The song not only had a lodious tune, but the lyrics were also sowhat detached and unrestrained, leaving the group a bit surprised after listening.
Looking again at the brilliant patches of flower fields and the leisurely farrs working among them, it seed as if they were no longer in the human world, but had inadvertently stumbled into a fairyland.
"Rune, go and ask where this place is and who these people are," Lu Qing instructed the person behind him, Rune.
Rune obeyed, dismounted his horse, and walked quickly over.
He had a kind face and, at this mont, was dressed in ordinary cloth clothing, completely concealing any aura of intimidation.
Yet, even so, his towering height and strong build were unmistakeable, and as he strode over, he still carried an invisible sense of pressure.
However, when he reached the farrs, they did not show any surprise. They simply stopped their work because soone walked up to them and looked curiously at this sudden stranger.
"Sir, sorry to bother you!" Rune cupped his hands and spoke to the old man closest to him, "My master and I got lost on our journey, and hearing the song, we followed the sound here.
Could you tell us what this place is? What do you all do here?"
The old man looked at Rune calmly, and after he finished speaking, the old man also cupped his hands in return: "This place is called Immortal Castle, and these are the flower fields of our castle. We are the farrs of this fort, usually growing flowers and plants to sell as dyes.
Did you get lost? We have a shed over that way, used for resting when we’re tired from work. The sun is quite harsh right now, so if you’re weary from traveling and don’t mind, feel free to rest in the shed!
Having said this, he smiled and pointed at the shed, then turned back to his work.
This reaction left Rune a bit surprised, but since the old man had left, he couldn’t stop him. He returned to Lu Qing and relayed what had been said.
Lu Qing looked up at the glaring sun overhead: "In that case, let’s accept their kind offer and sit inside the shed."
The shed was in the middle of the flower fields, with a wide view. Inside, there were several wooden benches and two wooden tables, all clean and tidy, without any dust.
The group sat there, able to clearly see everything around them.
In this large area of flower beds, about a dozen or so farrs were scattered around working, all humming the song they had heard from afar. Although they weren’t gathered together, the song was strangely synchronized, echoing across the flat, open plains lodiously.
Zhu Yu sat under the shed, resting her chin on her hand, her gaze roving among the people, a slight frown on her face.
The way these people worked looked harmonious, full of a light and joyful air of leisure, complented by the song, embodying a scene of flourishing peace.
Yet Zhu Yu felt an indescribable strangeness.
After a while, as the singing faded, the farrs ca to the shed to rest in twos and threes. There were n and won, young and old, all dressed similarly in neat cloth clothes, hair ticulously grood, with faces full of satisfied smiles.
As they entered the shed, they sat around a wooden table, the gentle breeze carrying the light fragrance of flowers and plants on them to Zhu Yu’s nose.
She quietly and ticulously sniffed, trying to discern what was hidden within the fragrance.
The people sat happily, curiously observing Lu Qing and the others.
"Where are you all from, and what brings you here?" The eldest of them, after giving them a once over, asked.
"Sir, we are rchants out to get supplies, originally just passing by, but a few days ago we were robbed by mountain bandits.
We had to take a detour to avoid them and accidentally lost our way, ending up here by mistake."
Lu Qing smiled, speaking with gentleness and courtesy, looking every bit the cultured rchant traveling abroad.
The old man, suspecting nothing, showed surprise: "Mountain bandits? Why would there be mountain bandits?"
His confusion didn’t seem feigned, as if genuinely astonished by the re ntion of "mountain bandits."
"Could it be that your Immortal Castle has never been troubled by surrounding bandits?" Zhu Yu asked, puzzled.
The group collectively shook their heads, each wearing a look of confusion, as if "mountain bandits" was a word too unfathomable to comprehend.
"Our castle has indeed never been troubled by bandits," the old man shook his head similarly bewildered, "this area belongs to our castle’s flower fields. We tend to these flowers and plants daily, working from sunrise to sunset in peace, no one has ever gone out to commit cris, nor has anyone disturbed our lives."
Zhu Yu and Lu Qing exchanged a glance, both a bit perplexed.
On their journey, areas far more barren and treacherous than this were rife with banditry. Why this Immortal Castle, appearing so scenic, with people well-clad and fed, vast flower fields—ostensibly a pri "piece of at"—remained untouched?
If this fort had organized so capable n to patrol and protect the fort’s residents and fields from bandits, it would make sense.
Yet traveling toward the song’s source, they encountered no obstacles or inquiries from anyone.
The flower farrs before them genuinely seed like they had never witnessed or been affected by bandits.
This was indeed strange.
Could it be that the bandits only aid for tough targets, uninterested in easy spoils, preferring to traverse mountains, laying ambush by deserted paths occasionally traveled, for a paltry haul after much effort?
Thinking so, Zhu Yu asked again: "Sir, has this fort been here for a long ti, or is it a later gathering?
In all these years living here, have you never encountered any bandit disturbances?"
The old man gazed sowhat blankly at Zhu Yu, as if stumped by her question or perhaps not understanding what she was asking.
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