The city wasn't as prosperous as one might imagine; in these times of turmoil, even the largest metropolises were littered with the starving, and there was no sanctuary from the endless conflict.

Ye Xiu was navigating such a place for the first time and paid little heed to anything else, focusing intently only on the steamed bun stall. Firstly, he was genuinely famished, and secondly, ancient buns seemed like they must be truly delicious.

“Do you have any money!” Ye Xiu nudged Hong'er’s arm, whispering urgently, “Quick, buy us some buns. You know I barely ate yesterday.”

“Money? This young lady never carries money. In Ghost Valley, eating never costs anything,” Hong'er stated with candid simplicity. “It’s been ages since I even saw currency.”

Ye Xiu nearly wept upon hearing this. He forced a smile. “Sister, you’re my elder sister. Without money, what are we supposed to do? Starve?”

“How should I know? You’re the man; you must figure out a way to earn some money to buy us food.” Hong'er lifted her chin, perfectly self-assured. “If you’re useless, don't bother being the Sect Master.”

“Fine! Now you remember I’m the Sect Master, but where was that support when I needed it? Let me think,” Ye Xiu grumbled, though he’d already conceived a plan to scrounge up some food. He’d overheard a merchant nearby selling horses, and they happened to have one—perhaps they could trade it for cash.

“Brother Horse, I apologize for this,” he murmured, taking the reins from Hong'er and walking toward the horse dealer.

“Greetings, good sir. I see you’re selling horses; do you perhaps accept them in trade?” Ye Xiu was not skilled in business negotiations, but the Ghost Valley Mind Arts offered some subtle advantage in human interaction; he merely paid close attention to the merchant’s words and actions as he spoke. “Just this one. Name your price, and I’ll hand it over.”

“Heh heh, looking to sell a horse, are we, brother?” The merchant was clearly a shrewd operator. His gaze lingered on Ye Xiu, though he glanced cautiously at the horse before shaking his head. “This thing of yours isn't much. Looks scrawny; it won't run very far.”

Ye Xiu had already noted the subtle maneuvering; this was clearly an attempt to undermine the customer’s confidence. These people were indeed sharp. “Just give me a price. I’d rather just be done with it than waste words.”

“Fifty coins!” The merchant clasped his hands together, looking ready to secure the deal. “That’s the state it’s in; I won’t say any more.”

“Hey!” Ye Xiu pulled Hong'er aside and asked quietly, “How many buns can fifty coins buy? What can we even manage with that?”

Hong'er glared, shaking her head violently. “What do I know? All I know is that buns at Ghost Valley are free!”

“Damn it!” Ye Xiu was speechless.

The merchant, who had been focused on the horse, was jolted by Hong'er’s vigorous head-shaking beside him. He realized with a shock that he’d stumbled upon an expert; lowballing this deal would be impossible. It truly was a fine horse; he could make a profit even buying it for five hundred coins.

“Well?” Ye Xiu was utterly defeated by Hong'er’s blissful ignorance. He couldn't very well ask the merchant, leaving him troubled.

“What’s the decision? Selling or not!” The merchant urged him on, but the certainty in his eyes had faded, making him seem less confident.

Observing this, and recalling how Mei Yi usually haggled with shopkeepers, Ye Xiu adopted an expression of deep worry and approached the merchant. “Fifty coins, that’s truly a bit…”

“Well? You think it’s too low?” The merchant was waiting for Ye Xiu’s reply. “Then I can add a little!”

“This fi…” Ye Xiu’s heart hammered; this was his first time negotiating alone with a vendor, and he was terribly nervous. While mumbling, he held out his palm, letting his five fingers flutter vaguely in the air.

“Five hundred coins! Deal?” Seeing Ye Xiu’s hesitation, the merchant feared losing the opportunity and immediately produced several strings of coins, shaking them in front of Ye Xiu.

“Six hundred, final price!” Ye Xiu declared firmly. He was going all in.

“That’s a bit high…” The merchant hesitated, rubbing the copper coins in his hand while his eyes darted around.

Suddenly, Hong'er drew her sharp sword and held it before the merchant, roaring, “This young lady doesn’t have boundless patience. Take it or leave it; if not, I won’t be polite…”

“Take it! Take it! Esteemed lady, please calm down.” The merchant pressed down on the sword with one hand while confirming, “Six hundred, I’ll take it for six hundred coins. Here, lady, take the money.”

“The horse is yours.” Hong'er smiled, taking the several strings of currency from the merchant’s hand. “I should have used this trick sooner. I could have gotten a thousand.”

Ye Xiu was utterly dumbfounded; this was outright strong-arm robbery. “Esteemed lady, you are truly formidable. From now on, I’ll rely on you for these situations.”

After walking a short distance, they encountered a building.

“There’s an inn here,” Ye Xiu muttered, starving, and worried Hong'er might run off with the money, abandoning him.

“Black Inn,” Hong'er murmured as she walked inside. “They certainly chose a fitting name.”

“What the hell, a black-market den, and it’s openly operating!” Ye Xiu found this unbelievable. The fact that such an establishment could operate so brazenly spoke volumes about how corrupt society must be.

“A guest arrives! Time to fleece them!” The young attendant at the door was clearly well-schooled, immediately wiping down a table for the pair and preparing to take their order.

“Waiter, let me ask, how much for a plate of Kung Pao Chicken?” Ye Xiu spoke, then immediately realized he’d mixed up the eras again, quickly correcting himself. “How much for a steamed bun, and how much for beef per jin?”

“Apologies, esteemed guest. Buns are two coins each, and beef is twenty coins per jin!” The attendant remained polite, smiling broadly. “How much would the two of you like?”

Hong'er became even more excited than Ye Xiu at these prices; six hundred coins apparently amounted to quite a lot of meals for them. “Wow, we have so much money!”

“I want beef, bring me two jin of beef!” How long had it been since Ye Xiu had tasted meat? He was desperately craving it. “It’s been ages since I had meat; back in Ghost Valley, we only ate vegetarian.”

“No need for that, waiter, just bring us a few plain steamed buns and a pot of tea. Nothing else!” Hong'er ordered, dismissing the attendant with a sharp glance. “Even though we’re out of Ghost Valley, we can’t break our rules. You are the Sect Master; you must set the example.”

“But I haven’t had…” Ye Xiu felt wronged. “What good is being Sect Master? I’m a solitary commander, unable to control anything.”

“Enough said. Look, the buns are here. Eat as much as you like! I’m treating today, no matter how many you eat.” Hong'er’s tactic was brilliant, instantly smothering Ye Xiu’s pathetic expression.

“Jeez!” Ye Xiu had no choice but to swallow his frustration with the buns. He promptly devoured ten, nearly terrifying Hong'er.

“You can eat that much?”

Ye Xiu glared at Hong'er and grinned. “You said I could eat as many buns as I wanted. Well, I can eat this much! Waiter, bring twenty more!”