Before long, Yu Xiao found herself at the bustling Beiming Outbound Market.
"Where am I?" she muttered, still dazed as awareness slowly returned.
Earlier, she had been riding behind Xuelang Lingzu when the road unexpectedly forked into two diverging paths. They paused, deliberating over which route to take.
Just as she made her choice, a sudden light flared, and a shimmering, translucent portal materialised before her.
She urged Xuelang Lingzu to pull back and take the other path. The moment she stepped through the portal, a wave of dizziness washed over her, and everything went black. Now, her senses slowly returning, she found herself surrounded by the lively chatter of vendors and the vibrant chaos of a crowded market, stalls packed tightly side by side.
She gave herself a sharp slap, half-hoping to wake from a dream, but the sting in her cheek proved she was wide awake. Still unconvinced, she pinched her arm—again, pain bloomed, undeniable and real.
"This is really not a dream," she murmured, fingers trailing thoughtfully over the cool surface of the jade pendant Xue Wuya had given her. With deliberate care, she tied it securely around her waist, her thumb absently tracing the intricate carvings.
"Xue Wuya said his jade pendant could protect me from harm," she whispered, uncertainty flickering in her eyes, "but he never said it could lead me to the right path. Is this truly where I'm meant to be?"
A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she pressed her eyes shut, trying to ease the tension twisting inside.
"Forget it. Since we're here, we might as well do as we please."
As she spoke, a shimmer of translucent light blossomed in her palm, revealing a plain white face veil. She slipped it on, letting the fabric conceal her features. Moving with quiet purpose, she slid down from Xuelang Lingzu's back and gently smoothed its soft white fur.
"I'll summon you again later, giant wolf. For now, I need to look around and take my time," she murmured, giving a quick double clap. In an instant, Xuelang Lingzu vanished.
She spun in place, brows furrowed in concentration as she surveyed her new surroundings. "Xue Wuya told me I shouldn't be allowed to infiltrate the court's outer perimeter… but how am I supposed to know where that is?" she muttered, frustration flickering in her eyes.
"Hey, ma'am! Buy now!"
The shout came from an old vendor, who waved energetically as people hurried past his stall, hawking his wares with practised persistence.
Yu Xiao steadied herself and walked toward the old vendor.
He gazed at her intently, his eyes lingering on her face, or rather, the part visible beyond the veil.
"Ma'am... are you here to buy some merchandise? If so, you must be the luckiest customer to have found these things."
The old vendor's voice softened as he leaned closer, his gnarled fingers gesturing with the grace of someone who had spent decades selling treasures and trinkets.
"Ma'am… these eyes of yours," he said, almost reverently, "they carry the light of distant stars. Such a gaze has not graced this humble stall in many years. You must be the luckiest customer indeed—fate itself has guided you here."
Yu Xiao tilted her head slightly behind the veil; the thin fabric did little to hide the curiosity brightening her expression. She glanced at the display: bundles of faintly glowing spirit herbs tied with silver thread, small jade bottles pulsing with soft blue light, a few polished beast cores that shimmered like frozen moonlight, and—most eye-catching—a delicate silver hairpin shaped like a tiny phoenix feather, resting alone on a black velvet cushion.
The old man followed her gaze and smiled, revealing a few missing teeth.
"Ah, you noticed the finest piece first. This hairpin…"
He lifted it carefully between thumb and forefinger, letting the silver catch the pale lantern glow.
"Forged from a single feather shed by an ancient ice phoenix during the last great frost. Tempered for ninety-nine days in glacial spring water under the full moon. It is no ordinary ornament, ma'am."
He held it out toward her, close enough that she could feel a faint, cool hum emanating from the metal.
"Wear it, and it will quietly draw yin qi from the night air, nourishing your meridians while you sleep. It calms the heart, keeps minor heart demons at bay, and helps stabilise a still-forming foundation—especially for one whose qi flows… differently, as yours seems to."
Yu Xiao's fingers twitched at her side. She could feel the subtle resonance in her own qi sea—the way the hairpin seemed to answer the faint phoenix ember and lunar mercy cores within her.
The vendor's eyes gleamed with shrewd kindness.
"Normally, this old man asks one hundred and fifty mid-grade spirit stones. A fair price for such a rarity. But for you, little immortal lady…" He paused, as if weighing a decision he had already made.
"Eighty spirit stones. And I will include a small vial of Frost Lotus Dew—free of charge. One drop on the tongue before meditation, and your qi will flow smoother than mountain streams. A gift, because fate rarely sends customers like you."
He extended the hairpin a little further, the silver feather shimmering as though it were breathing.
"Buy now, ma'am. Treasures like this do not linger. The next passerby might claim it before you blink—and regret is a heavy burden to carry in a place like this."
Yu Xiao hesitated, her hand hovering near the jade pendant at her waist. Xue Wuya's protective charm felt warm against her skin, a quiet reminder that she was far from home, far from safety.
Yet something in the old man's words—and in the gentle pull of the hairpin—stirred a quiet resolve inside her.
She met his gaze through the veil, voice steady despite the uncertainty in her heart. "…How do I know it's real? That it won't harm me?"
The vendor chuckled softly, a dry, warm sound.
"A fair question, and a wise one. Touch it, ma'am. Feel for yourself. No poison, no curse—only pure yin essence from the heavens. This old man has lived long enough to know that some things are meant for certain souls… and this hairpin has waited a long time."
His eyes softened, almost grandfatherly.
"Take your time. But know this: in this market, good fortune rarely knocks twice."
Yu Xiao exhaled slowly, fingers brushing the cool silver of the hairpin.
For the first time since the portal swallowed her, she felt a small, tentative spark of possibility.
Perhaps… just perhaps… she had been led here for a reason after all.
Folding her arms, she let out a slow breath and nodded.
"I'll take them, but let me ask you one question first."
The old man's face turned serious.
"What is this place?"
He smiled at her.
"This is the Beiming Outbound Market, also known as the Black Market Enclaves," the old man explained.
"Outbound Market?" Yu Xiao repeated, her eyes widening in shock. "You mean, this market belongs to the Beiming external surface?"
The old man nodded silently.
"Is something wrong, ma'am?" the old man asked, concern flickering in his eyes.
Yu Xiao quickly composed herself, masking any trace of unease behind the calm poise of her expression.
"Nothing," she replied quickly. "Ah—I'll take both items." With a decisive motion, she placed eighty spirit stones in her palm and handed them over.
"Right away."
The old man nodded and began carefully packing the items for her.
"Here you are. Thank you for your patronage," he said, offering the bundled goods with a respectful bow.
"Think nothing of it," Yu Xiao responded, opening her palm to absorb the items she'd purchased.
The old man's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the translucent bloom flickering in Yu Xiao's palm.
"Ma'am, may I ask your name?" he inquired suddenly, his voice low and tinged with curiosity.
Yu Xiao's brows arched in surprise, her posture subtly tensing beneath her veil. "Sir... why do you ask?" she replied, a cautious note in her voice as she instinctively curled her fingers to hide the lingering glow.
The old man raised a gnarled finger, pointing steadily at her hand, his gaze sharp.
"That bloom..." he began, but his words trailed off, uncertainty shadowing his face.
"Hm?" Yu Xiao responded softly, tilting her head, her eyes watching him warily from behind the veil.
"It's not ordinary," he finished at last, suspicion and wonder mingling in his expression.
A reluctant smile tugged at Yu Xiao's lips—concealed by the veil, but unmistakable in the gentle crinkle of her eyes. Despite her unease, a spark of playful defiance shone through her guarded composure.
The old man let out a quiet breath, his gaze lingering on Yu Xiao's veiled features. "I can't even see your face," he said, a note of admiration threading through his voice, "but I can tell you are truly exceptional." His words carried a quiet conviction, eyes shining with both respect and a hint of awe.
Yu Xiao lowered her head, her lashes trembling as a faint flush crept up her cheeks. "I'm no exception, sir," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, carrying both humility and a trace of stubborn pride.
She pressed her lips together, uncertainty flickering in her eyes as she stole a glance at the old vendor from behind her veil. There was something about his words—both gentle and forceful—that lingered in the air, making her heart thrum with a mix of caution and curiosity.
The old man chuckled softly, the lines at the corners of his eyes deepening with warmth and amusement.
"I'm living for a thousand—no, seven thousand—years," he intoned, a wistful glimmer in his gaze. "Yet when I utter a word, not a single thing escapes its mark. Such is the weight of years and words."
Yu Xiao's eyes narrowed thoughtfully behind her veil. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, her voice low but unwavering.
The old vendor's gaze grew distant, an ancient weariness flickering across his features. "In the hidden realm, old realm, new realm," he replied, each word heavy with meaning. "The broken path must be repaired in the present. Fate threads through all worlds, yet only those who walk bravely can mend what has been lost."