The hustle and bustle of Market Street was like a breath of fresh air to Dàilán as she consciously relaxed, letting the mask of the 'Young Mistress' slip from her shoulders like a discarded cloak. It had been four days since she had last left the Clan compound—the stresses of that period made it feel far longer, the air thick with shouted prices and the mingled scents of oil, spice, and dust.
As Dàilán followed her escort—Chén'er and the youngest maid, Chàng—while subtle shifts of pace and shoulder guided the crowd aside, she found her thoughts returning to the previous night's dinner discussion with her Father.
The Third Clan Elder had been congratulatory toward his Heir's actions at breakfast that morning. Talk of marriage for the Third Daughter of the Guan house had been firmly vetoed by the Matriarch, who had summoned all three brothers before her to lay down the edict.
Father mentioned that Second Uncle had seemed momentarily annoyed, but had agreed promptly in the face of his mother's authority. The decision had been distributed to the other clans who had shown interest, along with a pointed reminder that the Guan Clan did, in fact, have two other daughters from more senior lines who were of marriageable age.
Beyond that lay the more tense discussion regarding Dàilán's other actions.
Father had completed translating the ancient book she had found. He agreed that while interesting, it did not describe any specific techniques that could be considered harmful.
Apparently, while regarded as old-fashioned and of limited practical use, simply meditating on one's Essence flow would not have adverse effects. It was generally considered too difficult to pursue for younger Cultivators, requiring a far greater level of internal focus and external detachment than most lower-rank Cultivators could sustain.
He congratulated Dàilán on being able to surpass her peers in that regard, while once again pointing out that experimenting without first consulting a more experienced Cultivator was both foolish and dangerous—and unbecoming of an Heir. Although he approved of his Heir's willingness to take initiative and risk where appropriate, it had not been necessary in this instance.
The Third Elder also commended Chénli's loyalty unto death in defence of her mistress, suggesting that perhaps his Heir might show greater appreciation for such devotion. Thankfully, both were able to assure him that the matter had already been discussed at length, and that Dàilán had made amends with her adopted sister.
That, in turn, was what led to them being permitted to leave the compound that afternoon, once their morning routines were completed.
Somewhat surprisingly, Chén'er had included the new maids in training, and even more so—to the young Heiress at least, though Chénli appeared to expect it—they had all held their own in different ways. Ài in particular seemed inclined toward ambush and misdirection rather than direct confrontation.
When pressed, Ài admitted that her parents had belonged to a minor clan that had fallen on hard times, and had trained her as best they could.
Chénli promptly declared her intent to train them all until they could at least match her. She further proclaimed that Dàilán would certainly require more protection as she grew more beautiful—which set all the maids to suppressing laughter and resulted in Dàilán attacking Chénli in embarrassment, only to receive another drubbing. Her shoulders still ached faintly beneath her robes whenever she moved too quickly.
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"Fried locusts! Hot oil and chilli!"
"Essence salves! Essence salves—two for a stone!"
"Silks from the north, wool from the east! Velvet from the west…"
"Red Lotus Restaurant! Finest meals in Hujian! Special discounts for large parties!"
"Relics from across Jianghu! Essence Stones, Mysterious Fragments…"
"Fresh mantou! Just baked—soft and chewy! Pork, beef, dog, and bean filling! Best mantou in Hujian!"
"Wild Essence herbs! Ginseng! Liquorice! Harvested by hunters, not cultivated—grown wild!"
The shouts of the shop hawkers and smaller street stalls snapped her out of her musings, her steps drifting without conscious thought toward a shabby stall where an older man smiled up at her, his face folding into deep wrinkles.
Chén'er smoothly redirected their path, with Chàng following behind in open fascination.
"Is the Young Mistress interested in my relics?" the man asked cheerfully. "Or perhaps the herbs? All found out there—genuine…"
"The relics are not," Chén'er drawled, scanning the table. "Even I can see that, and I am not half the expert my Mistress is."
The peddler shrugged, his grin undimmed. "Young lady is wise. Others are fools. Essence Stones spend whether the buyer is wise or not." He dropped his voice conspiratorially. "My herbs, however—mostly trash, yes… but for you, Young Mistress…"
He parted the upper layer of common wild plants, revealing a second tier beneath—vibrant Essence herbs.
Dàilán raised an eyebrow in surprise. The herbs looked almost freshly harvested—and were genuine First- to Third-Rank Earth herbs, a few of them uncommon, the air above them carrying a faint, cool pressure against her senses.
Chén'er blinked and moved closer, examining them with a few brief touches, while Dàilán nodded."That is what I sensed—although… it is not the herbs themselves…"
The peddler smoothly covered them again with the surface plants, though Dàilán could now spot the faint glitter of true Essence beneath the dross."They have an interesting story—if the Young Mistress is willing to purchase a few…?"
"You are charging for the information? Not the herbs?" Chén'er asked sceptically.
"I am charging for both," the older man laughed. "Three stones for First Rank, six for Second, ten for Third."
Chàng gasped. "That is robbery! Mistress, come away—those herbs are not worth that much."
The old man's smile only widened as he waited for Chénli's response.
Chénli raised a hand. "Who else will you sell the information to?"
The peddler grinned. "Your bodyguard is a clever one, Young Mistress." He winked at Dàilán. "For this offer—the information is told once only. Or you may buy only the herbs… half the price."
Chénli studied him carefully. He met her gaze without flinching.
Dàilán nodded decisively. "One of each rank and type, Senior. Full price is acceptable."
"A wise choice, Young Mistress."
His right hand darted into the plants and back out again, so swiftly that she could not follow the motion. A small bag appeared in his other hand and was pressed into hers a moment later.
"Consider the bag a gift," he added with a wink. "It will suffice to contain their Essence for a while."
The Heiress opened the mouth of the bag a fraction and immediately felt the refreshing wash of Essence seep out, cool enough that her breath slowed without conscious thought. She nodded, satisfied."How much?"
"Three First, two Second, one Third—thirty-one First-Rank Essence Stones."
As Dàilán's hand went to her pouch, a male voice interjected.
"I will pay for Young Mistress Guan."
The peddler deftly caught the small pouch that flew in from behind the group.
Dàilán and Chénli turned to see a familiar, round, smiling face.
"Heir Ji?"
The Young Heiress made a small face, which the stout young man immediately noticed. His cheeks coloured as his smile faltered.
"It is not regarding… that," he said quickly. "I am aware the marriage offer has been withdrawn. I would ask to speak with you on another matter. Please consider the stones my apology." He gestured toward a small tea house a few shops down the street. "I will wait there."
He departed at once, rolling off in that direction with uncharacteristic haste.
Dàilán blinked. That was—she had never seen Fatty Ji act so seriously. Especially of late. Over the past month, all interactions with the so-called 'suitors' brigade had been exaggerated to the point of embarrassment. A wisp of an idea brushed the edge of her thoughts, then slipped away before she could grasp it.
She turned back to the peddler. "Apologies for the interruption, Senior."
"No trouble at all, Young Mistress," he replied. "As you appear to have another engagement, I will dispense with the unnecessary dramatics and give you the main points."
His manner shifted as he settled back, drawing out an old pipe and puffing on it until rings of blue smoke curled lazily into the air, bitter and resin-scented.
After a moment, he exhaled and grunted. "Three days' travel, more or less. North-east, on the edge of the Fusou Wilderness. There is a Market Village there. Any relic hunters in the area sell their finds there in exchange for provisions and supplies. I pass through twice a month. Usually only low-level items, but worthwhile enough."
He shrugged. "I was there three days ago. The village was unsettled. People muttering about the local Mountain gaining a reputation—haunted, perhaps. Lights seen in the hills. Strange sounds. I paid it little mind; such talk is common in places like that."
He jabbed the stem of his pipe at the covered herbs. "Those, however? The village apothecary told me he bought them from a relic hunter who walked into town the day before, traded them for ordinary gear, and left again. The fool sold them to me for what he thought was a great deal—it was not, though I had not expected to fetch quite so much for them here."
Chénli stiffened. "If you cheated us—"
The old man nodded calmly. "Here lies the interesting part. I have plied this trade for a long time—ever since I lost a fight in my youth to a cheating Cultivator who went for my knee…" He coughed, flushing faintly. "…in any case, I have advanced in my own fashion. And the thing with Essence herbs and plants is this: once harvested, they begin to lose Essence."
He continued evenly. "I knew this was the nearest city of any size where I could expect a decent market. I also knew it would take me a little under three days to reach Hujian."
Chén'er's posture softened as she nodded. "I understand, Senior. You expected them to lose value during the journey."
The old man smiled. "I have methods to slow Essence loss. They would still have been tradeable. Even so, I fully expected them to lose half their potency."
Dàilán frowned slightly. "You said expected? But they seem… almost fresh."
"Exactly." He tapped his pipe toward her. "I have never seen anything like it. They have lost only a fraction of their Essence. If the apothecary spoke truth, they were out of the ground for at least four days. Yet my experience tells me those herbs were growing in the earth last night—even though I have carried them for three days."
Dàilán's eyes narrowed. Her instincts as a relic hunter stirred."These herbs came from a place with an extremely high Essence concentration. And you said the villagers noticed unusual phenomena… that hunter found something."
"I believe so." The old man nodded. "It is circumstantial, yes—but I also spoke with the local blacksmith. He said the hunter would return on the next Market Day—fourteen days from tomorrow." His grin returned. "I fully intend to be there."
"Just for herbs with high concentration?" Chén'er asked, puzzled. "Is it truly worth such interest?"
"You," the old man said, pointing his pipe at her, "I like." Chén'er coloured faintly. "Here—something for the dangerous beauty."
Without apparent motion, a small dagger appeared in his hand. He offered it hilt-first to Chén'er. She blinked, then gasped as her fingers closed around the grip, the material warm despite the open air.
"This is… Essence-imbued ivory? The blade is steel, but—"
"The ivory is influencing it," the peddler confirmed. "It will not remain ordinary steel for long. Dangerous in the right hands, if fed properly." He grinned. "Because I like you—ten stones."
Chàng let out a small squeak as Chénli tossed the stones over. "Agreed. And my apologies for doubting your account. I take it the blacksmith…?"
The old hawker nodded, catching the stones and pocketing them. "The same hunter sold him a boar tusk. The fellow believed it came from an ordinary beast, but the blacksmith had to use Essence forging to work it. He produced a few weapons—this was the only one he would part with. He believes he will receive a better price come Market Day."
Dàilán's brows lifted as Chénli choked."This could become an Essence weapon if given time. With the right wielder…"Chén'er shook her head. "I am surprised he allowed you to take it."
The old man snorted. "I know that. You know that. They are bumpkins. It is a wonder the blacksmith can perform Essence forging at all." He chuckled. "That alone is reason enough to return. The furrier had a pelt he would not even permit me to inspect."
He glanced at Dàilán. "So—will I see you here in eighteen days? I intend to deal with the hunter directly. Acquire whatever he is willing to part with. Perhaps, with a more discerning buyer present, he may be persuaded to reveal more." He winked. "That is my hope. And I doubt any other peddlers will be able to outbid me for the remaining weapons."
Chénli nodded sharply. "We will be here. Please ensure the matter remains discreet."
The old man laughed. "Everyone else receives my usual tale of arduous searching in the wilderness. But if you are not here before highest flight in eighteen days, I will sell the information to the next interested party."
Chén'er rolled her eyes. "We will be here long before the Golden Crow reaches that height, old man." She took Dàilán's hand as passing cart slowed nearby, its driver glancing their way.
"Come, Mistress. Clan members lingering at one stall too long invite attention."
The old man smiled. "Which is good for business."
Chén'er shot him a glare. "No spreading this around. You promised."
He winked. "A sharp knife travels best."
Chén'er startled, then bowed properly before grasping her mistress's arm and setting off at a brisk pace toward the tea house where Fatty Ji waited, with Chàng hurrying to keep up.
The Young Heiress glanced down at her arm, amused. "Is there a problem?"
Chén'er released her immediately. "Apologies… I—you were right. I believe he may be connected to my Master's sect. Or perhaps he once was."
Dàilán looked back at the stall owner, who had already resumed shouting out his wares."Then we will most certainly return in eighteen days."
Chén'er hummed as they approached Heir Ji, who sat at a table for four with one hand raised."Whatever Heir Ji wishes to discuss had better be worth the interruption."
Dàilán sighed softly. "He is not making a spectacle of himself, which is unusual after his recent behaviour. It would be unwise not to hear him out."