Yun Clan Chamber of Commerce.
The shop stood right beside Gathering Immortal Pavilion. Disguised as a hunched old man, Lin Chang'an slowly stepped inside through the wind and snow.
"Senior."
A shop attendant immediately came forward, but the hunched cultivator Lin Chang'an had disguised himself as calmly released the pressure of the Qi Refining Late Stage, instantly turning the attendant pale.
"Go invite your shopkeeper."
"Senior, please wait a moment."
As the attendant spoke fawningly, Lu Qingqing came down from the second floor with a smile on her face.
"Senior, please come upstairs."
Seeing the familiar Lu Qingqing, Lin Chang'an knew that this junior sister of his was meticulous and shrewd. To avoid being recognized, he directly snorted and transmitted his voice, "I heard that the Yun Clan Chamber of Commerce has a High-Grade Alchemist. Tell him that I have four-hundred-year-old spirit herbs here. It depends on whether you want them."
Upon hearing this, Lu Qingqing was immediately delighted, and her smile broadened.
Second floor.
The hunched old man Lin Chang'an had disguised himself as calmly surveyed his surroundings.
Across from him, Lu Qingqing could barely conceal her excitement as she cautiously transmitted her voice to the Chamber of Commerce's High-Grade Alchemist.
This High-Grade Alchemist was over seventy years old and at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer. Yun Yao had brought him in—or rather, she had promised to protect his descendants. It was entirely a transaction.
"Not bad. One of these two spirit herbs is four hundred years old, while the other is around three hundred and fifty to three hundred and sixty years old. More importantly, their root systems have been preserved intact."
In the end, the White-Bearded Alchemist nodded to confirm that there was no mistake. Only then did Lu Qingqing beam with delight. These were all scarce goods.
"Senior, after inspection, these two herbs are of excellent quality. We can offer one thousand Spirit Stones for the four-hundred-year herb. The other is somewhat inferior, so we can only offer six hundred Spirit Stones."
Merely a difference of several dozen years resulted in such a vast difference in price.
Lin Chang'an understood this as well. The price was quite fair.
"One thousand seven hundred Spirit Stones!"
As the hoarse voice echoed out, Lu Qingqing narrowed her eyes. She had already guessed that the spirit herbs likely came from an improper source, but with Li Fire Palace behind her, it did not matter whether they were clean or not. As long as they were genuine, that was enough.
"Senior is forthright. One thousand seven hundred Spirit Stones it is. Consider it the Yun Clan Chamber of Commerce making a friend of you. If you have any treasures in the future, please feel free to come here."
The hunched old man Lin Chang'an had disguised himself as nodded hoarsely.
It was a swift transaction. Lin Chang'an left behind the two herbs, took the one thousand seven hundred Spirit Stones, and turned to leave without the slightest hesitation, vanishing directly into the wind and snow.
Inside the shop, the elderly Alchemist frowned and said solemnly, "Shopkeeper Lu, this man left in such a hurry. I fear these two spirit herbs came from an improper source."
Yet Lu Qingqing merely smiled calmly upon hearing this.
"There are countless treasures of shady origin in the Market right now. Who still cares about such things at a time like this?"
Hearing this, the Alchemist said no more. Instead, he lowered his head and began admiring the spirit herbs.
Even for him, four-hundred-year-old spirit herbs were not something he saw often.
Lu Qingqing narrowed her eyes. She had no intention of investigating where these two spirit herbs had come from. She hoped Yun Yao could use them to exchange for even more Sect contribution.
Only if Yun Yao stood firmer would their future become better.
Amid the howling wind and snow, the hunched old man Lin Chang'an had disguised himself as changed disguises several times along the way before appearing before the Treasury Pavilion of Mystic Sound Pavilion.
"These Spirit Stones should be spent quickly."
Who knew whether these Spirit Stones carried any marks? He did not want a moment of carelessness to expose a flaw.
As the saying went, earn money in the Market, spend money in the Market—do not even think of bringing a single coin home.
The reason this had gone so smoothly was also because he knew Yun Yao was not in the Market. The strongest cultivator in the Yun Clan Chamber of Commerce was only at the Qi Refining Late Stage and could not see through his disguise.
That was the importance of scouting things out beforehand.
Treasury Pavilion.
"I want a Wood-Attribute High-Grade Magical Tool, the hidden-weapon flying-needle type. Preferably one especially effective at countering protective spiritual light."
On the familiar second floor, facing the familiar shopkeeper, the disguised Lin Chang'an made his request in a hoarse voice.
The shopkeeper smiled upon hearing this. "High-Grade Magical Tools? Easy enough."
With a wave of his hand, two small brocade boxes floated out from the back.
"Fellow Daoist, please take a look."
As the two vermilion brocade boxes opened, the shopkeeper pointed at the first one with a proud smile.
"Escape Light Needles, a High-Grade Magical Tool. A full set of nine needles, each as fine as ox hair and extremely difficult to detect. They are absolutely essential for self-defense."
"As for the second item, the Green Phosphorus Needle, it was forged from the roots and stems of six-hundred-year-old Green Phosphorus Grass and refined gold. Not only is it incomparably sharp and specialized in breaking protective spiritual light, it is also imbued with potent poison."
The first was a set of magical tools, which placed fairly high demands on Divine Sense. More importantly, since there were nine of them in a set, each individual needle was naturally inferior to a single High-Grade Magical Tool.
After all, his Wood Spirit Thorn could only display miraculous effectiveness in a sneak attack. If the first strike missed, it would become difficult afterward.
Thus, Lin Chang'an secretly shook his head. He could only give up on the first set of magical tools.
The second item emitted a gentle jade-green glow. Green Phosphorus Grass was inherently highly poisonous, so this was rather good.
"The first is a little too fine. The second is a little too short."
When Lin Chang'an shook his head, the shopkeeper wore a stunned expression, as though the man looked somewhat familiar.
Upon looking more carefully, he realized it. Was this not that fellow from last time, who had complained that they were too large and too long? This time, he was complaining that they were too fine and too short.
The shopkeeper was left speechless. Such picky demands truly were strange beyond compare.
"How many Spirit Stones is the second one?"
Yet Lin Chang'an's next sentence rendered the shopkeeper speechless. He clearly had his eye on the second item and still wanted to haggle over the price.
"One thousand four hundred Spirit Stones."
"Too expensive. If it were a set of magical tools, it would be worth that price. A single flying-needle hidden-weapon magical tool is worth at most one thousand one hundred Spirit Stones."
Ordinary High-Grade Magical Tools generally cost around one thousand Spirit Stones, while hidden weapons such as flying needles were somewhat more expensive.
After a round of bargaining, the magical tool was finally priced at one thousand three hundred Spirit Stones. However, Lin Chang'an was in no hurry to pay. Instead, he looked at the shopkeeper and said hoarsely, "Bring out another High-Grade defensive magical tool. I want one with good concealment."
Hearing that he wanted to make another purchase, the shopkeeper immediately beamed with delight.
"Fellow Daoist, flying-needle hidden-weapon magical tools are rare, but defensive magical tools are plentiful."
With a wave of his hand, a full seven brocade boxes appeared, containing defensive magical tools ranging from shields to bells. In the end, Lin Chang'an selected a treasured armor that could be hidden beneath a Dharma Robe.
"Fellow Daoist has an excellent eye. This Golden Silk Scale Armor is not only soft in texture but extraordinarily tough. In a critical moment, it can also release golden light to protect the body. A fair price of one thousand one hundred Spirit Stones."
What a wily old fox!
Lin Chang'an was speechless. He dared say that the extra one hundred Spirit Stones had definitely been deliberately added by this shopkeeper.
Sure enough, the Golden Silk Scale Armor was ultimately sold for one thousand Spirit Stones.
The two High-Grade Magical Tools were purchased for a total of two thousand three hundred Spirit Stones.
In less than a day, Lin Chang'an had not only spent all one thousand seven hundred Spirit Stones that had not even had time to grow warm in his hands, but had also put in another six hundred.
Even if those Spirit Stones had problems, they were now in Mystic Sound Pavilion and had nothing whatsoever to do with him.
After he walked out of the Treasury Pavilion and his figure vanished into the wind and snow, the shopkeeper on the second floor looked at the Spirit Stones, narrowed his eyes, and muttered to himself.
"Times really are getting more chaotic by the day. These High-Grade Magical Tools are selling so quickly."
Before you continue