Chapter 59: First Transaction

“Compared to other places in the city, the world’s spirit energy is four times denser here. If one is able to cultivate inside this shop, then they would progress at a much faster rate.”

“Mn, the denser the spirit energy, the faster it can be refined.”

“It almost rivals the cultivation arenas of some high ranking forces, it’s really strong!”

Many of Icestone City’s most prominent people had gathered outside of Li’s little shop. There were people from Shattered Ice Manor, Nebula Pavilion, and even unfamiliar martial practitioners that were passing through Icestone City…

These people had come and gathered here due to the slight change in the flow of nature’s spirit energy and were loudly discussing it in front of the shop.

“So it is Mister Li’s shop.” Inside the room, Pan Jueming walked in and faintly smiled at Li Mu. He then looked at the Spirit Gathering Boards that had been scattered around and said, “This old one is also very interested in quality goods that can quadruple the world’s spirit energy. If you don’t mind, this old one also wants to join the ranks of those buying.”

Li Mu glanced at Qin Lie and then looked at the people outside that were furtively poking their heads in. He suddenly said, “This little store cannot hold too many people. Hm, those in the Natal Opening Realm and higher can come in. Everyone else, please continue to stay outside.”

When these words came out, Wu Chong and the others at the doorway smiled and naturally walked in.

When they entered, they saw the white-clothed female and instantly felt their vision brighten.

Then, their eyes gathered on the white-clothed female’s body and showed clear shock as though they had been entranced by her beauty. They actually forgot why they had entered the shop in the first place.

Her skin was like snow, and her two eyes were as clear as pure crystal. Her cool presence was like a snow lotus blossom on a glacier and caused people to feel ashamed of themselves.

“Hmph!” The servant beside the white-clothed female snorted with a cold face.

“Boom!”

All those who were looking at her suddenly shook. That “hmph” was so loud it had hurt their eardrums.

Qin Lie, Pan Jueming, and Li Mu were completely unaffected. That “hmph” clearly was not directed at them…

“Sorry for the impoliteness…”

Wu Chong was woken by the shock and the expression on his face changed. He bowed with folded hands towards the middle-aged servant and the white-clothed female to show his apology.

The other people were shocked inside when they saw Wu Chong’s attitude towards them and became uncertain as well. Hurriedly, they retracted their gazes from the lady in white and carefully displayed their apologies.

“Haha, both of you are not denizens of Icestone City, where are you from?” Pan Jueming had a startled gaze as he smiled at the white-clothed female and her servant, asking politely.

The white-clothed female’s brows creased. She did not answer his question but instead looked at Qin Lie and Li Mu, saying coldly, “I will take all the Spirit Gathering Boards here, name a price.”

“Mister Li, what do you think?” Pan Jueming also stated his attitude. “Our Armament Pavilion is also interested in this Spirit Gathering Board, is it possible for you to accommodate us?”

“Qin Lie? How come you’re here?”

Suddenly, Liu Yan’s voice came from the door. He had coincidentally came today to Commerce Street and felt the changes in the flow of spirit energy.

He had arrived later and made his way through the flood of low level martial practitioners gathered at the door, looking inside, and when he saw the familiar figure inside the shop, he couldn’t help but call out.

“Big Brother Liu.”

Qin Lie stilled slightly and then smiled. He nodded at Liu Yan who had charged into the room.

“Elder Pan, Brother Wu, Brother Zhao…”

After Liu Yan entered, he found that the occupants inside the shop were shocking and had to greet Pan Jueming, Wu Chong, and another male attired in Nebula Pavilion’s robes.

Pan Jueming and the others nodded and returned his greeting.

“Qin Lie, when did you come to Icestone City? You brat, coming to Icestone City but not going to Nebula Pavilion, what are you doing here?” Liu Yan walked with a smile next to Qin Lie and smacked him on the shoulder. He said, “You might not know this, but at that time… the two hall masters under Yan Dewu’s command from Shattered Ice Manor were bitten to death by the Silver Winged Demon Wolves. Feng Yi also lost an arm, ha! It was so good!”

When he said this, the faces of the two martial practitioners inside the room, attired with Shattered Ice Manor’s clothing suddenly darkened.

“He is part of our Nebula Pavilion?” Wu Chong was shocked.

The other people also looked at Qin Lie. Because they didn’t recover in time, they had no clue of what was happening.

“Of course. He is from the Ling Family, one of the families under us, and he went to Celestial Wolf Mountain with us,” Liu Yan explained simply but did not elaborate any further. But even so, everyone’s attention landed on Qin Lie.

Even Li Mu showed shocked astonishment. He had finally learned Qin Lie’s identity and name through Liu Yan’s explanation.

“Name a price, don’t waste my time!” The white-clothed female’s expression was impatient as she coldly interrupted everyone’s conversation. She exclaimed, “Quick!”

“Mn, let’s manage this first.” Pan Jueming also agreed.

Li Mu glanced at Qin Lie, rubbed his chin, and said, “One Common Grade Seven spirit stone for one Spirit Gathering Board. Mn, you just have to give seventeen Common Grade Seven spirit stones.”

“Mister Li,” Pan Jueming opened.

Li Mu waved his hand at him and said, “She came first.”

Pan Jueming nodded and did not say anything else as though he respected Li Mu’s decision greatly.

“There’s at least some protocol.”

The white-clothed female nodded slightly and then walked outside. Wu Chong and Zhao Duo, the two Nebula Pavilion martial practitioners that were blocking the door, had shocked faces when they saw her turn around and hurried to turn their bodies to let her pass.

“Seventeen Common Grade Seven spirit stones, please check.” The middle-aged servant that remained swiped his left hand on the table before Qin Lie. When his left hand moved away, seventeen glowing jade stones were on the table, each flowing with faint luminescence.  It was possible to see the quality was high with just a glance.

“Alright.” Li Mu’s gaze only briefly swept over them before nodding.

Qin Lie, on the other hand, looked at the servant next to the white-clothed female, or more accurately, he was looking at a crisp green ring on this person’s left hand…

He was the closest, so he saw it the clearest. The seventeen glowing jade stones that suddenly appeared on the table came from that green ring. This had fascinated Qin Lie.

While he was in shock, the person moved and picked up the scattered Spirit Gathering Boards. Whenever his left hand touched the Spirit Gathering Boards, they disappeared.

“Spatial ring…”

Liu Yan’s eyes were locked onto the ring on that person’s left hand as he exclaimed lightly in a dry voice. His expression was slightly strange.

He was not the only one. Inside the shop, Wu Chong, Zhao Duo, and the people from Shattered Ice Manor also had dumbfounded expressions as they all looked at the ring on that person’s hand.

“Haha, not someone from Icestone City, as expected.” Pan Jueming smiled and then nodded slightly towards the middle-aged servant before stealing a look at the ring.

That person did not chat with anyone else and did not say another word after putting away the Spirit Gathering Boards. He did not even spare a look at anyone before walking out of Li’s Shop.

As the Spirit Gathering Boards were put away, the thick spirit energy inside Li’s Shop also gradually dissipated. In a short period of time, the level of spirit energy returned to normal once more.

Many people were clamoring over the Spirit Gathering Boards and looked around to feel the change in spirit energy. They gathered and discussed closeby.

“Big Brother Liu, a spatial ring?” Qin Lie suddenly inquired in a low voice.

“The inside of the ring forms a space that can store items. Even the lowest tier spatial rings are worth cities.” Liu Yan’s voice was moderate as he explained to Qin Lie. “In our Icestone City, only Shattered Ice Manor’s Manor Lord Yan Wenyan, our Nebula Pavilion’s Pavilion Master, and Elder Pan have the lowest grade spatial ring, just these three people.”

Qin Lie’s expression changed. He finally understood why everyone was so incredibly astounded.

“Mister Li, where did you get these Spirit Gathering Boards? My Armament Pavilion is very interested, is there any merchandise left? If there are, Armament Pavilion can purchase this according to your price of Common Grade Seven spirit stones, what do you think?” After that person left, Pan Jueming smiled slightly and looked at Li Mu again.

Li Mu’s expression was relaxed as he said coldly, “There are more, but it will take some time. When I get a new batch, I will inform you.”

“Good.” Pan Jueming nodded and then looked at Qin Lie, saying with a slight smile, “What is the relation between this young one and you?”

“A shop apprentice,” Li Mu casually replied and then he shrank back into his rocking chair as he relaxedly said, “That’s all for today, everyone, leave.”

Li’s Shop hadn’t ever had good business, nor could it gather this many people in a hundred years. He didn’t take this opportunity to hawk more goods or gather more eyes, instead chasing them all out at once.

Either Li Mu actually had no idea how to conduct a business or did not care about Li’s Shop at all. This caused everyone to chuckle.

“Mn, see you soon.” Pan Jueming was the first to leave.

The people dressed in Shattered Ice Manor’s robes looked at Wu Chong, Liu Yan, and Zhao Duo with slightly cold expressions and also committed Qin Lie’s appearance to memory before they left.

The two hall masters of Nebula Pavilion, Wu Chong and Zhao Duo, chatted out of friendliness for a while longer after learning Qin Lie’s identity and background, in order to get him to report to Nebula Pavilion as soon as possible, before leaving as well.

The people around were shocked, but after the powerful people left one after the other, they lost interest and gradually left.

Liu Yan and Qin Lie chatted for a while longer with Liu Yun asking him why he was currently an apprentice at Li’s Shop and why he did not go to Nebula Pavilion earlier to use their cultivation resources to advance himself as quickly as possible.

When Qin Lie stated how he was worried that doing missions would affect his cultivation, Liu Yan couldn’t help but grin and then told him the person in charge of missions was Han Feng’s father, Elder Han Qingrui. Liu Yan explained that, with the relationship between him and Han Feng, if Qin Lie did not want to do missions, Hang Qingrui would not make life difficult for him.

Also, Liu Yan stated that, unless Nebula Pavilion encountered great trouble, they would usually not force people to complete missions and that the pavilion would give the martial practitioners the freedom of choice.

Qin Lie finally understood that he had worried too much.

Liu Yan conversed with him for a little while longer before bidding farewell, reminding him once more to come to Nebula Pavilion as quickly as possible.

Li’s Shop once again became quiet.

“I did not tell others that you inscribed the Spirit Gathering Boards and did not let you shine in front of others, are you disappointed?” In the suddenly quiet shop came Li Mu’s voice. His eyes were squinting as he looked at Qin Lie with an amused expression.

“No, as long as I can make money,” Qin Lie said sincerely.

Li Mu nodded. After a moment, he suggested, “You can continue to inscribe Spirit Gathering diagrams on the spirit tablets. I can also help you sell the Spirit Gathering Boards. However, it would be best if you did not let others know that the Spirit Gathering diagram on there… were inscribed by you.”

Qin Lie stilled. “Is there a need to intentionally conceal it?”

“Just listen to me.” Li Mu’s brow creased.

“Mn.” Qin Lie did not understand but nodded and inquired no further.

……

This Chapter’s Teaser