"So the Treasure Appraisal Fair has different levels?"
Ji Siyuan had no idea how it worked.
Bei Bei explained, "Strictly speaking, the place you want to visit isn't the Treasure Appraisal Fair, just the Treasure Pavilion. Most of the time, the fair is held for core disciples, who are then sent invitations."
Seeing the three fall into thought, Bei Bei didn't try to discourage them. "Even when there isn't a fair, the Treasure Pavilion still has plenty of things. It'd be good for you to go take a look."
Some resources were best used sooner rather than later. They had a million Gold Soul Coins in their hands, but they weren't doing them any good. Instead, they'd only become an object of envy to others. They might as well spend them early.
After hearing them out, Xuan Zi said, "The academy will hold a Treasure Appraisal Fair. You can wait two days."
Everyone fell silent at that.
It was obvious this fair was being held just for the three of them.
That was what happened when you had talent and connections. They'd decided they wanted to attend the fair, and soon enough, one would be held.
The opportunities you thought you'd found were nothing more than lucky breaks arranged by those above you.
Still, they couldn't make it too obvious. They'd need plenty of good items to put on display.
After the banquet, everyone said goodbye to Xuan Zi and prepared to return to the dormitory together.
Huo Yuhao remained silent the whole way.
"What's wrong?" Ji Siyuan carefully drew her aside and asked in a low voice.
"Siyuan, the academy gives us whatever we ask for. Isn't that unfair to the other students?"
Ji Siyuan understood that it was unfair, but absolute fairness was impossible in this world. That would be unfair to the talented. "As someone who benefits from this, you might not like what I'm about to say. Yuhao, let me ask you this: if Dai Huabin received the same treatment as me, would that seem right to you?"
Huo Yuhao immediately objected. What was Dai Huabin, that he could deserve to be on the same level as him? "Of course not! Siyuan, your talent is so much greater than his. Giving Dai Huabin the same resources would just be a waste, wouldn't it?"
"Exactly. That's the reason."
There was no need to talk her around; Huo Yuhao could figure it out herself. When they reached the dormitory, Mu En stopped Ji Siyuan, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong'er.
And Huo Yuhao got to see what true unfairness looked like.
"So many good things!" She'd received exactly the same resources as Ji Siyuan. In terms of Martial Soul talent alone, Huo Yuhao didn't measure up to him. But right now, she had Twin Martial Souls, one of them an Ultimate Martial Soul. Her potential was a little higher than his appeared to be, and with her talent as a Soul Engineer, it made sense to put them on the same level.
"Siyuan, which one do you want?" Huo Yuhao didn't choose anything for herself. Instead, she asked Ji Siyuan which one he wanted first.
Ji Siyuan had already used many of the things on offer, and they wouldn't be as effective the second time around, so he only took a few.
Huo Yuhao was a little unhappy with his choice. She felt she'd already used a lot of Ji Siyuan's things, and without him, she wouldn't have gotten any of this.
"Focus on your cultivation and get your revenge as soon as you can." Ji Siyuan sat on the bed and began to cultivate. Eight Lotus Seeds floated in the air.
The sight made Huo Yuhao's heart ache. Then she climbed onto Ji Siyuan's bed of her own accord.
They used their Martial Soul Fusion Skill to cultivate together, the forces of ice and fire blending to speed up their cultivation even more.
For several days, they waited for the invitation to the core disciple Treasure Appraisal Fair.
During those few days, Huo Yuhao reached level 26, surpassing Ji Siyuan in cultivation for the first time. She didn't get to enjoy it for long. On the very day the invitation arrived, Ji Siyuan reached level 26 too.
"Siyuan, aren't you cultivating a little too fast?" Huo Yuhao lay across the table, watching Ji Siyuan.
"I ate some of your fruit the day before yesterday. I've refined the medicinal power." Ji Siyuan answered quite seriously.
Compared with Ji Siyuan, Huo Yuhao's constitution was still weaker. She refined things more slowly than he did and needed time between doses.
A knock sounded at the door. There was no need to guess who it was: Wang Dong'er.
"The Treasure Appraisal Fair is being held at the Treasure Pavilion. The address is on the invitation. Let's go." The three of them took out the stored-value card that had been sitting untouched for over a month. "Come on."
They walked side by side, as naturally as if they were going out to find somewhere to eat.
The Treasure Pavilion was in a rather remote location. Fortunately, they'd prepared in advance and brought Soul Tools that could increase their speed.
Once they got close, the Treasure Pavilion was easy to spot. It covered a huge area and stood more than twenty meters tall, with four stories. Its exterior gleamed with gold.
At the entrance, four young women in long skirts stood ready to welcome them. They were seventeen or eighteen, with fresh, pretty faces, and quite pleasing to the eye.
But the moment he took a step forward, the two beside him not only turned their eyes toward him but laid hands on him as well.
Huo Yuhao was relatively restrained; she simply grabbed his hand. Wang Dong'er went straight to pinching him.
"Hey, what are you two doing?"
Wang Dong'er glared at him. "What do you think you're doing? Were you about to ask their names and where they live?"
Huo Yuhao said, "Siyuan, you need to stay calm. We're still young."
Ji Siyuan felt completely innocent. Those girls were there to greet visitors, and the entrance was right in front of him. Where else was he supposed to go?
One of the young women stepped forward and asked respectfully, "Are the three of you here for the Treasure Appraisal Fair?"
Ji Siyuan rubbed the spot Wang Dong'er had pinched. "You two should respect people while they're working." Then he handed over the invitation and had the woman in white lead them into the fair.
The inside of the Treasure Pavilion was even more extravagant. Crystal lamps that had shone for centuries lit up the surroundings.
On either side stood even younger girls in short golden skirts. When they saw the three of them, they called out in unison, "Welcome!"
"They're all about the same age, height, and build. Must've taken some effort to find so many. Talk about extravagance." Before he could finish, his vision went dark.
The other two stepped in front of him in perfect unison, blocking his view and covering his eyes.
"Don't look!"
Ji Siyuan found it even more frustrating. "What do you mean, don't look? We're here to buy things. How am I supposed to do that if you block my view?"
The poor guy was suffering. The two of them didn't bother each other, but they'd both come after him instead.
Fortunately, the hostesses had been trained. They soon led the three of them up to the second floor, where there were fewer girls.
Ji Siyuan could see again.
The second floor was much quieter, but there were just as many items. Their quality was high, too.
Three Soul Bones stood right at the entrance. It was obvious they'd been set aside for the three of them.
The woman in white guiding them said, "Welcome to the Treasure Pavilion, honored guests. The Treasure Appraisal Fair is being held on the second floor, and you're free to look around. If you see anything you like, you can register to purchase it. If you need to buy on credit, you can have your credit assessed at the same desk. The results will affect the discounts and credit limit you receive."
"We'll assess each guest according to their circumstances and determine the appropriate terms. The details will be kept strictly confidential and will never be disclosed."
The other two looked to Ji Siyuan, waiting for him to decide.
"Let's go take a look. Honestly, this must be academy property. There's no need to worry about safety." Ji Siyuan had a certain degree of God's Eye View and knew this.
Wang Dong'er gave a cold snort. "I'm not worried about safety. I'm worried someone's going to get so distracted he won't want to leave."
Why was she taking a jab at him now?
Ji Siyuan said, "Let's get our credit assessed first."