Chapter Seventy-Three: Can I Pay on Credit?

After savoring the five-flavored dishes, Lin Cheng rose to settle the bill. He took out the blue card given to him by the manager of Taibai Pavilion in Long City and handed it over, asking, “You accept this card here too, don’t you?”

The woman smiled faintly when she saw the blue card in his hand. “Of course. Taibai Pavilion’s VIP cards are valid at every Taibai Pavilion across the land. This one is a basic VIP card—you’re entitled to a ten percent discount.” After she finished speaking, she led Lin Cheng to the counter to pay.

Behind the counter stood a man and a woman, both smiling as Lin Cheng approached. They greeted him with respect, “Good day, sir.”

Lin Cheng nodded slightly, thinking to himself that the service at Taibai Pavilion truly was a cut above the rest. Spending money here felt like a genuine pleasure.

After paying with spirit stones, the woman seemed to sense his intention and inquired courteously, “Is there anything else you require, sir?”

“Do you sell any of these materials?” Lin Cheng produced a piece of silk paper, upon which were listed several resources that could repair and enhance the Heavenward Sword. These were the materials that the white-robed sword cultivator had originally suggested, and Lin Cheng had already inquired about them from Zhang Xu at the Long City Taibai Pavilion, but their branch was too low in rank and had none of them in stock.

He reckoned that the capital’s Taibai Pavilion, here in Chang’an, would surely have some of these items.

The woman glanced at the list, her willow brows gently knitting. “These materials are meant for forging weapons, aren’t they? Most of what you seek isn’t available here, and some I’ve never even heard of. However... why don’t you come with me? Perhaps our manager can help you.”

Just as she was about to lead Lin Cheng upstairs, three figures entered through the door. At their head was a middle-aged man of about fifty, clad in a purple brocade robe adorned with serpent designs. Most striking were his deep, violet eyes, which seemed to inspire dread at a mere glance.

Lin Cheng locked eyes with him for an instant and felt as if his very soul was being drawn in. Just as he was about to succumb, a sword’s cry rang out within him, and he instantly regained his composure—only to find his back soaked with cold sweat, the chill of the breeze biting against his spine.

The man in the purple robe cast a profound glance at Lin Cheng and strode upstairs. Only after the trio had ascended to the second floor did everyone else—including the servant girl—slowly recover their senses.

“Do you know who those three were?” Lin Cheng asked curiously.

Suppressing her lingering fright, the woman said steadily, “They’re from the Ziyang Sect. The leader was none other than True Master Shen Shang, the head of Shendao Peak. It’s said he possesses a pair of mesmerizing violet eyes...”

Lin Cheng could hear the gravity in her voice as she mentioned this man. Clearly, True Master Shen Shang was no ordinary figure.

“Do people from the Ziyang Sect come here often?” Lin Cheng asked.

“Chang’an isn’t far from their sect, so we often see their disciples,” she replied. “But in all my years here, this is the first time I’ve seen the head of a peak visit Taibai Pavilion.” Her eyes, too, were filled with astonishment.

Shaking her head, she led Lin Cheng straight to the sixth floor. The furnishings here were no different than those in the Long City Taibai Pavilion.

Before the counter in the grand hall, an old man reclined in a leisure chair, eyes closed, looking utterly at ease. Sensing their approach, he slowly opened his eyes and gave them a brief once-over.

“Manager Feng, this gentleman would like to purchase some forging materials,” the woman said, handing over the silk list Lin Cheng had given her.

The old man nodded slightly and gestured for her to leave. Once she was gone, he examined the list and then looked Lin Cheng up and down, studying him carefully.

With a wave of his hand, several materials appeared before Lin Cheng. “Of the items on your list, we currently have only these. As for Fire Crystal Stone and Cloudtop Wood, you may come to collect them in two days. As for Dreamland Core, Snow Iron Essence, and Millennial Spirit Rhino Horn... I’m afraid I cannot help you.”

Seeing the materials before him, Lin Cheng was already delighted—he hadn’t expected to gather everything at once. Chang’an, as the capital, certainly lived up to its reputation.

“Sir, how many spirit stones do these materials cost?” Lin Cheng inquired respectfully.

The old man raised a single finger.

“Ten thousand?” Lin Cheng ventured.

The old man’s hand trembled as he glared. “One hundred thousand.”

“One hundred thousand spirit stones...” Lin Cheng swallowed hard, unable to accept that these few paltry materials could cost so much. Worse still, all his wealth combined didn’t add up to that sum.

Sensing Lin Cheng’s unease, the old man asked, “Do you find the price too high? In truth, this is already the discounted rate. Aside from our Taibai Pavilion in Chang’an, no one else in Zhao would have these materials. Elsewhere, they’d be even harder to come by.”

Hearing this, Lin Cheng felt a little better. After all, if even the capital’s Taibai Pavilion didn’t have these things, they’d be impossible to find anywhere else in Zhao.

“Um... Sir, I only have eighty thousand spirit stones on me. Would you be willing to let me owe you the rest?” Lin Cheng asked hesitantly.

The old man’s eyes widened. “Credit? That’s a first for me at Taibai Pavilion!” But then he pondered and said, “You have some nerve to ask, but I’ll make an exception for you this once.”

Lin Cheng was overjoyed. “Thank you, sir. I promise I’ll repay the remaining spirit stones as soon as possible.”

The old man nodded, handing over the materials. “Come back in two days for the Fire Crystal Stone and Cloudtop Wood.” With his keen eye for people, he could tell this youth was no ordinary fellow—helping him might well yield unexpected rewards. He doubted Lin Cheng would default on the debt, unless he never set foot in Taibai Pavilion again—but Lin Cheng hardly seemed the sort.

“Oh, by the way, do you buy things here?” Lin Cheng inquired.

“What did you have in mind to sell?” the old man asked.

Lin Cheng took out some unused cultivation methods and spirit artifacts from his storage ring.

The old man eyed the eclectic assortment with some suspicion. “With all this random stuff, you’re not out robbing people, are you?”

“If you’d shown me this sooner, you wouldn’t have needed to ask for credit... For these three low-rank Profound-grade techniques and eight low-grade spirit artifacts, we can offer you fifty thousand spirit stones. As for the two mid-rank Profound-grade techniques, another fifty thousand.”

Lin Cheng did some quick calculations. “Isn’t that a bit low? Just the two mid-rank Profound techniques alone are worth more than fifty thousand, aren’t they?”

The old man waved his hands. “No, no, you can’t compare our acquisition prices to auction prices. Frankly, if you’re not in a rush, you could put these items up for auction through us and get a higher price, though we’d charge a commission.”

Lin Cheng considered this and found the logic sound—he didn’t have time to auction things off one by one, so he said, “Let’s go with your offer, and deduct the twenty thousand I owe you.”

Just like that, Lin Cheng’s purse was heavier by eighty thousand spirit stones.

He considered whether to sell his high-rank Profound technique, Blood Devouring Force, and the remaining spirit artifacts, but ultimately decided against it. After all, he still thought of his friends.

After bidding farewell to the old man, Lin Cheng departed.