Wang An walked into Three Families Market's Huayan City branch, looking somewhat embarrassed.
He had come to ask for help. The Floating Cloud Ship under his charge had been severely damaged in the earlier Sand Bandit and Flying Armored Demon Dragon incidents. The original route to Fengdu City could not possibly continue, and repairs had to be made first. This was no small undertaking; the ship's own crew was nowhere near enough, so he could only swallow his pride and come asking for aid.
Fortunately, he had a decent friendship with the Left Manager in Huayan City. Surely the man would not begrudge him a helping hand.
Three Families Market's establishments were more or less the same everywhere, all built within caverns in the bustling parts of cities. The outermost section was Baichuan Market, where the stream of people never ceased. Wuchen Market was mixed in with the managers' residences, while the Zhenhua Market section, used only once a year, lay deepest within.
Today, neither Zhenhua Market nor Wuchen Market was open. Once Wang An passed through the Baichuan Market area, the noisy tide of voices abruptly vanished. Yet his nerves did not relax. Instead, at the sight of the figure approaching ahead, the muscles of his face twitched twice.
"Deacon You."
The beauty walking slowly toward him was none other than You Rui, who had helped him aboard the ship. Since Wang An had needed to oversee matters on the vessel afterward, he disembarked much later than the female cultivator, which was why they now met face-to-face. You Rui still wore the same outfit as on the ship: a short jacket and long skirt, draped with a shawl. She moved with graceful sways, and even those elegantly plain-colored robes carried a charm that set hearts rippling.
Although You Rui