Overcoming Fear

Having decided on their next course of action, the two quickly gathered the things they wanted to take with them.

It hadn't been long since sun rise, so they still had the whole day before them. Perfect for checking several things of their to-do list:

Get new clothes for both of them, in addition to a mask to hide Chang Liuyun's identity with, in case Huo Dong was still searching for him. After that, obtain a mercenary token for Chang Liuyun and maybe some work for Lei Mingxing.

The first thing Chang Liuyun did was to go and examine the deceased mercenaries remaining sword and leather armor.

He weighed them in his hand and tried strapping the armor onto his body. Unfortunately, the armor was too big for him, completely losing its protective properties, even worse, restricting his range of movement.

He sighed with a bit of regret, this meant they had to sell the armor, and it wouldn't fetch a good price in its battered state.

Well, at least the sword was still usable.

Lei Mingxing had also tidied her appearance in the meantime, gathering her hair in a new bun and putting the coin pouch in a place nobody would steal it from.

She walked to the door, waiting for her brand-new ally to fasten the sword sheath to his waist. After struggling for a few seconds, Chang Liuyun finally got it to stay put on his hip.

He quickly joined her and the both of them stepped out of the house, locking the door behind them.

They confidently strode down the back alleys. None of them said a thing, because, quite frankly, they had nothing to talk about with each other.

Finally, after several turns and narrow paths, they reached the big and lively market.

People were shouting, laughing, conversing, brushing past each other without a single care, but Lei Mingxing felt her heartbeat accelerate and her breathing becoming disorderly just looking at them.

Chang Liuyun also noticed her strangeness.

"Are you alright?"

He asked with faint worry on his face.

His words awoke Lei Mingxing from her petrified state. She looked up at him and seeing his concerned eyes, she inexplicably became a lot calmer. She closed her eyes and nodded slowly while taking a deep breath. After she opened them again, there was some newfound determination burning inside her dark pupils.

Seeing this, Chang Liuyun took a step forward out of the dark back alleys and into the bright marketplace, waiting for her to do the same.

Lei Mingxing hesitated for a long time, slightly raising her foot and putting it down again soon after.

Her struggle was apparent to anyone looking at her, but the only one to see it was Chang Liuyun. He watched her wrestling with herself for a while, and seeing her frustration gradually grow, he pondered about what to do.

Finally, he stretched out his arm.

"Do you want to hold my hand?"

Lei Mingxing looked at him in surprise, reflexively wanting to refuse. But stopped just in time.

Somehow, the idea didn't feel that bad?

With slight hesitation, she gently grabbed his hand and Chang Liuyun slowly started pulling Lei Mingxing out of the shadows.

The sun almost blinded Lei Mingxing.

Now that she wasn't running away anymore, she actually had the time to tke in the soft warmth of the bright sun for the first time in decades. But this didn't stop fear and disgust from climbing up her spine every time she felt someone accidentally brush her arms or other parts of her body.

Before her unease could overwhelm her again however, Chang Liuyun gently tightened his grip on her hand. He put himself between her and the crowd, walking side-by-side.

This helped Lei Mingxing relax somewhat and she continued concentrating on keeping her breathing calm and memorizing the way, while Chang Liuyun led her to their first destination.

An unassuming clothing store appeared before them.

Chang Liuyun walked inside, taking Lei Mingxing with him.

"Hello! What can I do for you?"

The clerk greeted the unusual pair with enthusiasm.

But after looking them over, he didn't feel much hope for the two of them being big spenders.

One was more shabbily dressed than the other. The girl was wearing male robes that barely fit her with messy hair obscuring most of her face, and the boy was clad in old battered clothes which were covered in all kinds of filth, his face and long hair just as cacked in dirt as the rest of his body.

A bit of regret and annoyance rose in the clerk's heart facing these seemingly poor customers, but he kept up his business smile.

"Hello, we both need new clothes, everything, except shoes. Also, a mask, a face veil, a hairbrush and two hair needles."

Chang Liuyun boldly told the clerk.

This huge order would have made the clerk very happy usually, but now he just felt vexed. They probably wouldn't buy most of the things they told him to bring...

The clerk still honestly left to gather the clothes, bringing back a pile of clothes and other items.

Chang Liuyun examined the clothes, satisfied with the selection, he wanted to grab the clothes to try them on, but the clerk abruptly pulled them away, with an ugly expression on his face.

"What do you think you are doing?!"

The clerk exclaimed with a shrill voice.

Chang Liuyun and Lei Mingxing looked at the clerk in confusion.

They both hadn't expected the man before them to suddenly shout like that.

"...? We want to try the clothes on to see if they fit?"

Chang Liuyun explained with a puzzled voice.

The clerk's face became even uglier.

"You can't, you will make them dirty and we won't be able to sell them!"

Now, Chang Liuyun finally understood what the fuss was about. He glanced down his body. He was really very dirty, it had been a long time since his last bath. Fortunately, he was a cultivator which meant he didn't usually sweat, so at least he didn't smell too bad.

The clerk's concerns were understandable, but saying that Chang Liuyun didn't feel the least bit angry was a lie.

"How much are the clothes then?"

The clerk hadn't missed the slight anger in the other's voice and sneered with scornful eyes while answering.

"Two silver and ten yuan."

The clerk waited for the two before him to shamefully leave with their tails between their legs, hearing this price, but the youth just looked at his companion.

The girl didn't bat an eye as she slipped her hand into her bosom and pulled out a coin pouch.

""...""

Both the clerk and Chang Liuyun fell silent, looking at Lei Mingxing speechlessly. The heated atmosphere instantly cooled down as Lei Mingxing leisurely opened the pouch and counted the money before handing it to the clerk.

The clerk, however, felt like he would turn into a human torch because of embarrassment. He hurried to stuff the coins into the cash register with a red face before shoving the pile into Chang Liuyun's arms and scurrying away, leaving the two of them standing in place.

Small theater:

Clerk: Since when were girls this bold and shameless?!

Chang Liuyun: Right?!

Lei Mingxing:...?