Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 513 - 9 Yanzi

Li Yan’s consciousness sank into a dazzling array of exaggerated scenes, with various twisted clocks and folded curves whirling past his eyes until everything plunged into a profound darkness where he could not see his hand before his face.

His vision swept past millions of swimming fish in the starry sky, a roaring giant eye, flesh orbs covered with tentacles and suckers, disjointed white steps and doors, with deep crimson vortexes inside. There were also the gorgeous auroras over the starry sea...

Monsters that were indescribable and filled with strange vitality, one after another, appeared before Li Yan.

They surrounded a colossal, azure-blue planet. Black smoke rose from the planet’s land, while the clanging of metal and sparks never ceased, day or night.

Rust-colored, serpentine brass tracks connected the oceans, the land replaced by a rusty steel jungle from which gigantic gears and chimneys protruded. Like festering wounds, black dust trickled from the planet’s orifices.

"I cannot confuse you, Outer God! But here, you must listen to me! Otherwise, I will banish you!"

"You must not turn your head."

"You must not reveal the truth."

"You may not kill humans."

"In return, I will give you a genuine dream,"

As the voice faded, Li Yan’s consciousness drew closer and closer, until he was completely engulfed by the planet.

Before him was the sky, closer were the mountains, closer still were the villages, log houses...

[In an era when steam civilization was on the rise, around the ancient Giant Lake, an evil Cyclops lingered. His breath could summon storms and thunder, and tens of thousands suffered under his brutal rule. A wealthy king claimed he would give his only daughter in marriage to the warrior who could kill the giant and held a grand steam fair for this purpose. However, his proud daughter did not settle to be the damsel-in-distress from fairy tales waiting for a prince to rescue her, so she disguised herself as Jane, solemnly vowing to defeat everyone at the steam fair. Armed with her knowledge of steam technology, she aimed to conquer the Cyclops...]

"Typical Disney formula, but somewhat interesting,"

Li Yan mumbled under his breath, his senses sharp. He felt a prickle on his back and subconsciously wanted to turn around, but a faint force prevented him.

"Outer God, you can’t do that,"

Whispers came from behind him.

Li Yan turned around, but all that stood behind him was an ordinary, dusty wall—however, the prickling sensation did not subside.

"You can turn around, but you cannot turn your head, like in a first-person shooter game,"

Everything before him resembled a weakened, neutered version of the Yan Fu Fruit.

Li Yan muttered to himself, he could actually forcibly turn his head to see what was behind him, but it would also mean the end of this journey.

He did not want to end it so soon.

Li Yan walked towards a mirror. In its reflection, he was dressed in a vermillion gown with his hair braided. The room was filled with various clock faces, and an old spinning machine squeaked beside him. On the counter, the clock shop owner, with his white hair and a bulbous, reddened nose, strained to read the newspaper, while a plump cook stewed soup in the kitchen.

Li Yan stood up, and suddenly, the card in his pocket grew hot. He pulled it out and saw a line of text rise up: "From the faraway East, the clock shop apprentice Liang Hui, under the enthusiastic guidance of your master, you have gained some basic knowledge of steam technology."

The words soon vanished, following which, in front of "the Chinese apprentice of the clock shop," a title of "Clumsy Steam Worker" was added.

The owner of the clock shop adjusted his glasses: "Liang, did you hear? His Majesty the King has called for a steam fair. All the young people in the Royal City are eager to try their luck, how about you?"

The owner expected to hear something like a deflating "But sir, I’m just a clockworker" so that he could encourage him with "Actually, your steam technology is quite skillful"—the words were almost at the tip of his tongue, but to his surprise, Li Yan replied without hesitation:

"Of course, sir, once I marry the princess, I’ll have my father-in-law the King build you a grand manor."

The aging clock shop owner was taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter.

"Alright, Liang, I’ll be waiting for that day," he replied.

Li Yan flashed a grin at the clock shop owner, picked up the scissors from the counter, and cut off his knotted braid, allowing his hair to reach shoulder length before starting up "Autumn Yak." His hair naturally shrank back to its neat, original length, and he then pushed the door open and left.

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That night, lights flickered on and off at the window from time to time. Chang Yu looked up ahead as he walked, his gaze finally resting on the front of two red lanterns. He stepped inside.

Without a doubt, this was a brothel masquerading as an apartment building, where you could see men and women dressed in revealing clothes. Under the dark-toned screens and triangular wooden lanterns, there was the occasional sound of teasing laughter.

"Mrs. Qin, I’m here to see Yanzi," he said.

As he spoke, Chang Yu handed several banknotes to the heavily made-up woman before him.

The woman pinched the notes and smiled seductively, "Follow me."

She led Chang Yu upstairs, pushed open the door of a room, and the girl inside visibly startled.

"Good girl, your lover has arrived," Mrs. Qin teased, pushing Chang Yu inside before shutting the door firmly behind him.

"I was starting to think you had forgotten about me, Chang," the girl tilted her head, her eyeshadow too heavy, making her look much older than she probably was. As she spoke, the corners of her mouth curled unconsciously, exuding a seductive, devil-may-care playfulness.

"How have you been recently?"

"As always, terrible. What about you? What’s new with the foreign masters these days?"

The question made Chang Yu somewhat nervous, and he stammered, "Uh... in two weeks, London across the ocean is going to hold the World’s Fair, a gathering of the world’s top engineers. At the fair, you can see the latest achievements in steam technology. I heard that this year, someone has even designed an iron train that can race across the skies..."

Chang Yu became more articulate as he spoke to the girl about the gigantic cities flying in the sky, cities that could drift across the sea, steam spires piercing the clouds, and the majestic trains that raced through tsunamis.

The girl propped up her cheek, engrossed in what she heard. She showed a look of surprise upon hearing about airships and cities in the sky, and especially upon hearing about the ocean train, her eyes widened, "So, if I were to take the ocean train, I could return home without taking a ship?"

"Of course," Chang Yu nodded with certainty.

"Then, will you go with me?" she asked.

Chang Yu was taken aback.

"Me?"

The girl nodded, a trace of weariness appearing on her flirtatious face, "I hate it here; I was tricked into coming. My only wish is to save enough money for a boat ticket home." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"But, but going back there’s also... famine, war. Did you know? My parents died in a famine. Yanzi, San Francisco has relief stations, public hospitals, theaters, many things you’ve never..."

The girl interrupted Chang, "Chang, this isn’t our home. The white people despise us. The things you’re talking about, they’ve never been intended for us."