The master and disciple settled down in the inn, requesting two adjacent superior rooms. Lai Li’an went to find Su Wan’er, took out a Storage Bag from his robes, and handed it to her.

“Take these Spirit Stones.”

Su Wan’er accepted the Storage Bag with both hands. Upon opening it to take a look, she froze in place; inside were five thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

“Honored Master, this…” She looked up, her face full of disbelief. “What is this for?”

Lai Li’an had already thought of an excuse. He sat down on a chair by the window, picked up a teacup, took a sip, and said unhurriedly, “Earlier outside the Law Enforcement Hall, I already sent a sound transmission to Meng Qiuran. He said there was no need to return this sum of Spirit Stones; consider it a thank-you gift to me.”

Su Wan’er’s hands holding the Storage Bag trembled slightly. Sound transmission? When did Honored Master send a sound transmission? Honored Master had been with her the entire time. She had never seen Honored Master take out a Sound Transmission Talisman, nor had she sensed any Spiritual Power Fluctuation.

Honored Master’s communication methods could actually complete a conversation with Meng Qiuran without her noticing at all. What level of Cultivation Base was required to accomplish such a feat?

She took a deep breath, suppressing the marvel in her heart, and seriously asked, “Honored Master, aren’t these Spirit Stones a bit too much?”

“It’s fine, what is this little bit of Spirit Stones? Go buy an Alchemy Cauldron and Spiritual Fire. The Alchemy Conference is only a month away, so you must have all the tools ready. As your master, I still have some trivial matters to handle. Go look around yourself, and if you see anything you like, just make your own decision.”

Su Wan’er was slightly taken aback. Originally, she was full of expectation to go pick them out with her Honored Master. But on second thought, her Honored Master’s actions always had profound meanings. Letting her purchase things alone was likely a kind of test. Thus, she nodded vigorously, carefully put away the Storage Bag, bowed to Lai Li’an, and went out the door.

Lai Li’an watched her back disappear at the stairs, then let out a long breath and leaned back against his chair.

In truth, letting Su Wan’er go by herself was because he had absolutely no idea what to buy. How much an Alchemy Cauldron cost, what grades Spiritual Fire was divided into, he was completely clueless about all of it.

If by any chance he arrived at the shop, and the owner asked what kind this Senior wanted, and he couldn’t answer, that would be incredibly embarrassing.

Although Su Wan’er didn’t understand Alchemy either, she was at least a cultivator from a proper Sect, so her knowledge was definitely better than his.

The most bustling commercial street of Yunze Market wasn’t far from the inn. Su Wan’er walked for less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn before arriving there.

The space here was immense, with Magic Tools, Pills, Cultivation Techniques, and Spiritual Herbs displayed in their respective categories. As soon as she walked up, a waiter began to pitch to her.

“Fairy, this way please! I wonder what you would like to see? Our shop has just received a batch of High-Grade Magic Tools, as well as Spiritual Herbs newly transported from the Eastern Border. Their quality is top-notch.”

Su Wan’er shook her head, “I want to buy an Alchemy Cauldron and Spiritual Fire.”

The waiter’s eyes darted around, and the smile on his face grew a bit brighter: “Fairy, you’ve come at the right time! Our shop just happens to have a batch of excellent Alchemy Dao equipment. This way, please.”

He led Su Wan’er to a certain shop. The storefront wasn’t large, but it had plenty of goods. The wooden shelves on the four walls were filled with all kinds of Alchemy Cauldrons.

The shopkeeper was an old man around fifty years old with an Early Foundation Establishment Cultivation Base. Upon seeing Su Wan’er enter, he came around from behind the counter: “Does this fellow Daoist want to buy an Alchemy Cauldron? Is it for personal use or a gift? This old man can give you some advice.”

Su Wan’er hesitated for a moment before honestly admitting: “Personal use, I’ve just started learning Alchemy.”

“A beginner, huh—” The shopkeeper dragged out the last syllable, his gaze sweeping over Su Wan’er rapidly.

A Peak Foundation Establishment cultivation base, yet a novice at alchemy. Furthermore, looking at the storage bag at her waist, one could faintly sense a massive amount of Spirit Stones inside.

The shopkeeper immediately knew what was going on. This was definitely a wealthy young lady from some large sect, a rare and excellent customer.

The smile on his face grew a few degrees warmer. He took down a small bronze cauldron flowing with a purple luster from the shelf and presented it to Su Wan’er with both hands: “When first learning alchemy, the most important thing is a stable cauldron. This Purple Cloud Bronze Cauldron is refined from Deep-Sea Purple Copper mixed with mica. It conducts heat evenly and makes the fire easy to control, perfect for a beginner. The original price is 800 Spirit Stones, but seeing as the fairy has a kind face, how about I let you have it for 600?”

Su Wan’er took the bronze cauldron and looked it over. It indeed felt quite heavy in her hands. The body of the cauldron was carved with complex fire patterns, making it look quite extraordinary. Just as she was about to nod, the shopkeeper turned around and took out a few more items from deep within the shelves.

“This is a High-Grade Fire-Starting Stone, polished from Earth-Core Flint. A single piece can be used hundreds of times. A set of three will only cost you 200 Spirit Stones. There is also this stack of Fire-Control Talismans; they are just right for a Foundation Establishment cultivator. A stack of 12, I’ll let you have them for 100 Spirit Stones.”

He said while stuffing the items into Su Wan’er’s hands, speaking rapidly for fear she would decline, “This is a Tuning Plate. It’s placed at the bottom of the furnace during alchemy to stabilize the Spiritual Qi. And this is a Medicinal Scale, used to weigh Spiritual Herbs accurate to the slightest fraction. These two together will cost you 400 Spirit Stones. Oh, right, there’s also this…”

He mysteriously pulled a brocade box from under the counter and opened it. Inside lay a crimson bead the size of a pigeon’s egg, emitting a scorching heat.

“An Earth-Fire Seed, containing a sealed Earth-Core Crimson Sunfire. Its temperature is thirty percent higher than an ordinary Spiritual Fire, doubling the efficiency of alchemy. There are only three of these in the entire Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Normally, they sell for 3000 Spirit Stones each, but today I’m in a good mood, so I’ll let you have it for 2800. Plus the previous items, altogether… let me calculate…” He made a show of flicking his abacus. “Exactly 5000 Spirit Stones, not a fraction more or less!”

Su Wan’er looked down at the pile of items in her arms, feeling a little dazed. Every single item looked to be of extraordinary quality.

But 5000 Spirit Stones was exactly all the Spirit Stones her Honored Master had given her. She couldn’t help but feel something wasn’t right, but the shopkeeper’s reasoning was sound, and the effects of each item had been explained clearly. As an amateur, she really couldn’t pick out any flaws.

Her Honored Master had given her so much money, so it made sense that she should buy better tools. Su Wan’er bit her lip, carried the pile of items to the counter, and was just about to take the Spirit Stones out of her Storage Bag.

“Wait.”

A hand reached out from behind her and gently pressed down on her wrist.

Su Wan’er turned her head and saw the newcomer clearly. It was a tall woman wearing a long cyan dress. A matching gauze veil covered most of her face, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed.

Her eyes were a very pale amber, so stunningly beautiful that one couldn’t help but be drawn in at first glance.

The fabric of the veil outlined the delicate contours of her face beneath. Rather than obscuring her beauty, the added mystery only made it harder to resist imagining just how peerless the face beneath the veil must be.

The woman’s brows and eyes naturally carried a cold, unearthly aura. Unlike Su Wan’er’s youthful loveliness, the woman before her exuded a profound tranquility from head to toe.

This was the first thought that popped into Su Wan’er’s mind. She had seen many beauties, each with their own unique charm, but none could easily compare to the person standing before her.