159: Dogs look down on people

Inside Xiyue City, Du Bingyan and Su Mengyao experienced the bustling prosperity of the market for the first time.

On Spiritual Artifact Street, the two girls were attracted by the dazzling array of Spiritual Treasure Artifacts.

“Two Fellow Daoists, come and take a look. This Vajra Bracelet was just refined by Pinqi Pavilion. It perfectly suits your identities. Buy one, it's not expensive, only twenty Spirit Stones.”

“Two Fellow Daoists, one look and I can tell you are respectable people. Come, come, come! Our store has necklaces custom-made just for you,

Every single piece can provide a substantial increase in your cultivation comprehension, and the price is reasonable—only five Spirit Stones! Five Spirit Stones guarantees you won't be fooled and won't suffer a loss!”

“Two honored providers, please step into our humble shop and take a look. Whether you buy or not is up to you, we just ask you to help boost our popularity,

If you see a Spiritual Artifact you like, just let us know, and we guarantee the most favorable price for the two of you.”

Outside the shops selling Spiritual Artifacts on both sides of the street, the assistants all wore smiles that only came from professional training, using familiar sales pitches to attract Du Bingyan and Su Mengyao.

Women, in any time or space, seem to possess the Innate Physique for shopping. Even if they know the goods before them offer no benefit, they can't help but want to take a few extra glances.

Su Mengyao and Du Bingyan were also taking a rare moment to relax. After visiting over a dozen shops, they were dazzled by the wide variety of Spiritual Artifact merchandise before their eyes.

“Senior Sister, look, does this hat look good on me?”

Su Mengyao entered a Demonic Beast fur shop and took a fancy to a pure white White Tiger Hat. She checked herself back and forth in a Glass Mirror, constantly asking Du Bingyan for her opinion.

“It suits you well, at least it looks decent.”

Du Bingyan gave a casual, perfunctory reply, and then wrapped a brown scarf around herself, comparing it in the mirror.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper immediately approached with a beaming smile: “Two Fellow Daoists truly have excellent taste. This hat and scarf are made from the fur of a Level Three Demonic Beast from the Monster Beast Mountain Range,

Wearing them makes you look truly noble. If the two of you like them, then buy them. They're not expensive, just four Spirit Stones.”

Upon hearing this, the two girls exchanged a look, then tacitly took off the hat and scarf and placed them back on the counter.

No matter how much they liked them, they couldn't possibly buy them.

Because they had no money on them.

“Excuse me, shopkeeper, my Senior Sister and I will go look at the next shop.”

Su Mengyao gave the shopkeeper an apologetic look, then prepared to leave the shop.

The shopkeeper saw this and immediately grew anxious.

“Two Fellow Daoists, don't rush off! The price is negotiable.”

“If you really want them, we can still discuss the price.”

“Forget it. Let's just consider it forming a good affinity with the two Fellow Daoists. How about this: three Spirit Stones, just enough for me to break even.”

“Aiya, aiya, aiya, two Spirit Stones, two...”

Faced with such an overly enthusiastic shopkeeper, the two girls fled in panic.

The two who were strapped for cash simply couldn't handle such intense enthusiasm.

“Senior Sister, this doesn't feel right. Just looking and not buying, will people look down on us?”

“What are you afraid of? Running a business is supposed to be based on mutual consent, isn't it?”

“That's true. So where should we go now?”

“I don't know. Let's just wander around until Revered Master returns.”

Thus, the two girls smiled at each other and continued their “free browsing.”

The two then entered a Spiritual Jade Shop, finally stopping before a Snow-Colored Jade Pendant that emitted Holy Light.

Su Mengyao couldn't help but sigh, “I can sense that the Spiritual Qi contained within this jade is exceptionally vast. It will definitely improve one's cultivation speed.”

Du Bingyan glanced at the price marked below and immediately pulled Su Mengyao, saying, “Junior Sister, should we leave?”

“What's wrong?”

“Look at how much it costs.”

Su Mengyao frowned and then looked at the price marked on the wooden plaque below.

“Twenty thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she immediately covered it.

Her exclamation immediately drew the shopkeeper's attention.

He walked in front of the two girls, sized them up, and couldn't help but let out a cold, disdainful snort.

But he still asked tentatively: “Are the two of you looking to buy Spiritual Jade? I am Tang Yuan, the manager of Qixuan Pavilion. This piece of Dragon-Patterned White Jade is the treasure of our Qixuan Pavilion,

Wearing it can double a Cultivator's speed of cultivation, and even increase combat strength by thirty percent when facing an enemy. How about it? Do the two of you have a need for it?”

Tang Yuan's attitude was completely different from the shopkeepers in the Spiritual Artifact shops before; there wasn't a hint of flattery.

All he displayed was blatant snobbishness.

Su Mengyao quickly shook her head: “No, no, no, we don't need it.”

Saying this, she quickly pulled Du Bingyan's hand and started walking out of the shop.

“Wait, you two.”

Tang Yuan suddenly called out to them and walked forward with a slight smirk.

“Considering you are new faces, I won't make things difficult for you this time. In the future, you had better look carefully at the signs before entering a shop. Some places are not for people of your status to casually enter and exit.”

The meaning of his words was full of provocation and humiliation, utterly unconcealed.

Furious, Su Mengyao retorted directly, “Shopkeeper, what do you mean by that? When you open a business, all who come are guests. What kind of logic is it to drive customers away?”

Tang Yuan sneered, “Little girl, you don't look like a customer, do you? I bet the two of you don't have more than ten Spirit Stones on you. Am I wrong?”

“You!”

“It seems I was right. Qixuan Pavilion naturally welcomes guests, but we turn away those who only look and never buy.”

Tang Yuan's attitude was utterly arrogant, and his words were extremely humiliating, leaving the two girls completely unable to save face.

“Let's go!”

Su Mengyao pulled Du Bingyan and turned to leave immediately.

But they heard Tang Yuan's mocking snort from behind them.

“Hmph, poor trash. While you're still young, find a stronger Cultivator to be a Cauldron for; maybe then you'll have money.”

Su Mengyao could no longer tolerate it. She immediately turned around and manifested the nameless edge.

“Shopkeeper, you have repeatedly spoken disrespectfully. Do you really think Cultivators are easy to bully?”

“You want to fight in Qixuan Pavilion? Young lady, I advise you to think carefully.”

Tang Yuan didn't care at all. He simply raised his hand and summoned a dozen Cultivators, surrounding the two girls.

“Also, did you think that someone like me, Tang, would dare to open a business without some backing?”

In an instant, his Spirit Transformation Realm cultivation was displayed, causing both girls' expressions to change drastically.

They exchanged glances, knowing they had run into serious trouble this time.

Du Bingyan instinctively took a step back, two Innate Silver Needles already in her hand.

Just as the tension between the two sides reached a breaking point, a familiar voice came from outside Qixuan Pavilion.

“Didn't I tell you to wait for me at Cold Light Tower? Why did you run over here!”

Hearing this reprimand, the two girls simultaneously felt a wave of relief.

“Revered Master is here.”

Turning their heads, Shen Lian's cold and arrogant figure had already entered the gates of Qixuan Pavilion.

He completely ignored Tang Yuan and his men, staring at Su Mengyao and Du Bingyan: “It's time for us to leave. If you dare to run off again next time, don't blame me for breaking your legs first. Do you understand?”

“We understand.”

The two girls answered and followed closely behind Shen Lian.

“Hmph.”

After a cold snort, Shen Lian turned and walked away.

Tang Yuan realized he was being ignored and immediately said anxiously, “Your Excellency, your people caused trouble in my Qixuan Pavilion. Are you planning to leave just like that without giving an explanation?”

Bang—

As a result, Shen Lian merely casually raised his hand and struck with a palm, instantly smashing Tang Yuan and all the surrounding Cultivators into the wall.

“Noisy!”