Another Journey to the Star Dou Great Forest
"Boss, I won't be going. If fate brings us together again, we'll meet again someday. I'll be off first."
With that, Su Tianyu waved to Jerry, turned, and headed for the western part of Treasure Sword City.
Jerry watched the figure recede into the distance, his heart full of reluctance. He had been won over by the young man's smithing skills, but he did not know whether they would ever meet again. Slowly raising his right hand, Jerry waved farewell to the departing figure as it disappeared down the street.
Su Tianyu arrived in the western part of Treasure Sword City, its main working district. Goods of every size passed through here on their way to markets in the two empires. Many horse breeders, carriage firms, and Soul Masters who specialized in escorting shipments made their living here.
As he walked, the streets were filled with people hard at work. Some carried crates of goods, while others hauled weapons such as swords and sabers, loading them all onto carts drawn by pairs of horses. The cart drivers haggled with their customers, trying to earn more for hauling their freight.
They charged by distance: the farther the journey, the more Gold Soul Coins they earned. The reverse was also true; the shorter the journey, the fewer Gold Soul Coins they received.
After passing through the streets of the busy working district, Su Tianyu entered another street. It was less crowded than the freight district he had just left, with scattered passersby occasionally entering and leaving carriage rental shops. This street catered specifically to Soul Masters. Those with valuable medicines, porcelain, armor, and similar goods often came here to choose a carriage firm to escort them.
Compared with the bustling ordinary freight district, this street was planted with many flowers and trees of varieties rare on the Douluo Continent. Purple orchids bloomed along both sides of the street, and the wind carried waves of their fragrance to his nose.
Su Tianyu breathed in the lingering floral scent, and his mood could not help but improve. Places filled with flowers and lush green leaves often slowly soothed the troubled moods of the restless people walking through them.
Looking at the lavishly decorated carriage firms on both sides of the street, Su Tianyu casually picked a shop with an antique exterior and a luxurious interior and walked in.
As soon as he entered, the attendant at the front counter hurried over, beaming as he spoke.
"Sir, are you looking to ship valuable medicines, or perhaps some finely crafted armor? Our carriage firm guarantees safe delivery to your destination. Not only do we have Soul Masters who specialize in escorting shipments, but every Soul Master on an escort has reached the Soul Grandmaster realm, and the escort captain is a Soul Master at the Soul Elder level. We guarantee your goods will arrive safely."
"Attendant, I don't need to ship any goods. I'm here to rent a carriage to the Star Dou Great Forest. Tell me what luxury carriages your shop has."
Su Tianyu asked the attendant to explain the carriage rental packages to him.
The attendant's smile immediately grew brighter. In a cheerful voice, he explained, "Sir, our shop has three luxury carriage packages: upper, middle, and lower. Different customers can make their own choice, and our little shop will arrange their travel needs according to their requirements."
"The most luxurious upper package starts at two Gold Soul Coins. The carriage not only has soft cushions made from Soul Beasts, but also fruit, melon seeds, and a variety of other snacks. The fee depends on the distance traveled. Next is the middle package, which starts at one Gold Soul Coin, but fruit is the only food provided."
"Lastly, the lower package starts at fifty Silver Soul Coins. Not only are there no snacks like fruit or melon seeds, but even the carriage cushions aren't made from Soul Beast pelts. They're made from scraps of cloth, so naturally there's no comfort to speak of. Sir, which package would you like?"
After listening, Su Tianyu gave the shop a mental thumbs-up. This was what professionalism looked like: arranging a comfortable journey to suit the customer's needs, with an assortment of snacks to relieve the boredom of travel. The purpose was to ensure that, after more Soul Masters had ridden in their carriages, they would return to the shop the next time they chose to travel by carriage.
"Attendant, give me your shop's most luxurious upper package. If the ride is comfortable, I'll choose one of your carriages again the next time I travel."
Su Tianyu waved his hand, showing that he had no shortage of money for this. The attendant's face glowed with delight. Whenever he persuaded a customer to take the most expensive carriage package, the owner rewarded him with a good number of Silver Soul Coins, which naturally raised his efficiency and enthusiasm for the job considerably.
So the attendant smiled broadly and said respectfully, "Sir, please wait in the shop for a moment. I'll go arrange your carriage and driver. I guarantee that once you've ridden with us, you'll choose our shop again next time."
After speaking, the attendant picked up some fine tea from nearby and brewed Su Tianyu a cup. He carefully placed it on the tea table, then hurried toward the stables out back where the horses rested.
Su Tianyu watched the attendant run toward the stables and nodded slightly in satisfaction. He then sat down on the sofa beside the tea table, picked up the tea the attendant had brewed, and blew on it at his lips. Once it had cooled a little, he drained it in one gulp.
The tea was slightly bitter on the tongue, with a hint of sweetness that lingered in his mouth for a long time. It had clearly been brewed from good tea leaves.
Less than ten minutes later, the attendant returned to the shop. He came over to the tea table, gave Su Tianyu a slight bow, and said, "Sir, I've arranged the luxury carriage you requested. Once you reach your destination, just pay the driver according to the distance traveled."
"All right. Where is the carriage parked now? I'm in a hurry to get to the Star Dou Great Forest, so it would be best to leave immediately."
Su Tianyu asked the attendant where at the shop the carriage he had arranged was parked.
"Sir, your carriage is parked right at the entrance. You'll see it as soon as you step outside. Thank you for visiting our shop. We look forward to seeing you again."
Now that he knew where the carriage was parked, Su Tianyu walked out of the shop and immediately saw a luxury carriage outside the entrance. Its cabin was made of laurel rosewood, with faint purple grain running across it. The exquisite carvings on the cabin added considerably to the carriage's luxurious appearance.
Just then, the driver sitting on the carriage saw someone emerge from the shop. He quickly climbed down and jogged over to greet him, wearing a professional smile.
"Sir, I presume you're the one who rented the luxury carriage. I'm your personal driver, and I'll be driving you on the journey ahead. Welcome aboard."
The driver smiled as he spoke to Su Tianyu, then led the way. Before long, they reached the parked carriage, and the driver took a stool from it and placed it on the ground.