Chapter 22: Whether It Is Suitable or Not Is Up to the Mouth to Decide.

Walking along the bustling commercial street, Lin Zhao browsed the surrounding shops from time to time, feeling as if he were wandering through the market district of an ancient city. Here, one could find every type of business: wine shops, pharmacies, barbers, clinics, equipment stores, weapon smiths, and general goods stores.

The storefronts shared a uniform aesthetic: simple cottages made of blue stone, bamboo doors, and dark, rustic banners hanging above, fluttering in the breeze. Inside, shelves were neatly stocked, with a simple counter at the back. The air was filled with the cacophony of haggling voices and the persistent cries of shop assistants.

After spending so much time in the desolate and eerie wasteland of the Monster Ruins, Lin Zhao was deeply moved to experience the warmth of human life once more. The lingering anxiety that he might be treated as "Tang Monk meat"—a prize to be consumed—gradually faded in this lively atmosphere. As a hatchling just out of his shell, he couldn't keep eating wild fruit in the wasteland forever; he would surely suffer from malnutrition.

"This Lord of the Di Kingdom is actually quite decent," Lin Zhao mused, feeling a growing sense of favor. "His subjects seem to live in peace and contentment."

"Him..." If Lin Zhao had praised another ruler, Ji Yaoguang could surely have listed a dozen flaws, but when it came to the Lord of the Di Kingdom, Ji Yaoguang shook his head. "Ah-Li—that is the Lord of the Di Kingdom—he is a good man in every respect, but his luck is truly wretched."

Under Lin Zhao’s inquisitive gaze, he briefly recounted: "The Lord of the Di Kingdom’s combat prowess ranks in the top ten of the entire Witch Kingdom. When he was young, he encountered the Black Tide of the wasteland; he and his younger brother were the only survivors of their entire clan. Later, he fought his way across the land to rebuild the Di Kingdom, only to face two more wasteland uprisings. His brother was critically wounded while defending the Great Wall during the second uprising. For years, he has not only had to govern the kingdom but has also incurred debts everywhere to procure medicine to keep his brother alive. Once, when he went to seek a cure from a Great Witch and couldn't afford the price, he carved out a piece of his own liver to trade for it."

Lin Zhao felt his scalp tingle just listening. "That is a miserable existence—he's practically soaking in bitterness. Can't you save his brother?"

Ji Yaoguang shook his head. "I cannot. The damage to Ah-Jin’s soul and spirit is too mysterious. The Lord of the Di Kingdom borrowed a Wood Heart from me to sustain him, but it was ineffective, and I have no better method. That is why, when I was exiled to the wasteland, I gave him all my wealth so he could settle his debts."

"To have that level of combat strength and still end up destitute due to illness..." Lin Zhao found the world far too dangerous, but he asked, "Do you think my powers could save him?"

Ji Yaoguang shook his head. "I don't know if it would work, but if you try to save him, I fear you yourself will be the one beyond saving!"

"Fair enough," Lin Zhao said, though it was merely a fleeting thought. "I'll listen to you."

Ji Yaoguang suddenly felt as if he were a tree bathed in sunlight, every leaf unfurling in the warmth.

Lin Zhao suddenly pointed. "Old Tree, what is that shop over there? Let’s go take a look."

Ji Yaoguang hesitated. "We don't have any money..."

"Can't we window-shop?" Lin Zhao asked earnestly. "Come now, how can a tree be so thin-skinned?"

"I am not thin-skinned..." Ji Yaoguang looked embarrassed.

"Your Majesty, the Azure Emperor of the East..."

"Say no more, say no more. I will accompany you."

...

Lin Zhao picked up a bone displayed in the shop. The store was filled with various bones—some were finger bones the size of water vats, others were skulls no bigger than a thumb. The only commonality was their terrifying prices: the cheapest started at five hundred gold shells, and the largest finger bone was marked at five hundred thousand gold.

"These are spirit bones containing sealed beast souls," Ji Yaoguang explained after a glance. "Most of these souls are captured by hunters beyond the Great Wall or harvested after armies slaughter monsters. They are the most vital materials for Witches to draw totems. Their power varies, and their prices naturally follow suit."

"How much would my Bo-Beast totem sell for here?" Lin Zhao asked curiously.

"The Bo is a spirit-beast totem, only bred within the Witch Kingdom. It starts at fifteen million," Ji Yaoguang said in a low voice. "And that is for an unpolluted totem that can be repeatedly subjugated."

Lin Zhao asked curiously, "What about that ghost mask of yours? How much is that worth?"

"That is a Nuo mask, a totem I crafted and nurtured myself," Ji Yaoguang smiled. "It is used to retrieve the souls of warriors who die in foreign lands after great battles, preventing them from being turned into ghouls by the Violet Sun. After sending them to the Nether Realm for rest, the residual ghostly will left behind serves as the foundation for the totem's growth. If one were to sell it, it would usually be purchased by the logistics department of an army of over two hundred thousand soldiers, for about one point two billion gold shells."

"These prices are outrageous!" Lin Zhao touched the pocket containing his remaining two hundred blue shells. "A big bowl of noodles only costs us ten blue shells!"

"This... I am not quite sure," Ji Yaoguang coughed lightly. "This is my first time coming to the border to earn money."

Or rather, given his previous status, he had never once crossed paths with ordinary people from the time he was born.

Lin Zhao understood this point, so he changed the subject. "By the way, can totems be crafted by oneself? And can they be gifted to others?"

"Of course," Ji Yaoguang smiled faintly. "Crafting and repairing totems is the most popular branch of the academic schools, with branches in every kingdom. The use of exotic beast totems was researched by them. However, this discipline requires extremely high aptitude, and the number of apprentices accepted each year is limited, but those who pass the entrance exams have boundless prospects."

The two watched for a while longer. The shops on the main street were indeed different; even though they spent a long time looking at the spirit bones without buying anything, no one drove them away.

Lin Zhao was like a curious child, wanting to visit every shop, touching everything, and asking for prices. Ji Yaoguang, initially embarrassed by his lack of money, became composed and calm, eventually becoming even more curious than Lin Zhao.

For instance, when they accidentally wandered into a shop that customized puppets, before he could even ask what those beautiful wooden puppets were for, Lin Zhao had already covered his eyes and dragged him away.

Along the way, some Witches looked at them with contempt as if they were "country bumpkins," but one of them didn't care at all, and the other didn't even notice.

Gradually, Lin Zhao realized that the vast majority of the shops belonged to "Witches." The materials, equipment, medical services, and even haircuts were all tailored for different types of Witches, or at least for apprentices. It made sense; the prices were simply not something an ordinary person could dream of, and a single slip of the hand could lead to bankruptcy.

After browsing for a long time, the novelty finally wore off. Lin Zhao instructed the Old Tree to prepare some fruit to sell in exchange for tonight's lodging. However, after circling the area, they couldn't find a single shop that bought fruit.

After walking through several streets, Ji Yaoguang realized, "The inner city is wealthy; Witches would have no use for such fruit. We should go to the civilian district!"

"Ah, is there a designated area for civilians?" Lin Zhao asked, surprised.

"Naturally," Ji Yaoguang explained. "Whenever Witches and ordinary people have even the slightest friction, it is the commoners who suffer. So, when cities are built, they try to separate the two."

Lin Zhao quickly stopped a passing youth and asked for directions to the civilian district.

The youth, who had a white rabbit totem crouching on his shoulder, was very helpful. "The civilian area? Head east for twenty miles, and you'll be there. It's perfect—today is the Spring Festival. If you go to the altar to sell fruit, they won't charge you a stall fee."

"Thank you!" Lin Zhao was delighted. He reached out, plucked a twig from Ji Yaoguang's head, turned it into an apple, and handed it to the youth.

"You're welcome." The youth smiled and took the apple.

He watched Lin Zhao and Ji Yaoguang walk away, then held the apple up to his shoulder, letting the little white rabbit take a bite before he took a second bite himself.

"That person... he looks a bit familiar..." the youth thought, then chuckled at his own absurdity. The Azure Emperor would never be wandering the streets of the Di Kingdom, selling fruit with a common low-level Witch... he must have been drinking some very potent fake wine to dream up such nonsense.

...

"A little white rabbit can be a totem?" Lin Zhao sighed as he walked. "The degradation of totems is far too severe."

"That is not a rabbit," Ji Yaoguang said, suppressing a laugh. "That is a Hou, a type of monster that feeds on flood dragons."

Lin Zhao immediately felt he had been reckless. "I'm glad I didn't try to pet that rabbit."

Ji Yaoguang didn't mind. "With me here, it would have bitten me first."

As they chatted and laughed, they headed east. According to Ji Yaoguang, the defensive line of the wasteland was primarily on the west side of the Di Kingdom, so the civilians lived in the far east.

Along the way, the quality of the shops and roads gradually declined, turning into two-lane roads and ordinary, old earthen houses. The people they passed were mostly commoners in rough hemp clothing, lacking any totems.

The two moved quickly. Before long, they heard a high, ethereal sacrificial song. The music was clear and limpid, like mist in the mountains, gently unfurling through the forest and soothing the hearts of every listener.

"That sounds wonderful." Lin Zhao followed the sound for a while until he reached a massive plaza.

In the center of the plaza stood a nine-tiered altar, with a roaring bonfire burning at its heart. A grand sacrifice was underway. On the top tier, two Witches wearing Nuo masks were draped in flowers and flames, dancing and singing to the gods.

On the seven tiers below, young men and women adorned with flowers knelt, raising their hands and joining their voices in praise of the Witch Gods.

On the ground level, many ordinary people without witch-power were dancing to the music, full of wild, untamed energy, quite unlike the numb workers they had encountered on the road earlier.

The surrounding stalls were already filled with various flowers, sacred tree branches, headpieces, and feathers.

"The Spring Festival is the day when young men and women pray to the gods and seek to unite in marriage," Ji Yaoguang said, setting down his basket. He pulled out a straw mat and laid out grapes, mulberries, peaches, oranges, and apples. "The sacrifice lasts for three days. During these three days, lovers exchange gifts and worship the Witch Gods, and they are blessed."

Lin Zhao looked at the youths in the plaza, noticing they were all quite young, most around fourteen or fifteen, and asked in confusion, "They are so young; if they get together now, won't they regret it later?"

"But wouldn't they regret it more if they let the opportunity pass?"

"That makes sense!" Lin Zhao nodded. "If it were me, regardless of whether it was a perfect match, I would at least have to take a bite to see."