Winterfire Hall (Seventh Update)

Winterfire Hall (Seventh Update)

"Hey! Did you hear? A mysterious shop seems to have opened on that street. Lots of people visit it every day. Should we go take a look?"

"What kind of shop? Why make it sound so mysterious?"

"What else could it be? Of course, that kind of thing. You'll know once you get there!"

Recently, rumors had apparently begun circulating outside Eastsea Academy about some mysterious shop opening.

But the problem was, there did not seem to be any shop around at all. That made many people curious. What exactly was going on?

As someone who lived in Eastsea City, Xie Xie was naturally interested in mysterious new things. So, one afternoon on a day off, he dragged Tang Wulin along to investigate.

"Xie Xie, what's so mysterious about this?"

"Of course it's something good!" Seeing Tang Wulin's blank expression, Xie Xie gave a mysterious smile. "You must have heard the rumors outside the academy. What do you think?"

"Uh... I don't know."

Tang Wulin had been immersed in cultivation lately and had not paid any attention to outside news. Even if he had known, he probably would not have cared. Right now, all he wanted was to cultivate. After all, he was someone aiming for Shrek Academy.

But Xie Xie was different. He practically dragged Tang Wulin out of the dormitory. "Look at you. Cultivating during school is one thing, but today is a day off! Don't tell me you planned to hole up in the dorm all day? Come on, get out here and take a walk!"

In the end, Tang Wulin could not withstand Xie Xie's relentless pestering and left the academy with him, but...

"Where are you two going?" As they were leaving through the academy gates, they ran into Liu Ying, who was returning from outside.

"It's a secret between men..." Xie Xie clearly had no intention of explaining. He directly pulled Tang Wulin away from Eastsea Academy.

Watching the two sneak around, Liu Ying wore a strange expression. They were roommates, but were they not a little too close? Could it be that since Gu Yue had not come here, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie had gotten together?

Ever since Na'er discovered that the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest had disappeared, Yao Lan had guessed that Gu Yue might have gone somewhere else and would not come to Eastsea.

The facts proved his guess correct. Gu Yue had vanished without a trace, and many of Tang Wulin and Gu Yue's interactions from the original story had disappeared... but he should not have gotten together with Xie Xie either, right?

Feeling that something was strange, Liu Ying decided that she needed to follow those two odd fellows and see what they were really planning to do.

Thus, the three of them secretly left Eastsea Academy and headed toward the mysterious place Xie Xie had mentioned. Little did they know, their movements had also been spotted by an icy-blue figure...

"Xie Xie, this is the place you meant?"

"Of course it is. Hide first!"

At a corner by a wall, Xie Xie and Tang Wulin poked their heads out and observed the mysterious shop. Tang Wulin, who had not been interested in the matter before, suddenly became intrigued as well, because he noticed something very strange.

Although the shop looked quite large, all its doors and windows were shut. The only open entrance was the front door, but it was covered by a huge black curtain, making it impossible to see inside.

"Look! Someone's coming over there!"

"Why are they all men?"

As Xie Xie and Tang Wulin watched, several figures approached from the distance. Each wore a kind of smile that... Tang Wulin completely failed to understand. Then they walked straight into the shop.

A few minutes later, nearly every one of them came out looking thoroughly satisfied, making Xie Xie and Tang Wulin even more curious.

"What was with those expressions? Why did they change after coming out?"

"And what exactly are they selling in there?"

A string of questions surfaced in their minds. Now that the seeds of curiosity had been planted, they were bound to take root and sprout.

"What they sell? Why not go in together and find out? You have to try everything. How can you discover the truth if you never try?" After watching outside for so long and learning nothing, the two finally decided to go inside and investigate.

So Xie Xie pulled Tang Wulin directly to the shop's entrance. Only then did they clearly see the small line of words above the store...

"Winterfire Hall? What does this place sell?"

Though they now knew its name, they obviously could not tell what the shop sold from that alone. They still had to find out firsthand!

"Wulin, let's go in!"

"Let's go!"

With heavy steps and solemn expressions, the two entered the mysterious place known as Winterfire Hall.

However, the instant the black curtain was drawn aside, pink light shone across their faces. They followed the glow and immediately widened their eyes.

Because the things sold in this shop were actually people?

"Wait! They have no signs of life. They're just dolls... I didn't expect them to be made so exquisitely."

Xie Xie was the one who noticed the issue first and immediately identified them. Tang Wulin stared at the dolls on display, then looked beneath them. There were signs listing all sorts of information, such as how to use them and how to clean them...

"Ah? So this place sells that kind of thing?"

After reading the dolls' descriptions, both their young faces immediately flushed red. They had never expected there to be such ways to play. It truly opened their eyes.

So that was the adult world?

"Welcome... little friends?" A female attendant came over at that moment, but when she realized that her customers were children, her expression immediately changed. This place was not allowed to receive children their age. If the Federation found out, there would definitely be serious trouble!

"Hurry and leave, little friends. This is not somewhere you should be."

Upon hearing the attendant's words, Xie Xie immediately apologized. He understood the seriousness of the situation too. If his family found out he had come to a place like this, it would be a lifelong humiliation!

"Sorry, we'll leave right away. Wulin... Wulin?"

Xie Xie had originally intended to leave with Tang Wulin, but then he discovered something that utterly shocked him.

Tang Wulin!

That cultivation maniac who had always stayed inside the academy was now staring fixedly at a doll. He had even reached out and touched it?

You've got some nerve!

"Big sister!"

As though he had discovered something mysterious about the doll, Tang Wulin's expression immediately turned solemn. He looked at the attendant with utmost seriousness.

"How much is this doll?"

"Huh?" x2

It was not just Xie Xie who was dumbfounded. The attendant was stunned as well.

No, are you actually planning to buy it?

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!