Chapter 110: Misjudged

One of the slightly older-looking young females walked over and asked, "What does the customer need to buy?"

Lin Manzhi glanced around the hall, as large as a mall, filled with a dazzling array of stalls, and said, "I'm buying clothes; price is no issue. Choose the most comfortable ones for me. My two beast companions behind me each want two sets."

The female clerk instantly smiled, "Please follow us. Our clothes are on the fourth floor. The most suitable are the merfolk's shark silk, which blocks the sunlight and is especially fit for delicate female skin."

She said this while leading the three of them up to the fourth floor, finally bringing her to a shop behind the largest archway there, and took a long piece of fabric from behind the shelf:

"Please look at this shark silk. It has a white base with blue water patterns and can be tailored now into a comfortable short top and long skirt, with the remainder made into an outer robe. It's the dry‑season cool breeze favored by females these days…"

Just as Lin Manzhi reached out to take the clerk's recommended shark silk, a few female clerks outside the shop looked in.

"That female's outfit is way too shabby."

"Look at the two beast companions behind her; they're weak too. Can they afford shark silk? Sister Su is wasting her effort."

"I wouldn't bother attending to them; it's a waste of my time."

One of the slightly older clerks shot them a glare, "Stop loitering here. Go sort the containers, and don't judge people solely by their clothes in the future."

A large‑eyed female retorted, "Sister Li, we're just stating the facts. Look at those three; they're wearing junk worth a few hundred to a few thousand Beast Coins. They keep the outer robe on from head to toe after entering and even lug a big box in. Where could they afford shark silk priced in gold coins?"

Clerk Li frowned, "You guys are still too young and have seen too few Beastfolk. Look at the two beast companions behind her; their aura is perfectly restrained. In all the time you've been here, how many have you seen who can hide their aura as flawlessly as they do?"

The several females remained indifferent.

While they were talking, Clerk Su had already brought six pieces of shark silk out for Lin Manzhi.

Lin Manzhi didn't have time to wait for new garments, so she chose a set consisting of white and light blue, plus two black and two gray pieces.

As for Hua Zheng, who had been bustling around with her these past days, he didn't fall behind.

Mo Lie and Hua Zheng, with keen hearing, caught the conversation behind them clearly; Mo Lie coldly took out 100 gold coins from a wooden box and paid the whole amount on the spot.

Clerk Su was so pleased that his breathing quickened.

Each of the six shark‑silk sets cost over 160,000 Beast Coins, totaling about a million Beast Coins. This is what she sold, and she'll receive a good amount of reward later.

Facing such a wealthy client, Clerk Su immediately showed great enthusiasm, "We have pearls from the Sea Tribe, each bright and round. Paired with shark‑silk garments, they'll add extra beauty for you. Are you interested, sir?"

Lin Manzhi nodded at the mention of pearls, "Take me to see them."

Such Sea‑tribe jewelry arriving in the desert signifies rarity and value; the price is steep—a single pearl necklace costs 150,000 Beast Coins.

On the shelf were sets of two pearl bracelets, a necklace, earrings, and rings; the perfectly round pearls glowed a soft white, each about the size of a fingernail, priced at 1,200,000 Beast Coins.

Lin Manzhi had liked pearls in the modern world; now seeing ones that moved her and having the money, a million Beast Coins compared to the ten million she earned today was nothing—so she certainly took them.

Thinking about it, natural pearls are already pricey; even a large Australian white one is costly today, let alone here in the desert.

She promptly paid, and the three of them were led to the sixth‑floor fitting room to change. When they emerged, they had swapped their three ordinary linen outfits for light shark silk.

After putting it on, Lin Manzhi couldn't help but sigh, "Expensive truly has its reasons."

The white shark‑silk dress is very thin yet opaque, feeling like silk—smooth and cool. The outer robe adds almost no weight on the head, nor the stifling breath that covers the mouth and nose.

The three spent nearly two million, upgraded to VIP status, and were led by Clerk Su through an exclusive VIP passage out of the shop, disappearing into the crowd.

The other clerks were frustrated, recalling how steady the other's hand was when paying; feeling uneasy, they slipped back into the shop. They truly can't read people—several tens of thousands of Beast‑Coin reward gone, it hurt a bit.

Lin Manzhi had no idea she was still being despised.

She leisurely followed Mo Lie, planning to buy fresh meat next; after days of eating meat jerky, she craved fresh flesh.

Lin Manzhi told Mo Lie, and Hua Zheng, who had been listening, stepped forward. Familiar with the area, he took it upon himself to act as a guide, leading the two to the largest meat market in Kuangsha City.

That area belonged to the Bùlín of the South City district; the whole street surrounded a well where stalls were set up. Injured game littered the street, and fresh meat here cost ten times more than before, yet many Beastfolk still came to buy.

The three, now in new clothes, entered the market. Passersby who glanced at them, seeing her attire, immediately averted their gaze.

That outfit wasn't cheap; for a female to afford it, her beast companions must be strong, and they wouldn't cause trouble for her.

Along the way, the lingering stares that used to cling to her lessened, and she felt much more at ease walking.

She wasn't well‑versed in buying food, so she followed behind Mo Lie and let him choose.

Mo Lie brought her to a stall displaying injured exotic birds and said, "I want the lightest injured flying bird, no treatment needed."

Hmm, a bird? Seems felines all like to eat birds… Lin Manzhi thought with a smile.

The stall owner was a muscular strongman; upon seeing three lavishly dressed Beastfolk, his intention to overcharge vanished.

Here, one's attire sometimes reflects the displayed strength of the other.

He said earnestly, "This bird weighs about two hundred jin. We only managed to hunt it this morning; its wings are broken but it hasn't bled out and is still alive. The price is a bit high now… one costs 2 gold coins."

The price was indeed steep; this is a small exotic bird, ten times the previous price. Fresh meat that used to be ten Beast Coins per kilogram is now a hundred Beast Coins per kilogram here.

However, food in the dry season is already expensive, and meat jerky has also risen tenfold.

While Lin Manzhi was daydreaming, Mo Lie had finished the transaction with the stall owner, and Hua Zheng proactively took the bird's wing in his hand.