This little mouse doesn't know
"It's a convoy from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect." Sean had already turned away from the counter, looking over Su Lin's shoulder at the convoy winding past along the street, his voice carrying a measure of surprise and wonder.
Although his cultivation was not particularly high and his knowledge was not especially broad, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's illustrious reputation as one of the Heaven Dou Empire's Upper Three Sects was familiar throughout Soul Master circles-even ordinary people with no aptitude to become Soul Masters knew its name.
The continent's foremost support-type sect, with two Titled Douluos and wealth to rival a nation-even the imperial family had to show it some deference.
As long as that golden pagoda flag was raised, someone in any city on the continent would recognize it.
The girl at the front desk, her hair arranged in a neat bun, had been looking down as she registered their check-in information. Hearing Sean's voice, she raised her head and followed his gaze out to the street, then volunteered an explanation. "That's the regular supply convoy between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Balak Kingdom's merchant association. It comes through once a month. It's been the custom for several years now."
Supply shipments?
Standing beside a hotel column, Su Lin watched the convoy with its dark blue flags slowly recede down the main street in the night, a question mark slowly forming in his mind.
Having transmigrated so many years ago, he had done some research into the Douluo Continent's geography and economic landscape. The Heaven Dou Empire had four subordinate kingdoms and one grand duchy. The Balak Kingdom lay in the empire's southern reaches, right beside the border with the Star Luo Empire. Apart from the Lima Plain in the south, its terrain consisted mainly of hills and gentle slopes, and its resources were predominantly iron veins and various mineral deposits.
Its domestic output was essentially limited to various iron ores, minerals, and ore veins. Its resources lacked variety, and it had no rare, unique natural treasures to speak of. In normal trade, the Balak Kingdom had always purchased provisions, spirit medicines, and rare Soul Tool materials from elsewhere. Why would another major power take the initiative to do business with the Balak Kingdom?
What did they want to buy, warhorses or armor?
All right, if it was Ning Fengzhi, that wasn't impossible.
All these years, that guy had been intent on establishing the sect's own guard army, giving the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect enough strength to protect itself. He might indeed be privately purchasing warhorses and armor to establish an armed guard force belonging to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect itself.
Still, none of this had anything to do with him. Whatever business the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had with the Balak Kingdom was Ning Fengzhi's affair. A rank-fifteen-no, rank-sixteen-Soul Master like him had no need to worry about it.
The enormous convoy bearing gilded pagoda flags receded farther down the long street and soon disappeared around a corner.
Even if they had no choice but to spend tonight in Suotuo City, with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's wealth to throw around like dirt, they would surely choose the most luxurious, top-class accommodations, not a midrange hotel like the Lumière.
Once Sean had finished checking them in, everyone went to their respective rooms to rest.
Su Lin and Xiao Wu returned to their room as well, washed up, and went to bed. All he could say was that the beds in a large hotel were simply better than a carriage. Both slept exceptionally well that night, and by the time they woke, it was already noon the next day.
Because of this, Su Lin simply suggested spending the day in Suotuo City. Anyone who wanted to rest could rest, and anyone who wanted to explore could wander around the city. They only needed to meet at the hotel entrance early tomorrow morning.
Naturally, this suggestion received enthusiastic approval from Xiao Wu, Sean, and all the guards.
And so, amid cheerful chatter and laughter, Sean stuffed his flatbread into his mouth, got up, and led the way out of the restaurant. The twelve guards behind him moved with greater alacrity than the last, pouring out after him. Their steps were swift as they scrambled to get ahead of one another, and in moments, every one of them had vanished around the corner into the streets.
"Why are Uncle and the others so excited? Where are they rushing off to?" Xiao Wu craned her neck curiously, her large eyes brimming with irrepressible curiosity, and made to follow them to find out.
Oh, my little grandaunt, is that somewhere you can tag along...?
Su Lin's brow twitched. He hurriedly caught her arm and pulled her back to his side, then coughed. "They can have their fun, and we can have ours. Why bother with what they're doing?"
Hearing this, Xiao Wu stopped and tilted her head at him, her eyelashes fluttering twice. "Do you know anywhere fun around here?"
"We'll walk around and see." Su Lin shrugged casually. "We're not in a hurry to get going anyway. We'll just go wherever we end up."
"That works." Xiao Wu's eyes curved, a poorly concealed delight rising in her expression. Perhaps the thought of spending most of the rest of the day alone with Su Lin had inexplicably lifted her spirits.
Of course, although he called it wandering around, Su Lin had still made a point of asking the young woman at the front desk for a simple map of Suotuo City's districts before leaving.
The two left the hotel and strolled along the main street toward the city center. Compared with last night's bustle, Suotuo City in the early morning had a different character. The pace of life was undoubtedly much faster than in Nuoding City. The atmosphere of everyday life spread from every corner, and everywhere revealed the overlapping layers of life found only in a large city.
In fact, Su Lin intended to buy a Soul Tool. Although the Pokémon Space was useful, it could only hold objects related to Soul Beasts. Other miscellaneous things, such as changes of clothes, dry rations, waterskins, spare herb pouches, and scrolls, would be ejected as soon as he put them inside. If he had the chance to buy a storage-type Soul Tool, it would be much more convenient.
Soul Tool technology in this era was far less developed than it would be many years later. Soul Tools still had quite primitive functions: storage, lighting, and occasionally simple temperature control. That was all.
After all, in society's prevailing view, Soul Tools were merely little aids that made daily life more convenient. What truly determined a Soul Master's combat strength had always been the three main components: Martial Soul, Soul Rings, and Soul Bones.
For that very same reason, Soul Tools in this era were not outrageously expensive. At least, unlike high-grade Soul Bones, they would not bankrupt someone at the drop of a hat. Su Lin had saved a fair amount of spending money during his year in Wealth Village, so buying a basic storage belt should not be a problem.
Following the route marked on the map, the two walked on with occasional stops, finally reaching Suotuo City's central commercial district half an hour later.
The streets in the commercial district were considerably wider than elsewhere, with far denser crowds along either side and more elaborate and varied shop signs.
From fine silks to copperware and iron implements, from local medicinal herbs to spices and dried goods from elsewhere, there was even an entire shop selling feed for small soul pets.
Well, there just weren't any of the Soul Tools Su Lin had been longing for.
That wasn't right!
After accompanying Xiao Wu around the district, Su Lin stood carrying bags large and small, his brows drawing together slightly. In such a large commercial district, with at least several hundred shops, how could he not find a single place selling Soul Tools?
According to the map's markings, there should have been specialty shops for Soul Master supplies in the central marketplace.
Pikachu lay atop his head, both forepaws resting against his forehead, cheeks working as he chewed a chestnut Xiao Wu had just given him. He let out a muffled "squeak," indicating that this little mouse didn't know either.