4 Chapter 4: Strange Encounter

"Mister! How dare you put frogs into our noodle soup?", Bingbing questioned the shopkeeper angrily.

"Young ladies that's our shop Signature dish! How could you say that?!", Mister replied.

Xialin exclaimed with a flabbergasted expression, "You mean..... these noodles with frog meat is the best here that everyone loves it?!"

Mister answered concerned, "Yes. Everyone in the marketplace loves the food. Ever since our inn opened up it has been the best seller of all I am amazed you didn't like it. Since this is the case then shall I change another bowl for you? Which one you may prefer? Silkworm? Cobra or tortoise?".

Xialin, Bingbing and Lihua blows up by the name that they remain dumbfounded.

Xialin kept her cool and acts up consciously, "Ahh...Well, Mister, this... we would love to have those but we currently ran out of time so next time for sure!"

Bingbing and Lihua agreed deliberately, "Yes.....yes...sure next time!"

With it, Xialin murmurs to Bingbing and Lihua, "Quick move!"

"But...but....we have the full roasted crocodile too!", just as Mister was delivering the speech, the three of them didn't listen much they hurriedly walked out from there.

As they escaped from the place, Bingbing spoke up with a stupefied look on her face, "Woah..! What was that?!"

Xialin startled by the place replied in amusement, "This place is creepy!"

Lihua conceded to it, "Yeah...sure it is!".

The three of them felt a sudden chill that shivers down their spine. They stood there in the middle of the Black Market in awe. That place did takes a huge toll on them.

Xialin loosened up a little bit. To brighten up the mood, she suggested, "Then...shall we proceed for the Auction House?!"

Lihua instantly agreed, "Yes"

Bingbing couldn't believe the two of them that she proclaimed in a serious tone, "Common guys! I am tired I cannot go further without my stomach full"

Upon hearing Bingbing words, Xialin tease Bingbing, "Ohhh...yes..that big round belly of yours!"

Xialin and Lihua laugh as they tease Bingbing.

Bingbing throws a tantrum at it and turns aside. As it goes, 'Never makes a joke on a person's belly' That was the case with Bingbing.

Xialin tapped on Bingbing's back and persuaded, "Alright... alright...dear Bingbing let's search for food first Okay? Happy now?"

Bingbing agreed to it merrily, "Yes. Now your saying"

The three of them then continued their search. They cast around the place and stroll from inn to inn but it was all in vain. They weren't able to find a single inn that sells decent food.

As they stand there helplessly in the middle of the Black market. Bingbing questioned in stressed, "Now what?!"

Xialin suggested to it thoughtfully, "Let's asked someone instead"

Lihua conceded to it, "Good"

As they looked around for a passerby, they noticed a weird-looking man dressed in all-black robes and pants with boots. His half of the face were nearly covered with a black bamboo hat. He was approaching their way.

Seeing him, Bingbing immediately stopped the man, "Hey Mister!"

The strange man replied in a hostile tone, "Yes?"

Bingbing asked him in a friendly expression, "I was wondering if you know any decent inn nearby?"

The strange man observing the three of them replied cautiously, "Decent inn??"

Bingbing conceded to it hesitantly, "You know which they sell normal food?"

The strange man glares at Bingbing and questioned, "By normal food you mean??"

Seeing his conduct, Bingbing replied with a pretended smile, "ahh! You know where they sell stuff like pork, beef, chicken, chicken noodle soup or pork noodle soup, roasted chicken?"

Despite Bingbing's friendliness, the strange man replied in a hostile tone, "Then walk straight towards the end of the Black market and turn left. There is a wooden house with the sign of a black crescent moon on it. You'll get the food there.."

Feeling relieved after hearing his words, Xialin thanked him, "Ahh...finally we can eat. Thankyou so much Mister"

Bingbing and Lihua nodded their heads and thanked the man, "Yes. Thank you so much!"

Without saying anything, the strange man hastily left the spot and went on in the opposite direction.

Bingbing then spoke excitingly, "Then let's find the house"

Lihua agrees to it, "Yep"

Bingbing then looks up to Xialin, "Xialin???"

While Bingbing was calling Xialin... Xialin became absentminded and lost in her own thoughts. She stood there in doubt and turns back to take one last look at the man. Her cute eyes were gazing towards the direction the strange man left.

She then mumbles to herself, "Strange"

Bingbing looked curiously at Xialin and inquired carefreely, "Hmm.. what's strange Xialin??"

Xialin replied with a bewildered look on her face, "I can't pinpoint it but that man looks somewhat fishy and look he just disappear into thin air just like that!"

Lihua mellowed out Xialin's thoughts as if it was nothing, "Oh...common Xialin.. don't overthink maybe he is going inside some shops!"

Xialin tried to persuade them, "But...but...he went straight ahead in that direction And if he is going to some shops it shouldn't be that quick!"

Even though Xialin insisted on, Bingbing denies Xialin's words, "Girl...quit pondering over that weirdo. Let's look for the house. I'm starving"

Lihua instantly agrees, "Yep me too. Let's go"

Both of them didn't heed to Xialin's words. Instead, Lihua dragged on Xialin and the three of them continue their search for the house.

On the other side, the strange man went sneakily inside a bird shop. The shop sells varieties of birds; vultures, hawks, pigeons, owls, parrots, crows all hanged up individually caged.

He then demanded the owner, "Give me the pigeon"

The shopkeeper responded, "Okay"

The shopkeeper then went through the cages of birds hanging for sale. He went further more and open up the big door that lies ahead. There it lies a big dark hall. Several caged birds were hanging on rows in it. There were about fifty rows of caged pigeon and two rows of caged hawks. As he walked through the caged birds, he came across different varieties of pigeon white, blue, black, grey, greyish with black spots.

The man strolled from row to row. After strolling for a while, he finally took out a caged pigeon hanging on the rightmost corner of the thirteenth row. The pigeon was rather unique, it has a white feather with black spots all over the body. He quickly grabbed the cage and brought it before the man.

"Here is your pigeon!"

The strange man hurriedly took out the pigeon and put a note inside a lightweight case and strap it on to the pigeon's leg. He then let the pigeon go.

After that, he hurriedly left the shop.

Xialin, Bingbing and Lihua on the other side, continue walking down the lane the strange man told. While they continue walking an unusual looking elderly woman with greyish curly hair, wrinkled face, gapped teeth dressed in an all-black hanfu came approaching them from afar. The old lady used an unusual cane to walk with. The cane has a beautiful wooden wolf craving on top of it.

From afar she came eyeing on Xialin and slowly approached nearer and nearer towards her.  Suddenly she stops before her and reached out for Xialin's face with her old, wrinkled hand.

Xialin stared at the lady dumbstruck.

Astonished by it, Bingbing pulled out the old lady's hand and questioned, "What's wrong with you old lady??"

The old lady with her greyish eyes glared at Xialin and spoke in tension, "Ohh dear! The chosen one! You shouldn't be here! Leave the place. Quick go..!"

Bingbing pushes the old lady and argued, "Hey old lady what are you saying?! Are you mad??"

The old lady didn't heed to Bingbing words. She continued to speak in sternness, "If you don't your twisted fate will start!"

Bewildered by it, Bingbing proclaimed out loud, "Hey old lady. You must've encountered the wrong person! Please go away!"

Bingbing dragged the Old lady.

The Old lady refuses to move even an inch.

Seeing it, Lihua pulled Bingbing, Xialin and dragged them out from there.

"Guys let's get out from here!" ,she noted.

Xialin replied in dazed, "Sure... let's go"

The three of them soon moved out from the old woman.

The old woman shouted in a distant hoarse voice, "Remember to choose the wooden one!!"

As they hurriedly walked out from there, Xialin spoke up with a confused looked on her face, "Is she mad?? What is she doing?? Saying all these strange stuff?!"

Lihua confided to it, "Maybe she is mad!"

Bingbing observed the place and declared spooked, "This place is full of weird things and people going around!"

There were some short of spookiness flying around the air that they all stood still.

Xialin quickly unwind the mood, "Anyway.... let's get going, we need to find the house"

Bingbing and Lihua feeling lighten up instantly agreed, "Yes..let's go".

The three of them then continued their walked towards the wood house. As they continued walking they became more and more tired and were starving. Their stomachs were making loud noises and their legs were already tired. After a short while later...

Bingbing proclaimed in enthusiasm, "Woah...! Finally, we are reaching the end of the Black market!"

Lihua holding her stomach replied with a heavy breath, "Yes...food finally".

As they reached the end of the black market. They started seeing bamboos all around. Unable to see the wooden house, Lihua questioned amused, "Now what?!"

Xialin replied thoughtfully, "That guy told us to turn left. So let's go this way"

They went down the left after walking for a bit the three of them started smelling chicken broth, the smell of tasty chicken broth were overflowing the air. It makes them even hungrier and their mouth-watering. As the smell becomes clearer and clearer, they found the same inn as described by the strange man. The house has a crescent black moon mark on it too!

Bingbing declared merrily, "Woah finally! Guys look this is the house. It has a crescent black moon mark!"

Xialin sighed with a relieved look, "Now...we can eat some fine food"

Lihua cheerfully insisted, "What are we waiting for? Let's go"

Xialin with a mellowed face sighs a relieved, "That guy sure didn't lie after all"

The three of them then went to the house.

Xialin knocked the door, "Hello! Is anyone here?"

After knocking for a while, an older woman nearly around her 40s open up the door. The woman wears a beautifully embroidered green hanfu with long broad embroidered sleeves. She looks rather enchanting despite her age. She is welcoming and looks rather normal compared to all the other crazy, weird people they have encountered.

The woman proclaimed with a pleasing expression, "Ahh. Young ladies, please come inside"

Bingbing responded cheerily, "Thank you"

As they went inside the wood house, they found that there were no customers in it. All the tables were empty. A rather unusual empty place for an inn.

Seeing all the empty tables, Xialin asked in curiosity, "Can we get food here?"

The woman responded gaily, "Ofcourse. Why not!"

Bingbing unable to contain her curiousness inquired, "Between why there isn't anyone around?''

The woman calmly replied, "Ohh..we are just about to open up the inn"

Bingbing nodding her head and reacted, "Ahh. I see"

The woman then smiles a bit and continued, "Then I shall take your order"

Xialin cheerfully heeded, "Yes sure...! We'll take three bowls of noodles, roasted pig and chicken, deep-fried chicken and yes some rice too"

The woman replied gently, "Okay...! Coming right away, young ladies"