Mr. Baiyi stopped and thought carefully for a moment. He had been traveling for two years, and many things had happened during that time. Although things were generally stable, it was impossible to remember every character in the game completely.
And since he felt a sense of familiarity, this person must be famous in the game.
Female, Luoning, civilian, Dongwu City...
Baiyi pondered and suddenly froze. He remembered; this was a Divination Master from the Capital City, reportedly coming from the broken Dongwu City.
And the reason she became famous was that she could pinpoint the location of Black Night Rose members. Although thirty years later, she was just a Silver, with not much talent, she managed to accomplish what even a Golden Divination Master could not.
The reason Baiyi didn't remember immediately was that this individual mysteriously died at the headquarters of the Federation's organization specifically targeting Black Night Rose.
At the time, a major mission was released to the players, but unfortunately, Baiyi, being a newcomer, was too engrossed in his menial tasks and only glanced at the videos the experts uploaded.
Thinking of this, Baiyi stopped walking, turned around, and leaned casually against a street lamp, waiting in silence.
The Divination Master profession is relatively rare, requiring strong soul talents and mental faculties.
Moreover, the Divination Master is only good at predicting good and bad and has little combat power initially, so very few civilians choose this profession.
The Federation's policy mainly requires powerful combat abilities, and Divination Masters are usually found only in prominent families.
Therefore, when encountering a Divination Master who is destined to achieve unlimited potential in the future, Baiyi had no reason to give up. In Dongwu City, no civilian would refuse an invitation from an Alchemist.
It didn't take long for a dirty young girl to appear at the entrance of the Knowledge Hall after a flash of space fluctuation.
She glanced carefully at Baiyi, then quickly lowered her head and hurried away. Judging by her instinctive action of protecting her chest, she must have purchased some knowledge.
"Wait."
The sudden voice startled Luoning's steps. In her eyes, there was a hint of fright. She instinctively quickened her pace and turned into an alley.
Baiyi was somewhat helpless, surprised at how the Divination Master, who would become famous throughout the Federation, acted like a frightened rabbit.
Whirring...
A faint buzzing sound was heard. In the nearby alley, the girl looked terrified and kept backing away. Several mechanical spheres, which she clearly couldn't afford, constantly approached her, triggering her frantic alarm of danger.
Tap, tap, tap...
The sound of leather shoes tapping on the ground was heard. The snowstorm had somehow grown heavier, and the clear footsteps caused the girl's hair to stand on end. Her innate danger perception led her to make the right choice.
She turned around, falling to her knees with a thud, her small body trembling. She cautiously pulled out a thin book from her bosom, lowered her head, and handed it over respectfully.
"S-Sir, this...this is the book I just bought. I...I have no money left on me. You can search me."
Luoning's trembling voice was hoarse, somewhat deliberately, and she appeared extremely weak and pitiful. With the dirt and grime on her, she resembled the most inconspicuous beggar from the civilian district.
Baiyi paused, looking at the book cover's title [Astronomical Observation], and his eyes held a hint of thought.
"Why did you want to buy this book?" Baiyi didn't immediately ask her to rise but rather inquired with interest.
This was the Divination Master's introductory book. Amidst the grand scheme of the Federation, the top choice for civilians would certainly be Warriors or Assassins, as these yield combat power easily and don't require much money upfront.
These are the most popular professions, at least for the native population.
And as for Divination Masters... civilians might not even know about this profession.
"B-Because... this one is cheap, and it can help me recognize directions at night." Luoning's voice still trembled, with a touch of pain in the already hoarse sound.
Baiyi nodded. Some books without magic inscriptions are indeed cheap and can even be paid for with Copper Coins. Such books, purely about astronomical observation or basic martial arts, are semi-open; they have no combat power appeal, so no one would choose them.
"Lift your head." Baiyi's voice softened, carrying a slightly commanding tone.
Luoning's entire body quivered, a look of despair in her eyes. However, she knew she couldn't defy a powerful person, so she cautiously raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes.
Baiyi hesitated for a moment. Her dirty face bore an Asian look, with black hair and black pupils. Ignoring the grime, one could tell that this little girl was actually quite pretty, no more than twelve or thirteen years old.
The ethnicities in this world are somewhat complex, likely due to many people interbreeding with other races, such as Half-Elves and Half-Beastmen, and so on.
Over generations, these people had been diluted by the Human Race, eventually resulting in different skin and hair colors. Surnames and names were also highly varied.
Baiyi himself was also of Asian descent, so he wasn't surprised by this appearance.
He looked at the girl who dared not lower her head, sensing a familiar feeling from her large, watery eyes, confirming that this Luoning was indeed the same Luoning from the future Capital City!
Baiyi's eyes softened slightly: "Let me introduce myself. My name is Baiyi, and I'm the owner of the Dawn Potion Shop. Are you interested in working at my shop? There will be pay."
Luoning paused, a hint of incredulity in her eyes. She had heard this name before; half a year ago, this person had created a powerful Energy Gun, which was the talk of the Inner City District.
Of course, that wasn't why she was shocked. It was because, when this young man spoke these words, the unease in her heart began to dissipate!
"I... I would love to." Luoning's voice instinctively became clearer, somewhat youthful but very pleasant.
Baiyi paused, wondering if this girl's dirt and coarse voice were all disguises?
"Stand up, follow me." Baiyi nodded, not showing his delight, and walked into the snowstorm.
He still needed to buy materials; this was where the real expenses lay.
Baiyi instinctively touched his pocket, which held the only thirty-three thousand large sum left. He wondered how long it would last?
Luoning, with an excited expression, followed closely behind Baiyi. Her intuition had saved her from numerous crises. Both intuition and dreams had been her salvation many times.
In her eyes, this seemed like the beginning of a new life, finally being free from her cold, decaying 'home'!
"Do you have any family at home?" Baiyi suddenly asked from the front, his tone somewhat curious.
"No, a few days ago it was too cold, and my mother didn't make it. My father died a long time ago." The light in Luoning's eyes dimmed slightly, with a hint of sadness on her dirty face.
"My condolences." Baiyi paused, refrained from asking more, and slightly quickened his pace.
And the sorrow in Luoning's eyes was quickly fading. She looked at Baiyi's back with a bit of hesitation. The deceased were gone, and the living had to live better to comfort those who had passed.
This was her mother's last wish.
She hesitated for a long time, while the surrounding streets began to change, slowly becoming more populated, as they approached the commercial street.
Watching the diverse people hurrying ahead, she softly asked: "Are you... really Mr. Baiyi?"
"Yes." Baiyi softly replied, his mind already contemplating what materials to buy.
And Luoning's eyes, riddled with struggle, finally settled. She trusted her intuition, so she whispered softly: "Mr. Baiyi, I had a dream that half of Dongwu City will turn red....."
Baiyi's steps halted as he turned sharply: Scarlet?