"Fifteen Feather Blood?" Lin Hui was taken aback.
"New here? We only deal in Feather Blood. No silver coins, no gold notes." The stall owner’s attitude turned cold in an instant.
Lin Hui looked at the short sword. It was quite a novelty, clearly sothing out of the ordinary. But the owner only accepted Feather Blood, which made things difficult.
He glanced over at Anbo. The man was already haggling with another stall owner over an incense burner.
"Can you tell what this short sword does?" Lin Hui asked, turning back to the stall owner.
"Sharp, sturdy, and induces ntal Paralysis." The stall owner’s reply was terse. Seeing that Lin Hui had no Feather Blood, he couldn’t even be bothered to waste more than a few words on him.
Helpless, Lin Hui could only get up and continue browsing. He hadn’t gone far before Anbo, up ahead, finished his transaction and waved back at him.
"Alright, I got what I ca for. I’m heading out, my friend."
"Okay. Thanks for bringing here," Lin Hui said with a nod and a smile.
"No problem. I usually explore the ruins in the surrounding Fog Area for treasure. Who knows, maybe we’ll et again." Anbo stuffed the small incense burner into a pouch at his waist, waved to Lin Hui once more, and then strode out of the temporary black market, leaving without a backward glance.
Lin Hui watched him go, then turned back to look around so more.
The strange items from all sorts of creatures on the stalls were a real eye-opener.
Besides the sky-blue short sword from before, another item had also caught his eye.
It was an inverted triangular Jade Pendant, black and red, with a dark red eyeball embedded in the center.
The eyeball would even blink from ti to ti, its pupil darting about.
The stall owner told him it was called a Void Eye, and that it could absorb the distracting thoughts and agitation from a Martial Artist’s heart.
It was an excellent item for mitigating the side effects of Extre Martial Arts.
Unfortunately, it too could only be traded for Feather Blood, and the asking price was much higher than the short sword’s, reaching over a hundred Feather Blood.
After a few more rounds, the sky began to darken. Lin Hui didn’t dare to linger. This place was clearly far beyond his current level, both in terms of prices and the martial prowess of the people around him.
These people could walk around and live freely in the highly irradiated Inner City District; they obviously had ways of protecting themselves.
Unable to afford a single thing, he could only leave the temporary black market with so regret. After getting his bearings, he pushed off, facing into the turbulent wind, and vanished from the spot.
’I’ve run this far and still haven’t left the Outer Ring.’ This gave Lin Hui a new appreciation for just how vast the Inner City was.
After sprinting for two hours, the sky finally grew completely dark.
Lin Hui finally returned to the cliffs by the South Nine Gates, the sa place he had first entered.
Following the main road along the cliffs, he once again took the sa route he had walked with his teacher and entered the city district here.
The night was hazy, but there was no fog.
Vendors of all kinds had hung up crystal stones that emitted soft white and yellow light, continuing to attract custors.
The sound of hawking was even more lively than during the day.
Lin Hui passed the small stall where he’d had the white fungus soup last ti and went up to ask for the location of the Yunsong Pavilion branch.
"Yunsong Pavilion? Turn right at the street corner ahead, walk for about three li, then turn left. The biggest shop on that street is the Yunsong Pavilion branch."
The stall owner had long forgotten Lin Hui, but still enthusiastically gave him directions.
"Thank you." Lin Hui thanked him and quickened his pace, following the street to find it.
The stream of people flowed past him. The sounds of chatting, laughing, and cursing, of children crying and chasing each other—it all felt both new and familiar to him, who hadn’t experienced nightlife in a long ti.
"Make way, please, make way."
Up ahead on the right side of the street, a small giant over five ters tall with the head of a white rhinoceros was walking toward him. He was wearing a simple gray, sweat-stained shirt and tattered linen shorts, carrying an ornantal stone gazebo on his shoulders step by step.
The rhino-man’s shirt was mostly soaked through with sweat, and a pungent odor of sweat wafted from him as he drew near, forcing passersby to give him a wide berth.
Lin Hui stepped aside, watching as the man passed by, carrying the stone gazebo. He noticed that the back of the rhino-man’s shirt was embroidered with the words "Ping’an Moving."
"Damn, these stinking movers sll awful no matter where they are! It reeks!" a passerby complained.
"The man’s earning a living with his own strength. If you can’t stand it, why don’t you go live in the Moon Tower? The Outer Ring has been like this for years. If you can’t adapt, you should be the one to pack up and leave," soone else retorted sarcastically.
Lin Hui continued on, rounding a corner, walking so distance, and then turning again.
Suddenly, a massive rectangular sign ca into view.
Yunsong Pavilion.
It was a five-story, gray-white building. At its entrance, black wooden boxes of various sizes were stacked in ssy, chaotic piles.
A tal flagpole was stuck in a gap between the boxes, flying a white cloth banner upon which the words "Yunsong Pavilion" were written.
The flow of people in and out of the shop was heavy, and most were Martial Artists carrying weapons on their backs.
So were even from other races.
Particularly eye-catching was a group of short figures to the right of the shop, wearing straw raincoats and conical hats.
These little figures had sparrow heads, gray feathers covering their bodies, and pointy, pale-yellow beaks. They were CHIRPING away, seemingly in the middle of a discussion.
Their leader, who was less than a ter tall, carried two swords on his back. With a serious expression, he periodically patted one companion and stroked another with his two wings, clearly trying to calm his companions’ anger.
As Lin Hui passed them to enter the shop, he overheard their dialect. It was a crisp, fast-paced language with many linked sounds, and it wasn’t the Tuyue Language.
"They’re villagers from Sparrow Village here to sell Jade Bone Seeds. They found out that the number of seeds they sold was mysteriously short, and now one of them suspects an insider stole so, so they’re arguing."
A pretty attendant at the door noticed his curiosity and quietly explained.
BOOM...
Just then, a peal of thunder rolled across the sky outside. It looked like it was about to rain.
Lin Hui nodded to the attendant.
"I see. This is my first ti seeing sparrow-people."
"We don’t see them often, either. They live quite far from here, so they only co by occasionally," the attendant said with a smile. "What can I get for you, sir?"
"Do you have swords? I’m looking for one made of high-quality material. By the way, you accept gold notes here, right?" Lin Hui asked beforehand.
"Of course."
A short while later, Lin Hui walked out of Yunsong Pavilion with a Longsword in a pure white scabbard on his back.
The White Smoke Sword. It was a Top-Grade Treasure Sword from Yunsong Pavilion, said to cut through iron like mud—a fine blade that was even a cut above the Qinghe Sword.
It was also the best off-the-shelf sword money could buy.
Lin Hui had spent a full one million, one hundred thousand to acquire it.
Even for soone like him who wasn’t concerned about money, spending so much on a weapon that would only serve him for a while still stung a little.
Carrying two swords on his back, he asked for directions to his next destination and headed straight for the Rain Palace.
*
*
*
Rain Palace Yuanming Hall, Incense Burning Chamber.
Inside a quiet reception room, Liu Xiao and Lin Hui sat facing each other with a low white wooden table between them. A palm-sized brass incense burner sat on the table.
Faint white smoke drifted upward, releasing a tranquil fragrance.
"It’s rare for you to co to the Inner City. Unfortunately, my brother is busy with an important guest, but you can tell anything you need." Liu Xiao wore a veil, her beautiful, crescent-shaped eyes clear and sharp. Even when calm, she exuded a faint, fierce aura.
She sat upright in her chair, her back straight, her posture formal and solemn, giving her an air of icy, intimidating purity.
Lin Hui noticed that Liu Xiao was dressed very differently from the other won of the Inner City. Her entire body was covered from head to toe. She wore a robe over a white shirt and trousers, a brown leather vest over the robe, and a complex, platinum-colored ornant on her chest that resembled a large snowflake.
"It’s like this," Lin Hui said frankly, pulling his gaze away. "I was in the Outer City when I happened to learn that the Jade Talismans can be remotely disabled by the Inner City. I was worried, so I ca to verify this and investigate. I was wondering..."
"You’re right. The Tuyue Jade Talismans can indeed be remotely disabled. In theory, the Inner City Rain Palace could control the life and death of the Outer City. But there’s no need for that," Liu Xiao replied calmly.
"It’s best you don’t know too much about the inner workings of the Jade Talismans, lest you draw unwanted attention. You just need to know that the Inner City maintains a list for the outside. Ordinary people aren’t qualified to be on that list, nor are they worth remotely disabling a Jade Talisman for. The people in the Inner City with that kind of power are all high-ranking figures. Beings of that level have limited ti and energy. Why would they bother targeting ordinary people in the Outer City with remote deactivation? If they really wanted soone dead, a single word would be enough for their subordinates to take care of it."
"What about ?" Lin Hui asked directly. "Am I qualified to be on that list now?"
"Of course. But we’re in the Rain Palace. What are you afraid of?" Liu Xiao said coolly. "Last ti, I already removed everyone in the Lin Family from the list. Right now, you, Uncle Lin, and his wife might as well not exist. Unless soone goes through the records of ordinary people one by one, it’s basically impossible to locate the Lin Family."
She paused and sighed.
"Feeling better now?"
"Much better." Lin Hui let out a huge sigh of relief. He trusted that Liu Xiao wouldn’t lie to him.
After all, she had no reason to.
"If you’re at ease, then hurry back. Don’t stay here too long," Liu Xiao said, her tone finally softening with a hint of resignation.
"By the way, since you’re here, co with to the Divine Hall to offer a stick of incense and get registered."
"Is there so special significance to that?" Lin Hui asked, confused.
"Do you know how the so-called ’nobles’ spoken of by the Outer City People co to be?" Liu Xiao asked in return. "Being qualified to offer incense and be registered in the main hall is the threshold for becoming one of these ’nobles.’ Normally, when people from the Inner City are dispatched on missions, they carry a list with them before they leave. If they encounter anyone on that list, they are to show them leniency."
"I understand!" Lin Hui was inwardly awed. ’It’s basically an immunity list. As long as I don’t do anything suicidally stupid, minor troubles might just be overlooked.’
Liu Xiao went on to explain so other points to be aware of when offering incense, such as how to bow, how to light the incense, and how to place it. She also told him where he was not supposed to look.
Soon, she led Lin Hui from the incense chamber into the central main hall. Inside the plain, unremarkable white hall, they offered three sticks of incense to an eight-ard, faceless Divine Statue.
The process of offering incense seed no different from anyone else’s, but after they were done, Liu Xiao went to the side and spoke a few words to the person tending the incense table. That person then took out a small booklet and recorded Lin Hui’s na, finally concluding the process.
"Also, you’re not young anymore. Your Outer Martial training is nearing its end, so you should start seriously considering settling down and starting a family. And you should see your little sister more often. She’ll probably be sent to the Inner City very soon for Summoning training. If you wait too long, you might not get to see her much," Liu Xiao added as a final instruction before he left.
"Starting a family..." Lin Hui was speechless.
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