Free Web NovelChapter 281: Chapter 52: Is This Your Bird, Fellow Daoist?
He and Hua Yutang walked into the grand hall. Passing through a veil of clouds, the scene before them suddenly opened up.
A vast void, hundreds of li across, appeared before them. In the sky above, a great sun made of talismans illuminated the entire space as if it were day.
In the center of the void, a lush, green Immortal Mountain hung motionless. Palaces and pavilions dotted its slopes amidst verdant trees, and the Spiritual Qi was so dense it was comparable to Yinluo Island in the Abyssal Marsh.
Beyond the Immortal Mountain were numerous Floating Cloud Immortal Residences, arranged at varying heights and scattered all around it.
These structures varied in style, including palaces, Jade Towers, Treasure Pagodas, and courtyards. Each one rested upon an auspicious cloud, their brilliant lights twinkling like jewels that dotted the void. A rough count revealed over a hundred of them.
Numerous Escape Lights zipped back and forth between the Floating Cloud Immortal Residences and the Immortal Mountain, creating a lively scene.
Fang Cheng and Hua Yutang subconsciously glanced back the way they came. Behind them, a swirling vortex of cloud-light several acres in size floated in the void, rotating slowly.
Just then, Cang Wuya, who was on Fang Cheng’s shoulder, explained in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist, these floating immortal residences are the shops here. Nearly all the major powers from the Eastern Wilderness, the Western Wilderness, and even from between the two regions have set up shops here. That Immortal Mountain is the property of the marketplace’s owner. It’s filled with Cave Mansions, which are mainly for rent."
Fang Cheng nodded. "Where is the establishment you mentioned that sells Geng Metal Profound Silkworm Threads?"
"Follow me, Fellow Daoist." Cang Wuya flapped its wings and took flight, leading Fang Cheng and Hua Yutang toward one of the Floating Cloud Immortal Residences outside the Immortal Mountain.
「A moment later.」
The two humans and one bird landed before an Immortal Residence. It was a quaint, three-story building resting quietly upon the glowing clouds. The exterior was lined with flower pots, from which all sorts of exotic flowers vied for attention, their sweet fragrance filling the air.
A plaque hung above the entrance, inscribed with the name "Baihua Tower."
The doors to the tower were open. Inside, several rows of shelves were neatly arranged, filled with all kinds of Spiritual Objects. Seven or eight young maids in goose-yellow dresses were attending to customers.
As Fang Cheng and Hua Yutang entered, a maid immediately came forward to greet them. Seeing that both were Life Talisman Cultivators, she led them upstairs to a private VIP room and diligently served them tea.
Before long, a voluptuous, fair-skinned beauty in a magnificent long dress walked in. She gave them a curtsy and said softly, "This humble one is Qiu Lan, the unworthy shopkeeper of Baihua Tower. It is a pleasure to meet you, Fellow Daoists."
This woman was also a Life Talisman Cultivator. Based on the fluctuations of her aura, she was much more powerful than an ordinary Early-stage Life Talisman Cultivator.
Fang Cheng and Hua Yutang returned the courtesy, exchanging a few pleasantries.
The beautiful woman smiled, her lovely eyes glancing over the two of them before finally resting on Cang Wuya on Fang Cheng’s shoulder. She smiled and praised, "Is this your bird, Fellow Daoist? How magnificent! I wonder if you would be willing to sell it?"
Fang Cheng chuckled, unable to help himself. "This bird is of great use to me," he said. "I’m afraid I cannot part with it."
The woman gave a slight bow. "It was rude of me, Qiu Lan," she said humbly. "Please don’t take offense, Fellow Daoist. What is it you wish to purchase?"
Fang Cheng said, "I heard that your establishment has Geng Metal Profound Silkworm Threads. Is that true?"
The woman gave a charming smile. "Of course it’s true. In the entire Celestial Traveling Immortal Pavilion, we are the only ones who carry a treasure like Geng Metal Profound Silkworm Threads. How much do you need, Fellow Daoist?"
Fang Cheng asked in a low voice, "How much do you have in your shop?"
The woman’s eyes twinkled as she looked at Fang Cheng. "To be honest with you, Fellow Daoist, these threads are not cheap. We currently have three jin and six taels remaining. It’s the treasure of our shop, accumulated over five hundred years. We usually only sell it by the tael."
Fang Cheng was inwardly overjoyed, but he kept his expression neutral. "And what is the price for one tael?" he asked.
The woman replied, "Thirty thousand Spirit Stones."
This was cheaper than the market price at the Yinluo Sect Marketplace. Back then, Fang Cheng had spent fifty thousand Spirit Stones for one tael of Geng Metal Profound Silkworm Threads.
These threads were used to refine banner- and flag-type magical artifacts. Generally speaking, one or two taels were enough to incorporate into a Second-Order Magical Artifact.
Fang Cheng mulled it over for a moment before saying slowly, "Shopkeeper Qiu Lan, I’ll take all the Geng Metal Profound Silkworm Threads you have in your shop."
"What did you say, Fellow Daoist?" The woman was so stunned she thought she had misheard.
Even Hua Yutang’s eyes flashed with surprise. She hadn’t expected her junior brother to be so extravagant.
The bird, Cang Wuya, on the other hand, was not surprised at all, as it already knew the wealth of the Rakshasa Sect’s Young Master.
Shopkeeper Qiu Lan quickly recovered. Three jin and six taels of Geng Metal Profound Silkworm Threads was no small transaction. It amounted to a total of 1,080,000 Lower-Grade Spirit Stones, equivalent to the entire annual income of a mid-sized noble family.
She smiled. "You are truly magnanimous, Fellow Daoist. If you buy it all at once, I can take it upon myself to round the price down for you."
In her eyes, Fang Cheng had to be either a direct disciple from one of the ten great sects or a core member of one of the Noble Families and Giants. Otherwise, there was no way he would have such an appetite.
Fang Cheng said casually, "Shopkeeper Qiu, you can bring out the silkworm threads for my inspection now."
The beautiful woman stood up. "Please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist."
With that, she turned and left the private room.
Not long after, the woman returned with an exquisite jade box, which she presented to Fang Cheng with both hands.
Fang Cheng took the jade box, opened it, and inspected the contents carefully. It was indeed genuine Geng Metal Profound Silkworm Threads.
He immediately took out one hundred Upper-Grade Spirit Stones and handed them to the woman, concluding the transaction.
Fang Cheng had now spent almost all of his own Spirit Stones. Fortunately, he had recently acquired several hundred Upper-Grade Spirit Stones from the Rakshasa Sect’s Young Master, as well as that enormous piece of Outer Realm Cold Iron. It was more than enough to support his spending spree here.
After completing the deal, the beautiful woman asked, "Is there anything else you need, Fellow Daoist? My Baihua Tower has been in business in this Immortal Pavilion for over five hundred years and has a vast collection. I can’t promise we have everything you could ask for, but I am confident we won’t disappoint you."
Fang Cheng was more than satisfied with the woman; he felt her service had been excellent. He asked, "Do you have any Spiritual Objects or medicinal pills that can heal soul damage?"
The woman thought for a moment before answering frankly, "Our tower does have many pills specifically for healing the soul, but unfortunately, they are all first-order. I imagine they won’t meet your needs. However, I do know that the Immortal Pill Pavilion has a Second-Order, Upper-Grade Alchemy Master who once refined a Jade Dew Golden Lotus Pill for a Life Soul Elder of the Nine Truths Sect. You could try your luck there. Perhaps the Immortal Pill Pavilion has some extra stock from over the years."
’Jade Dew Golden Lotus Pill...’ As soon as Fang Cheng heard the name, he knew it was related to the Ninth-Grade Golden Lotus. It would surely cure the side effects from using the Dream Spirit Secret Technique.
’If this pill is available in the marketplace, I might as well buy a few to keep in reserve.’
"In that case, thank you, Ms. Qiu! We should be on our way," Fang Cheng said as he stood up.
The beautiful woman also smiled. "If you have the time, Fellow Daoist, please feel free to visit our tower again. If there is anything I can help with, you have only to ask."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Fang Cheng left the Baihua Tower, escorted by the beautiful woman.
...
