Yuan Ming’s gaze shifted from the mid-grade spirit stone in the bald man’s hand to the two black jade slabs. He paused slightly, looking somewhat puzzled.
“Young friend, is this your first time trading runes?” The thin old man asked tentatively.
“Cough, indeed, I have not ventured into this area before.” Yuan Ming coughed lightly, speaking with a hint of embarrassment.
“Hehe, no worries, everyone has their first time. This is a Rune Jade Slab, specifically used to record runes. It can record the process of a rune’s initial development for future reference. You just need to gather a bit of mana at your fingertip and sketch the rune on it.” The thin old man chuckled, giving Yuan Ming an encouraging look. However, he was secretly delighted, having already pegged Yuan Ming as a prodigal son secretly selling his family’s rare runes.
After all, every rare rune in existence is a product of the heavens and earth, held by ancient sects and cultivation families. They relate to the power of magical tools and treasures, and are considered heritage items. It’s rare for anyone to trade them for spirit stones. What a rare commodity indeed.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming took the black jade slab, and as the old man had instructed, he gathered mana at his fingertip and sketched the “Listening Wind” rune on one of the Rune Jade Slabs.
The originally unremarkable black jade slab lit up with a white light at Yuan Ming’s touch, extending with the movement of his finger. When his finger left, a complex rune glowing with white light was left on the slab, which then disappeared in a flash. The jade slab returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened.
As soon as he finished drawing, the old man snatched the slab away. With a slight infusion of mana, a white dot lit up on the slab, followed by a complex rune, which then disappeared in a flash. The entire drawing process, even the speed, was identical to what Yuan Ming had drawn.
“Wonderful, truly indescribable…” The old man was entranced, speaking while gesturing in the air, looking utterly lost in thought.
Yuan Ming found this quite intriguing, but without further hesitation, he sketched the “Phantom” rune on the other Rune Jade Slab and handed it to the old man.
“Good, good! I’m Huo Lian. You seem new here, are you a cultivator visiting the Black Rock City market for the first time?” Huo Lian fondled the two Rune Jade Slabs in his hand for a while before smiling at Yuan Ming.
“My name is Yuan Ming, and indeed, this is my first visit to Black Rock City.” Yuan Ming replied.
“Nice name, it suits a refiner’s temperament. Keep working hard, your future achievements will be limitless! If you’re not in a hurry to craft a magical tool, you can come to me anytime after you’ve made up your mind.” Huo Lian, having fulfilled two wishes in one day, spoke cheerfully.
“Thank you for your kind words, senior. I will take my leave now.”
Yuan Ming took the six mid-grade spirit stones from the bald man and was about to leave. Halfway through, he suddenly turned back and asked, “Senior Huo Lian, you’ve never seen these two runes before, right? How can you tell if they’re real or fake? Aren’t you worried about being deceived by someone with a made-up rune?”
Huo Lian, however, was once again engrossed in the two black jade slabs in his hand, completely ignoring Yuan Ming’s question.
“You don’t need to worry about that. Runes are born from the laws of heaven and earth. Those who understand runes can sense the spiritual rhythm within them, even if they are unfamiliar. They can tell if it’s real or fake at a glance.”
The bald man explained on his behalf.
“I see.” Yuan Ming pondered for a moment, then bid farewell and left.
Gu Yue had been squatting on the side of the street, chewing on a piece of grass, idly watching the passersby. Seeing Yuan Ming come out of the shop, he immediately threw away the grass in his mouth and stood up to greet him.
He didn’t ask Yuan Ming what he had done in the shop, but instinctively felt that Yuan Ming was in a good mood, which was enough.
In their line of work, if the “boss” who hired them was satisfied, it naturally meant benefits for them. After all, although Yuan Ming seemed shrewd, he was also reasonable in his dealings.
Before Gu Yue could speak, Yuan Ming suddenly asked, “Next, are you going to take me to the shop in Zhongyuan?”
“Let’s go to the shop in Zhongyuan first. If there’s nothing suitable, we can go elsewhere later.” Gu Yue nodded.
“Is there a place where I can buy Zhongyuan clothing? Take me to see.” Yuan Ming asked again.
Gu Yue was somewhat puzzled by the request, but he still led Yuan Ming to a nearby clothing workshop. Yuan Ming asked Gu Yue to wait, and when he came out a moment later, he was dressed like a man from Zhongyuan.
“Wow, Brother Yuan, with this outfit, if no one told me, I would really think you were a young master from a noble family in Da Jin!” Gu Yue was amazed.
“Let’s go.” Yuan Ming smiled, not offering any further explanation.
Gu Yue was right. His attire was indeed what he would wear when he went out for leisure in Da Jin, according to his memories, which matched his true identity.As for why he wanted to do this, he couldn’t quite explain it himself. Perhaps it was the long-awaited return home, wanting to place a bit of nostalgia here. At the same time, he also considered that if a Central Plains person were to visit a shop owned by a Central Plains person, it might be more convenient.
The two continued on their way, stopping in front of a shop half an hour later.
This was a large shop, five stories high, with green tiles and yellow walls, flying eaves and standing beasts, looking extraordinarily imposing. Above the wide-open entrance of the shop hung a huge golden plaque, on which was written the three big characters “Changxian Tower”. The customers coming in and out of the shop were in an endless stream.
“Is this the place?” Yuan Ming looked at the large golden plaque.
“Yes, Changxian Tower is the largest Central Plains shop in the market. It is owned by the Changchun View, a wealthy cultivation family from the Great Jin. Many of the goods inside are directly sent from the Great Jin. Apart from being expensive, there are no drawbacks.” Gu Yue said with a smile.
“Changchun View!” Yuan Ming was moved and took another look at the shop in front of him.
Wasn’t the “Nine Elements Formula” he practiced a secret technique only provided to elite disciples by Changchun View?
In terms of cultivation results, it was indeed incomparable to any technique in the Bi Luo Cave. Otherwise, with his qualifications, let alone the ninth level of Qi refining, even the fourth or fifth level would be quite a struggle.
In addition, considering the close relationship between this sect and the royal family of the Great Jin, as well as the fact that they had opened shops all the way to the Southern Border, the term “wealthy family” was indeed well-deserved.
“By the way, I heard that Brother Yuan came from the Central Plains, you must have heard of Changchun View, right?” Gu Yue seemed to have thought of something and asked.
“It seems to be a Taoist sect in the Great Jin.” Yuan Ming vaguely replied.
“Brother Yuan is indeed knowledgeable. The religions in the Central Plains respect Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Changchun View is the orthodox Taoist sect, good at refining pills and talismans. The pills and talismans in Changxian Tower are far superior to any sect in the Southern Border. Besides spiritual materials, Brother Yuan, if you are interested, you can also take a look later.” Gu Yue said.
“Alright.” Yuan Ming responded, his mind turning.
Pills were exactly what he wanted. As for talismans, they were consumables. Although they were quite convenient to use, a lower-grade primary talisman would cost at least one or two lower-grade spirit stones, which was not originally within his consideration.
However, times have changed. He now had more than six hundred spirit stones, naturally giving him a lot more confidence.
The two of them entered Changxian Tower one after the other. A rather imposing hall came into view, which could accommodate a hundred people without feeling crowded. The layout inside the shop was similar to other shops, with shelves lined up, displaying a variety of goods.
At this time, there were quite a few customers in the hall, with voices of conversation and bidding everywhere, bustling with activity.
Yuan Ming glanced at the shelves, which were mostly spiritual materials. He didn’t see the pills and talismans that Gu Yue had mentioned.
“Changxian Tower has five floors, each selling different items. The first floor sells spiritual materials, while the business of pills and talismans is on the second and third floors. As for the fourth floor, it is said to be a private room specially for entertaining distinguished guests, and you must receive a special invitation to go there.” Gu Yue saw Yuan Ming’s confusion and explained. When he mentioned the fourth floor, his face was full of longing.
Yuan Ming nodded and began to search among the shelves.
The spiritual materials in Changxian Tower were also arranged according to the five elements. He quickly came to the place where water attribute spiritual materials were sold. After a good search, he finally saw a semi-transparent blue stone box on the top of a shelf not far away. Inside it was a thumb-sized white cold jade, with a chilling aura. Even through the box, a hint of coldness could be felt.
“Ice Soul Stone! A genuine mid-grade spiritual material!” A hint of excitement flashed in Yuan Ming’s eyes.
Before Yuan Ming could walk over, a blue-robed attendant came over. His gaze fell on Yuan Ming, and he said with a smile, “What kind of spiritual materials do the two guests want? Our Changxian Tower has a wide range of goods, good quality and low prices, and will definitely make you feel at home.”
“I want to find a few spiritual materials, preferably mid-grade or above. If there are good pills and talismans, you can also bring them to me.” Yuan Ming said indifferently.
This time, Yuan Ming spoke in the Central Plains language, with a standard and fluent Great Jin accent, which surprised Gu Yue.
As an information dealer in Heiyan City, he could understand and speak a few words of Central Plains language, but he couldn’t be as fluent as Yuan Ming.
The key point was that when Yuan Ming opened his mouth to ask for things, his tone was obviously much bigger than when they first met. You should know that a single mid-grade spiritual material would cost dozens of spirit stones. Not to mention the pills, talismans were not something ordinary Qi refining cultivators could afford.
If he really bought all these things, it would cost at least a few hundred spirit stones, right?
“The distinguished guest is from the Great Jin, I apologize for any neglect. Please move to the private room on the fourth floor. I will go and invite the steward.” The blue-robed attendant was already impressed by Yuan Ming’s Great Jin attire and refined manners. Hearing him speak, he became even more excited and responded enthusiastically in the Central Plains language.
Then, he called another female attendant to attend to Yuan Ming and Gu Yue, and he himself left quickly.
Yuan Ming and Gu Yue, one in front and one behind, followed the female attendant up the stairs to the fourth floor.The second and third floors were just as Gu Yue had said, places where elixirs and talismans were sold; the staircase to the fifth floor was locked by an iron door, and the green-robed attendant informed them that only cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage could enter there.
The fourth floor was set up with individual rooms, each meticulously furnished and decorated, with every detail of the furniture and refreshments carefully considered, creating a very comfortable atmosphere.
After the female attendant had settled the two of them, she served two cups of light red spiritual tea and excused herself.
“Sunfire Tea? This is a spiritual tea made from Sunfire Grass that grows near volcano mouths. Drinking it can cleanse the meridians and calm the spirit. Today, I’m fortunate to enjoy this thanks to Brother Yuan.” Gu Yue picked up his cup, drained it in one gulp, and his face showed a look of delight.
Yuan Ming also picked up his cup and took a small sip. A warm current flowed from his throat into his organs, then spread throughout his body.
He felt as if he was soaking in a hot bath in winter, his whole body warm and indescribably comfortable. He was also grateful for his fortuitous change of clothes. The humiliation he had felt at the Bi Luo Cave due to his Central Plains identity had completely melted away.
Being a Central Plains person really had its advantages here!