Stellar Tower

Unhurried, Wu Yuan crossed several bustling thoroughfares and narrow alleys, making his way from the Martial Academy in the eastern part of the city to the western district.

Li City, the heart of Li City Prefecture, had nearly two hundred thousand registered residents and close to three hundred thousand permanent inhabitants. Looking across all of Nanmeng Prefecture, it counted as a major city.

Since Hengyun Sect had ruled this land for centuries, a pattern had gradually formed: nobility in the east, wealth in the west, poverty in the north, and lowliness in the south.

Places such as the Prefectural Sect Martial Academy, the Prefect's Mansion, and the General's Mansion were all basically located in the east.

The west, meanwhile, was a land of luxury, crowded with merchants. All manner of entertainment, street performances, brothels, and taverns gathered there.

"Li City is a dock city. The South Dragon River winds from the west of the city to the north, with countless travelers and goods passing through. Though our Wu Clan belongs to the north of the city, we are also close to the west." Wu Yuan was already quite familiar with Li City's layout.

This had always been his habit: whenever he arrived somewhere, he would first familiarize himself with its geography and local customs.

"The west side can be considered the commercial district, and also a den that devours gold. Tales often circulate of spoiled young masters and wealthy merchants throwing away fortunes in a single night here." Wu Yuan's gaze swept over the crowds passing along both sides of the street.

He observed the expressions of different people.

Unlike the quiet east and the hawkers and peddlers of the north, the west was prosperous but clearly of a higher class. There were more storefronts lining the roads, and pedestrians were generally better dressed.

At last, Wu Yuan arrived where the most bustling streets of the western district converged. From afar, he saw a seven-story building occupying an enormous area, standing between two streets—Stellar Tower!

It differed from the usual shop signboards.

The plaque on this tall building seemed like a gilded painting. Not a single word was written upon it; only several meteors streaked across it, making it exceptionally distinctive.

"Goods from every corner beneath heaven, all gathered amid the myriad stars within this tower." Wu Yuan's gaze passed over the golden words carved into the bluestone slabs standing on either side of the main entrance.

The calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, its strokes sharp as arrows!

It did not seem to have been carved by craftsmen, but rather left behind by a Martial Dao powerhouse using profound finger force.

"Green tinged with red... is this Silk Blood Green Stone, a specialty of Min Province? These two massive stones must each weigh more than a hundred thousand jin." Wu Yuan thought to himself.

There were sixteen prefectures under heaven, excluding the distant Three Overseas Prefectures.

The Thirteen Prefectures of the Central Land were further divided into the Central Plains Seven Provinces and the Six Barbarian Prefectures.

Every prefecture was vast and boundless. Chu Province lay between Jiang Province and Min Province, and according to Wu Yuan's geographical knowledge, the two were separated by tens of thousands of li.

"Just transporting these two stones from Min Province to Jiang Province must have cost tens of thousands of taels of silver." Wu Yuan felt a slight sense of awe.

There were no airplanes or railways here. This alone was enough to display Stellar Tower's astonishing wealth.

Of course, Wu Yuan was not surprised.

Though he had only awakened a little over a month ago, he had already heard of Stellar Tower. It was the undisputed foremost merchant house of the Central Plains Seven Provinces!

Among the many states and sects of the Central Plains Seven Provinces, every prefectural city had one of its branches. The goods it sold encompassed everything: divine weapons and sharp armaments, pearls and antiques, pills and spiritual medicines. Most rare and unusual things could be found there.

Even if something could not be found immediately, so long as one was willing to pay heavily, Stellar Tower could deliver it even across tens of thousands of li!

Just as the stone tablet declared: goods beneath heaven, gathered within the tower.

"Even the banknotes circulating through the Central Plains Seven Provinces are issued by Stellar Tower's Stellar Bank." Wu Yuan recalled the special anti-counterfeiting mark bearing the word "Starry" on his own banknotes.

In truth, most states and sects had their own banks as well, but their credibility was far inferior to Stellar Tower's. Once one left the territory under their rule, their notes were basically unusable.

After all, Great Jin, the greatest state under heaven, had been founded only two hundred years ago. Even some Martial Dao Sacred Sects could hardly endure undefeated for a thousand years.

Yet Stellar Tower had existed for over a thousand years and had never declined.

"This Stellar Tower is practically a financial empire spanning the many states and sects." Wu Yuan sighed.

He understood that for Stellar Tower to stand firm for a thousand years without falling, the force behind it could not be simple. It would not be weaker than certain great states or sacred sects.

It was precisely because he knew Stellar Tower's might that he had come here.

"Though Stellar Tower occupies a large area, it does not seem to have many customers." Wu Yuan's gaze swept across the patrons coming and going.

Yet most of them wore luxurious robes and brocade garments. They were plainly either wealthy or noble.

In a word, Stellar Tower's clientele generally consisted of the upper class of an entire prefecture.

Few transactions, but high prices!

"That makes sense. If it extended its reach all the way into the lower classes and tried to seize even their business, the many states and sects likely would not tolerate it." Wu Yuan lowered his head to look at his clothes, frowning slightly. "I did not think this through."

Compared to the other guests entering and leaving Stellar Tower, Wu Yuan's clothing was far too plain and conspicuous.

After all, he had not possessed much money before. How could he have afforded fine clothes?

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan did not linger. He walked straight past Stellar Tower and merged into the crowd.

Not long after.

A short, plump youth in a cyan brocade robe and felt hat entered Stellar Tower. He looked utterly inconspicuous. It was Wu Yuan, having changed clothes.

"This place is even larger than I expected." Wu Yuan examined Stellar Tower's interior. Its decorations were not extravagantly ostentatious, yet they possessed excellent taste.

He had only heard of this tower in the past and had never entered it.

Of course, such a sight was not enough to change Wu Yuan's expression. As someone who had once belonged to the highest circles of the Human Federation, how could what he had seen be compared to a Stellar Tower in an ancient-style prefectural city?

The first floor was broad and spacious, with many counters selling different goods. There were numerous attendants, as well as dedicated armed guards.

From Wu Yuan's perspective, even the weakest of those guards were likely Seventh-Rank Warriors.

Stellar Tower's strength was plain to see.

With a sweep of his gaze, Wu Yuan headed directly for a staircase to the side. As though he knew the way well, he went straight up to the second floor.

The second floor had fewer counters, but its goods were more precious.

Wu Yuan did not stop. He headed straight for the stairs to the third floor.

The first and second floors sold ordinary goods. Though some luxuries were expensive, they offered no benefit to Martial Dao cultivation.

The third floor, however, exclusively sold items needed by martial artists, such as divine weapons! Such as pills!

Naturally, the Martial Academy's records did not contain this information. It was what Wu Yuan had pieced together over the past month through chatting and exchanging information with many Martial Academy disciples.

"Please wait, honored guest."

An attendant in the corridor politely stopped Wu Yuan. "To proceed to the third floor, you must verify either your assets or your identity."

"Is this enough?" Wu Yuan turned his palm, and several banknotes appeared.

"My apologies for the discourtesy." The attendant hurriedly lowered his head, inwardly startled. That stack of banknotes was likely worth more than a thousand taels.

So young, yet carrying so many banknotes on him?

Which family's young master was he?

The attendant did not dare ask more. Wu Yuan had already climbed to the third floor in a few strides. There were even fewer guests and counters here, making it seem spacious and empty, while the decor was noticeably more luxurious.

"Honored guest, what do you require?" A beautiful maid in purple approached him from the side.

These maids did not put on seductive airs. Unlike the world-weary women of the brothels, they possessed a different kind of youthful vitality.

This was treatment unavailable on the first and second floors.

"Body Tempering Pills." Wu Yuan spoke three words. This was the purpose of his visit.

"This way, please." Smiling, the purple-clad maid quickly led Wu Yuan into a private reception room.

Wu Yuan took his seat, while another maid brought over tea.

A Middle-aged Man in Black Robe was already seated on one side of the table. His desk and chair were clearly lower than Wu Yuan's, making his respectful attitude apparent.

"Honored guest, Body Tempering Pills are supplementary pills used by martial artists to temper their bodies and strengthen their Martial Dao. Their medicinal effects are fierce, but their side effects are also obvious. I wonder..." the Middle-aged Man in Black Robe swiftly explained.

"No need for more words. State the price." Wu Yuan's voice was incomparably hoarse and carried a trace of cold indifference, as if he did not wish to say more.

"Very well."

"High-grade Body Tempering Pills are fifty taels each! Mid-grade Body Tempering Pills are ten taels each!" The Middle-aged Man in Black Robe spoke unhurriedly. "How many would you like, honored guest?"

"What about the low-grade ones?" Wu Yuan asked in return.

"Low-grade?" The Middle-aged Man in Black Robe paused slightly and could not help saying, "Honored guest, Low-grade Body Tempering Pills contain many impurities and have extremely severe side effects. They are generally used to..."

"When I do things, I do not need your extra words." Wu Yuan frowned and said coldly. "Just state the price."

"One tael of silver for two!" said the Middle-aged Man in Black Robe.

"I want one thousand!" Wu Yuan said directly.

At this.

Not only the Middle-aged Man in Black Robe, but even the purple-clad maid beside him, who had received special training, was somewhat stunned.

Low-grade Body Tempering Pills? One thousand of them?

"Honored guest, we cannot sell you that many." The Middle-aged Man in Black Robe smiled bitterly.

"What? Do you think I do not have enough silver? Is this how Stellar Tower treats its customers?" Wu Yuan frowned slightly.

"No." The Middle-aged Man in Black Robe shook his head. "It is because we do not have that many Low-grade Body Tempering Pills in stock."

He did not elaborate. Low-grade Body Tempering Pills were essentially failed pills.

Calling them pills would be less accurate than calling them slow poison.

Therefore, once Stellar Tower accumulated a certain number of Low-grade Body Tempering Pills, it would destroy them all at once. Naturally, it did not keep many in reserve.

"Give me however many you have. I'll take them all." Wu Yuan said decisively.

Only a quarter of an hour later, Wu Yuan left Stellar Tower carrying six hundred and eighty-seven Body Tempering Pills.