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Chapter 183: Duobao Pavilion
🕑 Added 2024-09-13 06:49:45 +0000 UTCDuobao Pavilion truly lived up to its reputation as the most reputable store. The price they quoted wasn't far off from what Lin Xiao had gathered during his inquiries—1,250 spirit stones. He was required to pay a deposit of 200 spirit stones, and the item would be delivered in five days.
The shopkeeper at Duobao Pavilion was named Zhong, a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his fifties, with a touch of white at his temples. His cultivation level was at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and he had a kind demeanor. It was early morning, a time when there were few customers, even at a well-regarded establishment like Duobao Pavilion. Lin Xiao was the only guest in the store.
Shopkeeper Zhong, while calculating on his abacus, occasionally glanced up at Lin Xiao. Seeing his youthful appearance and unable to discern his cultivation level, Zhong smiled kindly and said:
"You've come at the perfect time, young friend. Our Duobao Pavilion's caravan is preparing to pass through Wuxin City shortly. I've already sent a message ahead, and your Heart-Testing Stone will arrive in five days."
Lin Xiao found the timeframe acceptable. After all, Elder Liao was still recuperating. If he had to travel all the way to Wuxin Cliff and then retrieve the stone himself, who knows how long it would take? Moreover, with the unexpected windfall he'd recently earned, he could easily afford the 1,250 spirit stones. It was better to avoid unnecessary risks.
After all, he was still a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator. Wandering around recklessly might lead to trouble, especially if he stumbled upon some powerful cultivators fighting—getting caught in the crossfire would be far from ideal.
"Alright, thank you, Shopkeeper Zhong. I'll return in five days," Lin Xiao replied. He browsed the store briefly before preparing to leave.
Shopkeeper Zhong nodded, saying, "Take care, young friend."
As Lin Xiao walked out of Duobao Pavilion, he reflected on how friendly the shopkeeper had been. It made sense, though—unless a store had something unique and essential that everyone needed, service quality became a significant competitive edge in a crowded market. Ensuring that both product quality and customer service were top-notch was crucial for success.
If the Lingxian Sect ever opened a shop in the future, they would need to focus on these competitive factors as well.
The early morning was a time when most cultivators engaged in breathing exercises, so the streets were relatively empty of them. However, the streets were bustling with ordinary people.
A variety of breakfast stalls lined both sides of the street, neat and orderly. People bustled about, some stopping at specific stalls to sit down and order loudly, "I'll have one of those!" while others instructed the stall owners to pack a few items to go.
There were also farmers with their produce, people fetching water from the city's public wells, peddlers selling trinkets door-to-door, and even carts collecting night soil from the streets.
Despite being a world of cultivation, with cultivators everywhere, this morning seemed entirely mundane, with no signs of the extraordinary. Ordinary people still fetched water from public wells, and due to the mixed population of mortals and cultivators, there were even fewer wells than in other towns or cities Lin Xiao had visited.
It seemed as though people were rushing to get their day's tasks done in the morning, as if the morning was the only time that truly belonged to them.
A mundane morning, where it felt as though cultivation didn’t exist, as if it were a fantasy in a world that otherwise remained ordinary.
As Lin Xiao wandered through the crowded streets, observing the various activities of the people around him, he found a sense of peace in his solitude amidst the crowd.
It was curious—this was a world of cultivation, yet this morning felt so ordinary, filled with the scent of daily life. It was as though cultivation and normalcy were separated by an invisible chasm that divided the two completely.
His thoughts drifted back to his previous life, to the thirty or so years he had lived. From childhood to adulthood, the steady advancement of technology had gradually improved his life.
In essence, he felt that cultivation and technology were fundamentally similar. Both involved humans inventing, creating, and then changing themselves, their surroundings, and eventually the world.
Cultivation should be like that too—developing various abilities to enrich and diversify one's surroundings.
He didn’t know what other cultivators thought, but to him, this idea was intriguing. He hoped that one day, his hometown of Shuishui Village could become prosperous and vibrant because of the Lingxian Sect, enriching the lives of its people.
As he walked and pondered, Lin Xiao suddenly felt the 《Ben Yuan Heart Sutra》 within him begin to circulate rapidly. The urge to meditate and cultivate washed over him, and he quickly hurried back to the inn, where he locked the door, activated a barrier array, and sat down on a meditation cushion to cultivate.
This cultivation session lasted for two days.
On the morning of the third day, when he finally opened his eyes, he saw that Liao Pantu was sitting at the table opposite him, leisurely sipping tea.
"Finished cultivating?" Liao Pantu asked.
"Yes," Lin Xiao replied, already aware without needing to check his status panel that his cultivation had advanced significantly over the past two days. Although he was still far from the late Foundation Establishment stage, he was satisfied with his progress, especially considering that it had been less than a month since he had advanced to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.
After all, he was still out in the world. Even prodigies like the thirty-something Foundation Establishment cultivators were considered exceptional talents. And here he was, barely twelve years old.
Though he did worry a bit about his rapid growth spurt, fearing he might become a towering giant.
With that in mind, he asked Elder Liao, "Elder, will I keep growing taller like before?"
Amused, Liao Pantu chuckled and asked, "What? You don't like growing taller?"
Without waiting for Lin Xiao to respond, he continued, "Relax. Your growth spurt was due to your young age and your cultivation surging too quickly. The dense spiritual energy nourished your body, causing you to grow rapidly. But everyone has a physical limit, and once you reach your optimal height, you won’t keep growing."
Reassured by Elder Liao's explanation, Lin Xiao felt much more at ease. His current height had already surpassed what he had reached in his previous life during high school.
With that concern laid to rest, Lin Xiao asked, "Elder, what happened before that required you to rest for three days? Are you feeling alright?"
Liao Pantu had anticipated the question. After taking a sip of tea, he explained, "It’s nothing serious. You don't need to worry. At the bottom of that pool, there were a few nests belonging to the mother Silver-Tailed Fish. These fish seemed to be guarding the secret realm key. But what could a few fish do to a soul like me? They could only watch as I took the key and left."
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