128 Another Encounter with a Sucker

After Gofei explained the various grudges and conflicts on the continent to the four, he shifted the topic to the scroll. “Only the mages of Muol show any interest in studying these things. They excel in academia and like to compile every piece of knowledge thoroughly.”

“Unless you find a teacher fluent in both languages... I think there’s no quicker way than buying a scroll. Don’t count on the Kara people—they barely understand Eastern languages. Well, I admit bringing these scrolls was unwise this time. I forgot that the Eastern divine clan can’t read English, and the Karas aren’t interested in Muol’s people... These scrolls just won’t sell. I can offer you a deal: forty-eight magic stones. Please, in exchange for all the information I’ve shared, no more bargaining!”

Luo Yu and Qin Yue exchanged a glance. This guy was quite sincere. Forty-eight it is—after all, the four of them were wealthy enough.

Qin Yue replied calmly, “Thank you for the detailed explanation. We’ll take this scroll.”

Luo Yu accepted the scroll, and suddenly a small bag of holding appeared in his hand.

He squatted down, counting the spirit stones one by one on the stall’s cloth: “One, two... five...”

Gofei was momentarily stunned, then his eyes lit up brightly. Like a wolf starved for three days spotting a rabbit, he fixed his gaze on the sparkling stones, his face flushed red as he swallowed hard.

The other three silently watched him, their eyes full of pity. Being a wandering peddler wasn’t easy—making some money could excite someone so much. No wonder those who made a fortune were usually ruthless killers or thieves...

“...Forty-eight! Alright, the count is correct, right? Want to count again?” Luo Yu put away the bag and asked considerately.

“No, no! Absolutely right!” Gofei hurriedly swept the spirit stones into his belt pouch, eager. “Do you need anything else? Oh! Look, I have some unique items! Here’s a map of the continent! Essential for travelers—won’t you take one?”

Luo Yu nodded, “You have that? Yes, bring one!”

Once the ice was broken, the four crowded around the stall, picking and choosing. Gofei spoke eloquently, recommending everything with fervor, but unfortunately, none of his goods impressed the group much. In the end, apart from Luo Yu taking the map, only Bai Wuhuo bought a strangely shaped voodoo doll and promptly gifted it to Luo Li.

According to Gofei, each voodoo doll’s curse function varied—some negative, some positive, capable of bringing illness or disaster, or offering protection. The fox spirit bought it as a wish for love. Of course, a tiny voodoo doll’s confusing curse couldn’t affect a powerful demon like Luo Li. Bai Wuhuo was merely teasing her, and Luo Li, unbothered, laughed heartily before pinning the doll to her waist as an ornament.

After the transaction, Gofei courteously told the four that this place was called Shakama, a small town in the Kara Empire. The Kara capital, Lumadela, lay further north. He had planned to do business there, but the Karas suspected he was from Muol and refused him entry, so he tried his luck here instead. If the four intended to visit Lumadela, he believed they would be warmly welcomed—Karas had always been friendly towards the powerful Eastern divine clan.

Luo Yu was very intrigued by Kara civilization. They looked no different from ordinary people but skillfully wielded magic and supernatural materials. The four Nascent Soul cultivators had even been bested by a small-town gatekeeper’s bracelet... To hold a position on this continent filled with strong figures, they must be formidable.

The four decided to have a meal and spend the night in Shakama. While Bai Wuhuo worked on lifting the seal, they would learn the continent’s common language before setting off for Lumadela.

They said their friendly goodbyes to Gofei and leisurely crossed the square towards the city center. Gofei smiled warmly as he watched them go. As soon as their figures vanished around a street corner, he jumped three feet high, swiftly packed up his stall like a gust of wind sweeping fallen leaves, clutched his treasured spider, and darted away.

As they walked, the four studied the map. The shimmering map showed Shakama located in the continent’s far southwest. Not far from here, in the “Sea within the Sea,” lay a cluster of mermaid islands inhabited by some merfolk from Atlantis. There was a harbor there, a trading market between the Makas and the merfolk. The Makas provided the merfolk with needed goods, and in return, the merfolk supplied seafood.

Thus, Shakama’s seafood was unparalleled across the continent. The merfolk, blessed with unique conditions, knew the flavor of every sea creature. They selected the best seafood, which was inspected by royal purchasing officers stationed at the harbor, then swiftly transported to Lumadela as offerings for the empire’s emperor and nobility.

The four stared eagerly at the map’s vivid images of fresh, golden seafood, their mouths watering uncontrollably. Luo Li sniffed as if already smelling the fragrant, tempting aroma—so vivid it seemed to contain coconut milk, honey, and various spices, prepared in different styles—some sweet, some caramelized.

Luo Li gave her head a sharp shake. Was it a hallucination? As she pondered, Bai Wuhuo suddenly abandoned them and turned into a side alley, sniffing the air like a dog, confirming the direction. The three exchanged a glance and without hesitation followed.

They wandered through the streets and alleys for about ten minutes before finally finding the source of the aroma.

Before them was an open-air food street, yet it was remarkably clean and elegant, almost unreal. Rows of light coral-material booths stood with partitions carved to resemble ancient trees entwined with vines. The walls bore reliefs of Kara mythology. A spacious circular plaza was surrounded by Roman-style stone pillars supporting decorative arched roofs. From these arches hung many leafless plant tendrils emitting a blue-purple glow, like silk curtains. Nearby flowerbeds held unknown plants with large-bellied, narrow-mouthed flowers that inhaled and exhaled as if breathing, occasionally releasing a string of light spores wrapped in bubbles that shimmered with yellow-green ethereal light, drifting slowly like fireflies in the night sky.

At this time, the “sky” had darkened somewhat. The overhead barrier light screen displayed sunset hues as gorgeous as evening clouds, blurring whether it was the external sky’s light or the barrier mirroring outside changes.

The Karas, dressed in silk robes, ceased their academic discussions and sat in twos and threes at the booths, which quickly began filling up.

Luo Li didn’t hesitate and claimed a spacious spot, inviting the others to sit. They waited a long while but no one came to take their order. Luo Yu peeked out and realized these booths were public areas, operating on a semi-self-service model—patrons picked food at stalls, paid, then found a seat, much like KFC.

The four rushed to order together, unwilling to wait idly.

On the pristine white tablecloths lay exquisite silver trays, along with silver utensils shaped like tweezers and crystal goblets. Food vendors wore clean robes, expertly grilling tender seafood. Gem-encrusted spice boxes filled the nearby counters. Beside the stalls, vessels roughly crafted from giant clam shells held various live seafood: radiant sea shells brimming with spiritual energy, shimmering red shrimp, white crabs with pearl-like iridescent shells, and many strange, unnamable soft-bodied creatures.

After a strenuous communication effort, Luo Yu and the others finally ordered the dishes they desired, but when it came time to pay, trouble arose.

The vendor gestured repeatedly, cycling through all ten fingers, yet the four couldn’t grasp the exact price in magic stones.

They stared at each other, then at the vendor, before Qin Yue grew impatient, yanked out the bag of holding, turned it upside down, and let the spirit stones clatter down, piling into a small mound on the counter. Qin Yue said nothing, her gaze telling the vendor: take as many as you need.

The vendor stared blankly at the glittering pile while the surrounding patrons gawked. Under their watchful eyes, he hesitated, then reached out and picked up a single spirit stone. His gaze remained fixed on the pile, his fingers turning the stone over for a long moment before finally taking it.

Luo Yu was astonished. They had ordered a large amount—could it really cost just one spirit stone? That was ridiculously cheap.

But it wasn’t over. The vendor rummaged through his box for a while, then tossed five colored crystals onto the counter as change. They looked similar to spirit stones but showed only about one percent of the spiritual energy and radiated pure elemental attributes—these must be magic stones! Damn, they’d been taken for fools again! Were they too late to go back and confront Gofei?

Qin Yue silently gathered the spirit stones. Not only was their magic restrained here, but some unknown force severely blocked their divine senses. Probing even ten meters required immense effort, like rowing upstream, making it impossible to locate anyone.

Carrying their shining silver trays, they returned to the booth only to find their seats taken. Resigned, they ate leaning against a flowerbed in the open.

Though feeling like fools, the irresistible allure of delicious food soon healed their frustration.

The dome’s sunset blazed like fire, tinting the surroundings in rosy hues, with shades of purple deepening from one end of the “sky” to the other’s navy blue.

Luo Li, full and content, lay on the flowerbed, lazily poking at the flowers. Startled, the large-bellied blooms suddenly released a cloud of spores with a soft “pop” and shriveled back into their leaves.

The sparkling lights danced in the air, the scenery was beautiful, and the atmosphere relaxed. Luo Yu took out the scroll and called for everyone to learn “Kara” here.

The stammering recitations, mingled with laughter and occasional bright female voices, echoed along the lovely street on the night breeze.

Passing Karas watched the young Eastern divine clan with envy—none scorned their clumsy pronunciation. They knew that by dawn, these newcomers would speak fluent Kara, for the Eastern divine clan’s memory had once astonished the entire continent. They were the cherished favorites of the Creator God.

The tale of the loyal friends’ cultivation journey, Chapter 128: The Tale continues, free to read in full!