The Treasure Hunt

The days flowed by like water, and the relationships among the other three disciples of Bamboo Green Peak improved considerably.

Just as Luochen had anticipated, Su Yue proved quite easy to get along with once they became familiar with each other.

As for their Master, she had ceased directing hostility towards Chen Ruan after questioning Luochen that day.

Today happened to be a sect holiday, coinciding with the Lantern Festival (TL Note: A traditional Chinese festival celebrated with lanterns, often involving parades and street festivities) in the town below.

Luochen resolved to bring her fellow shut-ins, who rarely ventured out, down the mountain to experience the festive atmosphere.

Chang’an Street was bustling, teeming with tens of thousands of people.

Wisps of cooking smoke drifted from roadside eateries, carrying tantalizing aromas on the breeze.

The market-goers gathered in joyful throngs, their chatter, laughter, and playful shouts as incessant as the chirping of cicadas, while a kaleidoscopic array of goods lay spread on stalls for their perusal.

In the distance, impatient children had already begun releasing scattered sky lanterns, which ascended slowly, bearing aloft the people’s hopes for a bountiful harvest.

Passersby flowed ceaselessly along the street, yet upon seeing the quartet of Luochen and her companions, they invariably paused, a flicker of awe gracing their eyes.

Despite their admiration, not a single person dared to approach them.

Though all four had changed into mortal attire, the ethereal aura about their brows still betrayed their extraordinary nature.

“Let’s go eat first,” Luochen declared, brimming with excitement.

The Bamboo Green Peak squad had finally embarked on a collective outing.

They wandered for a while, eventually settling on a restaurant that appeared to be doing a brisk business.

“How does it taste?”

“I feel it’s not as good as… Senior Sister’s cooking,” Su Yue remarked, carefully swallowing her mouthful of food.

“Indeed.”

“It’s true.”

Chen Ruan and Zhu Qing chimed in, supporting her claim.

“Hahaha, really? I’m not that amazing, hahaha.

You’re making me quite embarrassed! Perhaps we should be a bit more low-key in the future.”

Observing Luochen, who was feigning modesty even as her metaphorical pigtails were soaring to the heavens, the three exchanged knowing smiles.

“Waiter, the bill!” After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Luochen called out to the server.

“Alright! Two pots of tea, five dishes, that’ll be three taels of silver.”

“Two pots?” Luochen recalled ordering only one.

“The customer in the green clothes ordered another pot.”

‘Their Master? The tea here does taste quite good.’

Luochen then leaned in and quietly asked, “Could you perhaps share the recipe for your tea…?”

“Absolutely not!” The waiter sternly refused.

“What kind of person do you take me for?”

Luochen subtly slid two silver coins across.

“It really won’t do, honored guest! This tea is our establishment’s signature blend; you’re putting me in a difficult position.”

Luochen slipped over a few more coins.

“Understood, understood! This way, honored guest,” the waiter said, his face now wreathed in smiles.

The four continued their leisurely stroll through the city.

“Senior Sister?”

“Sister Luo?”

“What is it?”

Chen Ruan and Su Yue spoke simultaneously, prompting Luochen to withdraw her gaze.

“Sister Luo, why have you been staring at these seemingly useless trinkets on the roadside stalls since we arrived?”

Luochen offered a profound smile.

“You are still too young, indeed.”

The two blinked, indicating their lack of comprehension.

Luochen continued, “According to the usual conventions, a protagonist is always bound to unearth some earth-shattering treasure amidst these humble street stalls.”

“Moreover, these stall owners typically demand exorbitant prices.

At that point, I’ll haggle them down fiercely, yet they’ll still feel like they’ve made a huge profit by selling the item to me.”

“Little do they know, I shall use these very treasures to ascend to the pinnacle of life.”

“Pfft.” Zhu Qing, who had been listening silently, suddenly burst out laughing.

“And have you found your treasure yet?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“I’m still looking, aren’t I?

I think this box looks quite promising, and hey, this comb also seems rather special.”

Luochen was utterly engrossed in her own artistic vision, oblivious to everything around her.

Zhu Qing sighed.

She had already swept the area with her divine sense (TL Note: A spiritual ability to perceive and scan surroundings), confirming there was nothing of value.

‘Never mind.

Since I spoil you so much, if there’s no treasure, I’ll just conjure one for you.’

A faint smile played on Zhu Qing’s lips as she snapped her fingers.

Not far from Luochen, a middle-aged woman suddenly materialized, seated at a stall.

This was, in fact, a spiritual energy avatar conjured by Zhu Qing.

Luochen quickly approached the avatar, her gaze fixed on the mere three items displayed on her stall.

“Shopkeeper, how do you sell your wares?”

“My items are only for those with destiny.

You and I share a connection, so each item is one hundred spirit stones.

You may only choose one.”

The stall owner, without lifting her head, replied languidly.

‘Quite expensive.’

Luochen sensed a profound mystery about this stall, so she crouched down to examine the items meticulously.

To the far left lay an unremarkable necklace, adorned with a butterfly-shaped pendant.

In the middle rested an ancient book, its pages yellowed and dog-eared, the script on them already somewhat difficult to decipher.

On the right was a mirror, shimmering with iridescent light, practically screaming “Choose me!”

Zhu Qing watched her with keen interest.

‘While the mirror was clearly a good item, the sword art recorded in the ancient book was far more precious.’

‘Since you enjoy playing treasure hunt games, I’m curious to see if you can find the real good stuff.’

‘As for that necklace, I just casually pulled it out of my spatial ring (TL Note: A magical storage item, typically worn as a ring) to make up the numbers.’

Just as Luochen opened her mouth to speak, the stall owner casually added, “No haggling.”

‘Alright, alright, so this is how we’re playing.’

‘One hundred spirit stones is no small sum; I need to choose carefully.’

So she continued to inquire, “What are the uses of these three items, respectively?”

“This mirror can help you gather ambient spiritual energy, and the ancient book records an unrivaled sword art.”

“As for the necklace, well… it can perform a single random teleportation when you encounter life-threatening danger.”

The stall owner made up a random explanation.

‘The spiritual energy around the mirror was indeed denser; that couldn’t be faked.

Had Sister Luo truly stumbled upon a destined opportunity?’ Chen Ruan pondered.

‘The characters in this ancient book exude a sword intent; it truly might be a powerful sword art,’ Su Yue murmured.

‘This gaudy, glittering thing is obviously a fake, specifically designed to deceive.

This ancient book looks genuinely old? No, this must be artificially aged.’

After recalling the web novels (TL Note: Online serialized fiction, often fantasy or cultivation-themed) she had read in her past life, Luochen realized that treasures unearthed by protagonists always shared one characteristic: they were inconspicuous.

‘Things too flashy or too ancient would have been bought long ago; how could they possibly wait for the protagonist to claim them?’

As the undisputed protagonist (self-proclaimed) of this world, Luochen felt she ought to follow the common transmigration trope.

With a decisive sweep of her hand, she picked up the necklace.

“I’ll take this one.”

Su Yue: ?

Chen Ruan: ??

Zhu Qing’s stall owner avatar: ???

Zhu Qing, contemplating what Luochen would choose: ????

The trio’s worldview shattered slightly.

“One hundred spirit stones.

Take it,” the stall owner said, waving her hand weakly.

“What’s wrong with you all?” Luochen asked, puzzled by the troubled expressions on the faces of the three behind her.

“Haha, nothing, nothing at all,” the three replied, forcing smiles.

After wandering for a while, Luochen failed to find any other targets worth pursuing.

As the four turned back, they discovered that the earlier stall owner’s setup had vanished.

“I knew it! That person was here to deliver an opportunity to me.

Once the opportunity was given, she left.”

Luochen was quite excited, confirming to herself that she indeed fit the protagonist archetype.

“I think she might have been exasperated into leaving,” Su Yue whispered in a corner where Luochen couldn’t hear.

“Agreed,” Chen Ruan echoed.

“It’s true.”

As the one directly involved, Zhu Qing, who felt like crying but had no tears, silently affirmed, ‘You truly understand me.’