books44 Chapter 266 [Empire] White Tuanzi's Hair
Chapter 266 [Empire] White Tuanzi's Hair
I walked silently down the street, my steps heavier than usual. Head bowed, I watched my shadow wavering on the ground, my thoughts drifting off to who knows where. Before I knew it, I had reached that familiar old street, the place Luo Xun had taken me to before—the barter market.
This place was completely different from the dangerous and cold atmosphere of the mercenary streets. People wore simple clothes, their expressions were calm, even a little numb, but there was a rare warmth in their eyes.
These people were likely ordinary people, unable to participate in the fighting, eking out a living through meager skills or cheap trades. Or perhaps they were the families of desperate criminals, the loved ones left behind, scraping together a living. The simple aroma of food wafted through the air, mixed with the stale smell of groceries, and the intermittent whispers of conversation in the streets and alleys, creating an atmosphere that gave me a sense of peace.
I walked slowly, unsure of what I could exchange for, or if this place would even offer me a chance to breathe. My hand instinctively reached for the space button I carried with me, trying to find something to use as a bargaining chip. But honestly, I didn't have much to offer.
I searched through the supplies in the space again and again, but couldn't find anything truly valuable. The berries of the combat plants must not be taken out. Not only might it cause unnecessary trouble, but I haven't even fully understood their uses yet, so exposing them easily would be too risky.
I continued searching, running my fingers across the inner wall of the space button, and finally pulled out a handful of thin radishes and a handful of hair from the white ball I had combed off earlier - the hair of the huge alien beast.
I looked down at the items in my hands and couldn't help but smile bitterly. The radish was the scraps of food I'd used to bribe White Tuanzi, and these fluffy white hairs were the ones I'd combed out whenever White Tuanzi curled up lazily and slept soundly. Judging by the quantity, I could barely call it a "good harvest."
Looking at the thing in my hand, I couldn't help but feel a bit amused. The thin radish could barely be considered an ingredient, but the handful of soft white hair looked like worthless waste.
"What can I get for all this?" I muttered to myself, gently picking up a handful of soft white hair. They felt warm and shiny, like some kind of luxury material, but who would be interested in them in a place like this?
Thinking of this, I sighed, but decided to give it a try.
It’s better than coming up empty-handed, right?
However, when I offered the radish in exchange, the expressions of the people around me suddenly changed. Their originally calm expressions were immediately replaced by panic. They screamed in fear and quickly retreated. Some even pulled their children away from me, as if they were avoiding something extremely dangerous.
At that moment, the once bustling streets became eerily quiet, with only the faintest rustling of voices remaining. People gathered in groups of two or three, gazing from afar at the thin radish in my hand, their eyes filled with wariness and caution, even a hint of anger and fear.
I was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously held the radish tighter. I looked around, but couldn't tell what they were afraid of.
"Hey... what's wrong with this thing?" I whispered, but no one answered. Their expressions looked like they were avoiding an unsolvable disaster, and I was clearly the center of it.
A thought flashed through my mind—perhaps these people weren't ignorant, ordinary people. At least they knew something I didn't. This thin carrot might be more than just an "ordinary exotic animal snack."
I sighed helplessly and put the carrot back into the space button, trying to appear harmless. By the time I put it away, the crowd's tension had eased slightly, but their complicated gazes were still fixed on me.
It seems that this street is not as simple as it seems.
I wandered the streets with the white balls of fur, visiting several shops, from ordinary groceries to exquisite tailors, but was rather disappointed. Whether it was the simple-looking shop owners or the fine-crafted tailors, they all showed little interest in the fur, some even shaking their heads in annoyance.
"This thing is useless." The owner of the first store waved his hand, without even looking at it twice, and turned around to organize his goods, too lazy to pay attention to me.
"It's quite soft, but who wants it?" The owner of the second tailor shop touched the white hair and then shook her head slightly. "It's so strong that even a needle can't penetrate it. It can't be made into cloth. You should take it back."
Then came the third, the fourth... no matter how I tried to introduce its advantages.
"This wool looks like a high-end material, but it's so strong that ordinary people can't use it," an old craftsman said with a frown, a hint of regret in his voice. "If you don't have the right tools, you can't even touch it. If you go to a professional modification workshop, maybe someone will be interested."
I pinched the white hair in my hand, and felt more and more depressed.
No one wanted to exchange even the simplest odds and ends, food.
I stared at the white hair in my hand and rubbed it hard with my fingertips. The hair was incredibly soft, yet had a vague toughness to it. I could even hear a slight friction sound.
They are so powerful that, if they were thick enough, they could become the strongest armor on a strange beast. Despite being soft and delicate, they are considered useless here. At this moment, I suddenly understood Bai Tuanzi's lazy yet rebellious attitude.
Just as I was about to put away the white fur and turn to leave, a voice came from behind me: "Hey, wait a minute."
I stopped, turned around, and saw a man who was obviously dressed as a mercenary.
He stood not far from the crowd, tall and sturdy, wearing somewhat worn but clearly durable gear. He carried a heavy weapon on his back, and a belt around his waist held a few miscellaneous tools. His eyes were the most striking thing: sharp and cautious, with the austere air of someone who had been wandering for years.
"Is that the fur of a strange beast?" He pointed at the fur of the white ball in my hand, his tone neither hurried nor slow, but he was obviously interested in it.
I was slightly stunned, and didn't rush to answer. I just nodded and said, "Yes, but no one likes it."
He took a few steps closer and held out his hand: "Let me see."
I hesitated for a moment, then handed the fur to him. He took it, rubbed it carefully with his fingertips, looked down at it for a moment, and then sneered softly: "It's indeed a good thing, of course ordinary people would not look down on it."
"Are you interested in this?" I raised my eyebrows and couldn't help asking.