With a faint chuckle, Xuantian pushed the door open and stepped inside with interest, rather than scanning the shop with his divine sense.
As the door opened, wind and snow instantly howled inside. Perhaps the movement had disturbed the person in the shop, for the young man sitting at the counter, absorbed in carving a wooden figure, frowned slightly and involuntarily set down his carving.
Xuantian discreetly surveyed the shop. Wooden shelves filled the entire space, laden with all manner of lifelike carvings. There were men and women, young and old, in every conceivable pose. Even a few demonic beasts appeared among the rows at the very back.
The shopkeeper looked young, but Xuantian immediately discerned the air of weathered experience surrounding him. Without question, he was a cultivator, one who had yet to reach the spirit transformation stage.
What most caught Xuantian's attention was the baleful aura of countless dead souls clinging to the man. Although he had used a few minor spells to conceal anything unusual from ordinary cultivators, such little tricks could not fool Xuantian.
While Xuantian observed the shopkeeper, the young shopkeeper was also discreetly sizing him up. The sudden arrival of a lightly dressed young man on such a snowy day had instinctively put him on guard.
After probing the white-robed young man with his divine sense, the shopkeeper relaxed a little. His examination revealed a martial artist with profound internal energy. His cultivation of internal energy was impressive enough that even Qi Condensation cultivators were probably no match for him. This also explained why he had no fear of the wind and snow despite his thin clothing.
"Are you here to buy a woodcarving?" the young shopkeeper asked after a brief silence.
"Not exactly. My name is Lin Yi. I own the little tavern