"Alright."
Dai Chengfeng let her lead, his gaze sweeping calmly over the bustling street.
About a quarter of an hour later, they arrived at a vast open plaza.
The place teemed with people—stalls packed tightly together, stretching as far as the eye could see.
The air was thick with mingled scents: spices, herbs, leather, metal, and the rich aroma of cooking food.
"This is it!"
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up. She tugged Dai Chengfeng straight into the throng.
The market was enormous, divided into more than a dozen distinct sections.
Ning Rongrong had a clear goal—she headed directly for the antique and rare treasures district in the northeast corner.
Here, stalls were fewer and crowds thinner. Each vendor displayed an array of oddities: rusted swords, chipped porcelain, dull-looking jewelry, strangely shaped ornaments, and various unidentifiable objects coated in dust.
Dai Chengfeng walked slowly, scrutinizing every stall with quiet attention.
Ning Rongrong, meanwhile, was brimming with curiosity—pausing at nearly every stand, picking things up, examining them, asking questions.
"How much for this?"
She held up an intricately carved wooden box.
The vendor—a wiry middle-aged man—glanced at her lazily. "Three hundred gold soul coins."
Ning Rongrong made a face and set it down. "This wood is common, and the carving's mediocre. It's worth fifty at most."
The vendor's expression stiffened, then broke into an awkward grin. "Sharp eye, miss…"
A faint smile flickered in Dai Chengfeng's eyes.
As the heiress of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect—the wealthiest clan in the land—Ning Rongrong had grown up surrounded by treasures. Her connoisseurship was naturally exceptional.
They browsed over a dozen stalls, but found no ring resembling the Soul Source Pact.
Ning Rongrong's enthusiasm began to wane. "I guess it really is hard to find…"
"I never expected much anyway," Dai Chengfeng said calmly. "Things like this can't be forced—they're found only by chance."
Just then, Ning Rongrong suddenly let out a soft "Huh?" and stopped before a stall tucked away in a corner.
The vendor was an elderly woman in her sixties, head bent over mending a piece of clothing.
Her stall held few items, most covered in a layer of dust—as if untouched for months.
What caught Ning Rongrong's eye was a pair of silver bracelets. Simple and unadorned, utterly plain—almost boring.
Yet she stared at them for several seconds… then crouched down and picked them up.
Dai Chengfeng stepped closer, studying the bracelets.
To his trained eye, they appeared utterly ordinary—even slightly crude.
Ning Rongrong turned them over in her hands, examined them closely, then closed her eyes as if sensing something.
Dai Chengfeng noticed a faint ripple of soul power emanating from her fingertips.
After a moment, she opened her eyes—surprise flashing through them.
But she quickly masked it, casually placing the bracelets back on the stall. Instead, she picked up a wooden hairpin beside them.
"Granny, how much for this pin?"
The old woman looked up. "Ten copper soul coins."
"That expensive?"
Ning Rongrong frowned. "This wood is common, and the carving's basic. Five copper coins max."
"Eight. Can't go lower."
"Six," Ning Rongrong countered, pointing to the silver bracelets, "and throw these in. They're so dull and ugly—practically worthless."
The old woman glanced at the bracelets dismissively and waved a hand.
"Fine, fine. Take 'em."
Ning Rongrong paid without hesitation, snatched up the pin and bracelets, and pulled Dai Chengfeng away.
Only after walking dozens of paces—turning into a quieter alley—did she stop, eyes sparkling as she faced him.
"Look!"
She thrust the bracelets toward him, voice hushed but bubbling with excitement.
Dai Chengfeng took them. They were light, their silver surface dull and lifeless—just ordinary trinkets. He channeled a thread of soul power into them. Nothing happened.
"These bracelets…"
"Look closely at the inner rim!" Ning Rongrong urged.
He brought them near his eyes, using the light filtering through the alley entrance.
Etched faintly along the inside were intricate patterns—so subtle they'd be missed without careful inspection.
The markings formed a complex, ancient array.
"It's a soul-guided artifact!"
Ning Rongrong whispered, pride dancing in her voice. "And a very special one! I used my Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda's treasure-sensing ability just now—these bracelets have strong soul resonance, but it's hidden under that outer disguise!"
Dai Chengfeng's eyes sharpened. "Can you tell what they do?"
Ning Rongrong shook her head. "Not yet. We'd need to remove the disguise first. But I can feel it—they resonate deeply with my martial soul."
"Made specifically for you?" Dai Chengfeng asked, surprised.
"Not necessarily me," she corrected, "but definitely for a support-type soul master. And they're clearly a matched pair—meant to work together. It's just a shame…"
"A shame about what?"
She sighed, a hint of regret in her voice. "These can only be used by support-type soul masters—and likely require a specific martial soul to activate. Even if you kept them… you couldn't use them."
Dai Chengfeng understood immediately.
No wonder Ning Rongrong had been so thrilled—these were potentially invaluable to her, but useless to him.
"Still, finding this is already a great stroke of luck!" he said with a genuine smile, completely unruffled.
Seeing his easy acceptance, Ning Rongrong relaxed—and her joy returned in full force.
She took the bracelets back from him, channeling soul power through her fingertips. With a gentle twist—
A soft click-click sounded. The outer silver layer crumbled away like ash, revealing the true form beneath.
A pair of translucent jade bangles—smooth, luminous, shimmering with faint iridescent hues. The inner array now glowed softly, clearly visible.
"So beautiful!"
Ning Rongrong gasped, carefully sliding them onto her wrists.
They fit perfectly, enhancing the fairness of her skin like snow against moonlight.
The rainbow-like glow pulsed gently, resonating with her soul power, emitting a low, harmonious hum.
"How does it feel?" Dai Chengfeng asked.
She closed her eyes, concentrating—then opened them wide with delight.
"They boost my soul power recovery rate! And… they seem to improve the precision of my soul skills! The amplification isn't huge, but it's amazing!"
As she spoke, she activated her martial soul.
Above her palm, the phantom of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda materialized—its radiance denser and more vivid than usual, swirling with brilliant seven-colored light, breathtakingly beautiful.
"I knew it!"
Ning Rongrong beamed like a child on festival day. "These bracelets truly enhance my martial soul! The effect is subtle, but incredibly stable!"
Watching her radiant joy, Dai Chengfeng's lips curved upward. "Then this bargain was well worth it."
"Absolutely!" She nodded vigorously. "If auctioned, these would fetch at least five thousand gold soul coins! I got them for six copper coins—it's practically free!"
Then, suddenly remembering, her expression dimmed. "Too bad we didn't find a second ring…"
"Finding these jade bangles today is already an unexpected blessing," Dai Chengfeng reassured her gently. "We'll keep looking for the ring. No rush."
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