Chapter 87, The Competition Begins

"Little sister, what are you saying? I don't understand."

Zhong Bingxuan feigned innocence, even though she had already guessed that the culprit was her lover. But so what? It's normal for a jerk to suffer the consequences of his own actions.

"Damn you, sirs! You are so wicked! I curse you two to die like that couple on the street, killing each other and perishing together."

Seeing that she couldn't get an answer from Zhong Bingxuan, the flower-selling girl angrily left after uttering some harsh words.

Zhong Bingxuan overheard some news from inside: it seemed that An's mother and Harlelin had died together, a result that greatly surprised them.

Both of them originally thought that Harelin's fighting power was much stronger than An's mother's, and that An's mother would be killed by Harelin in his berserk state, which would be a good result.

But now that both of them have perished together, the advantage is that the hidden dangers around Zhong Bingxuan have been eliminated, and she no longer has to worry about being killed by her adoptive parents who discover something is wrong.

The downside is that Zhong Bingxuan has become like Fu Yuchen, without family and living alone, and unknown dangers may find her at night.

"Why don't you come back with me, Ah Xuan? We can live together and take care of each other."

Li Hanmo felt that rather than letting Ah Xuan go back alone, which would leave him worried all night, it would be better for him to stay with her, at least they could look after each other.

"No, it's better for everyone to go home at night. Who knows if there are any hidden rules? It would be bad if we broke them."

Others aren't Zhong Bingxuan; they don't have the chance to reload and start over. It's best to be careful.

"Then be careful."

Persuaded by his lover, Li Hanmo looked back at Zhong Bingxuan with concern every step he took.

Zhong Bingxuan waved her hand to reassure Li Hanmo, then took the bear plush toy home and began to think about her future plans.

The two are only missing one local specialty, and they have four days left. In particular, they are going to make a love knot tomorrow, so they actually have plenty of time. However, the situation is still unknown, and they must prepare for the worst.

The next day, Zhong Bingxuan went out for a stroll, hoping to find some other clues.

The usually bustling Austar was unusually quiet today. Zhong Bingxuan casually asked someone, "Pretty sister, there are so few people on the street today, where did everyone go?"

"Everyone is preparing for the 'Knot of Unity' competition at the Cultural Street tonight. I heard that if you win, you can become the mascot of Ausstar."

"Wow, that sounds amazing! Who was the mascot last year?"

"It seems to be Master Wen. I heard that his wife made the best love knot. It's a pity that his wife had a short life. She died right after becoming a lucky charm and didn't get to enjoy any blessings."

What are the benefits of being a mascot?

"Of course, for example, our national emblem is used to safeguard our mascot."

Upon hearing the NPC's words, Zhong Bingxuan had a sudden flash of inspiration. Perhaps the last special item they needed for their main quest wasn't the Love Knot or the Heart-Severing Dagger, but rather the national emblem of Austeria.

To send two rookies to compete for the championship is nothing short of a joke. Besides, the person died shortly after becoming the mascot. Zhong Bingxuan doesn't think that person was really unlucky; maybe there was something wrong with the national emblem of Osida.

Zhong Bingxuan wandered aimlessly, trying to sort out the events of this period of time.

The Wen family wedding, Tianqi wedding dress shop, temple fair couple dolls, and rose garden all represent love and marriage, but the Aoshida national emblem seems to have little to do with this. The love knot and the severing love dagger are more similar to the first four types.

If you're unsure about the details, get your hands on the concentric knot first. If it's a mistake, then check on the Osda emblem.

That evening, Zhong Bingxuan also discussed this matter with her three teammates, who all agreed with the suggestion.

"Then Linlin and I will go and keep an eye on this year's champion candidates, while you and Li Hanmo will be in charge of making the love knot."

No one objected to this allocation plan. Compared to Zhong Bingxuan and the other two focusing on the championship candidates, it was clearly more suitable for the other two teammates who were not planned to be included in the team.

The competition started quickly. Zhong Bingxuan and Li Hanmo found the wife of the sugar doll based on the business card and discovered that she was also a champion candidate. They looked at each other and chatted casually.

"Grandma, the love knot you made is so beautiful."

"I've been making these love knots for decades. I dare say that my love knots are among the best in Osda."

"Wow, Grandma is amazing! She'll definitely win first place in this competition."

"Oh dear, little girl, since you spent a lot of money this time, let me tell you, don't tell anyone that this competition is a huge trap. If you can't win an award, then don't. There's no benefit to it."

Zhong Bingxuan's eyes flickered. When she arrived at the cultural street, she saw that it was bustling with activity. She assumed that the locals took the competition very seriously, which was why so many people were participating.

However, according to the old lady, the matter is not so simple, and the locals do not seem to care about it.

"But there are so many people today?"

"Sigh, those are all people who've lost their minds, even that one from the Wen family..."

The old lady seemed to realize belatedly that she had let something slip, and shut her mouth, refusing to say anything more.

Worried that further questioning might cause trouble, Zhong Bingxuan simply kept quiet, which relieved the old lady, who then enthusiastically instructed Zhong Bingxuan on how to make the love knot.

Zhong Bingxuan rarely did this kind of craft before. At first, her weaving was a mess, and she had to take it apart and redo it several times before she could make the love knot barely presentable.

"Haha, little girl, this isn't suitable for a wedding. You should buy a pair from Grandma instead."

"But I heard that a love knot that you make yourself is a blessing for love."

"Oh dear, you mean that eternal love? It's all a scam, not to be believed. Grandma has been making love knots for so long, and I've never heard of anything about soaking them in blood. It's obviously weird. Don't let the girl be fooled. It would be better if she lost her life at such a young age."

"It seems like Duke Ha's wife was like that, and she dragged Duke Ha down with her... sigh... what a tragedy..."

The old lady tried to persuade Zhong Bingxuan with earnest words. When Zhong Bingxuan heard the gossip about her adoptive parents, her eyes lit up, and she wanted to press her advantage.

Then the old lady changed the subject and started talking about other topics.

"Love isn't something that only happens between two people. If it could be obtained through external means, there wouldn't be so many lovesick men and women in this world."

"Yes, Grandma is right, but I still want to give it a try. It's a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, and I want to make it as perfect as possible."

Zhong Bingxuan nodded in agreement with the old lady.

"It is rare to meet someone you are destined to meet in life. Do your best and leave no regrets."

After saying that, the old lady didn't say anything for the rest of the night.

The competition for the "Knot of Unity" was in full swing. Although the old lady did not want to win an award, she still went on stage to show her work. There was no sign of reluctance on her face, and she was all smiles, as if she was very happy to be on this big stage.