Chapter 8, Encountering the Morning Sun

Passing by a teahouse, I encountered a crowd of adults and children gathered around a street performer, who was showcasing their skills in the center of the street

Baiyun Tower could not help but express some sentiments, added a bit of reward money, and then went to find Uncle Li

As the ancient saying goes, if one cannot finish it, one should take it away. At Baiyun Tower, several cloth bags filled with various pastries were carried away, leaving one feeling quite satisfied

The young girl with the surname Xia waved her hand and said: "I was really hungry at the time, and when I saw the freshly steamed buns, I couldn't help but crave them. Bai Xiong, do you recognize this golden essence stone?" During our earlier conversation, I also learned Bai Yunlou's name and age.

Baiyun Tower secretly laughed to himself, claiming to be a person of the martial world, but at first glance, it was evident that he was a novice, completely unaware of everything. It was truly hard to imagine how he managed to arrive at this place.

This morning, I searched for a carriage heading in the same direction at the eastern end of the market, but after half a day, I had not encountered anyone willing to give me a ride. I was so hungry that I decided to exchange some gold ore for a few buns, and I was even chased down half the street by the bun shop assistant. Fortunately, I came across Baiyun Tower.

The girl in white, who claims her surname is Xia and her given name is Chaoyang, has just turned fifteen years old. She has come from the northern capital to attend Xingu Academy for her studies

I arrived at Zhao Family Gathering yesterday and could not resist the temptation of the delicious food, spending quite a bit of silver, and I exhausted my last bit of silver on lodging.

It is indeed a renowned large market within a radius of several dozen miles, even more bustling than the street market in Luoshu County

The boy who burst into the carriage was dressed in white, with large eyes and a delicate face, slightly chubby like a baby. He had half a bun stuffed in his mouth and stared blankly at the Baiyun Building, making a couple of muffled sounds but unable to speak.

Gold essence stone is relatively rare; incorporating a small amount into weapon forging can significantly enhance the strength and toughness of the weapon

However, Baiyun Tower did not expose him and asked, "Where are you headed, my friend? You can rest assured that these buns are safe to eat. If there is nothing else, I shall be on my way."

Recently, it has been quite peaceful for a while, and when the Baiyun Building suddenly arrived at this bustling market, it felt much more familiar.

The girl in white said, "Then let us be on our way. I am heading to Xinlu Academy, and since you are also going in this direction, please take me along for a while. We are all people of the Jianghu, so there should be no need for formalities." She casually pointed to the dragon scale sword at the waist of the White Cloud Tower.

Baiyun Tower also watched with great interest for a while, as an old man performed a juggling act with flying knives that drew applause from the audience. Five flying knives seemed to possess a spirit of their own, soaring up and down, without interfering with one another. In his astonishment, Baiyun Tower subtly activated his heavenly eye to investigate, but found no fluctuation of true energy from the old man; this technique was not a divine power, but merely a result of skillful hands.

In the dark passage of Baiyun Tower, I was inclined to be polite with you, yet you stubbornly refuse to get off the carriage. However, there are indeed some matters to discuss with this young lady, so let Uncle Li set the horse in motion.

Baiyun Tower waved his hand: "No hurry, let me finish this part."

Here, here. That fellow handed over a stone the size of an egg, casually took the copper coin that was passed over from the White Cloud Building, thanked and then left.

With the abundance of delicacies at present, one must indulge heartily. Having entered the Qi Condensation stage, it is indeed remarkable, as my appetite has significantly increased. Baiyun Tower has certainly enjoyed a feast, and it seems that the benefits of cultivation are numerous. I shall take my time to explore them further in the future

Looking at this ordinary stone, apart from being slightly heavy, there is nothing particularly special about it, no wonder the worker at the bun shop dared not take it

Baiyun Tower fell into a moment of silence

As Baiyun Tower turned its head, it saw a young boy with a flushed face, awkwardly looking at himself while holding two buns in one hand.

In the streets and alleys, the crowd is shoulder to shoulder; while tranquility certainly allows for peace of mind and body, this lively atmosphere can also relax the spirit

Baiyun Tower looked up at the young man in white, momentarily stunned. The youth was surrounded by a shimmering radiance, with a green object glowing on his chest. On his left wrist, there was a circular object emitting a spectrum of colors, and the short sword at his side also glimmered with a faint golden light. Even a white silk bundle that had been tossed aside was radiating light.

The young man in white quickly swallowed the bun in his mouth and said in a crisp voice: "Are their meat buns delicious?"

However, looking at the gold essence stones obtained from a few copper coins, Baiyun Tower remarked: "Exchanging these gold essence stones for a few buns is truly extravagant."

The carriage moved slowly when suddenly a sound of running footsteps came from the street outside. A white figure darted up to the carriage and deftly lowered the bamboo curtain.

At Baiyun Tower, with the ability to perceive through the heavenly eye, I focused my gaze on the stone, and faintly, a golden light flickered. I was ninety percent certain that this stone must be the Golden Essence Stone

This is a boy with a story

Baiyun Tower asked again: "Did you steal three meat buns? Did you throw a stone to pay the bill?"

That is not correct. At present, the Baiyun Building has opened the Heavenly Eye, and the spiritual perception has become much sharper. Looking at this young man, his demeanor, his movements, his facial features, it is evidently a woman. It turns out she is disguised as a man.

Look at the golden potstickers, listen to the sizzling beef pancakes, admire the translucent osmanthus jelly, and behold the steaming wonton stall; these are the flavors of a rich and fulfilling life

Holding this angular stone, it feels somewhat heavy in hand. I have previously seen records of gold essence stones in some strange object compilations.

The young girl with the surname Xia shook her head and said, "That won't do. This piece of gold essence stone was exchanged by you and that fellow, and it has already been of great help to me."

Uncle Li was still sitting in a corner of the teahouse, sipping tea and listening to the storyteller narrating tales. Upon seeing Baiyun Tower approaching, he stood up and asked, "Are you leaving now?"

Under the warm spring sun, the carriage quickened its pace and finally arrived at Zhao Family Village before noon

At this moment, the carriage suddenly came to a stop. Baiyun Tower leaned out slightly to listen and asked the young man: "Are you hungry? Out of money?"

"Jin Jing Shi?" Bai Yun Lou inquired, seeing the young man nod slightly, he called out to the front of the carriage: "Uncle Li, have the shop assistant come over for a moment." The young man in white shrank back slightly upon hearing this

The carriage set off again, and the Baiyun Tower rolled up the bamboo curtain, engaging in casual conversation with the young woman in white

Uncle Li settled the horse-drawn carriage in the backyard of a large teahouse at the west end of the market town, and then went to have tea and take a break

The young man in white nodded slightly

The bun shop assistant ran over upon hearing this, and Bai Yunlou took out a few copper coins and handed them over, saying: "Where is the stone?"

Baiyun Corridor: "I understand a little, however, this gold essence stone is quite rare, and I cannot take advantage of you for nothing. These bags contain pastries purchased from Zhao Family Gathering. If you are still hungry, you may have some. Additionally, if you do not have any silver, I can also give you some, so you can save your expenses; reaching the academy should not be a problem."

Upon exiting the tea house, Uncle Li took the horse-drawn carriage and set off. The Bamboo Curtain at Baiyun Tower rolled up at the rear of the carriage, as he sat at the back, leaning against the wall of the carriage.

As I leisurely stroll from West Street to East Street at Baiyun Tower, I cannot help but feel a sense of admiration; indeed, the old master sees through it all, and my own path truly lies beyond the Flowing Cloud Temple

Observing the bustling market, Baiyunlou contemplated that the next time he passed by Zhao Family Gathering, he must bring some pastries that his mother loves to eat

The young man said: "The silver is all spent, so I can only pay with gold essence stones. I am somewhat reluctant to do so, yet they still refuse to agree."