The time slipped by in a rush, and in the blink of an eye, it was the hour of the official commencement of the "Magic Exchange Fair." Heaven above, the place was teeming with life! Lanterns and festive decorations adorned every corner, and mages dressed in every conceivable style of magic robe were a dime a dozen. The once spacious avenues were now utterly choked with crowds, the air filled with a cacophony of noise, yet every face was alight with excited joy!

This day was a grand festival for "Ivyburg." Nearly every formidable mage in the nation had gathered here, eager to exchange their experiences and insights regarding magic, thereby fostering mutual advancement. Moreover, they were also set to sell or trade any peculiar artifacts they had recently acquired!

Although the emergence of the "Dark Commerce Guild" had somewhat dimmed the luster of equipment crafted by the mages themselves, it did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm for exchange. In fact, sharing trade secrets on equipment crafting remained a favorite topic of conversation among mages!

Along the streets, countless stalls were set up. These were no mere petty vendors; some of the proprietors were renowned Archmages in their own right!

These stalls primarily served to attract like-minded individuals. For instance, one could inscribe their theories on a particular aspect of magic onto a conspicuous sign or canvas. When another mage expressed interest, they would pause to converse, a process that not only broadened one's perspective and ideas but also facilitated the making of many valuable friendships!

Of course, alongside these makeshift ground stalls, there were also houses serving the same function, rented out by mages in advance to secure a superior environment for interaction!

Establishments offering such venues included not only major hotels but also the great Magic and Martial Arts Academies, which dedicated space specifically for mage networking. Usually, these academies charged no fees for the use of these spaces during the Fair.

Thus, on this day, it wasn't just the nooks and crannies of "Ivyburg" that buzzed with activity; the major Magic and Martial Arts Academies also experienced a peak influx of visitors.

During the duration of the "Magic Exchange Fair," the curriculum across all academies was adjusted accordingly. Students had significantly reduced class time because this small "Magic Exchange Fair" presented a rare opportunity for them to broaden their horizons! If a student could receive guidance from a powerful mage, the benefits would be immeasurable—this was the very reason the school administration cooperated so actively with the Fair.

After finishing one morning lecture, Betty and her group had no further classes. It wasn't just their class; other grades were in the same situation. After the early morning study session, they were virtually free to roam.

On such a momentous day, it was hard for students to focus on lessons. Forcing them to stay in class was less beneficial than allowing them to gain real-world experience! Many students were facing graduation; such a festival would be rare to encounter within the academy again. At this moment, Amyreda, Betty, and Rosyell were standing at the main gate of the academy, eagerly looking out, seemingly waiting for someone!

"Honestly, I clearly agreed with my sister to arrive early today, why hasn't she shown up yet?" Amyreda pouted, muttering her complaint.

"Perhaps the roads are too congested with people," Betty murmured distractedly. (She’d heard of traffic jams, but never a ‘people jam’—a small shudder passed through her!)

Rosyell, standing nearby, remained silent. She hadn't spoken much since arriving, but her eyes kept drifting involuntarily towards the stream of people approaching.

She had only agreed to attend such a grand event after Amyreda and Betty had relentlessly persuaded her. Of course, she had another significant reason for consenting: she’d heard from Amyreda and Betty that those two little ones would also be coming. This was the primary motivation that kept her here.

Although she had painstakingly gathered a great deal of information about those two children from Amyreda and Betty over the past few days, the more she learned, the more mysterious those children seemed, and she herself felt inexplicably drawn, as if sinking into quicksand, desperate to uncover more about them!

After another twenty minutes or so, Rosyell suddenly whispered, "They're here."

Her vision was truly extraordinary. Amidst such a multitude, she had spotted Zhong Shenxiu and his party slowly making their way toward them. No wonder Elves excelled at archery; it must be closely linked to their exceptional visual nerves!

"Where? Where are they?" Amyreda and Betty both adopted the posture of monkeys gazing at the moon, craning their necks forward, yet they saw nothing.

Roughly five minutes later, the two finally spotted the familiar figures and rushed forward to meet them.

"Sister, why are you so slow?" Betty asked Angelhoa with a hint of complaint, though the tone was playfully affectionate, like a spoiled child.

Before Angelia could speak, Wu Feiyan, standing beside her, offered an apology. "I'm sorry! It was all my fault."

On their way over, someone had recognized her as Wu Feiyan from the "Wind and Snow Pavilion," immediately causing quite a stir. Everyone was eager to catch a glimpse of the beauty, questioning why Wu Feiyan hadn't played her zither these past few days. Many even extended immediate invitations to her!

In the end, if it hadn't been for Robin, the little ‘violent woman,’ clearing the path, they might still be stuck en route!

Typically, Wu Feiyan rarely attended gatherings of this magnitude. Even for routine outings, she preferred dusk or nighttime to avoid unnecessary attention. But things were different now; she and Yue Nongying had essentially pledged themselves to Zhong Shenxiu. Where they went was no longer up to them!

Despite a slight loss of personal freedom, the two women had saved their lives. More importantly, the sisters would no longer be separated. Moreover, Zhong Shenxiu didn't strike them as overtly lustful, so for the two women, this outcome was rather acceptable!

Amyreda blinked, looking at Wu Feiyan. She didn't quite grasp why Wu Feiyan was apologizing to her, so she asked curiously, "Sister Feiyan, how is this your fault?"

"Let's drop this topic, Amyreda. You haven't introduced us to the beauty standing next to you yet," Keni interjected with a smile. She always knew how to smooth things over for someone at the right moment.

"Ah! I almost forgot. This is our classmate, Betty's and mine, her name is Rosyell. Thanks to her help, Betty and I were able to settle into our new class life so quickly!" Amyreda finished, then introduced Keni and the others to Rosyell.

Rosyell gave a brief, symbolic nod to the group as a greeting, but her eyes kept darting toward Zhong Shenxiu, almost imperceptibly.

"Alright, let's head in now!" Keni suggested.

The "Dream Star Magic and Martial Arts Academy" was vast. For this "Magic Exchange Fair," it had set aside more than ten teaching buildings and numerous training grounds.

Considering order and security, the academy administration had deployed numerous service personnel—partly to cater to the arriving mages, and partly to maintain order at the venue! Zhong Shenxiu and his group walked slowly, only stopping when something piqued their interest.

As they walked, a somewhat familiar voice drifted into Zhong Shenxiu's ears.

"Everyone, come take a look! This is a brand-new product from the 'Dark Commerce Guild.' Its greatest feature is that it's detachable and can be self-assembled with various combinations, and the price is low!"

Following the sound, he saw a crowd gathered on an adjacent patch of ground, all discussing something animatedly.

Zhong Shenxiu smiled slightly. He remembered that voice; it belonged to the young man who had stopped him and Robin at the "Dark Commerce Guild" that other day. Judging by his current performance, the young man seemed quite capable at sales!

Driven by a sliver of curiosity, Zhong Shenxiu approached. By this time, the discussion among the onlookers was clearly audible.

"It's truly astonishing. The same magic staff gains different functions just by installing magic crystals of different attributes!"

"As expected of the 'Dark Commerce Guild.' Every product they release is mind-blowing!"

"This is fantastic! Now, ordinary folks like us can afford goods from the 'Dark Commerce Guild.' I happen to have a Wind attribute magic crystal; I can absolutely afford to buy just one of these staves on its own."

"Weisworth, save that magic bracer for me!"

"I want that magic robe!"

The clamor grew increasingly intense. The majority of these people were current academy students; many were even Weisworth’s classmates.

Weisworth, standing amidst the crowd, beamed. The reaction right from the start of his pitch was so strong. If he started selling immediately, the equipment he brought would surely sell out in an instant! This was directly tied to his performance metrics!

"Everyone, please don't rush! Although the supply here is limited, since the 'Dark Commerce Guild' has officially launched this product line, there won't just be this small batch. Everyone will get their share," Weisworth explained while signaling Feng Haotian, who was assisting him, to prepare.

Feng Haotian stood guard over the equipment with a vigilant expression; his main task was to prevent people from grabbing things in a frenzy. He had a good relationship with Weisworth, so he came to help; otherwise, Weisworth would never have managed alone.

Sales officially began. Despite Weisworth repeatedly shouting, "Don't grab, don't grab!" people still shoved and jostled. In just a few moments, half the merchandise was gone. A few minutes later, only a handful of components remained!

Such explosive business—selling out almost everything right at the start—indicated, from one angle, the booming success of the "Dark Commerce Guild," which allowed one to infer that Zhong Shenxiu's wealth had reached a level almost unimaginable to ordinary people!

Since the goods were gone, the onlookers gradually dispersed. Weisworth and Feng Haotian, busy tidying up their stall, finally noticed Zhong Shenxiu and his group.

"It's... you!" Weisworth stared, mouth agape, at Zhong Shenxiu and Robin.

"Sister!" Feng Haotian's voice cut off abruptly as he stared at his two beautiful sisters with utter disbelief. (To be continued)