Chapter 092: Rendezvous
Phoenix Jun and Wei Dong were still in the stone cave behind the waterfall. Right now, the most important thing was to save them.
Since the five-tailed fire fox, Lou Jingbai, had already become one of their companions, and since it was the guardian beast born alongside the rose quartz, Shen Duo told it about her friends being trapped.
Lou Jingbai stood on Shen Duo’s shoulder and let out a proud snort. “I’ll spare them this once, for your sake, little Duo!”
The five-tailed fire fox existed for the sole purpose of guarding this rose quartz vein, so it could come and go freely through the cave behind the waterfall. The illusions created by the rose quartz had no effect on it at all.
In just a few steps, the five-tailed fire fox darted into the cave. Not long after, two figures were flung out. Fortunately, Benyi caught them in time, or their bodies would have made a very intimate acquaintance with the ground.
Shen Duo checked Phoenix Jun and Wei Dong’s injuries. They were still unconscious, but no new wounds had been added to their bodies. Using the pool water beside her, Shen Duo cleaned and bandaged their injuries before sitting down nearby to catch her breath.
No matter what, they had finally escaped danger.
Benyi transformed into a white wolf in partial beast form and lay beside the two of them to watch over them. Lou Jingbai bounced over to Shen Duo, rose up on its hind legs, and held out a storage pouch from its soft little paws.
The five-tailed fire fox turned its head haughtily. “Take this!”
Shen Duo did not reach for it. Instead, she frowned and looked at him in confusion.
When Lou Jingbai saw that its contracted human would not accept its gift, it was so annoyed that the fluffy fur on its tail nearly burst out in all directions. It slapped the storage pouch into Shen Duo’s arms and said sulkily, “It’s nothing good. Just some rose quartz!”
After saying that, it turned its head away and refused to look at the girl in front of it. It was infuriating. This was the first time Lord Lou had ever given a human a gift, and he had actually been refused! He had lost both face and dignity! If not for the fact that this human had a contract with him, he would already have thrown a ball of solar flame right into her face!
Shen Duo held the storage pouch in a daze for a moment. Then, with a soft laugh, she understood.
She had forced a contract with Lou Jingbai using holy radiance energy, and had always felt she owed it. So when she saw it trying to give her something, she had instinctively refused. She had not expected to misunderstand its kindness.
After a light cough, Shen Duo smiled and said, “Then I’ll accept it.”
As she spoke, she stole a glance at the five-tailed fire fox. Seeing that fellow secretly peeking at her as well, she caught his eyes. Lou Jingbai snorted, lifted its chin, and turned away. Shen Duo’s smile only grew harder to suppress.
This fox was just too adorable.
Phoenix Jun and Wei Dong did not wake until evening. Their bodies had not yet fully recovered, so after discussing it, they decided to leave at dawn the next day.
That night, while the three of them sat around the campfire chatting, the memory of what they had been through still left them with lingering fear.
Wei Dong, however, was naturally carefree. Seeing the fox crouched on Shen Duo’s shoulder, clearly a high-level illusion beast, he immediately entered full mockery mode.
Shen Duo did not hide the rose quartz she had obtained from the cave behind the waterfall. Instead, she very generously divided it into three portions, giving one each to Phoenix Jun and Wei Dong.
Rose quartz was top-grade alchemical material and extremely rare on the continent. Even when one was lucky enough to come across some, it was usually only a tiny piece, and not very pure. What they had obtained this time could be considered the finest of the finest.
After everything they had gone through, the three of them could now be called friends forged between life and death. Phoenix Jun and Wei Dong did not stand on ceremony and accepted the gifts.
Since the rose quartz in the cave had been taken away, the deep pool below the waterfall did not show the same strange phenomenon that it had the night before.
The three of them slept soundly until dawn.
Bathed in the beauty of the sunrise, they set out early and went to Ais Wharf to rendezvous with Captain Dick.
The remaining half day of travel was relaxed and easy. Because they were eager to make time, they only caught a few magical beasts unique to the Three Perils of the Tianqing River along the way.
Among them were quite a number of low-rank but cute little magical beasts. Even if such beasts were hunted, they did not yield magic crystals. It would be better to take them to the temporary trading market at the wharf and sell them to female illusionists.
With the five-tailed fire fox keeping Shen Duo company, Benyi immediately returned to the illusion beast space to cultivate. This time, he had truly been enraged by that obnoxious fox. At this rate, he probably would not come out until he had advanced to a divine illusion beast.
Shen Duo could only shake her head helplessly and toss him a great many condensed spirit energy potions, telling him to cultivate in peace.
When they reached Ais Wharf, they greeted Captain Dick.
The bearded Dick, seeing them return safe and sound, finally showed a relieved smile. He then told them that the Star-Sailing would not depart until the following morning, so they could spend the evening exploring Ais Wharf.
Ais Wharf was the first docking point after the two branches of the Tianqing River converged.
Along the broad riverbank were moored all manner of ships and vessels, from elegant passenger boats to massive cargo ships. The wharf was crowded with illusionists and illusion beasts transporting goods, giving the place an air of bustling prosperity.
On the western side of the wharf was a small market, lined with rows of rectangular wooden tables. This was where traveling illusionists and sword practitioners traded goods. Though the area was not large, it was crowded and lively.
The three of them still had a few young magical beasts and herbal materials they had obtained in the Three Perils of the Tianqing River.
They exchanged a look and headed into the market together.
It was the first time Lou Jingbai had ever seen such a scene with so many humans. Perched on Shen Duo’s shoulder, it looked around curiously, finding everything novel.
At the entrance to the market, a young man in a cyan illusionist robe greeted the three of them with a smile. “May I ask whether you are just browsing the market, or renting a stall?”
Shen Duo looked down and saw that on the board in front of the young man, the taxes for browsing and for renting a stall were clearly written.
She took a gold coin from her storage pouch and handed it over. “We’ll rent a stall.”
The young man was clearly used to this sort of thing. He accepted the coin, recorded the transaction on a memory crystal, and handed Shen Duo a carved wooden number牌.
He also kindly reminded her, “This number牌 is only valid for one day. If you want to come again tomorrow, you’ll need to pay the rent again and get a new one.”
After thanking him, Shen Duo put the number牌 away, and the three of them entered the market.
The market was a mingling of all sorts of people and goods, and in a wharf with such constant traffic, it was almost impossible to find any truly exceptional materials or illusion artifacts in a small market like this.
Most of what was sold there were local specialties and everyday supplies used by illusionists in their cultivation.
The daily stall rent was not expensive, and odds and ends like these were not worth selling through an auction house or the black market. They moved quickly only in places like this, where travelers came and went at a busy wharf.
After wandering through the market once, the three of them found nothing especially to their liking, so each bought only some food and clothing.
Following the directions of the number牌 in their hands, they found an empty stall near the back of the market and took out the materials and beast cubs they had obtained along the way to sell.