In truth, there was indeed nothing of value to be found. At least, after a thorough browse, Bai Xia hadn’t encountered anything that even remotely piqued her interest. For one, she had no need for various materials. While she did spot a few pieces of equipment, their attributes were entirely lacking. As for skill scrolls, which interested her most, she hadn’t seen a single one from start to finish. Many individuals were peddling information, yet regrettably, few of them could be trusted.
After half an hour of idly wandering through the somewhat congested flow of people in the trading district, Bai Xia, having scrutinized almost every stall, shook her head, preparing to depart. There was no point in lingering; it would only be a waste of time.
Just then, however, her sharp eyes caught sight of an unusual stall. What made it so peculiar? While every other area teemed with people, this particular stall was conspicuously desolate. Amidst the dense crowd, it stood out, a stark anomaly.
Upon drawing closer, Bai Xia quickly understood the reason for its stark quietude. It was, quite plainly, an empty stall!
Only a woman, wearing a mask and seemingly the stall owner, sat there quietly reading a book. The ground stall before her was utterly bare. When the occasional curious passerby approached to strike up a conversation, only to receive no response, it was only natural that no one else would spare the place a second glance.
‘But could one truly concentrate on reading in such a bustling environment?’ Bai Xia felt a flicker of curiosity, and being somewhat bored, she didn’t mind exchanging a few words with the peculiar stall owner. Thus, she walked directly to the stall, bending down.
“Are you selling air here?”
The woman, whose entire face was obscured by a rabbit mask, offered no reply. It seemed her entire being was absorbed in the world within the book she held.
Receiving no response, Bai Xia didn’t particularly mind. Instead, her curiosity piqued, she shifted her position, eager to discern what could so enthrall this strange woman.
“Li Jiangang and Wang Erdan? What peculiar names,” she mused.
From Bai Xia’s vantage point, little was visible. Yet, the mere sight of those two names ignited a strong urge to complain within her, especially since ‘Li Jiangang’ seemed to be the female protagonist. ‘What kind of ridiculous novel is this? No, what on earth is this absurd thing doing in a game!’
Bai Xia was left speechless. Seeing that the woman had no intention of replying, she shook her head, preparing to leave. But just then…
“What do you think?”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s a novel my friend wrote.”
The woman, who had remained silent until now, suddenly looked up at Bai Xia, seemingly eager for her opinion.
Bai Xia paused for a few seconds before slowly asking, “Can people write novels *within* the game?”
While the method was certainly unconventional, the outcome proved largely similar, demonstrating that it was indeed possible.
The peculiar woman closed the hardcover book she held and stood up. After casually packing away her stall, she tilted her head at Bai Xia.
“So, what are your thoughts?”
“I’d suggest your friend change the names of the male and female leads.”
This reply seemed to catch the woman off guard for a moment. Then she suddenly chuckled.
“I actually think the names are quite good. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Seeing her extend a hand, Bai Xia hesitated slightly before shaking it. The woman then turned and walked towards the exit.
“Come with me.”
“Where are you going?”
Bai Xia felt utterly bewildered. Just as she was about to ask, the woman had already turned and was walking away. Unable to fathom what the woman was up to, Bai Xia hesitated for a moment before following her.
The two of them, one following the other, quickly exited the player trading district. Seeing no indication that she intended to stop, Bai Xia finally couldn’t help but ask, “Could you wait a moment? Where are you taking me?”
“Hmm?” The woman paused, then turned to look back, a hint of confusion in her posture. “Since you came to the player trading district, you were obviously hoping to unearth some valuable items, weren’t you? Of course, I’m taking you to see those good items now.”
“I was just bored.”
“It doesn’t matter. Meeting is destiny, and perhaps I truly do have something you need here?”
The charming rabbit mask obscured the woman’s face, preventing Bai Xia from discerning her expression. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop her from sensing a peculiar strangeness in the woman’s demeanor. ‘How to describe it? It felt as if… this person knew her? But that shouldn’t be possible. After all, her voice was utterly unfamiliar, and even after sifting through her memories, she couldn’t find anyone whose voice matched it. So what exactly was this person up to?’
“Fine, lead the way.”
After silently observing the woman before her for a long moment, Bai Xia finally nodded. ‘She was bored anyway; she might as well see what eccentric scheme this woman was concocting.’
Upon receiving her assent, the woman wasted no time. Leading Bai Xia out of the player trading district, they soon entered one of the most prosperous streets in the city center. She then pushed open the door of one of the houses.
Only upon stepping inside did Bai Xia realize this wasn’t an NPC’s abode, but a player’s residence!
“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.”
Once inside the house’s main hall, the woman removed her rabbit mask. It revealed a delicate yet unfamiliar face; Bai Xia was certain she didn’t know this person. As Bai Xia surveyed her surroundings, the woman returned, holding something. Spotting Bai Xia, she casually tossed it over. Bai Xia instinctively caught it, only to realize it was a short blade, about half an arm’s length.
[Heart Slayer]: Dagger, Rare Grade, Usable by Assassin-type professions Level 20 and above, Unidentified.
“…A Level 20 Rare dagger?”
Although it was still unidentified, preventing her from seeing its specific attributes, the grade and required level of the dark-red dagger in her hand still elicited a moment of surprise from Bai Xia. While the drop rate for weapons in the game wasn’t low, the drop rate for high-grade weapons was considerably scarce. Just as Bai Xia’s current weapon was still her upgraded Shadow Dagger, it was by no means an easy feat to continuously upgrade one’s weapon alongside level progression. To be honest, Bai Xia had long been ready to replace her weapon. Unfortunately, despite her decent luck, none of the high-grade weapons she had found were suitable for her. Furthermore, even if players did manage to acquire high-grade equipment, they typically kept it for themselves. This meant that even buying such items with money wasn’t guaranteed, and Bai Xia, of course, was unwilling to spend that much money anyway. Thus, for a suitable weapon to suddenly appear before her in this manner, her surprise was entirely understandable.
Yet…
“Is this how you typically engage in trade?”
Without immediately inquiring about the weapon’s price, Bai Xia’s gaze at the woman across the room held a subtle hint of strangeness. The woman, however, seemed unconcerned. She settled into a nearby chair, showing no apprehension about Bai Xia running off with the equipment. Only after pouring herself a cup of clear tea from the pot before her did she slowly speak.
“You are the first.”
“Huh?”
“You are the first outsider I’ve brought here. And this isn’t a transaction or a sale. My only intention was to find a worthy master for this ‘child’ – the dagger – and our meeting was merely a fortunate coincidence.”
Bai Xia gently placed the dagger on a side table, then sat opposite the woman, her eyes alight with interest.
“Then how do you know I’m not truly worthy of it?”
The woman didn’t reply directly. Instead, she opened her system interface and projected a video before Bai Xia. Then she looked up, a faint smile gracing her lips.
“Let’s reintroduce ourselves, then. It’s a pleasure to meet you… Bai Xia.”
Bai Xia narrowed her eyes, watching the video projected before her. It depicted the scene where she had instantly defeated Ai Ye. She hadn’t imagined it would be recorded and uploaded to the forums so swiftly, especially since the ‘loli’ tag seemed to have garnered considerable attention. Her attention then quickly shifted to the woman’s game name, which had finally appeared. It bore a remarkably concise, two-character name: Qian Luo.