Chapter 162 Treasure Pavilion
The marketplace of Huangfeng Valley looked very much like the Qingniu Town in Han Li's hometown, with only one street running through it.
The street was oriented in a north-south direction, with dozens of buildings at the southern end, ranging from tall buildings to small houses, presenting a varied landscape.
These were all the industries of Huangfeng Valley, but only a small portion of them were personally managed by disciples of Huangfeng Valley, while the other large portion was rented to cultivation families and casual cultivators who did business here year-round.
Most of them were shops selling raw materials, talismans, and magical instruments, as well as a bookstore specializing in selling elementary-level spells, and two restaurants and inns for people's daily needs.
In addition to the low-level disciples of Huangfeng Valley, there were also a certain number of Foundation Establishment experts stationed here year-round to maintain order and prevent disturbances.
The northern part of the street was empty, reserved for temporary stalls set up by visiting cultivators.
As long as they handed over a low-grade spirit stone to the disciples managing this area, outsiders could set up stalls on the empty ground on both sides of the street for the whole day without any interference.
Moreover, during the stall period, they would also be protected by these disciples, so there was no need to fear retaliation from enemies.
With these measures encouraging foreign cultivators to do business here, coupled with the special geographical environment of the marketplace, Huangfeng Valley's marketplace flourished year by year.
Some rare items occasionally flowed out of the marketplace, attracting more cultivators to come here to seek treasures.
However, to avoid arousing suspicion, Han Li didn't enter the marketplace from the most convenient southern entrance. Instead, he took a detour and entered from the north, covering his face with a green cloak to prevent anyone from recognizing him.
By the time he arrived, it was already afternoon, and the main street of the marketplace seemed sparsely populated.
However, this was quite normal because this marketplace was not as bustling as secular marketplaces, attracting only a select few cultivators.
Having this many people was already considered good.
Realizing this, Han Li chuckled to himself and headed towards the small stalls on both sides of the street. He planned to see if there was anything noteworthy at these stalls before visiting the larger shops.
After looking around, Han Li felt somewhat disappointed. Most of the items on these small stalls were of no use to him except for a few, which were barely acceptable. Buying them would only waste spirit stones. He didn't waste any more time and headed straight to the larger shops.
"Seven Wonders Pavilion,"
"Fengqi Pavilion,"
"Tiangong Building,"
...
This time, Han Li didn't casually enter a shop. Instead, he strolled along the street, carefully remembering the names and sizes of these shops before finally choosing the most imposing and frequented pavilion — the Treasure Pavilion — to enter.
Just by the name of the shop, one could tell that the owner was very confident in his goods. Han Li also hoped that there were indeed some rare treasures here that would not let him leave empty-handed.
As soon as he entered, Han Li was slightly taken aback.
The bright hall, spacious enough to accommodate dozens of people without feeling crowded, was lined with long counters made of precious redwood, and there were seven or eight servants in uniform blue shirts, giving the whole place a sense of grandeur.
Two of the servants were explaining something to several guests who looked like cultivators.
On the counters were displayed various items that only cultivators could use, ranging from various raw materials to commonly used talismans and magical instruments.
Han Li smiled faintly, realizing that he had come to the right place.
At this moment, a servant dressed in blue approached with a welcoming smile and said, "What would you like to see, sir? Would you like me to introduce some items to you? Our shop guarantees that all customers will leave satisfied!"
"I want to see some magical instruments and talismans, but I only want the best. Don't bother showing me inferior items!" Han Li said casually through his cloak.
The servant was slightly surprised to hear this but carefully assessed Han Li's demeanor and realized that he was not joking.
His smile became even more genuine, knowing that he had encountered a major customer.
He immediately led Han Li into the shop and personally escorted him to the VIP room on the second floor.
The layout upstairs was different from the downstairs hall.
It was much smaller and furnished with antique tables and chairs, exuding an elegant and comfortable atmosphere.
What surprised Han Li the most was a precious incense burner in the corner, emitting a faint sandalwood fragrance, filling the room with a pleasant aroma.
A middle-aged man, cultured and refined, stood in the room reading a book aloud, appearing completely ordinary without any hint of spiritual power.
As Han Li approached, the man calmly closed the book and, after being whispered to by the servant who had accompanied Han Li upstairs, approached him with a smile.
"I am Tian Boli, the shopkeeper of the Treasure Pavilion. May I know the name of the gentleman?" he said politely.
"Li Feiyu," Han Li said without hesitation, borrowing the name of a friend.
"Ah, Brother Li, please have a seat!" Tian Boli gestured for Han Li to sit down.
"Bring a pot of the best Azure Cloud Tea!" he instructed the servant.
"Brother Li, is this your first time visiting our pavilion?" Tian Boli asked courteously as Han Li settled into his seat.
"Hehe! Mr. Tian has good eyes. Indeed, this is my first visit," Han Li replied, deliberately altering his voice to sound more rough.
"Whether it's your first time or not, it doesn't matter! As long as you're willing to come here, it's a compliment to our Treasure Pavilion. We will definitely satisfy Brother Li!" Tian Boli said confidently.
"As long as I can find what I need in one shop, I don't want to trouble myself by going to several others. I hope the items in your pavilion are truly exceptional," Han Li said, appearing somewhat skeptical.
"Hehe! Please rest assured, Brother Li. The reputation of our pavilion is second to none on this street. If our shop doesn't satisfy Brother Li, then there's no need to visit other shops!" Tian Boli said with assurance, showing great confidence.
At this moment, a maid arrived carrying a teapot and several teacups. Even before she reached them, a refreshing tea fragrance had already filled the room.
"This is our specially made fragrant tea, rarely found elsewhere. Not only does it smell fragrant, but it also invigorates the spirit of the drinker. Brother Li, please taste it first," Tian Boli said, smiling as he poured himself a small sip and took a sip.
Han Li glanced at the fragrant tea in front of him and shook his head slightly, showing some impatience.
"Mr. Tian, we can drink tea slowly later. Let's get down to business first!" he said.
"Oh, I didn't expect Brother Li to be so impatient! Very well, please wait a moment. I'll go and fetch something!" Tian Boli stood up slightly regretfully and instructed the servant to bring several small boxes. Then, he left the room to fetch something.
After about the time it
takes to drink a cup of tea, Tian Boli returned to Han Li's side, holding several boxes of various sizes.
"I heard from the servant downstairs that Brother Li wants the best magical instruments and talismans.
So I specially went to the treasure room downstairs and brought out some treasures that have been cherished for a long time.
I hope Brother Li will appreciate them!" Tian Boli opened the boxes one by one and invited Han Li to take a look.
Han Li's eyes lit up as he looked at the treasures in the boxes. He was curious about what rare items could be called treasures and whether they would exceed his expectations.
Meanwhile, Han Li noticed that as the boxes were opened, two powerful spiritual pressures, far beyond his own, emanated from somewhere, tightly locking his every move.
At first, Han Li was startled, but he soon understood that this was a security measure of the Treasure Pavilion, a precaution against any sudden attempts to snatch the items inside the boxes. He relaxed but gained a deeper understanding of the strength of the Treasure Pavilion.