Chapter 143: The House of Treasures
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Yu Ye took his seat.
He, too, occupied a low wooden table.
Yet among the dozen or so people present, he was the only one who looked so young and wore such plain, short garments. Compared with Dang Guiyi’s bearing, he looked almost rustic. He sat beneath the eastern wall of the great hall, with Dang Guiyi on his right and a middle-aged man on his left. The man appeared to possess cultivation at the Qi Refining stage and was now casting sidelong glances at the rings on Yu Ye’s thumbs, a puzzled look in his eyes. Pretending not to notice, Yu Ye complained through voice transmission:
“You should have told me beforehand.”
“Oh? Does the State of Wei not have Treasure Pavilions?”
“I’ve never traveled far. My experience is limited.”
“Ha! Then I wronged you. It isn’t too late to explain now.”
Dang Guiyi gave a mysterious smile and continued through voice transmission:
“There are Treasure Pavilions throughout Qi Prefecture. Though they vary in size, all are places devoted to buying and selling rare treasures. Since the threshold for entry is high—you must pay in gold, silver, or spirit stones to participate—cultivators often appear there in search of hidden treasures and bargains. The Treasure Pavilion in Twilight City is not particularly large. By custom, it opens on the fifteenth of every month. Since we happened to arrive on the right day, we must not miss the opportunity.”
“Who owns the Treasure Pavilions?”
“They were founded by cultivating clans. At first, there were only two or three, but since they were profitable and allowed cultivators to exchange what they had for what they needed, other places eagerly followed suit. Now Treasure Pavilions are scattered throughout Qi Prefecture. Their masters differ, but their rules are the same…”
“The City Lord has arrived!”
At that moment, someone shouted from outside the door.
Everyone rose to greet him.
The City Lord?
The City Lord of Twilight City?
Yu Ye was secretly curious and stood as well, following Dang Guiyi.
Two men entered from outside. The one in front was an elderly man in his fifties or sixties. He wore a dark robe, his beard and hair were streaked with white, and his complexion was ruddy. His steps were steady. The man accompanying him was middle-aged and thin-featured, with a reserved expression. His footsteps made no sound, clearly marking him as a cultivator of considerable attainment.
“My name is Bi Jiang. Greetings to you all.”
The City Lord was mild-tempered enough. After greeting everyone with a raised hand, he introduced his companion:
“This is the city’s honored retainer, Immortal Chu Yuan of the Xuanling Immortal Sect. The Treasure Pavilion happens to be opening today, and with nothing else to occupy us, the two of us thought we would join in the excitement. Ha ha!”
The two men sat before the central table.
Another elderly man entered from outside and called out:
“Each house may present its treasures for sale. Buyers and sellers act of their own accord; once you leave your seat, there are no regrets. The old rules apply. Please begin.”
Everyone sat down again and brought out their treasures one after another.
“Three hundred-year-old ginseng roots, priced at ten gold pieces…”
“Five-hundred-year-old fleeceflower root, priced at twenty gold pieces…”
“One bottle of Qi-Congealing Pills from an immortal sect, priced at two spirit stones. I accept spirit stones only…”
“A set of black-gold armor forged by a Grandmaster, priced at five hundred gold pieces, or twenty spirit stones. Negotiable…”
“A set of Five-Element Formation Flags, an essential magical implement for guarding a household, priced at ten spirit stones…”
“A spirit-beast hide. It can ward off evil and be refined into talismans. Priced at two spirit stones…”
Before long, everyone had brought out the treasures they wished to sell. A chorus of appraisals arose, while some people went forward to examine the items and ask about their origins.
Dang Guiyi also brought out his treasures: a large bundle that he set on the floor with a thud. He opened it and boasted:
“As everyone knows, the White Tiger is a divine beast endowed with spiritual intelligence. Here we have one White Tiger hide and one White Tiger skeleton, priced at one hundred spirit stones. Buy them and you profit; miss them and regret it for the rest of your life. One spirit-wolf pelt, priced at ten spirit stones.”
He then placed a jade ring on the wooden table and indicated it with a gesture.
“This is being sold on behalf of a fellow cultivator. It is called a Beast-Taming Ring. Its restriction remains intact, and it contains several rare and exotic beasts. Appraised at two hundred spirit stones. It belongs to whoever has the fortune—and the discernment—to recognize its worth!”
“Tsk, tsk. It really is a White Tiger. Quite a rare thing…”
“A Beast-Taming Ring? Such a thing is priceless, even if one had the money to buy it…”
Several people came over to examine the items and whisper among themselves.
Dang Guiyi was extremely pleased with himself. Then, with a sidelong glance, he reminded Yu Ye:
“Fellow Daoist Yu, you cannot come empty-handed. Do not violate the rules.”
Yu Ye surveyed the various treasures, finding them all novel. Only after hearing the reminder did he realize that the wooden table before him was completely bare.
“I have no treasures!”
“You need not possess rare treasures. Just bring out one or two decent items.”
Yu Ye thought for a moment, then took out a bottle of Fasting Pills and called out loudly:
“Fasting Pills, two—one spirit stone.”
Dang Guiyi shook his head with a smile. The others present remained unmoved.
Yu Ye then took out his short sword. His voice dropped considerably, and he said casually:
“One flying sword, priced at five…”
He did not understand the market. Seeing that no one had shown interest in the Fasting Pills, he had suddenly lost his confidence and did not dare name a price recklessly. Before he could finish speaking, however, a voice transmission interrupted him:
“Five spirit stones? Are you insane? Flying swords are no ordinary objects. It is worth at least fifty spirit stones!”
Yu Ye had no choice but to change his words:
“One flying sword, priced at fifty spirit stones.”
“A flying sword?”
“The condition is quite good…”
“I’ll take it for fifty spirit stones.”
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“I’ll add ten spirit stones. Does anyone wish to bid higher? No? Then this flying sword is mine!”
In the blink of an eye, a bag appeared on the wooden table, containing a full sixty spirit stones. The flying sword changed hands, purchased by a Qi Refining cultivator.
Yu Ye put away the spirit stones, still unable to quite believe it.
A single flying sword could actually be exchanged for sixty spirit stones. He still had several more on him. Keeping them was pointless; he might as well sell them all.
As though he had seen through Yu Ye’s thoughts, Dang Guiyi reminded him once more:
“Cultivators do not casually resell their flying swords. Otherwise, they may be suspected of trafficking stolen goods. Fellow Daoist Yu, know when to stop!”
Yu Ye’s enthusiasm cooled.
Dang Guiyi’s words made sense. A cultivator’s flying sword was always carried at his side and refined over many years. Who would willingly hand such a thing over to another? If Yu Ye brought out flying swords one after another, he would surely arouse suspicion.
Yu Ye exchanged two spirit stones for a beast hide, then returned to his place and sat quietly.
A short while later, everyone had gained something.
Although Dang Guiyi had demanded exorbitant prices, the others had bargained him down. His tiger hide and tiger bones sold for fifty spirit stones. The Beast-Taming Ring was purchased by Chu Yuan, the City Lord’s honored retainer and a Foundation Establishment cultivator, for one hundred and fifty spirit stones. Dang Guiyi had gained two hundred spirit stones for nothing, making a considerable windfall. The losses he had once suffered had finally been recovered, with interest.
The elderly man from before spoke again:
“Does anyone wish to place a request? Perhaps your wish may be fulfilled!”
“I seek a thousand-year-old ginseng…”
“I seek two pounds of dark iron…”
“My elderly parent is near the end of life. I will pay a heavy price for a life-preserving pill…”
One after another, people announced what they wished to purchase, but all the requested items were rare treasures. Very few requests were fulfilled.
Dang Guiyi raised his hand.
“I seek two teleportation talismans from an immortal sect. The price is negotiable!”
No one responded.
Dang Guiyi was deeply disappointed.
Bi Jiang, the City Lord of Twilight City, perhaps having failed to find any treasure he liked, rose and departed with Chu Yuan. As the Foundation Establishment cultivator left, he continued to hold the Beast-Taming Ring, deep in thought.
The elderly man in charge cupped his hands and said with a smile:
“Today’s opening has been a great success. We look forward to welcoming everyone again!”
Everyone understood the signal, and the gathering came to an end.
Yu Ye followed Dang Guiyi out of the Treasure Pavilion and back into the alley. Perhaps because they had returned with their hands full and he had gained such a broadening glimpse of the world, he was unavoidably excited and could not help asking:
“What is a teleportation talisman?”
Dang Guiyi seemed somewhat dispirited. He answered carelessly:
“Merely a protective talisman. It is an item of the immortal sects.”
“What use does it have?”
“You are supposedly the son of a noble clan, yet you know nothing!”
“My family is poor.”
“Oh, so you are the heir of a fallen clan. No wonder you are so shabby. And without a teleportation talisman, who knows when you will ever reach the Kingdom of Zhongshan…”
The two men walked along as they spoke. The street lay just ahead.
But someone stood at the mouth of the alley. It was the middle-aged man who had sat beside Yu Ye earlier. He sent them a voice transmission:
“Fellow Daoist, I have two teleportation talismans.”
Delight appeared on Dang Guiyi’s face, followed at once by suspicion.
“Why did you not mention this in the Treasure Pavilion?”
“My teleportation talismans belong to the Xuanling Immortal Sect, while the honored retainer of Twilight City is an elder of that sect. Therefore…”
“Oh, you were afraid of offending that elder?”
“Exactly.”
“Words alone prove nothing.”
The middle-aged man came a few steps closer and turned his hand over, producing two talismans.
Dang Guiyi focused his attention and examined them.
The middle-aged man put the talismans away again, then held up his fingers to indicate a price.
“Two teleportation talismans, thirty spirit stones.”
“Too expensive. Ten spirit stones.”
“Let us each take a step back. Twenty spirit stones.”
“Agreed!”
“Let us complete the transaction outside the city.”
“Why?”
“If word gets out, will I not bring trouble upon myself?”
“Well…”
“If you are unwilling, then forget it…”
“Wait. We will do as you say.”
The middle-aged man turned and walked away.
Dang Guiyi waved to Yu Ye, then followed.
The two men conversed through voice transmission, and Yu Ye knew nothing of what they said. He asked afterward:
“Who is that man?”
Dang Guiyi suddenly seemed full of energy again. With his hands clasped behind his back, he shook his head with exaggerated solemnity.
“The rules of the Treasure Pavilion require fellow practitioners not to inquire into one another’s identities.”
“Where are we following him?”
“Outside the city.”
“What are we going outside the city for?”
“Heh, to be perfectly honest, earning these spirit stones tonight is merely a side benefit. The important thing is the teleportation talismans. Without them, one cannot borrow the immortal sect’s teleportation formation.”
“What is a teleportation formation?”
“Ah, ask me another day, will you? Just follow me and act according to my signals.”
Dang Guiyi quickened his pace, looking extremely impatient.
Yu Ye could only follow silently.
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Night deepened, and few pedestrians remained on the streets.
The three men crossed the city and went straight to the gates.
Several armed men guarded the gate. Seeing the three of them leave the city, they did not stop them, but reminded them that the gate would close at the third quarter of the Hour of the Boar.
Yu Ye hesitated, but Dang Guiyi and the middle-aged man had already gone through the gate.
Though this heir to the Orthodox Five-Thunder Method was fond of getting into trouble, he always seemed able to turn danger aside. Hopefully nothing would happen tonight. Otherwise, it remained to be seen how he would deal with it.
Outside the city, the moonlight was hazy.
“We have reached the outskirts.”
“Fellow Daoist, may I ask how we are to avoid the spiritual sense of a Foundation Establishment expert here? There is a grove ahead, only a few steps away—”
Dang Guiyi grew suspicious.
The middle-aged man merely raised a hand and pointed, quickening his pace.
Dang Guiyi glanced back, then continued forward with Yu Ye.
After walking three or five miles, they indeed came upon a grove.
“Heh heh. Do not say that you fear being deceived. I, too, must guard against the possibility that you two harbor ill intentions.”
The middle-aged man reached the grove and laughed lightly.
Dang Guiyi and Yu Ye followed him into the woods. Dang Guiyi could not help laughing as well.
“Heh, neither Fellow Daoist Yu nor I have any desire to harm anyone. Yet we have repeatedly suffered losses and been cheated!”
“And what was the result?”
“The two of us are still safe and sound.”
“Heh heh. Just as we are tonight?”
A chill suddenly entered the middle-aged man’s laughter.
At that same moment, two figures abruptly emerged from the forest. Each held a blade of sword-light, and together they formed a pincer around the three men.