The Earth's Heart Pavilion was a somewhat smaller store than the others surrounding it; however, it had a quiet quality to it. The window displays did not contain flashy displays of merchandise. Instead, it showed a series of pedestals on which items were placed so as to display their specific characteristics in the best possible light.

  Upon entering the pavilion, a soft chime sounded.

  The interior of the store was cool and dimly lit, with shelves of carefully labeled examples of various types of stones lining the walls. Each stone rested on a cushion of spiritual energy and hung motionless in space.

  "Young Master Wei," an elderly man emerged from the back room. "It's been too long."

  "Master Tao," Wei Lin bowed. "I hope you're well?"

  "Well enough, well enough," the old man bowed in return, as he straightened up, his gaze swept over our group, briefly lingering on Liu Chen’s worn clothing before returning to Wei Lin. “And what brings you to my humble shop today?”

  "We're looking for some high-quality spirit stones," he replied. "More specifically, those suitable for a young Stone Guardian's consumption."

  "A Stone Guardian?” Master Tao's eyebrows lifted. “That is quite unusual. There aren't many in this area. Only one that I’ve heard of." His eyes narrowed slightly as he focused on Liu Chen. "And I believe it belongs to this clever boy, he’s the one with the Stone Guardian who has been... shall we say, collecting unofficial road taxes?”

  "Yes, honorable senior,” Liu Chen shuffled his feet before giving an awkward bow, “His name is Rocky."

  "Rocky?" Master Tao chuckled. "That is a... unique name. What has Rocky been consuming until now?"

  "Just... normal rocks," Liu Chen admitted quietly. "Whatever we could find."

  "I see," Master Tao nodded his head thoughtfully. "Well, we can certainly provide better than that. Let me show you some options."

  He disappeared into the back room and returned shortly thereafter with a tray containing a number of different types of spirit stones.

  "Now, let me explain what we have here..."

  The first example was a deep bronze-colored spirit stone with a series of swirly patterns that appeared to shift in response to changes in lighting.

  "This is a Desert Star Stone," Master Tao explained. "These spirit stones form in places where earth and metal essence naturally blend together. They are excellent for establishing a Stone Guardian's outer defenses."

  The second example was a perfectly white spirit stone with brief flashes of rainbow colors.

  "This is a Moon Frost Crystal. These spirit stones have an exceptionally pure earth essence and will help establish stability within a Stone Guardian's core and minimize any flaws in their stone form."

  The third and final example was a dark blue/black spirit stone that appeared to absorb the light around it.

  "And this is what we refer to as a Void Weight Spirit Stone. These spirit stones are found only in regions where natural phenomena have caused a warping of the force of gravity. These spirit stones are beneficial for a Stone Guardian in establishing greater control over their mass and density."

  Liu Chen looked at the spirit stones in awe but hesitated to reach out and touch them.

  "They're very expensive, right?"

  "Yes," Master Tao agreed candidly. "However, Young Master Wei wouldn't have brought you to my shop if price was an issue.”

  "We'll take all three,” Wei Lin reached into his token pouch as if anticipating this conversation.

  "No..." Liu Chen objected weakly.

  "Think of it as an investment," Wei Lin smiled. "And it's always a wise business strategy to support emerging young talent. Right, Ke Yin?"

  I could see the same calculated kindness in his demeanor that I'd witnessed previously.

  Wei Lin had a gift for making his acts of generosity appear purely selfish.

  "Now, regarding the price..." Wei Lin began.

  There followed a masterful exchange of haggling skills typical of the Cultivation World.

  Wei Lin and Master Tao exchanged information about current market prices, recent discoveries of spirit veins, and transportation costs.

  "Three hundred and fifty spirit stones is my absolute bottom line," Master Tao concluded. "And I am offering this only because you’re one of my favorite customers, Young Master Wei."

  "Two hundred spirit stones," Wei Lin countered. "First, the Desert Star Stone's pattern is slightly irregular, and I also noticed the Moon Frost Crystal has a small flaw in the lower left corner of the crystal."

  Their haggling continued back and forth several more times before they finally settled on three hundred spirit stones. Even though it was significantly less expensive than the original asking price, Liu Chen's eyes widened as if they would fall from his head.

  Master Tao carefully wrapped each spirit stone in silk cloth inscribed with formations.

  "These cloths are perfect for keeping their energy stable during transport," he explained to Liu Chen. "When feeding them to your friend, you should do so one at a time. If you feed him too much at one time, it may lead to indigestion."

  A Stone Guardian experiencing indigestion, I couldn’t help but wonder what that would look like.

  Liu Chen clutched the package tightly against his chest as if it contained pure gold.

  "Thank you," he whispered, bowing respectfully to both Wei Lin and Master Tao.

  As we exited the pavilion, I could see Liu Chen trembling with anticipation. He kept glancing between the package and the city gates, no doubt eager to present his treasure to Rocky.

  "Liu Chen," I said, making a decision. "After you’ve fed Rocky, would you like to come back with us to the Azure Peak Sect?"

  “M-me? Going to an immortal sect?” Liu Chen froze in place, his eyes widening.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  "Why not?" I smiled. "You already have a powerful spirit beast companion. That is more than most disciples start with."

  "But..." Liu Chen looked downward at his threadbare robes. "I'm just me... I don't deserve..."

  "Don't say that,” Lin Mei stepped forward, smoothing his hair gently. “Never say that."

  "She’s right," I added. "Even though we have yet to test your cultivation ability, the fact that you established a soul bond with Rocky means that you have some level of talent. That’s not something that just anyone can accomplish."

  I had been observing the young man since our travels began.

  The manner in which he moved, the easy way in which he leapt from the tree; there was a natural ease to his movements that transcended those of ordinary humans.

  Clearly, the soul bond with Rocky had granted him abilities that bordered on cultivation techniques.

  "And if Rocky continues to become stronger," I continued, "then you will need proper training to keep up with him. A soul bond works in both directions - as he grows, you will need to grow as well."

  Liu Chen's eyes widened even further as he considered this opportunity.

  "But... what about Rocky?" he asked. "Will he be able to come with us as well?"

  "The sect has plenty of remote areas in which Rocky can stay safely," Lin Mei reassured him. "And I’m sure the elders would be thrilled to meet a Stone Guardian. Who knows, they might even help with his development.”

  "I..." Liu Chen took a deep breath, and then straightened his posture. "Can I return to Rocky first? He is starving, and I promised..."

  “Of course!” Wei Lin chuckled. "Go on. We'll wait here for you."

  The young man held onto the package containing his precious spirit stones and quickly sprinted through the crowds towards the city gates.

  I watched him disappear into the distance with a slight frown. "We should..."

  "He'll be alright," Wei Lin assured me. "The guards won't bother him anymore now that they know he is traveling with us. Also, Rocky isn’t that far."

  "Besides," Azure added in my mind, "If anything were to threaten Liu Chen, Rocky would instinctively know through their soul bond. Stone Guardians are extremely protective of their bonded companions."

  I nodded slightly, feeling a little more at ease.

  Still, it would be a good idea to ask about Liu Chen's past once he became more comfortable with us. The instant "I don't deserve it" when we invited him to the sect suggested that he had a story to tell.

  Although, I wasn't certain whether it would be protagonist-level story, it wouldn’t hurt to find out.

  As we walked away, a voice called out from the crowd.

  I stopped to see a man in the blue robes of a merchant running towards us.

  The man was clearly related to Wei Lin, and was probably at least twenty years older than him.

  "Cousin Zhang!" Wei Lin smiled as the man approached. "What brings you here today?"

  "I'm glad I finally found you," Zhang said, slightly out of breath. "Your father has been frantically searching for you since he found out you are in the city. He is calling you back to the house right away because there seems to be some sort of problem between our clan and the Sun Clan…”

  "What kind of problems?" Wei Lin's expression became slightly tense.

  "I don't know the specifics," Zhang replied, "but apparently the Sun Clan is trying to undercut us on the new spirit herb shipments. Your father says it’s urgent, you need to come right away."

  Wei Lin quickly glanced at Lin Mei and me.

  "I should probably..."

  "Go," I waved him off. "We can keep an eye on Liu Chen. You take care of your family business."

  "Are you sure?” Wei Lin hesitated for a moment. “I don't want to abandon you guys."

  "We'll be fine," Lin Mei assured him. "We can take Liu Chen on a little tour while you're busy with your family affairs. Maybe even get him some basic cultivation supplies."

  “Alright then,” Wei Lin nodded. "I'll do my best to get back as fast as possible. How about we meet at the main gate in two hours?"

  "That sounds good," I agreed. "But Wei Lin, remember what we discussed. How some things are more important than business."

  "Don't worry, I remember,” Wei Lin smiled slightly. “Although in this case, protecting our spirit herb shipping routes is in everyone's interest. The Sun Clan has some... shady quality control standards."

  With that slightly ominous statement, Wei Lin and his cousin took off.

  "Okay," I turned to face Lin Mei, "You want to go check out some cultivation robes while we wait? I think Liu Chen could use some more suitable robes for sect life than what he's wearing now."

  “Yes!” Lin Mei's eyes sparkled. "And we can also get him basic cultivation materials like meditation cushions, practice weapons, writing supplies for technique study…”

  I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm.

  "Do you think we're already acting like over-protective seniors, considering he hasn't even technically joined the sect yet?"

  "Please," Lin Mei sniffed. "I've seen how you watch out for him. You started doing it the moment you met him, even when he was trying to steal from you."

  "He grows on you," I admitted. "Like a very small, very stubborn fungus."

  “Yeah, he does,” Lin Mei laughed. "But seriously, do you think he will tell us what happened? What was he doing out there all alone?"

  "Eventually," I replied. "When he feels comfortable enough to trust us. Right now, let's just focus on letting him know that he has people he can rely on."

  ***

  The next hour was spent browsing shops for basic cultivation supplies, putting together what Lin Mei liked to call a “proper disciple’s starter kit.”

  Even though Wei Lin had already made it pretty clear that he would handle most of the expenses, I did my best to contribute what I could, fortunately, the total didn’t add up to more than ten spirit stones.

  "Don’t think of it as charity," Wei Lin had insisted earlier. "It's investing in the sect's future.”

  He had then gone on to say that if his father asked, we should refer to it as 'strategic resource allocation for long-term asset development.'"

  I smiled at the memory.

  The guy had a gift for making acts of kindness sound like pure business decisions.

  But I guess when you grew up in a merchant family that valued practical advantages over emotional considerations, it was a necessary skill to learn.

  Eventually, Lin Mei was done browsing, and we made our way back to the city gates to meet up with the others.

  At first, it was just the two of us, but then Liu Chen arrived.

  I had sensed him approach before I saw him.

  The boy practically skipped up to us, his face split by the biggest grin I'd ever seen.

  "Rocky loved them! Especially the blue-black one! He said it made him feel all tingly inside, and now he can make his arms super heavy or super light whenever he wants!"

  I realised he was talking about the effects of the Void Weight Stone.

  It was good to know that it was working.

  "And the white one made his stone form all smooth and pretty," Liu Chen continued, making wild movements with his hands for emphasis. "And the bronze one made him super hard! I watched him smash a boulder to bits with one punch!”

  I looked over at Lin Mei, and we exchanged an amused smile.

  Trust a young boy's first instinct with new powers to be "hit it really hard and see what happens."

  "So, now that you know Rocky is doing well," I said carefully, changing the subject to more important matters, "have you thought about our offer to join the sect?"

  “I think…I think I’d like that,” Liu Chen calmed down slightly, but his eyes were still bright. “But only if Rocky can come too. He said it sounds interesting!"

  “Of course, he can come,” I replied, knowing full well that the greatest reason any cultivation sect would want to recruit him was the stone giant. And I didn’t blame them, who wouldn’t want an elemental being in their sect?

  "Then it's settled," Lin Mei smiled, messing up the boy’s hair. "Though we should probably get you some proper clothes first. Can't have our newest disciple showing up in rags."

  “Oh,” Liu Chen murmured, looking down at his worn robes. "You really don't have to..."

  "We want to," I cut him off, not wanting him to put himself down any further. "Think of it as a welcome gift from your new sect siblings."

  At the mention of siblings, the boy ducked his head, hiding his expression under his hair, but I still caught his wide smile.

  "Thank you," he whispered. "For everything. Me and Rocky will never forget this!”

  I smiled knowing that the boy’s life was about to change for the better and that I had a part to play in it.

  Just then, I sensed Wei Lin's familiar qi signature approaching.

  "Is everything okay?" I asked, turning to face him.

  "For now, yeah," he nodded, looking slightly harried but satisfied. "But my father wants to meet all of you for dinner. He's... very interested in meeting my sect brothers and sisters."

  The way he made it sound made it pretty clear that this wasn’t a simple social invitation.

  It was some sort of test or evaluation.

  I looked over at Lin Mei, who had tensed slightly.

  "All of us?" she asked quietly.

  "Yeah, all of us," Wei Lin confirmed, reaching for her hand. "We don’t need to hide anymore."

  Seeing them holding hands ready to face whatever challenges awaited them at the Wei Family compound made me smile.

  I was proud of my friend’s decision; he was finally fighting for what he wanted in life.

  "In that case, should we get our newest disciple properly outfitted first?” I said, pointing over at Liu Chen who was watching the two with an innocent na?ve look. “Can't have him meeting the head of the Wei family looking like he just finished wrestling spirit beasts in the forest."

  "Even if that's exactly what he's been doing," Lin Mei added with a laugh.

  Wei Lin looked at Liu Chen's torn clothing and smiled.

  "Yeah. I know just the place.”

  if you want THREE chapters daily, we're already 28 chapters ahead of RR!