Blood of the Army

by Tinalynge

  "Okay, okay!" Shen Mu laughed. "You have convinced us, let us grab our bags from the rooms upstairs and go to the shopping streets to see what exactly we need. If we fall over something outstanding, we can buy it for the Crown Prince. If we can't find anything, then we still ought to at least get a dress for little Zhirou. Although we are considered country bumpkins here, we can at least look the part as nobles!"

  Shen Mu and Luo Zhirou had been given a fair amount of money by their individual families, just like Xue Wei, but Xue Wei had at least ten times their amount of money as he was the sole heir of Xiao Lei. Meanwhile, the Luo and Shen families had other youngsters. Both Shen Mu and Luo Zhirou had other siblings, cousins, uncles, nephews and so on.

  Together, the group went to their rooms, grabbed their bags, and got ready to stroll into the bustling city.

  Although the sky was dark, the city streets were lit by street lamps, and every shop had torches and other lamps to light them up.

  Many of the local inhabitants were on their way home after playing outside the entire day, but others were on their way out after having practiced all day. Restaurants and drinking dens were filled to the brim; all of them had experts walking in and out, and some were sober while others were drunk.

  "Well, where should we go first?" Shen Mu asked as they entered the busy streets. Both Shen Mu and Luo Zhirou were looking around with big eyes filled with the wonders of the capital.

  Although Tiankong City was a major city within the Kingdom of Heping, it was nothing compared to the capital. The capital was at least ten times bigger. It had so many people living here, and the whole feel was different. It felt so much more luxurious and had a feeling of being from another world.

  Xue Wei was leading his two friends. "We will go to the Golden Chambers first." he said, having made his decision early on. "I want to see if they have any interesting things, and at the same time we will be able to get rid of all our beast cores."

  Their bags were still filled to the brim with beast cores. It was natural for them to have acquired as many as they had after the fight with the beast horde, and now it was time for them to truly profit.

  "Although it is dangerous to sell all at once, that only matters in normal shops. Doing business with the Golden Chambers will be safe."

  "In that case, we know where to go!" Shen Mu decided, and Luo Zhirou nodded her head. She truly did not care where they went as long as she was capable of experiencing this wonderful city's nightlife.

  Chapter 6 - Golden Chamber’s Pagoda

  The walk towards the Golden Chambers should not have taken long. It was not that far away from the restaurant, but they were looking at every beautiful pavilion, pagoda, and all the other beautiful buildings on the way over. They stopped at every small bridge that ran across the smaller streams that were spreading through the capital and looked at the dark water that ran beneath them.

  Some of these streams had water lotuses sprouting from the dark water; some of them were light purple, and others were white and seemed celestial against the dark water.

  These water lotuses were unable to hold any medicinal properties, as they were mortal flowers, but their beauty was genuinely able to help make the Inner City glow in the dark. Xue Wei could not imagine just how beautiful it would be during the daytime.

  The trio made their way through the Inner City. They heard rumor after rumor about Xue Wei's sudden appearance and his special physique, not to mention his uncle being Xiao Lei, causing everyone to put him high on a pedestal and expecting him to be a dragon amongst men.

  Xue Wei smiled wryly as he shook his head while Shen Mu and Luo Zhirou just laughed at it.

  After seeing the beauty of the city, they finally reached a massive pagoda. This pagoda was made of pure gold, marble, and the rare material wood jade.

  Wood jade was a kind of wood that had crystallized and looked like jade. It was the most expensive kind of wood, and although crystallized it was incredibly sturdy. Not only this, it was often used to carve figures and statues.

  Wood jade could have different colors, but the most common color was pale green. Hence it had been compared with actual jade since its discovery.

  Most cultivators had at least one carving of wood jade with them. Although it did nothing to one's cultivation base, it still managed to help one keep a calm heart. When one had a wood jade carving with them, they would be able to nurture their souls, something that was very hard to do otherwise.

  Although wood jade carvings were extremely precious, they were also incredibly expensive, especially those made from the hardest-to-find colors.

  Wood jade carvings made from green wood jade were as expensive as their weight in silver. Wood jade carvings made from other colors could be even more costly than literally their weight in gold.

  Xue Wei had long since planned on buying a wood jade carving, but it was impossible for him to buy one in Tiankong City. Since that was impossible, getting his hands on one had become one of his goals now that they were going to the Golden Chambers in the capital. It was also the reason he had suggested for them to go there and not to any other casual shop.

  Outside the pagoda were four houses, one to the east, one to the south, one to the west, and one to the north. These four houses contained the shops where one could buy and sell materials, items, and treasures. The pagoda itself was only used when it was time for the actual auction to be held.

  Xue Wei, Shen Mu, and Luo Zhirou had stopped in their tracks as they saw this beautiful building. The gold, marble, and wood jade glistened in the light of the thousands of torches that were hanging on the walls of the pagoda alongside the thousands of lamps scattered around the four houses.

  The gold, marble, and wood jade was glistening in the light, it was a sight to behold, and Xue Wei, who had read about it, was almost breathless just looking at it.

  Not only him, but also Shen Mu and Luo Zhirou were shocked to their cores. They had never before seen such extravagance. They had never before seen such a magnificent building, and now they were to enter it.

  Xue Wei calmed his heart and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again, possessing a look filled with determination.

  Moments after Xue Wei, Shen Mu, and Luo Zhirou moved towards the house in front of them. They were in need of a shop where they could discreetly sell all their beast cores and at the same time buy the necessities that they needed before the big banquet.

  The house they entered was filled with weapons and armors. It was clearly weaponry, and although everything within this store was of great value, it had nothing to do with what Xue Wei and his two friends needed.

  Although the sun had set and the sky was dark, the inside of the shop was filled with light, and many cultivators could be seen within.

  "It seems that we are not the only group who arrived early," Xue Wei pointed out as he saw a whole lot of smaller groups of experts that were salivating over quite a few of the weapons and armors.

  There were also genuine customers in the shop, and they were all accompanied by an attendant from the shop. These attendants were showing off the weaponry and armors, allowing for the customers to get familiar with the items before deciding whether or not they'd buy it.

  Seeing that there was nothing for them in this place, Xue Wei, Shen Mu, and Luo Zhirou instantly turned on their feet and left.

  "It requires quite a bit of self-control to leave this place," Shen Mu sighed. "Although I have a decent sword I was given by my father, a single glance at the items in that store made me understand that my sword can at most be considered mediocre."

  "I feel the same way," Luo Zhirou shook her head. "I have a beautiful ribbon and fan, both of which has served me well on the way here from Tiankong City and helped me kill multiple Fierce Beasts and bandits, but they were nothing in front of the weaponry in this Golden Chamber's shop."

  "Keep in mind that everything that is displayed at these shops is considered the average-ranked items," Xue We
i said with a wry smile. "If it were rare, it would be sold at the auctions."

  Shen Mu, Luo Zhirou, and Xue Wei were quiet as they headed for the next building, hoping that this time they had managed to find the right shop.

  As they entered the building, Xue Wei's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. In front of him opened up a sight filled with herbs, woods, jades, minerals, ores, gems, and beast cores.

  This was indeed the correct shop, the place where they could sell their beast cores and at the same time purchase the wooden jade carving Xue Wei wanted.

  As they entered, Xue Wei headed straight for the beast cores. There were beast cores of beasts equivalent to the Ordinary Warrior, Earth Warriors, and Sky Warriors present, while the beast cores of the Heavenly Warrior equivalent usually were sold on the auctions.

  "Hmm, the beast core of a beast with the strength of an Ordinary Warrior ranges from fifty silver for the first layer to three and a half gold for a ninth layer," Shen Mu said, his eyes blazing with excitement. Although he had brought a lot of gold, he now knew that his beast cores were worth much more than the gold he had brought with him.

  Xue Wei saw his change in expression and laughed, "Don't expect to get even half the price when they do a deal with you."

  "The Golden Chambers needs to make a profit when they sell, so I will expect us to be given around thirty percent of the sales price. Although it sounds like a little, it is still the best way to get rid of the beast cores," Xue Wei explained.

  "We need to remember that out of those seventy percent, they need to pay for the assistants here in the shops, and they need to pay the taxes to the royal family, and they need to pay to keep their shops looking the way they look. Not to mention, on top of all of that, they still need to have a profit themselves."

  "But would it not be better to sell it somewhere else then?" Luo Zhirou asked with a frown. Although she did not doubt what Xue Wei had said was correct, she could not help but feel that they were wasting their beast cores this way.

  "I will be selling here," Xue Wei said decisively. "Here it is safe," he added.

  Xue Wei said nothing more than that, but Luo Zhirou seemed to understand what he meant, and her face paled slightly by thinking about what could have happened had she gone somewhere else.

  Shen Mu was the same. He had been temporarily blinded by greed when he had heard that he was only getting thirty percent of the sales price, but when he thought about it more deeply, he understood that this was indeed the safest solution.

  "My lords and lady, what can I do for you?" a gentle voice sounded next to Xue Wei, Shen Mu, and Luo Zhirou. There stood a lovely woman. She was not very tall, and although she was not a beauty that could ruin nations, she had a cute face and had a feeling of someone men naturally wanted to protect.

  When they looked at her, Shen Mu's eyes widened slightly, while Xue Wei was utterly unaffected. "Ouch!" Shen Mu screeched out, stunning everyone present in the surroundings. Looking down, he saw that Luo Zhirou had twisted the skin around his waist, wholly taken him by surprise. Although he was about to complain to her, when he saw her pouting, his heart melted and a smile grew on his face.

  Xue Wei grinned and then cupped his hands to the attendant. "I apologize," he said and noticed that the girl too was chuckling slightly.

  "We are here for two purposes," Xue Wei said with a low voice so that others could not hear what he had to say. "First, we come to sell beast cores. Although they are all of the beasts equivalent to the Ordinary Warrior rank, we have them in vast quantities."

  "Oh?" The woman lifted an eyebrow in surprise. "How vast?" she asked again. If the order were too big, she would have to fetch a manager or an Elder.

  "Hmm, I have several hundreds," Xue Wei said after contemplating for a bit. "Five hundred or so?" he said with uncertainty, but the number alone was enough to make the attendant's eyes open wide in shock. "Five- five hundred?!" she exclaimed in shock, and Xue Wei nodded his head. "My friends have a few too," he added.

  "My lords and lady, please follow me," the attendant led them into some rooms that were behind the shop itself in the back of the building. Here were the appraisal rooms, and she prepared some tea for them. She had already transmitted the situation to the manager through a communication orb and were now serving the three of them while waiting for him to arrive.

  "The item you are bringing is not of great value individually," she began, "but when added up, they are a whole lot of money. I am not allowed to make such important decisions, and thus I have called the manager. Please be patient; he will be with you shortly."

  These attendants had the permission to sell any item and accept any payment without any limits, but as soon as it came to buying, they had quite a few restrictions, as they were not taught to be appraisers but trained to know everything about every single item on sale in the shop instead.

  The three youngsters were not in a hurry. They all looked around and saw various art pieces adorning the room. They also enjoyed the tea, but they were all a bit fidgety. It was a lot of money they were trying to gain.

  "Sorry to have kept you waiting," a voice suddenly sounded through the door, and an elderly man walked through. Although he was elderly, his eyes were as bright as the starry sky, and his skin was as smooth as a newborn baby.

  When he saw Xue Wei, he raised an eyebrow in surprise and then he smiled. "To think that young master Xue Wei has graced us with his appearance." he laughed and cupped his fists before giving a slight bow to the three.

  Chapter 7 - Selling Beast Cores

  Xue Wei frowned. How did this person already know who he was? He had not even introduced himself, but this man had already exposed Xue Wei's identity.

  Seeing the frown, the man just smiled. "I am the manager of this store. Long ago, when we were informed that Xiao Lei had a nephew, we were all given a portrait of you to recognize you, should you one day appear in the capital."

  "It was only after this that we were informed of the unfortunate situation that you were incapable of cultivating. Fortunately, it seems that you have gained a blessing in disguise and now have a special physique."

  "To be honest, I had forgotten all about the old picture, yet when I heard about your illustrious arrival in the capital's Inner City, it was impossible for me not to find it and examine it once more."

  "Hence, when I saw you, I could instantly recognize who you were." The manager chuckled.

  "To think that our store would be honored by your presence this soon, I had not expected this," he continued, and Xue Wei finally felt more comfortable. The explanation was reasonable; the fact that the Golden Chambers had done some research was also reasonable. Xiao Lei was after all the most prominent figure in the Heping Kingdom after the King and, in some way, he was seen as more of a hero than even said king himself.

  "I’ve already heard the gist of the situation from miss Tie," the manager said as he changed the subject to that of business. Although he kept his friendly smile on his face, his eyes were now sharp and calculating.

  "I was told you have more than five hundred beast cores. Although all of them are of varying strength and none exceeds that of a beast equivalent to a ninth layer Ordinary Warrior, this is still a large transaction."

  "Fortunately, beast cores of Ordinary Warrior–equivalent beasts are what we sell the most!" the manager continued with a snicker.

  "These beast cores are used to fuel many of our things. For instance, the lamps that lit up the palace are all fueled by this kind of beast core. They are needed to keep the fire alive in the smithies when they create cultivators weapons; even though they are not ranked treasures, if one wants to make a weapon that a cultivator can use, then the flame must be infused with the energy of a beast core."

  "These beast cores are also used by certain restaurants, where the energy is fused with the fire when roasting meat to infuse even more energy into the meal."

  "They are ground up and used in alchemy; they are used when making armors. Even the needle us
ed to sew the clothes for cultivators are created from this kind of beast core. As such, we never have enough beast cores of the lower grade, and thus we would be more than willing to buy all the cores you have with you."

  The manager had not needed to come with such a thorough explanation as to what exactly the beast cores were needed for, but because he respected Xue Wei, or more importantly respected his talent and his uncle, he had decided to be straightforward with him.

  "I cannot give you the full sales price for these items," he continued and shook his head apologetically. "Our shop needs to make a profit, or we will be punished. Usually, we will buy at around thirty percent, but because of your talent and the sheer amount you are bringing, I can offer thirty-five percent of the sales price. It is truly the highest price I can offer."