On the streets of Zhan, the mouth watering aroma of different dishes permeated the air while merchants hollered the prices of their wares. Young noble women gathered around bolts of luxurious fabric, while children were drawn to bright and loud toys. It was like any other day.
A figure that still smelt of his mother's milk weaved through the crowd. If one were to look carefully, it seemed as if his feet never touched the ground. Precise and graceful were his steps, even if his attention was divided between the direction he was going towards and the happenings behind him.
Yun Da Xia fumbled with her servant's hat, willing it to stay on her head. Sharp eyes darting through the faces of passersby.
She had been careful in her escape from the general's manor, faking sickness to impose convention on her male guardians. They could only stand post outside her bedroom, and the mother was ignorant since she had left early that morning; an irrefutable invitation from the empress had arrived at their doorstep.
A single gold coin was all it took to bribe a maid mute, and it cost another for her to smuggle some simple male garbs. Her soft facial features had been sharpened with the help of dark powder and with rouge, small marks dotted her smooth skin; makeup transforming the peerless beauty into an appearance different and discrete.
When Yun Da Xia reported to the steward that she was going out to get medicine under the order's of the Young Miss, it wasn't exactly a lie. It was necessary for her to do things herself. Her family may be considered allies, but she didn't know how dire the state of the country's internal strife was. Even if she acknowledged the father and brother's positions in the military, she held no high regard for their skills in politics. If they could not protect the original Yun Da Xia from being poisoned, who would know whether the general's household had already been compromised?
She was incredibly wary of being followed.
Lamenting on her precarious situation, Yun Da Xia continued on her way. Though the map of the kingdom that hung on her study wall was more so intended as decor, it had been helpful in signifying where she could go for her needs.
The crowds became less dense as she approached a high class area. Men with long facial hair and elegant robes conversed outside a large pavilion; ornate carriages parked outside. 'Wolfsbane Pavilion' was elegantly carved into a wooden signage. Guards lined its entrance, hard jaws set showcasing the various scars running across their faces. They appeared more suited to a life of adventure, rather than guarding a simple conglomerate.
The landscape matched what was depicted on her study wall, so she went forward without any qualms. Despite her common appearance, she was not barred at the door. The guards simply glanced a her, lowered their head slightly and resumed staring straight ahead. A woman smiled at her upon her entrance, "Young Master, please, follow me."
Following the lady, Yun Da Xia breathed in the herbal fragrance that wafted through Wolfsbane Pavilion. She could easily identify the different flower scents that calmed the senses. Finely crafted wooden cabinets lined the walls, labeled alphabetically. Glass cases were filled with shining tools; some suitable for medical practice, others for different sorts of craft, and most for combat. Other patrons had their own attendants as they perused through the different items for sale, ignoring the identities of fellow customers doing their shopping.
"Good day, Young Master. This humble one will be the one serving you for today. Is there anything that the Young Master would like to see first?" An attractive young man appeared before her, bowing in greeting. She restrained herself from bowing back, instead pulling out a piece of parchment.
"I'll need all of these, please." The paper was passed on to the attendant who quickly scanned it. Compiled, the components of her antidote required selling an arm and a leg. High demand and semi-rare items dominated the extensive list. Though Yun Da Xia only had a rough estimate of what rank the poison in her body was, it was better to play safe by using top tier ingredients to counter it. The small fortune she had found hidden in her bedroom would likely be reduced to nothing.
A furrow appeared between the attendants brows, and curious eyes landed on her. "Apologies to the Young Master. Some of these herbs and materials we do have stock of, however, I'm afraid that this lowly one is ignorant and has never heard of one of the things listed on here before."
Oh no. Yun Da Xia inhaled sharply. "I see. What of the given do you not know?" If she lacked ingredients or swapped something out, the efficacy of her antidote would be inferior.
"Poppy, Young Master. Perhaps we may just know it by a different name. Please feel free to check what we have available while I prepare your order." The man led her towards a counter with different greenery displayed on it. He quickly gathered the various items on Yun Da Xia's list, while the girl in question simply sighed.
A quick sniff told her that there was no presence of the poisonous flowers in the vicinity. It was just her luck that the main ingredient was something someone from this world had never even heard of. Gnawing the inside of her cheek, she went through all the other possible ingredients she could use instead.
When the Bai Chaun had everything laid out, he patiently waited for her to be finish contemplating. He silently observed the slim figure, taking note of the deceptively ordinary face structure.
Bottomless peach blossom eyes suddenly found his, and he could not help but find them to be captivating. "Your pavilion would definitely stock up on its namesake, yes?"
Yun Da Xia felt dissatisfaction. She'd have to recreate the antidote one day with poppies in order to fully flush out the poison, and by then other higher quality ingredients would be needed. There was no question; when the time comes, she would be lucky to have a few copper coins remaining.
Bai Chaun fetched some wolfsbane, wrapping them alongside her other purchases. He quickly tallied everything, internally rejoicing at the high price tag.
"Everything comes at the cost of 299 gold coins, Young Master."
In that instance, Yun Da Xia wanted to slam her head on the counter.
She was a gold coin short.