Two days later, Xu Qingtong handed a thick stack of talismans to Wu Zheng and heard some good news from the shopkeeper.
According to Shopkeeper Gu, the Hundred Refinements Pavilion had a piece of gengjin stone that they intended to put up for auction. However, the auction would not be held until next month. If Xu Qingtong could wait until then, he could try his luck at the auction.
Xu Qingtong grew anxious. He could not possibly wait until next month; Elder Guo Tianyu would be taking him back to Gloomwind Valley in a few days. Besides, even if he could wait for the auction, he might not win the bid.
"Shopkeeper, could you speak to the Hundred Refinements Pavilion for me? I'll pay a high price to buy it outright, without bidding at the auction. Would that be possible?" Xu Qingtong asked anxiously.
Shopkeeper Gu looked troubled. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Qingtong, I don't know exactly what you need this gengjin stone for, but it certainly isn't cheap. If it goes to auction, I reckon it will fetch several thousand spirit stones at the very least."
"The Hundred Refinements Pavilion has a rare commodity to hold over buyers now. If you buy it directly, I'm afraid they'll take a knife to your purse and name a price you cannot afford."
Xu Qingtong fell silent at this. He had only a few hundred spirit stones on him in total, all acquired through robbery. Several thousand spirit stones were indeed beyond his means. He reckoned even a Foundation Establishment Realm expert's entire fortune would amount to no more than that. Only those old monsters in the Golden Core or Nascent Soul realm could produce such a sum with ease.
*Oh, right! Didn't Master leave me a pile of spirit