Chapter 21: Arrival and Black Market Ventures

“Finally, we’ve arrived.” The capital city of Dongyan Kingdom appeared before Wang Yu and their companions. It was already getting late.

They could have traveled faster, but Yue Feng’s Cloud Beast had been unconscious since the explosion. Thus, the three of them had to share a single Cloud Beast.

Though it was a bit cramped, Yue Feng was thoroughly content. He could embrace both the maiden and Wang Yu simultaneously, inhaling their sweet fragrances. ‘This is absolutely wonderful,’ he thought.

Entering the city required passing inspection by the city gate guards. When the guards saw the maiden, their eyes lit up.

However, upon noticing Yue Feng behind her, they instantly became deferential and quickly waved them through.

Wang Yu glanced at Yue Feng. “I didn’t realize you had such a presence,” she remarked.

Yue Feng chuckled in response. “Well, wouldn’t you know who your husband is?” he teased.

“Ugh,” Wang Yu grimaced, a look of disdain on her face.

Pedestrians in the city were already sparse. Unwilling to delay any further, they headed straight for an inn in the heart of the city.

Upon seeing Yue Feng, the innkeeper hurried forward to greet him. “Young Hero Yue, what an honor for you to grace us with your presence! My apologies for not welcoming you sooner,” he exclaimed. “Are you planning to stay with us, Young Hero?”

Yue Feng replied indifferently, “Yes, please arrange something for us, Innkeeper.”

“Certainly!” The innkeeper then noticed the two maidens behind Yue Feng. He chuckled heartily. “Such refined tastes, Young Hero! Waiter, prepare a larger, superior room for the Young Hero. Make sure it has good soundproofing!”

Yue Feng watched the innkeeper’s presumptuousness with a wry smile, feeling a certain murderous gaze from behind him. He quickly interjected, “Two rooms, two rooms!”

The innkeeper realized his mistake, enlightened, and immediately ordered, “Go, prepare two rooms!”

***

Inside their guest room, Wang Yu and the others swiftly finished the meal brought by the waiter. Although the food wasn’t as delicious as what the maiden prepared, their exhaustion from the journey meant they paid little mind to it.

“I’m full,” Wang Yu declared. “Me too,” Xiaoke echoed.

As soon as they finished eating, Wang Yu flopped onto the bed, unwilling to rise. Xiaoke, with a belly round from eating, lay sprawled on the table.

Its doll-like appearance made it incredibly cute, and the maiden delightedly poked Xiaoke’s stomach, finding it immensely amusing.

Yue Feng summoned an attendant to clear the table. He then turned to the maiden and Wang Yu, saying, “I’m going to browse the black market. I want to see if I can find anything good.”

“The black market? I want to go too!” Wang Yu’s interest was immediately piqued; it sounded novel and exciting.

However, Yue Feng refused with a serious expression. “No, absolutely not. The black market is a chaotic place, a den of thieves and scoundrels located outside the imperial city,” he stated.

“It’s extremely unsafe; many even resort to murder and robbery. You currently lack any self-preservation abilities, and it would be difficult for me to keep you entirely safe.”

“Oh.” Wang Yu wasn’t one to be unreasonable. Her personality allowed her to restrain her curiosity effectively, preventing her from doing anything reckless — though, she conceded, past incidents were exceptions.

Seeing Wang Yu’s obedience, Yue Feng nodded with satisfaction. He greatly appreciated this aspect of her character: she never acted impulsively on crucial matters and possessed strong self-control when faced with the unknown.

‘If only her ambition were a little stronger,’ he mused.

Yue Feng grabbed Xiaoke from the table. “We’re off,” he announced.

“Woah, what are you doing!” Xiaoke protested, struggling.

“As the Haotian Daoist Venerable, you must be quite skilled in appraising the authenticity of items, wouldn’t you agree?” Yue Feng praised, a hint of insincerity in his voice. “That’s why I’d like to ask for your assistance.”

“Hahahaha, then you’ve certainly come to the right person!” Xiaoke declared proudly, its nose practically pointed to the sky. “In this field, if I claim second, not even those old fogeys from the Heavenly Palace Institute would dare claim first!”

As Wang Yu and Yue Feng watched the easily swayed creature, a single thought simultaneously surfaced in both their minds: ‘It’s really so gullible.’

And so, Yue Feng departed for the black market, taking Xiaoke with him.

Watching the man and the beast leave, the maiden felt a touch of boredom. Her eyes lit up when she saw Wang Yu sprawled lazily on the bed.

She sat down beside her, gently placed Wang Yu’s head on her lap, and began to caress and massage it. Seeing Wang Yu’s adorable, blissful expression, the maiden felt her heart melt.

‘I hope things can always be like this,’ she thought.

***

The black market was not far from the imperial city. Without the maiden and Wang Yu to slow him down, Yue Feng could travel at full speed and quickly reach his destination.

Unlike the quiet of the city, the black market was bustling with activity. Shouts and hawking cries echoed everywhere.

“Come see, come look! Ancestral treasures, guaranteed authentic!”

“Ancient secret manuals! Everyone, come and take a look!”

“Hereditary treasure maps! Guaranteed profits, no losses!”

The authenticity of items in the black market was notoriously difficult to discern. It was a cash-and-carry system; no refunds were given, relying entirely on one’s own discerning eye.

“Well, can you sense anything good?” Yue Feng silently asked Xiaoke, who was floating beside him.

Xiaoke carefully sensed its surroundings. “Yes, there are some, but they’re quite scattered,” it replied. “I can’t pinpoint their exact locations easily.”

“Alright, let’s circle the black market first,” Yue Feng decided. He began to leisurely stroll around the perimeter, with Xiaoke, uncharacteristically well-behaved, floating closely behind him.

“So, what do you think?” Yue Feng asked Xiaoke after they had completed a full round.

“Hmm, I have a rough idea now,” Xiaoke replied. “Let’s go to that stall first. I sense something there that would be very useful to my Master.”

Xiaoke suddenly chuckled mischievously. “Hehehe, cherish this moment. You’ve probably realized that Master isn’t like an ordinary young girl, right? Opportunities to give her gifts are rare, so this is a chance to earn some favor!”

“Oh?” Yue Feng looked at Xiaoke as if seeing it for the first time. “You’re actually being so kind as to help me win over your Master?”

“What kind of talk is that?” Xiaoke retorted, suddenly serious. “I’m only doing this because I see that your intentions towards Master are quite genuine. And while you’re nowhere near Haotian Daoist Venerable in every aspect, you’re still not bad. I also want to find a good partner for Master!”

It then declared, “For 100 purple elemental stones, I’ll help you win Master’s affection.”

“You’re outright selling your loyalty!” Yue Feng was speechless. “And that’s incredibly expensive! I only have ten purple stones right now.”

“If you don’t have them, you can owe me,” Xiaoke said, a shrewd merchant’s look on its face. “But there will be interest, of course. Don’t even think about defaulting on your debt, or I’ll expose you.”

“Understood, understood!” Yue Feng and Xiaoke exchanged a high-five, cementing their alliance, and let out a series of conspiratorial chuckles.

Far away at the inn, Wang Yu, basking in the maiden’s caresses, suddenly felt a shiver of unease. She instinctively burrowed deeper into the maiden’s embrace.