Chapter 1077

Zhuang Ya nodded slightly with gratitude: "Thank you, Gu Qing."

"What's there to thank? No need. I'm going to stick the face mask on you now, close your eyes."

Soon, all four women were fully outfitted.

Inside was a full set of iron armor, wrapped on the outside with cloth.

A helmet on the head, a face mask on the face.

Like fugitives.

But this way it could completely cover their bodily features—quite perfect.

Zhao Chi said: "This time when we go out, I'll be inside Tang Ruan the whole way. You all just follow Tang Ruan."

Both Gu Qing and Tang Ruan were surprised.

Gu Qing couldn't help asking: "My lord, won't you be with me?"

Zhao Chi explained:

"Right now we don't know Shopkeeper Wanyan's situation, so I can't have you go directly to make contact with her.

"If she covets our techniques and tries to abduct you, that would be bad.

"Being inside Tang Ruan, I can be said to be commissioned by you, so in order to get the stockings, they probably won't do anything to Tang Ruan.

"Besides, Tang Ruan has the strongest defense, and going into a dangerous place still requires her abilities."

Gu Qing nodded: "Understood."

Tang Ruan said with some pride: "Alright, my lord, use me as you wish."

Gu Qing asked: "After we go out, do we need to keep our distance?"

Zhao Chi shook his head: "No need. After we go out, stay close behind Tang Ruan, and don't scatter. Once we reach the place, we'll separate, each taking a position, supporting one another."

Gu Qing and the others nodded one after another.

After giving some other instructions, Zhao Chi burrowed into Tang Ruan's body.

He separately cast the Encouragement Art and the Wind Cloud Step, buffing these women.

Then he clicked Teleport.

In an instant, everyone arrived at the merchant caravan station in Black Crystal Town.

Soldiers chatting nearby looked over alertly.

But seeing they had teleported from the territory, they didn't pay much attention and continued chatting and laughing.

Zhao Chi piloted Tang Ruan, charging all the way out to the street outside.

Tang Ruan and the others' physiques weren't as high as Zhao Chi's, but they all had the stockings' ultra-high movement speed boost, plus Zhao Chi's Wind Cloud Step's ultra-high movement speed boost, so their speed was actually much faster than Zhao Chi's.

Using Tang Ruan's thin voice, Zhao Chi said: "Stay close behind me, don't fall behind. But along the way you can browse the shops on both sides—once the matter is done, you can have a look around."

Gu Qing laughed: "Great, then we'll have to do some proper shopping."

The other women also nodded happily.

Over ten minutes later, the four pushed through the crowded throng, crossed several streets, and arrived outside the Ruby Exchange.

Zhao Chi immediately deployed them.

The women spread out.

If danger arose, they could immediately support from multiple angles.

But there probably wouldn't be any danger.

Zhao Chi piloted Tang Ruan, slowly walking into the Ruby Exchange.

Tang Ruan's getup drew some people's gazes, but this style of dress wasn't rare here either—those people merely glanced and turned back to their own business.

Zhao Chi walked straight to the consultation counter nearby.

The staff member sitting inside, upon seeing Tang Ruan, immediately sat up straight.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

Zhao Chi said: "I've come to find Shopkeeper Wanyan. Is she here?"

The staff member nodded: "Supervisor Yin is here. And you are?"

Supervisor Yin?

So Shopkeeper Wanyan's surname is Yin, full name Yin Wanyan?

Zhao Chi said: "Just say it's a commission from Miss Zhao Si, here to discuss business with her."

"Alright, please wait a moment."

The staff member went into the office area.

A moment later, a huge bang.

Boom!

Everyone turned their heads to look over there.

Zhao Chi's heart grew alert; he immediately turned around, ready to withdraw.

But immediately after, he saw Shopkeeper Wanyan come running out in click-clacking high heels, face full of joy, shrieking nonstop.

"Where is she? Where is she?"

Zhao Chi stopped his steps, realizing the sound just now had been Shopkeeper Wanyan bursting the door open.

Shopkeeper Wanyan rushed out, fixing her gaze on a richly dressed, rather elegant woman.

Then she swept past Tang Ruan, and said eagerly to that woman: "Ah, are you the one commissioned by Miss Zhao?"

That woman was startled, and asked in bewilderment: "Ah? What are you saying?"

Zhao Chi scratched Tang Ruan's head, but only scratched the iron helmet.

Only then did the staff member come out: "Supervisor Yin, it's this lady."

Shopkeeper Wanyan was a little embarrassed and hurriedly apologized to that woman.

Then she came over to Tang Ruan and apologized again.

"It's no problem." Zhao Chi shook his head.

Shopkeeper Wanyan was stunned for a moment: "Your voice really is young, truly a promising youth."

Zhao Chi smiled: "May we step aside to talk?"

Shopkeeper Wanyan affectionately took Tang Ruan's hand, not caring whether it was an iron gauntlet, and immediately laughed: "Of course, come to my office."

Zhao Chi said: "Let's skip the office, it's not much of a secret, I'd rather just chat briefly outside the door."

Shopkeeper Wanyan didn't insist either.

But she seemed very afraid Zhao Chi would run off, tightly gripping Tang Ruan's gauntlet, and walked outside with both tenderness and urgency.

Zhao Chi grabbed her hand in return.

He pulled her to the corner by the exchange's doorway.

This was the prearranged spot.

Gu Qing and the others could all see it.

Shopkeeper Wanyan looked around: "Right here? It's too crowded here, isn't it? My office has special tribute tea from the south, would you like to try some?"

Zhao Chi smiled: "I appreciate the kind offer, but I don't have much time, let's get straight to the point."

Shopkeeper Wanyan's expression hardened, and she quickly nodded: "No problem, how is Young Lady Zhao Si now? I'm truly happy to hear she's still alive, last time I thought she'd been captured by the nobles."

Zhao Chi nodded: "She's doing well."

Shopkeeper Wanyan sighed with emotion: "After that I never saw similar stockings anywhere in the whole Snow Plain City, I really thought Young Lady Zhao Si had met with misfortune. But just now when I was browsing the exchange's fashion section, I suddenly saw that kind of stockings, and I knew Young Lady Zhao Si had made them, so I bought them all."

It seemed the stockings at the Ruby Exchange really had all been bought by her.

Zhao Chi asked: "There should be a great deal of fashion items on the market, shouldn't there? Why do you like stockings so much? Is it a personal preference?"

Shopkeeper Wanyan gave a wry smile.

Then she sighed: "How could it be a personal preference... it's really because the stockings Young Lady Zhao Si makes are too special, the material is special, and the attributes are super strong. To tell you the truth, we've researched them for a long time and still couldn't figure it out."

"You even researched them?"

Shopkeeper Wanyan looked a little embarrassed.

"Yes, I invited several master-level tailors, but in the end they still couldn't produce the same result. We learned from dissecting Young Lady Zhao's stockings that spider-women or even spider-lady silk thread can replace mulberry silk, but the crafting difficulty is just too high."

The difficulty really was very high...

If Zhao Chi hadn't been able to see those grey words, he would have had a hard time making them too.

Even master-level craftsmen, in such a short time, couldn't possibly have figured it all out through trial and error.

After all, going from 0% to 100% involves many step-by-step changes, and a single mistake would have an impact.

Although these stockings aren't exactly profound technology, they still require time and investment.