Monarch Of Time

Chapter 1065 Zhou Wuyi

The purple-robed man’s eyes widened in surprise when he heard that. A flicker of disbelief flashed across his face, but it was only for the briefest of moments before his expression returned to its usual calmness.

”But of course, senior. Please, follow me, then.” The man said with cupped hands as he looked at the old man in front of him.

Then, without another word, he turned around and headed straight for the staircase of the second floor, his hands casually clasped behind his back. His long sleeves flowed with each step, and in the blink of an eye, he’d already vanished from the first floor in a matter of seconds.

Shun Long followed at an unhurried pace, and soon, all that was left behind were the hushed discussions of the cultivators from the first floor who were curious about the identity of the azure-robed elder and the purple-robed man.

”Who is that old man? He bought the Scarlet Vein Fruit as if it were nothing... and he even said that he wants to buy more?”

”I don’t think he is from Iron Dawn. Could he be some kind of reclusive alchemist?”

”I’m more interested in the purple-robed man. I know all the senior attendants of the first and second floors, but that guy was completely unfamiliar. Even attendant Hao was scrambling to complete his orders.”

The man who said that turned to the white-robed youth who had just retrieved the ’Scarlet Vein Fruit’ for Shun Long, but he didn’t seem to get a reaction, no matter how hard he tried. The attendant just glanced at the two figures that vanished towards the second floor, before he returned back to his post without a word.

Attendant Hao may have been only a peak Nascent Soul stage cultivator, but his status as a member of the pavilion was above even most early-stage Dao Kings. And yet, the purple-robed man was someone whom even he couldn’t interact with without a special reason. Unless someone spent an exorbitant amount of spirit stones, normal attendants like him were supposed to handle all transactions on the first floor.

...

As they climbed the staircase, the purple-robed man finally broke the silence.

His tone was polite, though beneath it lingered a subtle curiosity as he threw a covert side glance at the azure-robed elder.

”Right, senior. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Zhou Wuyi, one of the three managers of the Night Hall.”

Shun Long gave him a faint glance. He knew that this introduction was not out of pure courtesy. The man was probing him, fishing for a name, a reputation, something to place against the mystery of the aloof elder at his side.

Still, Shun Long didn’t hide it. His expression didn’t change as he answered with an expressionless look,

”My surname is Han, and I am just a passing alchemist.”

Zhou Wuyi’s eyes flickered faintly, but he gave no outward reaction. He merely nodded, as if this answer were exactly what he had expected, and continued to lead the way.

Soon, the second floor of the Night Hall spread out before them.

At first glance, it looked remarkably similar to the first floor. Wide halls lined with glass counters, attendants in white robes lying in wait, and hundreds of cultivators roaming around the place.

However, there was a striking difference here compared to the first floor.

Shun Long didn’t even need to spread out his soul sense to tell that there were at least a few dozen Dao Emperor realm experts on this floor. A few of them were hidden, probably members of the Hundred Fragrance pavilion, while the rest were out in the open, most likely customers just like him.

The fact that so many Emperors gathered in this place spoke volumes of the pavilion’s reputation in Iron Dawn.

Shun Long’s golden eyes narrowed faintly as he and Zhou Wuyi walked past them.

”So this is the number one pill shop in Iron Dawn, huh...?”

He glanced at the glass counters around him. Unlike the first floor, the quality of the pills and herbs here was a level above everything he’d seen. Rank 6 high-grade pills were spread like common wares, and even a few middle-grade rank 7 pills were showcased under protective arrays.

Shun Long’s gaze lingered for a moment before shifting away, his expression unreadable.

Zhou Wuyi led him further inside, his tone calm and confident.

”Senior, as you can see, the second floor is dedicated to pills and ingredients of the highest value. The pills our esteemed alchemists refine in their spare time are put for sale here, though of course, what you see here is only a tip of the iceberg.”

”A tip of the iceberg?” Shun Long turned to the man and raised an eyebrow in surprise. Was this guy trying to say that this was only a fraction of what the pavilion put for sale?

And yet, Zhou Wuyi seemed to be waiting for that question. The purple-robed man’s lips curved into a smile as he nodded matter-of-factly,

”But of course. What you see here for sale is at most high-grade rank 6 pills and a few middle-grade rank 7. Anything above that level will not be put for sale in public and will either be auctioned by our pavilion or will be reserved for private use.

Top-grade rank 6 pills, and high-grade rank 7 and above are all rare items that are handled through proper channels for our most esteemed customers.”

The man then gestured gracefully toward a row of glass counters near the far end and continued,

”Still, if you would follow me, I will show you what we currently have in stock here on the second floor.”

Zhou Wuyi’s footsteps were measured as he led the way through the bustling second floor. The murmurs of Dao Kings and Dao Emperors filled the air, but none dared interrupt the purple-robed man.

His authority here was unquestioned. The only thing Shun Long felt was a few more curious gazes coming his way as he walked towards the depths of the floor.

Soon, Zhou Wuyi reached the far end of the hall, where three glass counters stood side by side. Each case was covered in multiple layers of protective formations similar to those on the case of the ’Scarlet Vein Fruit’, each case glowing faintly with rippling runes that sealed away the items within.

Finally, Zhou Wuyi came to a stop before them and turned to Shun Long, his tone smooth and steady,

”I hope these things here will satisfy senior’s tastes. Let me know what you think.”

He gestured lightly, and a trio of white-robed attendants quickly approached, each of them standing behind each case.

But Shun Long’s golden eyes didn’t register them. His gaze was already focused on the item on the first counter.

Inside was a cluster of crystalline leaves, each one shimmering with a faint, translucent blue hue. Thin frosty veins ran across the surface of the leaves, and even from behind the barrier, a biting chillness seemed to seep out, freezing the corners of the glass. The herb pulsed faintly, as though it were breathing in rhythm with the natural qi of the world.

Frostheart Jadeleaf – Rank 7, middle-grade medicinal herb. 55.000 high-grade spirit stones.

His gaze lingered on the leaves for what seemed to be a couple of seconds before turning to the second and the third counter.

Finally, after a few moments of silence, his gaze swept past Zhou Wuyi, and he asked in a placid tone,

”Is that... all you have?”