Chapter 128: The Fourth Floor, Second Unit

Spreading out the map of the Cloud Mountain Realm, Li Mu memorized the terrain of Liyu Mountain before heading south.

It was certainly not the right time to go searching for the evil practitioner.

Passing through several cities along the way, he found that, without exception, they had all been occupied by the Jade Iron Sect. Li Mu gathered intelligence as he traveled, picking up necessary materials and low-grade spirit crystals to keep in reserve.

Dozens of days later, Li Mu arrived in Deyang City.

The city looked exactly as it had before, though Li Mu’s own inner state had shifted slightly.

The Muyu Hall remained in its old spot, unchanged. It looked as it had the day he left; there was not even a speck of dust on the front gate, as if someone had been cleaning it—a detail that took Li Mu by surprise.

He sighed and walked away, blending in with the common folk.

Several days later, in a location near Muyu Hall, a new treasure-refining shop opened.

The location was prime, situated in the busiest part of Deyang City, flanked by two other merchant houses.

The name of the treasure-refining shop was bizarre: "Four-Two Pavilion." Inside, there were only three pieces of equipment for sale, all of which were first-grade, mid-tier artifacts.

Business at such a shop was predictably poor, but the proprietor seemed unbothered, greeting the neighbors cheerfully every day.

"I say, Shopkeeper Li, you’re so idle every day—why don't you try to sell a few more pieces?"

"No one’s buying. If someone shows up, I’ll put more out. Haha."

"Even if no one buys them, you should display them. Make a few first-grade items and put them on the shelves; we’ve got to hand it to you."

"Haha, just a casual pastime."

With such a shop and such a proprietor—who didn't even employ an assistant—it was naturally ignored by everyone.

Yet, there were occasional customers. A young cultivator, dressed in plain clothes, approached the Four-Two Pavilion with a hint of shyness on his face. Judging by his anxious expression, his storage pouch was likely as modest as his appearance.

"Shopkeeper, how much for this Tiger-Eye Badge?"

"Shopkeeper, how much for this Tiger-Eye Badge?" When he didn't receive an answer, his voice grew quieter, yet he kept his eyes fixed on the badge, unable to bring himself to leave. He desperately needed a defensive artifact for a sect mission. He had visited many shops, only to find the prices outrageously high; this shop was his final hope.

The proprietor was physically present, but his consciousness was focused on the nearby Muyu Hall.

There, several people were chatting.

"Yes, ever since Muyu Hall closed, it’s been impossible to buy those Pan-Spirit Pills. The other shops don't have them either."

"Even the Sky-Spirit Pills—you can't find quality like that anywhere else in the Cloud Mountain Realm. It’s truly a pity. I bought from there for a long time; the shopkeeper and the staff were all very kind people."

"I heard the owner of Muyu Hall didn't see eye-to-eye with the City Lord and was driven out."

"Who knows? If he hadn't left, the Jade Iron Sect might not have won the championship last time. I was really rooting for Li Mu. I heard that after Muyu Hall shut down, even City Lord Ye stopped managing things."

Hearing this, the proprietor silently shook his head, sighing inwardly. It seemed some people still remembered him. He had originally planned to expand further, but who could have foreseen this turn of events? The world was a difficult place.

"Shopkeeper, how much for this Tiger-Eye Badge?" The voice was barely a whisper now.

The proprietor reacted immediately. "Oh, this badge you’re asking about?"

"Yes, yes." Seeing that someone was actually paying attention, the plain-clothed man was moved, his face flushing even redder.

"You’re my first customer, so let's make it a bit cheaper: twenty mid-grade spirit crystals." The proprietor glanced at it and spoke casually.

The man in plain clothes thought he had misheard. "Twenty mid-grade spirit crystals?"

Even the lowest-quality defensive artifact cost at least several dozen mid-grade crystals. A first-grade artifact for only twenty?

The proprietor said calmly, "Twenty. Do you want it?"

"Yes, yes, I do!" The man hurriedly retrieved his storage pouch, pulled out the crystals, and placed them on the table with great care. He calculated happily in his heart that with the remaining dozen or so crystals, he could buy a few pills.

But soon, he hesitated. "Shopkeeper, is there... is there any catch?"

This was his first major piece of equipment, and he didn't want to end up with something useless that would cost him his life in a fight.

The proprietor frowned, a hint of feigned anger appearing on his face. "Do you want it or not? If not, leave. My artifacts have special techniques imbued in them."

"I do, I do!"

The man in plain clothes quickly grabbed the Tiger-Eye Badge, cradling it like a treasure as if afraid someone would snatch it away. As for the proprietor's claim about "special techniques," he paid it no mind—that had to be a joke. A first-grade artifact with a technique? It wasn't even top-tier; what kind of nonsense was that?

Watching the customer leave, the proprietor’s consciousness swept back toward Muyu Hall, but the people there were already gone.

The proprietor turned to look at the empty spot on his stand and muttered, "Looks like I need to forge another one. What should I use to synthesize the Spirit Tower this time?"

Several days passed, and another Tiger-Eye Badge appeared on the stand, looking identical to the previous one.

The man in plain clothes returned, accompanied by a woman in green robes. The two of them looked like a perfect match.

Seeing Li Mu, the man walked straight up and bowed. "I am Sha Yun of the Jade Iron Sect, and this is my partner, Huang Yan. We came to thank you, Shopkeeper."

The proprietor frowned slightly. "What are you thanking me for? Is there a problem with the artifact? Want a refund? Haha, not happening."

Sha Yun shook his head like a rattle. "No, Shopkeeper, that's not it. Actually..."

Huang Yan, seeing how clumsy the man was being, stepped forward and bowed to the proprietor. "Shopkeeper, it’s like this: we are here to thank you for saving our lives."

A few days ago, after Sha Yun bought the badge, he went on a sect mission to hunt a second-grade Mang Leopard. The beast was incredibly agile and ferocious, defeating the entire group. Only Sha Yun, relying on the Tiger-Eye Badge, managed to hold his ground. Just as he thought he was doomed, he accidentally triggered the badge's "Slow-Spirit" technique. The Mang Leopard's movements suddenly slowed significantly, allowing the group to coordinate and win a resounding victory.

What had been a certain death sentence was miraculously turned around, all thanks to a first-grade artifact that cost only twenty mid-grade spirit crystals.

Sha Yun was so excited that he had brought his partner to express their gratitude.

Huang Yan spoke quickly and clearly, and the proprietor understood the situation immediately. He nodded slightly but remained silent, feeling a secret joy in his heart—pride in the artifact he had crafted. "A 'Slow-Spirit' effect? Excellent. I should make more of these."

The technique in the badge had been synthesized using the stinger of a Black Fierce Bee. He had never tested that specific effect himself, but it had ended up helping Sha Yun.

"Shopkeeper, all the first-grade items here have techniques, don't they? They must all be top-quality goods," Huang Yan said, her eyes locked on the items on the stand.

"Want to buy one?"

"Yes."

"Help me spread the word. If you do, I’ll give you one of these three artifacts," the proprietor said with a laugh.

"Deal! I’ll make sure everyone in the Jade Iron Sect knows, hehe." Huang Yan quickly agreed and picked up a black flag she had been eyeing. "Can I take this one?"

The proprietor waved his hand. "Go ahead."

"Thank you!" Huang Yan took the black flag, stood at the entrance of the shop with Sha Yun, and began to shout, "High-quality artifacts! First-grade items with built-in techniques! Come and see for yourself!"

The proprietor smiled, his consciousness sweeping toward Muyu Hall once more. He paused, feeling a flicker of surprise.

A woman he didn't recognize was meticulously using a minor wind spell to clean the interior of Muyu Hall.