Pouch Artifact

After counting and recounting for half an hour, Lei Mingxing still couldn't believe her luck. In a single night, she had earned around 2 gold coins and a handful of copper coins. This was much more than she had ever expected to gather in just these few hours. However, she knew that most of that money came from that mysterious merchant who wanted to hire her. If it weren't for them, her wallet would be a lot slimmer now.

But this wasn't the only thing she had gained, there was also the coin pouch itself, an artifact that harbored a larger space inside it than met the eye. Although she couldn't be sure just how much room there was, the guqin she had bought fit inside in its entirety and that alone was enough to make her heart beat in excitement as she stuffed a few more things inside. The persimmon she had left, the remaining robes in her closet, even her shoes! In the end, it all fit and she felt like there was still a bit of room to spare.

Truly amazing!

Impressed by this miraculous artifact, Lei Mingxing began to examine its workmanship, eager to figure out how it worked. Brushing her fingers over the dark blue fabric of the pouch, she felt how tough, but at the same time velvety it felt to the touch and determined that it should be the hide of some demon beast. Unfortunately, she had no way of telling what kind. Next she examined the fine golden stitches holding the pouch together. They were small and meticulously placed, like the most delicate embroidery of the palace, but the golden string used was very durable and a bit coarse, clearly weaved using the mane of some beast. The strings to pull the pouch closed were also made of that same material, just a little thicker. And finally there was the Spirit Core set in a plaque of golden metal molded into the leather, or rather, Spirit Cores. They sparkled beautifully in the bright light of the midday sun, like a pair of luxurious ruby and sapphire, but what attracted Lei Mingxing's gaze wasn't their beauty, it was the intricately carved lines between and around them.

Then her eyes widened. She had seen something like it before! In the Dark Stone Clearing, just before that monster had attacked them!

Suddenly, as if responding to her, she felt her mind vibrate, the world lost focus and only the symbol stuck out, searing itself into her mind right beside the image of the other symbol she had encountered in the clearing. But unlike her encounter with the first rune, the process didn't feel nearly as smooth. It felt like this symbol was scraping against the inner walls of her mind, leaving scratch marks as its form became more refined and even more similar to the other, it was almost as if it had used her mind to scrape away the excess. But the process left Lei Mingxing reeling, clinging desperately to the ground, her fingers digging into the earth so she wouldn't lose her balance as the world spun. She felt incredibly dizzy and nauseous.

Fortunately, it was all over after a few more seconds. The pain was gone, and her mind felt just as clear as before, if not more so, it was only her heart that was still pounding hard against her chest.

Panting, she continued to stare at the symbol a few more seconds, before returning to the present and stuffing the pouch into her bosom while looking around in a panic. After making sure that no one else had entered the courtyard, she left the garden and ran inside the residence, hiding inside her mother's room. Still, she did not dare take out the pouch, only drawing her knees close and listening for any suspicious sound, her breaths shallow.

Minutes passed, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No hurried footsteps, no roars, it was just the same old, abandoned courtyard.

Finally, Lei Mingxing let out a small sigh of relief, comforting herself in her mind.

She was safe, there was no monster and Xia Beilian also didn't appear. But that didn't mean the danger had passed.

She had finally begun to understand just what had conspired in Dark Spirit Town.

It was the symbols. The one thing out of place in the Dark Stone Clearing, the reason for Xia Beilian and his father's stay in Dark Spirit Town, and Shao Tianyu's, and Mu Yinxian's, and probably several more hidden factions. It had been the ancient treasure all along, why else would she have such a visceral reaction every time she saw one, it simply couldn't be ordinary!

But these thoughts also sparked fear into her heart. She had no idea what these symbols were or what significance they held, but it had to be a lot for three different countries to act in a single, tiny Dark Spirit Town.

And now she was part of a conflict she didn't even really understand.

...it seemed like her luck hadn't actually improved and was just pulling her further down.

After all, what kind of a coincidence was it to trip over and become involved with the matters of these strange symbols not once, but twice! In two entirely different places!

If the Heavens weren't toying with her, she didn't know what else to call it.

Her stomach squeezed in worry, just why was she always attracting trouble?

But no matter how long she thought about it, she realized that there was nothing she could do, except continue with her original plan and do her best to act ignorant. She had the strong feeling that if she were to reveal what she knew, regardless of how little it was, it wouldn't bode well for her...

Still, it wasn't like this was her only secret, just another thing to add to the pile.

So, Lei Mingxing finally got up from the ground and dusted off her legs. Soon a maid would come to bring her her meal.

Regardless of how she felt, it was time to launch the next step of her plan.

Small theater:

Lei Mingxing: Time to launch the next step!

Maid:... why did a shiver just run down my spine?