Liu Mei's fingers tapped lightly against the counter, a crisp, steady rhythm that somehow made the entire shop feel smaller.
"Pack the one with Thunderstone Alloy," she said coolly, as if the decision had already been made. "What is the daggers name?"
The apprentice, almost on instinct, stammered out,
"I-it doesn't have a name…"
Liu Mei nodded once.
Reaching into her robe, she withdrew a heavy bag and placed it soundlessly on the counter, the muffled clink of gold unmistakable.
"How much?"
The girl, still trembling, checked the price list.
"Th-thirty thousand gold ingots…"
Liu Mei pulled out a second bag and laid it beside the first, her expression unreadable.
Then, her gaze sharpened as she stared at the apprentice.
"Fifteen thousand," she said simply.
The girl gasped, her eyes darting around nervously.
"But... but that's too cheap! We can't—at least, we can do twenty thousand—" she blurted out, panicking.
