Our goal for the evening was simple: money.
While my merchant father often bemoaned that he never received an adequate price for his mother, my farming parents always told me not to haggle over rotten vegetables. Produce demanded pride, and a deal should be made with an honorable handshake and clear air between all parties. To that end, I left Cabbagy behind in the Vermillion Ibex Inn to watch over the unconscious Flawless Blade. My master didn’t protest too much, and so I headed out with Chen Ai.
Even as the night progressed, the city remained alive.
The dapper alchemist Ran Jun led us through the bustling, lantern-lit streets, with every twist in the root-defined districts bringing us closer to our goal. He maintained a near constant level of friendly conversation, pointing out local restaurants, businesses, and attractions, which all just so happened to be associated with the honorable Ran Clan.
He even made some not-so-subtle encouragements for us to take employment with his clan, as opposed to dealing with the lowly Shen Clan.
I had no desire to get involved with anything like that, and Chen Ai thankfully picked up on my reticence. The two of us made noncommittal sounds and polite small talk as we followed Ran Jun through the winding, organic streets.
###
All cultivators had something interesting about themselves; it was part of what made them cultivators. Though a crowd from a sect or clan might blend together, when they were taken as individuals, most young cultivators would go out of their way to tell you what made them interesting.
Chen Ai’s bloodline was obvious, but when she casually mentioned that her companion had a bloodline, Ran Jun’s idle curiosity became full interest. He made some polite inquiries of the young man as he led them toward the Stone Forest Pavilion, but the young man was tight-lipped.
As a 1st Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, Ran Jun had quite the spirit sense, and he wasn’t shy about brushing it over people. Being a member of the Ran Clan came with certain privileges, and as the stronger realm cultivator, he had nothing to fear from a slight rudeness toward his juniors.
But when his spirit touched the young man…
Nothing.
No qi, no reaction, no evidence of a bloodline or any cultivation at all. Ran Jun had almost tripped in the street as his spirit sense touched that walking void. Having such tight control over one’s qi spoke to decades of mastery.
The only reason one could have for such control was… assassination!
His heart pounded so loud in his chest that Ran Jun feared the two cultivators would hear his fear. Quickly, he got control over himself, pointing out a fountain his Clan had paid for as he desperately tried to understand the situation.
It couldn’t be a coincidence that the assassin was in Ran Jun’s favorite inn with wares to sell. But who could have sent the assassin, and why? Was he working for the Ran Clan or the contemptuous Shen? Ran Jun refused to believe he was just a free agent and visiting the city… life in a clan did not let one make such assumptions. He searched his mind for any potential enemies he may have made in his eighty years of life, but then all thoughts froze.
The assassin had asked Ran Jun a question.
Even with a Pillar of Qi thrumming inside his soul, Ran Jun wasn’t sure what he said.
“Pardon?” he asked with as much politeness as he would show a clan elder.
The young, plain-faced man — a man who could melt into any crowd — turned and met Ran Jun’s gaze with as much friendliness as Ran Jun had ever seen.
“Do you like living in this city?” the young man asked.
Ice crawled through Ran Jun’s veins.
On the surface, it was simply a pleasant bit of small talk. But though Ran Jun worked as a Three-Star Alchemist, he had swum in political waters his whole life. He knew exactly what that innocent question masked: a threat to his life.
“Do I like living in this city?” he echoed as he stalled for time to think.
Mountain Root City was his home, and the stronghold for his clan; he’d never even considered living anywhere else. Yet that wasn’t the question — he was being asked if he liked staying alive.
And there could only answer to such a question.
“Yes,” he said. “Of course I do.”
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“That’s good,” said the young man, turning to trail his fingers against a mountain root that formed a wall alongside the street. “It would be a shame to live here and hate it.”
Ran Jun almost couldn’t breathe. Was this assassin threatening to destroy his livelihood? His standing with his clan? His cultivation?
He wanted to speak up, to wield the weight of his clan against this nobody, but something in the man’s eyes made him stop. How could anyone come to Mountain Root City and not know about the power of the Ran Clan? If he were making such statements, then he must be able to back them up.
Ran Jun felt immense relief when the Stone Forest Pavilion appeared before them.
###
The Stone Forest Pavilion wasn’t the most spectacular building I’d ever seen — I grew up in Shadowlight City after all — but it was definitely the most amazing building I’d seen since waking up in what I was tentatively calling my fourth life.
Four gigantic stone trees had been planted at the corners of a city block, and their interwoven branches formed the walls and levels of the nine-story building. Branches of rock twisted and braided to form the floors and the balconies, with leaves overlapping to form canopies and rooftops. Crystalline flowers were scattered in the branches, marking spring even on the cool mountain, and the blooms glowed like moonlight dewdrops.
Vines of quartz and amethyst wrapped around the trunks and branches, reflecting the lanterns in the street and adding a natural glamor to the tall mercantile building.
Despite being in the heart of the Merchant District, the street surrounding the building was cleared and open, with small parks and wide streets to allow for traffic. Wagons came and went, loaded with goods. This was an area where business never slept. Even now, as the night crept on, bright light shone from within the Pavilion, and guards stood at the front door.
The guards were clearly cultivators, though they wore only deep blue robes rather than the stone wood armor I saw on the guards at the gate. They stepped aside as Ran Jun led us inside.
Immediately, a young man in a neat, deep blue uniform approached.
“Alchemist Ran,” he said with a deep bow. “How can I help you this evening?”
Ran Jun inclined his head in greeting.
“I’m bringing you some prospective clients,” he said. “I expect the usual commission.”
“Of course, Alchemist Ran.”
“Good, that will be all.”
With that, Ran Jun said a quick goodbye to us and retreated further into the building. He must have had other business to attend to.
The assistant turned to us, took in our state — which is to say he blinked at my robes — and smiled politely. He was a thin man with a long face who wore his robes tailored tight to his body. Large white trees were embroidered up his sleeves, and they rippled as he placed his hands together and bowed.
“Welcome to the Stone Forest Pavilion,” he said. “Is this your first time here as clients?”
Chen Ai nodded.
“This is our first time,” she said.
“Wonderful. This one is Xue Xiang. We have four upcoming auctions this month, and if your items meet certain requirements, we can place them in the auction instead of buying them directly — if you so desire. What do you wish to sell?”
Chen Ai straightened,
“I have the intact skin, fangs, and wood attuned core of a fifty-foot Six Poison Horned Serpent. The spirit beast was on the cusp of Foundation Establishment and capable of speech.”
She spoke as though she had been reciting that list inside her head for the last hour. Still, the attendant’s smile grew less polite and more interested as she explained our wares.
“Let’s go to one of our appraisal rooms,” he said.
We followed him down the hall, and my merchant memories poked at me.
“What guest services do you offer?” I asked.
“Our honored client shall receive refreshments, of course,” he said as he glanced back at me. “We will even get you a fresh set of robes if you so desire.”
“That would be appreciated,” I said with a smile.
“Wonderful, we shall take your measurements in a moment. Now, have you already eaten dinner?”
He started listing off the options we could dine on as he led us out of the main foyer and into another room.
###
A formation in the floor allowed the staff of the Stone Forest Pavilion to view the appraisals happening in the rooms below. This method allowed them to stay one step ahead of guests and surpass their expectations. It also strongly supported the trade of buying and selling information.
Ran Jun looked down into the room below, where the two young cultivators he’d escorted were haggling over the price of the serpent scales.
The fangs were being put up for sale in one of the coming auctions, and the blonde cultivator had alchemical plans for the core. She had some variant of Ox Bloodline and was decently talented, if a little hard up in terms of resources. Though her fortunes looked to have changed if she could truly take down a Six Poison Horned Serpent at her stage of cultivation.
Yes, she was interesting enough, but as she sat at a table in the private appraisal room and dined on crispy skin duck, Ran Jun turned his interest to her traveling companion.
The assassin.
Right now, the young man was haggling with the Xue Xiang as though he’d been a merchant all his life — something Ran Jun found hard to believe given the abhorrent state of his clothes and the sheer insanity that he’d agreed to collect Obsidian Mangoes.
Only fools would ever volunteer for such a quest while in the Qi Condensing realm!
Of course, if he even was in that realm.
Every time the young man glanced around the room, Ran Jun feared he could see through the formation. That was impossible, of course, but nobody ever said that fear was rational.
He’d given no name, and Ran Jun defaulted to calling him junior. His face was plain, his smile was earnest, and he wore rags, but other than that… there was nothing. Which made no sense as far as Ran Jun was concerned. It took him a moment to even realize he was a cultivator at Bu’s inn. He’d even mistaken him for Chen Ai’s mortal servant.
Thankfully, he’d said nothing so offensive aloud.
His hands trembled as he glanced down through the viewing formation, but he forced them still as he called over an assistant in a navy blue uniform. She quickly bowed.
“Yes, Alchemist Ran?”
“Please inform Xue Xiang that we’ll accept whatever price the young man is asking.”
“Alchemist Ran… I fear I must inform you that he is asking for more than we would usually pay.”
“I’m aware,” Ran Jun said more tersely than he intended. “Take it out of my commission. We must keep on good terms with those two.”
The assistant glanced down through the floor, her face an unprofessional display of skepticism before she smoothed it over.
“As you say, Alchemist Ran.”
She hurried away to end the heated negotiations below. Ran Jun only hoped it was enough. After all, he enjoyed his life in Mountain Root City and had no desire for it to end.
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