The dumplings, small and white like little clouds, floated in a snowy white broth made from beef bones, topped with a sprinkle of vibrant green scallions. The aroma was irresistible.
The shopkeeper, still visibly angry, slammed the bowls onto the table in front of Yuan Zhong, his face sour as he turned and spoke warmly to Tan Yin: “You know this immortal? Miss Ji, you're such a good girl—don’t let this scoundrel of an immortal lead you astray!”
Yuan Zhong pretended to be deaf, too focused on his hunger. He grabbed one of the bowls and started devouring the dumplings. Between bites, he muttered under his breath, “The shopkeeper seems to know you well?”
As they had walked toward the dumpling shop, Yuan Zhong had noticed that many of the street vendors had greeted Tan Yin with warm smiles. How was it possible that this strange woman was so popular?
Tan Yin shook her head. “Not really. But I made some ‘Forgery Detection Mirrors’ and sold them to these shopkeepers. They seem to like them.”
Forgery Detection Mirrors… Yuan Zhong suddenly found the dumplings bitter and hard to swallow. So… that small mirror had been her creation! He should have guessed—such a ruthless tool could only have come from this maddening woman.
“One day, you're going to get dragged into an alley and beaten up,” Yuan Zhong grumbled bitterly. Being so easily exposed in front of mortals had thoroughly embarrassed him and tarnished the Fox Clan’s reputation.
“They’re just small-time business owners,” Tan Yin explained, seeing him wolf down a bowl of dumplings and eyeing the dumplings she’d ordered for the Jile Bird. She quickly pushed her untouched bowl toward him. “They get tricked with illusions and fake silver all the time. How else are they supposed to make a living?”
“You’re just too kind,” Yuan Zhong muttered sarcastically, slurping down the dumplings. Without even thanking her, he stood up to leave. Tan Yin hurriedly followed behind, and after only a few steps, he stopped abruptly, turning to glare at her. “Why are you still following me? What do you want?”
She didn’t answer, her beautiful face showing a look of hesitation. Her dark eyes darted back and forth, clearly struggling to come up with a convincing excuse. Yuan Zhong felt both irritated and helpless at her expression.
Idiot. Fool. She couldn’t even come up with a decent lie. To outsiders, it might look like he had done something terrible to her, like he was the one at fault.
“Is your name really Ji Tan Yin? Are you really a craftsman?” he asked, recalling how Lord Meishan had searched the Heavenly Book for ten days and still couldn’t find a match.
“Yes,” Tan Yin nodded without hesitation.
“Is this body yours? Did you take it from someone else?” Yuan Zhong continued walking, his tone casual, though the question caused a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
“…How did you know?”
Yuan Zhong smirked mockingly. “Because I’m not a fool. You’re using someone else’s body. Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?”
Tan Yin silently shook her head.
Fine, Yuan Zhong thought. Whether she was an enemy or something else, she was too foolish and naive to pose any real threat.
“You want to follow me? I eat a lot, you know,” Yuan Zhong said arrogantly, hands clasped behind his back, taking on the air of a spoiled heir of the Fox Clan. “I need fine clothes, gourmet food, and beautiful women. If you can’t afford to keep me, I’ll run.”
Tan Yin quickly opened her coin purse. In the past few days, her “Forgery Detection Mirrors” had sold like hotcakes, earning her a decent sum. Though she wasn’t sure how much his idea of “fine clothes, gourmet food, and beautiful women” would cost, as a craftsman from the Ji family, she’d never lacked money. As long as she had her hands, she wouldn’t starve.
“I have fifty taels of silver,” she reported honestly.
Yuan Zhong snatched the purse, weighed it, and tucked it into his robes with a sneer. “This is barely enough to feed my mount.”
“I can make more things to sell. They’re quite popular,” she said, confident in her skills.
Her serious expression made Yuan Zhong laugh. “Alright, let’s go.” He picked up the pace, walking so fast it seemed like the wind was at his heels.
Tan Yin hurried after him, half-running to keep up. She was both surprised and delighted—she could hardly believe he had agreed to let her follow. Nervously, she tugged at his sleeve and cautiously asked, “So… I can follow you now?”
Yuan Zhong grunted. “Aren’t you already following me?”
“Can I follow you all the time?”
“That depends on your behavior.”
The girl behind him suddenly went quiet, and for a while, she said nothing. When Yuan Zhong finally glanced back, he saw her face filled with gratitude, her eyes glistening with tears. He was startled by her expression. He’d seen countless beautiful women display a range of emotions—teasing, annoyance, laughter—but never had he seen one look at him with such heartfelt gratitude.
“Thank you,” Tan Yin said sincerely.
Yuan Zhong suddenly felt embarrassed, his face growing warm. He muttered awkwardly, “Alright, enough of that. Let’s go to the inn.”
Now that he had money again, he was determined to use it to settle the score with that arrogant innkeeper.
It was obvious that the news of Yuan Zhong using fake silver at the dumpling shop had spread around the area. When they arrived at the inn, the innkeeper examined the silver Yuan Zhong handed him from every angle using the Forgery Detection Mirror, flipping it over and over. Finally, still not completely convinced, he looked to Tan Yin and asked, “Miss Ji, are you sure this mirror won’t break?”
Yuan Zhong’s face turned green. He wanted to strangle the nosy girl.
“Stop making such dangerous things!” he scolded her as they climbed the stairs to their room. Without warning, he snatched her Qiankun bag. “I’ll be keeping this. If you need any materials, just ask me.”
In truth, he was curious to see what was inside. Asking Tan Yin about it had proven useless—she would only give him that dumb, annoying look. Since her identity remained a mystery, he decided to satisfy his curiosity by taking the bag for himself.
On the outside, the Qiankun bag seemed like nothing more than an old, ordinary leather pouch with gold stitching, the kind people used to carry loose change or small items. But when Yuan Zhong opened the bag’s drawstring, he was taken aback. Inside was a hidden world, vast and shadowy. The craftsmanship was so intricate, it was impossible to believe it had been made by mortal hands.
Yuan Zhong began pulling out various items from the Qiankun bag, one by one. First, he found several small mechanical birds with holes in their chests, likely the ones he had smashed that night. She hadn’t had time to repair them. Then came several bundles, containing clothes and everyday items, including bandages and medicine bottles. There were no strange or particularly unique objects—just regular things for daily use. The rest of the bag was filled with various materials, and at one point, he even pulled out a piece of golden-threaded nanmu wood.
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