The shopkeeper felt quite embarrassed by the mention of the matter, unsure of where to begin.
“I did guess, but I didn't expect you to admit it so readily. You clearly knew it was my cub’s scale, yet you lied to others, claiming it was from a mermaid.”
Lu Mingming, for once, had to forcibly suppress her anger to communicate.
“And you’re deceiving people by selling fake information at a high price! Aren’t you scamming them?”
“How am I scamming them? Don’t you think this scale is rather strange?”
The shopkeeper didn’t dare reveal his entire face from behind the steel plate.
“Although I’m not a good person, I have some basic sense. I dare say no race possesses the characteristics of this scale!”
The shopkeeper looked truly wronged.
Lu Mingming, as an outsider in this place, didn’t trust the citizens of Sin City, who were known for their cunning.
“Where did you get this scale from?”
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Seeing that she couldn't pry any more information, Lu Mingming had no choice but to ask impatiently. The thought that this scale might have been forcibly ripped from her cub made Lu Mingming tremble with anger, her heart aching with every throb.
“This, this, this, you’re misunderstanding me again.”
The shopkeeper, seeing Lu Mingming’s slightly red eyes, waved his hands in denial.
“Don’t cry, I’m most afraid of women crying. As for the cub I found… that cub woke up on the day I found him. Strangely, he seemed to have lost all his memories. So, when he woke up, he immediately considered me his savior and voluntarily gave me this scale. I wouldn’t go so far as to cruelly pull off a cub’s scale!”
Upon hearing this, Lu Mingming ceased her anger. “You mean, Hong Yu gave these to you himself?”
“Of course. Instead of worrying about the scale, you should focus more on how to recover your cub’s memory. His current state is truly terrifying.”
Mentioning this, the shopkeeper instinctively shivered.
[口口伍陸彡74彡陸7伍]
“I’ve never seen a more terrifying cub than him. Those eyes could swallow a person whole into an abyss. The moment I saw him, my head spun, as if my brain was wiped clean, and my ability to think vanished entirely. It’s very strange…”
Lu Mingming had suspected that Hong Yu might have been able to awaken his mental powers prematurely, so she didn’t doubt the shopkeeper’s words much.
Lu Mingming: “Does he have anything else left behind? Or where did he go?”
The shopkeeper chuckled. “I estimate he’s already left Sin City. He can’t speak, but he uses sonic waves to communicate. Coincidentally, I understand a bit of that! He said something about going home?”
The shopkeeper racked his brain, recalling.
“It seems he headed towards the Illusion Sea area.”
Illusion Sea area… Lu Mingming had incidentally heard Lu Yan mention it on the luxury cruise ship; their ultimate destination was the Illusion Sea area for collecting and delivering goods.
Finally, some useful information. Lu Mingming glared at the shopkeeper, who responded with a sheepish smile.
“Do you have any other news? Tell me all of it. I can’t let this scale go to waste.”
The shopkeeper felt a pang of helplessness. “There’s really nothing else, nothing at all. That little cub was incredibly fierce when he woke up, and I didn’t dare provoke him. If he hadn’t voluntarily given me this scale as repayment, I have no doubt he would have killed me on the spot.”
“He’s a good child, you must have scared him.”
Lu Mingming was unconditionally biased towards her own cub.
“What about the mermaid treasure? Is it real or fake?”
Lu Mingming changed the subject, unwilling to let Lu Yan spend a fortune on false information.
“Heh heh, that’s another question. You can choose to pay me again for this information. How about a friendly price of 150,000 Wúhé coins?”
Lu Mingming turned and left, leaving the shopkeeper shouting behind her.
“How about a little more discount? I’ll give it to you for 100,000 Wúhé coins! Hey, don’t go!”
Reader ID: [五六37四三陆七伍]
Having obtained news about Hong Yu, Lu Mingming felt somewhat at ease. Although she hadn’t seen Hong Yu in person, at least she had a glimmer of hope. She retraced her steps back to Aunt Shi’s house. Strangely, at this time of day, Aunt Shi should have finished her day’s labor, complaining about the beastmen being dog cubs while rubbing her back and legs. However, she wasn’t home today; the place was empty. Lu Mingming didn’t know where Aunt Shi had gone. Perhaps she had her own business to attend to, Lu Mingming consoled herself, and simply prepared a meal. By the time she finished eating, Aunt Shi still hadn't appeared. Lu Mingming placed the hot dishes on the table and waited quietly. Whether something had happened or for some other reason, she had to know the news tonight. Fortunately, the worst-case scenario didn’t materialize. It wasn’t until late at night that Aunt Shi quietly opened the door, tiptoed into the room, and unexpectedly came face-to-face with Lu Mingming.
“Why aren’t you asleep?”
The panic on Aunt Shi’s face flashed and then reverted to her usual demeanor as she greeted Lu Mingming.
“I was waiting for you to come back for dinner.”
Lu Mingming smiled, lifting the plastic cover from the hot dishes, revealing a dish of smashed cucumber and scrambled eggs with tomatoes. The refreshing aroma of the cucumber, coupled with the rich scent of the scrambled eggs with tomatoes, wafted forth. Despite using simple ingredients from the refrigerator, the combination yielded a remarkable effect. Aunt Shi, who had intended to brush it off with a vague excuse, found her appetite whetted. She grudgingly sat at the table and began to eat the meal prepared by Lu Mingming, clearly unable to stop after the first bite.
“What did you make this with? It tastes so good!”
Aunt Shi, having eaten a bowl of scrambled eggs with tomatoes and white rice, reached for more.
Lu Mingming: “It’s the cucumbers and tomatoes you grew. I was worried you wouldn’t want to eat them at first.”
[口口伍陸彡74彡陸7伍]
Lu Mingming propped her chin on her hand, watching Aunt Shi eat heartily, a gentle smile gradually forming on her face. She felt a sense of satisfaction, like having family by her side. The last time she felt this way was when she enjoyed time with her three little cubs; it felt like such a long time ago. Lu Mingming momentarily lost herself in thought, as if looking through Aunt Shi, she was back in that small cottage, living a simple life.
“If I had known your cooking was this good, I wouldn’t have come back so early to cook for you every day.”
Aunt Shi pretended to be annoyed, and the atmosphere gradually became exceptionally warm. Lu Yan’s team had delivered new basic furniture during the day, and even the walls had been repainted, presenting a warm color palette. Coupled with the light-colored furniture, what was once just plain wood had been transformed by Lu Mingming into a high-end minimalist style. The formerly precarious shack, swaying in the wind and rain, suddenly had the flavor of home. Lu Mingming’s thoughts drifted into the distance, and she suddenly said softly, “I wish we could extend this kind of life further.”
Upon hearing this, Aunt Shi suddenly put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth expressionlessly, and said, “It’s a good thing for you, isn’t it? We won’t continue to stay like this. Sin City will one day abandon its sins and welcome the light.”
[身份证-五六三七四三六七五]
Aunt Shi pushed the door open and stood outside in the courtyard, letting the cold wind cool the fire in her heart. She listened to Lu Mingming tidying up the bowls and chopsticks in the living room, cleaning them herself. She didn't intend to pay attention, but the sounds of Lu Mingming’s movements kept reaching her ears until she finally heard her climb into bed and her breathing gradually stabilize. Only then did Aunt Shi come back to her senses. A hint of regret welled up in Aunt Shi’s heart. She shouldn't have spoken so harshly to that girl just now; after all, she wasn’t to blame for these things.
“Crash—”
The sound of tiles sliding off the roof abruptly broke Aunt Shi’s contemplation. Aunt Shi’s sharp eyes shot out like swords, and the spiritual sea condensed into a needle, attacking in a certain direction. A muffled groan was heard, and the presence of a living person on the roof quickly vanished.
“They run fast. I wonder which faction they belong to.”
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Aunt Shi’s face darkened, unable to track the opponent’s presence in her spiritual sea. She needed to accelerate her actions before the trade fair ended. Aunt Shi’s expression became more varied than a kaleidoscope. She carefully took out a necklace from her neck. The pendant of the necklace held a tiny miniature photograph. In it, a woman hugged a girl in her prime, both beaming with happiness. Aunt Shi froze, her trembling fingers touching the girl’s cheek, tears gradually welling up in her eyes.
“They won’t wait too long… they will all come to accompany them in death.”