Dragon Clan: Force me to be reborn and slay dragons

Chapter 394 Seeking revenge and then changing clothes? That's really giving him too much credit.

The bluestone pavement of Liulichang Street gleamed with the morning dew, and the old shops on both sides with their upturned eaves and corners had their doors removed, ready to...welcome customers.

This street was a place where scholars who came to Beijing to take the imperial examinations stayed during the Qing Dynasty. Although the scholars in blue robes and turbans are no longer seen today, the long-standing literary tradition still continues, and the air is filled with the fragrance of ink and the unique melancholy of old paper.

In layman's terms, Liulichang Street has many century-old shops selling writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Just pick any old shop with a grand signboard, and they'll tell you all sorts of untold stories about their ancestors and the top scholars in the imperial examinations.

During the recent college entrance examination period, many students and parents from the school came here to try and absorb some of the academic atmosphere.

Although the ancient imperial examinations did not test foreign languages ​​or sciences, the candidates who could go to the capital to take the exams were the result of fierce competition, and they could share some of their talents with the other high school seniors who were also facing the same challenge.

Moreover, many students travel after the exams, and Beijing is one of the must-visit cities in life, so naturally many young people visit it.

Therefore, it doesn't seem out of place at all for Lu Mingfei and Erii, two young people who are only seventeen or eighteen years old, to appear here.

In fact, many vendors and shop owners can tell from their clothes and appearance that these are easy targets.

After Erii came to China, she started wearing her shrine maiden outfit as pajamas, and instead wore her favorite fashionable dresses when she went out on weekdays.

I wore the same outfit today: a blue and white knee-length ruffled skirt with a high waistline, tied with a sky-blue ribbon, and a matching bow at the back of my head.

With her perfect body proportions and exquisite features, coupled with her aloof and unapproachable demeanor, anyone could tell that she was a young lady from a wealthy and powerful family.

However, her crimson eyes couldn't hide her intense curiosity, and her glances revealed the purity and innocence of a young girl. Such a contrast, in the eyes of those seasoned veterans, was nothing short of a classic example of someone who was foolish and rich.
Especially since this girl is accompanied by a handsome young man, if he says a few sweet words, wouldn't he empty his purse just to win her heart?
Regardless of how much or how little they fleece, let's start with a great start.

Lu Mingfei was a gamer and didn't know much about antiques, but he understood people's hearts and knew that these people were purely there to rip off their customers.

Since I've already promised Erii I'd come shopping with me, I naturally want to make her happy. If necessary, I can always try to bargain.

As for Friedrich von Long, he wasn't in a hurry. He had already locked onto his target using the Word of Power: Bloodline Qilin. Unless the other party could teleport a thousand meters away, it would be impossible for him to escape his perception.

Who knows what kind of unreleased plot points they might uncover? If they find out and get upset, and then try to bargain with hostility, that wouldn't be good.

Erii is indeed a curious girl, but she is also someone who doesn't lack money. In the past, during her rare free time, she would go shopping with Genjiro and book out entire stores. She would always buy whatever caught her eye and take it home, regardless of the price.

Although bags, clothes and shoes are luxury items, they are things she likes and can use.

She decided against the bronze vessels on the street stalls, which were labeled as originating from the Western Zhou Dynasty last week; she was afraid of getting tetanus from even a scratch. If she was really interested in these, she would ask Old Tang and Constantine to help her order a few pieces sometime.

As the mighty King of Bronze and Fire, he could create not only cauldrons and goblets, but also Gundams and the first generation of mobile suits.

Besides that, Lu Mingfei also allowed her to have any nice calligraphy, paintings, ornaments, jewelry, etc., as long as she liked them.

The process was basically that Erii would stop in front of a vendor and stare at the "treasure" she liked. The vendor would then give the pretty girl a long, fabricated explanation of historical anecdotes, and then subtly suggest that her boyfriend buy it for her. Lu Mingfei would ask about the price, bargain, and then pay.

For example, right now, Erii is squatting in front of a street stall, picking up a gilded and kingfisher feather hairpin and examining it closely. The "jade" inlaid on the hairpin head gleams with a green light under the light, reminiscent of the Pearl River in Qingdao and snowflakes.

The stall owner, a lean middle-aged man, immediately put on a smile upon seeing this: "Young lady, you have a good eye! This was Empress Dowager Cixi's favorite hairpin in her later years. Look at the quality, the craftsmanship..."

Erii didn't quite understand these technical terms, so she could only look up at Lu Mingfei with pure joy in her eyes, clearly liking the hairpin very much.

"How much?" Lu Mingfei interrupted the stall owner's endless chatter.

"You two seem to be destined to meet, so I'll give you 8,800 for good luck!" The stall owner gestured and shook his hand three times to indicate that this was a fair price.

Upon hearing this, Erii opened her bag without hesitation, preparing to take out the domestic bank card that Genji had prepared for her to pay the bill.

Lu Mingfei quickly grabbed her hand and said to the stall owner, "Eighty."

"Young man, you're really ruthless with your bargaining! This was once worn by the Empress Dowager..." The stall owner clicked his tongue in disbelief. He thought young people were easy to fool, but this time he'd broken a bone.

"This is glass that Empress Dowager Cixi rushed to grind in Yiwu, isn't it?" Lu Ming raised an eyebrow with a half-smile. "Eighty-eight, if it's not good enough, then forget it."

"Deal!" the stall owner gritted his teeth and agreed. "It's only because we're destined to meet, and it's the first sale of the day. I wouldn't have sold to anyone else..."

He kept nagging and complaining, and instead of earning 8,780, he only made 68, a huge loss.

The girl ignored him, holding the hairpin up to the sunlight and then handing it to Lu Mingfei so he could put it on for her.

The girl wore a bow and a hairpin, which didn't look out of place. Lu Mingfei put it on her and it looked quite nice.

As they shopped their way through the market, Erii couldn't distinguish between high-quality replicas from Jingdezhen porcelain and genuine official kiln porcelain, nor could she tell the difference between artificially aged bronzes and genuine bronze artifacts. However, she could always accurately spot anything that was shiny, brightly colored, or uniquely shaped.

The deeper Erii walked into the street, the more unrestrained she became.

One moment she was clutching a blue-and-white porcelain vase from the Jiajing era, the next she was showing interest in Wu Daozi's authentic work, "Zhong Kui Catching Ghosts," and she even pointed to "Mandarin Ducks Strolling in the Water," supposedly painted by Tang Bohu, saying that the ducks looked a lot like the platinum duck on her pendant.

So bargaining became Lu Mingfei's domain. He could always pinpoint the flaws in the vendors' exaggerated boasts, and whenever this happened, Erii would tilt her head and look at him with deep admiration in her eyes.

The little witch is still a shy person, making it difficult for her to even strike up a conversation with these seasoned veterans. Someone like Lu Mingfei, who can talk so eloquently, can directly reduce the price by ten or even a hundred times. It would be easier for her to find a dragon to fight one-on-one right now.

The vendors along the street quickly began exchanging goods and services.

"A pair of lamas came from the east—no, a young couple. The man was knowledgeable, but the woman was naive; they only bought the pretty ones!"

"The guy has a good eye but spoils his girlfriend. He'll buy whatever she asks. Quickly bring out all the nice and fun things!"

"Holy crap, I know who that guy is now. He's the one who sang like a big shot at the concert in Japan, his name is something like Lu!"

"I don't know why, but even though I made money, I wasn't happy at all."

After a quick and efficient half-hour stroll, they were finally close to Yangjiao Hutong. But just as Lu Mingfei was carrying his bags and preparing to settle the bill, Erii suddenly stopped, her rouge-colored eyes fixed on a Hanfu shop called "Nishangge".

Inside the glass window, a fiery red, high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) shimmered in the morning light. The hem of the dress was embroidered with a phoenix spreading its wings in gold thread, each feather so delicate that it seemed ready to take flight at any moment.

"Shall we go in and take a look?" Lu Mingfei asked.

In her previous life, Erii married a Chinese man and also fell in love with Hanfu (traditional Han clothing), and her family stocked up on a lot of custom-made Hanfu.

The girl nodded emphatically, her hair fluttering in the wind.

Pushing open the door, the wind chimes tinkled.

The shop's antique charm seems to transcend time and space, blending seamlessly with the old street outside. The moon-white silk robes and crimson skirts cascade down like clouds, dazzling the eye.

The proprietress was a graceful woman with her hair tied in a low bun, wearing a light blue dress that reached her chest after the rain, with a jade hairpin tucked into her hair. When she saw Erii, her eyes flashed with amazement, and she greeted her with a smile.

"Young masters and ladies, please feel free to look at anything you like." Erii walked straight to the red dress, her fingertips touching the glass as if stroking the golden phoenix with fluttering wings on the hem.

"Miss has a good eye. This is a one-to-one replica of the Tang Dynasty noble lady's coming-of-age dress. It was originally just for display..." The proprietress already knew that two wealthy young men had come to Liulichang Street, especially since Lu Mingfei was carrying many bags, which was quite obvious. After saying a few polite words, she personally took down the phoenix dress and let Erii try it on.

This thing is pretty, but there are too few girls who are good enough for it. It's been sitting here for more than half a year, and no one has been able to take it away.

Not long ago, a lovely little girl came to visit. She was even more likable than this red-haired girl in front of me. She had more than enough looks and temperament, but unfortunately, she was a bit too thin and couldn't fill out the look. In the end, she left feeling dejected.

Lu Mingfei glanced around, and after confirming there were no problems, he nodded. Erii then happily took the dress and went into the changing room. The proprietress told him to wait a moment and went in to help.

With a rustling sound, Erii seemed to be struggling with the complicated ties. A moment later, the dressing curtain was suddenly flung open.

Its brilliance shines brightly, as radiant as the morning glow.

A red-haired girl walked step by step in pearl-embroidered shoes, her pomegranate-colored skirt unfolding layer by layer, with a golden phoenix fluttering its wings on her skirt as if about to take flight.

The wide-sleeved shirt was as thin as a cicada's wing, revealing the smooth, creamy skin beneath.

The proprietress styled her hair into a "Jinghong" bun, took out a fake jade hairpin, and inserted a hair ornament with a dangling pearl tassel. The dangling pearl tassels swayed gently with her steps, like a star-studded night sky swaying in Lu Mingfei's heart.

Lu Mingfei was speechless with admiration. He had seen her in witch's clothes and Lolita dress, but he had never seen her dressed in such splendor. It was as if time had turned back a thousand years, and she was meant to be a noble lady of the Tang Dynasty, dancing and singing in her floral attire.

Meeting the girl's expectant gaze, he gave her a thumbs up: "In terms of beauty, I, Lu Mingfei, would call you the most beautiful!"

Erii immediately smiled, her eyes crinkling with delight; even without makeup, she possessed a beauty that could rival the most beautiful women in the world.

Seeing his tall and handsome figure, a perfect clothes hanger despite his extremely simple shirt and casual trousers, the proprietress smiled and handed him a set of dark blue round-necked robes. The robes were embroidered with unicorn patterns in dark gold thread, and the leather belt was inlaid with black jade. He was undeniably handsome.
"Miss is so beautiful, young master should also change his clothes to match."

Lu Mingfei thought that there might be bloodshed later, and it might be too much of a burden to the old man to wear such formal clothes, but seeing Erii's expectant face, he couldn't bear to disappoint her, so he picked up the clothes and went into the fitting room.

He still had the experience from his previous life, so he didn't need anyone's help. When he came out wearing a brocade robe, Erii's eyes lit up.

Dressed in black with dark hair, and exuding youthful vigor, he directly captures the hearts of young girls.

She jogged over, reached out and touched the belt around his waist, then stroked the cuffs embroidered with cloud patterns, and finally looked up and smiled. Without saying a word, joy overflowed from the corners of her eyes and brows.

But she still had to praise him: "Sakura is so cool!"

After thinking for a moment, she added, "Even better looking than my brother!"

The proprietress smiled and led them to the mirror. The people in the mirror were dressed in Tang Dynasty Hanfu. One was as heroic as a young general, and the other was as beautiful as a peony in a prosperous age.

Erii took Lu Mingfei's arm, feeling that Sakura was so handsome today that she wanted to tie him up and hide him away to admire him alone.

Lu Mingfei thought the same thing, but he was more eager to show off to others that such a beautiful girl was his.

So the wealthy man didn't even ask the price, and directly pulled out his wallet: "Boss lady, swipe your card!"

"You two are a perfect match." The proprietress smiled and took out a POS machine, continuing to offer additional services: "How about we take some photos in the backyard? We have a professional photographer."

Erii's eyes lit up again upon hearing this.

Lu Mingfei was naturally willing to cooperate.

Meanwhile, deep within the narrow, sunless alley, the small shop Fenglongtang, with its tattered signboard, was tightly shut, and an old man in a bamboo-cloth shirt was hurriedly packing up his valuables.

As he went out to buy breakfast, he had a premonition and consulted a fortune teller, who predicted that a distinguished guest would be visiting.

After having breakfast, I took a stroll and discovered two little gods of wealth on the street. They didn't care about anything, buying whatever caught my eye, regardless of price.

Although the boy was good at bargaining, he wouldn't make a big profit, but he could still make a small one.

Of course, that's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that he knows that boy.

The legendary dragon slayer who killed two dragon kings in succession—Lu Mingfei!

The surname Lu made him a little paranoid, especially since the rumors suggested that this young prodigy had some connection with Angers, and the failures of Kassel College's several operations seemed to be paving the way for Lu Mingfei's rise to fame.

Putting aside others, even he thought this kid was Angers' illegitimate son.

If Lu Mingfei were merely a representative of a mixed-race family in China, he could be somewhat at ease, comforting himself that he had rushed to Beijing because of rumors circulating in the hunter market that dragons had appeared there.

But Lu Mingfei is not like that.

Fortunately, this guy seemed to have come to Liulichang Street purely to stroll around and win over girls. He bought a lot of strange and unusual junk, and didn't seem to have come with a specific purpose.

Just in case, the owner of Fenglongtang decided to close the doors to customers and go into hiding until the storm passes.

However, just as he finished packing up the valuables in the store and was preparing to run away, his secret cell phone, which he never let go of, suddenly vibrated.

He froze, frantically pulled out his phone, and felt a sense of relief after seeing the caller ID.

Just to be on the safe side, he released his Word of Power and closely monitored the surroundings.

"Hello? What's up? I'm busy right now, so get to the point!"

An old, deep voice came from the other end of the phone: "Friedrich, I want the 'Chronicle of the Celestial Changes' that you have."

"I told you, don't call me by that name!" The owner of Fenglongtang's face darkened, as if he was afraid that the name would attract something unclean.

"Five million." The man opposite spoke calmly, immediately suppressing the dissatisfaction of the Fenglongtang boss, and the rational side of making money through harmony regained the upper hand.

"Okay, we can discuss the details tonight. I have something urgent to attend to right now."

"What's the rush..."

"Remember to transfer the deposit to my account!" The owner of Fenglongtang didn't give him a chance to ask any questions and hung up the phone directly.

He put away his phone, shouldered his bag, and prepared to temporarily avoid the limelight.

However, the moment the door was pushed open, two figures, one in black and one in red, slowly walked into the narrow alley.

Distinguished guest, you have arrived.

(End of this chapter)