Chapter 263: Xuanzi's Clever Scheme
"Alright then," Xiao Xiao nodded. "Let's head to the Treasure Exhibition now."
The two quickly departed from Shrek Academy, making their way to Treasure Pavilion.
For Outer Court Core Disciples, possessing an invitation letter was necessary to enter the Treasure Pavilion and participate in the Treasure Exhibition.
However, as Inner Court Disciples, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao could attend whenever they pleased the doors of Treasure Pavilion were always open to them.
Although they had not achieved great results in the previous Soul Master Tournament, they were not blamed for Shrek Academy's poor performance.
The elders of Sea God's Pavilion, despite their age, were still clear headed enough to distinguish between right and wrong.
To prepare for the next tournament, the elders had intensified their training efforts on them, which led to their promotion to Inner Court disciples.
However, being a Shrek Inner Court disciple also meant increased danger
According to academy regulations, all Inner Court Disciples were members of the Shrek Investigation Corps, tasked with hunting down evil soul masters.
Every year, many Inner Court disciples perished in these dangerous missions.
Treasure Pavilion
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao soon arrived at the Treasure Pavilion, a massive four story building towering over twenty meters high.
Its golden exterior shimmered in the sunlight, and countless people moved in and out of its entrance.
At the front, four elegant maids greeted and bid farewell to guests with graceful courtesy.
Their beautiful smiles and warm demeanor naturally made people feel at ease.
As Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao approached the entrance, they presented their Inner Court disciple badges.
Immediately, a maid in a white dress bowed respectfully and personally escorted them inside.
After all, Shrek City was fundamentally under the control of Shrek Academy, and all businesses here operated under its influence.
No merchant dared to challenge Shrek's authority.
Any individual foolish enough to do so would find themselves unable to do business here.
The white dressed maid glanced at Wang Dong with growing respect.
*"Mr. Wang, we meet again.
Last time, you only left with a soul bone.
I hope that this time, you'll find something even more valuable at the exhibition."*
Treasure Pavilion was unique it was technically an asset of Shrek Academy.
Naturally, the staff treated Shrek students, especially Inner Court disciples, with exceptional courtesy.
Moreover, since Wang Dong had recently advanced from an Outer Court Core Disciple to an Inner Court Disciple, her status had risen, prompting even greater respect from the maid.
Wang Dong nodded. "I hope so. Take us to the second floor for the exhibition."
Although she said that, she wasn't expecting much.
As the young master of the Clear Sky Sect, soul bones weren't exactly rare commodities for her.
If she wanted, she could easily obtain a full set of high quality soul bones.
However, acquiring a full set didn't mean that each one would be a perfect fit.
Since removing a fused soul bone required a steep price, Wang Dong prioritized compatibility over anything else.
"Please follow me, Mr. Wang and Miss Xiao," the white dressed maid said as she led them upstairs.
The Second Floor – Treasure Exhibition
Upon reaching the second floor, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were greeted by a vast array of display stands.
Each stand prominently showcased clearly priced items, ranging from soul bones to soul tools, along with various rare cultivation resources for soul masters.
"Look! There's whale gelatin!" Xiao Xiao exclaimed excitedly, pointing at a nearby display.
*"And it's a beautiful golden color, much better than the low quality one we saw last time!
By the way, what happened to that spoiled batch of whale gelatin? Did someone buy it?"*
The maid in white hesitated, her face showing slight embarrassment.
*"No… No one wanted to purchase it.
I believe it's been sitting in the warehouse, collecting dust."*
"That's to be expected," Wang Dong said, crossing her arms.
*"Even though it was a thousand year old whale gelatin, it had blackened over time an obvious sign of decomposition.
If someone consumed that, they'd probably get food poisoning.
Xiao Xiao, buy this golden whale gelatin, then let's keep browsing."*
Xiao Xiao nodded and immediately purchased the high quality golden whale gelatin before continuing their exploration under the maid's guidance.
Observing from the Third Floor
From the third floor, two figures silently observed Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao.
One of them, Elder Lin, turned to the other and asked,
*"Elder Xuan, why are you so concerned about Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao?
They're just here shopping why are you watching them in secret?"*
As a Sea God's Pavilion elder, Lin Lao had a seat near Xian Lin'er and was technically part of Shrek's Soul Tool Department.
However, she also had management duties over Treasure Pavilion, so she often came by to inspect operations.
Xuanzi didn't look away.
*"I made a grave mistake before, so I cannot allow another incident to endanger our best students.
Inside the academy, I don't worry too much the other elders ensure their safety.
But now that Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao have left the academy, I must personally watch over them to prevent any accidents.
Last time they came here, they were ambushed.
They were lucky to escape unharmed, but if their luck had been even slightly worse, how would we have explained it to the Clear Sky Sect?"*
"Wise words, Elder Xuan," Lin Lao said approvingly.
*"It's good to see you learning from past mistakes.
With your renewed focus, our students will be safer."*
Xuanzi nodded before changing the subject.
*"By the way, let's sell all the spoiled whale gelatin in our warehouse to Sun Moon Empire.
Since it's already gone bad, we shouldn't let our students consume it it might cause problems."*
Lin Lao looked shocked.
*"Elder Xuan, do you really think the Sun Moon Empire will buy that low quality whale gelatin?
They're not fools why would they want it?"*
A confident smirk appeared on Xuanzi's face.
*"You don't understand.
I recently received inside information Mingde Hall is currently facing a shortage of whale gelatin.
As a result, they're overpaying for large batches, regardless of color or condition.
And get this they're even allowing barter trade meaning we can exchange this useless whale gelatin for Mingde Hall's soul tools."*
*"Since these spoiled batches are just rotting in our storage, why not trade them for some advanced soul tools?
I admit I've never liked soul tools, but even I can see that they're becoming increasingly important in this era.
And let's not forget Mingde Hall's soul tools are incredibly valuable."*
Lin Lao was taken aback.
Although she managed Treasure Pavilion, she spent most of her time in closed door cultivation, striving to become stronger.
As a result, she was less informed than Xuanzi, despite his constant drinking and gluttony.
(End of chapter.)
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