Chapter Seventy-five: A Gift

Hao Qingyan exchanged a few polite words, but since he couldn't gauge the origins of the two people beside Chen Heng, he dared not be overly enthusiastic and merely guided Chen Heng upstairs to the second floor of Treasure Gathering House, his face brimming with smiles.

“It's been some time since we last met, hasn't it?” he said. “Are you here to sell some items again, or perhaps to acquire something for your companions?”

The first floor of Treasure Gathering House served as the main reception hall, partitioned by several screens painted with landscapes. The space was adorned with bonsai pines and green jade vines; hundreds of palm-sized, curved gourds hung from the ceiling, from whose hollow openings floated soft, flute-like music. The sound drifted gently through the air, soothing the mind and spirit like a gentle breeze—truly a scene of refined elegance.

But it was only on the second floor that actual trade and sales took place; here were stored various spiritual items and magical artifacts, guarded with strict vigilance, and even cultivators who had achieved true Qi often stood watch there.

At Hao Qingyan's words, Qingzhi, struggling with her short legs as she climbed the stairs, suddenly brightened. With a grunt, she hopped up several steps in quick succession, tugging at Chen Heng's long sleeve with her pudgy hands, her face full of expectation, her intentions obvious.

Wei Lingjiang glanced at Chen Heng and, with a casual gesture, pulled Qingzhi back as if picking up a rabbit.

“I want to purchase a flying sword,” Chen Heng said, bowing slightly.

“May I ask what grade you require? Low-grade artifact, or medium-grade?” Hao Qingyan's smile grew even wider as he returned the gesture. “With the reopening of Golden Valley Market just days away, all the shops have stocked up. I've kept some choice swords aside especially for you, but—”

The portly manager in purple robes gave a sycophantic grin, bowed, and rubbed his fingers together.

“Have you heard that the Master of Huaiwu Cave intends to reopen ‘Huaiwu Cave’?”

Chen Heng nodded slightly.

“It's generally fine, but with the reopening, everyone will be scrambling for a top ranking, so the price—”

Hao Qingyan lowered his voice, glanced around, then continued, “The price is about ten to twenty percent higher than usual…”

After nervously finishing his explanation, he saw that Chen Heng and his companions remained unmoved, not turning to leave.

Hao Qingyan quietly clenched his fist, inwardly cheering, knowing this transaction was likely secured.

The second floor was filled with low-grade artifacts, interspersed with talismans, arrays, and ornamental items—fox maidens, merfolk, and the like.

Hao Qingyan was skilled at reading people; after a brief tour, he promptly led the group to the third floor.

The splendor here far surpassed what they’d seen before. The first thing to catch the eye was a luminous pearl suspended midair, blazing like fire, shining like a star, illuminating the entire room. The pearl seemed alive, breathing in and out; every few dozen breaths, nine apertures opened on its surface, like nine eyes scanning the space, radiating thunderous power that never quite burst forth. Then, after another interval, the apertures closed and vanished.

“The Nine-Hair Definite Shadow Divine Array?” Wei Lingjiang withdrew her gaze from the pearl, unimpressed.

At the entrance to the third floor, a barrier blocked their way.

“Please wait a moment, honored guests,” Hao Qingyan said, smiling as he pulled out a Treasure Gathering House token from his waist, made a hand gesture, and waved it in the air, then called out loudly: “Master Xun, I’ve brought esteemed guests to the third floor. Please lift the barrier!”

As his voice fell, a vast spiritual sense descended from somewhere in the building, as grand as a mountain. It swept over the group and then withdrew.

“Please,” a clear voice rang out, and the barrier opened, closing again behind them as they entered.

“Master Xun is our chief consecrator. A few years ago, he discovered a true method for opening a spiritual mansion, established his Violet Mansion—what you just felt was his spiritual sense. Truly enviable,” Hao Qingyan sighed with infinite longing and led them onward.

The third floor was lined with jade railings and vermillion walls, rich colors everywhere. Unlike the second floor, it had no guards or cultivators watching over it. Only a few managers in purple robes wandered about, guiding guests.

Looking around, Chen Heng saw hundreds of crystal jade tables, each displaying either artifacts, treasures, or rare pills. Among them, he even spotted a few demonic relics—bloody and sinister, exuding an aura of resentment that pierced the air despite being sealed on the jade tables.

“Take a look at this exotic beast,” Hao Qingyan said, smiling as he invited Chen Heng to examine the item at his left hand.

On the jade table sat a living creature—a brilliantly colored, petite parrot. Seeing the group approach, the parrot shook its feathers irritably and screeched, its voice hoarse and ugly, not unlike an ancient toad from the depths of a pond. Its eyes glowed blood-red, and red mist drifted from its sockets, as fierce as a vengeful ghost.

“This is a Scarlet Spirit Parrot, caught in the wild forests of the remote southern region—a genuine monster,” Hao Qingyan said eagerly. “Though its cry might not be fit for a refined hall, it’s quite formidable; ordinary cultivators at the fourth or fifth layer of Qi training would collapse at a single scream, bones softened and tendons snapped, unable to rise for some time. It’s invaluable in battle! We caught several dozen, but with ‘Huaiwu Cave’ opening again, everyone’s vying for a good rank, so now only this one remains.”

“If you’re interested,” Hao Qingyan continued, “I can offer a discount—my way of showing respect.”

“Can it speak human language?” Chen Heng asked.

“No, not yet. Monsters must refine the transverse bone before they can speak; this parrot’s cultivation isn’t sufficient, far from refining the bone. If it ever reaches that stage, its abilities would multiply—and its price would soar.”

Hao Qingyan hurried to add that the Scarlet Spirit Parrot might possess the bloodline of the Azure Bird, and with proper care, it could revert to its ancestral form, possibly even transform into an Azure Bird.

This statement made Qingzhi’s eyes flare red with anger; she clenched her fists and was about to fight Hao Qingyan, but Wei Lingjiang quickly scooped her up and covered her mouth.

Hao Qingyan was momentarily confused, but seeing Chen Heng’s lack of interest, he sensibly led them to the next jade table.

Along the way, the group encountered all sorts of rare wonders. Chen Heng had intended just to purchase a flying sword, but since so many items were unfamiliar, he paused occasionally to observe, treating it as a chance to broaden his knowledge.

…

…

“A fragment of the Golden Body of the Wandering God of White Register—contains much water-type divine power and human aspiration, invaluable for those cultivating incense-based methods. Just this piece, no bigger than a fist, would cost three hundred talisman coins!” Hao Qingyan pointed at a glass-like shard, smiling. “Unfortunately, incense-based techniques are rarely effective, barely useful for amusement, and even when mastered, have little practical use—mere showpieces. The best ones are all held by the Sima clan of Court Hall, who never release them… Who knows why such noble immortals stubbornly hold onto incense-based power—very curious! I hear their lineage traces back to ancient times, a long and storied history—truly a legacy deep as the earth!”

“The Sima clan of the Twelve Great Families?” Chen Heng asked, withdrawing his gaze from the golden body fragment.

In Xu City, besides the Eight Sects and Six Orders, there were the Twelve Great Families, each with deep roots and extraordinary power. The Sima clan of Court Hall was one of them, though located in the far west, in Xi Yi Prefecture.

The western regions—whether Xi Su or Xi Yi, or the entire Western Sea—are home to countless divine nations, sages, demons, and Buddhist lands, with myriad paths coexisting in great complexity. This is because, while the west encompasses two vast prefectures, it has only one spiritual cavern, located on a distant island and occupied by the Pestilence Sect, one of the Eight Sects and Six Orders.

Thus, though Xi Su and Xi Yi are expansive, their lack of spiritual caverns means they’re not valued by orthodox sects or demonic orders. As for why the west is so filled with diverse paths, even retaining Buddhist lineages, Chen Heng found only vague explanations in the books he’d read.

“Yes, exactly—the Sima clan of the Twelve Great Families, the Court Hall Sima!” Hao Qingyan exclaimed. “To be born in one of the Twelve Great Families is as good as having one foot inside the door to primordial spirit; they possess everything—methods, companions, wealth! If I were one of them, perhaps I’d open my own merchant house, ten times the size of Treasure Gathering House!”

“Hahaha!”

As Hao Qingyan finished his boast, Chen Heng remained composed, but Qingzhi burst out laughing.

“So the emperor uses a golden hoe to till the fields and eats pancakes with extra scallions, is that it?” Qingzhi retorted, hands on her hips. “You’d better read more and stop being so ignorant! And—”

She grew agitated, shouting, “That ridiculous Scarlet Spirit Parrot has nothing to do with Azure Birds! Where did you hear that nonsense? Don’t—”

Halfway through, Wei Lingjiang silently covered her mouth, and Chen Heng, unfazed, said mildly, “She left in a hurry and missed breakfast, so she’s quite out of sorts. Please don’t mind her—go on.”

“The little one is mistaken—who says the Twelve Great Families don’t run shops? Who could live without merchants? They simply run bigger businesses,” Hao Qingyan replied, patting his round belly and laughing, then continued, “Take a look at this pill: the Grand Yellow Pill, which strengthens the body and replenishes vital energy…”

Hao Qingyan was thorough, evidently sensing Chen Heng’s desire to learn; he briefly explained each item they passed—external pills, thunderous energies, artifact arrays, puppet furnaces…

Among them were even rudimentary martial secrets of celestial demons, fragments of advanced Daoist methods, and ancestral rituals of western sages.

After half an hour touring the entire third floor, Chen Heng finally selected three suitable flying swords:

The Yin Turbid Sword.

The Dragon Coil Sword.

The Azure Law Sword—

—

“The Yin Turbid Sword and Dragon Coil Sword are both medium-grade artifacts, sealed with the Celestial Treasure Great Restriction—twelve seals! Crafted by Master Xue Xuan of Divine Fire Cliff, renowned for exquisite materials and craftsmanship, they are highly sought after!” Seeing Chen Heng frown slightly, Hao Qingyan grew anxious and hurriedly changed his pitch. “As for the Azure Law Sword, it has nineteen Celestial Treasure seals, a higher grade, but much pricier—not cost-effective! With your current Qi Training, you can barely wield a medium-grade artifact with twelve seals. Once you achieve true Qi, you’ll unlock its full power!”

Medium-grade artifacts are a step above low-grade ones. Normally, only cultivators who have formed true Qi can fully utilize their power.

But Chen Heng’s prenatal breath was at least ten times more abundant than other Qi practitioners, comparable to some lower-level true Qi, which is why he could easily handle thunderous pearls and the Flowing Sky Ruler at his current stage.

For Qi practitioners like Daoist Yangshan or Rong Jin, they could use medium-grade artifacts defensively, but couldn’t tap their full potential, often performing at a fraction of their power and unable to sustain it for long.

As for high-grade artifacts—

—

High-grade artifacts could shatter mountains and rivers with a single strike. Such treasures were rare even at Treasure Gathering House, usually available only by auction, and though Chen Heng’s prenatal breath was vast, he absolutely couldn’t activate one. At present, it would be useless to him.

Thus, he always intended to buy a medium-grade artifact.

—

“The Yin Turbid Sword uses Black Iron, giving it a gloomy hue—not very attractive. In my humble opinion, the Dragon Coil Sword is better—grand and bright, quite imposing!” Hao Qingyan pleaded, exhausting his eloquence.

“The Dragon Coil Sword costs more than the Yin Turbid Sword?” Chen Heng suddenly asked.

“A keen eye, indeed! It is pricier… but not by much,” Hao Qingyan replied, scratching his head.

“As long as it’s suitable, appearance doesn’t matter.”

“So you prefer the Yin Turbid Sword—very well, I—”

“The Azure Law Sword,”

Wei Lingjiang, who had been silent, spoke up: “Bring it here.”

Chen Heng turned to her, but she remained impassive, saying nothing more.

“As you wish,” he said, withdrawing his gaze.

Hao Qingyan was momentarily stunned but complied, carefully lifting a blue sword from a jade pedestal and handing it over.

“This sword is quite expensive…” he said, licking his lips, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. “Perhaps the Yin Turbid Sword instead?”

“Senior Sister, your turn,” Chen Heng said calmly.

Hao Qingyan turned around in confusion.

Wei Lingjiang casually handed him an item. When he took it, his eye twitched sharply—he nearly dropped the Azure Law Sword.

“Talisman money?!”

Hao Qingyan trembled all over, his fat rippling like water.

“I wish to compete for a ranking in ‘Huaiwu Cave,’ but to enter, one must have a magical robe,”

After examining the Azure Law Sword and stowing it in his spatial pouch, Chen Heng bowed to the still-dazed Hao Qingyan and said, “Please trouble yourself once more—help me select a magical robe.”

Hao Qingyan still seemed lost in a fog, but after several breaths, he snapped back and quickly began listing the available robes in Treasure Gathering House.

“…So expensive?”

Even the cheapest medium-grade robe required eighteen Celestial Treasure seals.

Chen Heng’s hand, reaching for his pouch, paused slightly.

He lowered his sleeve, feigning nonchalance. “Low-grade will suffice—no need for medium-grade.”

“With ‘Huaiwu Cave’ opening, everyone needs a magical robe to enter; all the low-grade ones were snapped up, only medium-grade remain, and they’re the most expensive of the lot!” Hao Qingyan spread his hands and teased, “Why so frugal? Your wife is fabulously wealthy! Family, after all—no need to be so distant!”

Wei Lingjiang hadn’t replied yet.

Just then, another voice sounded.

“What a coincidence—Senior Brother, you’re going to Huaiwu Cave too?”

Chen Heng looked over and saw Zhu Wanzi and a group from White Crane Cave nearby. Seeing his gaze, Zhou Xingling, at the front, waved with a grin.

“Bring a magical robe,”

Zhu Wanzi, blushing, stepped forward, barely daring to look at Chen Heng. She pulled out her spatial pouch, saying, “The most expensive! I want to gift it to Senior Brother!”

Hao Qingyan was momentarily dumbfounded, glancing at Wei Lingjiang, then at Chen Heng and Zhu Wanzi, caught between accepting and declining.

Beside Chen Heng, Wei Lingjiang’s expression remained cool, but her eyes unconsciously grew colder.