Linglong

Yuan Qinghua gave a thumbs-up and praised him. "Brother, you've got a sharp mind. I've ushered in countless newcomers, and plenty are keen on gambling, but few can see so far ahead. You're right—there is indeed a clever way to guard against this loophole. Look to the left of the flagpole. There's a long table, and the old man beside it, wearing a square cloth, is the Realm Tester. Before the duel, both sides must each offer a drop of blood for verification. A martial artist's blood changes noticeably as their cultivation grows stronger. The blood of people at different realms differs greatly in thickness and color. Testing their blood ensures that both sides are at the same realm."

Only then did Xu Yi feel reassured. It wasn't that he asked too many questions; the matter concerned life and death, and he had to be careful. If the rules had a loophole and the Black Dragon Hall deliberately set him up by putting a Qi Sea Realm expert in the ring, then no matter how carefully he planned, it would do him no good.

After asking Xu Yi a couple more questions and seeing that his employer truly had no interest in the gambling match, Yuan Qinghua finally let it go. He began asking about Xu Yi's realm and what he needed in the city this time.

"What? Y-you're actually a martial artist at the Body Tempering Peak realm! May I ask how old you are, brother?"

Yuan Qinghua stared at him in shock. Though his employer was dressed in a weathered manner, he didn't look old at all.

"I'm past thirty," Xu Yi said calmly.

In truth, he had only just turned eighteen. He didn't want to reveal his real age simply because he didn't want to invite trouble.

Fortunately, he was now scruffy and disheveled, with a weary look about him. He appeared much older than he was.

Even so, Yuan Qinghua was so startled he nearly jumped. "A true master doesn't show his worth! A true master doesn't show his worth! As far as I know, in all of Guang'an City, no more than a handful of people have reached Body Tempering Peak before the age of thirty, and they're all scions of Aristocratic Clans. Brother Yi, you're so young, yet you've already reached such a level of cultivation. Your future ascent in Martial Arts is sure to dazzle the world! Allow me to offer my congratulations in advance. I hope you'll look after me in the future, Brother Yi!"

Xu Yi hadn't expected the man to be such a shameless flatterer. He said in a low voice, "That's getting ahead of ourselves. It's getting late. Let's get the job done first."

Yuan Qinghua heard the displeasure in Xu Yi's voice and felt a chill in his heart. He hurriedly agreed and said no more, leading Xu Yi down from the arched bridge and straight toward the main thoroughfare.

Half a stick of incense later, Yuan Qinghua pointed to a shop ahead. "Brother Yi, just walk into this shop, and you'll find everything you need. I guarantee the goods are both high-quality and reasonably priced."

The shop before them was enormous. Its façade stretched a full five zhang across, and its three-zhang-high doors were made of purple-gold nanmu, wide enough for four panels. Even the foot-high threshold was gilded solid copper.

A broad, gleaming sign hung in the middle of the façade, bearing three characters in sweeping, dragon-and-phoenix strokes: Linglong Pavilion!

Xu Yi stared at the characters. Suddenly, they came alive, transforming into swimming dragons that circled inside the frame before gathering in the center once more to form the words "Linglong Pavilion." It was an astonishing sight.

"Brother Yi, don't underestimate that sign. It's a formation. Its main material is uncut jade from the East Sea, and a Grand Master Craftsman inscribed Law Patterns on it. Then three Green-Gold Snake Demons were refined into it before it was finally completed. It's the only one of its kind in all of Guang'an City."

Seeing Xu Yi's interest, Yuan Qinghua naturally spared no words, giving him a brief explanation.

"Snake demons? So there really are spirits and monsters in this world?"

Xu Yi was startled, but he kept the words to himself.

Having seen Liao Chen's Yin Soul, he was already accustomed to the supernatural. Even if spirits and monsters appeared, he was mentally prepared.

He was in a hurry, though, and didn't want to waste time discussing the matter, so he left it at that.

The moment he stepped inside, Xu Yi's eyes went wide. Even though he'd seen plenty of grand hotels in his previous life, the scene before him still left him stunned.

The vast hall stretched more than a hundred zhang in every direction. White jade formed its pillars, black iron paved its floor, golden dragons roamed the heavens, and fire phoenixes blazed across the walls. It was truly a splendid palace with painted rafters, a treasure-filled sanctuary, and a dazzling magnificence that took the breath away.

When the two entered, the hall was already full of people, scattered in groups throughout.

Even more remarkable, not a single customer was alone; each had a shop attendant waiting on them. Just from this alone, one could tell that Linglong Pavilion lived up to its reputation.

Sure enough, before long, a female attendant hurried over. She wore black, had brown hair and a curvaceous figure, and before she had even reached them, her smile was so broad it seemed ready to spill off her face. "Welcome, honored guests. How may I help you?"

"Is this the place to talk? We'll speak in a VIP room!"

Yuan Qinghua's voice rang out, and he seemed to shine from head to toe. There was no trace left of the wretched man who had earlier been stuck guarding the city gate.

"So you're honored guests! Please, follow me to the VIP room!"

The brown-haired woman's smile grew even brighter. Her beautiful eyes lingered on Yuan Qinghua, full of charm.

Linglong Pavilion had a rule: anyone who spent more than a hundred gold coins in a single visit qualified to use a VIP room. Yuan Qinghua might have been down on his luck, but he knew the rule well.

Xu Yi had promised to spend at least two hundred gold coins this time. Since Yuan Qinghua had finally gotten the chance, it would have been a great shame not to borrow his employer's prestige and throw his weight around.

Before long, the brown-haired woman led the two of them into an elegant room. A short while later, two beautiful attendants brought in two trays laden with tea, fruit, and pastries, all exquisitely prepared.

Since arriving in this world, Xu Yi hadn't been treated to such refined hospitality. He was straightforward by nature and never put on airs. Finding the spread pleasing to the eye, he picked up the clear, jade-green tea and took a few sips, then tried a couple of pastries. They tasted good, but nothing special, so he stopped and lounged lazily in the soft chair.

Little did he know that his easygoing manner had Yuan Qinghua breaking out in a cold sweat, his old face flushing red.

The brown-haired woman beside them also stared wide-eyed. She wondered whether she should call the guards and have the two men thrown out.

In all her years at Linglong Pavilion, she had served more VIPs than there were fish crossing a river, yet not one had ever been so uncouth as to touch the tea and pastries.

She even suspected that the two men had snuck into Linglong Pavilion to gawk at the sights—and get a free meal.

Fortunately, professional habit kept her from acting on impulse. Forcing a smile, the brown-haired woman asked, with extra emphasis, "May I ask what you two honored guests need from me?"

Yuan Qinghua was already mortified. At her question, he seized it like a screen to hide behind and hurriedly said, "We need top-grade Scarlet Refined Grass, a century-old Crimson Gold Snake Eye, a Bear King Gallbladder..."

Yuan Qinghua listed seven medicinal ingredients in all. They were the supplementary materials needed to practice the Overlord Strength Art.

As soon as he finished speaking, the brown-haired woman's forced smile abruptly bloomed into a genuine one. She loudly called over the two attendants from earlier, instructed them to bring better tea, then politely apologized and explained that she needed to check the stock before giving them an answer.

The two attendants had just brought the tea when the brown-haired woman hurried back in. "I'm sorry to have kept you two honored guests waiting. Unfortunately, our shop can't currently fulfill your entire order. We're out of the century-old Crimson Gold Snake Eye and Bear King Gallbladder. Would you like to buy the other five ingredients first? As soon as the remaining two arrive, I'll notify you at once."