She couldn't wait anymore.
"Come on, come on, let's go inside and look."
Snow Empress pulled Ice Empress inside.
The bookstore was filled with volumes of storybooks. The fresh scent of paper and ink greeted them, and the dazzling array on the shelves was enough to make their heads spin.
The shopkeeper looked up and saw two stunningly beautiful women with otherworldly bearing. Then he spotted the Black Gold Card clasped in Snow Empress's hand, and his heart gave a sudden jolt.
That was Spirit Hall's highest-tier VIP card. They had to be people of considerable standing.
He immediately plastered a smile across his face and hurried over. "Welcome, ladies! What would you like to read? Our little shop carries every kind of storybook. I'm sure you'll both find something you like."
Ice Empress found being addressed as a "lady" quite pleasing. She raised her chin and got straight to the point:
"Do you have any particularly interesting storybooks? Bring them out for us to see."
"Yes, yes! Please follow me."
The shopkeeper hurried ahead to lead them to a row of shelves at the very back of the shop.
The shelves were packed with beautifully bound volumes, and he gestured toward them.
"These are all our current bestsellers. We have tales of grudges and rivalries in the martial world, romances between gifted scholars and beautiful maidens, and strange cases and mysteries. These sell the best."
Ice Empress pulled out a book at random and flipped through a few pages.
It told the story of a wealthy young lady and a poor scholar secretly pledging themselves to one another. The plot was lukewarm, and the pacing was painfully slow.
She pursed her lips. "It's only so-so. Something's missing."
Snow Empress also picked up a book and flipped through a couple