“Why did you bring me here?” Yi Qinglan followed Feng Hanyu into a grand residence. “Don’t tell me this is also one of your family’s properties?”
“Why couldn’t it be?” Feng Hanyu smiled, leading her into a room. “Have a seat.” She casually lit the candle in the room.
The room was highly elegant, with a soft, comfortable bed and a neatly arranged dressing table, looking remarkably like a lady’s boudoir.
“Oh, I see,” Yi Qinglan said with a look of sudden realization, joking, “What do mortals call this? A golden house to hide a mistress?”
“Couldn’t this just be my own room?” Feng Hanyu sat before the dressing table, watching her reflection in the mirror.
Yi Qinglan froze. She always felt that Feng Hanyu roamed the martial world unpredictably, shrouded in a cold and murderous aura, completely forgetting that she was actually a young lady from a wealthy family.
Seeing her expression in the mirror, Feng Hanyu secretly smiled and shook her head slightly. She then pulled Yi Qinglan to sit down beside her.
Thus, two female faces appeared in the mirror simultaneously, one clear and indifferent, bearing a faint trace of aloof, wicked charm, the other gentle and soft, with bright, lively eyes.
Yi Qinglan turned her head to look at her. “Miss Feng has quite the elegant hobby, bringing me all this way just to look in the mirror.”
Feng Hanyu did not answer. She merely extended her right hand and swiped it across her left index finger, instantly cutting a small wound.
Yi Qinglan was startled. “What are you doing?”
To her surprise, Feng Hanyu pinched Yi Qinglan’s finger as well and gave it a gentle slice.
As fresh blood seeped from the wound, Feng Hanyu held Yi Qinglan’s finger and drew a bizarre, mysterious pattern upon the mirror.
“Every day that is a multiple of nine, when the hour of Hai (9 PM – 11 PM) arrives, the Mirror Market opens. If we want to gather information and break the Mountain Demon’s scheme, we must enter through here.” As soon as Feng Hanyu finished drawing the pattern, the mirror emitted speckles of light, enveloping their figures. “If you and I wish to enter together, we only need to be in the same mirror reflection.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the space before the dressing table became completely empty, leaving behind a silent room.
“Are they… demons?”
Yi Qinglan felt as if she had been abruptly pulled into an entirely new realm. Looking around at the countless “people” of mixed, chaotic auras passing by, she instantly grew vigilant.
She and Feng Hanyu were standing at the entrance of the Mirror Market, where a water well stood. When they had first entered, what Yi Qinglan saw in the water’s reflection was her own face alongside Feng Hanyu’s.
Feng Hanyu made a gesturing motion for silence, signaling her to calm down. “The Mirror Market is established at the intersection of the Three Realms. It is a neutral place that places no restrictions on the identities of its visitors. Humans, demons, and monsters all frequent this place.”
Monsters? Yi Qinglan’s heart stirred. The Monster Clan, whom her master had constantly warned them to be extremely cautious of since childhood, actually set foot here as well?
Looking at the diverse crowds coming and going along the roadside, she couldn’t help but find it bizarre. Some passersby looked like ordinary mortals but had feet shaped like duck webs, some were as tall as rooftops with limbs as slender as bamboo, others were half-human and half-horse. Yet, they all shared one common trait, they all wore masks on their faces, concealing their features. It was likely to hide their identities.
Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder from behind. Yi Qinglan turned around, only to be startled by a black eagle mask that abruptly enlarged before her eyes.
Just as she was about to dodge, the mask was suddenly loosened, revealing Feng Hanyu’s face. “Here, put this on.”
Yi Qinglan took it and found it to be a fiercely intimidating beast head mask.
The Mirror Market not only attracted many customers, but its shops and stalls were as numerous as the hairs on an ox. The items for sale were bizarre and varied, covering everything imaginable. This was Yi Qinglan’s first time visiting such a bustling market. Pointing at a shop, she asked, “What does this one sell? It looks so peculiar.”
“Oh, that one,” Feng Hanyu said nonchalantly, “It hangs a sheep’s head but sells human flesh.”
“This…” Yi Qinglan immediately took half a step back, incredulous.
“Hahaha,” Feng Hanyu burst into laughter. “It’s merely a shop that sells demon beast pelts.”
Yi Qinglan broke into a cold sweat. She felt both amused and annoyed, only to find that Feng Hanyu had already walked ahead with her hands behind her back.
“Are you very familiar with this place?”
“I suppose so,” Feng Hanyu said. “In the past, my mother used to bring me here often.”
Her mother? Yi Qinglan thought. Could Feng Hanyu’s mother have been a cultivator as well?
“After she passed away, I didn’t come here very often.”
As they spoke, Feng Hanyu had already taken large strides forward. After turning left and right through a labyrinth of alleys, she arrived inside a weapon shop, moving as familiarly as if she had entered her own backyard.
“Excuse me,” Feng Hanyu stood at the door, “Is Boss Bai in?”
“Oh, what wind blew you here?” The owner of the weapon shop walked forward. She turned out to be a graceful woman who moved like a swaying willow, her slender waist seemingly easily grasped in one hand. Even though Feng Hanyu was wearing a mask, the owner recognized her regular customer instantly. “Are you looking to check out some top-tier sabers?” Before she even finished speaking, she opened a long box behind her and effortlessly lifted a long saber from within.
Yi Qinglan couldn’t help but be shocked. That saber looked to weigh at least fifty or sixty catties. Boss Bai appeared delicate and slender, yet she lifted that long saber as easily as if she were picking up an apple.
Feng Hanyu took it with great interest. She ran her left hand along the long blade and praised, “Forged entirely from Sandal Jade Dark Gold, it is indeed excellent. However, I am not here to buy a saber today.” She tossed the long saber back. “Pick out a sword for me.”
Bai Suyan smoothly caught the long saber, neatly packed it away, and retrieved a sword from a dust covered box somewhere. “This is the best one.”
“Not good,” Feng Hanyu said, weighing the sword. “Too conspicuous. Do you have anything lighter and handier?”
Seeing her being so picky, Bai Suyan couldn’t help but give her a playful look. “Who are you picking this sword for?” As she spoke, her gaze flicked toward Yi Qinglan. “So much care?”
“Still joking around?” Feng Hanyu said. “Hurry up, don’t delay my business.”
“Fine, fine, fine,” Bai Suyan bent down to search through the vast sea of weapons. “A good sword, and it needs to be light… Ah, got it. How about this one?”
Yi Qinglan had already guessed that Feng Hanyu was choosing a sword for her. Thinking about how Feng Hanyu had seen her precious sword seized by the Mountain Demon, leaving her empty-handed, she realized Feng Hanyu likely worried it would affect their subsequent plans and chose a handy weapon for her companion first. Thus, Yi Qinglan drew closer. She saw Bai Suyan holding a tiny ring between two fingers. The ring was stark white all over, decorated with a coiled Kui dragon pattern. With a face full of smiles, Bai Suyan asked, “Is this light enough?”
“Isn’t this… just a ring?” Yi Qinglan took the ring into her hand to examine it closely. “Boss Bai, are you joking with me?”
“Haha,” Bai Suyan laughed loudly. “You, a young cultivating girl, are probably only a few decades old. It’s normal that you lack discernment. Look closer.”
Bai Suyan muttered something under her breath, and the ring flew up from her hand, expanding into a long sword floating in the air. Emitting a lustrous, jade white glow, it slowly fell into Yi Qinglan’s hand. “This sword can usually transform into a ring to be worn on your hand. When you want to use it, you just need to silently recite the incantation.”
“This sword is indeed exquisite.” Yi Qinglan weighed the sword repeatedly in her hand. “Credit goes to the person who forged it, actually making a sword into a magical artifact.”
Seeing this, Bai Suyan said, “As long as you like it.” With that, she cast a glance at Feng Hanyu and extended a hand. “Pay up.”
Hearing this, Yi Qinglan immediately said, “This sword is bought for me. How can I let her pay?” With that, she reached for the cosmos bag containing her spirit stones, only to find it completely empty upon touching her waist. She thought to herself, Oh no, I actually forgot to bring it with me.
On the other side, Feng Hanyu had already taken out some coins and handed them to Bai Suyan. Yi Qinglan noticed that the coins were strangely shaped and dark like iron, a currency she had never seen before.
Bai Suyan caught the money and weighed it, smiling. “An old customer is indeed generous.”
Leaving the weapon shop, Yi Qinglan asked, “What kind of money did you give her just now? How many taels is it worth? I’ve never seen it before.”
Feng Hanyu said, “That money is called Zhubei. It isn’t a currency used in the mortal realm. You don’t need to worry about paying me back right now. I will naturally let you repay me when the need arises in the future.”
After picking out the precious sword, Feng Hanyu took her around to wander elsewhere, buying a large pile of things, either magical artifacts, bizarre spirit medicines, or even clothing, jewelry, and daily necessities. Passing by a pharmacy, she requested ten Infused Spirit Pills. Her lavish spending truly opened Yi Qinglan’s eyes.
Following her as they browsed around, Yi Qinglan couldn’t help but ask, “Will we be able to use all these things we’re buying later?”
Feng Hanyu said casually, “How could we? To face the enemy, we naturally need to travel light.”
“Didn’t you say that there is important information about the Mountain Demon for the two of us to investigate later? Why are we strolling and shopping right now?”
Feng Hanyu laughed softly, “Don’t be anxious. The hour of Zi (11 PM – 1 AM) hasn’t arrived yet, so the exit over there hasn’t opened. I don’t necessarily come to the Mirror Market even once in several years. These items that aren’t needed for the time being can just be kept in your cosmos bag to help me carry them.”
As they spoke, they passed by a stall. The stall was full of brilliant colors, packed with all kinds of bizarre trinkets. There were also dozens of multi-colored cages containing all sorts of spirit beasts and demon beasts, whether flying in the sky or walking on the ground. A few of them were furry and looked cutely slow-witted.
Yi Qinglan couldn’t help but stop her steps, drawn to them.
“Boss, how much is this spirit mouse?” She pointed at one of the cages.
The boss looked like a mortal, his eyes narrowing into creases as he smiled. “Customer, you truly have good eyes! This Treasure Blessing Mouse is both cute and can assist as a spirit pet. It is indeed a fine thing! I wonder which currency you would like to pay with? Silver, spirit stones, or Zhubei?”
“I…” Yi Qinglan remembered she had no money on her.
Seeing that she couldn’t pull anything out of her pockets, the boss’s expression changed. “No money? Coming to the Mirror Market without money and still wanting to buy things?”
Before his voice could fade, a dark shadow suddenly loomed ahead as a black-clothed woman stepped forward. Her expression was cold and severe, and an eagle shaped silver badge adorned her ear.
The boss’s eyes rolled rapidly. Suddenly remembering a figure from rumors whose appearance closely matched this woman’s, his heart went cold. Looking at Feng Hanyu’s expression and attire, he hurriedly smiled apologetically, “Such a small thing isn’t worth much money. Consider it a gift to the customer!” With that, he was about to place the cage into Yi Qinglan’s hands.
Feng Hanyu only said, “The time is almost here. Let’s hurry.”
Suddenly, the low and distant sound of a drum echoed from afar, spreading out like ripples. It grandly enveloped the Mirror Market within its resonance.
The drum beat nine times. A smile appeared on Feng Hanyu’s face, a flash of excitement at the impending challenge gleaming in her eyes. “And here it comes.”