Pixiu's Fortune

Though she had come across it before, actually standing in front of it made Xue Lan feel a bit small. Pixiu's Fortune, the largest store in the city, it even doubled as an auction house too. There was a constant stream of people going in and coming out

Despite her clothes being a bit flashy, there were quite a number of people who grabbed more attention than her. This was a place of wealth after all.

It is where both merchants and cultivators came with the purpose of selling or buying.

"Mm, alright."

She took another moment to admire before stepping inside, The first floor was nothing more than a lobby, most of which was taken by warriors and guards, selling their services.

"I've guarded over a hundred caravans and I'll guard yours for just one gold a day!"

"For the right price, I'll bring you safely to your destination with no problem!"

"You see these muscles? I built my strength up from the ground, I am reliable as can be!"

There were voices shouting out from every direction, trying their best to grab as much attention as they could. Every now and then, people would stop to look, perhaps thinking about buying such a service.

However, Xue Lan had no need for such things.

Her eyes panned around, going from one end to the other. It looked like she was searching for something specific. Then her eyes flashed before she moved, making her way over.

"Is that it?"

The woman locked onto it, a black door that drew little attention. But of course, why would there be a black door in a place brimming with gold and light? Well, not all exchanges are made on the table, some are done underneath.

And considering that the things she wanted to sell were the belongings of the dead, selling things to the underbelly of this store was a good call.

Standing before it, she knocked a few times and heard clinking as it was unlocked. Grabbing the handle, she pushed it open before stepping inside,

There was a set of stairs leading down below the store where a different sort of market was being held. With torches lighting up the way, the bustling noise from the lobby slowly faded out, replaced by an eerie peace.

But as she went further down, voices could be heard. It wasn't as rowdy as above but there were certainly many conversations being held. Rather than the golden radiance from before, there was a red glow coming from below.

Suddenly there was laughter as she made it to the bottom and walked in.

The conversations stopped as they looked at her but they resumed seconds later. There were a few curious gazes but that was it.

Xue Lan looked around, finding the atmosphere here to be very different. Just like her, everyone wore something to obscure their face, whether it was a full mask or a veiled hat. They were all chatting with one another, dressed in extravagant clothes, and drinking what could only be rare liquors.

Her eyes darted from one place to the other, looking around. Her body was tense but she slowly made her way through the halls.

There were red torches hanging on the walls and from the ceiling. On top of that, dozens of entryways could be found, each one coming with their own set of guards.

Suddenly, her eyes fell upon a room with a sign at the front.

{Ming Yan Merchants - We purchase everything.}

Stopping in front of it, Xue Lan had a moment of hesitation before deciding to go.

She silently walked in where two guards stood by the entrance. Neither of them moved, letting her come through. Stepping in, she was created with a small room with chairs where there were a few other people waiting.

Looking at them, she quietly sat down and began to think about what needed to be sold.

"I should get rid of most of the Silver Taels and whatever I don't need. I'll keep the compendium but..."

Her eyes glanced around, no doubt she did not like this place in the slightest. But if she wanted something done, it had to be done right. It didn't take long before an attendant came to her, bowing before gesturing her to come.

They said noting and their faces were obscured, covered by a blank white mask.

Xue Lan followed them through another doorway, walking through a corridor that held several closed doors. The attendant turned and opened the door, looking down as they did so.

She looked at them before walking in where another masked individual awaited her, sitting behind a large table. This time, they wore a black mask and spoke in a strange voice, most likely to hide their identity.

"Welcome, thank you for choosing the Ming Yan Merchants to do business with. Now, do you plan on selling or buying?"

Xue Lan flatly answered and walked forward.

"I'd like to sell a few things."

After saying so, she hovered her hand over the table, injecting energy into her spatial ring. What followed was several seconds of clinking and cluttering as numerous items piled up. From silver to weapons and even a few manuals, there was plenty of treasure right in front of their eyes.

The masked merchant looked at all of it, seemingly unfazed by the amount.

"Is that all?" they asked.

The woman nodded.

"How long will it take for you to have an estimate?" she asked.

"Mm, shouldn't be long, under an hour I'd say."

Xue Lan looked at the merchant, furrowing her brows while thinking.

"I'm also looking to buy a few things as well."

The moment she spoke, she could see the merchant suddenly perk up, pulling a drawer out from the table. On top of that their voice was much more energetic.

"I'm glad to be of service to you! Here you are!"

In seconds, there was a thin book in her hands, most likely a list of some sort.

"This is just a list of what kind of items we carry alongside a few prized items that we also have to show! Please take your time! Appraising all of this won't take long!"

Xue Lan glanced at the small book before opening it up, and reading through it carefully.

"Hmm, swords, spears, armor, manuals... is there anything that I even want?" she thought to herself.

Going through the pages one by one, she found a bit of enjoyment, seeing all the different kinds of product that was available to her. But then she stopped at a particular page, holding the little book tightly.

Her expression changed to an icy look as she read the contents here.

"Slaves..."

Xue Lan read it quietly, looking through and seeing lists of people from their name to their age and even their skills. Some were suited for battle, others could do hard labor, and then there were those who provided entertainment.

When she reached that last part, she looked through the names. Some were men but most of them were women and reading all of this made her tremble just a bit.

But then, she took a deep breath, putting an end to the trembling as she closed the book.

"To think that I could've been on here as well, I was lucky then... managed to escape when I could."

After such a thought, she looked up at the merchant, who was busily examining the goods. Just as they said, the process was quick. All it took was a few looks and then something would be written down. Xue Lan watched quietly, waiting in silence.

Even though her face was covered with a veiled hat, she gave off a fearsome pressure. Even the merchant seemed to quicken their pace as soon as they felt it.

"Alright! Including everything, our merchant group is willing to buy this for an even two hundred gold taels! How does that sound? You wouldn't get a better deal from anyone else! I mean, who else is willing to part with that much when it's the Chen Clan's money at stake here? Only a merchant group of our cali-"

"Fine, two hundred taels is enough, let's just get this over with."

As soon as she said this, the merchant snapped their fingers and men suddenly came in, carrying a chest. Walking between them, the chest was lifted up and plopped right onto the table. The merchant stood up, opening the chest to reveal the gold and holding out a paper contract.

"If that's the case, please just sign here and the money is yours!"

Looking at it, Xue Lan quickly read through it, seeing the names of every item and their supposed value. It was only then that she signed it, pressing her thumb into red ink and pressing it onto the paper.

And then, she grabbed the gold and left, not wanting to stay any longer.

"Please have a good day!"

The merchant waved their hand but did not leave their seat. Once Xue Lan was gone, they snapped their fingers, calling several men over.

"Send a message to the Noble Clans. I have information in regards to the one they're looking for but it will cost them three hundred gold taels."

The men nodded before running off, leaving the merchant by themself.

"Hehehe, what an opportunity to come across!"