“Hey, have you heard? The new big shot from the seventh district was taken in by Elder Tai.”

“Ah, that’s old news. I’ve long heard wind of it. That guy was a survivor from the secret realm, and we all knew his promotion was only a matter of time.”

“Right, he’s definitely a tough one. His skills are not too shabby. I recall he was dual element, fire and wind…”

Some wind went away while another blew over.

“...entire mid-rank clan under the Wu Faction was poached!”

“What? Already?! Aren’t they going to wait for the results of the competition?”

“Hey, the wind and waves are ever changing, but sometimes the direction of the boat is already obvious…”

Bubai calmly walked forward through the bustling crowd in the plaza, letting the gossip fade out of earshot.

Lately, there had been interesting rumors circulating like wildfire even out here in the plaza. It seems many news, leaked in the Central District, were finally making their rounds out here in the Inner Sect.

While Bubai felt a tug of curiosity urging him to follow the trails of these rumors to glean more information, he was, unfortunately, held up today.

A sidelong glance brought the enchanting, youthful Shu Ling into Bubai’s vision. Clinging to his arm, her eyes were twinkling like stars as she took in the lively scene around them.

As if sensing Bubai’s gaze sticking to her like a magnet, Shu Ling turned towards him, her starry eyes meeting his, “Hum? What’s wrong, fairy brother?”

Bubai flashed her a charming smile and smoothly replied, "Nothing. Just admiring a beautiful flower.”

“Fufufu…” A soft giggle escaped Shu Ling’s lips and she rolled her eyes playfully, "Hum. Always the same corny tricks."

Leaning closer to him, she poked him with her finger, "Got anything fresh up your sleeve?"

Fresh? At her jest, Bubai's gaze wandered, spotting a nearby stall selling an array of trinkets and delicate female ornaments, "As a matter of fact, I do."

With Shu Ling in tow, Bubai weaved through the crowd and over to the stall.

Seeing Bubai come to a stop in front of his stall, the stall owner, a plump man with a warm smile, greeted him eagerly, “Yo, senior brother, looking for something for your female companion?”

Bubai nodded, prompting a grin from the stall owner.

"Aha! I wasn’t wrong! Senior brother is indeed a cultured man who understands the ways of the heart! Only refined gentlemen like us understand the importance of pleasing in order to be pleased! Buy now, and I guarantee she'll be delighted."

Bubai raised a brow, “Even this can be guaranteed?”

Leaning closer as if to share a secret, the stall owner gave Bubai a playful wink, "Hey, hey, it's the thought that counts, isn't it?"

Bubai couldn't help but roll his eyes at the response. Sheesh, merchants these days.

He then glanced at Shu Ling by his side, nudging her gently, "Fairy, see any that interest you?"

Shu Ling pouted, casting a disinterested glance at the items before her and casually pointed to a golden hairpin with a tassel nestled among the other baubles.

Though she didn't seem particularly enthusiastic, Bubai knew he ought to buy it. Why? Because, women.

It was often the small gestures that mattered most. If there was even a sliver of chance that a simple hairpin can bring even a fleeting smile to her lips, then it was a small price to pay.

Bubai pointed at the golden hairpin, "I’ll take that one. How much?"

The stall owner rubbed his hands together eagerly, "Good eye! Good eye! Senior brother picked the best of the batch! Seeing that I have fate with senior brother, how about… just one tael of gold.”

Oh? The price was reasonably cheap. Was it not made from pure gold? Perhaps it was just silver with a gold coating?

Seeing the hint of skepticism creeping onto Bubai's face, the stall owner was quick to dispel any doubts on his wares, “Senior brother, don't worry about the quality. You can trust me, our Wu clan prides itself on honest business dealings."

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Bubai showed some proper surprise, "From the Wu clan? And you’re selling..."

Bubai glanced down at the stall filled with mostly mortal thingymabobbers - an unlikely business venture for someone from a wealthy lineage.

The stall owner chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "Aha, you see, my pockets have been a little tight recently. I’m sure senior brother understands..."

Nope, he doesn’t. But if he were to take a guess…

Perhaps this guy was a survivor of the secret realm still recuperating from heavy losses? Or maybe impacted by the aftershocks of his own clan’s recent upheavals?

Well, everyone had their own troubles. Whatever the case, Bubai knew better than to meddle in the business of others, especially when he already had a handful of his own to take care of.

So, Bubai nodded noncommittally, reaching into his storage pouch to retrieve the required payment from his storage space. “I’ll take it.”

Seeing this, the stall owner beamed with delight, his earlier awkwardness replaced by wide grin, “Aha, straightforward! A woman must have amassed a lifetime of karma to meet a good man like senior brother!"

Yeah, a lifetime of bad karma. Haha.

Bubai pulled out a gold tael, but just when he was about to hand it over, a slender hand darted forward and stole it from his palm.

“Fufufu…”

Startled, Bubai traced the hand back to Shu Ling standing beside him, who blinked back at him innocently, waving the gold tael in her hand.

"Hum, rather than some mortal playthings, this fairy will be happier with this..."

Shu Ling tucked the gold tael into the satchel on her waist, giving the satchel a couple of satisfied pats while taking the chance to ask cheekily, "Ahum, got any more, fairy brother?"

Bubai sighed exasperatedly, attempting to change her mind. "Fairy, a gift is a memory you can keep, but even if I give fairy more money, your granny will take it all away anyway.”

"Fuuuuu! Don't remind this fairy!” Shu Ling’s cheeks puffed up, hugging her satchel. “Let this fairy be satisfied with carrying baobao until then!"

Merlin’s beard. This fairy and her attachment to gold. This was an exploitable weakness, yet also a barrier to his conventional antics.

Sigh, what other tactics should he put to the test...

Seeing Bubai standing there, lost in thought, the stall owner couldn’t help but remind, "So, is senior brother buying or not?"

Turning back to the stall owner staring at him with queer eyes, Bubai awkwardly smiled and shook his head. "Maybe next time."

Giving the man a polite nod, Bubai turned to walk away with Shu Ling in tow.

Behind him, Bubai couldn't help but overhear the stall owner cursing under his breath, “Choi. A mental retard.”

Er… was there a need to be so rude?

Well, Bubai made a mental note of the man’s face.

Back to idly ambling through the plaza, the murmur of nearby conversations filtered into his ears once more.

And amidst the chatter, a particular rumor caught his attention.

“Did you see the new bounty the Tai faction posted for the thief who kicked the door of Hei Hua Lou?”

“Oh yeah. If I remember correctly, Even a single clue can earn a spirit stone!”

“Hey, hey, you missed the most important part! It said to look out for a missing Shadow Sun doll, and my mother, I gotta say, that doll! She’s a looker!”

“Hahaha, so that’s the part you are interested in.”

“Yep, if I can get my hands on her… Hehehe...”

Hearing the rumor, Bubai's heart fluttered like a butterfly.

It seemed that his past exploits were slowly catching up to him, yet the thrill of the chase only fueled his desire to commit more...

Bubai set his sights on an insect-rearing stall they were passing by, with a sign advertising: “Purchasing vitalized scorpions for five cattie of spirit rice.”

Sensing Bubai’s interest, Shu Ling spoke up. "Hum, is fairy brother wondering why the price is so high?"

Tearing his eyes away from the stall, Bubai admitted. "A little bit.”

“Hum…” With a thoughtful expression, Shu Ling placed a finger to her lips before sharing what she knew, “To date, no one knows the source of the scorpions. But Granny said the misers from the Tai clan are collecting them. Heard they could extract a tonic from the scorpions to refine their dolls."

Ah, so that's why. Indeed, his mysterious green Qi was definitely a potent tonic for the Shadow Sun dolls, a good example being his own lively full-time employee.

Sensing Bubai's growing interest, Shu Ling kindly elaborated, “Granny said those misers like to have a tight hold on the sources of all important resources used on their dolls. Just to find the origins of these scorpions, many sellers had already been invited back for tea, so much so that the Law Enforcement Hall had to step in.”

With a note of warning in her voice, she advised, “So, if fairy brother has any for sale, it's best to find a safe, trustworthy channel…"

In the light of Shu Ling’s revelation, Bubai couldn't help but sweat inside.

Merlin’s beard. Fortunately, he hadn’t impulsively made any sales!

Due to his absent backer, courtesy of his temporary ban from the Book Pavilion, Bubai had forcefully curbed his greed and stayed in the scouting phase.

Now, it seemed that his restraint worked in his favor. Alas, he had to find another way forward...

Looking at the wise Shu Ling, Bubai suddenly entertained a bold idea…

Maybe her illusion powers could aid him in some way?

But before he could voice his thoughts, Shu Ling met his stare with a knowing look and rolled her eyes, "Don't look at this fairy. This fairy’s technique may be able to hide from people, but it can’t do much else. Don't expect an invisible fairy to be your sales assistant."

Ah, his hopes of enlisting the fairy in his scheme were in vain. Defeated, Bubai sighed inwardly and abandoned the idea.

But then, Shu Ling's eyes twinkled slyly, and she offered an alternate suggestion. "Ahum… if fairy brother is truly interested, this fairy can speak to granny and see if you can go through her.”

“The price will be much lower, but fairy brother’s identity will be safe... hum, to some extent." Innocently blinking her eyes, she awaited his response.

Bubai innocently blinked back at her, eventually averting his gaze, "I'll think about it.”

It was a tempting proposition, but even if the old granny had shown heavy favor towards him, Bubai did not want to commit without weighing the risks.

"Fufufu…” Shu Ling elegantly covered her lips, her laughter tinkling like bells.

“Hum, well, whenever fairy brother decides, just come to us anytime.”

She left the sweet deal dangling like a true blue fisherman.