Zhong Shenxiu showed no expression whatsoever, maintaining his usual leisurely demeanor. Wuchuan Menglixin Ya blinked in confusion, then immediately looked toward Zhong Shenxiu. As for Xialuo and the others, since they didn't know Cheri, they completely ignored her!

But Cheri, after being stunned for about twenty seconds, suddenly let out an exclamation and then clung to Angellia like a stubborn piece of dog skin plaster.

"Heavens, I'm not mistaken, are you really Angellia?" Cheri's tone still held a trace of disbelief.

She suddenly felt as if the world was incredibly small, never imagining she would run into an acquaintance in this place at this time.

"Uh!" Angellia nodded awkwardly, looking at Zhong Shenxiu with a very peculiar gaze.

Zhong Shenxiu, however, acted as if he hadn't seen Cheri and continued walking forward. Seeing that Zhong Shenxiu had no intention of stopping, Angellia had no choice but to follow.

Cheri wasn't angry at all; on the contrary, she followed along quite eagerly, bombarding Angellia with endless questions but daring not to speak to Zhong Shenxiu.

"Who are these two older sisters?" Cheri suddenly shifted her gaze to Xialuo and Kaini.

Since Xialuo couldn't make sense of the situation, she remained silent.

Kaini, however, seemed quite warm-hearted and gave Cheri a slight smile, saying, "Hello there."

Her smile was captivating enough to stir the emotions of even Cheri, a person of the same sex!

"H-hello!" Cheri replied, momentarily entranced.

"Are you Angellia's friend?" Kaini leaned closer.

Cheri glanced at Angellia, unsure how to answer. If they had to define their relationship, she and Angellia could only be called "fellow sufferers"!

Kaini didn't mind Cheri's lack of immediate reply and continued with a smile, "My name is Kaini. What's yours?"

"Che-Cheri!" Cheri answered quite self-consciously. This woman seemed to possess a kind of magic that compelled her to cooperate.

"Mmm, a very pleasant name," Kaini complimented, then added, "Cheri, what are you doing here?"

"I... my home is right here!" Cheri was nearly bewildered. This was the second time she had felt so flustered in front of someone! The first time was when she was with Zhong Shenxiu!

"Is that so? That's wonderful!" Kaini showed a delighted expression. "Could you be our guide?"

Cheri’s expression froze. Although she knew Kaini’s name, she became increasingly uncertain about this woman’s identity. Even more curious was the relationship between Kaini and Zhong Shenxiu?

"Oh," Cheri nodded softly, immediately shifting her gaze to Zhong Shenxiu’s face, as she wasn't sure if he approved!

Yet, Zhong Shenxiu remained impassive, as if he hadn't heard the conversation between Kaini and Cheri.

Seeing that Zhong Shenxiu hadn't objected, Cheri took it as tacit approval!

"Cheri, is there a weapon shop nearby?" Kaini asked again, her question being purely for Zhong Shenxiu's benefit.

"There is indeed one over there, but it isn't very large!" Cheri said, pointing her finger ahead.

Kaini smiled again. "Cheri, you seem very familiar with this city!"

"Not exactly!" Cheri replied somewhat sheepishly. "It’s just that my home isn't far from here, so I’m more familiar with the immediate vicinity. In truth, there are many places I haven't been to!"

"Then do you know which weapon shop here is the largest?" Kaini’s expression remained as friendly as ever, making it impossible to refuse!

"That..." Cheri’s pretty face flushed slightly. "Wait a moment, let me check the map." After saying that, she actually produced a detailed map of the city from her magic ring.

This map clearly marked all the famous shops, covering everything from food and lodging to entertainment and utilities—it was incredibly comprehensive!

Just as Cheri was staring intently, trying to find the location, Zhong Shenxiu's voice sounded right beside her: "Let me see it!"

Cheri visibly shuddered, nearly dropping the map she held. Staring into Zhong Shenxiu's deep eyes, she almost fainted. She never expected Zhong Shenxiu to initiate conversation with her; she had just been pondering how to greet him.

Zhong Shenxiu said nothing more, staring directly at Cheri, who had completely petrified and couldn't react.

Finally, Kaini smiled, took the map from Cheri's hand, and passed it to Zhong Shenxiu.

Zhong Shenxiu scanned the map with incredible speed, far surpassing the ability to grasp information at a glance. He had to admit, this city was larger than he had imagined, with a dazzling array of shops!

In about thirty seconds, Zhong Shenxiu had memorized the entire map, then casually handed it back to Kaini, who understood and returned it to Cheri.

And that foolish girl Cheri was still in that same dazed state! Speechless!

About fifteen minutes later, the group finally arrived at the nearest weapon shop. Looking up, they saw a striking sign: Iron Hammer Arms! To call this shop "not large," it was actually more than ten times bigger than the One Furnace Fire Armory they had visited before. This made one wonder about the actual scale of the larger weapon shops in this city?

Pushing the door open, they could see only a few customers inside browsing goods; business seemed sluggish. Perhaps it was because there were too many weapon shops in the city, and this one was the smallest, unable to compete with its rivals.

Two dwarves stood on either side of the interior, wearing rigid expressions, showing no enthusiasm to greet Zhong Shenxiu and his party upon their entry.

After Zhong Shenxiu’s group entered, the few existing customers also left in succession, none having purchased anything.

Zhong Shenxiu wasn't interested in the weapons or armor here; his focus was on the ores—that was what he needed!

So, he immediately deployed his mental waves, sweeping through every corner in a carpet search!

Just then, a series of sounds erupted—CRASH, CRACKLE, BANG—as if something had been knocked over onto the floor.

The group followed the sound and saw a dwarf lying on the ground, looking at Zhong Shenxiu and his party with an expression of sheer terror.

When Lis saw the person on the floor, his eyes widened with disbelief, and he exclaimed in shock, "Master Andrew, how could it be you?"

Indeed, the dwarf lying on the ground was Andrew, the owner of the "One Furnace Fire Armory"! Lis and the others likely guessed the reason for his shock.

Andrew was quite frustrated. That day, when he made a wager with Zhong Shenxiu, not only had Robin destroyed a large quantity of the swords he painstakingly forged, but he had also lost a considerable amount of ore! Because of that, he had closed his shop for a long time, only recently recovering his spirits, and had sworn never to make another wager with anyone!

This time, he came here as usual, just to procure some ore, intending to make a fresh start. But who would have thought that accursed fate would make him encounter Zhong Shenxiu and Robin again? How could this not shock him? His heart nearly stopped beating. The scene of Robin breaking his swords flashed through his mind once more!

How... how could these two little monsters be here?

Andrew lay on the ground, slow to rise, paying no mind to Lis’s surprise.

Perhaps alerted by the noise from outside, the owner of this shop, Yale, came out. He was also a dwarf, similar in height to Andrew, but visibly much older.

"Andrew, what happened to you?" Yale asked with concern. He and Andrew came from the same clan, both venturing into commerce to improve their livelihoods.

It was worth noting that the Dwarven race was divided into many clans, or tribes, which could be distinguished by differences in skin tone and certain physical features, despite their uniformly short stature.

Traditional dwarves disliked interacting with humans, often residing in remote mountain ranges, leading a life largely isolated from the outside world.

This trait shared a surprising similarity with the Elven race!

Dwarves from any clan were naturally geniuses at crafting artifacts; the weapons and armor they produced were not only exquisitely made but also of superior quality. Furthermore, due to the Dwarven race's inherent honesty and aversion to deceit, their products were highly favored and respected by humans.

Consequently, some dwarves hoping to better their lives would venture out to earn money through their craftsmanship.

At this moment, Andrew stood up with Yale’s help, but his eyes remained fixed on Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, as if the two radiated a powerful magnetic field!

Yale found this strange and followed Andrew’s gaze, becoming even more puzzled when he saw only two children.

However, Zhong Shenxiu never spared Andrew a glance.

The atmosphere became somewhat oppressive. Just as Yale was about to inquire what Zhong Shenxiu’s party wished to purchase, Zhong Shenxiu’s lips twitched, revealing a fleeting, almost non-existent smile.

He then turned towards Yale and Andrew, suddenly asking, "Who is the boss here?"

Hearing this, Andrew's expression changed, and his heart gave a jolt. He was about to warn Yale a few things but was a step too late.

"I am!" Yale replied calmly.

"Do you sell ores here?" Zhong Shenxiu’s tone was even flatter than Yale's.

"Yes!" Yale answered succinctly.

"Good!" Zhong Shenxiu was even more concise, and he began walking toward the inner room.

Xialuo and the others were thoroughly confused, unsure of Zhong Shenxiu's next move. Yet, Kaini maintained her previous smiling expression, showing not the slightest bit of surprise!

Watching Zhong Shenxiu and his group proceed into the back room, Yale and Andrew paused before following them.