Chapter 9: Huh? Isn’t this a sure win?

Chapter 9: Huh? Isn't this a sure win?

Ninihui Town had been restless lately.

The residents were on edge, monks patrolled from house to house under the guidance of magicians, and every household had hung an exorcism bell from the monastery.

Each day, countless people rushed to the monastery to pray, seeking divine protection against the dark forces.

All this began a few days earlier when two poor ladies in the town were attacked by a witch.

It was an attack by a witch that feeds on human souls and turns the remaining husks into slaves!

Such a being was the most evil and terrifying entity from the abyssal realms!

When the orphanage's cook and caretaker ran to the monastery in a panic to seek help, the entire town of Ninihui was plunged into immense fear.

Priscilla, entangled in nightmares, and the orphanage's matron, only awakened after two full days of continuous treatment by the monks.

Everyone who had glimpsed the scene from afar was left trembling with fear.

"Mrs. Priscilla's face was so dark! As if she had suffered a severe illness!"

"The matron's eyes were full of red blood vessels, so terrifying, I thought I saw a vampire!"

"Both of them were screaming and crying non-stop; I've never seen anyone so frightened!"

The witch did not threaten their lives, but used magic to plunge them into the most despairing nightmares.

They continuously experienced the most terrifying moments of their lives in these nightmares; the longer they remained, the more their fear escalated.

After waking up, both showed clear signs of nervous breakdown and mental strain.

"Even though they have woken up, the harm brought by the witch won't disappear immediately," a kindly monk told their families. "Therefore, they must be taken care of meticulously. To avoid any lingering mental scars, you can purchase the monastery's sacred blessing potion, which guarantees a full recovery to the state before the nightmare."

Priscilla's husband anxiously asked, "Thank you. May I know the price of the potion?"

The monk smiled: "50 gold coins per bottle."

This revelation made Priscilla's husband feel faint, finding it more terrifying than the nightmare.

After all, his family had just paid off their daughter's school fees! During Priscilla's unconscious days, he had worked outside, and they had to hire help for house chores, incurring additional expenses.

Their cattle herd wasn't doing well either; there were expenses everywhere, and no extra gold coins for the potion!

"God bless us..." Priscilla's husband prayed with his eyes closed, but he knew no one would appear to help him.

Though they had to pay a "blessing fee" to the monastery every month, it was only the minimum cost for protection.

The monks would ensure the townspeople weren't killed by dark forces when necessary, but wouldn't guarantee their complete well-being.

Like now.

"The two attacked by the witches wouldn’t be in life-threatening danger, but many more monks wouldn’t bother to intervene."

"Finally, he thanked the monks for their help, venting all his anger on Priscilla as she came to."

"'Get up and go home now! Look what you’ve done to our home because of you! Why can’t you stay home properly instead of coming to this disgusting orphanage and getting into such trouble?! Damn it, hurry home! There's a ton of work waiting for you!'"

"Priscilla curled up, scolded, now jittery at the slightest movement."

"She staggered out under her husband’s pull, unnoticed were the regretful tears beneath her disheveled hair."

"The director's wife's family was from the neighboring town; they wouldn’t pay a large sum for a relative who had left home years ago. Everyone was struggling, so they merely came to glance and then left."

"The monks merely watched as Priscilla’s husband scolded her and the director stood alone in misery. Awakening the two was their only duty; the rest was not their concern."

"These people hadn’t paid, and there was no profit to be extracted from them."

"They couldn’t be bothered with the poor; it was simply a waste of time."

"And then there was Fei Yi Luo, the girl claimed by a witch, supposedly accepted into the Witch Academy—"

"Initially, the monastery was highly alert about the 'witch’s descendant,' but when they learned she was just a dim-witted orphan from the orphanage, their vigilance unconsciously faded."

"'Just an illiterate orphan, she can’t stir up any major trouble,' the monks said. 'Aware of her place, she wouldn’t dare return to Ninihui Town, even if she had ten times the courage.'"

"Perhaps once the witches realized her stupidity, they would burn her or discard her?"

"As for the so-called academy specifically for training witches…"

"Ha, such a thing of legend simply couldn’t exist."

"Everyone knew witches were solitary beings. They would never band together like humans; there was no need to worry."

"After a few days of anxious yet quiet living, nearly all the townsfolk accepted this explanation."

"They tentatively ventured out of their homes, as survival demanded earning a living."

"But every evening after work, they knelt at the monastery door, praying to the deity for safety."

"Little Gold Lane was a fair distance from the monastery."

"It was a secluded alley, ending in a low stone wall, hence the sparse foot traffic."

"When Fei Yi stepped out of the shadows under the moonlight, the whole alley was as silent as death."

"Her shoes on the familiar ground, even the wind blowing around felt like an old friend tenderly caressing her."

"Fei Yi let her overheating brain cool down as she walked step by step along the wall towards the alley's exit."

"Just by crossing the alley, turning left, and climbing over the fence of the abandoned house, she could directly reach the back door of the potion shop."

"This was the safest, most secure route she could think of."

"After all, considering what happened before she left (thanks to the instructor), it was normal for panic to spread. She had to be cautious to avoid opening a path of no return."

"Unexpectedly, Fei Yi's journey was smoother than anticipated. The townsfolk had all gone to the monastery for prayers, leaving the area deserted."

"She approached the potion shop unobstructed."

"Fortunately, there was light inside the shop, indicating someone was present."

"Fei Yi checked herself in the shadows. Her previously frizzy hair that covered most of her face was now smooth and braided; her black, dried-out, skinny face, never properly cleaned before, had filled out a bit and lightened significantly due to the high-quality cleaning potion."

"Most importantly, she was dressed in a clean, fitting black dress, no longer looking like she had just rolled out of the mud."

"She was sure that even the director wouldn’t recognize her if he saw her now."

"Fei Yi cautiously entered the potion shop, where the plump owner, clutching a bottle of liquor, lay on a recliner behind the counter, drinking one glass after another."

"Hearing the noise, he finally opened his heavy eyelids."

"'Who’s there? Didn’t go to the monastery for those damned prayers?'"

"When he saw a delicate, fair little girl enter through the door, his drunken eyes widened, looking her up and down."

"Fei Yi frowned, disgusted by the potion shop owner's gaze. But as the only potion shop in town, she had to keep going."

"Inside the black, close-fitting bag, Fei Yi’s hand tightly clenched a bulky book."

"Griffith dropped the bottle and hurried to the counter, speaking in a sleazy tone, 'Let’s see, which family’s pretty girl got lost? Do you need uncle to take you home? Or are you here to buy something for your elders?'"

Fii ignored his words and, lifting her hand, took out and arranged seven or eight potion bottles from a cloth bag.

"To sell," she said coldly.

Griffith, grinning like he was cajoling a child, took the potion bottles with an expression of playfulness. "Oh, my dear treasure, did you make these yourself? I mean, they look just like real potions! Do you like this stuff? Then you can come by often. I can teach you how to recognize materials—"

The rest of his words choked back as he looked at the first potion bottle.

Griffith, incredulously inspecting the bottle in his hand, muttered, "Hair-growth potion! This color... absolutely unmistakable!"

"But... how is this possible?!"

Griffith, full of disbelief and suspicion, glanced at the unfamiliar girl and, without further ado, shouted towards the back storage, "Winnas! Bring me my testing book, quick! Hurry up, you damned ladybug!"

Shortly after, a girl, about eleven or twelve years old, scurried out from the back. She was holding a strange, hairy book, her head bowed low.

She was thin, her bones protruding, her eyes and brows revealing a tiredness and malnourishment tinged with a blue-black hue.

Despite it being summer, the girl was dressed in cheap, long pants and sleeves, completely covering her skin.

Winnas carefully handed the book to her boss, only to receive a scolding.

"So slow! Why did I ever have such a sullen, lazy creature? If it were Uto from next door, he would've brought it by now! Lazybones, just wait and see how I deal with you!"

Terrified, the girl stumbled and ran back to the back storage.

Griffith cursed a couple more times before opening the potion bottle and dropping a drop on the hairy book. In a few seconds, strands of hair - all human - twisted and wriggled into view on the book.

This testing book, made from the skins of 48 different animals and sealed with a magical array, was an expensive magical item, essential for every potion shop.

"It's really hair-growth potion..."

Griffith's eyes sparkled with excitement. Although not a powerful potion, it was undeniably needed by most, especially the old gentlemen of high society!

They were more than willing to spend a fortune for the beauty atop their heads!

After all, the hair-growth potion contained an ingredient that only grew in the sunless depths of the abyss, incredibly hard to find. Hence, Griffith's potion shop had been out of stock for so long!

Now! This mysterious girl had brought not seven, but eight bottles all at once!

More importantly, the purity of these potions was of such high quality!

Griffith's mind was instantly filled with visions of gold coins! Licking his lips, his eyes darted around greedily. After a moment's hesitation, he put on a regretful, troubled expression and looked towards the girl behind the counter.

"Although these potions are quite good, and their grade is high, my dear girl, our shop isn't really in need of them at the moment. So, I'm sorry, but I can't offer you a very high price—"

Before he could finish, Fii tiptoed, snatched up the potion bottles, and started heading out.

She couldn't understand his words, but she could read his body language clear as day. Trying to lowball her? No chance!

Sure enough, Griffith panicked and rushed out in a flurry.

"Alright, alright, wait!" he shouted, spreading his hands, "8 silver coins! 8 silver coins per bottle!"

He was too close, his overpowering alcohol breath almost made her sick.

As Fii listened to his frantic babbling, she instinctively wrinkled her brow and stepped back, reaching for a book to hit him with, which Griffith mistook as dissatisfaction with the price.

Such a sly little trickster!

Griffith cursed inwardly but quickly shouted a new price, "2 gold coins, alright? I need to make some profit too!"

Afraid she might leave again, he quickly pulled out a stack of gold coins from a locked drawer in the counter.

Fii gave him a wary glance, then stepped forward to count.

12 gold coins.

That was equivalent to 120 silver coins, 1200 copper coins – the amount she could earn by shoveling manure for 240 days at Priscilla's house.

Feeling the weighty heft in her palm, Fii took a deep breath.

After so many days in this world, she finally had money!!

Knowledge truly is the best tool for making money!