

Inside the carriage, Xiliu Yuan’s gaze fell upon the bustling streets through the window. The streets were lined mostly with vendors, the majority of whom were selling crabapples and hawthorns.

Much of the street food was made from hawthorn.

Nanyuan’s winters were not only extremely cold, but its geology was also different from other nations. It was difficult to grow fruit on Nanyuan’s land.

After Gu Shuo signed a contract with Nanyuan, fruit saplings began to grow on its land. They survived the harsh winters without freezing to death and even produced grapes that ripened in the winter.

Winter was a time when fruit was scarcest, so the grapes that grew in Nanyuan’s winters quickly became a hot commodity among the three kingdoms. At their peak, their price was comparable to that of gold.

Many people investigated for a long time but could never discover where Gu Shuo’s seeds came from, or why they could adapt to Nanyuan’s climate.

Two years ago, Xi Yan had people try to cultivate the seeds of these winter grapes. The seeds sprouted, but the plants never grew to maturity.

At first, they thought it was due to the climate, but later, they had people plant the seeds in Nanyuan’s own soil. As soon as winter arrived, the seeds gradually froze to death.

No one knew why the seeds Gu Shuo provided could survive in Nanyuan.

"My lord," a voice called from outside the carriage.

"Yes." Xiliu Yuan retracted his gaze.

Mu Qing, a Shadow Guard dressed all in black, lifted the carriage curtain and knelt on one knee inside. "My lord, this subordinate has failed. I was only able to trace Miss Ye’s origins to the deep sea where the sky meets the water, but I cannot confirm if she is the same Ye Qianning from Beili all those years ago."

"There’s no need to investigate that."

Xiliu Yuan was certain she was the child from back then.

’Her injuries on Four-direction Mountain back then were so severe... To think she actually returned after ten years.’

’Her beauty is nearly unrivaled within the four kingdoms, and those eyes of hers haven’t changed at all.’

"My lord, this subordinate investigated the Jiang and Huo families, who encountered Miss Ye at sea. The investigation into the Jiang family yielded nothing, but we did find something related to Miss Ye from the Huo family. They claim Miss Ye possesses a sailing technique that allows her to travel several thousand miles in a single day." The shock in Mu Qing’s voice was hard to conceal.

Xiliu Yuan’s placid expression changed slightly. "Several thousand miles in a single day?"

"Yes. Everyone on the Huo family’s ship says so. Miss Ye came from an uninhabited region of the sea. After she pointed them in the right direction, it took their ship over a month to reach the shore. When they landed, they ran into Miss Ye again. They heard from the Shopkeeper that she had already checked in a month prior. This subordinate then checked the port records, Miss Ye’s ship, the check-in records at the Yan Hui Inn, and confirmed with the Shopkeeper. According to their accounts, Miss Ye did indeed travel several thousand miles in a single day." Mu Qing laid out all the information he had found.

He was still reeling from what he had discovered. A ship traveling three hundred miles a day was already considered the fastest possible; a speed of several thousand miles a day was unimaginable.

A profound darkness flickered in Xiliu Yuan’s eyes. ’Traveling several thousand miles in a day is completely unheard of. Does Ye Qianning truly possess such an incredible ability?’

His long fingers rubbed the white jade thumb ring on his right hand, his expression inscrutable.

"My lord, there are many mysteries surrounding Miss Ye. This subordinate believes her abilities are beyond human."

"Indeed, they are beyond human," Xiliu Yuan said calmly.

It wasn’t just her who was extraordinary; the people around her were as well. His men had discovered back then that she was the one who had given Gu Shuo the seeds for his contract with Nanyuan.

That was why fruit could grow in Nanyuan. And aside from those original seeds, any seeds cultivated from the resulting fruit would not grow to maturity.

"My lord... this subordinate feels..." Mu Qing raised his head slightly, hesitating.