Li Xuan nodded approvingly. The bronze privilege card wasn't as valuable as the black-silver one, but at least it didn't make him look too greedy.
He walked beside Xiao Fengqi through the bustling streets of Mingdu City. The air was thick with the scent of roasted nuts, incense, and spirit herbs. Merchants shouted over one another, and small spirit beasts in cages growled faintly as people haggled for prices.
The city truly lived up to its reputation for being the grandest in Mingdu State, a home to over eight great families and two formidable organizations.
Being so close to the forest meant the area should've been crawling with magical beasts, but oddly enough, there were few especially across the lake, where only the weakest beasts clung to survival. That made beast cores rare and expensive.
Li Xuan's gaze drifted toward a nearby stall where a crowd was forming. People were shouting bids for a third-rank beast core, the price climbing by the second. The seller looked as if he were about to ascend to heaven from sheer joy. Finally, the core went to a young man in pale green robes accompanied by an elder.
Li Xuan sighed and turned away. That wasn't what he needed.
Across the street stood the Xiao Family's business compound with two major shops enclosed within elegant stone walls, with guards stationed at the gates. The moment they saw Xiao Fengqi approaching, both bowed deeply.
"Miss Xiao," they greeted respectfully.
Ignoring the respectful stares, she strode ahead confidently. Li Xuan followed, feeling like a stray cat that had wandered into a palace.
A stall near the entrance caught his eye — the purity of its herbs shimmered faintly under the sun. But before he could speak, the owner noticed them and practically jumped over his counter.
"Welcome, Miss Xiao! What can I do for you today?" he said eagerly, gesturing toward his humble stall.
The beauty of the Xiao Family was both pearl and sunlight — dazzling and unreachable. At her age, she already carried the grace of someone born to be admired. Walking beside her, Li Xuan felt more like a bodyguard who'd gotten lost in the wrong story.
"Mr li Xuan, anything you need?" Xiao Fengqi asked, motioning toward the stall as though it were hers.
The stall owner rubbed his palms together, practically glowing with greed. With the Xiao family's young lady here, he was already counting his future profits.
Li Xuan gave the herbs one glance and shook his head. "Everything here is common — nothing extraordinary."
He turned toward the stairs leading up to the main shop marked Xiao Family Merchandise Hall. The stall owner blinked, confused, as the two simply walked off.
Inside, the air was rich with the scent of herbs. It wasn't overwhelming but it was pure and crisp, like breathing through a forest at dawn. Li Xuan felt his skin prickle from the energy in the air.
"Such a good scent," he murmured.
Behind the counter, an old man was reading through ledgers. When he heard the sound of footsteps, he looked up, startled, then immediately straightened his back.
"Welcome to the Xiao Family Merchandise Shop," he said politely. "How can I be of service to the two young guests?"
Li Xuan felt something unfamiliar ,this old man actually greeted him with respect respect, maybe because of Xiao Fengqi walking by his side but it wasn't the kind given to the Xiao name, but to him as well, and it startled him slightly.
"I am Xiao Zhenlang, the vice manager of this humble establishment," the old man introduced, his tone steady and warm.
"Brother Li Xuan, do you see anything you like?" Xiao Fengqi asked, glancing around.
Zhenlang's eyes flickered toward the boy ,he was thin, slightly disheveled, clearly not the usual company for the Xiao family's young miss , yet he only smiled.
Li Xuan pulled out the wrinkled list. "Five items," he murmured, scanning it. "But let's start with the one that hurts the wallet the most.",he thought .
He approached the counter. "Do you have Yaochi Snow Ginseng, sir?"
The old man coughed suddenly, as if he'd swallowed dust. "Yaochi Snow Ginseng? Young man, are you certain?"
Li Xuan nodded firmly.
"Alright," Zhenlang said with a resigned sigh, and disappeared into the back room.
As soon as he was gone, Xiao Fengqi turned to him. "Li Xuan, why do you even need those things?"
He hesitated. How was he supposed to tell her that a ghostly woman living in his palm had asked for them to restore her soul? He opened his mouth ready to lie — when Zhenlang returned, carrying a sealed wooden box.
He set it gently on the table beside two couches. "Young miss, young master, please have a seat."
Xiao Fengqi sat gracefully, one leg crossed over the other.
When Zhenlang lifted the lid, a cold chill swept over the room as frost clung to the edges of the wooden box and the surrounding surfaces of the table. Inside lay a silver branch shimmering faintly, tiny pods gleaming like frozen dew.
"This," the old man said reverently, "is the last Yaochi Snow Ginseng. Technically, we have two, but one is already reserved. However, as a privilege, the young lady may purchase one if she wishes."
"How much?" Xiao Fengqi asked, standing.
"The Yaochi Snow Ginseng is a branch of the Origin Wraithbone Ginseng," he said solemnly. "That makes its price much higher. The minimum is twenty-five thousand gold coins — without tax."
"Tw—twenty-five thousand?!" Li Xuan stammered. He had barely a thousand! That amount could buy him and his aunt a new house maybe even two. His soul nearly left his body.
Zhenlang chuckled softly. "Actually, it's thirty-two thousand after the royal tax of seven thousand gold coins, due to medicinal scarcity across the empire. But of course, since the young miss—"
"Alright, alright," Xiao Fengqi interrupted with a faint smile. "No need to recite the entire market index."
She tapped her storage ring and a silver light shot up towards her hands ,she gestured the bronze card towards the old man.
Zhenlang received it with both hands, bowing slightly. "Anything else before I process the purchase?"
Li Xuan passed him the list on the scroll. The old man's eyes widened slightly as he read.
"Young man, this list includes rare items — Graveyard Lily, Heavenly Dao Fruit, Thousand-Eye Fungus…" He trailed off before adding, "However, the Heavenly Dao Fruit is beyond even my reach. The other two are cheaper — about twelve thousand seven hundred fifty-nine gold coins each, untaxed."
"As long as we get everything on the list," Xiao Fengqi said, waving her hand, "money isn't a problem."
The old man smiled knowingly. He snapped his fingers — a sharp sound that echoed through the room.
A moment later, a graceful woman appeared from the back, carrying a jade tray. On it rested a sleek black card. When sunlight brushed across it, the surface shimmered with a golden undertone.
"A Black Gold Privilege Card…" Li Xuan whispered, awestruck.
Indeed, the Xiao family lived up to its reputation — capable of wielding bronze, black-silver, and even black-gold cards, each capable of storing unimaginable wealth. The black-gold card alone could hold up to a million gold coins. Even the mighty Zhao family would bow their heads in envy.
Zhenlang brushed the bronze privilege card lightly above the card. A single star etched into its surface dimmed and vanished , the sign of payment made.
He handed the card back to Xiao Fengqi. "If you ever require the Heavenly Dao Fruit, young miss, the Trade Tower might be your best chance."
Before she could answer, a voice rang out from behind smooth, and full of amusement.
"Well, if it isn't the young lady of the Xiao family."
Li Xuan felt the air shift, definitely this human being was someone powerful