Myriad Gold Merchant Guild

The streets teemed with people, utterly unlike the tranquility within the Symbol Master Association.

Zi Yue walked beside Luo Heng, her purple robes especially eye-catching amid the crowd, yet even more gazes fell upon Luo Heng.

The feat of breaking through several floors of the Symbol Master Tower in a single night and even touching the barrier of the seventh floor had long spread through various channels.

At that moment, this handsome young man with a steady temperament naturally drew countless curious and probing looks.

"Luo Heng, you seem quite used to this kind of attention," Zi Yue said in her cool voice.

Luo Heng calmly swept his gaze over the shops lining both sides of the street and said indifferently, "They are merely the gazes of irrelevant people. Why bother caring?"

Zi Yue nodded slightly, raising her assessment of Luo Heng another notch. Such composure and resolve far beyond his age were not something ordinary geniuses could compare to.

"Let's go to the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild first. It is one of Flame City's three great powers, built upon trade and known for its excellent reputation. Its leader, Senior Xia Wanjin, is a Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm expert. The Myriad Gold Auction House operated by the guild is Flame City's largest trading venue. If you need to purchase cultivation resources or sell items in the future, it will be your best choice," Zi Yue explained.

"Thank you for leading the way, Miss Zi Yue," Luo Heng said with a nod.

The two crossed several bustling streets and arrived before an imposing cluster of buildings at the city center.

The towering pavilions were dominated by dark gold tones, with upturned eaves and broad entrances.

A huge gilded plaque hung above the main gate: "Myriad Gold Merchant Guild."

Carriages and pedestrians crowded the entrance, and those entering and leaving were either wealthy or influential. Quite a few were accompanied by guards whose auras were far from weak.

"What an impressive sight." Luo Heng praised it. The Myriad Gold Merchant Guild was several times larger than all the powers in Qingyang Town combined.

"The Myriad Gold Merchant Guild has operated in Flame City for decades and has deep foundations. Its businesses span every trade, but its core remains the auction house. The regular monthly auctions and the large quarterly auctions attract martial artists from all across Tiandu Prefecture," Zi Yue explained.

Just as they reached the entrance, a middle-aged man dressed like a steward hurried over. His face was full of smiles as he respectfully said, "Miss Zi Yue, what an honor to have you here! Forgive us for failing to welcome you properly! And this is..."

The steward's gaze fell on Luo Heng, and surprise flickered in his eyes. Though he had never seen Luo Heng in person, news of the Symbol Master Tower had already spread throughout Flame City's upper circles. Seeing Zi Yue personally accompanying him, he already had a guess.

"This is Luo Heng, the Symbol Master Association's newly promoted core disciple," Zi Yue introduced.

The steward's expression immediately became even more respectful. He bowed and said, "So it is Young Master Luo! I have long heard of your great name! Please come in, both of you. I'll inform Chief Steward Su at once."

"There is no need to inform anyone."

A gentle yet capable female voice came from the inner hall.

A beautiful woman in a light purple dress slowly emerged. She appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with lovely features and a temperament that combined gentleness with shrewdness. She was Xuan Su, one of the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild's chief stewards.

"Aunt Su." Zi Yue inclined her head slightly, her attitude somewhat softer than usual.

"Zi Yue, it is rare for you to visit the guild." Xuan Su walked forward with a warm smile. Her gaze settled on Luo Heng, and a trace of amazement and curiosity flashed through her eyes.

"This must be Young Master Luo Heng, who created a miracle in the Symbol Master Tower yesterday? You truly are an outstanding young talent, with extraordinary bearing."

"Chief Steward Xuan flatters me." Luo Heng returned the greeting with cupped hands, thinking to himself that she was indeed Xuan Su from the Original Work.

"No need to stand on ceremony. Just call me Aunt Su." Xuan Su's smile grew warmer as she continued, "Young Master Luo, you have only just arrived in Flame City. If there is anything you need, feel free to ask. We dare not boast about anything else, but when it comes to cultivation resources and intelligence, the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild is fairly well-informed in Flame City."

As they spoke, another young girl in green emerged from the inner hall.

The girl appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen. She was pretty, with a hint of youthful immaturity and pride between her brows. She was Xia Zhilan, the daughter of the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild.

"Big Sister Zi Yue." Xia Zhilan greeted Zi Yue first, then turned her gaze to Luo Heng, curiosity flashing in her eyes.

"Are you the newcomer who made it to the Sixth Floor of the Symbol Master Tower?"

Her tone was blunt, carrying the particular arrogance of a young lady from a powerful family.

"Zhi Lan, do not be rude," Xuan Su reprimanded softly, though there was no blame in her eyes.

Luo Heng did not mind. He smiled faintly and said, "I was merely lucky."

"Luck cannot get you to the Sixth Floor." Xia Zhilan curled her lips, though the curiosity in her eyes did not lessen. She continued, "I heard you are only sixteen? Is that true?"

"Zhi Lan!" Xuan Su's tone became sterner this time.

Only then did Xia Zhilan restrain herself, though she continued staring at Luo Heng as if trying to discern something special about him.

Zi Yue spoke at the right moment. "Aunt Su, we came today to familiarize Young Master Luo with the guild and see whether there are any auction items or resources worth paying attention to recently."

"Perfect timing. A new batch of goods just arrived in the inner hall, including some rare items. You can take a look. Zhi Lan, accompany Zi Yue and Young Master Luo around," Xuan Su said with a smile.

"Oh." Xia Zhilan responded, her tone somewhat reluctant, though a trace of interest still flashed through her eyes.

The three entered the guild's inner hall.

The inner hall was even more spacious and luxurious than the outer hall. All sorts of items were displayed there: weapons, armor, pills, medicinal herbs, ores, martial arts scrolls, and more.

Many martial artists lingered in the inner hall as they selected goods and spoke in low voices. When they saw Zi Yue and Xia Zhilan accompanying an unfamiliar young man inside, many turned curious gazes toward him.

"Is that... Miss Zi Yue, the city lord's daughter, and Miss Xia of the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild?"

"Who is the young man they are accompanying? He looks unfamiliar."

"Didn't you hear yesterday? The Symbol Master Association got a monster of a newcomer. He's sixteen, and on his first visit to the Symbol Master Tower, he charged all the way to the Sixth Floor!"

"Hiss... that's him?"

Whispers rose softly around them, but Luo Heng seemed not to hear them as his gaze swept over the displayed goods.

The Myriad Gold Merchant Guild truly had deep foundations. Many of the items displayed here could not be found in Qingyang Town at all.

Second-grade pills were displayed by the bottle, one-seal talisman rune weapons could be seen everywhere, and several items emitted even stronger fluctuations. They were clearly two-seal talisman rune weapons.

"These are merely standard goods." Seeing Luo Heng's calm expression, Xia Zhilan could not help saying, "The truly good things are all in the auction house or hidden in the storerooms. But..."

She paused, her gaze circling over Luo Heng before she said, "Given your current status and wealth, these standard goods should be enough for you."

There was a hint of probing in her words.

Luo Heng smiled but did not respond or pay her any attention. To him, wasting time on a spoiled young lady was rather pointless. He then walked toward a counter displaying medicinal herbs.

Dozens of medicinal herbs lay within the counter. One entirely crimson herb, shaped like ganoderma, caught his attention.

"Fire Cloud Ganoderma?" Luo Heng raised a brow.

"Oh, you have a good eye." Xia Zhilan was somewhat surprised and explained, "This is a third-grade spirit herb, Fire Cloud Ganoderma. It grows along the edges of volcanic lava and contains pure fire yuan. It is highly effective for cultivating fire-attributed techniques or refining fire-element pills. This one is roughly fifty years old and is worth one hundred Yang Yuan Stones."

One hundred Yang Yuan Stones was already an astronomical price for an Earthen Yuan Stage martial artist.

Luo Heng nodded, then looked at a nearby herb that was icy blue all over, its leaves shaped like swords. He said softly, "Cold Sword Grass, a fourth-grade spirit herb. It grows in freezing glaciers and contains an icy baleful aura. It is greatly beneficial to ice-attributed martial artists. This one is less than thirty years old, but it is worth at least four hundred Yang Yuan Stones."

The surprise in Xia Zhilan's eyes deepened. Cold Sword Grass was rather rare. Being able to recognize it at a glance and accurately judge its age and value was no simple skill.

A trace of unusual light also flashed through Zi Yue's cool eyes. She knew Luo Heng's talent was exceptional, but she had not expected him to possess such attainments in identifying medicinal herbs as well.

"Young Master Luo, are you very knowledgeable about medicinal herbs?" Xuan Su had somehow approached them and asked with a smile.

"I know a little," Luo Heng replied modestly. The medicinal herbs he had learned about in this life, along with the Analysis ability of the Myriad Law Seal, had given him knowledge of all kinds of heavenly treasures far beyond that of ordinary people.

"More than just a little, I'd say," Xia Zhilan muttered.

For the rest of their time there, Xuan Su personally accompanied Luo Heng and Zi Yue through several important areas of the guild, including the auction house where an auction would soon be held.

The auction house was grand and imposing, divided into upper and lower levels and capable of seating over a thousand people. The central auction platform was made from special crystals that could display auction items from every angle.

"At the monthly auction three days from now, several fine items will appear," Xuan Su introduced. "Among them is a suspected incomplete scroll of a seventh-grade movement technique, as well as a batch of ancient talismans excavated from ancient ruins. If Young Master Luo is interested, I can reserve a private room for you."

"Thank you, Aunt Su." Luo Heng did not refuse. He also wanted to see the standard of Flame City's auctions.

By the time they left the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild, it was already afternoon.

Xia Zhilan saw them all the way to the entrance. The way she looked at Luo Heng had completely changed, containing less arrogance and more curiosity, as well as faint admiration.

"Young Master Luo, see you at the auction in three days," Xuan Su said with a smile.

"Certainly."