Making our way down the street, we made several stops at street vendors so Meera could look at items that caught her eyes. The sellers would smile at her before turning their attention to May to try and sell her everything they had. Why does nobody pay me any mind wherever I go? am I so plain that people's eyes miss me? While May bartered with a man selling dried meats, I took Meera to look at a vendor selling hairpins. She immediately fell in love with a set with purple flower designs. The crook wanted two silver for the set. I took Meera's disappointed hand and turned to walk away when an older boy nearby shouted to Meera. "Well. Little freak, it would seem your Dad doesn't care enough about you to spend a couple of silvers. Not that I would blame him if my kid had disfigured ears like yours. I wouldn't waste money either."

Meera did as any four-year-old would and hid behind her Papa before shouting insults right back. However, Meera didn't have an extensive vocabulary for insults. Of course, neither do I. She could only yell back that he is an ugly poopie face. But I think he got the point anyway. I caught the mocking sneer from the hairpin vendor. "I understand this is a scam to get me to give in and buy the overpriced item to get the irritating boy to shut up."

I bent down and whispered loud enough to be heard by all around me. "It is better to ignore people like this. Remember what I said about impurities hurting your cultivation? Well, these jerk's voices are full of impurities, so if you listen, they will damage your body." I heard chuckles from the crowd around us and more than a few speaking to other children agreeing with what I was telling Meera.

Meera's eyes went wide as she clapped a hand over her own mouth. "Did I make impurities too?" Except when she said impurities, it sounded more like -impurdys-

After I picked her up, I couldn't help but pinch her nose. "No silly, only mean nasty people can make them with their mouths. But in the future, don't say things like that to older children or adults. It is disrespectful, and you are a good girl." Meera gave me a serious nod knocking our foreheads together in the process. Causing her to start giggling and the crowd to laugh. Now let's keep looking around. I think we can find a hairpin seller not trying to rip us off around here somewhere.

Almost immediately, a girl around seven tugged on my pants. "Hey, Mr., my family has a store over there that sells hairpins much prettier than grumpy old Mr. Fei." As soon as Meera saw another child touching me, she slid down my side pushing her way between us. Making the crowd chuckle again before turning their attention back to their own shopping or loitering. The girl didn't seem to mind instead talking to Meera instead of me. "Momma has some ones with purple flowers just like the one you want. Come with me." Then the girl grabbed Meera's hand, pulling her toward the shop with me following close behind. I heard the girl whisper to Meera. "I don't think your ears are ugly. I think they look fluffy and cute."

Entering the shop, I almost grabbed Meera to leave but refrained. All the items were closed in glass cases with price tags that made me clutch my coin purse in a panic. Unfortunately, Meera had already been dragged to a case showing hairpins made from an opaque brown mineral. Small flowers were carved along the entire length, painted in vibrant purple. I closed my eyes to take a deep breath before glancing at the price. 11 GP, I started to grab Meera but missed as she was whisked away toward another case with even more expensive hairpins made of a green mineral. The old man and woman behind the counter were openly chuckling at me as I made my way further inside.

I followed behind the two girls getting more dejected the more excited Meera became. I really hope she doesn't get too upset when I tell her I can't afford anything I have seen in this shop. May only gave me two silvers worth of copper pieces. With explicit instructions not to get swindled by the first person who tried to sell me something. Wait, technically, these would be the second, so maybe I wouldn't get in too much trouble, not that I can afford anything so far.

A middle-aged woman sitting behind the two old folks watching the children with a smile told me to stop hovering and take a seat. So I did I continued to watch the girls as they pointed at one case after the other, chattering about what made them pretty. The old man turned to me, looking me up and down. "You're not from around here. Are you also in town for the tournament?"

Snorting, I finally turned away from Meera. "No, isn't that some farce to find a wife for the mayor's daughter anyway? No, we were passing through. We might stick around to watch the tournament since we have been traveling for a couple of months already, and we could use a break. Little Meera Especially has had a hard time."

All the adults turned to the happy child then the middle-aged woman asked where her mother was. "Bandits killed her. I don't know the full details; that was a week before we met. That same day the couple that found her died to another bandit attack, as well as the old man that I had been traveling with. My friend and I have been caring for her ever since."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Suddenly Meera ran up to me, grabbing my hand and pulling. "Papa, Papa, you have to see this its soo pretty." I waved at the chuckling elders and followed Meera to a dusty case in the back. I read the plaque on the top; Replica of Empress Ming's beloved hairpin, gifted by a traveling Immortal from beyond the misty ocean.

The old man spoke from behind me. I hadn't even heard him follow. "The original was said to increase the natural amount of qi a woman could absorb by ten percent." Curious, I sent a tiny thread of air qi inside the hairpin. The moment it touched it, a strange female voice echoed in my mind. Oh, someone with a natural bond with the air element. I immediately tried to take my thread back, but a force inside took hold and held tight. Oh no, you don't. I have been alone in here for so long I lost track. I don't know what she wanted to say next because I used my much stronger earth qi to cut the thread.

I stared at the hairpin for an unknown amount of time until the old man tapped my shoulder with a stick I never noticed in his hands. Turning around, I found the old man watching me closely, a gleam in his eyes that made me nervous. Meera, I noticed, had moved on to a massive wood bin filled with hairpins marked as 11 copper apiece. I let out a sigh of relief seeing that. The old man chuckled at my reaction before he walked to the side of the case opening it up retrieving the jade hairpin. "Make me an offer, young man." This old man obviously knows what this is, so why is he willing to sell it. I got my answer a moment later. "The crazy lady inside has chosen you. Even if I don't sell this to you, it will find its way into your pocket anyway. I might also make some profit from its years of mooching off the ambient qi in my store."

I looked closely, trying to sense if the old man had any cultivation, but I couldn't sense anything from him. "I don't sense any cultivation in anyone in this shop, so does it matter if this pin absorbs it?"

Snorting at me, the old man poked my shoulder, causing me to slide sideways several feet. "There are three reasons you cant sense qi in a person, and you should take this lesson to heart. It may save your life someday." Everyone was watching now. Even Meera looked over curiously though she didn't seem worried. "The first reason, the person isn't a cultivator... obviously. Second, they have a technique to hide their level from another, and third, because that person is far above you in power." When he finished, he released enough pressure to make me stumble. I tried to move but was frozen in place. I barely managed to turn my head enough to check on Meera, but she was still watching us curiously. The pressure let off, and the old man leaned heavily on his stick. "Good, you thought about your child before your own pride. That's a rare trait in cultivators, even more so in pretty boys like you."

With a sardonic laugh, I opened my cloak, making my missing arm more apparent. "I don't think I qualify as a pretty boy."

This time the middle-aged woman snorted out a laugh before turning to Meera. "What do you think dear, is your Papa handsome?"

Meera stood with wide eyes nodding her head. "My Papa is the most handsomest in the whole world." After running over, giving my legs a tight hug, she returned to digging through the huge bin lining the ones she found pretty on the floor to examine closely.

Returning my attention to the smug old man, I pulled a small jade case May gave me to place certain qi-infused herbs inside. I opened it so only the old man could see inside. Inside are three bundles of high-grade spirit grass. Each time I created a patch of grass their was always one blade that stood out among the rest... Apparently, I didn't know until May showed me the case of grass she had gathered over the month following me through the woods. The old man gave me a toothy grin before taking a single blade of grass and closing the lid. "I wouldn't show that off to anyone else boy, the King himself would leave his castle for a chance at what you have inside that case." I shrugged; to me, it's grass, and in a pinch, wealth not like I can use it I have no interest in alchemy.

I headed back to my seat to wait for Meera to finish choosing the hairpin. I had barely sat when a harried-looking May barged in looking around. She relaxed when she found Meera sitting on the floor with the other girl. Turning in place, she spotted me when she didn't see another chair. She sat on the floor at my feet, resting her head back on my knee. "You look exhausted. Was buying supplies that tiring? If so, maybe instead of forcing Meera and me to train all the time, maybe you sh... Ouch. Why did you pinch me." I said while trying to suppress my laughter. The two other women cheered May on, advising on good locations to get the best results next time I needed punishment.

May groaned. All I wanted was to sleep on a bed for a night, but all the inns in town are full. We should head out once Meera finds herself a hairpin. I would suggest eating at a restaurant, but all I passed were packed with lines going out the doors. I could see a pout forming on Meera's face even from here. That girl has a way too good of hearing for her own good. Meera stared at the five remaining pins in front of her, but I could tell she was no longer as excited as before.

The girl who dragged Meera into the store suddenly stood up. "Grandma, we have an extra room. Can they stay the night with us? Meera can share my bed too... please." A hopeful look passed over Meera's face as she to looked toward the old couple. Both of them smiled and, in unison, said, ask your mother.