Gu An walked along the street until he stopped in front of a tall wooden building.
The building's eaves curved gracefully, its beams carved with intricate patterns. Windows of colored glaze sparkled in the morning light, and a white jade plaque hung above the door, its characters—Treasure-Gathering Tower—written in bold, dancing strokes.
The structure was made of dense, fragrant timber, exuding a faint chill. Several red pillars, each about six meters high, were engraved with golden cloud patterns. Medicine, magical instruments, and talismans filled the display stands, faint spiritual light shimmering from them.
This Treasure-Gathering Tower was owned by Qingyuan Sect, earning vast quantities of spirit stones and items yearly. Sect disciples enjoyed discounts, making it a popular place to buy or sell goods.
Gu An had heard of the tower's reputation but had never visited. As he stepped inside, a wave of stern spiritual pressure swept over him, making his hair stand on end. It vanished almost immediately, like a fleeting shadow—but Gu An instinctively knew it was no illusion.
Is this… a warning not to think of mischief?
It made sense. The tower's success wasn't accidental. Just having a Foundation Establishment cultivator on duty eliminated countless problems small shops would face.
A red-robed female cultivator approached him gracefully.
"Greetings, Dao Brother. Are you here to make a purchase? Sect disciples receive a ten percent discount." Her voice was clear, lips slightly parted, revealing a glimpse of her pale neck.
Gu An silently admired the tower's scale—having even a second-rank cultivator as an attendant was impressive.
"I want a first-rank low-grade magical tool, water or wood attribute will do," Gu An said seriously.
"Certainly, please follow me." The red-robed girl led him into a quiet room, offered tea, apologized, and went to fetch the items.
Gu An toyed with the tea as he waited. After a short while, she returned with three wooden boxes.
The girl placed them on the table and opened the first.
Inside lay a water-blue jade orb, glowing faintly.
"This is a first-rank low-grade Water Spirit Orb, refined from a century-old pearl. When activated, it summons a water shield to protect the user. Activation consumes little spiritual energy, and protection is decent. Ten spirit stones."
Gu An shook his head. He already knew water shield techniques. While this orb was broad in protection, it didn't enhance him significantly. With limited spirit stones, he had to spend wisely.
Seeing him shake his head, the girl opened the second box, revealing a dark green whip.
"A low-grade tool, Poison Dragon Whip, wood attribute. Refined from a green venom python tail bone, imbued with blood poison. Deadly if it draws blood. Twelve spirit stones."
Gu An's eyes brightened. Poison—he liked it—but he couldn't wield a whip. Forcing it would waste its potential, and he preferred water tools.
He gestured to the third box.
The girl opened it to reveal a slender needle glowing faint green. Half a meter long, uniform in thickness. Gu An's interest surged.
"This is the Jade Shadow Needle," she explained. "A masterpiece among low-grade tools. Main material: Jade Iron, mixed with Black Water Copper, tempered with seven toxins. Activates almost instantly, silently. Even a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator could die if caught unawares. Price: eighteen spirit stones."
Gu An muttered to himself, A bit pricey, but I really like it. Then he looked up sharply. "With the discount… sixteen spirit stones, right?"
"Yes. Sect disciples enjoy ten percent off," the girl replied with a smile.
"Then I'll take the Jade Shadow Needle." Gu An decisively handed over sixteen spirit stones. The girl collected the coins and the other two boxes, while Gu An stored the needle in his pouch.
"Anything else, Dao Brother?" The girl's smile was alluring, but to Gu An, she looked like a predator eyeing his last three spirit stones.
"Just a few common pills to maintain health." He gritted his teeth.
"Very well. Hundred-Herb Nourishing Pills: one spirit stone for three. How many would you like?"
"One spirit stone's worth, that's enough." Gu An waved off further offers.
He took the pill bottle and pushed the door open, accidentally bumping into a chubby young man.
"Watch where you're going! You'll pay if you ruin my spirit robes!" The boy's tone was brash.
Gu An frowned but didn't respond, quickly moving on. Seeing him leave, the chubby boy thought he'd backed down and grunted, continuing inside.
At the city gate, Gu An retrieved Blacky—the Black-Scaled Horse—and galloped onward.
Unseen by him, two black-clad cultivators had been observing him at the tower.
"Boss, that fat lamb stayed in the Treasure-Gathering Tower a while. Shall we—" The one-eyed man's gravelly voice trailed off as he gestured.
"Idiot. That's a Qingyuan Sect disciple. You want the Enforcement Team chasing us?" the boss snapped.
"Can't we just run out of sect territory? With our late-stage Qi Refinement, we can escape anywhere." The second one protested.
"Use your brain. Who brings a half-spirit horse if they're rich?"
"Oh… so it's a poor kid. Not worth it."
"Wait, that little chubby one… spiritual energy is strong." The boss's gaze followed, licking his lips with a sinister smile. "Now that's interesting. Follow him."
Meanwhile, Gu An, blissfully unaware, was miles ahead. The Black-Scaled Horse thundered toward Yun Guo's Heiyan County, resting only three hours a day, traveling day and night. Within three days, they entered Heiyan territory.
"Let's head home first, see how Mom and Dad are doing," Gu An murmured atop Blacky, trying to gauge the direction. "Heishi City should be east, half an hour away."
Blacky snorted, displeased, tossing its head. It had already run all day and wanted a break.
"Hang in there, little Black. Almost there." Gu An coaxed.
He had named the horse Blacky—practical and easy to keep alive. Though it didn't understand words, it seemed to grasp the tone. After eating a handful of spiritual grain from Gu An's pouch, it set off again, kicking up dust as they raced onward.