Chapter 102: In the Town of Blackwater

"Chu Yun, how dare you push me?" After a brief moment of stunned silence, the woman’s expression twisted into a furious shout.

Clearly, she hadn’t expected Tianming to shove her, his supposed elder sister, for the sake of a mere little girl. Seeing Tianming’s drastic change in demeanor, a wave of fear surged through her heart, causing her to instinctively step back.

Seeing this, Tianming shook his head with a smile but said nothing. A surge of dark, primordial energy erupted from his hands like a black swamp, and within moments, the woman, clad in a qipao, was pinned down on the bed.

"How is this possible!?"

Seeing the dense, dark energy in Tianming’s hands, the woman’s fear shifted into shock, as if she couldn’t believe what was unfolding before her eyes.

"...Young master!" Small Ying’s mesmerized gaze was fixed on Tianming, equally stunned.

Despite the woman's reaction, Tianming’s face betrayed no surprise. He had originally intended to keep his power hidden for a while longer, but upon reflection, he realized that if he didn’t reveal his strength soon, many things would be impossible to accomplish. Besides, there was an important matter awaiting him.

"Stay on the bed and reflect on your actions. I won’t waste any more time with you! Small Ying, let’s go out for a walk."

Without looking back, Tianming pulled Small Ying along and left the room. Just as the woman tried to muster her energy to break free from the dark imprisonment, a voice echoed through the room again: "Oh, by the way, the restraint will disappear after an hour. Don’t waste your effort; you won’t break it."

"Damn it! Chu Yun, just you wait! And you, little devil!"

Biting her lip, the woman watched the two leave, her crimson lips nearly bleeding from the tension, her mind frenzied with rage. But the bonds on her body rendered her powerless, forcing her to helplessly watch Tianming and Small Ying disappear from view.

...

After leaving the Chu residence, Tianming, under Small Ying’s guidance, arrived at the bustling streets of Blackwater Town.

Blackwater Town!

A small region on the Southern Wasteland Continent, renamed after the Dark Demons took control of the land.

Of course, even within Blackwater Town, various inexplicable and nebulous factions divided the territory. It was famed for its three major estates, each governing different parts of the area: the Chu Estate, the Li Estate, and the Ye Estate.

Above these three estates stood the Black Demon Clan’s branch stationed in Blackwater Town. Minor issues were handled locally, but major affairs—such as launching attacks on other parts of the continent or exploring ruins and caves—were commanded directly by the Black Demon Clan.

...

"Brother, I want this one!" At that moment, Small Ying abruptly changed the subject, pointing toward a nearby stall.

Tianming, who had been attentively listening to her explanations, shook his head in mild confusion but followed her gaze to the stall. It was nothing more than a vendor selling cloth dolls.

"Welcome, honorable young master and young lady! I have the finest handmade dolls here!"

The middle-aged man, initially distracted, suddenly brightened upon seeing Tianming’s fine, shining silk robe. He immediately put on a courteous smile, as if afraid the two customers might leave without buying anything.

"Boss, how much for one doll?" Tianming asked without paying much attention to the man’s eagerness.

Small Ying’s heart pounded excitedly upon seeing Tianming actually consider buying a doll. In the past, it was rare enough for the young master to even smile at her, let alone purchase a gift.

"Cheap, cheap! Only ten gold coins each. If you want, young master, I can offer a three-gold discount."

The middle-aged man responded with a confident grin, clearly reassured by the potential sale.

Seven gold?

Tianming thought to himself that, surprisingly, this Southern Wasteland Continent used the same currency as the Central Divine Continent. Perhaps the Black Demon Clan was too lazy to switch or simply couldn’t find a better alternative yet. After all, this continent was vast, and unifying the currency was no easy feat.

In that case, it was best to follow the established order.

"Wait, I don’t think I have any money on me..."

Tianming sighed inwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

If he were alone, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but when he caught Small Ying’s hopeful eyes, he felt too ashamed to admit that the proud young master of the Chu family had come without money. Who would believe that?

Wait—Chu family young master!

His eyes darted urgently and then brightened with relief. On Chu Yun’s hand was a white ring, exquisitely crafted. Could it be Chu Yun’s storage ring?

But what was inside, he didn’t know...

"Uh... Young master, if you’re not satisfied with the price, since it’s my first day officially opening, I’ll give you a special price—only five gold coins!"

Seeing Tianming hesitate, the middle-aged man quickly offered a further discount.

The moment he spoke, silence fell again. Tianming appeared to be looking at the vendor, but his consciousness had already slipped into the ring. Small Ying glanced around awkwardly, quickly tugging at Tianming’s sleeve.

"Uh? He is... the Chu family’s young master?"

The middle-aged man, who had been awaiting Tianming’s response, furrowed his brow and discreetly assessed the finely dressed youth before him. Inside, he was utterly shocked. How could the Chu family’s young master come to such a small market in person?

Though this Chu family young master was rumored to be a failure, he was protected by Chu Tianlong, the Chu family patriarch at the Void Stage. This little merchant wouldn’t dare offend him.

When Small Ying withdrew her last trace of suspicion, the man bowed deeply, "I didn’t mean to offend, honored Chu young master!"

"No matter! I’ll take all your dolls. Here’s a hundred gold coins. Any objections?"

Waving his hand with a smile, Tianming said.

Just as Tianming’s mind returned, he was astonished by the influence Chu Yun wielded here, commanding respect even from small vendors.

"No, no objections!"

Hearing this, the man bowed again, grateful.

Tianming nodded and wasted no time. After handing over a red note, he flicked his sleeve, and all the dolls at the stall vanished—except for the rabbit-shaped doll that Small Ying had pointed to earlier, which remained in his hand.

"Thank you for your patronage, honored Chu young master!" The vendor expressed his gratitude once more, not offended by the sudden disappearance of his goods.

Tianming paid no mind to the man, turning to hand the rabbit doll to Small Ying before continuing on. His purpose was never merely to buy a doll.

"Thank you, young..."

Small Ying, still immersed in her sweet moment, began to thank him but saw that Tianming had already gone. Blushing under the vendor’s curious gaze, she shyly lowered her head and hurried after him.

"...The Chu family’s young master is truly strange. And this little girl—who knows what her background is?"

Watching Tianming and Small Ying depart, the vendor’s expression returned to normal, his brows knitted in puzzlement, unable to fathom the mysteries behind these two.