Stranger

It is said that the eyes are the mirror to the soul, reflecting the depths of one's innermost being.

Consider the piercing gaze of a wise elder, whose eyes, weathered by time, hold the wisdom of ages past.

Or the sparkling eyes of a child, brimming with innocence and wonder.

The eyes of a lover, where every glance speaks of passion and tenderness or conversely, the eyes of a loner may conceal a sea of emotions, veiling the scars of the past.

Yet, if the eyes truly serve as windows to the soul, offering a glimpse into the essence of humanity itself...what did that say about Fang Yuan?

His eyes were like a depthless abyss, their darkness exuding an unquestionable aura.

They were cold and calculating, each glance like icy daggers, leaving a trail of unease in their wake. In their depths, one could discern no warmth or compassion, only a chilling resolve that seemed to emanate from the very depths of his soul.

This wasn't something that a simple man could discern. For Jiang Ya the shopkeeper, for example, Fang Yuan was just a youth with a piercing gaze and nothing more.

He did not question the fact that he wasn't able to hold his customer's gaze, and his mind was devoid of such thoughts.

Instead, he was much more concerned with seeking out a bit more profit.

"Junior, tell you what..." Jiang Ya spoke in a conspirational tone as if revealing a secret. " I don't usually do this, but you seem like someone who will have a great future. For only three primeval stones, I will give you not only the grass puppet but also four moon orchid petals. What do you think?" 

If one heard Jiang Ya speaking, one might have thought he was merely being compassionate.

"Really? Thank you senior, for this kindness. I will not forget it." responded Qin, his embarrassed smile turning friendly in an instant.

A normal 15-year-old would have surely been tricked by such a strategy, and so Qin gratefully accepted the opportunity to reinforce his persona, allowing himself to be ripped off.

After all, a measly three primeval stones were barely above worthless to him.

"Haha, No worries. Such is the duty of elders, to watch out and help the younger generations. After all, everyone in the clan is basically family, so helping each other is the most normal thing in the world..." Jiang Ya continued to speak even as he took out one of the dozen grass puppets he stored underneath his counter.

He handed it to Qin with one hand as he pocketed the four primeval stones in front of him with the other. Then he took out a paper bag out of his counter's drawer, saying, "Here you go, junior brother. Four pieces of moon orchid flower petals, just as promised."

"Thank you once again, senior"

Not wasting any more time, Qin grabbed the goods he purchased and, after giving a small incline of his head toward the shopkeeper and a shallower one toward his classmate, he exited the store and walked away.

.

 After settling the previous transaction, Jiang Ya shifted his attention to the silent Fang Yuan, looking him deep in the eye.

A look of uncertainty passed over his features as he briefly wondered if he should also make a show of goodwill towards this junior.

On the one hand, Fang Yuan was clearly smarter than the other youth, not having been swayed by his attempts to sell his wares, but on the other hand, he had already pretended to be charitable to a customer right in front of Fang Yuan. As a result, now he couldn't act as if nothing happened and risk lowering his reputation, even if his actions would be seen through.

Jiang Ya's s smile returned to his face as he made up his mind, grabbing a handful of moon orchid flower petals from his bag.

"Junior, you are also in luck, as I happen to have a small surplus of moon orchid petals right now. Just for today, you can buy a dozen petals instead of ten with one primeval stone..."

Fang Yuan's mind, though, was only half focused on what Jiang Ya was saying.

The other half was devoted to meticulously analyzing Qin's every movement, from the moment he entered the store to the very second he left.

From a subtle twitch of his eyebrow upon entering the store to the imperceptible tightening of his jaw as he exited, everything was analyzed.

Fang Yuan saw the faint crease of concern that momentarily furrowed Qin's brow when he glanced at the bamboo shelves.

He noted the fleeting flicker of annoyance that flashed across Qin's features when Jiang Ya mentioned the scarcity of his primeval stones.

With the keen eye of someone who had lived for five centuries, every micro-expression, every subtle shift in posture, was cataloged in Fang Yuan's mind.

And the result...

"He acts like a simple country bumpkin, watching every shiny thing with awe...from that alone, he does not seem to be a transmigrator from the modern age...His lack of knowledge about grass puppet's real value also points at him being a normal 15-year-old...but I still feel that something isn't right...didn't the Chi Family provide food for the Gu of their servants?" 

Fang Yuan's mind churned as he attempted to recall long-forgotten memories from 500 years ago, not imagining for a single moment that everything he saw was an act. After all, what reason could Qin have for acting in front of him?

Alas, even as he did so...he couldn't ignore Jiang Ya's "kindness", now could he?

"Brother Jiang, today is truly my lucky day! I just so happen to have a few more primeval stones on me, so I would be a fool to not take advantage of this opportunity!" Said Fang Yuan, allowing the shadow of a smile to grace his face, even as he brought out a small pouch full of primeval stones.

Jiang Ya could only try to keep up his facade, not allowing his smile to give way to a scowl.