Xie Zhaofan clicked her tongue in secret amazement. It seemed she had still underestimated the value of rare medicinal materials in this world.
The fully formed Century-Old Spiritual Ginseng she had secretly eaten was likely even more precious than she had imagined.
She asked a few more probing questions and the answers she received were almost identical.
Money could indeed buy many things, but true heavenly treasures were not something that could be settled simply with wealth.
Status, connections, and luck—all were indispensable.
“I’ve troubled the shopkeeper,” Xie Zhaofan thanked him politely, but her mind was already calculating.
With Xie Chongshan’s status and network as the Prime Minister, if he truly set his mind to it, obtaining one or two rare spirit medicines shouldn't be completely impossible.
The problem was, on what grounds could she make her father do such a thing for her?
She couldn't exactly tell him that a strange system was hidden inside his daughter's body and that only century-old spirit medicines could grant her attribute points, could she?
By then, she would probably be locked up as a lunatic before the system could even upgrade.
Moreover, although Xie Chongshan held the noble rank of Duke and the position of Prime Minister, he wasn't the kind of wealthy tycoon with infinite riches. What was truly valuable about the Xie family was their power and status, not mountains of gold and silver.
It was simply impossible for him to use up personal favors and connections to beg people everywhere just because his daughter occasionally wanted a spirit medicine. Therefore, this path was essentially a dead end.
After leaving the pharmacy, Xie Zhaofan did not return to the residence. Instead, she instructed the driver to continue toward the west of the city.
She had another place she wanted to visit to try her luck—the Miscellaneous Market, the place with the most diverse and chaotic mix of people in the capital.
Unlike the regular market streets, which were orderly, this place was a gathering ground for people from all walks of life. All sorts of characters could be found here, and the goods sold at the stalls were even more varied.
From strange objects brought from foreign lands to antiques dug up from unknown corners, and even the rare treasures spoken of by those in the martial world—one could occasionally see them all here.
Of course, there were even more fakes.
Frauds and deceptions were almost the norm here, and there were even many items of unknown origin.
Therefore, people of true status in the capital were rarely willing to set foot in this place.
But this was exactly why Xie Zhaofan had come. Since she couldn't find anything in the regular pharmacies, she would come here to try her luck.
What if some novice who didn't recognize the value of their goods was holding a rare treasure and selling it as junk?
With the system in hand, she wasn't afraid of missing out at all.
Chunxing and the several estate guards following her were completely bewildered.
As the dignified Second Young Miss of the Prime Minister’s residence, why would she ignore all the prosperous and bustling places in the capital and choose to come to such a dilapidated place?
If she wanted to buy something, wouldn't people dare to bring it right to her face with just a word from the residence?
But none of them dared to speak out.
By now, the servants in the residence had already figured one thing out: although the Second Young Miss’s temper was much better than before, her actions remained extremely bizarre. It was best not to interfere casually.
Xie Zhaofan was naturally unaware of their thoughts; she herself was more repulsed by this place than anyone else.
As soon as she stepped into the market, she couldn't help but wrinkle her nose.
The ground was bumpy and uneven, and the air was filled with all sorts of strange smells. Nearby, vendors were shouting loudly, and if someone brushed past her, their clothes might even be stained with mud.
If the people around her wearing ancient costumes hadn't constantly reminded her of where she was, she might have momentarily wondered if she had walked into an extras' market at some movie studio.
“This place is way too filthy...” Xie Zhaofan muttered under her breath, then resignedly walked forward.
Since she had gone through the trouble of coming out, she couldn't go back without finding anything.
Her appearance quickly caught the attention of many people.
Although she wore a veiled hat that hid her full appearance, her graceful figure, exquisite clothing, and the obviously well-trained guards behind her all told everyone that she was definitely a noble of significant background.
Moreover, the calm and confident aura she carried while walking was not something an ordinary woman could possess.
Many vendors couldn't help but steal glances at her.
Some speculated which noble house she came from, while others secretly calculated whether they could make a fortune off this young miss.
Xie Zhaofan didn't care at all. She stopped and started along the way, her gaze constantly scanning the stalls one by one.
The system remained silent.
Nothing. Still nothing.
Seeing that her embroidered shoes were about to be soiled by the mud and water, she still had nothing to show for her trip.
However, she did buy a few interesting trinkets. One small wood-carved mechanical box was particularly ingenious. Liking how it looked, she bought it on a whim, intending to take it back and study it.
After wandering around for a while, Xie Zhaofan finally realized with disappointment that this place didn't seem as legendary or all-encompassing as she had heard.
“That guy Lu Cheng bragged so much back then; I thought there would be treasures everywhere here,” she couldn't help but complain in her heart.
That was right. The reason Xie Zhaofan knew about this place was that she had heard about it while chatting with Pei Shaohuai and Lu Cheng earlier.
The original soul had been deeply fascinated by it and always had the idea of coming to see it for herself.
It was only later, when Xie Jinyi was brought back, that all her attention was focused on jealousy and various self-destructive behaviors, causing her to completely push the thought to the back of her mind.
Now, she could be considered to have fulfilled a small wish for the original soul.
Just as she was preparing to leave, a fawning voice suddenly came from behind her.
“Young miss, please wait!”
Xie Zhaofan turned around and saw a thin, small young man quickly catching up.
Before he could get close, the two estate guards beside her naturally stepped forward to block him.
“What are you doing?”
The young man hurriedly stopped, a fawning smile squeezed onto his face.
“Please don't misunderstand, Young Miss. It’s just that I have some truly rare items in my hands, and I thought the young miss might be interested.”
Xie Zhaofan felt a spark of interest. “What items?”
“This...” The young man looked left and right, then lowered his voice. “Those items are not convenient to display here. If the young miss is interested, why not come to the side to take a look?”
Xie Zhaofan glanced in the direction he was pointing.
It was a slightly secluded corner of a wall. Although it wasn't a place of absolute safety, it wasn't far from the market's main street, and there were many people passing by.
After a quick calculation in her mind, she nodded.
“Fine, lead the way.”
The two guards immediately followed, walking in the front and keeping Xie Zhaofan protected in the middle.
Seeing this, the young man didn't dare to play any tricks and could only honestly lead the way.
When they reached the corner, he gestured inside. Soon, a man dressed in similarly tattered clothes walked out, holding a bundle wrapped in cloth.
The bundle looked like it had been used for many years, its edges worn white. The young man took it, placed it carefully on the ground, and then untied the knot.
The moment the cloth bundle was opened, a scent mixed with earth and rot wafted out.
Inside were several pieces of old jewelry and jade wares. Some of them still had dried mud clinging to their surfaces, clearly having been dug out from underground not long ago.
Rate on N.U.
