The three were led into a corridor lined with rooms on both sides, yet not a single sound from the outside could be heard.
Yao Dai had been reading the Beginner's Guide to Array Cultivation that Wen Li had given her recently and felt like she had gained some insights. Stepping closer behind Wen Li, she asked in a low voice, “Master, is an intermediate array set up here?”
Wen Li hadn't expected that the first area where Yao Dai showed talent would be array craft.
“Can you tell what arrays are here, then?”
Yao Dai paused silently for three seconds. “It seems to be a composite intermediate array. Inside, there's a Spirit Gathering Array, a Labyrinth Array, a Defensive Array, and... hiss, there's another array I don't recognize.”
Wen Li nodded. “Then try to see if you can find the array eye.”
“If I find it, can I dispel it?” Yao Dai's eyes lit up. This was her first time encountering an array other than those set up by Wen Li.
“...”
Cold sweat broke out on the forehead of the attendant leading them, and he hastily spoke up, “Honored guests, we have arrived.”
He didn't dare underestimate anyone. In the cultivation world, brilliant talents were as plentiful as carp crossing a river, and capable people abounded.
Seeing that Wen Li remained silent, Yao Dai knew she couldn't act recklessly and quietly settled down.
Wen Li poured out the mountain of storage bags she had seized previously onto the table.
Clatter!
Clatter!
At a glance, there were no fewer than thirty of them!
The attendant's gaze shifted slightly, growing even more respectful as he looked at Wen Li beneath her white veiled hat. He could tell at a single glance that most of these storage bags belonged to Golden Core cultivators.
And now, they were all in her hands.
A cultivator's storage bag would never fall into another's hands unless they were dead, which meant...
After pouring them all out, Wen Li sat down and took a sip of tea. “Count them up and sell the whole lot. If the price lacks sincerity... well, the Yunxiao Treasure Pavilion isn't the only place in the Western Province.”
The attendant nodded repeatedly. “Yes, rest assured, honored guest. Our Yunxiao Treasure Pavilion has always been meticulous and fair in business.”
Yao Dai and Xie Tinglan followed suit and sat down, one eating pastries and the other munching on fruit.
Wen Li hadn't pulled out Feng Ling's storage bag. After all, there were few Soul Formation cultivators in the Western Province, so doing so could easily attract trouble.
After counting all the items, the attendant held out the inventory list for Wen Li to verify the quantity, then left the private room to request a price appraisal.
Yao Dai asked curiously, “Master, do you think... they'll try to double-cross us?”
Wen Li spoke candidly.
“Unless it's a Supreme Grade rare treasure, the Yunxiao Treasure Pavilion won't ruin its reputation for what you consider a valuable item. However...”
Yao Dai understood what she left unsaid.
If it was something the Yunxiao Treasure Pavilion absolutely needed to have, then all bets were off.
Soon, the attendant returned, handing a detailed list over to Wen Li.
“Honored guest, this is our Yunxiao Treasure Pavilion's price offer. Please take a look and see if you are satisfied.”
Yao Dai peeked curiously at the list Wen Li took. Whoa, the long strings of digits were almost more than she could count!
Items belonging to Golden Core cultivators really were worth a fortune.
Xie Tinglan caught a glimpse as well. No wonder—no wonder this woman seemed both stingy and penniless yet wealthy at the same time. It was all other people's money!
With a mere glance, Wen Li handed it back to the attendant. “Mm, these prices will do.”
The attendant asked, “Then, regarding your spirit stone card...”
Wen Li rummaged through her storage bag for a moment, unable to tell which card was which. Not wanting to reveal everything inside, she casually pulled out one card.
The attendant's eyes widened in shock. Respectfully taking the black card, he said, “Please wait a moment.”
He walked out with slightly unsteady steps.
Yao Dai asked suspiciously, “Master, if you have a spirit stone card, why did you count them out one by one when paying for the teleportation array?”
Wasn't that way too troublesome?
“How can spending money and earning money be the same?”
Wen Li imparted her wisdom with a grand, philosophical air. “When earning money, don't count it too clearly, so you'll always maintain a sense of urgency about being poor and work harder to earn more. When spending money, count every single piece clearly so you know exactly where and how much you spent. It leaves a deep impression and stops you from splurging mindlessly.”
“...”
Yao Dai and Xie Tinglan fell silent at the same time.
So when Master constantly complained about being poor, she wasn't actually poor at all.
Xie Tinglan noticed the attendant's reaction when he saw the black card earlier. Narrowing his eyes, he asked suspiciously:
“Does a black card mean you have to be extremely rich?”
Wen Li paused briefly, then said with complete confidence, “It's fine. The color just indicates the region. I have six other colors here, let me look.”
She pulled out several more cards, which indeed included red, yellow, green, and blue ones. A golden card barely showed a corner before she quickly stashed it back into her storage bag, so neither of them noticed.
“The black one simply represents Jiuyin Island; I swiped it from Feng Ling. The attendant probably thought I was from Jiuyin Island and felt intimidated, that's all.”
To shut Xie Tinglan up, Wen Li offered to let him pick a few.
“Here, you and Yao Dai pick whichever ones you want. I've got plenty of these anyway.”
Xie Tinglan wasn't about to pass up free money. He immediately stood up and grabbed three cards. He wanted to draw another, but Wen Li glared at him.
“I was just being polite, and you took it seriously? If you want more money, go rob someone yourself.”
She turned around and let Yao Dai pick three cards as well.
“You drew these yourselves, so I have no idea how much money is inside. Don't say I'm being biased,” Wen Li warned in advance.
When the two checked the balances, the highest was only five thousand mid-grade spirit stones.
Still, it was better than nothing.
Holding the money, Xie Tinglan's mood improved considerably, so he spoke less, though he still felt something was off.
Before he could think further, the attendant returned.
“Honored guest, all six hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones are inside.”
Wen Li quickly accepted it and shifted the topic. “I'd like to ask you about an item.”
“Please go ahead, honored guest.”
“The Soul-Severing White Mi Fruit, a High-Grade Rank 3 natural spirit herb.”
The attendant pondered for a moment. Instead of giving an immediate answer, he pulled out a piece of jade and checked its inventory list right in front of Wen Li.
“My apologies, but the Yunxiao Treasure Pavilion has never come into contact with this item since its establishment.”
Listening attentively, Yao Dai's eyes dimmed.
Wen Li asked suspiciously, “What about information regarding the Soul-Severing White Mi Fruit? Has anyone ever come to sell information about it?”
“Please wait a moment. I must check with our headquarters.”
“Mm.”
This time took longer, but fortunately, when the attendant returned, he brought back news.
“Honored guest, we found a piece of information regarding the Soul-Severing White Mi Fruit, though its authenticity has yet to be verified. If you wish to proceed with this transaction, I can help contact the person. He did not disclose his conditions to the Yunxiao Treasure Pavilion, stating only that he wishes to speak in person with whoever wants to see him.”
Wen Li knew well that the Yunxiao Treasure Pavilion usually verified information before selling it. Unverified cases were extremely rare, which meant that even a force like the Yunxiao Treasure Pavilion found it difficult to get involved.
Since this concerned Yao Dai's future cultivation, Wen Li had to give it a shot.
“Very well.”
As an intermediary, the Yunxiao Treasure Pavilion priced this piece of information at five thousand mid-grade spirit stones.
Wen Li paid readily and left a communicator behind. “Contact me once the person arrives.”
“Understood.”
After buying a few things her two disciples wanted, Wen Li left low-profile.
Rate on N.U.
