What strange concoction is this?
Chloe thought she had read enough books, but she had never heard of the White Parrot Potion.
Seeing that Chloe remained silent, the stall owner continued unprompted:
"This potion was a great effort to obtain from the market. If you want to buy it, you'll have to pay... this price!"
He held up five fingers.
Chloe's eyes peered at the stall owner's hand from behind her pig mask for a moment, then she asked seriously, "Five copper coins?"
The stall owner: "..."
"Fifty thousand! Fifty thousand!" he emphasized heavily. "This White Parrot Potion is no ordinary potion. Just making it costs a fortune... Ah, why am I even explaining this to a little kid like you?"
A fortune? Made from white parrots?
For some reason, after the stall owner's words, Chloe became interested in this unheard-of yet touted White Parrot Potion.
She gazed at the stall owner's five fingers, gently brushing the transparent potion bottle, then said slowly:
"Oh, fifty thousand, huh."
Chloe paused, then looked up earnestly, "Will you sell it for five silvers?"
The stall owner: "..."
Daniel, who had just come over intending to show off his treasure to Chloe: "..."
Bargaining from fifty thousand down to five silvers?
Daniel feared getting beaten up, so he silently retreated a few steps without a word.
The stall owner could hardly believe his ears: "This is the White Parrot Potion! I spent nearly fifty thousand to obtain it from the market. You want to buy it for just five silvers?"
"You must be out of your mind!"
Chloe placed the White Parrot Potion back on the stall owner's counter and said slowly, "But you talked up this potion so much, yet in the entire black market, no one but me has even glanced your way."
"Do you really think that so many people in the black market can't recognize this miraculous potion?"
Chloe leaned forward slightly, her slender fingers tapping the potion bottle.
Hearing this, the stall owner faltered, finally beginning to scrutinize this child who barely reached his waist, then continued:
"... Well, not everyone has my eye for quality goods."
Chloe looked at him, silent.
The child wore a large, unsightly mask, peering out at the world through the small holes barely carved out, giving her an eerie appearance upon closer inspection.
The stall owner wanted to say more, but looking at the grimly silent child, his back gradually broke out in a cold sweat for some reason.
He gritted his teeth, "Ten copper coins, and not a bit less!"
Chloe's voice was calm, "Nine."
The stall owner: "..."
"Nine it is then!"
Hearing this, Chloe gave a satisfied smile, taking nine copper coins from her pocket and counting them into the stall owner's hand, then turned and walked away with the potion.
Not far behind, Qin Huaibei and the others, each holding items they had procured from the black market, stared at her with wide eyes.
When Chloe turned around, potion bottle still in hand, she happened to meet her companions' gazes as she looked up.
She narrowed her eyes slightly in warning, "You'd better not look at me like I'm some unscrupulous merchant, or you'll regret it."
Everyone quickly averted their eyes.
Daniel, his face flushed red from holding it in, still couldn't help muttering, "Bargaining from fifty thousand down to nine coppers, how thick-skinned can you be?"
Hearing this, Chloe glanced at him calmly:
"What's the big deal? The main thing is that this potion isn't actually worth much."
She opened the potion stopper and sniffed the White Parrot Potion's scent, continuing:
"There are indeed many diverse items in the black market, but their authenticity is not guaranteed, just like this potion. Although the owner described it so grandiosely, it's basically all bluster."
Saying this, Chloe paused, then asked the others with interest, "What did you all buy?"
Upon hearing this, everyone enthusiastically showed off the items they had purchased.
The five children huddled in a corner of the black market street, each taking out their goods one by one.
Qin Huaibei's was a miscellaneous book, describing the scandalous love life of the current human tribe leader in his youth - who knows if it's true, but it's bound to be salacious.
Katherine's purchase was more understated - a bow and arrows. But on the bow's body was a small mechanism; press it and a bunch of roses carved from wood would instantly pop out.
The roses were painted a vivid red, looking just like real flowers.
Katherine's cheeks reddened slightly as she said, "I heard you like roses, so this is for you."
Hearing this, Chloe seemed a bit stunned, then said in surprise, "It's for me?"
Katherine nodded, "Mm-hmm."
The silver-white lashes of the young girl trembled slightly, and she appeared rather nervous, "... Don't you like it?"
"I love it! Of course I love it!" Chloe took the bow and examined it in her palm for a while, feeling it, then handed it back to Katherine, "But I don't need a bow and arrows, so you hold onto it for now."
Katherine nodded.
That just left Anderson and Daniel.
Anderson didn't buy anything; he didn't need anything, simply accompanying his impoverished companions and paying for them during the trip.
As for Daniel.
Daniel excitedly took out a little dress, eagerly showing it to everyone.
Everyone looked at the pink dress with dangling pearl sequins and fringes, falling into silence:
"..."
Qin Huaibei prided himself on being able to remain unfazed by Daniel's various shamelessly provocative antics.
But when he saw this dress, even he couldn't make sense of it: "Why did you buy a dress?"
Chloe looked at him: "I didn't realize you had this... interesting hobby."
Daniel saw their lack of understanding, but didn't mind, comparing the dress against his own body:
"You guys just don't get it. The shopkeeper said wearing this dress can make people think I'm a girl."
Everyone: "..."
Seeing everyone's disbelieving looks, Daniel added, "Not just think it - it can actually turn me into a girl."
Everyone: "..."
Chloe took a deep breath and turned to ask Anderson, "Why on earth did you agree to buy this for Daniel?"
Anderson blinked his emerald eyes, a hint of bewilderment flickering across them, "... Can't I? I have money anyway."
Anderson fell silent for a moment, then continued, "And he threatened me, saying that if I didn't buy him that dress, he would lie on the ground and start screaming and not leave."
Chloe felt a sense of suffocation, and shot a sharp glare at Daniel.
Sensing this, Daniel clearly felt defiant, and he protested:
"But I was just a cub, what's wrong with a cub throwing a tantrum?"
Chloe averted her gaze:
"No, it's fine as long as you're happy."
