Occasionally, Su Bai felt that Fog City resembled the Mist Shop in certain ways. For instance, the shop seemed mysterious not only because it appeared and disappeared unpredictably yet was everywhere, but also because, to Regular people, it always seemed shrouded in mist or a mirage—close enough to touch, yet thousands of miles away.
Time in Fog City had almost ground to a halt, while according to Xiao Wu, time in the Dense Fog Shop had stopped completely. Su Bai had specifically verified that himself. This time, Jin Zheng and Jin Yi could see the Ghost Creatures moving through the dense fog from inside the shop only because Su Bai and Xiao Wu had disguised it as an ordinary grocery store, temporarily restoring the flow of time inside as its owners.
Although one was a city and the other a tiny shop, there did seem to be some similarities between them. But compared with Fog City, which was as dazzling and fleeting as fireworks and could collapse at any moment, the Mist Shop's stability in controlling time was something Su Bai never had to worry about. The sense of safety that let him fall asleep without a care was also something Fog City could never match.
Recalling Xiao Wu's various dismissive remarks about the Fog City Lord, Su Bai suddenly felt that the reason the lord was called a "clumsy imitator" might not simply be his fondness for making dolls like that Puppeteer. It might also have something to do with Fog City itself.
Still, if Xiao Wu was unwilling to explain, Su Bai would have a hard time getting the answers he wanted. He might as well wait until he met Mayor Bai, then ask him in detail.
After leaving the Mist Shop, Su Bai could see by Jin