Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

"Haha, what a great honor to have such a distinguished guest! Please forgive me for not welcoming you properly!" The old man cupped his hands and laughed, his gaze falling on Shen Mo, his smile widening. "My surname is Jin, and I am one of the three managers of the Treasure Pavilion branch in Wanfa City."

"That old rascal Chen Hao sent a message a few days ago, saying that a remarkable Sect Leader Shen had emerged in the Southern Region, young and promising, and would surely pass through Wanfa City, so I was asked to give him a proper welcome. Seeing him today, I can confirm his reputation is well-deserved!"

"Manager Jin, you're too kind." Shen Mo stood up and returned the greeting. "I'm new here and have caused you much trouble."

"What are you saying, Sect Leader Shen! Chen Hao's friend is my friend, Old Jin's friend!" Manager Jin laughed heartily, waving the middle-aged manager to leave before taking his seat in the main seat. "Sect Leader Shen and his party, are you heading to Tianyuan City to attend the conference? You must have had a long journey!"

"I wonder if there's anything I can do for you in Wanfa City? Has lodging been arranged? If not, I have a few quiet villas within the city..."

"I appreciate Manager Jin's kind offer," Shen Mo said. "The accommodations have already been arranged. I've come here mainly for two reasons. First, I'd like to exchange some specialty materials I brought from the Southern Region for some spirit stones commonly used in the Central Region, so I can use them for my journey."

"Secondly, we want to purchase a batch of practical talismans, robes, and some special supplies that may be needed for the conference."

"Of course! Of course!" Manager Jin patted his chest. "For the exchange materials, our store has specialized appraisers who will definitely give Sect Leader Shen a fair price. As for procurement... whatever Sect Leader Shen needs, just say the word. As long as it's available on the market, even if our Treasure Pavilion doesn't have it temporarily, we can get it in the shortest possible time!"

Shen Mo didn't stand on ceremony and took out a jade slip that he had prepared beforehand. Inside was a list of materials that needed to be exchanged and a list of items that he wanted to buy.

The materials mainly consist of special products from the Southern Region, spirit ores and spirit wood that are relatively rare in the Central Region, as well as special materials from several kinds of demonic beasts. The quantity is considerable, and it is part of the allocation from the sect's treasury before departure.

The purchase list includes: fifty high-level defensive, offensive, and stealth talismans suitable for Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages; fifteen sets of robes (per person) that can resist the divine sense probing of Golden Core stage cultivators and have a certain physical protection ability; thirty bottles each of "Returning Yuan Pill" for rapid recovery of true essence, "Jade Dew Pill" for treating internal injuries, and "Clearing Miasma Powder" for detoxification; ten boxes of "Soul-Stabilizing Incense" specifically for protecting the soul; and some miscellaneous items such as high-level blank talisman paper, spiritual ink, portable array flags, and concealment dust.

Manager Jin took the jade slip, scanned it with his divine sense, his smile remained unchanged, but he was slightly startled in his heart.

This Sect Leader Shen is quite generous! Those special materials from the Southern Region are fine, though they are precious, but the total amount is only worth tens of thousands of mid-grade spirit stones.

However, everything on this procurement list is of the highest quality, and the quantity is quite large, probably exceeding 100,000 mid-grade spirit stones! This is no small amount; many medium-sized sects spend about the same amount in a year.

It seems that the Qingyun Sect, though from the Southern Region, is quite wealthy. Or rather, this Sect Leader Shen has spared no expense for this Tianyuan Conference, determined to win.

"Most of what Sect Leader Shen needs is readily available in our store," Manager Jin said, putting down the jade slip and pondering. "However, this robe that can withstand the probing of a Golden Core cultivator's divine sense is complex in its craftsmanship and uses exquisite materials. We currently only have eight sets that meet the requirements. In addition, the main ingredient of 'Stabilizing Incense,' 'Soul-Soothing Wood,' is in short supply recently, and we only have five boxes. We can prepare everything else."

"Okay." Shen Mo nodded. "These will do for now. I'll trouble Manager Jin to calculate how much of the materials can be deducted, and I'll make up the difference with spirit stones."

"Sect Leader Shen is so straightforward!" Manager Jin laughed heartily, summoned the steward waiting outside, handed him the jade slip and the material storage bag, and whispered a few instructions. The steward accepted the order and left.

While waiting, Manager Jin and Shen Mo chatted, and the topic naturally turned to the upcoming Tianyuan Conference.

"Sect Leader Shen's participation in this meeting is perfectly timed," Manager Jin stroked his long beard. "To be honest, there's quite a bit of discussion about you and the Qingyun Sect in Wanfa City right now. Thirty years to Nascent Soul stage, that's quite a spectacle, tsk tsk, it's hard not to attract attention."

Shen Mo said calmly, "It's just a little bit of empty fame. In the end, the path of cultivation depends on one's own strength."

"Sect Leader Shen is too modest," Manager Jin said with a smile, a shrewd glint typical of a businessman in his eyes. "However, I am a few years older and have spent decades in Wanfa City, seeing all sorts of people and things. There's something I'd like to say, but I'm not sure if I should?"

"Please speak freely, Manager Jin."

"The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind." Manager Jin lowered his voice. "Sect Leader Shen is exceptionally talented, and the rise of Qingyun Sect is rapid, which is a good thing. However, this conference will be a gathering of heroes, a fierce battle between dragons and tigers."

"Some people, lacking in strength themselves, prefer to resort to underhanded tactics. Especially Sect Leader Shen, your title of 'Thirty-Year Nascent Soul' has certainly caught the eye of many. It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark."

Shen Mo's gaze sharpened slightly, and he cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Manager Jin. I will remember it."

"Ah, I was just saying it casually. It's good that you understand, Master Shen." Manager Jin waved his hand and laughed. "Speaking of which, that old rascal Chen Hao praised you to the skies in his message, saying that you are the most insightful and worthwhile 'rare find' he has ever seen in his life."

"He asked me to tell you that if you encounter any difficulties in Tianyuan City, or if you need to find out any information that is not easy to ask openly, you can go to Liu the Blind Man at 'Zhigu Zhai' and mention his name. Perhaps he can help you."

"'Zhigu Zhai'... Liu the Blind?" Shen Mo noted down the name.

"Hmm, a seasoned old hand who specializes in selling shady information and handling gray-area matters. He's got connections, but his prices are exorbitant. However, he's trustworthy; once he takes the money, he can usually get things done." Manager Jin stopped there.

At this moment, the middle-aged steward returned, carrying a new storage bag and a list.

"Manager Jin, Sect Leader Shen, the calculations are complete." The steward presented the list. "The materials provided by Sect Leader Shen, as verified by the appraiser, are worth a total of 48,000 mid-grade spirit stones. The total price of the supplies you purchased is 123,000 mid-grade spirit stones. After deductions, you still need to pay 75,000 mid-grade spirit stones."

Manager Jin took the list, glanced at it, nodded, and smiled at Shen Mo, "Sect Leader Shen, what do you think of these prices..."

Shen Mo scanned the list with his divine sense. The names, quantities, unit prices, and total prices of the items were all clearly listed. The prices were indeed fair, and some were even slightly lower than the market prices he had inquired about in Zhenyuan Pass, which was obviously a concession.

"Thank you for your trouble, Manager Jin." Shen Mo didn't waste any words and directly took out seven bulging spirit stone bags from his storage ring, and then took out five thousand mid-grade spirit stones and placed them on the table.

These spirit stones were partly from the sect's treasury, partly from his own accumulation over the years, and partly from the proceeds of selling some unused treasures before his departure. They were almost all the liquid spirit stones he could use.

Manager Jin scanned the area with his divine sense and found it to be exactly as he had predicted. His smile widened, and he gestured for the steward to hand the new storage bag to Shen Mo. He then took away the spirit stones from the table.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you! If you need anything in the future, please feel free to visit my Treasure Pavilion!" Manager Jin stood up to see him off.

"Definitely." Shen Mo put away his storage bag and stood up to take his leave.