No matter how the Spirit Masters schemed against each other, the common folk, who made up the vast majority, still went about their days. Though the weather was cold now, the streets of Jiyang City were still bustling with people; stalls lined both sides of the thoroughfare, displaying a dazzling array of goods, with the sounds of hawking and shouting rising and falling in succession.

The next day, after breakfast, Nie Kong and Hua Mei headed out.

Nie Kong carried a bulging sack slung over his shoulder, filled entirely with wood carvings. Hua Mei trailed gracefully beside him, occasionally glancing around. Her rosy cheeks beamed with cheerful smiles, which contagiously lifted Nie Kong's spirits, making him feel wonderfully relaxed.

Having been in this world for several months, Nie Kong had traversed Jiyang City many times, yet only at this very moment did he truly set aside his myriad concerns and fully absorb the exotic atmosphere around him. Compared to the thronging metropolises of his past life, this place held a distinct, peculiar charm all its own.

Catching a glimpse of Hua Mei’s small hands, chapped red from the cold, Nie Kong felt a pang of tenderness. He took hold of her icy palm and sent a gentle surge of spiritual energy into her.

"Ah!"

Completely taken aback by Nie Kong’s bold action in such a public place, Hua Mei gasped, quickly covering her mouth with her right hand to stifle any louder exclamation.

Her face instantly flushed like an overripe apple, intensely crimson. Hua Mei’s mind became a whirlwind, feeling as if countless gazes were fixed upon her. For a moment, even taking a step forward felt awkward and clumsy; she moved as if she were a marionette, being led entirely by Nie Kong’s grip.

After a considerable pause, Hua Mei’s agitation finally began to subside. She then became aware of a steady warmth flowing from Nie Kong’s palm, enveloping her in a cozy heat that completely banished the lingering chill. Hua Mei understood the reason behind his grasp; she stole a quick glance at him, her heart feeling sweet, yet tinged with a faint complaint: Uncle, I am your sister-in-law, how can you hold my hand like this and not let go?

Involuntarily, a sentence spoken by Mu Hongling suddenly echoed in Hua Mei’s mind: "If someone didn't know better, they’d think she wasn't your sister-in-law, but your wife..."

Mu Hongling’s casual remark always made Hua Mei’s heart leap like a startled deer whenever she recalled it. Previously, upon hearing that phrase in her thoughts, Hua Mei could immediately suppress the notion. But this time, the voice seemed to have taken root in her mind, reverberating relentlessly. The harder she tried to expel it, the more stubborn it became.

If only I had married not Nie Qiong, but...

Feeling the ceaseless warmth in his palm, Hua Mei couldn't help but sigh mournfully in her heart. Immediately, she was startled by her own audacious thought. A wave of intense shame made her cheeks burn and her breathing quicken; she nearly suffocated, her full chest rising and falling rapidly.

No reckless thoughts, no reckless thoughts...

He is Uncle, I am Sister-in-law. Later, when he marries and starts a family, I will have to look after his children—yes, look after his children... Hua Mei muttered incessantly in her mind. Yet, considering Nie Kong’s future marriage, a sense of panic seized her, making her fantasies even more uncontrollable. What if his wife resents me? Would I have to move out from under Uncle then? No, no... I must not think these things, must not think...

"Sister-in-law!"

A gentle voice sounded near her ear. Hua Mei thought Nie Kong had seen right through her thoughts, terrifying her so much her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She shook her head frantically like a rattle drum. "Uncle, I wasn't thinking anything bad, I wasn't, I wasn't..." Her words trailed off abruptly.

It was only then that Hua Mei realized Nie Kong had stopped walking at some point. A towering tavern stood before them—it was the Sihai Tower. Around the Sihai Tower were several small stalls, and she and Nie Kong were standing in the gap between two of them.

We arrived at the center of Jiyang City so quickly?

Hua Mei looked around, blinking her eyes foolishly...

"Sister-in-law, what weren't you thinking about?" Nie Kong released her small hand, set the sack on the ground, and asked with a smile while taking out the wood carvings.

"Nothing, nothing..."

Hua Mei’s face was flushed scarlet as she hastily waved her hands. Seeing that Nie Kong was merely asking casually and not pressing for details, Hua Mei let out a small sigh of relief.

Although the Thousand Spirit Medicine Convention had concluded, the number of Spirit Masters in Jiyang City had actually increased. Nie Kong chose this location to sell the carvings precisely because the Sihai Tower served as a gathering point for Spirit Masters. The carvings Hua Mei made depicted the Heavenly Spirit experts of the Dacheng Empire, and those who would buy them were almost exclusively Spirit Masters.

Using the sack as a mat on the ground, she neatly lined up the ten wood carvings.

"Fine carvings! Excellent craftsmanship! Young man, bringing your wife to set up shop, are you?" A middle-aged man selling beast hides about ten meters away called out, showing his yellowed teeth.

"No, no, I am his sister-in-law!" Hua Mei retorted, her face burning red.

"Ah, I see! I see!"

The middle-aged man paused, then let out a sly chuckle, winking suggestively at Nie Kong, conveying an ambiguous look of "You're quite capable, young man." Hua Mei could guess what sort of thoughts were running through the man's mind; feeling both ashamed and irritated, she pursed her lips and turned her face away to sulk quietly.

Nie Kong paid him no mind, smiling softly to Hua Mei, "Sister-in-law, don't be angry. The angrier you get, the more he'll push. Just pretend you didn't hear him."

"Mm."

Hua Mei nodded with a blush, about to say something more, when a young man passing by suddenly brightened, squatted down, picked up two carvings, and examined them back and forth with surprise. "Hey, aren't these sculptures of the Heavenly Spirit experts from our Dacheng Empire? How much are they?"

Seeing the young man's extremely luxurious attire, a glimmer of joy flickered in Hua Mei's beautiful eyes. She tentatively offered, "One... gold coin each..."

"One gold coin?"

The young man pouted, set the carvings down, and walked away. Hua Mei quickly called out, "Actually, we can go a little cheaper, eight silver coins each, or maybe seven silver coins..."

But the young man didn't even look back. Hua Mei couldn't help but pout, slumping her head down, utterly dejected. Seeing this, Nie Kong couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

"Uncle!"

Hua Mei shot Nie Kong a sidelong glance, chiding him softly, then continued in a pitiful tone, "Am I carving so poorly that no one will buy them even at this cheap price?" Before coming here, Hua Mei had been quite confident in her work, but that young man's dismissal had dealt her a heavy blow.

"No, it’s that man who has no taste," Nie Kong comforted her with a smile. Hua Mei softly murmured an "Oh," but remained somewhat dispirited.

After a while, another sturdy man with a thick, bushy beard stopped, exclaiming in admiration, "These wood carvings are incredible! So lifelike, you've even captured the aura of the Heavenly Spirit experts. I’ve seen many Spirit Masters skilled in carving who don't have this talent. Excellent! Young lady, how much for one?"

Hearing this, Hua Mei broke into a wide smile. Just as she was about to quote five silver coins, Nie Kong spoke before her, raising one finger high: "One hundred gold coins!"

Hua Mei gasped in shock and quickly tugged subtly at Nie Kong’s sleeve.

"One hundred gold coins? Hmm, that price... while a bit steep, I can still accept it. Eight hundred gold coins, I'll take all ten carvings!" The stout man laughed heartily and pulled a Spirit Card from his robe.

"Huh?"

It sold just like that? Hua Mei was momentarily stunned.

"Very well!"

As Nie Kong reached out to take the Spirit Card, two slender, beautiful jade-like fingers suddenly stretched across and pinched the card, tucking it back into the stout man's robe.

"You can let me have these carvings. All ten, for two thousand gold coins."

A crisp, melodious voice, like silver bells, rang out. The speaker was a young and stunning woman dressed in red, with a long, graceful figure that accentuated her exquisite curves...