“What are you looking at?”
the woman in green asked.
Su Wan’er snapped back to reality, realizing her discourtesy. Her ears turned bright red, and she quickly lowered her head.
“I-I’m sorry. How rude of me.”
The woman in green didn’t dwell on her embarrassment. Instead, she looked over Su Wan’er’s shoulder at the pile of goods on the counter.
“These are all useless. How are they worth five thousand spirit stones?”
She turned, fixing her gaze on the shopkeeper.
“Shopkeeper, don’t try to cheat people here.”
The shopkeeper’s expression flickered, but he quickly put on a smile.
“Fellow Daoist, what are you saying? This shop has been open for business with genuine goods at fair prices. We cheat neither old nor young…”
The woman in green cut him off before he could finish. She extended two slender fingers and scraped the edge of the Purple Cloud Bronze Furnace’s opening, gathering a fine layer of purple powder on her fingertip.
She raised her finger to the shopkeeper’s eyes.
“Deep Sea Purple Copper? Mica Refinement? This is just ordinary bronze coated with Purple Fluorescent Powder. It dissolves when heated, and the first time you refine pills, it’ll turn the entire batch purple. This furnace has been sitting in your shop for at least three years. The Fire Pattern Engraving on the bottom is already half worn away. You call this new stock?”
The shopkeeper’s lips trembled, but before he could speak, the woman in green picked up the crimson Earthfire Seed.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“This spirit flame looks well-made, and the sealing technique is decent. But unfortunately…”
She flicked her finger, and the red light on the seed’s surface flickered once, then a faint crack appeared deep inside the bead.
“The seal has already been broken once and was resealed with the cheapest Repair Seal Art. This defective product will burst after two or three more uses. When it does, forget about refining pills—the entire alchemy room will be blown to rubble. Does Wanbao Tower think the lives of newcomers are worthless?”
The shopkeeper’s face turned pale, sweat beading on his forehead.
The woman put down the seed and scanned the other items on the table.
“The total cost of these items is less than a hundred spirit stones. Since I entered your shop, you’ve been pushing these things. They’ve been gathering dust in your warehouse for years, and you were waiting to swindle an inexperienced fool. Am I wrong about any of this?”
The other customers in the shop put down their items and looked over. The shopkeeper stood there, his face alternating between white and green. He hadn’t expected her to be a true expert; every word hit the mark.
Su Wan’er stood frozen, completely stunned. She looked down at the shiny “trash” in her arms and wished she could shove it all back under the counter.
‘I almost lost five thousand spirit stones.’
The woman in green turned around, glanced at her indifferently, and walked away.
Su Wan’er snapped out of it and quickly chased after her, bowing deeply.
“Please wait! Thank you for your help, Senior. I almost got cheated out of everything just now. I’m truly ashamed. Could I ask you to be my guide? I’m willing to pay you—by the hour, by the item, whatever you prefer. Spirit stones aren’t an issue.”
The woman in green stopped and turned back, her amber eyes resting on Su Wan’er’s face for a moment.
“Since you’re carrying so many spirit stones, you must be a disciple of some major sect,”
she said.
After a pause, she continued,
“If that’s the case, why doesn’t your sect have someone to guide you in choosing equipment?”
Su Wan’er was taken aback. She stammered for a long time without managing a single word.
‘I don’t even know which sect my master belongs to. And I can’t mention the mess at Tianlan Sect.’
She could only lower her head, twisting the hem of her skirt, her ears turning red again.
The woman looked at her but didn’t press. She turned and started walking again, saying calmly,
“My name is Ruan Se. Follow me.”
Su Wan’er’s head shot up, her eyes sparkling with joy. She hurried after her, saying,
“My name is Su Wan’er! Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ruan!”
The two passed several shops and arrived deep in the street, at the end of which was an unimpressive storefront.
The moment Ruan Se pushed open the door, the old shopkeeper dozing at the counter jolted awake. He rubbed his eyes and came over with a beaming smile.
“Miss Ruan! Long time no see. What brings you here today?”
The old shopkeeper’s gaze shifted past Ruan Se to Su Wan’er, appraising her.
“I brought someone to pick out some things,”
Ruan Se said simply.
“Alchemy tools for a beginner.”
The old shopkeeper nodded repeatedly, turned, and pushed open an inconspicuous hidden door behind the counter, leading the two into the back room.
The back room was more than three times larger than the front. Several customers browsing items looked up and nodded to Ruan Se in greeting, clearly acquainted with her.
Ruan Se didn’t waste words. She walked straight to the wall displaying pill furnaces, took down a dark iron furnace about a foot tall, and turned to hand it to Su Wan’er.
“This is a Dark Iron Furnace. It’s mixed with ten percent Cold Iron Essence. It conducts heat more slowly than a copper furnace, but it’s more stable. When a beginner can’t control the temperature, they won’t burn the herbs. Market price is about two hundred spirit stones.”
Then she picked up a gray stone from a nearby shelf.
“Ignition Stone. Just get the ordinary kind. Don’t buy the ones coated with Fire Phosphorus Oil—it contaminates the medicinal properties. One stone can be used thirty to fifty times, which is sufficient. A Fire Control Talisman is unnecessary for beginners. If your spiritual power output is stable enough, you can control the flame by hand.”
She paused and glanced back at Su Wan’er.
“That should be enough. For things like Medicine Scales and Breath Regulation Plates, just buy the most ordinary ones.”
Su Wan’er held the Dark Iron Furnace, nodding obediently.
‘The furnace is two hundred spirit stones, and the Ignition Stone only a few spirit stones. Together, they don’t even amount to a fraction of what Master gave me.’
She hurriedly took out her Storage Pouch from her waist, intending to give spirit stones to Ruan Se as compensation.
“Fellow Daoist Ruan, please accept these spirit stones.”
Ruan Se waved her hand dismissively, her tone light.
“It was nothing. No need.”
With that, she turned and walked toward the shelves on the other side of the back room. Her green skirt swayed at the corner, and she disappeared behind layers of wooden racks.
Su Wan’er stood there, watching her disappear.
‘So the Cultivation World isn’t all swindlers. There are people willing to help a stranger they happen to meet.’
She paid for the items and carefully stored them away. Then she took a turn around the back room, familiarizing herself with the appearances and prices of various auxiliary tools.
After she had roughly examined the labels on all the shelves, she was about to find Ruan Se to say goodbye. As she reached a corner, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind her.
“Su… Wan’er?”