"Alright."
Qingzhu was stunned for less than two seconds before she quickly composed herself. She hadn't expected the customer before her to be able to produce a Mountain-Breaking Awl, but it was only a momentary surprise.
The deal was done.
His Spirit Stone reserves now reached fifteen. In addition... he still had three repaired Lower Grade Magical Artifacts left, but it was obvious he couldn't take them out in the Spirit Treasure Pavilion.
Zhao Zuo put away his Spirit Stones and casually placed the Hundred-Change Mask on his face. The moment the mask touched his skin, it fit perfectly, as if drawn together by two magnets.
It was thin and light, with no strange sensation.
Reaching up to touch it, he found that it felt exactly like his own skin.
SWISH.
Qingzhu took a round mirror from her Storage Bag. It was different from the bronze mirrors in Zhao Zuo's memory; this one seemed to be polished from a single piece of crystal. As a result, it clearly reflected Zhao Zuo's face—a square jaw, thick brows, and large eyes that made him look very down-to-earth and reliable.
"Sir, you only need to inject Mana to change your appearance. Stop injecting Mana, and your face will revert to your own. Don't worry, its Mana consumption is extremely low."
"Then I'll take my leave."
Zhao Zuo stood up and left. He didn't adjust his face in front of Qingzhu, but instead found a deserted corner in the Market. There, he injected Mana into the Hundred-Change Mask and began to alter his features.
'First, my second face can't be too handsome, nor can it be too ugly. It can't be memorable.'
'It needs to be perfectly ordinary.'
About fifteen minutes later, Zhao Zuo, looking at his reflection in the water, had finished sculpting a new face. It was a very plain face, that of a man in his forties or fifties. The skin was slightly rough, making him look somewhat haggard and worn-out. His slightly furrowed brows gave off an impression of sternness and indifference.
This was the second face Zhao Zuo had created, and he immediately planned to put it to use. He picked up his bundle and walked into a nearby shop that sold Artifact Refining materials.
"I'm selling Magical Artifacts and buying materials."
Zhao Zuo spoke directly, not waiting for the other person to say anything. He put on a very experienced air, his weathered, stoic face completely devoid of expression. It added a sense of numbness, as if he had been beaten down by life and was unable to fight back.
Zhao Zuo took out three brand-new Lower Grade Magical Artifacts from his bundle: two were swords, and one was a saber.
"One moment, sir." Seeing the items, the gray-robed attendant deftly picked up the Magical Artifacts and began his inspection. After confirming there were no issues with their appearance, he started injecting Mana to check the Spiritual Power Paths inside.
About ten minutes later, the gray-robed attendant finished his inspection.
"My lord, all three Magical Artifacts have passed inspection. We'll purchase them for sixteen Spirit Stones each, for a total of forty-eight Spirit Stones. What kind of Artifact Refining materials would you like to buy, sir?"
The gray-robed attendant's attitude toward Zhao Zuo was extremely respectful. After all, most Artifact Refiners were at the Late Period of Qi Cultivation; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to complete the drawing of a Spirit Pattern Path within five seconds.
"Four taels of Clear Heart Jade," Zhao Zuo said faintly.
"Four taels of Clear Heart Jade cost thirty Spirit Stones," the gray-robed attendant explained.
Zhao Zuo nodded. He remembered spending thirty Spirit Stones to buy the Clear Heart Jade Pendant. Calculating it now, the person who carved it had essentially done the labor for free.
"Alright, I'll take it. Also, what's the current price of Gathering Spirit Jade?"
"The price of Gathering Spirit Jade has always been stable. It's divided into three classes by weight. A Third Class one-jin unit costs five Spirit Stones. A Second Class five-jin unit costs thirty Spirit Stones. First Class units are ten jin and above, priced at eight Spirit Stones per jin."
Zhao Zuo nodded. As the name implied, Gathering Spirit Jade was usually encased in a stone shell. The larger the volume, the more valuable it was, while smaller pieces were cheaper by a few Spirit Stones.
"Five jin of Third Class Gathering Spirit Jade," Zhao Zuo said.
"My lord, that comes to fifty-five Spirit Stones in total. You still need to provide another seven Spirit Stones."
Zhao Zuo took the Spirit Stones from his bundle, then accepted the materials. He first checked them with his Mana and, after confirming there were no problems, turned and left the shop.
After leaving, he didn't head directly to his destination but instead began to wander around the Moyun Market. Thanks to his powerful Soul, it wasn't long before he realized he was being followed.
'As expected, small shops can't be trusted,' Zhao Zuo thought to himself.
Whenever he found a deserted corner, Zhao Zuo would immediately start sculpting his face to change his appearance. He walked and stopped, constantly changing locations... After more than half an hour, he had already switched to three completely new faces, but he still couldn't shake off his pursuer.
'What's the relationship between the pursuer and that shop? Are they partners, or is the pursuer a subordinate?'
'It's most likely the gray-robed attendant colluding with outsiders. He's responsible for picking the targets.'
Zhao Zuo did his best to act like a seasoned regular, but he still showed his inexperience in some ways. After all, what kind of old hand wouldn't know the price of Gathering Spirit Jade?
Of course, this was all just speculation.
He was a little worried, but not yet at a complete loss. After all, as long as he was in the Market, those people wouldn't dare to make a move. This was the greatest source of his confidence at the moment.
Zhao Zuo walked into a shop selling mundane clothing. He casually picked up a blue long-robed gown, bought a piece of blue silk cloth, and went into the changing room. There, he transferred the items from his bundle, and tossed his old clothes and the original bundle into the trash can.
He then paid the shopkeeper three taels of gold and left through the back door.
After leaving, Zhao Zuo wandered over to the street stall area, but unfortunately, he still didn't see Shen Yunjiao.
'She didn't die in the Yunlan Mountain Range, did she?' Zhao Zuo worried faintly.
After leaving the stall area, Zhao Zuo circled around a few more times. When no one was looking, he used a Talisman to wash away any scent he might have picked up. It had been a long time since he'd last felt that sense of being secretly watched.
'Did the pursuer give up? Or are they just temporarily hidden?'
Zhao Zuo finally experienced firsthand the benefits of a powerful Soul. That vague premonition was practically a Divine Artifact for seeking fortune and avoiding disaster. However, he guessed it was probably only effective against people whose Souls were weaker than his own.
Even though he could no longer sense the pursuer's presence, Zhao Zuo didn't let his guard down. He casually changed his face to a new one, quickened his pace, and walked straight into the Earth Fire Hall, where he expertly collected a key.
Contribution points for the Earth Fire Hall were easy to obtain. Every four Black Iron Coins equaled one point. When he returned the key, he could have the points recorded under his real identity.
In any case, Zhao Zuo had already gathered enough merit points for the Outer Sect assessment, so he wasn't concerned about a point or two.
'Following me? I'll go into seclusion for five days and test your patience.'
Inside the Earth Fire Chamber, Zhao Zuo changed out of the blue long-robed gown and into a different set of a black short shirt and trousers. He tore the blue gown to shreds and threw it, along with the bundle, into the Earth Fire Furnace to be refined into ash by the high heat.
'There shouldn't be any loose ends now.'
Then, Zhao Zuo looked at the wooden bed not far away. On it were the materials needed to upgrade his Clear Heart Jade Pendant. But now, there was little joy in his eyes, replaced instead by a hint of apprehension.
'Assuming they've only temporarily retreated and have mastered some kind of tracking Magic Skill...'
'...then the tracking Magic Skill must have a medium, a catalyst to activate it. And that medium is most likely on the surface of these materials. But I clearly checked them with my Mana... and found nothing.'
'But soon, none of that will be a problem.'
....