As he passed through the open doors, the bustling atmosphere of the pavilion suddenly became eerily quiet. The few people inside turned their heads toward him, their eyes following his every movement.
Lican knew why they were staring, but he paid them no mind. Without hesitation, he walked toward a clerk who appeared to be unoccupied. She had dark hair and a graceful figure.
She smiled awkwardly when she saw Lican approaching.
Lican stopped a few feet away from her.
"I—"
He was cut off before he could finish.
"Not today. We haven't got any copper coins to give you," she said with an awkward smile.
She tried to compose herself. She hadn't made any sales today, and she was waiting for a large deal that would earn her a bonus. The last thing she needed was this shameless beggar coming in and ruining her luck.
She almost felt like face-palming.
Looking at the tall boy before her, she couldn't help but notice that he was surprisingly handsome. There was also something strange about him that she couldn't quite explain.
But why is he dressed like a beggar?
She shrugged inwardly.
"Please leave, mister. I have clients I need to attend to," she said, remaining as polite as possible.
That was the first lesson she had been taught as a clerk: always be polite to anyone who passed through the doors.
Lican shook his head in frustration. He was beginning to grow tired of being misunderstood everywhere he went.
"I came to trade," he said simply.
His hand moved toward the pouch tied around his waist.
The clerk's eyes followed the movement.
The moment she saw the pouch, her eyes widened.
A universal pouch.
Even among cultivators, such a spatial treasure was extremely rare. Ordinary people could never afford one, and even newly initiated cultivators might struggle to obtain one.
Her face slowly paled as realization dawned on her.
How did I not notice that pouch?
Heat rushed to her face, giving her an unusual flush of beauty.
But why is he dressed like this?
She looked at Lican again.
She was now certain he was either a young master or a wealthy cultivator. His bearing simply didn't match his ragged clothes.
"I'm really sorry abo...ut earlier," she said, stammering.
Lican, whose expression had remained unchanged throughout the entire conversation, simply nodded.
"I'm Dilah. How may I help you, sir?" she asked politely, almost sweetly, as she gave him a nervous smile.
She could only hope that her earlier reaction hadn't changed his opinion of her or made him decide to find another clerk. What frustrated her most was that she couldn't read the young man's expression at all.
Lican tapped his pouch and took out a rounded, beaded object.
"I want to sell this. I have more, and there are beast materials I'd like to sell too."
Dilah's eyes widened when she saw the core.
A young master who enjoys hunting? she wondered.
"Of course, sir. Please come to the appraisal room."
She hurriedly led Lican toward a nearby door, not wanting to do anything else that might annoy him.
Lican followed her into the room.
Dilah gestured toward a chair.
"Please, have a seat."
Lican sat down and looked around the well-designed, finely furnished room. The chair was surprisingly comfortable, and he found himself relaxing as he sank into it.
"Sir..." Dilah called.
Lican's head quickly snapped toward her.
He had become so comfortable that he had been quietly basking in the feeling.
"Oh."
He reached for his pouch and emptied its contents onto the table.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The items piled up, quickly forming a small mountain across the table.
Seeing the pile of rare items, Dilah's face paled.
Thunder Earth Beetle claws.
Flaming Gold Hog fangs.
Crystal Moon Leopard skin.
Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Even though these were low-level beast materials, the beasts themselves were extremely rare and highly sought after because of their uses in the creation of auxiliary weapons, armor, charms, and medicines.
Her surprise only grew when she noticed the herbs and other materials she couldn't identify. Nearly twenty-four different beast cores were piled on the table, each one faintly radiating the prestige that remained from the beasts they had come from.
Slowly, Dilah pulled her gaze away from the materials and looked toward Lican.
"Are... are these all beasts you hunted yourself?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Even the weakest of these beasts could kill her before she could blink.
"Is that a problem...?" Lican asked, raising an eyebrow.
That was when Dilah finally noticed the presence she had sensed from the young man.
She unconsciously took a step backward, nearly falling flat on her backside.
Danger.
That was what her instincts were screaming at her.
Yet she was too weak to understand what the feeling meant. She had been fooled by his handsome appearance and strange, calm demeanor.
Lican's brows furrowed in confusion. He had no idea what he had done to make the clerk react this way.
"I..."
He was about to say something when the trembling girl interrupted him.
"Sorry, sorry! I'll get the manager for y...you!"
She hurriedly ran out of the room before Lican could react.
Lican's face scrunched up in confusion.
He still didn't understand what had just happened.
Even though he was thirteen years old and would soon turn fourteen, his features and build made him look older tha
n his actual age.
He shrugged.
He would just wait for the manager, then.
He just hoped they would conduct the trade fairly. He didn't want to cause a scene.
I'm not a violent person.
He said it to himself sarcastically as he remained deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Dilah was running down the hallway, her face pale. Sweat made her clothes cling to her body, making her appear even more alluring.
When she reached a room that screamed luxury, she hurriedly knocked on the door.
"Who is disturbing this daddy?" an almost angry voice sounded from inside.
The door creaked open, revealing a fat man dressed in a luxurious robe. He was holding a piece of roasted meat from an unknown beast in one hand, his mouth still chewing as he spun his chair around to face the intruder.
"Oh, Dilah. What grace brings a beauty like you to visit a handsome guy like me?" he said while still chewing, a smile spreading across his lips.
Dilah rolled her eyes.
"A young master is here. A big one, I think," she said hurriedly, almost panicking.
"Dilah, you've handled young masters before. Why are you panicking?" the fat man asked nonchalantly.
"This is serious. This isn't a normal young master. He brought rare materials—even Thunder Earth Beetle claws. Beasts that are almost at the level of Qi Condensation."
This time, the fat man stopped chewing.
"This is no joke. There isn't any young master at that level who has visited us recently," he said doubtfully.
Dilah nearly snapped at him. It was then that he realized the matter was serious. Dilah was normally calm and respectful, even in difficult situations.
The fat man immediately stood up and hurriedly cleaned himself.
"Lead the way."
His formerly relaxed expression instantly changed into one of business-like seriousness. He followed Dilah down the hallway, his large stomach jiggling as they hurried toward the appraisal room.