Aimless Ascension

Gale raised an eyebrow, curious about what kind of clumsiness, but asking about someone's weakness in spirit arts was considered bad manners, so he refrained from getting into that topic.

"So what do you do, Good Sir?" Ai asked to keep the conversation going. "Other than helping girls, in case you'd answer with that."

Gale lifted an eyebrow as if he was really considering saying that.

"I used to do many things," he said eventually, exhaling, "but these days, I simply chill around and farm."

"Your accent suggested you're not from around here," Ai continued. "Did you change profession very recently?"

"My accent? I thought it was pretty good." But apparently, he couldn't fool even a blind girl.

"It is more about the way you talk than your accent. Common folks of Tianhui weren't as flirtatious."

"That was flirtatious?" Gale snored. "Ai, you probably never seen what real flirtatious is like."

"Hmm," Ai hummed, not disagreeing. "You haven't answered my question yet."

"Oh yes, I recently moved to Wayshire and found the atmosphere likeable to settle down. You stay here for a few days. You might even want to settle down here."

"Hmm, so what are the many things you used to do before?"

Gale was a bit startled to see her interest in him. Most girls or even most people liked to talk about themselves most of the time, but this blind girl certainly had a way around the conversation. She was more thoughtful than she appeared, he guessed, as she was keeping him interested in the conversation by asking about himself.

"Mostly practitioner business, I guess," Gale said. "Oh right, I was a performer as well. I used to write songs and perform in the street, tavern or anywhere, but hadn't had time to get back to that for a long time."

"We might have a position open for a minstrel," Ai said, chuckling. "You can audition for that if you want to get back to the grove of performing in crowds."

"Really?" Gale raised an eyebrow. "But I fear you guys wouldn't want me. I have auditioned for many travelling bands and troupes. They always rejected me, some even before hearing my song. Either they don't like my songs, or my attitudes."

"I didn't hear your song, but your attitude seems fine to me."

"That's what I told people," Gale said, noticing the camps of a circus crew nearby. "Anyway, it seems we're here."

"Already," Ai said spiritedly.

"Let's see if they are the right people you're looking for or not."

Before Gale could approach the crew, he found a woman in a tigress costume with a large whip in her arm, creeping towards them. She noticed the blind girl's presence as her expression changed.

"Ai?" she called, coming before them.

"Yes," the blind girl answered, exhaling. "You're Len, I suppose."

It seemed it was the first time for both parties to meet in person.

"It seemed your intuitive nature wasn't just a boost," Len said. "Come in, take your guard as well. I'll meet you with all the crew members."

"Guard?" Gale asked, a bit hurt at her comment. In what way did he look like a guard to her? Although he couldn't compare to Sun Ziang in looks, he was a fairly handsome man to be wasted as a guard.

"Oh no, Madam Len, you're mistaken," Ai said. "This good Sir is simply helping me to get here. He isn't a guard."

Len gave both of them a look and excused curtly. Ai exchanged words with her for a time, as Gale stood there preparing to leave after giving his last words of goodbye.

Ai turned to face him, the noise around there making it difficult for her to figure out his position.

"Here," Gale said. "I guess I have completed my daily quota of helping pretty girls."

"Ai appreciated Good Sir very much for the help," Ai said and handed him a ticket. "Take this Mister Gale. If you have time, come to see our show tomorrow."

Gale took the ticket and put it inside his robes, just in case he didn't forget about it, leaving it inside his void lock.

"Thank you," he said, preparing to leave.

"I have already taken a good bit of your precious time, Good Sir," Ai said. "Please come to our show if you can. Take your disciple with you if you can. Or right, she's bored waiting for you to arrive. You should get going fast."

An arch appeared on Gale's brow. "How did you. . ."

Before he could finish his question, Ai already left, bowing her head.

"I guess she left me curious to come to see her show," he muttered.

Gale released his third fate lock and lurched up in the air. Although Ai's words seemed sketchy, he gave her enough credit to believe and flew fast towards Wang's Inn. He couldn't keep his good disciple waiting, not to mention he really missed looking at her charming face for the last day.

That reminded him he should pick up something for her. He hadn't given her anything other than things that were only limited to spirit arts.

Now that their relationship took another turn, he supposed he should cherish the moment.

Gale scanned all the vendors on the street to see what he should take for her. He concentrated on activating his Qi sense over the surrounding festivity to find the right thing for her.

There were plenty of things he would like her to have, and she would be delighted to have any of them. Well, she would be delighted to have anything from him. Such low was her requirement.

Still, Gale thought it would be best if he took something precious.

In the end, Gale thought of making her a necklace. He found a few vendors open, with various gems and ornaments on display. Instead of checking the things they left for display, he checked out the jewellers.

He scanned their aura and filtered through them to find the most qualified among them. It wasn't an easy job, nor it was completely effective, but Gale was fine moving around a couple of shops. Well, it did help filtered all the inexperienced jewellers.

For the first, Gale chose an old man with an almost empty stall.