Chen Qing, who had been quietly following behind Su Mu, felt a bit puzzled when she saw Su Mu heading toward City North.
Why was this Traitorous Shizun going there? City North was the most chaotic place in all of Cloud City.
With her timid nature, she actually dared to head to City North.
What Su Mu was up to behind her back was making Chen Qing more and more interested.
Coincidentally, the place Chen Qing was originally heading to was also the Black Market in City North. But halfway there, she noticed unusual activity in the True Qi she had left on Su Mu, so Chen Qing donned a mask to pretend it was a chance encounter.
Now Su Mu was heading to City North too, which only piqued Chen Qing’s curiosity about her purpose even more.
Following the guidance from the System, Su Mu arrived at the so-called City North district.
Although the streets here were fairly lively, they gave Su Mu a strange feeling.
There were plenty of vendors on the streets, but none called out enthusiastically to sell their wares.
Instead, they all kept their heads down, fiddling with their goods.
So many people amid such a quiet atmosphere made Su Mu feel a bit panicked inside.
【Host, no need to worry. This is just the commercial street in City North district; we haven’t reached the Black Market yet.】
If the atmosphere was already this oppressive before the Black Market, then the Black Market itself had to be even more terrifying.
Don’t panic. The System said no fighting was allowed inside the Black Market; it was basically just a big haunted house.
After mentally substituting the Black Market with a large haunted house, Su Mu’s panic eased considerably.
After all, before arriving in this world, she had been an adventure streamer—this was like getting back to her old profession.
While Su Mu was still psyching herself up, a pair of hands suddenly landed on her shoulders.
“Who’s there!”
The sudden touch startled Su Mu.
She whipped around to look, only to see a wrinkled old lady who appeared to be in her fifties or sixties smiling at her.
The old lady was holding a bunch of masks in various colors.
“Miss, don’t be afraid. I’m just a merchant.”
Seeing how startled Su Mu was, the old lady quickly put on a kindly smile.
Su Mu’s loud shout drew the heads of the nearby vendors, who fiddled quietly with their goods. They shot her dissatisfied glances.
Stared at by so many people, Su Mu’s pretty face flushed slightly.
“Miss, this is your first time in City North, isn’t it?”
Smiling at Su Mu’s awkwardness, the old lady asked.
Su Mu didn’t know why she was asking, but given her skittish state, she knew she couldn’t hide it.
She could only nod honestly and reply.
“Yes, first time. I’m not used to it yet.”
“Don’t worry, miss. Places like this get familiar after a few visits. You’re here for the Black Market, right? Everyone who comes here is heading there.”
The old lady continued. To avoid any misunderstanding, she added an explanation.
“Mm.”
Su Mu nodded. The old lady in front of her seemed quite kindly, and this area didn’t feel as terrifying as the System had made it sound.
“Miss, you probably don’t know this, but to enter the Black Market, you need to buy a mask first. Inside, it’s all cutthroat dealings where people lick blood from blades. Going in so openly without one, you might get tailed.”
The old lady’s tone remained mild, but it carried a chill.
Seeing genuine fear in Su Mu’s eyes, the old lady pressed on.
“Miss, this old lady won’t cheat you. Just one tael of silver for a mask. This one’s specially made by me. Folks inside will give me some face when they see it and won’t hassle you.”
The old lady’s words tempted Su Mu, but her pockets were cleaner than her face—she was flat broke.
Forget one tael of silver; she couldn’t even scrape together a single copper coin.
But if the old lady was telling the truth and a mask was required to enter, going in bare-faced might not work.
Just as Su Mu was about to politely decline and think of another way to get a mask, her peripheral vision caught sight of that mysterious person in the Fox Mask who had helped her earlier.
Maybe she could borrow one tael from her to buy a mask and slip into the Black Market.
After completing the System Task, she could steal one tael from Chen Qing and pay her back.
They had run into each other twice in such a short time, so they must be quite fated.
Plus, they were both in Cloud City, so there would surely be more chances to meet.
“Please wait here for me a moment; I’ll be right back.”
After telling the old lady to wait, Su Mu immediately called out to Chen Qing, who had deliberately appeared in her path.
“Um, what a coincidence running into you here.”
Borrowing money from someone she’d met only twice felt awkward to Su Mu—especially since this person had just spent some silver to help her out.
“Quite the coincidence indeed. I didn’t expect to run into you again here, miss.”
Chen Qing used Internal Energy to alter her voice, producing the crisp feminine tone Su Mu now heard.
Her scarlet eyes stared at Su Mu with keen interest.
She had overheard every word of Su Mu’s conversation with that swindling old lady.
Su Mu approaching her now could only mean she’d been spooked by the con artist and wanted to borrow money.
Chen Qing was eager to see how this Traitorous Shizun would ask.
“Are you here for the Black Market too?”
“Doesn’t the mask on my face say it all, miss?”
Chen Qing smiled warmly at Su Mu. Clearly, this Shizun felt embarrassed and was testing the waters first.
Watching Su Mu feign composure, Chen Qing felt the delight of toying with a kitten.
“Are you going to the Black Market to buy things?”
“Mm, are you too, miss?”
“Yes, but I lost my money pouch. Could you lend me one tael of silver?”
With those words out, Su Mu’s face grew hot. For someone as socially anxious as her, asking a near-stranger for money was excruciatingly difficult.
Chen Qing eyed Su Mu’s abashed look with some puzzlement.
She had figured Su Mu would ask for more—after all, a mask cost one tael, and she’d need money for other purchases inside the Black Market.
Yet this Traitorous Shizun only wanted one tael, so shopping clearly wasn’t her goal.
Still, one tael wasn’t trivial.
This Traitorous Shizun still saw her as a chance acquaintance. Lending it too readily might raise suspicions.
Chen Qing feigned hesitation on the surface. Seeing the Fox Mask wearer waver, Su Mu grew anxious.
If she refused, Su Mu would have to sneak back and steal from Chen Qing instead.
She had no idea where that damn Villain kept her silver. Without a mask, the System Task might fail entirely.
As Su Mu fretted, the apparently hesitant Chen Qing finally gave in.
“I can lend you one tael, miss—but only if you promise me one condition.”
“What condition?”
