Brilliant lantern lights illuminated the boundless night, casting a radiant glow over the wide streets that stretched for miles. Crowds bustled to and fro, while stalls of all kinds lined the sides. The vendors’ cries rose and fell, cutting through the clamor of the marketplace, making the streets and alleys exceptionally lively.
Lanterns hung high one after another, enchanting all who beheld them. Jinshu was utterly thrilled. In her previous life, she had rarely ventured out, let alone visited a bustling market like this. She darted here and there, looking around excitedly, her animated movements infecting everyone around her, drawing smiles from the onlookers.
Today, Jinshu wore an emerald-green long skirt that, from a distance, seemed to cradle a pool of spring water. As the breeze gently brushed past, the hem swayed softly, like ripples across a lake’s surface. Back at the inn, Chen Fuzhou had taken the initiative to carefully style her hair into twin buns, adorned with a few sparkling floral pins, making her look especially charming and fresh. Full of energy, she never paused for a moment, chattering away like a lively little bird.
The only downside was the overwhelming crowd on the long street, packed shoulder to shoulder, leaving everyone drenched in sweat. After just a few turns, Jinshu lost sight of the others.
She muttered a quiet “oh no” to herself but quickly consoled herself with the thought that she could simply return to the inn later to regroup with the others. She hoped they wouldn’t worry too much about her absence.
Since she was already here, Jinshu decided with a carefree heart to finish exploring the street before heading back. Without further hesitation, she boldly continued her stroll.
Chen Fuzhou had also been separated from the group in the crowd. When they first got split up, he had caught a distant glimpse of Ji Jinshu among the throng.
Her emerald-green attire stood out vividly, and she moved with such light, cheerful steps, like a happy little bird fluttering its wings.
Amid the flickering shadows of the crowd, the young girl lifted a hand to brush away stray hairs at her temples. The fine down on her cheeks was clearly visible under the bright lights, and beneath her long lashes, her bright, large, round eyes darted around, taking in everything with an air of innocence and curiosity.
She was just like the fresh green plums she had seen earlier at a nearby stall.
But after only a few moments of distraction, the tide of people completely separated the two. Chen Fuzhou frowned, wanting to follow her, but too many people surged between them. He could only take a couple of steps back to avoid colliding with the passersby.
“Don’t miss out, folks! Take a good look—this is a rare Danxin Feather!”
“What! You’ve never even heard of the Danxin Feather? How ignorant can you be!”
Jinshu’s attention was caught. She paused and turned toward the voice, spotting a rather short man standing to her left. He didn’t even have a table; the only item he was selling was clutched tightly in his hand, held high for all to see.
It was a feather, entirely red, shimmering with a crystalline, translucent glow. It looked as if the hues of a sunset had been crushed, dyed, and refined by moonlight into a glaze-like luster—clearly no ordinary object.
The man who had been publicly embarrassed didn’t seem upset. He chuckled and reached for the feather, but the vendor nimbly dodged his grasp. The man then asked sheepishly, “Stop keeping us in suspense. What exactly is this thing? If you don’t explain, we’re leaving.”
The onlookers immediately joined in, urging the vendor to hurry up and clarify.
The vendor leisurely gestured a “shush” to the crowd. Only after they quieted down did he speak in a measured tone, “Have you heard of the Danxin Bird? Legend has it that the Danxin Bird is the color of flame from head to tail. They have fiery tempers, can speak human language, but not a single word they utter is true. However, if someone manages to expose its lies, it will fly into a rage out of humiliation, pluck the most brilliant feather from its forehead, and toss it to that person.”
He added with a smug expression, “This is the genuine Danxin Feather, passed down through generations! If someone lies in front of you, simply channel Spiritual Power into this feather, and a space will appear, drawing both of you inside. Within this space, you can ask the other person three questions. Only by answering truthfully can both of you escape the space.”
After hearing this, the crowd’s reaction was not as enthusiastic as the man had imagined.
“What’s the point? Where would ordinary folks like us get Spiritual Power?”
“Exactly! And what’s the use of hearing the truth? Even if I found out where someone hid their private savings, could I just go steal or rob it?”
The crowd dispersed in an uproar. The vendor called out twice, but seeing that no one paid him any attention, he could only pack up his things dejectedly and prepare to leave.
“How much for this?” He looked up in surprise to see a lovely young girl standing before him, asking curiously, “If it’s not expensive, I’ll take it.”
The vendor had thought today would be another fruitless endeavor, but seeing an actual customer, he couldn’t help but break into a wide grin, holding up a hand to show a number.
Jinshu felt relieved. Truthfully, she just thought the feather was pretty and wanted to buy it as a pendant. Seeing the price wasn’t high, she agreed readily, “Deal!”
Before the words had fully left her mouth, another voice chimed in from beside her, “I’ll pay double!”
Jinshu looked over in astonishment. It was actually Chen An Ran, whom she had encountered earlier at the inn.
This little brat was a head shorter than her, but he sure had a commanding presence when it came to spending money.
Chen An Ran provocatively raised an eyebrow towards Jinshu and said, “Wrap it up for me, boss.”” He recognized the person beside him—she was the one who had eaten with his brother! Not only did his brother keep staring at her, but he even smiled at her!
Jinshu was infuriated by this inexplicable hostility.
“I’ll pay triple!” Jinshu refused to fall behind. If it was about who had more money, her allowance was nothing to scoff at.
The vendor stared dumbfounded as the two of them went back and forth, bidding against each other. What was once an unwanted item gradually reached an astronomical price. When Chen An Ran offered six times the original price, Jinshu helplessly spread her hands and said, “Looks like you really want it, huh? Then I’ll be the bigger person and let you have it.”
Chen An Ran reached for the purse hanging at his waist, boasting triumphantly, “If you’re broke, just say so. Who needs you to give it up for—”
He didn’t finish his sentence, falling silent instead.
Jinshu followed his hand with her eyes. No wonder the little brat had gone quiet—there was no purse hanging at his waist anymore, just empty air.
“Seems like you two weren’t meant to be,” Jinshu said with a smile, taking out spirit stones and handing them to the vendor. She accepted the Danxin Feather and waved it in front of Chen An Ran’s eyes.
Chen An Ran’s eyes reddened. The young master, who was usually pampered wherever he went, had never been treated like this. He shouted repeatedly, “You… don’t get too smug! If my money hadn’t been stolen and my servants hadn’t disappeared, you wouldn’t have gotten this bargain!”
Jinshu paid him no mind. Hanging the Danxin Feather at her waist, she turned to leave.
She hadn’t taken two steps before she felt something tugging at her sleeve. Looking down, she saw Chen An Ran clinging to her, lifting his little face to gaze at her with pleading eyes. His large, watery eyes softened Jinshu’s heart a little. She stopped and asked gently, “What is it?”
Chen An Ran pursed his lips, tugged at her sleeve, and said honestly, “Sister, I really want this feather. Please, when I find the money, can I buy it from you for double the price?”
Jinshu tilted her head, momentarily swayed. “What do you want it for?”
Chen An Ran stared longingly at the Danxin Feather hanging from Jinshu’s waist and said, “My brother used to keep a bird with feathers just like this. I want to give it to him.”
Jinshu hadn’t expected this reason and was momentarily speechless. “Your brother actually kept a bird?”
“He kept it when he was very young. That bird was very gentle and cute, singing all day long, but it was only close to my brother. Once, when I tried to play with it, it pecked my finger. Mother was very angry and took the bird away.” Chen An Ran’s voice grew softer as he mumbled dejectedly, “It’s all my fault. My brother must be angry with me, that’s why he hasn’t come home. Before today, I hadn’t seen him in so long.”
Jinshu tilted her head. So this was part of the reason Chen Fuzhou had sought out a master.
Chen An Ran’s sharp little face was framed by a pair of dark, listless eyes, drooping like a dejected puppy.
Amused, Jinshu crouched down and patted his round head in a comforting manner. “You’re overthinking it. He’s just in seclusion. How could he hold a grudge against a child as young as you? Still, even though you hurt your brother unintentionally, you should make it up to him.”
Looking at the crestfallen child, Jinshu flicked his forehead lightly, took his hand, and said, “Since you’ve lost the others, you can come with me for now. As for this Danxin Feather, if you behave well, I’ll give it to you. How does that sound?”
The two walked along the bustling street together. In her previous life, Jinshu had spent her days cooped up at home, so now that she was out on the streets, she wanted to buy and try everything.
At first, she held Chen An Ran’s hand tightly, afraid he might get lost. But before long, the two had grown familiar, and he was now carrying bags in both hands, following behind Jinshu with a complicated expression. He asked wearily, “Are we still buying more?”
Jinshu shook her head happily, the delicate hairpin she had just bought still tucked into her hair.
In the distance, cheers could be heard one after another. Curious, Jinshu craned her neck to look and saw a crowd gathered in several layers. She tightened her grip on Chen An Ran’s hand. “What’s happening over there? Let’s go take a look.”
Jinshu eagerly pulled Chen An Ran toward the commotion.
The cheers were coming from a tall, towering tent. The two finally managed to squeeze through the crowd.
A semi-circle of people surrounded the tent, and in the open space in front, several oddly dressed performers were breathing fire. Tall flames shot from their mouths, illuminating the area as sparks flew and cheers erupted.
It turned out to be a circus troupe performing.
“Next up for everyone is—” The man standing in the center deliberately drew out his words to attract passersby, announcing loudly.
“Huh? It’s a monkey.” Chen Anran had already squeezed to the front, curiously chiming in.
“Monkey King Ascends to Heaven!”
A scrawny, listless monkey hobbled out from the back, limping unsteadily toward the audience. Jinshu keenly observed a large, unhealed wound on its hind leg, slowly bleeding with each step.
Jinshu frowned. What kind of Monkey King was this? More like a sickly monkey.
The man took out a slightly stale banana and waved it at the monkey. The monkey’s gaze fixed intently on the banana, its eyes filled with longing and deep-seated exhaustion. The man, his face fleshy and fierce even when smiling, stuffed the banana back into his pocket and gestured to the monkey with his other hand.
The monkey obediently straightened up, nimbly somersaulting forward a few times. Then, trembling, it climbed onto a makeshift structure—a precarious stack of old stools with no additional support, wobbling and on the verge of collapse.
The monkey hesitated, freezing for a moment. The man, growing impatient, barked sharply, “Jump!”
Startled by the roar, the monkey instinctively flinched. Reluctantly, it gripped the leg of the stool above, planted its feet on the stool below, and strained to leap upward.
As expected, the structure couldn’t hold. With a loud clatter, it collapsed, and the monkey crashed heavily to the ground, whimpering as it curled into a ball.
The audience jeered. The man’s face darkened, his eyes gleaming with malice. He produced a long whip from somewhere and lashed it mercilessly across the monkey’s body. The monkey let out a piercing shriek, writhing on the ground.
Chen Anran’s pupils contracted in shock. She gasped, covering her mouth as she took a step back.
“Is this a circus?” Jinshu fumed. “This is outright abuse!”
She stormed forward angrily, but Chen Anran grabbed her. “Hey, don’t meddle. All these locals are bound to side with them. There are only two of us—we’re outnumbered.”
“But I can’t just stand by and watch!”
Jinshu insisted on intervening, but someone else acted faster.
“Hey, what are you all doing!”
The two looked toward the source of the voice. The crowd parted, making way as onlookers retreated in fear. Down the path, a majestic tiger growled lowly as it approached the performance area, carrying a girl about Jinshu’s age on its back.
The girl’s expression was grim, her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed. She raised her whip high and lashed it toward the man abusing the monkey.
The man, startled, stumbled backward to dodge the fierce whip.
The whip cracked through the air with sharp gusts. Though the man dodged frantically, several vivid welts still appeared on his body. Even the tiger watched with a fierce glint in its eyes. The girl demanded, “What’s wrong? Weren’t you so proud earlier? Can’t handle the same whip on your own skin?”