"What the heck are you even selling?" Ayase was dumbfounded when she saw the items Chu Lian had placed on her stall, and for the first time, she couldn't help but let out a genuine complaint. The things this girl had brought out were simply too bizarre.
"What's so strange about it? This is the gathering place for Spacetime Traveling Merchants—people from all kinds of worlds come here, each with their own peculiar tastes. Why shouldn't I sell these?" Chu Lian didn't seem the least bit bothered by Ayase's reaction. She didn't think there was anything wrong with what she was selling.
"Flower Insect, Bound Records of Gensokyo... be honest with me—do you have some sort of grudge against Gensokyo? You're really selling their doujin books here? Are you sure that's safe?" That's right—Chu Lian had brought out none other than the legendary doujinshi.
And not just any doujins—every single one of them was from Touhou. Not a single book from any other world. She had twenty volumes neatly stacked in a pile.
"Each one costs a thousand Integrity Points. For someone as deep in debt as I am, that's not exactly expensive. I'll keep a little Integrity on hand and spend the rest on these. I'm sure someone with good taste will recognize their value," Chu Lian said, waving her hand carefreely. She felt no guilt at all—after all, no one here could see through another's identity. With that protection, she could do whatever she pleased.
"Even if no one can identify you because of the information shielding, aren't you worried about karma catching up with you? Even if the chances are small..." Ayase sighed. What Chu Lian said wasn't wrong, but Heaven always keeps balance—good and evil both return in time. This girl's actions were just begging for trouble later.
"Worried? Not at all. What, is Purple Mom that old hag going to open a gap behind me and slam me onto a keyboard?" Chu Lian grinned smugly, utterly unbothered by the thought.
Normally, back on the main plane, she was cautious whenever mentioning Touhou—especially Yukari Yakumo—fearful that the old youkai might somehow sense her words. But here, there was no such concern.
Now, she could finally live her long-cherished dream—to openly sell Touhou doujins like those she once admired from afar.
As for who might buy them? She didn't care in the slightest. It was just fanwork—not reality. What was there to worry about?
As she and Ayase chatted, a figure draped in a luxurious violet cloak approached her stall, a delicate parasol resting upon one shoulder. Only a pointed chin and twin locks of golden hair peeked out from beneath the hood.
The mysterious woman stopped before the stall, studying the displayed books with clear curiosity. When Chu Lian noticed the newcomer, she finally spoke up: "Oh, welcome. Interested in buying something?"
"Hey, young lady, how much are these?"
The stranger's voice was soft and youthful, yet tinged with a mature allure—and beneath it all lay a faint note of timeless weariness. It was a strange, mesmerizing combination.
"Ah, these? Take your time and have a look," Chu Lian replied casually, keeping her information fully hidden. No one could see her true form or identity here—only that she carried a familiar parasol.
Fortunately, the woman didn't seem to recognize it. That was a relief.
Selling these doujins to someone familiar would be dangerous—a ticking time bomb for the future. But to a stranger? There was no risk. She could sell freely.
"The prices are for you to decide. If you're not satisfied, we can use the Scales of Exchange. With that, even the most priceless item can be traded fairly," Chu Lian said smoothly.
"Then... I'll trade you this for 2,000 crystal coins, okay?" the woman said after a moment's thought, her gloved hand brushing lightly against her lips as she named her offer.
The price was fair enough—but... what on earth were crystal coins?
"Excuse me, but what are crystal coins?" Chu Lian asked, tilting her head. She wasn't afraid of exposing her newbie status. In this place, trades were absolutely fair—being a beginner didn't mean being at a disadvantage.
"Ah, so you really are a newcomer, young lady. Crystal coins are the primary currency of the Origin Land. While most trades here are done through bartering, there are times when one cannot find an item they truly desire. In such cases, they can sell their goods for crystal coins and use them the next time they return to purchase what they want. Crystal coins are the only circulating currency here—they're much more convenient than simple barter. Remember this, young lady, they're very useful. Oh-hohoho..."
The customer seemed quite eager to explain, elaborating on the origin and purpose of crystal coins. As she spoke, she suddenly produced a folding fan from who-knows-where, opened it, and covered the lower half of her face, chuckling elegantly behind it.
Staring at the strange woman before her, Chu Lian wanted to comment but didn't know what to say. In the end, she could only laugh awkwardly in return. "Ahaha... yes, it sounds really useful. I'll make sure to earn plenty of crystal coins."
"Oh, and crystal coins can be exchanged at the central tower of the Origin Land. Just place any item you don't need onto the Exchange Platform, and you'll receive an equivalent amount of crystal coins. No one knows who invented the system, but rumor has it that it's existed since the very founding of the Origin Land—created by the being that maintains order here."
As she finished speaking, the woman closed her fan, leaned in close, and whispered softly into Chu Lian's ear, her voice low and gentle: "Young lady, do not pry into the affairs of this place. Otherwise... you'll find yourself in grave trouble."
Her faint floral fragrance was pleasant, but the words sent a chill down Chu Lian's spine. "I won't ask anything unnecessary, I promise," she replied quickly.
"Good. For these twenty books, I'll give you 1,800 crystal coins—100 per book, minus 200 for the information fee. That's the most reasonable price," the woman said, folding her fan once more and giving a knowing smile.
Prices varied, of course, but as with all trades conducted by Spacetime Traveling Merchants, the principle of Fairness had to be upheld.
To one person, an item might be priceless. To another, it might be worthless. That was the essence of trade—value changed depending on demand. The same item would never hold the same worth for two different people.
Yet, every trade must still abide by the law of fairness. No one could ever deceive the Rule.
Even if one desired something so much that the price became steep, that excess cost was simply the weight of their own longing. And if another, less interested person were to trade for it instead, the price would drop naturally.
Both sides gained what they wanted—therefore, the trade was fair.
So no one needed to worry about their returns fluctuating between trades. The fairness of value remained constant—neither too high nor too low.
"So that's why you were so eager to help—because you were going to charge me an information fee," Chu Lian muttered with a sigh as the woman deducted 200 coins without hesitation.
But it was still a fair trade within the rules. Neither she nor the customer experienced any anomaly, meaning the Rule itself had approved the transaction—the 100-coin price per book and the 200-coin information fee were both recognized as fair.
What a rigid system.
Even though she had gained valuable information, Chu Lian couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed at being tricked. Still, there was nothing she could do—she could only accept it.
Reluctantly, she completed the trade, watching as the number 1800 appeared on the violet crystal embedded in her bracelet. A small but satisfying start—her first successful transaction.
Now she finally understood how to level up. It was simple—once the total value of transactions passing through her bracelet exceeded one million, she would ascend to the next rank.
Of course, that only applied to her professional level, not her Merchant License.
To reach the Intermediate License, she would need to level up at least ten times. So much for fast progression.
Still, there was a silver lining—even barter trades would automatically convert into their crystal coin equivalent and be recorded on her bracelet.
"So, this bracelet isn't just a key to the Origin Land or a decorative accessory—it has other functions too?" Chu Lian lifted her hand and studied the violet bracelet with fascination. What else could it do?
"Little cutie, would you like to know what other secrets your bracelet holds? Big Sister could tell you all about it~" The satisfied customer, having just tucked away her newly acquired books, looked at Chu Lian's curious expression and leaned forward again with a teasing smile.
"No need, thank you! I'll figure out its functions myself!" Chu Lian waved her hands quickly, alarm bells ringing in her head. If she let this woman keep talking, she'd probably end up tricked into spending all her crystal coins again. Then she'd be left with nothing but information—a losing deal if there ever was one.
"Oh my, suit yourself then. By the way, do you have any more of these... books by other people?" The customer seemed intrigued by the doujins, though she didn't appear to know the term—she simply called them books.
"Ah, yes, I do! Look, this one's about that old hag Yukari, this one's about her pet fox Ran Yakumo, and this one's about her pet fox's pet—Chen…" Chu Lian quickly took out more doujins from her system inventory when she saw the woman's apparent interest.
She had originally planned to keep Yukari's doujin for her personal collection, but since the customer was both a woman and clearly fond of the series, she decided to sell it instead.
"Ahaha... Old hag Yukari... old hag Yukari... old hag Yukari... what an unpleasant title that is," the woman murmured softly. But as Chu Lian brought out the books, something in her demeanor shifted.
Chu Lian noticed her hands—gloved in pure white—clenching tightly around her fan. The pressure was so great that Chu Lian could hear the faint creak of wood.
Confused, Chu Lian waved a hand before her face. "Miss? Are you alright? Didn't you say you wanted these? Don't like them? I've also got a Yuyuko the Glutton and Her Bestie Yukari's Millennium Yuri Bond edition—want that one?"
When the woman still didn't respond, Chu Lian just kept bringing out more books, continuing until she ran out of Integrity Points and could exchange no more.
Finally, when all the doujins were laid out before her, the woman seemed to snap back to normal. She lifted her fan once again, covering her lips with that familiar amused smile. "Oh-hoho, just got lost in thought for a moment. Alright, young lady, let's continue our trade."
She counted the books—seven in total. "That'll be 700 crystal coins. Unfortunately, I only have 500 left. As for the remaining 200, I'll exchange something of equal value. How does that sound?" Her voice was soft and melodic as ever, but the faint curl of her lips—barely visible behind the fan—was enough to send a chill down one's spine.
Chu Lian's eyes lit up instantly. "Deal!" she said without hesitation.
Sure, crystal coins were good, but she wanted to try a barter exchange at least once. Even though she knew that an item worth 200 coins probably wouldn't be anything great, the experience itself was worth it.
"Here—500 crystal coins and a fan crafted by yours truly, imbued with a special effect. Together, they're worth exactly 700. Your so-called 'books' are now mine, little lady." With a wave of her hand, the woman collected all the doujins.
At the same time, Chu Lian's bracelet glowed faintly—her balance increased by 500 crystal coins, and before her appeared a beautifully crafted folding fan. It exuded a faint sandalwood fragrance that was both elegant and enchanting.
"Merchant 5733—perhaps we'll meet again someday." The woman closed her fan, pointed it playfully at Chu Lian, and smiled. Then, turning gracefully, she twirled her parasol and walked away, soon vanishing from sight.
"What a strange customer... and a woman, no less, buying doujins from me. I guess girls can be even more passionate about these things than guys sometimes," Chu Lian muttered, watching the woman's silhouette fade before looking down at the fan in her hands.
Silent Fan: Can interrupt spellcasting from any opponent of equal or lower strength. Uses: 3/3. Once depleted, as long as the fan remains intact, it can be recharged by its creator.
"What a great item! Definitely worth the 200 coins," Chu Lian said with delight. Being able to interrupt any spell from opponents below Earth Rank—that was a massive advantage in combat, especially in evenly matched battles. And it had three uses! Total profit.
"Lian'er, don't you find it odd that something this useful only costs 200 crystal coins? If you put this on a stall, it'd sell for at least 20,000," Ayase said thoughtfully. She hadn't said a word during the transaction, silently observing, but something about that fan felt wrong. She couldn't pinpoint why, so she simply gave a cautious warning.
"You're overthinking it. Spacetime Traveling Merchant trades are always absolutely fair. Since the deal went through, it means the price was balanced—nothing to worry about," Chu Lian replied easily. The profession's nature made her confident—no one could deceive a trade acknowledged by the origin itself.
"Maybe you're right..." Ayase sighed softly, deciding to let it go. She yawned and curled up again, soon drifting back to sleep.
Chu Lian chuckled at her relaxed state and shrugged. Guess she'd keep selling on her own.
She remembered that she still had one more item—something rare and valuable, not very useful, but extremely expensive.
As she thought about it, she began rummaging through her storage space once more...