"Okay, but let me teach you, that's not how you bargain when you buy things."
Xu Milu stuffed the gold back into Chenxiang's hand, then turned and stared intently at the Arab merchant wearing a turban:
"Ten strings of cash equals one tael of gold. Two hundred and fifty strings of cash equals twenty-five taels of gold. Your little golden bird weighs less than five taels. Even if it were inlaid with small gemstones, it wouldn't be worth that much. You're just trying to take advantage of my brother and me being young and try to fool us. If you're willing to name your price, we're willing to take it too—"
For some reason, the Arab merchant broke out in a sweat, and his unshaven face contorted, revealing a mangy lion's face:
"Since we're kindred spirits, I'll give you two a discount. Eighty strings of cash, please!"
The accent sounded a bit strange, and Xu Milu suddenly realized that this was a monster from elsewhere.
Although she knew this wasn't the lion monster's bottom line, Xu Milu wasn't about to let the other party make no profit at all.
With the money exchanged for the goods, Chenxiang was overjoyed, clutching the little golden bird.
"Senior sister, I just saw Old Hu's Twenty-Seven and Twenty-Eight Sisters selling hides. The toad demon who wanted to buy on credit at the shop has also opened a pharmacy. Could it be that all the demons in Chang'an are in the West Market?"
"pretty close."
Xu Milu answered casually while checking the basket in her hand:
“I heard from the Day-Roaming God that people need to be ‘guided’ when entering Chang’an. The same principle applies to demons. If a demon enters Chang’an and does not register at the City God Temple, it will be driven out of Chang’an before nightfall, and in serious cases, it will be killed on the spot.”
Anyone wishing to remain in Chang'an for an extended period must meet three conditions: first, a letter of introduction from a powerful demon; second, a clean family background with no history of harming mortals; and third, pay spirit stones for a 'travel permit'. Only then can they stay in the city. Moreover, if they commit offenses such as fighting, fraud, or violating the prohibition against cannibalism, they will be expelled from Chang'an at best, and imprisoned in the City God's Hall for punishment at worst.
Don't be fooled by how easy these conditions seem; very few demons can actually meet them. Even the Hu family, who have been operating outside Chang'an for many years, only have Hu Silang qualified to stay overnight in the city, making him seem like the "hope of the whole village."
— Hu Shiyi Niang married into the family as a mortal, which allowed her to take advantage of a loophole.
From this perspective, obtaining a Chang'an hukou (household registration) is almost as difficult as obtaining a Beijing hukou (household registration).
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