Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1563 - 156: A Dream in a Yellow Millet

Chapter 1563: Chapter 156: A Dream in a Yellow Millet

"It’s better not to know things that shouldn’t be known," Cheng Ziang said.

"What do you mean? You’re not some kind of man-eating ghosts. Why say such scary things?" the girl muttered.

Cheng Ziang fell into silence, not responding to her. The girl tilted her head and stared at him for a while before she took the initiative to ask again: "By the way, my name is Ah Si. What’s your name?"

"Leon," Cheng Ziang answered slowly.

"Leon, don’t you have a last name?" Ah Si asked curiously.

"I am a foreigner. Do not measure me by the traditions of your Kyushu," Cheng Ziang said.

"Alright, Leon, right? And her?" Ah Si asked, pointing at Feng.

"You better not know her name, because she doesn’t like you," Cheng Ziang said after glancing at Feng.

"What’s that all about? I haven’t offended her, why is she mad at me?" Ah Si said with a sense of grievance.

"Because you two are simply not the same kind of people," Cheng Ziang coldly stated.

"Then forget it," Ah Si shrugged her shoulders, then looked at Cheng Ziang and said, "Hey, Leon, can’t you take off your mask?"

"No," Cheng Ziang answered succinctly.

"Why not?"

"No means no."

"Forget it then," Ah Si pouted, but soon returned to a smiling expression, "Hey, Leon, it’s still early, let’s go to Luo Yue Gathering."

"I’m not interested," Cheng Ziang flatly refused.

"Come on, I heard that Luo Yue Gathering has many foreign traders, it’s very lively. I wanted to go out of the city to take a look, but my parents said it’s smoggy there and won’t let me leave the city," Ah Si pleaded.

Cheng Ziang intended to refuse, but hearing that it was a crowded place, he thought it might be the best place to encounter that thief. Moreover, he could also take the chance to find the so-called know-it-all and clarify the strange things happening around him.

He just looked up and met Ah Si’s smiling eyes, which seemed to imply a conspiratorial plan, making him inexplicably annoyed as if everything was decided for him.

"I actually was planning to go to Luo Yue Gathering," Cheng Ziang glared at her and said reluctantly.

"Yes, yes, then it shouldn’t be a problem if I follow you there," the girl said with a knowing smile, happily asking.

Cheng Ziang ignored her and walked alone towards the city gate. Luo Yue Gathering was on their way into the city, so he knew the direction well.

"Hey, Leon, is this your first time coming to Lingyun Government?"

"Hey, are you really from the Demon Clan?"

"Hey, why did you come to Kyushu?"

"Hey, do you have other companions?"

"Hey, hey, hey!!!"

All the way, Ah Si kept asking questions like a curious baby. She appeared exceptionally lively, running back and forth between the stalls and Cheng Ziang.

Not sure if it was an illusion, but Cheng Ziang always felt her figure flickering, with only the crisp sound of the bell at her waist allowing him to pinpoint her location accurately.

Although Cheng Ziang did not answer any of her questions, she didn’t care at all, curiously looking at the stalls, then looking around everywhere, and tirelessly posing new questions to Cheng Ziang.

Cheng Ziang was almost driven to a breakdown by her, but for some reason, he couldn’t get angry at all. Ah Si gave him the impression of a young calf, being incredibly curious about everything in the world. Although annoyed, he simply couldn’t bring himself to scold her.

The group passed through the city gate and arrived at Luo Yue Gathering outside the city. The street appearance here was somewhat inferior to that within the city, with a dust-covered atmosphere. The dry mud road, repeatedly crushed by carts and horses, always caused clouds of dust with each passing breeze.

Although parts of the paths are paved with pebbles, dirt roads are the norm. Compared to the vendors inside the city, the vendors outside offer a more complex assortment of goods, ranging from Magic Crystal silk to basic agricultural and pastoral products—it truly includes everything one could need.

Setting up a stall at the Luo Yue Gathering does not require a stall fee, thereby naturally making it the ideal place for the impoverished to earn a living. Some stingy merchants also prefer not to pay an extra dime and would rather sell their precious goods brought from West Outer Heaven at the gathering, which further contributes to the bustling scene of the Luo Yue Gathering.

Ah Si didn’t mind the dusty streets, still running around enthusiastically. Cheng Ziang watched as her hem got covered in dust, inevitably frowning.

"This is a unique wild vegetable from our area, which can be ground into cornbread—it’s very filling..."

"This is fish from the nearby lake, very tasty, and such live fish are even more expensive..."

"And this, this, this is a type of small berry from the mountains, you can’t eat too much of it, otherwise, you won’t be able to defecate..."

"And this, these berries are unique to our area, soft and sticky with juice. High-quality ones are even offered as tribute to Shengyuan Prefecture, even Emperor Wu has praised them after tasting..."

Upon arriving at the Luo Yue Gathering, Ah Si shifted from her initially curious demeanor to enthusiastically introducing the various food products sold at the market stalls to Cheng Ziang, even spending her own money to buy some for them to try.

The currency used in transactions at the Luo Yue Gathering is primarily copper coins, though silver coins are also used for purchasing valuable goods, such as Magic Crystals or silk.

Ah Si, judging by her dress, does not seem like she is from a poor family, her family might barely be considered well-off. From the quality of her clothing, she should belong to a merchant family.

In Kyushu, the color of one’s clothing also corresponds to one’s social status. Official attire in the Imperial Court is primarily red and purple, with high status often described as "bright red and purple."

However, it should be noted that because Kyushu has unique dyeing and weaving techniques, purple can be easily synthesized, hence it holds an equal status to red here. Silver, on the other hand, truly signifies nobility, generally worn only by Emperor Wu or other highly prominent officials.

In Kyushu, only plain white and black are colors not restricted by social class, leading to the derivation of many light-colored garments. For instance, white with red, or white with green, etc., as long as the base color is still white, they are generally considered white and do not overstep boundaries.

After several interactions, Cheng Ziang gradually let down his guard against Ah Si, eventually not maintaining a stern face and remaining silent to her questions anymore. However, whenever it came to confidential issues, he would instantly become vigilant and close his mouth, not responding. Ah Si, realizing this, refrained from delving further.

The group did not return to the city until the sun was about to set in the afternoon, walking on streets where the crowd had thinned out. Ah Si took a deep breath and sincerely exclaimed, "Ah, I still prefer this quiet environment, with much fewer people around."

"If you don’t like crowded places, why did you insist on taking me to go shopping?" Cheng Ziang asked.

"Because you were there," Ah Si turned her head to look at him, smiling as she bid farewell, "Well, we part here after our agreeable encounter."

"You are leaving?" Cheng Ziang asked, slightly startled.

"Yes, thank you for accompanying me shopping. It’s been a long time since I’ve had contact with someone else like this." Ah Si shook her head, smiling wistfully.

"Are you from the city?" Cheng Ziang couldn’t help but ask.

"It’s better if you don’t ask."

"Why?"

"Because..." Ah Si said, looking up at the reddening sky, seeming to want to say something but then silently closed her mouth.

Ah Si just stood there quietly, waiting until Cheng Ziang and his group had walked away a distance before she suddenly called out to him.

"Hey, Leon, my name is Ah Si!" Ah Si suddenly shouted, while also picking up the strange pendant tied around her waist and shaking the bell on it.

"I know." Listening to the clear sound of the bell, Cheng Ziang turned and said.

"Then you must remember it," Ah Si said, again flashing a smile and continuing to shake the bell in her hand.

"I will," Cheng Ziang nodded, then slowly turned away.

"Actually, you won’t remember anything, but that’s alright, I will remember your name, even though I know it’s just an alias..."

At that moment, Ah Si’s profound words followed behind Cheng Ziang. He suddenly felt uneasy and turned around again.

To his utter shock, Ah Si had silently vanished from the spot, with no more lively bell sounds in the air, as if she had never existed at all, and everything was just his own illusion.