"Shengsheng! There's a town ahead!" Jiang Zhiyu excitedly ran over to Zhou Shengsheng.
Zhou Shengsheng was delighted to hear this—great, this meant they hadn't gone in the wrong direction.
For days, the two had been surviving on fruits, and their taste buds were practically numb.
"Let's go, hurry!" Pulling Jiang Zhiyu along, Zhou Shengsheng's heavy footsteps suddenly lightened.
Though it was called a town, it was much larger than Zhou Shengsheng had imagined.
Seeing the locals dressed in the traditional attire of the Zhen Kingdom, Zhou Shengsheng was sure they had taken the right path.
It seemed to be some kind of festival today, as the streets were bustling with people. Every now and then, they would spot a few delicate, flower-like girls in brightly colored dresses, strolling hand in hand.
Unlike the strict traditions of the Yong Kingdom or the Zhu Kingdom, the customs of the Zhen Kingdom were quite liberal, and the people favored vibrant colors in their clothing.
Looking down the street, the array of colors was dazzling, with hardly any repetition. Zhou Shengsheng even spotted a fluorescent green outfit, which was truly... astonishing.
Having been roughing it for days and still wearing clothes from another kingdom, she and Jiang Zhiyu looked like refugees fleeing a disaster.
A little boy even followed them for a while, wanting to give Jiang Zhiyu his candied hawthorn skewer, his eyes brimming with sympathy.
The boy's mother apologetically pulled her child away, and not long after, they could still hear the boy's sweet voice saying, "Mommy, they have no home, they're so pitiful."
Watching Jiang Zhiyu happily munching on the candied hawthorn, Zhou Shengsheng sighed.
Yes, it was true—they had no home, no family.
To avoid drawing unnecessary attention, Zhou Shengsheng decisively led Jiang Zhiyu into a clothing shop, only to realize belatedly that she had no money on her.
The phoenix crown she had deliberately brought along hadn't been dismantled yet and couldn't be sold. What else could she use as collateral?
Glancing at the clothing shop, Zhou Shengsheng suddenly had an idea.
"Shopkeeper, bring us a few dresses suitable for me and my younger sister."
The shopkeeper was a woman with a graceful demeanor. When she first saw Zhou Shengsheng and Jiang Zhiyu standing outside in their dusty clothes, she thought they were beggars.
She hadn't expected them to be big spenders.
Her smile widened with enthusiasm as she quickly had her assistant pick out several outfits.
After trying them on and finding them satisfactory, Zhou Shengsheng boldly decided to take them all.
When it came time to pay, Zhou Shengsheng pulled out a piece of fabric from her sleeve.
The shopkeeper's face fell—this was clearly a ploy to make a fool of her. She was about to throw them out when Zhou Shengsheng quickly explained, "Shopkeeper, take a closer look. This isn't ordinary fabric—it's embroidered with dense gold threads."
Gold was a beloved currency in any kingdom, especially in the Zhen Kingdom, which was rich in silk and spices but lacked abundant mineral resources. Anything even remotely associated with gold was highly valued.
The shopkeeper, being knowledgeable, examined it closely and confirmed that it was indeed gold.
Her expression softened. "This gold thread is truly valuable. The dresses you bought today aren't worth this much."
She then took out a heavy bag from a cabinet behind her and handed it to Zhou Shengsheng. "Here's your change. Please keep it safe."
Zhou Shengsheng smiled as she accepted it. Dressed in their new clothes and carrying a fortune that could support a family, they left the shop.
Ming Siran really was a treasure. Even after leaving the Yong Kingdom, he still had his uses.
After indulging in a feast with Jiang Zhiyu, the two checked into an inn.
Once the attendant left, Zhou Shengsheng threw herself onto the soft bed and took a deep breath.
It felt so good. Today was undoubtedly the best day she had had since transmigrating into this novel.
Truly, the essence of relieving stress for a young girl was shopping.
--- Scene Break ---
"Sir, that's the situation," the woman said, bowing to the cold-faced man before her.
"You're saying a young girl gave you this?" he asked coldly.
The woman quickly nodded. "Yes! She had a red mole under her eye and was wearing a dress from the Zhu Kingdom. There was also a stunningly beautiful woman with her."
The man looked down at the strip of fabric in his hand, embroidered with a dragon pattern in gold thread. It was clearly torn from someone's sleeve.
The identity of the fabric's true owner was intriguing.
After dismissing the woman, the man headed to a tavern.
In a private room sat another man. His features were handsome, with a gentle, non-threatening demeanor, like a piece of fine jade.
His flawless fingers slowly twirled a string of Bodhi seeds, exuding an air of leisure.
"Sir... Young Master, I've investigated," the black-clad man said respectfully, recounting the woman's story.
The man referred to as "Young Master" took the black fabric strip and examined it carefully.
After a moment, a light chuckle escaped his lips.
"How interesting. Bring her to me."
--- Scene Break ---
Zhou Shengsheng had originally planned to spend the day resting at the inn, but Jiang Zhiyu's adventurous spirit got the better of her, and she dragged Zhou Shengsheng out to explore.
"Let's wear matching outfits! I saw so many girls on the street doing that," Jiang Zhiyu pleaded, holding Zhou Shengsheng's hand and pouting.
Zhou Shengsheng shrugged and nodded, letting Jiang Zhiyu pull her along.
The streets were even more crowded than the day before, and Zhou Shengsheng inquired about it.
It turned out the Zhen Kingdom was celebrating the Rain God Festival.
This was one of the more significant festivals in the Zhen Kingdom, akin to the Mid-Autumn Festival in her previous life, but instead of worshipping the moon, they honored the Rain God.
The festival featured lanterns, fireworks, and vendors selling rare items, making it a lively affair.
Of course, the downside of such a dense crowd was that Zhou Shengsheng had to cling tightly to Jiang Zhiyu to prevent them from getting separated.
"Shengsheng, look! Over there, it looks so fun!" Jiang Zhiyu pointed excitedly.
Zhou Shengsheng glanced in the direction she was pointing, but in that split second, her grip loosened, and Jiang Zhiyu vanished.
Zhou Shengsheng: ".........."
"Xiao Lei!? Oops... Zhiyu?!" she called out loudly. The crowd, thinking she had lost a child, made way for her.
Following the path and calling out, Zhou Shengsheng soon found herself at the end of the road.
This area had no vendors, so it was dark and eerily quiet, with few people around.
Sensing something was wrong, Zhou Shengsheng turned to run back.
But before she could take more than a few steps, a sharp pain struck the back of her head. Her vision went black, and she collapsed unconscious.
--- Scene Break ---
The man's jade-like face showed a flicker of surprise. "It's you?"
Jiang Zhiyu looked up at him in confusion, her voice urgent. "Who are you? Why did you kidnap me? Where's Shengsheng? I need to find her!"
"You don't remember me?" he raised an eyebrow.
"There should be another one. Is this how you handle your duties?" he said coolly, glancing at the black-clad man beside him.
Without hesitation, the black-clad man knelt on one knee. "I failed in my task. Once I find the other one, I will accept my punishment."
With that, he vanished into the shadows.
