As the Rulan Gathering drew near, Tianque City became even livelier than usual. Lanterns and colored streamers hung along both sides of the streets, and every kind of stall dazzled the eye: some sold celestial fruits and celestial wine, some sold celestial artifacts and celestial pills, some sold divine beast cubs, and others sold all manner of strange and curious trinkets. Hawking cries, haggling voices, and laughter mingled together, filling the air with a festive atmosphere.
Nine Clouds held Jiang Ping'an's arm, her beautiful eyes darting left and right, finding everything fresh and new. Though she was the Human Emperor's Daughter, born and raised in the Primal Beginning Realm, she had grown up in Human Emperor Cave and rarely had the chance to come out and play. The prosperity and exotic charm of Tianque City left her dazzled, her eyes unable to take it all in.
Black Emperor, meanwhile, sniffed east and nosed west all along the way, stopping from time to time to bargain with roadside peddlers. It took a fancy to a fist-sized piece of meteoric iron from beyond the heavens and stubbornly haggled it down from five thousand Source Crystals to three thousand, then carried it off in its mouth, smug and triumphant.
"Lord Dog's mouth was born for bargaining!" Black Emperor said, preening.
Jiang Ping'an laughed despite himself and did not bother with it, letting it wander on its own.
The three of them walked and played as they went, and before they knew it, they had arrived before a teahouse. The teahouse was called "Tingtao Pavilion." It stood three stories high, ancient in style and rich with antique charm. A banner hung at the entrance, inscribed with the words "Tianque's Number One Tea." From upstairs drifted the faint sound of strings and flutes, along with