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Xiulan stared at the collection device overflowing with dawn serpent scales. The destroyed cargo harnesses left them with no choice but to carry it together. Scales spilled over the edges despite the hastily secured tarp, leaving a glowing trail that marked their descent from the valley.

"Careful with the next step." Feng Yu braced against the device’s weight.

Xiulan’s muscles burned as they coordinated their movements. "Ready." She slid the device to the ledge’s edge.

The metal groaned as Feng Yu supported the full weight. Xiulan leapt down to the next outcropping, raising her arms. "Now."

They repeated the exhausting dance down countless ledges. Each movement drained more qi from Xiulan’s meridians. The shorter ledges near the bottom proved easier to navigate, though one of them still needed to descend first each time.

When Fershere’s distant outline finally emerged through the morning haze, Xiulan’s legs trembled. "Let’s rest." She sank onto a boulder.

The quiet mountain air hummed with qi—different from the valley’s resonance. Xiulan closed her eyes, replenishing her depleted dantian while noting how the background energy had shifted.

Feng Yu had been right about the different regions having different frequencies. She had missed the hard dividing line, though. Lifting had taken too much concentration.

"We should move." Feng Yu stood, brushing dirt from her robes. "Others will want to see what we collected."

Xiulan nodded and pushed herself up. The dirt road leading to the abandoned gold mine beckoned ahead. "Should we retrieve the wagon at the gate?"

"One guards the scales while the other fetches it." Feng Yu adjusted her grip on the device. "We can’t leave these unattended."

"Agreed." Xiulan repositioned herself and they both lifted.

The descent proved less treacherous on the gentle slope, though Xiulan’s arms burned between every pulse of qi. Sweat dampened her robes as she matched Feng Yu’s careful steps.

A wagon rattled into view, kicking up dust as it approached. Xiulan squinted at the familiar figures—her two drivers waved from atop the bench. She stopped, signaling Feng Yu to set down their burden.

"How did you know to come?" Xiulan brushed dirt from her hands.

The lead driver straightened his worn leather vest. "We took shifts at the gate, Miss Lin. Soon as we spotted you, we readied everything and rode out."

"That’s remarkably helpful." Feng Yu stretched her shoulders.

Xiulan laughed. "Good initiative indeed."

"You’ve treated us well, Miss Lin." The driver scratched his stubbled chin. "The pay and tips have been generous. We considered hiring extra hands but weren’t certain you’d approve?"

"This is perfect." Xiulan moved to the wagon’s side. "We can manage the loading ourselves."

Together, they hoisted the device onto the wooden bed. Xiulan secured it with hemp ropes while Feng Yu tested the knots. After stowing their bulging travel packs, Xiulan sank onto the wide of the wagon and exhaled deeply. Feng Yu scaled the wagon with practiced grace, settling cross-legged atop the tarp-covered scales.

"Why do you always like the high perch?" Xiulan tilted her head.

"Height enhances qi sensing range." Feng Yu adjusted her position. "Gives a better view of potential threats."

"That makes sense." Xiulan nodded.

The drivers clicked their tongues, turning the horses toward Fershere. The wagon wheels creaked as they started the journey back to the city gates.

Light blue and white sashes fluttered in the breeze as city guards scrutinized their wagon. Xiulan counted at least a dozen more patrolling the walls and gates than she remembered from their departure. The heightened security pricked at her awareness as they rolled through the crowded streets.

The stable’s weathered wooden walls offered little protection for their precious cargo. Xiulan stepped down from the wagon, muscles protesting after the long ride. "We should visit the Treasure Pavilion once we’re presentable."

"I planned to suggest the same." Feng Yu jumped down beside her. "Valuables tend to sprout legs and walk away in places like this."

The innkeeper bowed as they entered, dispatching servants who returned with steaming food trays and two wooden barrels of water. Back in their room, Feng Yu dipped her fingers into each barrel. Steam curled up from the surface as the water heated.

Xiulan plucked at her mud-caked sleeve. "These clothes are beyond saving. We’ll need to visit a tailor."

"After the Pavilion." Feng Yu grabbed a clean cloth. "Safety first."

The soap’s herbal scent filled the air as Xiulan scrubbed away layers of grime and dust. Hot water relaxed her muscles, washing away the evidence of their mountain adventure. Clean and refreshed, she pulled on her last unworn outfit—simple but serviceable dark blue robes.

While Feng Yu finished, Xiulan sorted through their packs. She separated the gathered flowers and stuffed them into jars. The roots went in right behind them. Her second pack bulged with dawn serpent scales, their white surfaces catching the light.

How many spirit stones would all these fetch? Xiulan wondered as she tied the bags closed.

Feng Yu emerged wearing a pristine white martial robe that highlighted her amber eyes. The torn red sash still wrapped around her waist drew Xiulan’s attention.

"What about your sash?" Xiulan pointed at the frayed edges.

"I’ll keep it." Feng Yu touched the fabric with unusual gentleness. "It needs repair, but it’s important to me."

"Fair enough." Xiulan gestured to the organized packs on the floor. "I’ve sorted everything—flowers and roots in one, scales in the other. How do you want to handle the selling?"

"I already got what I needed." Feng Yu waved dismissively. "Handle it however you want."

"Huh... okay?" Xiulan blinked at the unexpected response. The responsibility for selling fell on her shoulders.

"We should purchase supplies while we’re here." Xiulan adjusted the pack straps. "I can get the things we need in Blackmere, but the prices would be higher, I think?"

"Definitely." Feng Yu picked up one of the packs. "Did you make a list?"

"That depends on how much we make from the sales."

"Oh, right."

Xiulan shouldered her pack, distributing the weight evenly. The herbs and roots shifted inside as she adjusted the straps. "Ready?"

"Always." Feng Yu hefted the second pack.

At the stable, their drivers jumped to attention. The collection device rattled as they guided the wagon into the street.

"We’ll walk," Xiulan said. "Follow at a distance."

Feng Yu strode ahead, and Xiulan matched her pace, observing the flow of people around them. Merchants haggled over prices while workers hauled crates between shops.

The guard station ahead broke the pattern. Two cultivators in ochre green and black uniforms stood watch instead of the typical city guard blues. Xiulan tensed at the unexpected change but maintained her pace behind Feng Yu.

Without breaking stride, Feng Yu pulled out an ivory travel pass with a red tassel. The guards studied it briefly before nodding them through.

The cramped, dusty streets transformed into wide, clean thoroughfares. Signs adorned the buildings, each declaring their specialized purpose—’Storage,’ ’Spiritual Ore,’ ’Spiritual Cloth,’ ’Junk Stone.’

Smoke billowed from a smithy’s chimney, the rhythmic clanging of metal on metal accompanying the ’Weapons’ sign above its door. A steady stream of customers flowed in and out of a larger building marked simply as ’Spiritual Plants and Pills.’

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Xiulan glanced up, spotting an almost invisible dome of white spider webs stretching across the sky.. A laugh bubbled up as recognition hit her. No one in the ’pavilion’ would need to worry about the weather.

Holy shit, it’s the Mall of America for cultivators.

Xiulan followed Feng Yu through winding streets that grew wider and more ornate. A tower pierced the sky ahead, its golden spires catching the morning light. The gaudy sign ’SELL YOUR TREASURE HERE’ blazed across its facade in brilliant spiritual fire that pulsed steadily.

Below, a wide ramp descended beneath the tower where wagons formed neat lines. Workers in grey robes hustled between vehicles, checking manifests and directing traffic. Above, broad marble stairs swept upward to an elaborate second floor entrance where cultivators streamed in and out.

"Are these all Treasure Pavilion disciples?" Xiulan watched robed figures weave through the crowd.

"Outer disciples mostly." Feng Yu nodded toward a group examining spiritual ores. "The craftspeople are inner disciples, except for their apprentices."

Xiulan counted at least fifty cultivators visible from their position. "I’ve never seen so many gathered in one place."

"Well, you’re from Blackmere." Feng Yu shrugged. "Places like this exist all over, but Blackmere lacks... everything, really."

"No need to drive that spike deeper into my heart." Xiulan pressed a hand to her chest in mock pain.

Feng Yu gestured to their drivers, pointing toward the underground loading area. "Wait in line down there. Watch the wagon, but no one should interfere until we handle the paperwork."

At the top of the stairs, Feng Yu indicated a smaller entrance set into the ornate facade. "That’s where we sell our things."

The private selling booths lined the walls in an orderly fashion, each separated by wooden dividers that offered the illusion of privacy.

Feng Yu guided Xiulan to an empty booth. "Pull this golden cord when you’re ready." She pointed to an ornate tassel hanging near the entrance. "A Merchandiser will assist you."

"You’re not staying?" Xiulan turned toward her companion.

"Business to handle." Feng Yu smiled. "I’ll return shortly." She placed the second travel pack beside Xiulan and slipped away through the curtains.

Xiulan surveyed the polished wooden counter that dominated the small space. The open hall in the center of the room was wide open as multiple Treasure Pavilion staff moved back and forth, tending to business.

She shook her head. Focus on the task.

First, she needed to set aside supplies for herself. She counted out five hundred and sixty dawn serpent scales. Four water roots joined the pile, along with a glass jar packed with chromatic flowers. She tucked those precious resources into the corner.

The remaining inventory spread across the selling surface in neat rows. Forty-four water roots gleamed with residual spiritual energy. Twelve glass jars stuffed with chromatic flowers added splashes of shifting color to the display.

If only I had my mortar and pestle from home , Xiulan thought while eyeing the whole flowers. Ground ingredients would fetch a better price than raw materials.

She simply put the travel pack full of scales on the counter without taking them out except for a set of twenty. The biggest problem was she had so many of them, and that wasn’t even including the collection device stuffed full of them back at the stable—flooding the market would devastate their value.

She needed a way to sell them all at a good price.

Xiulan reached up and pulled the golden cord.

The golden cord swayed as a woman in purple merchandiser robes swept into the booth. Sharp green eyes assessed the displayed goods while she smoothed her black hair.

"I am Yu Pei. How may I assist you today?"

"Lin Xiulan." Xiulan straightened her posture. "I’ve come to sell some of the things my friend and I acquired."

Yu Pei’s fingers danced across the items. "Forty-four water roots, twelve sets of chromatic flowers..." Her gaze skimmed over the dawn serpent scales. "One hundred spirit stones for the lot, not including the scales."

Xiulan blinked at the lowball offer. "The water roots alone should fetch three spirit stones each."

Yu Pei’s nose wrinkled. "Ninety-four spirit stones then. The flowers are clearly worth half a stone, not one. I made a mistake in your favor initially."

What? Xiulan’s jaw clenched at the merchant’s sudden shift. The negotiation spiraled away from any semblance of fairness.

Before Xiulan could protest, Yu Pei clicked her tongue. "Perhaps fifty spirit stones would be more appropriate? These water roots appear... substandard."

"They’re not—" Xiulan cut off as Yu Pei stared down her nose. "Fine. Ninety-six for those items." She gestured toward the pack. "But what about the scales?"

Yu Pei’s eyes narrowed. "Is the entire pack full? How many, exactly?"

"I haven’t counted precisely." Xiulan kept her voice steady. "But they’re all premium quality—harvested just yesterday from dawn serpents."

Yu Pei plucked one scale from the display, turning it under the spirit stone lights. The iridescent surface caught the glow, reflecting rainbow patterns across her face.

Xiulan forced her face to remain neutral despite the burning indignation at Yu Pei’s earlier lowball tactics. The scales would make up for it—they had to.

Yu Pei tapped the scale against the polished counter. "This is quite a collection to gather so quickly. Dawn serpent scales must be harvested while the beasts still live. How did you manage such a feat alone?"

"I had assistance." Xiulan shrugged. "Though I handled them personally. The serpents proved quite... vigorous." Not technically a lie—I did grab that one personally before throwing it in the trap.

"Ah." Yu Pei set the scale down. "With so many flooding the market at once, I cannot offer premium pricing. You should have been more careful—or your group less enthusiastic in their collection."

"Ha." Xiulan leaned forward. "And what exactly is this ’not so premium’ price?"

Yu Pei hummed, examining the bulging pack. "One spirit stone per hundred scales seems fair. This pack likely contains ten thousand or so. You could make approximately one hundred spirit stones for it." She smiled thinly. "Though anyone else hoping to sell scales will curse your name for months after this price drop."

"But how many will you purchase?" Xiulan asked carefully.

"What do you mean?" Yu Pei straightened. "I’m offering to buy all your scales today."

Lightning sparked through Xiulan’s meridians at those words. She fought to keep her expression neutral. "That deal sounds perfectly acceptable. I’m quite pleased you’ll buy all of my scales today."

Yu Pei frowned slightly but pulled out a sheet of parchment, carefully inking the agreement.

Xiulan read each line carefully when Yu Pei finished. She made sure the term she especially wanted was inked correctly. It was.

After confirming, Yu Pei placed her red stamp on the bottom and Xiulan sliced her thumb and sealed it with her blood.

"Congratulations. I’m sure you’re pleased with your newfound wealth." Yu Pei spread the scales across the counter, fingers blurring as she counted.

"You should get some help," Xiulan said. "This could take quite a while."

"I assure you my cultivation allows me to count with extreme precision and speed." Yu Pei’s hands continued their rapid movements. "I’ll have this pack done shortly."

"No, I mean you’ll need help counting all the rest of them."

Yu Pei’s hands froze. "The... rest?"

"Yes." Xiulan smiled sweetly. "I have the remainder waiting in the cargo area below."

Yu Pei’s face twitched. The merchant drew a sharp breath through her nose before yanking at the golden cord. Two outer disciples in grey robes appeared instantly.

"Go to the loading area," Yu Pei snapped. "Fetch Miss Lin’s cargo immediately."

The disciples bowed and hurried away while Yu Pei resumed counting with renewed intensity. Her fingers moved even faster now, practically invisible as she sorted through the massive pile.

Xiulan settled back against her chair, unable to suppress a satisfied smirk. The contract specified all her scales, today, at one spirit stone per hundred. Yu Pei couldn’t back out now.

"How are things progressing?" Feng Yu stepped through the curtain.

Xiulan passed her the agreement. "Very well!"

Feng Yu scanned the document and smiled. "That’s great!"

The double doors burst open as six outer disciples staggered in, muscles straining under the weight of the bronze collection device. Their grey robes darkened with sweat while they maneuvered the massive bell through the entrance.

Yu Pei shot up from her counting position, knocking over a neat pile of scales. Her sharp green eyes widened at the sight of the device. She lunged forward, yanking the tarp free.

Iridescent scales cascaded onto the polished floor in a glittering avalanche. The rainbow shimmer caught in the spirit stone lights, casting dancing patterns across the wooden walls. More scales spilled out as Yu Pei tipped the bell, creating a mountain of precious materials that spread across the selling floor.

"You...!" Yu Pei stabbed a finger toward Xiulan.

The accumulated wealth drew every eye from the open side of the hall. Merchants abandoned their negotiations. Cultivators stopped mid-transaction. Even the outer disciples froze in place, staring at the fortune scattered across the floor.

"Guards!" Yu Pei’s shriek pierced the stunned silence. "We have a scammer! Arrest her!"

Two burly guards materialized from the crowd. Their iron grip locked around Xiulan’s arms before she could react. They yanked her backward and toward a set of metal doors.

Feng Yu stood frozen, mouth agape, contract still in her hand.

What the fuck!

"Feng Yu! Hire a lawyer!" Xiulan shouted.