"What's going on? How come there's still spiritual energy?"

When I checked with my spiritual power again, it was gone.

Could it be that I sensed something wrong just now?

That's unlikely. Cultivators are incredibly perceptive; how could they possibly misperceive?

Qing Xuanzi refused to believe it and tested it again carefully, but the spirit crystal still had no spiritual power.

"Never mind, I'll put it away for now and study it later." He reluctantly put it away.

At this moment, Rong Jiaojiao lost interest in the doll and began crawling around on the ground, occasionally reaching out to grab at the dust, babbling something. Qing Xuanzi quickly got up, picked her up, and gently patted her hands to signal her not to grab things.

"Be careful, wait until Master cleans you up before you climb."

As Qing Xuanzi spoke, he cast several Cleansing spells in succession.

Rong Jiaojiao broke free from his embrace and climbed back onto the mat.

The room fell silent, save for the soft sounds of Rong Jiaojiao crawling around.

Qing Xuanzi sat to the side, watching her lively figure, his heart filled with warmth.

After Rong Jiaojiao got tired of playing, Qing Xuanzi put away the blanket and brought out the small wooden bed so that she could sleep in it.

Qing Xuanzi did not sleep on the guesthouse bed, but instead laid out a futon and meditated for the entire night.

The next day, after Rong Jiaojiao woke up, they heated up some porridge for her and fed her until she was full, then took her to check out and left.

Qing Xuanzi seemed to be very familiar with the ice market, walking straight through the streets and alleys, and finally arrived at the secondhand market.

This place specializes in selling all kinds of second-hand and used items, which is a unique feature of Bing City.

The flea market is located in a corner of the city. Although it is quite large, it is not very lively, probably because it was only recently after the Chinese New Year.

The narrow streets were lined with stalls piled high with all sorts of things: old furniture, worn-out books, antique porcelain, hand-knitted scarves and gloves... and even some strange little gadgets, as if the old days of the entire Ice City were hidden here.

Qing Xuanzi carried Rong Jiaojiao into the market. The little girl's eyes widened even more, and she turned her head back and forth, curiously looking at everything around her.

Qing Xuanzi kept suppressing Rong Jiaojiao's consciousness, preventing her from having the opportunity to make other people's things disappear.

Her gaze was quickly drawn to the colorful glass beads on a stall. They were small beads made from old glass, simple in design, yet they shimmered with iridescent colors in the sunlight.

"Father Xi, I want it~" Rong Jiaojiao reached out to grab it, babbling to express her desire.

Qing Xuanzi shook his head: "I can't give this to you. It wouldn't be good if you swallowed it without my noticing."

Rong Jiaojiao wouldn't have it, making "ee-ya-ee-ya" noises, twisting her body, pointing her little hand at the colorful glass beads, her eyes full of longing.

Seeing her like this, Qing Xuanzi felt somewhat helpless, but he couldn't bear to disappoint her.

He thought for a moment, then gently took Rong Jiaojiao's little hand and said softly, "Okay, Master will buy it for you, but you have to promise Master that you can only play with it in your hand and not put it in your mouth, otherwise Master will be very worried."

Rong Jiaojiao didn't understand, but she kept reaching out to grab it.

Qing Xuanzi had no choice but to turn around and walk towards that stall.

The stall owner was an elderly man with gray hair, sitting behind his stall basking in the sun. When he saw Qing Xuanzi approaching, he looked up and gave a kind smile.

"Comrade, what would you like to buy?" the old man asked warmly in a thick Northeastern accent.

"How much are these colored glass beads?" Qing Xuanzi asked, pointing to the glass beads on the stall.

I thought I'd buy them first, then distract them with something else and take the glass beads away.

"Oh, these are all toys my grandson played with when he was little. I wasn't planning to sell them." The old man smiled. "Since you like them, young lady, I'll give them to you for fifty cents."

Qing Xuanzi took out some money from his pocket and handed it to the old man: "Thank you, the little one likes it, there's nothing I can do about it."

The old man took the money, then took out a small cloth bag from under the stall, put all the glass beads in it, and handed it to Qing Xuanzi: "This child is so cute, with bright, sparkling eyes, he's adorable at first glance."

Qing Xuanzi smiled and thanked him!

He took the cloth bag and handed the glass beads to Rong Jiaojiao.

The little one grabbed the cloth bag, waved his little hands happily, giggled, and babbled something, clearly very satisfied with this "new toy".

"Be careful not to put it in your mouth."

Qing Xuanzi gave instructions and continued walking inside while carrying Rong Jiaojiao.

As they approached the end of the flea market, Qing Xuanzi patted Rong Jiaojiao with a sleeping talisman. Just like that, the child, who was full of energy and looking around, fell into a deep sleep the next second.

Qing Xuanzi turned Rong Jiaojiao around to face him, then pulled down the brim of her tiger-head hat to cover her face before continuing forward.

Arriving at the end of the street, we found a dimly lit secondhand shop filled with all sorts of odds and ends, from broken furniture to old books, from rusty ironware to broken porcelain. The shop was overflowing with items, yet it gave off a chaotic and disorganized feeling.

A musty smell filled the air, as if countless forgotten stories were hidden here.

Qing Xuanzi pushed open the door, and the bell on the door rang crisply.

The shop was quiet. He looked around and noticed that besides various old items, there was a half-open door that seemed to lead to another room.

"Is anyone here?" Qing Xuanzi called out slightly, his voice echoing in the shop, but there was no response.

With no one responding, he decided to look at other items in the store first.

In one corner of the shop stood a dilapidated counter with a compass on it. The compass was covered with runes and had a groove the size of a copper coin in the center.

Qing Xuanzi walked to the counter, a copper coin in his hand, which he placed in the groove of the compass.

The copper coins gleamed faintly in the dim room, making them stand out conspicuously.

"I've come to find some things," Qing Xuanzi said softly, a hint of anticipation in his voice.

At that moment, the door opened from the inside, and a woman with gray hair walked out.

The woman's face was gaunt, but her eyes were unusually sharp, as if they could see right through people. She wore a dark robe embroidered with some unknown patterns, which looked both ancient and mysterious.

"Come in, guest." The woman's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a chilling air of authority.

Qing Xuanzi nodded slightly, then carried Rong Jiaojiao through the half-closed door.

Entering felt like being isolated from the outside world; behind the door was an even darker room, quieter and filled with a faint scent of sandalwood.

In the center of the room were several old wooden shelves piled high with all sorts of items: talismans, incense burners, crystal balls, strange statues... These were all metaphysical items that Qing Xuanzi was familiar with.