Mei Lin moved slowly between two slugs, scanning for items to conceal her identity. Spotting an old, rusted carriage selling raincoats and bamboo hats, she approached. After selecting one of each, she exchanged two low-grade spirit stones for the items. The elderly man who sold them appeared as a sve. He rarely had the opportunity to conduct transactions with cultivators, let alone receive payment in spirit stones. Hastily concealing the precious stones to safeguard them from potential theft, he promptly closed up shop, content with his unexpected fortune.

  As Mei Lin saw the scene before her, she remained silent, choosing not to voice her thoughts as she ventured into the inner part of the caravan, shielded by the wall formed by the slugs. Navigating the winding alleyways that snaked through the slums where the downtrodden sves eked out their existence, Mei Lin's senses were assailed by the overwhelming stench of decay and deprivation. Amidst the dipidated carriages and refuse-strewn streets, she found naught but the residue of forgotten dreams and shattered hopes.

  After thoroughly scouring her surroundings, Mei Lin finally approached the slug wall. Before entering through the designated point, she handed over one low-grade spirit stone as payment and was granted passage by the guards stationed there. Assuming she was a cultivator sve like themselves, they levied the charge without question. However, had she chosen to show them her entry token, they would have waived the fee.

  As Mei Lin stepped onto the slug wall, she entered a realm vastly different from the slums outside. Houses interconnected by bridges formed a network, facilitating seamless movement between them.

  Upon entering the first house, she noticed a special token positioned at the entrance. Utilizing her spirit sense to interact with it, Mei Lin discovered a detailed map of the house along with brief descriptions of its contents. Additionally, the token provided information regarding the house's position within the convoy, offering valuable insight into its yout and structure.

  The house Mei Lin entered turned out to be a bustling food market spanning three floors. On the first floor, designated for non-cultivators, ordinary food items were avaible for purchase using either gold or spirit stones. Moving up to the second floor, Mei Lin discovered a selection of food infused with natural energy, exclusively purchasable with spirit stones. Adjacent to this house stood a quaint tea house, offering a tranquil respite amidst the lively market atmosphere.

  As for the third floor, its specific offerings were not specified, but it was assumed to cater to cultivators, likely featuring specialized cuisine or services tailored to their unique needs and preferences.

  Mei Lin embarked on a leisurely exploration of the first floor, encountering a dazzling array of exotic fruits and vegetables she had never seen before. Impressed by their appearance and intrigued by their potential fvors, she decided to purchase some with her spirit stones. The fruits proved to be retively inexpensive, costing her approximately one low-grade stone for nearly twenty different fruits.

  Satisfied with her exploration of the first floor, Mei Lin made her way to the entrance of the second level. Presenting her token to the guard stationed there, she was granted passage to the less crowded second floor of the market. As she looked around if she found something good, many cultivators observed her with curiosity, though none dared to speak.

  Mei Lin's attention was captivated by a rge, vibrant red dragon fruit that stood out amidst the array of goods. After wandering around for a bit, she found your looking service attendant in a green cultivation robe, different from others, so everyone will notice her and approach to inquire about the price of the fruit.

  The young woman was pleased that someone was interested in the fruit, so she thought about it and decided to lower the price slightly because she was scared that Mei Lin would. Normally priced at ten low-grade spirit stones, she lowered it to nine. "Hello miss, this dragon fruit costs nine low-grade spirit stones and it is the st one here?"

  Mei Lin, not being familiar with the real price. "I will buy it," and immediately pulled out a ten spirit stone. However, before the attendant could process the transaction and give her spirit fruit, another young girl reached for it and took it off the shelf.

  The attendant started talking to her about the fruit that she just sold to Mei Lin, but the girl didn't listen to her and put the dragon fruit into her storage bag. "I already sold this fruit. Please let the fruit go and try to find another one, which you will like." The girl was already angry and started shouting at the shop attendant. "No way! I like to eat this fruit so I will buy it. Tell me the price so I will buy it." The girl was starting to get angry because she wanted to buy this fruit and give it to her mother. The shop attendant didn't give up so she started yelling at her once again. "Do you know who am I? I am Feng Xue." When the young attendant heard this name she let go of the fruit. She knew who was Feng Xue. She was the daughter of Feng Huayuan head of security in the caravan. Her cultivation was also higher than hers and she was not a shop owner so she couldn't cause trouble for the shop or herself.

  Immediately after she asked Feng Xue for a payment. When Feng Xue hears the prize, she starts getting even more angry. "You don't want to sell me this fruit and now you want me to pay for it? The one who will pay is the one who wanted it first." When the attendant heard it, she immediately turned pale. At this moment Mei Lin went to the attendant and asked him about her fruit. "Well, how should I tell you, the fruit is already sold, miss. You need to buy another fruit you want. I already gave you money for it," said Mei Lin, As Feng Xue heard it, she immediately accused Mei Lin that she stole the fruit and that she would not get it. "How can a sve like you buy this fruit? You are lying." Mei Lin start expining that she paid to the shop attendant.

  Amid the commotion, a few guards and Feng Lian, Xue's mother, entered the room. Feng Lian had initially tasked Feng Xue with purchasing the fruit for their celebration dinner. Despite their advanced cultivation levels, they occasionally shared a meal for the sake of rexation.

  Upon hearing Feng Xue's expnation, Feng Lian deduced that Xue had attempted to take the fruit without paying or something like that. However, rather than intervening herself, Feng Lian chose to remain passive, allowing Feng Xue to handle the situation on her own.

  After the argument, Mei Lin no longer desired the fruit and simply wanted her money back so she could leave. She decided to buy something else to eat from the first floor. "Then you can have it. I don't want this fruit anymore." Mei Lin didn't resist any further and began searching for other fruits.

  The young shop attendant went after Mei Lin and returned her money. However, when Feng Xue heard about this, she threw the dragon fruit, as big as a watermelon, at Mei Lin. Mei Lin didn't react in time, and the fruit hit her in the back, causing her to fall to the ground. The impact reopened her wound, and blood began to flow again.

  "You can have it!" Feng Xue started screaming at Mei Lin. Mei Lin didn't know what to do and began to stand up. "Why did you throw the fruit at me?" Feng Xue didn't say a word and started leaving the shop. The shop attendant tried to stop her because she hadn't been paid for the fruit. "You need to pay for the fruit before you leave." After she said that, Feng Xue turned around, and a small knife appeared in her hand. She sshed at the attendant, cutting off a few fingers from her hand. He started screaming in pain, and blood flowed from the severed fingers. The attendant screamed, and the guards immediately rushed forward. When they saw the blood, they prepared to fight. At this moment, Feng Lian stepped in. The guards recognized Feng Lian and didn't want to get involved.

  "That sve angered my daughter and tried to steal her spirit fruit!" Feng Lian was accused immediately, pointing at Mei Lin. Mei Lin saw that and was immediately furious. "What are you saying! I am not a sve!" Mei Lin's voice sliced through the tension like a sharpened bde, her words a defiant challenge that reverberated through the air. In the heat of the moment, fueled by anger, she directed her fury towards Feng Lian with unbridled ferocity.

  Feng Lian, her temper fring in response to Mei Lin's brazen outburst, surged forward with a primal instinct driving her actions. With a feral snarl, she seized hold of Mei Lin's raincoat, her fingers cwing at the fabric with unrestrained force. The sound of tearing fabric echoed in the shop, a harsh symphony of destruction as the raincoat surrendered to Feng Lian's relentless assault.

  In an instant, Mei Lin found herself tumbling to the ground, her form sprawled amidst the wreckage of her torn raincoat. With a sense of vulnerability id bare for all to see, her white hair cascaded around her shoulders in disarray, her cultivation robe left in tatters, a stark testament to the intensity of their confrontation.

  Mei Lin y exposed before Feng Lian, her defiance undiminished even in the face of her newfound vulnerability. With a defiant gre, she met Feng Lian's gaze, and her red sight was burned into Feng Lian's eyes.

  As Feng Lian saw her red eyes and lovely face covered in blood and dust she didn't know what to say.