Li Tan remembered almost every big and small place along the riverbank. After eliminating those places where someone obviously couldn’t hide, he summarized a few most likely spots and started searching them in order of proximity.
Unfortunately, after three hours of searching and inquiring, using every possible means, there wasn’t the slightest news about Xiaoxue. She seemed to have vanished into thin air.
By the riverside, Lin Cui sat dejectedly on a large rock, watching the moonlight shattered and scattered by the rippling water.
“We just can’t find her. Linjiang is just too big,” Lin Cui muttered unwillingly, but then changed her tone. “Li Tan, what exactly is your plan? Don’t tell me it’s just randomly running around like a headless fly.”
Li Tan remained calm. This outcome had been within his expectations, after all Linjiang was indeed too vast. His approach was just based on luck.
However, Lin Cui was clearly taking out her frustration on him.
“Why won’t you speak?”
Li Tan replied indifferently.
“Let’s go back.”
Lin Cui furrowed her brows again.
“What did you say?”
Without any concern, Li Tan repeated.
“Go home. Go to sleep. Do you really think getting angry here will help us find Xiaoxue?”
After saying that, he started walking off by himself. Although Lin Cui was angry, she could only reluctantly follow.
The night passed quickly.
Early the next morning, Li Tan once again donned the long robe he had previously bought, and strode with light steps through the doors of Noland Auction House. He passed through the noisy crowd and knocked on the large wooden door of the appraisal room on the first floor.
“Please come in.”
A young voice responded. Li Tan pushed open the wooden door and entered. Inside the appraisal room were several delicate wooden shelves displaying various rare treasures.
A young man, around twenty years old, full of vitality and handsome, sat before a large sandalwood desk.
“Are you the senior gentleman?”
Upon seeing Li Tan, the young man immediately stood up excitedly and respectfully bowed.
“My name is Qi Haodang. I am the appraiser here. I’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival, sir.”
Li Tan adopted his disguised hoarse voice.
“Have you prepared everything?”
“As for that, please follow me upstairs, sir.”
Li Tan nodded and followed Qi Haodang upstairs.
The second floor was even more luxurious than the first. Attractive women dressed in foreign-style maid outfits greeted various customers. The treasures appraised on this floor were clearly of higher quality than those downstairs. The appraiser, Meng Tianhua, had one more star on his chest than Qi Haodang and bore more signs of aging on his face.
After a brief greeting, Meng Tianhua pulled out a piece of gold-embossed paper from a drawer and handed it to Li Tan.
“All the herbs are listed here, although there are a few that I truly couldn’t find.”
Li Tan silently looked at the list of herbs, his eyebrows subtly furrowing beneath his hood.
The missing herbs happened to be the most crucial ingredients for refining the Jiuzhuan Qingling Pill.
As if sensing Li Tan’s displeasure, Meng Tianhua said,
“The two days’ time was simply too short. I’ve already done my utmost.”
“No problem.”
Li Tan placed the gold-embossed paper down.
“What about the price for these items?”
Meng Tianhua took out an abacus, speaking while moving it, and finally came to a conclusion.
“The total is thirty-five purple gold coins. According to our previous agreement, the extra five will be compensated with pills.”
“That’s acceptable. However, the pills will take some time to produce.”
“No problem at all, senior gentleman. Please take your time. Please accept this.”
Meng Tianhua handed Li Tan a card that emitted a black luster.
“This is the Noland Auction House VIP card. With it, you can enjoy exclusive VIP privileges.”
Li Tan accepted the card without hesitation. Indeed, it was quite useful. Normally, even with money, ordinary people couldn’t obtain such a card. Meng Tianhua obviously valued his identity as a pill refiner.
“Please provide your name for registration.”
Meng Tianhua asked respectfully.
Li Tan thought for a moment, seemingly recalling something, and smiled.
“Just call me Tang Yin.”
“Understood, Mr. Tang.”
In a secluded alley at the corner of a bustling street in Linjiang, Li Tan leaned against a wall, holding a stone ring engraved with strange patterns.
The item was called a Storage Ring, a gift from Meng Tianhua, part of the VIP benefits. It contained a space roughly the size of a cabinet, capable of holding only inanimate objects. Although it was considered a rare item, to Li Tan, who possessed the Desolate Pagoda, it was almost as common as a pebble on the roadside.
Li Tan extended his spiritual sense into it, immediately receiving a sharp jolt of numbness—the Storage Ring was attuning itself to its new master.
Inside the ring’s space, piles of medicinal herbs were stacked up. A quick glance revealed that everything needed was there. Next, he needed to find ways to obtain the missing few ingredients.
After much consideration, Li Tan made his way near the city lord’s mansion. He remembered Ming Ren had mentioned helping, and today happened to be the arranged meeting time.
After transferring the herbs to the second level of the Desolate Pagoda, Li Tan slipped the now-useless Storage Ring onto his index finger and left the alley. He headed to the agreed-upon teahouse nearby. The teahouse had two floors, and Li Tan directly went upstairs. Since it was still early, there weren’t many people. However, he hadn’t been seated for long when a commotion arose from downstairs. Looking down, he saw a group of people surrounding an old man.
A folding fan, blue robe, and a perpetual smile on his face.
Li Tan watched the old man with interest.
In this world where martial cultivation was supreme, nearly everyone was focused on improving their cultivation. There were very few forms of entertainment. Compared to the dull practice, he preferred to relax and enjoy himself during his spare time.
Unlike ordinary storytellers who would tease the audience with suspense to attract more listeners, the old man immediately began his tale without any delay, unfurling his fan.
“Back in ancient times, the Jiuzhou continent was filled with numerous races, and powerful experts sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain. It was thanks to the emergence of an extraordinary expert that humanity prospered and thrived! The story I’m about to tell is about that expert’s childhood experiences.” Once he started, the old man couldn’t stop, speaking eloquently and fluently.
The expert mentioned in the story was someone Li Tan had also heard of—supposedly the first Human King. However, the specific records had long been lost in history.
The story wasn’t too long, lasting about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. The old man closed his fan and called out, “Yun’er,” whereupon a cute little girl emerged from under the table.
Perhaps due to height, Li Tan hadn’t noticed her before.
The little girl skillfully picked up a tray and walked obediently from one customer to another. The old man said beside her,
“Ladies and gentlemen, if you enjoyed the story, please be generous and give a little money for our meal.”
However, after walking around, the copper coins on the tray could be counted on one hand.
Finally, she returned to the old man’s side, looking at him with concern.
Li Tan silently watched, reached into his pocket, took out a gold coin, and tossed it high into the air. It traced a beautiful arc before landing precisely into the little girl’s tray.
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