Honored Guest Privilege Slip

On Perching Clouds Island, which spanned more than two hundred li, there was only one city, Ascension City.

Ascension City, which spanned several dozen li, was also known as Ascension Port. The entire city was, in effect, a cultivator market.

All of Ascension City belonged to the Song Household, a Purple Mansion cultivation lineage on Falling Clouds Island. To keep business thriving, the Song Household maintained a Foundation Establishment-level protective formation and stationed at least one Foundation Establishment cultivator from the household in the city year-round.

For the cultivators, rogue cultivators, and merchants who came and went from north and south, the Song Household not only waived its commission for the first year but also offered very favorable stall fees and rents, and even provided interest-free loans.

After more than two hundred years under the Song Household's management, the Ascension City cultivator market had made a name for itself not only in the Purple Mother Continent's cultivation world, but even as far away as the Mystic Spirit Continent.

The Song Household's ancestors understood that there was no earning all the Spirit Stones under heaven. For safety's sake as well, the Ascension City market catered only to cultivators at the Middle Stage of Qi Refinement and below.

In other words, Ascension City had everything cultivators at the Middle Stage of Qi Refinement and below needed: medicinal herbs, pills, Spiritual Qi, talismans, weapons, spirit beasts, Law Artifacts, equipment, ores, and other supplies.

Tang Yuan had come to Ascension City, firstly, because it was close to home. Having been away for six years, he truly wanted to go back and visit;

Secondly, whether one belonged to the righteous path, the demonic sects, or was a rogue cultivator, the Song Household welcomed everyone as long as they did not fight, and even offered inexpensive bodyguard services. Tang Yuan had come to sell the Spiritual Qi he had bought at a high price from the Holy Cardamom Sect. Thirdly, and most importantly, he had come to buy Moon Jade Radiance Spiritual Qi-in large quantities.

Although the Mystic Spoon could no longer gather Moon Jade Radiance Spiritual Qi, one wisp of Moon Jade Radiance was enough for Tang Yuan to forge ten wisps of Spiritual Qi. The Xuan Dou Cultivator Market in the Western Spirit Ten Thousand Islands Region also sold Moon Jade Radiance, but only about ten wisps a month. This time Tang Yuan wanted to buy over a thousand wisps at once, so he could only come to Ascension City and try his luck...

...At the Song Household's medicine shop, after speaking with the middle-aged shopkeeper, Song Ping'an, whose cultivation was at the Qi Refinement Sixth Layer, Tang Yuan discovered his alarm had been for nothing: The Song Household wasn't here to "rob" me. They were giving me a reward.

The sturdily built Song Ping'an handed Tang Yuan a Jade Slip bearing the words "Ascension City Honored Guest Privilege Slip."

"Fellow Daoist, I imagine Tang Yuan isn't your real name, but that doesn't matter. You've already left a trace of Essence Blood on this Jade Slip. The Song Household recognizes the token, not the person.

"This Jade Slip is called an Honored Guest Privilege Slip, but its engraving isn't finished yet. You can come back for it in half an hour, Fellow Daoist.

"Since your transactions in Ascension City have exceeded twenty thousand Spirit Stones within half a month, the Song Household is issuing you this Honored Guest Privilege Slip.

"Just to mention it, in the more than two hundred years since Ascension City opened its port and established its market, the Song Household has issued only nine Honored Guest Privilege Slips, including yours today.

"For sixty years, you, your friends, or your family can bring this Jade Slip to Ascension City and enjoy free lodging and a waiver of commissions on goods you sell.

"I hope you'll come to Ascension City often in the future and patronize the Song Household's businesses." Song Ping'an's face was full of smiles.

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Song." Tang Yuan nodded and looked at the small, exquisite Jade Slip. "I might be spending over a thousand Spirit Stones on some goods shortly. Since I'm buying from the seller, that makes the seller my friend.

"If the seller presents my Honored Guest Privilege Slip, does that mean they won't have to pay the Song Household's commission?"

"Naturally." Song Ping'an nodded.

"In that case, the seller should still pay your Song Household the commission they're supposed to." Tang Yuan curled his lip. "But afterward, you'll have to return that commission to me in cash."

"Ah?

"This, this...

"All right, but only for today." Song Ping'an agreed, caught between laughter and tears. *This young fellow Daoist has over ten thousand Spirit Stones. His cultivation must be higher than the Qi Refining Fourth Layer he shows. He must have some Law Treasure that conceals his cultivation.

I really didn't expect him to have so many Spirit Stones and still be such an "iron rooster," wanting to eat from both ends.

He's rich and cautious. No wonder his cultivation can be so high when he only looks to be in his twenties...

"Thank you." Tang Yuan cupped his hands, returned the Jade Slip, and walked out of the Song Household's medicine shop.

Watching Tang Yuan leave, Song Ping'an also offered him thanks in his heart. Though I'm a direct descendant of the Song Household, I have a Middle-Grade Spirit Root. Compared with the many heaven's chosen in the lineage, my aptitude is far too poor, so I could only come to Ascension City to handle the Song Household's business affairs.

The patriarch once said that every Song Household member who issued an Honored Guest Privilege Slip was "a person with great fortuitous opportunities" and would have one chance to meet him.

Once I've balanced the shop's accounts at the end of the month, I can go to the patriarch.

When I see the patriarch, I'll show him my loyal, devoted heart. If he's pleased, perhaps I can obtain a wisp of lower-tier fourth-grade Spiritual Qi to help me break through to the Qi Refinement Seventh Layer. Perhaps the patriarch will even permit me to return to Falling Clouds Island and concentrate on cultivation...

...On the market street, Tang Yuan spotted a shop in the distance that had reopened after being closed for many days, and immediately quickened his steps.

After glancing at the sign reading "Pingyang Commandery Wu Household Shop," Tang Yuan walked inside.

"Excuse me, do you sell middle-tier sixth-grade Moon Jade Radiance Spiritual Qi?" Tang Yuan asked, cupping his hands in greeting to the blue-clad female cultivator by the counter.

"Yes. Three Spirit Stones a wisp, no haggling," replied a young green-clad female cultivator, who was standing on a stool and dusting the shop's rafters with a feather duster. She didn't even turn around.

"May I ask which of you is the shopkeeper, and who has the final say on prices?" Tang Yuan frowned slightly.

"Both of us are shopkeepers," the green-clad cultivator tossed back, continuing to wave her feather duster.

The blue-clad cultivator smiled with pursed lips and pointed at the woman in green. "She's the eldest young lady of our Wu Household. She's the shopkeeper."

"Shopkeeper Wu, if I buy a large quantity, could you lower the price of this Moon Jade Radiance?

"Also, how much do you have in stock?" Tang Yuan cupped his hands in greeting again.

"No, I can't lower it. I spent a full ten years collecting this Moon Jade Radiance, from the time I was ten until I was twenty.

"But if you can buy over a hundred wisps, I'll give you a five-percent discount.

"As for stock, don't worry. I do have ten thousand wisps." The green-clad cultivator continued dusting the rafters without turning around.

The blue-clad cultivator stuck out her tongue and started to speak, then stopped.

"All right, I plan to buy a thousand wisps of Moon Jade Radiance, and I need them today.

"So, Shopkeeper, what do you say about the price?" Tang Yuan smiled. He didn't believe the shop could have ten thousand wisps in stock.

"What?

"You want to buy a thousand wisps of Moon Jade Radiance?!" The green-clad cultivator was so startled that she nearly fell off the chair.

Tang Yuan nodded and watched as she jumped down from the chair, straightened her clothes, and cupped her hands in greeting. "I am Wu Ningning, of the Wu Household, a Foundation Establishment cultivation lineage in Huai'an City, Pingyang Commandery, on the Purple Mother Continent. May I ask where you hail from, Brother Daoist?"

Tang Yuan had heard of the Wu Household of Huai'an City. It was under the Azure Origin Sect, the foremost cultivation sect on the Purple Mother Continent, and was one of the leading Foundation Establishment cultivation lineages, with a sphere of influence that encompassed all of Pingyang Commandery.

"I am Tang Yuan, merely a rogue cultivator traveling from place to place. Let's talk about the price instead." Tang Yuan returned the greeting with cupped hands. "I want to buy a thousand wisps of Moon Jade Radiance. How much?"

Wu Ningning pondered for several breaths, then smiled. "Fellow Daoist Tang, when I said my household had ten thousand wisps in stock, I did overstate things, but we do have a thousand.

"Although Moon Jade Radiance is only middle-tier sixth-grade Spiritual Qi and isn't precious, few people gather it, so it's considered somewhat rare in the markets.

"Under all heaven, the shops that can produce over a thousand wisps of Moon Jade Radiance at once can be counted on one's fingers.

"My final price: two Spirit Stones and six Spirit Sand per wisp."

"Then a thousand wisps would be twenty-six hundred Spirit Stones." Tang Yuan nodded. "All right, but I must have them today."

"Well...

"Regardless, Fellow Daoist Tang, you won't be able to get the thousand wisps of Moon Jade Radiance today." Wu Ningning looked troubled...