38 Learning About Money

"Little Ya Lin?"

Standing in front of him well-dressed, though she was usually attired like the son of an average commoner family to play with the local children, was the adopted daughter of the Jiang family. She held the impressions of a gentle and virtuous young lady of a noble family. The same as she had at the time he had seen her in the palace.

It made him curious as to where she was coming from or to where she was going.

"Xiao-ge, did you get lost again? I can show you the way if you need me to?"

Paoxiao shook his head at her offer. "I'm only here to accompany my master as she looks around Mencheng." Although, in all honesty, he was completely lost and probably couldn't find his way back it didn't mean that Nastasia would also be unable to. From how she was dressed, it looked like little Ya Lin had somewhere important to be and he didn't want to distract her from it.

At the mention of his master, Jiang Ya Lin felt her mood brighten. Recalling the red-haired girl that had helped her during the banquette, the urge she had this past month rose up and she looked around eagerly for the girl.

Not finding her, she turned to Paoxiao confused until she found his gaze steadily watching a dark-haired girl, face hidden beneath a dark mask. The girl was studying a jade trinket at a stall that was selling various items made from poor quality jade, for steep prices.

Frowning, Jiang Ya Lin said. "I thought your master was-"

"She is." Paoxiao quickly cut her off, not wanting Nastasia's identity being announced in the streets where it was difficult to tell who was listening to what.

Jiang Ya Lin did not question. From her father she had heard that demons had the ability to mask their appearance. Human's, unable to sense the energy of the Spirit Realm, could not discover them even if they stood side by side. Animals looked like animals and people looked like people. Unless they chose to show themselves, one would never know.

Due to accidentally overhearing, she knew that Paoxiao was also a demon. She often wondered what his true form looked like. One day, she would work up the courage to ask him to show it to her.

For now, she merely wanted to hang around him as much as she could before she no longer had the freedom to do so. With a bright smile, Jiang Ya Lin said. "I know all the best places around Mencheng, I could give you a tour if you want?"

Paoxiao opened his mouth to answer back but closed it as Nastasia had finished looking at the stall's jade wares. Walking toward her as she walked toward him, he nodded in Jiang Ya Lin's direction. "That's the little girl you saved." He told her and then said. "In gratitude for that, she wants to take you around MenCheng to show you its best places."

Looking over at the girl with a smile, Nastasia shook her head. "I did what I should do. You no have to hand over thanks for that."

"You don't have you give thanks for that." Paoxiao corrected automatically.

"Right." She said with a nod. "You don't have to give thanks. Ah," she exclaimed as she suddenly thought of something. "You know if shop building sale?"

"You're wanting to buy a shop?" At Nastasia's nod, Jiang Ya Lin said. "I know a couple, but how much money do you have to spend?" It would be pointless to show them around to every single one if they didn't have the funds to secure the purchase of the property's deed.

"Money?" Both Paoxiao and Nastasia said, at the same time, with eyes narrowed in confusion. For Paoxiao: the Spirit Realm did not have a currency system and all things were gained by either brute strength or bartering with other items. It was no surprise that the word was unfamiliar to him. For Nastasia: the word was not something she had the chance to learn yet as being cooped up at the Palace of the Four Gates afforded for no situations to inspire learning it.

Jiang Ya Lin was stunned to hear this. Tentatively, she said. "If... If you wish to buy a shop, you have to have money to make the purchase. Like this," she pulled out a few silver pieces from her pouch that had been secured between her sash and robe.

Ah, now that he thought about it, Paoxiao remembered Li Yu Rong giving him a few of those silver pieces a couple times when he would leave on errands. It was supposed to be used to get things in town, should he have the need for it. Since he was not supposed to be making a ruckus, Paoxiao thought the material was given to barter for other things so that he would not fight for them. He did not know that these oval-shaped silver pieces were required in order to procure things being sold.

Understanding, now, what the other girl meant by "money," Nastasia pulled the pouch Li Yu Rong had given, before her departure, from the sash tied around her waist. Handing it over to the girl in front of her, Nastasia asked. "Is this enough?"

The pouch was quite heavy and was very fat. Looking inside made Jiang Ya Lin feel faint. "Y-Y-Yeah... more than enough...." Inside the pouch was a solid mass of gold coins. In fact, this amount was probably enough to buy out half the shops in this town. She didn't know how it was possible to feel comfortable walking around with this much money on hand. Then again, these two didn't even seem to realize what "money" meant. So in their ignorance, of course, they felt nothing.

She, on the other hand, felt like she was holding a bomb with a very short fuse that once exploded would summon a horde of bandits. Fearful of this thought, she handed the money over to Paoxiao who, under such an event, would probably have a better chance of defending the money from being stolen.

"You should be the one holding on to this." She said matter of fact. "How is a proper lady suppose to defend something like this from bloodthirsty bandits?"

"R-Right." Taking the pouch, Paoxiao stashed it away, becoming even more vigilant under the warning.

"All right, let's go." After the money had been properly and securely stowed away, Jiang Ya Lin led the two down the main street to the largest market thoroughfare. Since they had so much to spend, she decided to show them the best places first.

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A/N:

You guys are so nice! Thank you very much for the well-wishes and happy birthdays! My brother thanks you too, he was quite surprised to hear of it. XD