Chapter 129: Selling Treasured Artifacts

Who was she, and why did she come to clean the Muyu Hall?

Li Mu, the proprietor, was left with many questions in his mind. Just as he was about to go and inquire, the woman had already finished her cleaning and departed in an instant. Li Mu could not easily pursue her, though she had certainly piqued his curiosity; however, he had already committed her appearance to memory, ensuring he would not make a mistake when she returned.

Turning his head to see Huang Yan and Sha Yun working diligently to attract customers at the entrance, Li Mu couldn't help but smile.

The "Four-Two Pavilion" was named after the forbidden formation once used by Old Man Hao Damei. Only Li Ying had experienced it, but the name was intended to catch the old man's attention, spreading its fame so that everyone in Deyang City would know of it, thereby luring Hao Damei out.

He could no longer continue running the apothecary, as he did not want to attract undue attention, so he had opened this artifact-refining shop instead. Using the Spirit Tower to refine artifacts allowed him to earn spirit crystals. Yet, he could not be too conspicuous, so he had to proceed slowly, letting his influence grow inadvertently.

This influence seemed to be working quite well.

Over the past few days, many people had come to know of this artifact shop. The treasures it sold, even the first-grade ones, carried their own techniques. In the world of cultivation, this was a rare occurrence, and cultivators flocked here, all eager to give it a try.

"Synthesize."
"Transform."
"Create."

Every night, the Spirit Tower was buzzing with activity.

Cultivators came in an endless stream; they all knew that with an extra technique, they gained an additional tactical edge in battle and a better chance at survival. Moreover, based on the experience of so many, these first-grade artifacts provided techniques not only for the Qi Condensation and Spirit Building stages but, on occasion, even for the Pulse Refining stage—and sometimes, they were truly unique.

This was terrifying.

Every day, the doors of the Four-Two Pavilion were crowded with Spirit Building stage cultivators, their expressions akin to those of treasure hunters, unable to hide their excitement.

The proprietor of the adjacent talisman shop, who had been scornful upon Li Mu's arrival, now looked on with yearning.

As the number of customers grew, the first-grade artifacts could no longer keep up with demand. Although Li Mu had hoarded plenty of low-grade materials, he could not sustain such a high volume of sales.

"Proprietor, do you have any Cloud-Condensing Sails?"
"None today, haha."
"Tiger-Eye Plaques?"
"None of those either, my apologies."
"Make sure you have one for me tomorrow; I'll pay three times the price in spirit crystals."

Li Mu smiled as he closed the doors, yet in his heart, he felt a lingering sense of the old Muyu Hall days.

It was time to sell second-grade artifacts.

The next day, the counters of the Four-Two Pavilion were filled with second-grade treasures: the Green Sharp Armor, the Meteor Hammer, and the Mu Mang.

The Green Sharp Armor went without saying; Li Mu had found plenty of materials for it in Mu Long's interspatial ring.

The Meteor Hammer was rumored to be able to knock down stars from the sky. It appeared to be only the size of a fist, but once powered by true energy, it could deliver a devastating blow that was extremely difficult to defend against.

The Mu Mang was a lens. Named "Mu Mang" (Admiration of Light), it was designed to gather light, possessing the effect of turning the world upside down within a small space.

These artifacts each possessed a technique, similar to the previous first-grade treasures, but with an extra, unexpected ability. They were mid-grade. While Li Mu could easily craft top-tier ones, now was not the time for that. For him, the items currently being sold were no longer of much use.

The first Spirit Building stage cultivator to arrive was instantly captivated by the Green Sharp Armor.

In this world, defensive artifacts were more useful than offensive ones, especially full-body defensive gear like robes. Armor was harder to forge and more valuable than offensive artifacts of the same grade; thus, in most cultivators' inventories, their armor was usually a grade lower than their weapons. Many cultivators prioritized armor above all else, and major sects often used such items as rewards to entice rogue cultivators to join them.

"Proprietor, your shop has armor for sale? First-grade?"

Li Mu smiled and shook his head. "Second-grade. If you want to buy, there aren't many left."

"Second-grade?" The cultivator was dumbfounded, showing a hint of shock.

A person who could create armor was no ordinary individual, and one who could create second-grade armor was even more formidable. In Deyang City, there had previously been only one shop capable of crafting second-grade armor; Li Mu was now the second.

"How many spirit crystals?" The cultivator nervously wrung his hands, fearing Li Mu might name an unbearable price.

Li Mu smiled and said, "Two thousand mid-grade spirit crystals. My armor carries a technique."

Two thousand mid-grade spirit crystals was not expensive for second-grade armor, especially when it came with a technique. Everyone knew that all artifacts from the Four-Two Pavilion possessed such features.

The cultivator gritted his teeth and placed his storage device before Li Mu. "Proprietor, I have five hundred spirit crystals here and three artifacts as collateral. Please let me take the armor; I will pay the remaining crystals in a few days."

Li Mu was quite pleased with his first customer. He waved his hand, placing the Green Sharp Armor in front of the man. "Take it."

The cultivator stared at the Green Sharp Armor as if he had received a priceless treasure, his eyes filled with reluctance to part with it.

At this moment, Li Mu had already stepped outside the shop.

Outside the Muyu Hall, his spiritual sense detected the woman, and without delay, he hurried toward her.

"Hello, miss."

Seeing a thirty-year-old Spirit Building stage cultivator approaching him, Yu Zi felt very strange, her face flushing slightly. She hurriedly bowed, "Sir, is there something you need?"

Li Mu nodded and pointed to the Muyu Hall before them. "I am called Li Tian, the new proprietor. I was just wondering, why do you come to clean this shop?"

Yu Zi was a bit shy. "Master Tian, my mistress asked me to come here to clean. Every few days, I come here to tidy the place up."

"Your mistress?"

Yu Zi pointed toward the center of the city. "It is Madam Wang."

Li Mu was slightly stunned. It was Madam Wang.

He had always been grateful to Madam Wang Ning, and even when Ye Yibai had bullied and pressured him, he did not blame her. But he had never imagined that Madam Wang would still be thinking of the Muyu Hall, having it cleaned regularly.

"Should I go and meet her?" Li Mu felt a sense of hesitation.

Seeing Li Mu lost in thought, Yu Zi spoke again, "I have been cleaning this shop for a long time. Madam Wang wouldn't let anyone else open it, saying that the person who opened it would definitely return here."

Li Mu’s heart was touched, and he felt a surge of gratitude toward Madam Wang.

He thought to himself that if Madam Wang Ning had been the person in charge of Deyang City back then, he might very well have joined the sect.

"Sir, do you have any questions?" Yu Zi asked politely.

Li Mu quickly raised his hands. "No, nothing. Thank you, miss."

"You're welcome, sir." Yu Zi turned and left. After taking a few steps, she looked back, but Li Mu had already vanished, as if he had never been there at all.

Yu Zi stood dazed for a moment, looking around, and then left with a hint of confusion.

Inside the spacious Four-Two Pavilion, several people had already gathered, all eyes fixed intently on the Green Sharp Armor. Had it not been for the protective formation, they might have rushed to snatch it.

The cultivators' desire for armor had reached a state of frenzy.

"Proprietor, sell this to me. I'll pay two thousand five hundred spirit crystals."
"Three thousand spirit crystals, I'll take it!"