Xie Zhaofan did not let being stopped mid-way by a monk who said a bunch of incomprehensible things dampen her interest in sightseeing.
As for that young monk named Liao Fan, though she felt he was clearly not simple, since he was already gone, there was no point in overthinking it.
Besides, she had official business today. Apart from getting some fresh air, she had to see if she could find any more treasures that could make the system light up.
So, she quickly tossed that little interlude to the back of her mind, wandered along the streets for a while, and finally found a small restaurant with local character.
The storefront wasn’t large, but the inside was kept very clean. Several wooden tables were neatly arranged, and the air was thick with the rich aroma of meat and spices.
The shopkeeper was so busy behind the counter that he barely had a moment to breathe, while several waiters shuttled back and forth with steaming dishes. Business was clearly booming.
The moment Xie Zhaofan stepped inside, the originally noisy restaurant fell silent for a brief moment.
After all, it was quite rare for a young lady dressed as a man to enter a shop to eat alone.
Although she had deliberately applied makeup today to look much more ordinary, her natural features were still there. Even if she intentionally lowered her gaze, she still possessed a clear and nimble temperament.
When paired with her moon-white men’s clothing and the folding fan in her hand, she didn't look like an ordinary man at all. Instead, she looked like a little beauty who had accidentally wandered into the mortal world.
A few young ladies who were eating couldn't help but steal several glances at her, and some even covered their mouths to hide their secret giggles.
Xie Zhaofan was long accustomed to this. Her skin was thick enough that she felt absolutely nothing. She generously found a seat by the window and ordered a table full of dishes that interested her.
The social atmosphere of the Great Zhou was much more open than she had imagined. While women still followed certain rules, they hadn't reached the point where they couldn't step outside the house.
Outside the capital, there were even many heroines of the martial world who wore fine clothes and rode swift horses with long swords at their waists. When they galloped through the streets, they were even more eye-catching than her low-tech cross-dressing.
It was only the capital that was special.
Being at the Emperor’s feet, the rules were naturally more numerous.
Furthermore, with Prince Qin's terrifying reputation, even martial world experts with real skills would mostly restrain themselves once they entered the capital, not daring to cause trouble easily.
After all, no matter how powerful someone was in the martial world, no one wanted to provoke a God of Slaughter like Prince Qin for no reason.
It was said that Prince Qin’s hidden guards were everywhere in the capital. Once someone was truly targeted, they might not even be able to escape if they tried.
As Xie Zhaofan thought of this, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Although her nominal brother-in-law had a cold personality and a cold face, his intimidation factor was certainly not an exaggeration.
At least so far on her outing, she hadn't encountered any truly ruthless characters who dared to stir up trouble on the streets.
Xie Zhaofan finished her meal with great satisfaction.
She leaned against the back of her chair and felt her completely unchanged tummy, once again marvelling at her system’s heaven-defying functions. Then, she fanned herself with her folding fan as she stood up to continue her stroll.
Her current Constitution was ridiculously strong. Forget this short distance—even if she were to run several laps around the capital, she likely wouldn't feel tired, nor did she need to worry about the scorching sun.
While others walked under the sun drenched in sweat, she remained refreshed, with not even a strand of hair out of place.
Her leisurely and carefree appearance actually became quite a striking sight on the street.
Xie Zhaofan didn't care what others thought and continued her search for treasures.
Unfortunately, after walking lap after lap, she still found no gains in the formal markets.
She couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Had her luck recently run dry?
After thinking it over, she suddenly remembered the place where she had found the Teal Jade Hairpin and the bronze ornament.
Although the environment of that Miscellaneous Market was truly not great and it was a mixed bag with all sorts of messy things, she had found two special items on her first visit. Among them, the Teal Jade Hairpin had allowed her to earn a large number of attribute points directly.
In a place like that, maybe some good things really were hidden.
At this thought, Xie Zhaofan immediately perked up. She stopped a passerby to ask for directions and soon arrived at that Miscellaneous Market once again.
The moment she stepped inside, the smile on her face stiffened. The familiar dirty, messy, and poor environment rushed at her.
Dilapidated wooden boxes were randomly piled by the roadside, and all sorts of copperware, ironware, and ceramics of unknown origin were mixed together. There was even sewage from god-knows-what on the ground, and the air was filled with an indescribable smell.
Xie Zhaofan suppressed the disgust in her heart, using her fan to gently fan herself as she carefully inspected the stalls.
The quality of the goods here really couldn't compare to the formal markets. Many things were clearly aged on purpose, and some people even started telling her about a broken bowl's hundreds of years of history right to her face.
Xie Zhaofan’s eyes twitched at the stories.
This felt just like a group of antique scammers suddenly mixing into a Blue Star vegetable market, with everyone treating their junk as an ancestral heirloom.
She endured the various forms of filth and mess, wandering back and forth through the entire market twice.
However, the system remained quiet. There was no blue light, no green light, and no prompts to move her heart.
It seemed she really had just gotten incredibly lucky last time.
Just as Xie Zhaofan was preparing to leave, her gaze suddenly shifted. She remembered the young man named Zhang Erniu.
If he hadn't taken the initiative to stop her that day, she wouldn't have discovered those items, let alone picked up that Top-grade Magic Tool.
Come to think of it, although that lad lived in a place like this to scrape by, he still had some sense of loyalty.
Thus, relying on her memory, she found the vicinity of the spot where Zhang Erniu had set up his stall that day.
Unfortunately, the person there had changed.
Xie Zhaofan looked around but didn't see Zhang Erniu anywhere. Just as she was about to find someone to ask, a young man proactively approached her.
“Is this young lady looking for someone?”
The man wasn't old, looking to be in his early twenties. His clothes weren't tattered, but he carried a thick street-smart air. His hair was messy, and his eyes revealed a hint of oiliness.
Xie Zhaofan glanced at him and asked directly, “Do you know Zhang Erniu? Did he not come to set up his stall today?”
The man had been smiling, but after hearing the name Zhang Erniu, his expression clearly changed.
“Zhang Erniu?”
He lowered his voice, looked left and right, and then said mysteriously, “Young lady, do you really not know?”
“Know what?”
“Zhang Erniu and his gang have met with great misfortune recently.”
As the man spoke, a hint of schadenfreude appeared on his face, mixed with a lingering fear.
“I heard they did something unscrupulous a while ago and seem to have provoked something unclean. Recently, several of their brothers have died one after another. Those who are left are all scared out of their wits.”
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhaofan’s eyebrows shot up.
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