Chapter 79: Agreement Reached
"How do we cooperate?"
Zhao Zuo put the Purifying Spirit Pill and Soul Nourishing Jade back into his Storage Bag, then looked up at Qing Ci and asked with curiosity.
"Please head to the third floor. The Steward is waiting for you in private room number three," Qing Ci said.
The Spirit Treasure Pavilion had four floors. The first-floor hall mostly contained basic materials and Pill Medicines. The second floor was for Middle Grade Magical Artifacts and some rarer Pill Medicines and materials. As for the third floor, only those conducting transactions worth over ten thousand Spirit Stones were qualified to set foot there.
The fourth floor, on the other hand, was not open to the public.
Zhao Zuo was momentarily stunned by her words. He stood up nervously and walked toward the stairs. To be a Steward at the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, one had to have a Cultivation of at least the Foundation Establishment Realm—a level of power he couldn’t possibly resist.
’If she pushes the price down too low, would I even have the right to refuse?’
He then realized the flaw in his thinking. If the Hundred-Change Mask couldn’t block Elder Li’s Foundation Establishment Divine Sense, it naturally wouldn’t block the Spirit Treasure Pavilion’s Steward’s either. Fortunately... he hadn’t rashly changed his appearance.
With mixed feelings, Zhao Zuo pushed open the door to private room number three on the third floor.
The first thing he noticed was a strong floral fragrance that invigorated his senses. Seated behind a long table, roughly two meters in length, was a young Female Cultivator wearing a thin veil. Her beautiful hair cascaded down like a waterfall, as dark as the night sky.
She wore a magnificent brocade dress, its surface faintly shimmering with Spiritual Light. The garment was embroidered with vibrant patterns and delicate Gold threads that occasionally flashed with iridescent colors. Her sleeves were loose and flowing, like the wings of a colorful, dancing butterfly.
"Please, have a seat. My surname is Zhou, and my name is Qingning," she said, her voice crisp and pleasant. She extended a slender hand, gesturing for Zhao Zuo to sit in the rosewood chair before her.
Zhao Zuo sat down cautiously. He found himself only about a meter away from Zhou Qingning, yet he felt an oppressive pressure, as if he were on the edge of an abyss. He couldn’t see through her at all, unable to sense any emotional shifts—it was like sitting at the foot of a mountain and looking up at its peak.
"I was wondering... Honored Steward, what kind of cooperation did you have in mind when you summoned me?" Zhao Zuo asked, a little stiffly.
"The Spirit Treasure Pavilion has clear rules for cooperating with outsiders. I can grant you the status of a Basic-level Honored Guest Elder. In the future, every time you sell a Magical Artifact to the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, you will earn points. These points can be exchanged for our services, such as protection, a Flying Boat Certificate, or even a Foundation Establishment Pill," Zhou Qingning stated matter-of-factly, her eyes showing no emotional fluctuation, like bottomless pools of water.
There were two ways to leave the Yunlan Mountain Range. The first was to traverse the entire mountain range on foot. The second was to ride a Flying Ship. Within a hundred-li radius, the only powers that controlled Flying Ships were the Moyun Sect and the Spirit Treasure Pavilion.
A Flying Boat Certificate was the ticket to ride a Flying Ship, and it cost one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones.
"And what is the Spirit Treasure Pavilion’s buy-back price for Lower Grade Magical Artifacts...?"
Zhao Zuo didn’t lose his composure over Zhou Qingning’s words. No matter how tempting the promises she dangled were, they couldn’t compare to tangible benefits in hand.
"Sixteen Spirit Stones. However, there’s a requirement: Basic-level Honored Guest Elders must earn thirty points each month. Otherwise, points will be deducted until you eventually lose your Honored Guest Elder status," Zhou Qingning added.
"I agree to the cooperation." Zhao Zuo made his decision instantly. With his Artifact Refining skill, producing thirty Lower Grade Magical Artifacts a month was no problem at all. Besides, it made no difference which shop he sold them to.
The monthly requirement of selling thirty Lower Grade Magical Artifacts seemed more like a screening process. He figured that Artifact Refiners with poor talent and skill would gradually fail to meet the quota and lose their status as a Spirit Treasure Pavilion Honored Guest Elder.
DING.
Zhou Qingning tossed a metal Token onto the table between them and spoke.
"This item requires you to bind it with your Mana. When you come to sell Magical Artifacts each month, you must come to the third floor to deal with me. The guards on the second floor won’t stop you if you show them this Honored Guest Elder Token."
"Thank you, Honored Steward." Zhao Zuo took the Token. It appeared to be made of metal and was black in color. On the front were the words "Spirit Treasure," and the back featured a design of three stacked Yuanbao.
After a careful inspection, Zhao Zuo found nothing unusual. Only then did he slowly infuse his Mana into the Token. A few seconds later... he sensed a few lines of text materializing before his eyes.
[Status: Basic-level Honored Guest Elder]
[Points: 0]
’How magical,’ Zhao Zuo thought.
"You don’t need to be so cautious. For centuries, the Spirit Treasure Pavilion’s principle has been to generate wealth through harmony. We never engage in business that would cost someone their life," Zhou Qingning explained, noticing his wariness.
"Honored Steward, if there is nothing else, may I take my leave?" Zhao Zuo asked tentatively.
"You may."
Zhao Zuo stood, offered a quick salute with his hands clasped, and then turned and walked briskly out of the private room. He moved with such speed it was as if Zhou Qingning were some terrifying beast. He didn’t truly relax until he had left the Spirit Treasure Pavilion completely.
Zhou Qingning had already succeeded in her Foundation Establishment at around his age, which made Zhao Zuo feel a bit dejected. But then he considered that she might just be using some kind of Pill Medicine to maintain her youthful appearance. With that thought, his dejection vanished into thin air.
Zhao Zuo’s steps grew lighter. Becoming an Honored Guest Elder for the Spirit Treasure Pavilion represented an alternative path for his development. If he couldn’t obtain what he wanted from the Moyun Sect, he could fully commit to the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. As a major power that held sway over several surrounding nations, the Spirit Treasure Pavilion was bound to have a Nourishing Body Technique!
After returning home, Zhao Zuo didn’t immediately take out the Clear Heart Jade Pendant to advance his cultivation. His current state was excellent, making it more suitable for practicing Artifact Refining. After many attempts, he had gradually discovered a few tricks, and his refining speed had increased slightly.
Ever since transmigrating to this world, he had become the very person he never wanted to be in his past life. He began to grind relentlessly, squeezing every spare moment to make time for Cultivation and Artifact Refining. At first, he found life dull and tasteless, but over time, he had grown accustomed to it.
He never acted on impulse, but always made decisions based on precise planning. Even though he was eager to use the Clear Heart Jade Pendant to advance, he knew it was more important to first complete his daily Artifact Refining quota.
Of his remaining fifty Spirit Stones, he spent forty on Spirit Ink. With rent due in less than two days, he had to quickly refine his materials into Magical Artifacts and sell them for more Spirit Stones.
「In the Earth Fire Chamber.」
Zhao Zuo was bare-chested, endlessly swinging the Forging Hammer.
The forty-to-fifty-jin Forging Hammer felt weightless in his hands. Each powerful strike made the Magical Artifact straighter and sharper, quickly smoothing out the uneven spots on the blade. Finally, he used a Sharpening Stone to give it an edge, completing the refining process.
After quenching it, Zhao Zuo infused his Mana into the weapon. The Magical Artifact immediately flew into the air, moving like a swimming fish.
"Success."
Zhao Zuo first sat down to recover his Mana for a while. Before long, he stood up, poured the molten iron into a mold, then closed his eyes to Calm his Mind and Gather his Qi.
A moment later, he took a deep breath, picked up the Spirit Pen, and began to draw.
Five seconds later, the Controlling Objects Spirit Pattern was complete!
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