Chapter 199: 195 Red Shoes

Facing Kelake's sudden mental breakdown, Li Jiahong's emotions did not change much; he had received too many guests like this, some even more exaggerated in their behavior than Kelake. Kelake was still barely maintaining a semblance of decency; at least his basic sanity remained.

"Don't be anxious," Li Jiahong patted the other's shoulder and comforted him, "Here, you are safe for the time being."

Under Li Jiahong's soothing, Kelake gradually calmed his emotions. Indeed, apart from the forbidden items everywhere, this place was unexpectedly "peaceful."

"Where... in the Gubao is this?" After calming down, Kelake analyzed his situation.

Li Jiahong told him this was the Forest Cabin; it did not exist anywhere, and only those who needed help and observed the cabin's existence could possibly come here.

Kelake was slightly silent. After hearing the other's words, his conclusion about this place was that it was not the Gubao; he might have stumbled into a place beyond reason.

"Can I still go out?" Kelake asked.

Li Jiahong chuckled: "As long as you don't do anything out of line here, you can come and go as you please; return to where you came from."

So... he would still return to that Gubao. Kelake felt heavy-hearted.

Kelake gritted his teeth: "If everything can really be sold here, is there anything that can help me escape my predicament?"

Li Jiahong had already roughly understood what had happened to the other party from Kelake's own words. He thought for a moment, but without a result, he took out a book from the counter drawer, a full half-meter thick, and then flipped through the catalog like checking a dictionary, saying as he did so: "Wait a moment, I will help you check what kind of product should be chosen for you."

Kelake glanced at the "menu" Li Jiahong was flipping through, only to find that he could not read or write the characters on it, as if he had suddenly lost this ability. But when he shifted his gaze away, he could understand other text in the shop, and just like before, those characters would automatically translate into the language he was most familiar with and could best understand. He could only secretly exclaim that it was incredible.

Li Jiahong did not take long to search through such a thick menu. He quickly selected a product for Kelake, then said, "Please wait a moment, I will fetch the item for you," and then pushed the movable library ladder to the second shelf on the left, taking down a pair of red shoes from the second row on the top.

Kelake also had some understanding of the culture of the Shenzhou Region. Red mostly represented auspiciousness and celebration, and red shoes generally appeared on those getting married. However, in the culture Kelake had learned since childhood, red represented bloodshed and omens, which was diametrically opposed to the concepts of the Shenzhou Region.

Perhaps because of this, when Kelake saw those red shoes, he actually felt a chill from them, like a poisonous snake crawling on his body, the cold aura invading his senses.

"What... is this?" Kelake nervously stared at the pair of red shoes Li Jiahong brought over. He was very sure that these shoes were not wedding shoes in the traditional sense of the Shenzhou Region. He had once had the fortune to attend a Chinese-style wedding; among the newlyweds, only the woman would wear red shoes, and wedding shoes should carry more festive elements, yet these beautiful red shoes were embroidered with white chrysanthemums.

In the Shenzhou Region, white chrysanthemums signify mourning for the deceased; they are "funeral flowers," not gifts for the living, and certainly not decorations to be casually embroidered on festive items.

"A pair of red shoes," Li Jiahong explained with a smile, "If you carry them, they will protect you along the way."

"Protect me?" Kelake's heart trembled, "How will they protect me?"

"It's hard to explain, but I think you will understand." Li Jiahong seemed not to know how to explain it either, so he turned to speak seriously and earnestly about the precautions for the red shoes, "By the way, there are a few important points I hope you will remember well."

"First point: after you kiss the shoes, you are the owner of the shoes. They will not be lost and will always follow you, like a shadow. From now on, when you walk alone on an empty road, you might hear a second set of footsteps, but you won't see anyone. Please don't worry, it's them." Li Jiahong lightly held up his index finger.

Then he slowly raised his middle finger, holding up a peace sign, and said: "Second point: when you think you are in danger, the shoes will protect you in their own way, leading you out of danger until you are safe. You can follow them with confidence."

"Third point: please do not put them on, and even more so, do not let others put them on. I don't know what will happen, but something that will make you regret it will definitely happen." Li Jiahong extended his ring finger.

"Fourth point: when you look down and see a pair of feet in the shoes, do not look up. Please stare at the shoes until she walks out of your line of sight."

"Fifth point, and the last point: it is not only people with feet who wear shoes." Li Jiahong opened his five fingers, finally finishing the five points of caution.

Kelake looked at the red shoes in Li Jiahong's hands, his Adam's apple moving violently up and down; he secretly swallowed his saliva.

"Did you remember?" Li Jiahong looked somewhat worried and said caringly, "If you didn't remember, I can say it again."

"Please do." Kelake nodded quickly, being very cautious about this matter.

Thus, Li Jiahong repeated the five taboos again.

Kelake listened with rapt attention, taking it to heart.

But just as he was about to pay, Kelake suddenly realized that he was penniless and had no money to pay, even though these red shoes, which revealed strangeness everywhere but were exceptionally exquisite, only cost 200 Shenzhou coins, far lower than their apparent craftsmanship value.

However, when he subconsciously touched his pocket, he found that he was actually carrying cash, and it was exactly 200 brand-new Shenzhou coins.

"H-how could this be..." Kelake was stunned. He didn't know where the money came from, but the red shoes were right in front of him; life was precious, and time waited for no one, so he didn't think too much and reluctantly paid the 200 Shenzhou coins.

After Li Jiahong smiled and accepted the money, he said: "Thank you for your patronage."

Kelake looked at the money being put into the cash register, was silent for a long while, and said: "After paying, what will happen to me?"

"You will receive a Blessing," Li Jiahong said softly.

As the bell hanging in front of the door shook and rang, Kelake also left the Forest Cabin. The clerks who did odd jobs all over the shop also gathered in front of the counter one after another.

"This foreigner is full of sins but doesn't know it," Wei Jiang said, taking off the Fire Token and Shackles clipped to his waist; the scorching blue and red light on both was slowly fading.

"Maybe it's a problem of a fragmented soul," Li Duojin said, leaning his waist against the counter. He looked at Chen Xiaolin to the side, who nodded; she had also felt the strangeness of the guest just now.

Li Jiahong smiled faintly: "No matter who it is, those who come are guests, and they must be treated equally. This is the rule set by Lin Laoban."