“Eh…but will they let you use your master’s ‘Violet Gold Guest Plate’?” The black-robed youth questioned, “isn’t there a security pin or a need for his mother’s maiden name?!”

“What are you even mumbling about? What ‘security pin’ what ‘maiden name’?” Lin Ming muttered, “what even are those things?”

“Eh…but isn’t using someone else’s credit card without their permission illegal? Isn’t that credit fraud?” The black-robed youth continued.

“‘Credit card’? ‘Illegal’? ‘Credit fraud’? What in heaven’s name?” Lin Ming muttered along, rather puzzled, before placing his hand over his face in exasperation, “you know what? I’m just going to give up trying to understand you…”

“But, you can’t ju-” the black-robed youth protested.

“Shush, it’s okay, I didn’t actually steal it okay?!” Lin Ming interrupted, placing a finger over the youth’s mouth. “I have the old man’s permission to buy a few things for him; he just didn’t say I couldn’t buy other things…”

“So…you’re saying, I can spend as much as I want?” Qingtian asked, smiling brightly, her eyes glistening.

“Hehe…of course, the old badger is loaded!” Lin Ming replied gleefully. “And well, he is an otherworldly daoist after all, so I doubt he cares if we spend a bit of his fortune…in fact, it’ll probably help him detach himself from mortal obsessions!”

“Hehe, well put, as an otherworldly daoist, your master should be focusing on cultivating! Wealth and luxuries are meaningless before the almighty dao, so we might as well help him spend everything, lest it goes to waste!”

“Eh…aren’t you both being a bit shameless?” The black-robed youth chimed in.

“Shut up!” Lin Ming and Qingtian screamed at him in unison…

*****

The sixth floor of the ‘Trove of the Resplendent Pagoda’ was personally managed by Old Fang, Fang Baocai, himself.

Compared to the six layers beneath it, the sixth floor wasn’t any larger, nor was it much more grand, Old Fang liked it that way, for it was the goods that mattered, not the décor. The floor itself was carved out of hardwood, the walls out of stone, and the room itself was full of innumerable shelves, filled with boxes of all shapes and sizes.

At the moment, leading the trio along the maze of shelves was Old Fang himself. The old man wasn’t some impressive looking fellow, with the looks of a kind, slightly dodgy, grandpa from next door. Following at a respectable distance, were two graceful young women, dressed in beautiful silvery dresses.

“Eldest noble Lin, Old Fang has already arranged for the materials you’ve requested to be collected from storage, how about we look at something else in the meantime?” Old Fang asked with a flattering smile, a rather rare expression for him these days… “I can see that this youngest noble Lin is of age, and it is around that time, perchance, could eldest noble Lin be looking to buy a few things for him in preparation for the ‘Radiant Sea Institute’s recruitment tests, which begins today?”

“Mhm,” Lin Ming replied curtly, “I’m looking to buy a few things for this little rascal so he can pass tomorrow’s tests easily, so I don’t lose too much face…wait…today?!”

Lin Ming’s expression suddenly became a bit odd, his eyes widening, his mouth turning into a ‘口’ character…

“Wait…today…is the sixteenth of the He month, right?!” Lin Ming turned to ask the old man.

“Err…eldest noble Lin, it is the seventeenth.” Old Fang replied.

“Fuck! Fuck…fuck…I’m so screwed…” Lin Ming swore under his breath,

“Hehe…idiot…” Qingtian muttered softly, laughing into her sleeves. “To think you’ve been looking forward to today for weeks…”

“Did you know?” Lin Ming turned around as, asking in a snit.

“Well, depends, are you asking that I knew if today was the seventeenth, or are you asking if I knew about the little tryst you were planning with a certain someone, under the guise of working as a test invigilator?” Qingtian replied with a coy smile.

“Argh! You infuriating little…” Lin Ming exclaimed in a huff, before turning back to Old Fang, “Senior Fang, I’ll be leaving now, just, well, leave everything in Qi- *cough* *cough* Longtian’s hands!”

With that being said, Lin Ming turned and bolted out of the ‘Trove of the Sacred Pagoda’ without another word.

“Well, now that he’s left, we’ll get to spend all we want…” Qingtian whistled happily, “Old Fang, I want to see the good stuff, the really good stuff!”

“Hehe, of course, only the best for you and youngest noble Lin,” Old Fang smiled fawningly. “Youngest noble Lin, could this old fellow ask for your name, so as we may get acquainted?”

As if waiting for this moment for his whole life, the black-robed youth’s eyes gleamed as he puffed up his chest and broke into a brilliant smile. Cupping his hand towards Old Fang, the black-robed youth began,

“Senior Fang, I am the incredibly virtuous, supremely righteous, the bra-”

With an irritated expression, Qingtian reached out and struck the black-robed youth on the back of the head.

*Pah*

“Ow!”

“Keep it short you little rascal, I still have to buy lots of things!” Qingtian scolded.

“Eh…erm, senior Fang, junior’s name is Xianyi, Lin Xianyi…” the black-robed youth, Xianyi, muttered slightly peeved, his fist cupped, bowing slightly.

“Ah…good name! a very good name indeed, befitting one of noble stature like yourself.” Old Fang complimented, “hehe, to speak the truth, this old man knows a bit of face reading, and well, young noble Xianyi, this old man has yet to see a face more refined than yours! With such a sharp gaze, such regal bearing, you are surely destined for great things!”

“Thank you senior!” Hearing such praises, Xianyi couldn’t help but feel a flush of red creep up his cheeks.

Seeing this, the old man smiled kindly, the same kind of smile a not so friendly uncle would show when inviting children into his house…

“Ai-yah~ enough of that!” Qingtian exclaimed, interrupting the intimate moment between the two, “Old Fang, This young noble is here on business!”

“Oh…er, yes, what would young noble Longtian like to see?” The old man quickly attended to Qingtian.

“Well, I’m not actually buying for myself, I’m actually shopping on behalf of a certain someone, who would like to remain anonymous…” Qingtian explained.

“Err…young noble Longtian, pray tell this old man, what does this someone have in mind?” Old Fang asked, smiling understandingly.

“Well, this certain someone I know is on the cusp of ‘Great Perfection’ in ‘Pagoda Establishment’ and needs heavenly treasures that intrinsically possess opposing natures in itself, to nurture their ‘Sacred Pagoda’, preferably an herb that has been soaked equally in the aura of Yin and Yang…” Qingtian revealed.

“Oh…” Old Fang’s expression wavered slightly, after considering the young man's words for a few moments, his eyes widened in shock, and a trace of fear even surfaced in his pupils. But before long, Old Fang broke into a flattering smile as he spoke, “well, Old Fang will have to congratulate this someone in advance for becoming a true ‘King’, at such a young age no less…”

“Hehe, I will definitely relay Old Fang’s congratulation to this someone when we meet, but Old Fang, I should warn you not to speak of this to others, this someone prefers to stay…low key,” Qingtian warned.

“Well, of course, Old Fang will be sure to keep this in mind. However, young noble Longtian, please allow Old Fang to offer a few gifts to congratulate this someone…as a gesture of goodwill…” Old Fang replied, before turning around and beckoning at the attendants following behind them. “Xiao Juan, Xiao Chan, go accompany our young noble Xianyi to look at a few treasures and pills appropriate for a ‘Qi Immersion’ cultivator. I will accompany young noble Longtian to select an appropriate treasure for his friend personally.”

“Rest assured, Trove Lord Fang, we will do our utmost,” the two replied as they stepped forward, first bowing towards Old Fang, then Qingtian and Xianyi. “Young noble Qingtian, Young noble Xianyi.”

“Good,” Old Fang nodded in approval, before turning towards Xianyi, “Young noble Xianyi, I raised these two myself, so they are quite knowledgeable about the treasures of my trove, they will surely be able to find a few to suit you. Since treasures for ‘Qi Immersion’ cultivators aren’t worth too much in this old man’s little shop, if you see anything you want, just take it!”

“Eh…is that a promise?” Xianyi’s eyes glistened at the old man’s promise, “I can take anything I want?”

“Well…err…within reason of course!” The gleam in Xianyi’s eyes sent a shiver down Old Fang’s spine, but well, since he’s already gotten on the tiger, it was a bit hard to get off! Gritting his teeth, Old Fang replied, “How about this, young noble Xianyi, anything on the first two floors, as long as it catches your fancy, you can just have it!”

“Senior is generous, Xianyi will remember senior’s grace for the rest of his life!” The youth replied, a satisfied smile on his lips. Turning towards the two attendants, “two big sisters, my name is Lin Xianyi! But…uh…you both knew that…err…”

“Heh…” Xianyi’s stuttering caused one of the attendants, Xiao Juan, to let out a stifled laughter, but quickly realizing her mistake, the young woman blushed red, and hastily hid her face behind her sleeves.

Seeing this, Xianyi became slightly flustered as well…this was just too embarrassing, why did his nonexistent human to human skill have to fail him now?!

“Young noble Xianyi, please,” The other attendant, Xiao Chan, quickly motioned towards the stairs leading to the fifth floor, trying to make up for Xiao Juan’s folly.

“Um…uh…” Xianyi muttered, turning towards Qingtian, appearing slightly uncertain. “Big si- *cough* *cough* big bro…err…”

“Eh, just go…I have important business here,” Qingtian replied dismissively, shooing him off.

“Young noble Xianyi, please,” Xiao Chan spoke, gesturing towards the lower layers.

“Um, yeah, okay…” Xianyi muttered, following along as Xiao Chan led, while Xiao Juan trailed behind.

Suddenly, as Xianyi stepped onto the first flight of stairs, a voice transmission entered his ears.

“Psst…little Rascal, you better take EVERYTHING worth more than a dime from down there…”