Chapter 52: Observations in the Trading Market

"Finally found it!" Mu Yi slowly raised his head, looking at the stall before him filled with all kinds of weapons and equipment.

The emblem of interlocking hammer and flame patterns hung on the signboard, its large characters written in various bizarre fonts.

"Iron and Fire Association Office!"

The Iron and Fire Association is one of the factions spontaneously formed on Zongwang, gathering craftsmen of all sizes; from deities down to apprentices, anyone can become a member.

It is a rather loose organization, but they take on equipment‑making jobs on Zongwang, turning various materials into useful gear, and are highly praised on Zongwang.

Behind the stall is a large table and a drowsy big‑bearded dwarf.

Mu Yi gently tapped the tabletop with his finger and asked, "I want to craft something!"

The previously drowsy big‑bearded dwarf lifted his head at an unhurried pace.

"Everyone comes to us to make things; what do you want to make?"

"A battle flag! Preferably a flag that can hold something like this!" Mu Yi pulled out a fragment of the Mountain God's scepter and placed it on the table.

"…" The big‑bearded dwarf gave a casual glance, then widened his eyes.

"A divine fragment? No, that's not right… Is this a Jiuzhou scepter fragment?" the dwarf examined carefully, quickly recalling relevant information.

"You're from Jiuzhou?" the dwarf exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes!" Mu Yi nodded.

"Do you have any other materials on you? Hand them over; your request isn't simple!" the dwarf seemed eager for Mu Yi to produce something special.

Mu Yi emptied all the materials from his body, including Mountain Lord's bones, teeth, and other items; the big‑bearded dwarf inspected them, then deflated like a punctured balloon.

"Everything except the mithril ore is junk; I thought you'd have some good material!" the dwarf lamented, wishing for Jiuzhou materials for forging.

It's a pity; it seems Mu Yi is just a rookie newcomer.

"Add these materials plus 100,000 Zongwang Disaster Coins, and we guarantee an epic‑level battle flag. Any special requirements for its abilities?" the dwarf sighed, speaking to Mu Yi in a businesslike tone.

"100,000?" Mu Yi's eye corner twitched.

"If we didn't have that mithril ore, it might cost 200,000!" the dwarf said casually.

"We can pay a one‑third deposit first! We can sign a Zongwang Agreement!"

Their payment, besides Zongwang Disaster Coins, is a portion of these precious ores.

"It must grant a wide‑area buff to allies!" Mu Yi said after a moment of silence, stating his requirement.

"Hmph, I knew it—Jiuzhou folk always ask for that!" the dwarf was not surprised at all by Mu Yi's request.

Mu Yi suddenly recalled Jiuzhou's reputation on Zongwang; no wonder many stared at him when he passed the Military Strategist district.

After signing a Zongwang‑approved contract with the big‑bearded dwarf, Mu Yi paid the deposit, placed the materials on the table, and turned to leave.

"A battle flag… another war‑crazy bunch of Military Strategists?" the dwarf muttered, watching Mu Yi's retreating back and rubbing his forehead.

The memory of that battle, when a god‑like monster smashed his forehead with a single spear, surged like a tide.

He once was a dwarf warrior, until he gave his all, then someone casually speared and shattered his brain.

Shaking his head, he brushed the tragic memory from his mind; that was his youth. Now he is merely a dwarf craftsman who loves forging.

"Hey! Take a look—those with money hold a money‑cup arena, those without hold a people‑cup arena!"

The familiar clamor made Mu Yi stop; the slogan's style sounded just like the circus acts he'd seen at fairs in his childhood.

Following the sound, he saw a girl with a distinctly Jiuzhou style, beating a bronze gong.

"Little sister just arrived at this precious land, showing off tricks and selling performances. Three melons, two dates—no shortage; a thousand gold tossed to show loyalty. No idle chatter, let me give you a signature act!"

"A place like this actually has circus acts?" Mu Yi found it absurd, yet looking around, many cat‑people and little sprites near the girl were also performing.

The girl's act was clearly inventive; beyond traditional feats like fire‑breathing, sword‑swallowing, bowl‑balancing, umbrella‑kicking, spear‑to‑throat, and smashing a big stone on her chest, she also seemed to have invented tricks such as catching a blade bare‑handed, eating noodles upside‑down, and brushing teeth while whistling.

The most surprising thing for Mu Yi was that he sensed murderous intent in those feats, implying the girl's usual combat style might be just like this, which explained why so many gathered to watch her.

Juggling is just for fun, but what truly matters is the information the girl reveals during her performance; after all, Jiuzhou is a hot topic on Zongwang now.

After the act, the girl cheerfully took out a box, awaiting the crowd's tips; giving tips for performances seems common across most cultures.

Yet compared to the tips, the girl seemed to enjoy the process itself, as if she loved performing with her whole being.

Mu Yi pinched his chin and tossed the ghostly wolf soul, which the big‑bearded dwarf didn't need, to the girl.

"Yo! Fellow countryman! Let's add each other as friends! More friends, more paths—when we're out, we must help each other!"

The girl gleefully sent Mu Yi a friend request.

"My name is Gui Naifen! Gui means a fine tree, Na means 'is', Fen means fragrance—sounds pleasant and easy to remember, right? I usually perform street acts here; feel free to come watch sometime~"

"I'm Mu Yi! Next time for sure!"

Mu Yi smiled and greeted; she was the first Jiuzhou person he'd met. They might not keep in touch, but at least they had a mutual fallback.

This feeling was odd; when traveling, meeting a fellow native always feels warm.

"You have added Gui Naifen as a friend!"

"Gui Naifen, Level 9 Artist!"

An Artist counts as a profession? Mu Yi looked curiously at the info displayed in the friend list.

"Come to think of it, should I level up my profession?"

Mu Yi glanced at his profession level; the bright '2' seemed glaring. The weekly Dungeon's level scales with his profession level, so perhaps he should upgrade.

Level 6 seems like a good choice?

He previously lowered his level to gather more resources, but now resources can't keep up with his strength.

Being able to easily slay a Level 5 secret‑realm boss, the Dragon‑Blooded Kobold, he truly reached the point to further advance himself.

Mu Yi opened the Zongwang Panel; he was about to leave:

"Leave the trading channel?"

"Yes."

"Transferring character to the Material Plane…"