It was a spacious hall, with hundreds of massive pillars scattered throughout the area, supporting the enormous arched dome.
Brightly lit shops stood around the pillars, shimmering with various lights, and colorful, cloud-like plaques displayed an alluring mystery.
Customers of all kinds, dressed in Daoist robes, monastic robes, and Confucian attire, came and went, occasionally interspersed with a foreigner or two wearing large cloaks or luxurious Cultivator robes, making the atmosphere of the entire hall exceptionally lively.
"This is a gathering place for Wizards to trade, called Four Seasons Square, meaning a place that is open all four seasons of the year.
There are a total of nine Four Seasons Squares in the entire Wizarding World, and the Chinese region has three of them: Daming Ward, Forbidden City Square, and Jinling Square."
Thomas pulled the lingering Zheng Qing, explaining as they walked, "This is Daming Ward, the closest one to your home.
Everything on the list can be bought here."
As they spoke, the two passed a grass-green mailbox.
Thomas pulled out a wallet from his embrace, took out a card, and swiped it in the card slot on the side of the mailbox.
Accompanied by a "drip-drip" sound, a newspaper smelling of ink was spat out from the mouth on top of the mailbox.
"Is this magic?" Zheng Qing asked curiously.
"This is a vending machine," Thomas said, shaking his head and opening the newspaper.
Zheng Qing awkwardly turned his head, spotting a large headline on the side of the newspaper: "Pan-Chinese Wizard Representative Conference Grandly Opens in Anyi… Ji Zi Delivers Important Speech."
Below, occupying half the page, was a photo of a sea of black-haired heads standing quietly, making the figure of a man waving his arm appear exceptionally large.
"Luozu Apparel, Your Noble Choice." Accompanied by soothing music, a tempting voice came from a nearby shop.
Zheng Qing couldn't help but turn to look.
Behind the transparent glass display window, several stunning models were dancing gracefully to the soothing music, their faintly exposed snow-white skin making Zheng Qing swallow a few times.
"If you're not strong enough, definitely don't come here," Thomas hummed, flipping through the newspaper without even lifting his head.
"Otherwise, you'll truly understand what a merchant means."
"So beautiful," Zheng Qing's eyes were a bit dazed, and he chuckled foolishly, "I want to buy clothes."
"You will, but not here," Thomas said, somewhat helplessly pulling out his brown notebook again, gently patting Zheng Qing's head twice, and sighing, "These guys' suggestive marketing is getting more and more exquisite.
But those Puppets really took some thought."
A shiver ran through him, and the now-clear Zheng Qing no longer dared to look around, honestly following behind Thomas with his hands clasped.
"This is it," Thomas pushed Zheng Qing into a seemingly lively small shop and said, "Once inside, hand your list to Yun Mu, and after you get the finished clothes, wait here for me.
I'll go buy you equipment like alchemy cauldrons and jade artifacts."
Before Zheng Qing could speak, Thomas transformed into specks of starlight and vanished.
Zheng Qing sighed and looked up at the clothing shop.
Yun Xiangyi.
The name was beautiful, but the shop front didn't look big.
Zheng Qing pouted and pushed the door open.
Compared to the narrow shop front, the space inside the shop seemed very spacious.
The hundred-square-meter shop was filled with various robes and gloves.
There was no one in the shop.
Aside from the clouds and robes floating around the room, there wasn't a single shop assistant, not a sound, eerily quiet.
Could it be a clothing shop run by ghosts? Zheng Qing, having just entered the Wizarding World, was full of fantasies.
"Welcome to Yun Xiangyi!" A white cloud floated down from the ceiling in front of Zheng Qing, tumbling and spitting out several words formed from cloud Qi.
Zheng Qing stared blankly at the white cloud, wondering whether he should take out his brush and write.
Then he remembered the list in his hand, so he foolishly handed it over.
The cloud tumbled for a long time, forming the face of an old woman, complete with a monocle.
Zheng Qing roughly understood what Thomas meant by Yun Mu just now.
"Ha, it's actually a Publicly Funded Student!" The wrinkled old face in front of him immediately bloomed into a blooming chrysanthemum, spewing out a string of fancy script: "The fabric in my shop is the most authentic.
Just yesterday, we got a batch of aged cold silkworm silk.
As for gloves, how about yellow deer leather? The price is right, and the quality is also very good."
Zheng Qing nodded repeatedly.
"First, let's take your measurements." After the old woman spat out these words, she dispersed into small, delicate clouds.
The clouds skillfully rolled and gathered around Zheng Qing, quickly weaving into a Body Integration robe.
Zheng Qing understood why the shop was so quiet.
"Stand up straight!" The cloud spat out a huge exclamation mark.
Zheng Qing immediately straightened his body, not daring to move.
"Alright, it will take a few minutes." The robe woven from cloud Qi changed styles several times, finally leaving Zheng Qing's body and transforming back into the old woman's face, "A first-year new student?"
Zheng Qing smiled and nodded.
"Seeing you young ones always puts me in a good mood," Yun Mu spat out a string of fancy script: "Publicly Funded Student can receive a free drink.
Do you want qing feng'er or amber light?"
Zheng Qing tried pointing at the qing feng'er.
Yun Mu nodded, slowly flying away, and soon brought back a cup of pale green drink.
"You can go out and wander around for a bit," the old woman looked kindly at Zheng Qing, a string of fancy script flowing out like water: "This old one needs to brand the Talisman onto the finished product, which will take some time."
Zheng Qing nodded obediently, but held his drink and stood aside, looking around, not going out.
Customers came and went in Yun Xiangyi, quietly and quickly.
Many people directly bought finished robes and cloaks; very few chose custom orders on the spot.
"Why won't you let me in!" A gruff voice questioned from the doorway.
Zheng Qing turned his head and saw a bald, chubby man holding a roasted chicken, trying to enter the shop but being blocked by a dark cloud.
"No eating or drinking inside the clothing store," the dark cloud spat out a string of neat Song typeface characters.
So these clouds can hear sounds, Zheng Qing thought silently to himself.
"Why can he!" The fat man narrowed his eyes, caught sight of the cup in Zheng Qing's hand, and questioned loudly.
"He is a Publicly Funded Student, and the drink is a complimentary gift from our shop," the cloud's reply was rigid and brief.
The fat man paused, then fiercely stuffed the roasted chicken into the satchel on his shoulder.
He casually wiped his greasy hands on the satchel and looked at the dark cloud again.
The dark cloud silently floated to the side.
The fat man, with his triple chin trembling, squeezed into the clothing shop.
Zheng Qing looked at the unfamiliar scene before him, feeling a little lost.
At this time yesterday, he was still talking animatedly with his high school classmates at a dinner table, reminiscing about their youthful years and the girl who sat next to him, envisioning their spirited success in three to five years.
Today, he had crashed into this magical world, watching white clouds speak, colorful clouds weave clothes, and dark clouds block his way.
Life is sometimes just that strange; today you never know what kind of self you will face tomorrow.
