In the ancient, sacred hall, an old man in splendid robes slowly opened his eyes. Reflected in his golden pupils was the figure of a young woman.
"Xue'er, you're back. Did everything go smoothly?"
"It went quite smoothly, Grandpa." The young woman gave a respectful curtsey, though her expression was somewhat cold.
"That person has also come to Spirit City, and you returned just at this time... Is this a coincidence?"
The old man spoke gently, a strange light in his eyes. He gazed at the heavy rain drifting beyond the window, lost in thought.
At the mention of "that person," the young woman's delicate body visibly trembled. "Grandpa, I came back this time to tell you that I want to take control of my own life."
She lowered her head, her face and expression hidden from view.
Her fair, delicate hands were clenched tightly around the hem of her clothes. It seemed to have taken all her courage to say those words.
The old man's expression did not change. He remained as calm as ever.
Time passed slowly in the hall. After an unknown length of time, the old man finally looked away.
"Alas, sometimes fate isn't something you or I can decide. Even the great Angel God is nothing but the lowest servant before that being."
"Think it over carefully. In my opinion, this is already the best possible outcome."
"Even I can't escape the fate that was decided long ago."
The old man's voice echoed through the hall, lingering for a long time.
Perhaps no one but the two of them could understand this baffling conversation.
On a street in the southwestern part of Spirit City.
Mu Qian shook his head, clearing the distracting thoughts from his mind.
"Let's go, Zhuqing." With that, he led her toward a nearby shop.
It was a three-story building, its exterior old and quaint. The windowsills beneath the eaves were thick with years of dust, and it was hard to tell how long they had gone without cleaning.
Unlike the bright, elegant buildings around it, this shop stood out from the crowd.
Strangest of all was the sign hanging in front of the entrance.
"Wu Ke Lai Soul Master Supplies Store? What a strange name," Zhu Zhuqing remarked, eyeing the sign.
Mu Qian's expression was just as meaningful. "Wu Kelai... No customers. Who names their shop that? What owner wouldn't want a packed store and booming business?"
The two exchanged a glance, shook their heads, and stepped inside.
"What can I do for you, young Spirit Masters?" A plainly dressed attendant quickly came over to greet them.
He didn't look very old, perhaps just over twenty, and his small, bright eyes glinted shrewdly.
Mu Qian smiled. "How did you know we were Spirit Masters?"
They said you should never hit someone who smiled at you. The attendant was perfectly polite, so Mu Qian saw no reason to put on a sour face.
"Why even ask? There aren't any commoners who come to our Spirit Master Supply Shop." The attendant grinned, his whole face scrunching up into an indescribably leering expression.
"What's your name?" Mu Qian awkwardly changed the subject. He realized he shouldn't have asked in the first place.
The attendant bowed and replied, "Your humble servant is Huang Shulang. I'm pleased to serve you."
"Pfft—" Mu Qian nearly spat.
There really were all sorts of people in this world. He'd seen something new today.
"Huang Shulang... What can I say? You really do live up to your name..."
Of course, he kept the rest to himself. Otherwise, the man might take offense right there and then.
Even Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help laughing. Seeing how much the attendant's face matched his name, she covered her mouth and giggled.
"Sorry, sorry. We didn't mean to make fun of you. Could you tell us what the shop has to offer?" Mu Qian cleared his throat and changed the subject.
Huang Shulang wasn't offended. Clearly, this wasn't the first time this had happened.
What could Huang Shulang say? If anyone was to blame, it was his flaky parents for giving him such a name.
"Esteemed guests, our shop carries a wide range of goods. Apart from Spirit Bones, you can find almost anything you need."
"Oh?" Mu Qian couldn't help looking doubtful.
Wasn't that a rather bold claim?
Huang Shulang continued his explanation without being put off by Mu Qian's expression. "The first floor is the largest. It mainly sells products made from Spirit Beast materials, rare treasures of heaven and earth, and pills that help Spirit Masters fight and cultivate."
"The second floor is smaller. It sells all kinds of weapons and armor, as well as Soul Tools for storing things."
"You can buy Soul Tools here?" Mu Qian looked around in surprise.
Just as Huang Shulang had said, aside from the service counter at the very back, every other counter was laden with a dazzling variety of goods. The second floor was probably similar.
There were quite a few customers browsing the goods at the counters. Each group had an attendant explaining the products to them, though there were fewer attendants than in other shops.
"The first floor is the cheapest, and the second floor comes next. As for the third floor..." Huang Shulang continued his explanation.
"The prices on the third floor vary. Some items may cost far more than ordinary people can afford, while others may be incredibly cheap."
"That's because the third floor sells some strange and unusual things. Even our boss can't tell what they do or whether they're genuine."
"Really?" Mu Qian's eyes lit up. Wasn't this exactly the kind of place where a protagonist could hunt for treasures?
"Take us up. I love strange and unusual things."
Huang Shulang immediately beamed. "Sure thing. Follow me."
As an attendant, his wages were tied to sales, and a large part of his pay came from commission.
Most of the goods on the third floor were shockingly expensive. Looks like he'd be making another killing.
Mu Qian could see right through his little scheme, but didn't call him out.
The final decision to buy was his. If he didn't like something, would the attendant really dare to force him to buy it?
Zhu Zhuqing was a little nervous. She felt that the leering fellow didn't seem like a good person.
Mu Qian tightened his hold on her hand and said softly, "Don't worry."
They climbed the old, quaint wooden staircase, passed the second floor, and went straight to the top.
Compared to the first and second floors, this one was small, only about forty square meters—not even as big as an ordinary family's courtyard.
There were only seven display cases in the room. Each held a transparent glass cabinet containing goods for sale.
There was only one group of customers on the third floor, but the place didn't feel deserted. The customers and shop staff stood on opposite sides, apparently in the middle of an argument.
"You're asking thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins for this piece of junk? Do you even know who we are? How dare someone try to rip us off here in Spirit City!"
Mu Qian furrowed his brows.
They hadn't heard a sound while they were on the stairs, yet the moment they stepped into the room, the argument came through loud and clear.
It was obvious this wasn't the first thing they'd said.
"Such a clever soundproofing method. Looks like this shop isn't so simple after all."
Before you continue