"I bet on that flute." I was holding a bundle of darts.
"This?"
"No, the other one. Smooth brown-coloured."
"You have to at least hit the the second circle within 5 tries," said the woman sitting on a couch made of fiber. Various items were displayed on the table before her. There was a bottle of ink, stylish throwing knifes, map copies of shang desert, various fake jewellery and many more things.
I'd already won a copy of the map and a gem embedded dagger. I hadn't hit inisde the centermost circle yet, though. These were wooden darts. Their sizes and weights differed from the plastic ones that I used to play with on earth.
"Dang Seong, do you think I can mark the center this time?" I asked the woman beside me. She wanted to go after leading me here but how could I let her go that easily.
"I don't think so," she teased. Her job was already done. I was losing money, why should she be here now? I was sure she was thinking along those lines.
I took out a gold coin and stamped it on the table. That was the fee for using 10 darts. I had already used around 40 and was finally getting a hang of these.
The reason I was betting on that flute was because it seemed like an antique to me. It didn't give off the otherworldly aura nor did it look ordinary. At a glance, it would seem to be expensive and oddly artistic. I'd weighed it on my hand, it was heavier than a typical bamboo flute.
From Zuifan's memories, I knew a breathing technique that required a playing flute and this could be used for it. Coupled with the herbs, that would increase my cultivation speed and help me stabilise my rapid improvement.
I casually threw a dart and it got pinned inside the centermost circle. Though not at the dead centre, this feat still raised more than a couple of eyebrows.
"That flute is mine." Without waiting for the item keeper woman to say anything, I snatched the antique away.
"Hold this." I passed it to Dang Seong who confusedly looked at me. I didn't have a bag with me right now.
"Closely look."
I stepped back a little, held one dart by it's pointed tip and raised my hand. I preferred not to hold the heavier darts by their base.
Thuk!
I marked the territory inside the central circle once again. Without delay, I threw another and another...
After four tries, one dart got pinned right at the central black dot.
'Ah, so that's how it is...'
There was a technique to this and handling the weight of the dart was the key. If it was plastic, the approach would've been different.
Of the 5 remaining darts, I rapidly threw two of them. They cut through the hot air inside this tent and fought for space beside the dart at the centre.
"What!?"
"No way!"
The item keeper stood up and Dang Seong had an expression of disbelief. I didn't bother to throw the other darts. Three times in a row at the centre, it was done. Even if I couldn't do it, I still had many ways to punish Dang Seong.
"Give me the flute." Picking up a white thread from the table, I turned to Dang Seong. She wiped the sweat on her forehead as she handed the antique back to me. She was remembering what she'd said just some minutes ago.
I inserted the thread into the flute and tied the thread on my waist, hanging the flute vertically. I adjusted it to my left side so it wouldn't obstruct me from walking.
I planned to try it out later. The map was in my chest pocket. I picked the dagger and rolled it against my finger. It was a familiar move.
"Outside, this place is boring." I looked around me. The man who brought me here had gone off to fetch for another youngster. The men were still shouting in the middle. Some real young masters had entered this tent and were trying out the mystery curtains.
I scanned behind those curtains with my spirit sense. Most didn't hide anything at all. There were cheap weapons and some even had grocery items. What a scam. I'd felt like making them jobless but this place was too small.
"You guys aren't from here, right?" I put my hand over her neck and led her outside as if we had known each other for years. Of course, this gesture made her uncomfortable but I could hardly care about it.
"Yes, you can tell?" She tried looking back, yet everyone was busy. No one could help her. The item keeper was was also looking for someone. While she struggled to come up with an excuse, we were already outside.
I didn't know who the owner of this tent was but he or she wasn't here. Bah. Whatever, I was only going to ask some questions.
"Where did you come from?"
"Kingdom of Fida." Her breasts touched mine as I held her waist. The outside was a boiling pot of fussy market. We passed through the packed stalls and only a few people saw our intimate behaviour.
"How far is it from here?" I waved at Xie Ge. He and his wife were busy catering the hungry costumers.
"How far... are we going?" She stopped and I frowned. Where did that playful attitude go?
I spanked her behind and whispered, "Only I'll ask questions. You will obediently walk and talk. If I say something, you'll agree by replying with 'yes daddy.' Am I clear?"
"Yes..."
"Hmm?" I pinched her waist.
"Y-yes daddy!"
We started walking again. She looked down at her feet, unable to hide the shame covering up her face. I did as I pleased and kept asking questions while feeling her upper body.
"So Rong Sât is a better choice?"
"Yes daddy."
We had come near the fences of the park and I stopped there. I learned Dang Seong's boss was a woman who had a famous pub in Rong Sât. After their trip to Fida, this group was returning to the Rong Sât nation. They had opened a gambling tent with what was left and wanted to make some profit while in they were here.
Of course, she didn't tell me what exactly they did in Fida or how powerful their boss was. I wasn't interested in those details, though. I was planning to leave this town after this fair ended and I had to know what dangers lied along the way.
Fida kingdom was under an absolute monarchy ruled by Fida Dynasty for almost a thousand years now. Rong Sât, on the other hand, was a commonwealth. Various clans were involved in the politics of that place and it was easier to mingle and thrive.
There were rules in both places and each had their own disadvantages. Fida had a better regulation but Rong Sât had more opportunities for a fledgling practioner.
'I should start preparing for a journey...'
"Uhm... how long are you going to keep groping me?" Dang Seong broke my train of thought. I forgot I was fondling one of her breasts.
"Let's head back now. I'll keep doing this until we reach the gambling tent."
"..."
"You don't have any complaints about this, right?"