Chen Yu pushed open the door to the Treasure Pavilion and stepped inside, trying not to look as nervous as he felt about entering such an expensive-looking establishment.
The interior was surprisingly spacious, with shelves lining the walls displaying various cultivation items behind protective glass formations that shimmered faintly with spiritual energy. The floor was polished wood that reflected the light from glowing lanterns, and the air had a faint medicinal scent to it that tickled his nose.
There weren't many people inside at this early hour, just a couple of cultivators browsing the shelves quietly and a young man standing behind a counter near the back. Chen Yu took his time walking through the pavilion, pretending to examine the items on display while he built up his courage to actually approach the counter.
The prices made his eyes water. A simple sword labeled "Tier 1 Spirit Iron Blade" cost 50 golden coins, which was money the original Chen Yu could never have imagined holding. A bottle of "Body Tempering Pills (10 count)" was priced at 10 golden coins. Even basic items like talismans were expensive here. Light Talismans were being sold for 3 silver and 50 copper coins each, slightly more than the book had mentioned but probably reflecting current market rates.
After a few minutes of browsing and gathering his nerve, Chen Yu finally walked up to the counter with what he hoped looked like confidence. The young man behind it looked to be in his early twenties, wearing neat robes that marked him as an employee of the pavilion rather than a customer. He glanced at Chen Yu with barely concealed disdain, clearly noting the shabby patched clothing and general beggar-like appearance.
"Can I help you?" the clerk asked, his tone polite on the surface but cold underneath.
Chen Yu swallowed his nervousness and tried to keep his voice steady. "I was wondering... do you buy spirit stones here?"
The clerk's eyebrows rose slightly, his expression shifting to open suspicion. Why would some beggar kid be asking about selling spirit stones? Was this some kind of joke or scam?
"We do purchase spirit stones," the clerk said slowly, studying Chen Yu's face, "if you actually have any to sell."
Without a word, Chen Yu reached into his inner pocket and pulled out the half-depleted spirit stone, placing it on the counter with more confidence than he felt.
The clerk's eyes widened in genuine surprise that he couldn't quite hide. He picked up the stone carefully, examining it with a practiced eye that had clearly evaluated hundreds of similar items. After a moment of close inspection, he set it down and looked at Chen Yu with a bit more respect, though the suspicion hadn't entirely left his face.
"This stone is more than half-depleted," the clerk said professionally. "I can give you 1 golden coin for it."
Chen Yu's heart leaped in his chest. One golden coin was worth 100 silver coins, which meant 10,000 copper coins, an enormous amount of money. A full spirit stone must be worth somewhere around 2 to 3 golden coins then. That was more wealth than the original Chen Yu had seen in his entire life!
He tried not to let his excitement show too much on his face. "That's acceptable."
The clerk counted out one golden coin from a drawer beneath the counter and handed it over with practiced efficiency. Chen Yu held the heavy coin in his palm, marveling at its weight and the intricate formations etched into its surface that probably prevented counterfeiting.
As Chen Yu turned to leave with his newfound wealth, a thought struck him. It was probably smarter to buy his talisman materials here rather than risk getting cheated at some random market stall where they might sell him inferior goods. The Treasure Pavilion was an established business with a reputation to maintain, they wouldn't sell fake goods and ruin that reputation.
"Actually," Chen Yu said, turning back to the clerk, "I'd like to purchase some talisman-making materials."
The clerk's expression became noticeably more interested. "What do you need?"
"Fifty sheets of basic talisman paper, two bottles of Tier 1 spiritual ink, and one basic talisman brush."
The clerk nodded and began calculating on a small abacus behind the counter. "The cheapest talisman paper we carry is 53 copper coins per sheet. That's 26 silver and 50 copper for fifty sheets. Two bottles of Tier 1 ink at 4 silver and 50 copper each comes to 9 silver. And a basic talisman brush is 11 silver coins. Total comes to 46 silver and 50 copper coins."
Chen Yu felt his heart sink slightly. That was almost half his golden coin, gone just like that. The prices were higher than what the manual had listed, but he supposed that made sense, the manual was probably written years ago, and prices changed with market conditions and inflation.
He counted out the coins carefully from his golden coin, trying not to wince as he handed them over. The clerk efficiently gathered his purchases, wrapping the delicate talisman paper in protective cloth and placing everything carefully in a simple canvas bag.
As the clerk worked, another thought occurred to Chen Yu. "Do you sell spiritual rice here?"
The clerk glanced up from his packing. "We do. Tier 1 spiritual rice is 20 copper coins per jin."
Twenty copper per jin! That was expensive compared to normal rice which cost almost nothing, but spiritual rice would nourish his body much better as he cultivated. He needed to fix his severely malnourished state if he wanted to progress quickly in Body Refinement without his foundation being weak.
"I'll take five jin of spiritual rice as well."
The clerk nodded and added a cloth sack of rice to Chen Yu's bag, which was getting noticeably heavier. After counting out another silver coin worth of copper, Chen Yu was left with just over 52 silver coins from his original golden coin.
It hurt to spend so much so quickly, watching his wealth disappear, but these were necessary investments. With these materials, he could start making talismans and earning money properly instead of relying on odd jobs.
"Is there anything else?" the clerk asked.
"No, that's everything. Thank you."
Chen Yu took his bag that was now considerably heavier with all his purchases, and headed for the door. As he stepped out into the street with morning sunlight hitting his face, he couldn't help but smile despite the significant dent in his funds. He had everything he needed to start his talisman-making business.
He adjusted the bag on his shoulder to distribute the weight better and started walking back toward the outer district, his mind already racing with plans for how to practice the talisman formations he'd read about last night.
Old Liu was a middle-aged man who'd started his cultivation journey far too late in life. At forty-eight years old, he was still stuck at the fifth layer of Body Refinement, having barely progressed in the last five years despite his efforts. His spirit root was the worst possible combination, a miscellaneous five-element root that made cultivation agonizingly slow no matter how hard he worked.
He'd long since accepted that he would never reach Qi Refining, never become a true cultivator who could fly on swords and live for centuries. The best he could hope for was to eke out a living on the fringes of the cultivation world, hunting weak spirit beasts in the outer forest and selling their parts for whatever resources he could get.
Today he'd come to the Treasure Pavilion to sell some beast materials from his latest hunt, hoping to scrape together enough coins to buy a few Body Tempering Pills. Not that they'd help much at this point with his terrible talent, but he had to try something.
As he browsed the shelves while waiting for the clerk to finish with his current customer, Old Liu's attention was caught by that customer, a young boy, maybe fifteen or sixteen, dressed in clothes so shabby they were practically rags held together by patches. The kid looked like he hadn't eaten a proper meal in weeks based on his thin frame.
But then Old Liu watched with growing interest as the beggar boy pulled out actual talisman-making materials. Fifty sheets of talisman paper, two bottles of expensive ink, a brush, and even spiritual rice. The kid spent nearly half a golden coin without batting an eye or hesitating.
Old Liu's eyes narrowed with interest and calculation. Where would a beggar kid get that kind of money? There was only one explanation that made sense, the boy had stumbled onto some kind of fortunate encounter, maybe found a dead cultivator's storage pouch or discovered a hidden cache of resources.
As the boy left the pavilion with his purchases bundled in a canvas bag, Old Liu felt greed stirring in his chest like a familiar friend. The kid was probably just mortal, no cultivation to speak of. It would be trivially easy to take whatever treasures he had, easier than hunting dangerous spirit beasts.
But Old Liu wasn't stupid enough to rob someone in broad daylight in the middle of town where guards patrolled. He quickly finished his own transaction, selling his beast materials for a handful of silver coins that seemed pathetic compared to what the boy had spent, then hurried outside.
In the alley beside the Treasure Pavilion, one of his underlings was loitering as usual, a thin man named Zhao who ran errands for Old Liu in exchange for protection and occasional copper coins.
"Zhao," Old Liu called quietly, gesturing the man over with a quick hand motion. "You see that boy walking toward the outer district? The one in the ragged clothes with a canvas bag?"
Zhao squinted in that direction and nodded. "Yes, boss."
"Follow him. Find out where he lives. Don't let him see you or notice anything suspicious. Once you know where his home is, come back and report to me."
Zhao grinned, showing yellowed teeth. "You got it, boss. I'll be back before sunset with the information."
Old Liu watched as Zhao slipped into the crowd, trailing after the boy at a safe distance. The cultivator allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction. There was no need for him to waste his time and energy personally following some mortal kid around town. Zhao could handle the reconnaissance work.
The boy probably just had a few spirit stones at most, maybe some low-grade materials or a small cultivation manual he hadn't sold yet. Nothing major or life-changing, but Old Liu was stuck at his current cultivation level anyway with no hope of advancement. Any resources were better than nothing, and taking them from a powerless kid was essentially risk-free.
He'd pay the kid a visit in a day or two, once Zhao reported back with the location. Somewhere quiet and isolated where no one would interfere or hear anything. The boy would hand over whatever treasures he had without much convincing, and that would be the end of it.
Old Liu turned and headed back into the market, already planning how he'd spend whatever he took from the boy. Maybe enough for a proper set of Body Tempering Pills this time instead of just one or two. Maybe even a low-grade cultivation technique manual if the boy's lucky encounter had been particularly good.
Either way, fortune had smiled on Old Liu today.