BLOODLINE TEMPERING: Transforming From Worm To Dragon

Chapter 16: Worldly Treasures Pavilion

The current Qin Lei looks different from the one Chen Tu met this morning at the Spiritual Garden. Right now, he's wearing a set of tailor-made clothing with exquisite decoration around his collar sleeve and skirt. It also comes with another long robe with a loose belt from both ends.

This set of clothing made Qin Lei's aura looks more refined as he appeared like a young prince from some royal family.

Of course, part of Qin Lei's appealing characteristics comes from his strong cultivation level and his young and tender age of sixteen.

"Where are you heading to, junior Chen?" Qin Lei asked. He didn't just see Chen Tu but had already monitored him for a while. After all, his room was across from Chen Tu's but on a different building's end.

"Replying to senior brother, this junior is trying to familiarize himself with the Outer Grotto." Chen Tu replied to the question politely. In his reply, it carries a hint of formality and friendliness.

Chen Tu secretly hoped his reply would be adequate to please Qin Lei. After all, he learned this from Chen Zigang when accompanying the latter all around Crimson River Town.

In fact, his attempt to copy Chen Zigang's attitude, speech, and mannerisms were quite successful if one willing to overlook the lack of confidence in his words. Each word he taken from what he remembered gave him a little bearing of a young master in the making.

Looking at how humble Chen Tu was in responding to his simple question made Qin Lei like this junior even more. For a split moment, he had a small expectation of how Chen Tu would develop during his time here.

One has to remember that Chen Tu is merely a ten-year-old boy currently. If he could display such disposition right now, what would it be when he's around Qin Lei's age? And between them were six years apart.

"Since you had nothing to do, what about coming with me to the Worldly Treasures Pavilion? Maybe there's something waiting for both of us over there?" Qin Lei offered a chance for Chen Tu to tag along with him.

(Worldly Treasures Pavilion? From what I heard while eating in the canteen, this place sold many things, from pills to equipment, treasure, and more...)

Chen Tu's soul left his body for a few seconds before returning.

"In that case, this junior will follow senior brother Qin's suggestion." Chen Tu quickly accepted the opportunity. Perhaps, he could get inside without paying an entrance fee if following Qin Lei closely?

"En. Let's go together." Qin Lei smiled.

"Please, senior brother." Chen Tu didn't forget to invite Qin Lei to take the lead. And that's how the two got along and made their way toward the said building.

It wasn't far, as it took them fifteen minutes to arrive at a well-decorated building. It was a four-level tall building, with the top floor seeming to be merely two to three rooms wide. This cramp-looking space appears out of balance with the first to the third level.

"Are you wondering why the top floor looks disproportioned with the lower floors?" Qin Lei chuckled while asking Chen Tu. It seems that Chen Tu wasn't the only one who had the same thought after seeing the building for the first time.

Even Qin Lei felt the same five years ago when he was accepted as an outer disciple.

"Yes, senior brother. Is there a special meaning for the design? Or perhaps... That's where the pavilion kept their most precious treasure safe up there?" Chen Tu nodded and made a wild guess.

"Don't you think that's a wrong place to keep the pavilion's most precious treasure?" Qin Lei laughed. His words do make sense at some point.

"That place wasn't a storage space but a bedroom. It belonged to the director of the pavilion, lady Shuiyue Liu." Qin Lei continued to clear Chen Tu's curiosity.

"Bedroom? Hmm..." Chen Tu's mind wandered. The answer didn't make sense for making it into a bedroom. Wasn't all ladies very particular about their privacy? Why would someone with a special status, like this Lady Shuiyue Liu, make such an inconspicuous place a bedroom?

"Let's go." Qin Lei pulled Chen Tu by his arm and led the junior into the Worldly Treasures Pavilion. Qin Lei walked to the door and paid two Contribution Tokens as their entrance deposit.

If one made a purchase, the deposit would be returned as a deduction from the total. This practice not only deters people from coming for window shopping but also reduces the possibility of someone causing trouble here.

Of course, there are still people trying to cause trouble here.

Stepping through the huge pavilion door brought them to the ground level, where vendors and disciples set up their booths. This level is similar to an open market, with no restriction on what they can sell.

While most of the item here is considered worthless, there's always a demand here and there. After all, everyone here is still a mortal, and won't they have needs as a mortal?

There's a market for everything from animals to pets, vegetables to herbs, or iron swords to leather armor. Even drinks that brew from some disciple could sell like hotcakes here, as long there's a demand.

At the end of the day, everyone was just hoping they could sell or exchange their possessions for something they really needed.

With Qin Lei leading the way, they quickly came to the stairs leading to the first floor. Although there's something he's interested in buying at this level, Chen Tu decided to follow Qin Lei for now.

Things were much more organized at the first level of the building. Unlike the rowdy ground floor, this floor inventory is entirely under the jurisdiction of the Worldly Treasures Pavilion.

"Junior Chen, this floor is our limit. Unless one of us reaches the cultivation of the Spiritual Condensation Layer, we're only allowed to explore this floor." said Qin Lei. This sentence of his caught Chen Tu by surprise.

(What? Not only they're charging an entrance fee, but they also restrict the disciples on which floor they could access based on their cultivation?)

(How lofty... What kind of personage is Lady Shuiyue to set up such a rule on everyone else?)