Novel Bin Chapter 610: Golden Jade Silk Square
Chapter 610: Golden Jade Silk Square
Over the course of the day, Han Li visited dozens of shops, but the outcome was the same every single time. In fact, many of the shopkeepers had told him that while a Profound Zoysia Crystal had indeed once appeared in Jade Gathering City, the chances of it reappearing in the city were slim to none.
However, Han Li remained unfazed as he continued to go from one shop to the next.
At this point, it was getting quite close to night time, and Han Li had arrived at the Jade Kun Pagoda that Immortal Lord Hot Flame had spoken of.
In contrast with Han Li's expectations, the Jade Kun Pagoda wasn't some particularly grand and majestic building. Instead, it was an octagonal pagoda with red walls and green roof tiles, looking much like a building one would find in the mortal world.
At this moment, the pagoda's southern entrance was closed, and there was a sealing talisman that bore the insignia of the Black Mountain Immortal Palace plastered to it.
After asking around, Han Li learned that the Jade Kun Pagoda was not just some ordinary shop. Instead, it was an auction venue that only opened during the city founding celebration, which took place once every three thousand years, and there were still two hundred to three hundred years until the next celebration.
Hence, Han Li made his way to a rather secluded immortal inn in Jade Gathering City, then rented a cave abode for himself there, going out to continue his search during the day while cultivating at night.
Five or six years flew by in a flash.
During this time, Han Li didn't have any luck in his search for the Profound Zoysia Crystal, but he learned many things about Jade Gathering City.
This place was truly a central hub for countless immortals and businesses, and the number and variety of things like spirit materials, spirit medicines, treasures, and cultivation arts being sold here far surpassed that of any city in the Northern Glacial Immortal Region.
Furthermore, the wares being sold here held significant advantages in terms of quality and price as well.
Compared with the free market system adopted in the Transient Guild, the prices of the wares being sold in Jade Gathering City were clearly determined in a much more organized and systematic fashion. Hence, during his search for a Profound Zoysia Crystal, Han Li had sold many of his redundant immortal treasures, spirit materials, and other items, and he had also purchased many supplementary ingredients for refining Baleful Quelling Pills.
However, he didn't dare to splurge excessively on those items, only buying one or two of each supplementary ingredient. After all, he was going to need all of the Immortal Origin Stones that he could save up if he really did encounter a Profound Zoysia Crystal.
He had made a killing back in the Infernal Frost Immortal Manor, but in the wake of his journey through the primordial land and the expenditures that he had made in Jade Gathering City, he currently only had fewer than five hundred thousand Immortal Origin Stones left.
This sounded like quite a significant sum, and it was, but it was only a fraction of the wealth that he had possessed prior to entering the primordial land. This rate of spending was quite alarming to Han Li, and he decided that he had to be more frugal from now on.
At this point, he had already visited most of the large shops in the city, but he still hadn't received any news on the Profound Zoysia Crystal. During his search, he had significantly neglected hsi cultivation, so he left Jade Gathering City and returned to the Leisure Valley once again.
The days spent in the valley were just as peaceful and leisurely as usual, and less than half a year following Han Li's return, he suddenly received a message from Daoist Master Jingyang, inviting him to a gathering at the Wave Ripple Pavilion in the valley.
He declared that the Purple Seductress wine that he had been brewing was ready, and he wanted everyone to have a taste.
Han Li initially turned down the invitation, but Daoist Master Jingyang was very persistent, sending him two more invitations, so Han Li had no choice but to oblige in the end.
The Wave Ripple Pavilion was situated quite deep in the Leisure Valley, and it was closest to Mo Wuxue's cave abode. It was a waterside pavilion constructed at the center of a pond, and it wasn't very large, but it was a beautiful display of intricate craftsmanship.
By the time Han Li arrived, everyone had already gathered in the pavilion.
Duan Yuzai and the others were seated around a stone table that was laden with immortal fruits, beside which was a green jade wine flagon that contained fragrant dark purple wine, while Yu Ziqi was seated with his legs crossed behind a guqin further away from everyone else.
His slim fingers were gently strumming the strings of his guqin, and there was a warm smile on his face as he occasionally glanced at the only woman in the pavilion.
"Fellow Daoist Li, you are the only one in this valley whose taste is on a comparable level to mine. If you didn't show up, I would've been absolutely distraught!" Daoist Master Jingyang complained at Han Li's tardy arrival.
"My apologies, Fellow Daoist Jingyang. I only just came back from Jade Gathering City, and I still had some errands to attend to. Otherwise, I wouldn't have turned down your initial invitation," Han Li replied as he cupped his fist in an apologetic salute.
Mo Wuxue was a beautiful young woman in a white dress, and she asked, "I hear you went to Jade Gathering City to find a Floral Heart Stone. Did you manage to find one?"
"I'm afraid not, Celestial Maiden Mo," Han Li replied with a wry smile and a shake of his head.
Duan Yuzai was in his usual pristine black robe, and he said, "None of my old friends were able to provide any news on a Profound Zoysia Crystal, either."
"I suppose there isn't much that we can do aside from wait. Let's not discuss this matter today. Otherwise, it would spoil the mood and do a complete injustice to Fellow Daoist Yu's music and Fellow Daoist Jingyang's exquisite Purple Seductress,'" Han Li said with a faint smile.
"Indeed, Fellow Daoist Li! I propose a toast!" Daoist Master Jingyang said with a wide smile as he presented a filled jade cup to Han Li.
Han Li accepted the cup, then took a slight whiff of its contents before listing out a string of ingredients, then concluded, "You've truly added a whole host of exceptional ingredients to this wine, Fellow Daoist Jingyang."
"That's extraordinary, Fellow Daoist Li! You've just listed almost all of the ingredients in my wine brewing recipe, and you haven't even taken a sip yet! How did you manage to do that?" Daoist Master Jingyang exclaimed.
"You're far too kind, Fellow Daoist Jingyang, this is nowhere near as impressive as you make it sound," Han Li chuckled in a modest fashion.
Back in the Blaze Dragon Dao, Han Li had tasted a vast array of exceptional wines with Daoist Hu Yan, and the two of them had discussed wine brewing extensively, thereby allowing Han Li to develop a very deep and comprehensive understanding in this field.
The wine soon began to flow, and as everyone was enjoying the Purple Maiden brew, Daoist Master Jingyang suddenly turned to Immortal Lord Hot Flame with a gloating look on his face as he asked, "Old Man Hot Flame, you've been in Jade Gathering City for a long time, have you ever attended a Jade Kun Pagoda auction?"
"The auction only takes place once every three thousand years, and the spots are always limited. The Golden Jade Silk Squares required for entry to the auction is exceptionally rare, and I recall one time that someone was reselling a Golden Jade Silk Square for as high as six hundred Immortal Origin Stones!
I may be the grand elder of the Fire Leaf Sect, but even I can't just go wasting six hundred Immortal Origin Stones on a Golden Jade Silk Square, so I've naturally never attended one of these auctions," Immortal Lord Hot Flame replied.
"So that means you've never seen a Golden Jade Silk Square before, right?" Daoist Master Jingyang asked with a smug smile.
"What are you trying to say?" Immortal Lord Hot Flame asked as a disgruntled look appeared in his eyes.
"I wanted to show you something..."
Daoist Master Jingyang raised a hand as he spoke, and a palm-sized golden silk square appeared amid a flash of golden light.
The silk square looked as if it had been woven out of countless incredibly thin silk threads, and an octagonal pagoda design was embroidered onto its center, surrounded by images of various types of birds, beasts, insects, and fish.
It was immediately apparent to Han Li that the octagonal pagoda was the Jade Kun Pagoda.
"Impossible! There are still over two hundred years until the next auction, there's no way the Golden Jade Silk Squares would be released this earlier!" Immortal Lord Hot Flame exclaimed as he sprang to his feet with a stunned expression.
"What? Are you saying that my Golden Jade Silk Square is fake?" Daoist Master Jingyang asked as a displeased look appeared on his face.
"Of course I know it's not fake. These Golden Jade Silk Squares were created by the Hundred Creations Mountain, and there's no way this level of craftsmanship can be faked. On top of that, with the Black Mountain Immortal Palace overseeing these auctions, who would dare to make a counterfeit? Only someone with a death wish would do that!" Immortal Lord Hot Flame grumbled.
Han Li's heart stirred slightly upon hearing mention of the Hundred Creations Mountain.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.𝘤𝑜𝓂 for the best novel reading experience
He wasn't unfamiliar with this sect. In fact, the Hundred Meridian Refinement Mantra that he had cultivated back in the Spirit Realm had come from the Hundred Creations Mountain, and he had also heard mention of this sect on multiple occasions since then.
Even in the context of the entire True Immortal Realm, the Hundred Creations Mountain was an extremely prominent tool refinement sect, and it was extraordinarily powerful, with branches set up in many major immortal regions.
Yu Ziqi also stood up and made his way over to Mo Wuxue's side upon seeing this.
With everyone's attention focused on him, Daoist Master Jingyang was feeling even more smug, and he feigned an expression of modesty as he said in a nonchalant voice, "It's no big deal..."
"You didn't invite all of us here to drink wine, you old fart! You made all of us come here so that you could show off your Golden Jade Silk Square!" Immortal Lord Hot Flame denounced.
"No, no, I'm showing all of you this Golden Jade Silk Square because I wanted to tell Fellow Daoist Li that I'll be keeping an eye out for any Profound Zoysia Crystals during the Jade Kun Pagoda auction, and that if I see one, I'll be sure to secure it for him," Daoist Master Jingyang explained.
"In that case, why don't you just do Fellow Daoist Li another favor and give him this Golden Jade Silk Square outright?" Immortal Lord Hot Flame asked with a sly grin.
"Well... I also want to see if any treasures that are to my liking will show up during the auction," Daoist Master Jingyang said with a faint smile as he stowed the Golden Jade Silk Square away.
Han Li was naturally quite eager to secure the Golden Jade Silk Square for himself, and he transmitted his voice directly to Daoist Master Jingyang as he asked, "Would it be possible for you to give me the Golden Jade Silk Square, Fellow Daoist Jingyang? I can repay you in anything, whether that be Immortal Origin Stones, pills, treasures, or even the wine recipes that you've always wanted."