First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1535 - The House of Little Joys

They said even a hero was helpless without money, but a lack of funds wouldn’t stop Su Yi.

Given the experience of his past life, he could casually whip out a pill recipe, cultivation technique, ancient tome, or other treasure and exchange it for a fortune!

Su Yi asked around, and before long, he'd arrived at one of Sky Tripod Immortal City’s most famous medicine vendors.

Lunar Sky Tower!

An attendant walked up to welcome Su Yi. “Sir, are you here to buy medicine or to refine pills? Lunar Sky Tower has all manner of spiritual medicines in stock, and even immortal-level ingredients are up for sale. We have all levels of pill refiners in attendance, and...”

She was a beauty with a natural bearing. She was a cultivator, but despite Su Yi showing no sign of a cultivation base, she showed no sign of disdain.

“I’m here to sell a pill recipe,” said Su Yi. As he spoke, he took out the recipe he’d prepared and handed it to her.

The attendant was stunned. Lunar Sky Tower was a major medicine company with branches all over the Jing Province. They had ancient legacies and numerous master pill refiners; they had no lack of recipes. Thus, it was extremely rare for someone to try to sell one!

But the attendant didn’t say anything.

She accepted the recipe, ordered someone to attend to Su Yi and pour him a cup of tea, then requested that one of Lunar Sky Tower’s pill refiners appraise Su Yi’s pill recipe.

The pill refiner was an old man in gray. He’d been busy refining a batch of pills when he was called to appraise a recipe, and he wasn’t happy about it. His expression was rather unsightly.

“Young man, it's been years since anyone dared attempt to sell Lunar Sky Tower a recipe!” The old man snorted coldly. How was Su Yi’s behavior any different from showing off in front of an expert? He was like a kid playing with a knife in front of a sword cultivator!

But after the old man actually examined the recipe’s contents, he was stunned. A long time passed, as if he needed time to confirm what he was seeing. Finally, he couldn’t help but blurt, “An immortal pill recipe!?”

This conclusion startled everyone in Lunar Sky Tower. Countless people looked over at the recipe in the old man’s hands.

If that was really an immortal pill recipe, it was far too precious, to the point that even immortal factions would clamor over it!

After all, anyone who learned such a recipe could repeatedly refine the corresponding immortal pill to strengthen their faction! Immortal pill recipes were so precious that, much like immortal legacies and cultivation techniques, they seldom appeared on the market.

“That’s right, but I did not write down the key part of the recipe,” Su Yi said with a nod.

“Wondrous! Truly wondrous! Although it’s missing its key component, with all my years of pill refining experience, I can say with certainty that this is a recipe for a Frigid Purity Profound Pill, an absolutely first-rate immortal medicine. It can quench the physical body, advance the cultivation, and even nourish the soul and organs. Its value is absolutely inestimable!”

The old man in gray was practically dancing about with excitement. His eyes lit up. “What... What immortal master produced this recipe? It’s simply too wondrous for words!”

Uproar ensued throughout the surrounding area. The crowd was stunned, and the way they looked at Su Yi changed. Some looked greedy, others uncertain.

Harboring too great a treasure would only bring disaster! This was a treasure so rare that even lofty immortal factions would drool over it. Who wouldn’t have been tempted?

One of those present, a man in brocade, directly made an offer of ten thousand immortal stones. This only caused an even greater uproar.

Su Yi’s brow furrowed. He glanced at the old man in gray. “You talk too much.”

Despite this rebuke, the old man in gray wasn’t at all angry. He realized that he’d acted out of turn too, and he hurriedly apologized and invited Su Yi to a private room.

Before long, Lunar Sky Tower’s higher-ups heard the news and rushed over.

The appearance of such an immortal pill recipe was enough to make even the various immortal factions pay attention. Who could have remained seated?

“Sir, do you really intend to sell that recipe?” a man in purple asked, as if he dared not believe it.

Su Yi subtly inclined his head, then said directly, “Yes, if Lunar Sky Tower can afford it.”

He then took out a piece of paper and wrote a dense list of immortal medicinal ingredients. There were several dozen different types. “I only want the items on this list.”

When they saw the names of the medicines he’d requested, a series of gasps rang out. Every last one of them was a heavenly material or earthly treasure on the level of the Immortal Dao!

The higher-ups of Lunar Sky Tower and the old man in gray all cooled their heads as they realized that this young man wasn’t simple. He wasn’t just here to mess around!

They promptly started a transmitted discussion. Su Yi sat leisurely in their midst, waiting patiently.

Finally, the old man in gray said, “Sir, I won’t lie to you. We only have a small portion of the requested immortal medicines, and we cannot gather them all on short notice.”

The man in purple robes added, “It isn’t just us. No trading company in all of Sky Tripod Immortal City could gather all those materials on short notice.”

Su Yi’s brow furrowed. They can’t even afford a single pill recipe? It seems I overestimated Lunar Sky Tower’s reserves. Rather, it seems I overestimated all of the city’s trading companies!

“But...” The man in gray suddenly changed tacks. He gnashed his teeth and said, “In three days, Lunar Sky Tower plans to hold an auction. The attendees won’t just include the city’s prominent elites. All seven of the province’s top immortal factions will send their representatives.

“If you can wait three days, we can auction the recipe and trade for the materials you need!”

He paused, then said, “Furthermore, so long as you agree, we can publicize your list of materials tomorrow. That will increase our chances of gathering them all.

“By hosting this auction, we won’t just help you complete this deal. We’ll further our reputations and seize the opportunity to sell some of our immortal medicinal materials for sky-high prices too. We’re killing multiple birds with a single stone.”

“An auction...” Su Yi mulled that over. “Does that mean you plan to give up on the recipe?”

The crowd exchanged glances and grimaced. Had they been able to afford it, how could they have passed up such a rare pill recipe?

When Su Yi saw this, he couldn’t help but rub his forehead. “Very well. Let’s do as you suggested.”

The crowd smiled.

“Right,” said Su Yi. “Does Lunar Sky Tower have Five Aggregates Purification Pills?”

The old man in gray didn’t even pause to think. "Of course."

“I need one," said Su Yi. "How much are they?”

“Haha, a Spirit Dao-level pill like that amounts to nothing at all. Why worry about the money? Please wait. I’ll send someone to fetch it immediately!” the old man in gray said with a hearty laugh.

After receiving the pill, Su Yi politely refused their attempts to keep him here and agreed to come to the auction in three days. So long as someone agreed to purchase the pill recipe, he’d give them the missing information then.

Without any further ado, he set off.

Shortly after Su Yi left, the old man in gray and the other higher-ups started talking about him.

“Grandmaster Chu, are you sure there’s nothing wrong with the recipe?” someone couldn’t help but ask.

The old man in gray, the one he called Grandmaster Chu, couldn’t help but say irritably, “Are you questioning my mastery of the Dao of Pill Refining? If there’s a problem with the recipe, I’ll slit my own throat!”

The crowd looked stunned, and their eyes flashed. No one dared express any further doubt.

Instead, someone changed the subject. “Could you discern that young man’s origins?”

“They surely aren’t simple. What ordinary person would dare march on in and try to sell a pill recipe? I urge you not to consider anything untoward,” Grandmaster Chu said icily.

The crowd was instantly solemn.

The man in purple said gravely, “I have to report this to Elder Zuo Fu as soon as possible. Given his powers of perception, he can surely discern this recipe’s origins!”

......

After leaving Lunar Sky Tower, Su Yi strolled idly through the city streets.

This Five Aggregates Purification Pill can restore A’Li’s voice, thought Su Yi. Unfortunately, I couldn’t gather the medicinal ingredients I needed for my own recovery. All I can do is wait for the auction in three days.

He wasn’t worried that Lunar Sky Tower would try anything for the simple reason that the pill recipe he’d given them was incomplete.

“Hm?” Su Yi suddenly stopped in his tracks and gazed at a nearby nine-story jade tower.

The sign hanging over the jade tower read: “House of Little Joys!”

Su Yi’s eyes shone with reminiscence.

A moment later, he rubbed his nose and sighed. I did all that for nothing. Had I known there was a House of Little Joys in Sky Tripod Immortal City, I wouldn’t have needed to resort to selling that pill recipe.

But I don’t know if the House of Little Joys is still as I remember...

As Su Yi pondered, he walked confidently over.

As soon as Su Yi entered, an attendant walked over and asked with a smile. “Young Lord, do you have an appointment?”

“Does this place have a fortune drawing?” asked Su Yi.

The attendant was stunned, and he couldn’t help but re-evaluate Su Yi. “Are you here to draw a fortune, Young Lord?”

“No, I’m here to solve a riddle,” said Su Yi.

The attendant stiffened, then said in a low voice, “Please wait, Young Lord.”

Before long, the attendant returned with a dignified, delicate beauty in palace garb. Her expression was full of unconcealable excitement as she bowed to Su Yi, then said gently, “Young Lord, what might I call you?”

Su Yi’s gaze shifted inscrutably. “A sword cultivator, a passerby in this world.”

The woman’s delicate frame stiffened, and her eyes shone with strange light. A moment later, she stepped aside. “This way please, Young Lord.”

She then led Su Yi into the House of Little Joys and directly up to the hall on the tower’s ninth floor!

The hall was grand and old-fashioned. Strangely, there was a ten-foot black tortoise shell at its center.

A white jade tube of sticks used for drawing fortunes was placed atop it. There were thirteen jade fortune sticks in total.

“Young Lord, that’s the Joyful Fortune Drawing. There are thirteen jade fortune sticks in total, and each hides enormous secrets. If fate is not on their side, not even an almighty immortal can discern their mysteries,” the woman in palace garb said softly. “Since you’re here to answer riddles, you can get started.”

“Very well.” Su Yi confidently approached, then reached for the Joyful Fortune Drawing.

Weng!

Countless strange and intricate Dao Markings arose on the black tortoise shell, like a formation diagram blocking Su Yi’s hand.

The woman in palatial attire tensed and held her breath. Her beautiful eyes watched intently to see what Su Yi did next.

His fingers formed seals, and he condensed a strange palm imprint that gently tapped the shell.

Boom!

The strange and intricate Dao Markings instantly scattered into a rain of light.

The Joyful Fortune Drawing swayed violently. Shockingly, one of the jade fortune sticks flew out of its own accord and landed in Su Yi’s hand.