"One hundred taels for full iron lamellar armor, twenty taels for leather lamellar armor, ten taels for a goose-quill saber..."
Li Xin gave Zhou Wuji a very generous quote, almost identical to market value.
Mind you, armor and bows were strictly forbidden from trade; Li Xin was taking on no small amount of risk by purchasing these weapons and suits of armor.
Li Xin originally would not have dared take this upon himself, but his family head had mentioned on several occasions that they should procure armor and weapons if an opportunity arose.
After all, times were tumultuous these days—demons and monsters ran rampant, and rebel soldiers wreaked havoc far and wide.
Having gone through last night's encounter, Li Xin had also come to realize the importance of armor and weaponry.
This squad of rebel soldiers had all come from the Red Phoenix Army. Their armor and weapons were imbued with runes smelted from profound iron, capable of suppressing demons and evil spirits while enhancing the items' defensive and offensive power.
Presented with such an opportunity, Li Xin naturally would not pass it up.
Zhou Wuji glanced over the inventory list, quite satisfied with the prices.
Weapons and armor were far too conspicuous, and he had nowhere to store such a massive pile of gear anyway.
Furthermore, he had no channels to sell them. Being able to offload them to Li Xin right here was the best possible outcome.
Exchanging them for five hundred taels of silver was also a very substantial sum of income.
With the transaction concluded, both Zhou Wuji and Li Xin were in excellent spirits.
Li Xin took the opportunity to ask, "Daoist Priest, the valuables and money looted by the rebel soldiers amount to a little over two hundred taels of silver when converted. I have gathered it all together for you."
Zhou Wuji pondered for a moment before replying, "I won't take this silver. Keep it for the people of Baishi Village to handle the funerary arrangements. Whatever is left over can be distributed among the survivors."
As he spoke, he gave Li Xin a deep look. "I leave the aftermath in your hands."
Li Xin already knew how formidable Zhou Wuji was. Caught in the sweep of Zhou Wuji's bright, piercing gaze, his heart trembled, and he hurriedly promised, "Daoist Priest is merciful! Rest assured, Daoist Priest, I will see to it properly. I will never allow anyone to dip their greedy hands into the funds."
"Very well."
Zhou Wuji knew these trivial matters were exceedingly troublesome—not only did the dead need to be buried, but the incident also had to be reported to the authorities, and the silver had to be apportioned.
Dealing with the government alone was a massive headache; it took an experienced, capable hand to navigate it.
Zhou Wuji was saddled with plenty of troubles of his own and had no time to linger in Baishi Village.
Second Shopkeeper Li Xin was quite capable, backed by the Li family, and had close ties with the local government. Leaving him to handle these affairs could not have been more fitting.
After dawn, everyone ate breakfast. Li Xin stayed behind with a few men to handle the aftermath, while the merchant vessel proceeded toward Yunyang Prefecture according to plan.
The litsea oil transported by the merchant vessel had established client shops. Having partnered for many years, Li Xin's absence would cause no disruption.
The situation in Baishi Village, on the other hand, was rather complicated. The armor and weapons had to be dealt with discreetly, requiring Li Xin's personal oversight.
The injured Li Qiang also remained behind. Although out of mortal danger, he was still severely wounded and in no condition to endure the jolting and swaying on the boat.
The bird-boat was very fast. With both wind and current in its favor, and several fewer passengers on board, the boat arrived at the docks of Yunyang Prefecture just as the setting sun hung low in the sky.
Yunyang Prefecture governed eight surrounding counties, with jurisdiction over a territory spanning a thousand li.
As the hub of this thousand-li territory, large and small vessels crowded tightly along the docks. The wharves were a chaotic, bustling blend of cargo and people, bursting with clamor and life.
A little over a li behind the docks stood the towering outer city wall of Yunyang City, imposing and grand.
Zhou Wuji had visited Yunyang Prefecture several times with his master, so he was reasonably familiar with the place.
After exchanging words with the Wanfeng Firm crewmen, he carried his chest and was the first to step onto the docks.
Many porters hefting cargo glanced toward Zhou Wuji, several of them staring intently at his chest for quite a while.
Some men even took the initiative to come solicit work, offering to carry goods for Zhou Wuji, but he declined them all.
Zhou Wuji wore a loose Daoist robe and carried a sword at his waist. Although the docks were a den of dragons and snakes where thieves and fraudsters specifically targeted outsiders, no one dared take liberties with Zhou Wuji.
Daoists, monks, and martial artists were all dangerous to provoke.
Moreover, the collar of Zhou Wuji's Daoist robe was embroidered with silver thread in a Seven Stars pattern; anyone with a sharp eye could tell at a glance that he was a Daoist of the Arctic Sect.
The Arctic Sect wielded immense influence across Chu Prefecture.
Yunyang Prefecture in particular was home to the Yunlong Branch Abbey, which boasted numerous disciples and formidable power, enjoying widespread renown throughout the prefecture.
Anyone truly lacking fear of the Arctic Sect wouldn't be able to make a living on these docks.
Zhou Wuji walked out from the docks and entered the city before the gates closed.
His first priority was to visit Jinfu Clothing Shop to buy two sets of Daoist robes. This shop was an authorized clothing supplier for the branch abbey, and rumors ran that the shopkeeper was a relative of some high-ranking figure in the abbey.
The robes at Jinfu Clothing Shop were fifty percent more expensive than those on the open market.
Fortunately, their robes bore the Arctic Sect's silver-thread embroidered emblem, and their materials and tailoring strictly met the sect's specifications.
"You are..." The chubby middle-aged proprietor, Jin Fu, looked at Zhou Wuji. His small eyes blinked as he found the young man familiar, though he couldn't quite place the name.
"I am Zhou Wuji. My master is Daoist Yiyuan. I have purchased robes in your shop several times." Zhou Wuji introduced himself; this shopkeeper had solid backing and was not someone to offend.
Moreover, Arctic Sect robes could not be sold to outsiders—that too was an ironclad rule.
To verify his identity, he produced his master's Celestial Pivot Demon-Subduing Token and handed it to Jin Fu.
Jin Fu took the token with his fleshy hands, examined it carefully, and returned it to Zhou Wuji.
He said with a beaming smile, "Ah, I remember now! You were here last year. Daoist Priest, your cultivation has advanced, and your bearing is so exalted and remarkable that I hardly dared recognize you."
As he spoke, his gaze casually flickered across several smudges on Zhou Wuji's robe. Given his experienced eye, they were clearly bloodstains that hadn't been washed clean.
Curiosity stirred in Jin Fu's heart: Did this handsome young Daoist kill someone?! How did he end up covered in blood?
He then noticed the restrained gleam in Zhou Wuji's eyes. His heart gave a jolt—this kid had clearly reached the Qi Ingestion realm of circulating true qi.
Realizing this, Jin Fu adjusted his expression slightly, his smile gaining a touch more sincerity and warmth.
Zhou Wuji smiled as well. The chubby fellow was indeed a city man; his words were smooth and pleasing to the ear.
He chatted with Jin Fu for a while and asked about the state of affairs at the branch abbey.
Jin Fu shook his head and said, "Rebel soldiers from the Red Phoenix Army are looting and slaughtering everywhere, leaving no peace in the land. Where many people die, ferocious ghosts and evil specters run wild.
"The branch abbey dispatched personnel to cooperate with the imperial court in quelling the unrest. It's said they have already suffered casualties..."
Seeing that Zhou Wuji had already attained Rank Eight—while an eighth-rank at this age might not be hailed as an extraordinary prodigy, he certainly was not to be underestimated—Jin Fu was that much more courteous and spoke more freely.
Zhou Wuji did not listen to the information for free. He spent thirty taels of silver to purchase three sets of Daoist robes, shoes, socks, and related items.
This price was far more expensive than what his previous life would have called affordable luxury—it could just about qualify as a true luxury item.
Fortunately, Li Xin had given him a hundred taels in silver banknotes as a deposit. These banknotes were reinforced with talismans from both the Buddhist and Daoist sects, effectively carrying endorsements from both traditions. No one dared forge them, making them quite convenient to use.
He also purchased a specially made wide belt fitted with more than a dozen separate compartments to hold personal belongings.
Leaving the clothing shop, Zhou Wuji found a clean inn to rest.
The inn provided hot water and a wooden tub. Zhou Wuji took a bath, changed into new clothes inside and out, and had a sound night's sleep.
He took one hundred taels of gold from the chest and stowed it in his belt. His Daoist robe was loose, and the gold came in round flat cakes, so once tucked inside the belt, outsiders could detect nothing amiss.
After breakfast the next morning, at the hour of si, he arrived at Yunlong Branch Abbey to request an audience with Yiping.
Yunlong Branch Abbey was built on Mount Yunlong, occupying half of the mountain's sunny southern slope, with dozens of buildings and courtyards cascading from top to bottom.
The most magnificent of them was the Grand Hall of the Arctic Celestial Emperor at the summit. The hall's golden glazed tiles sparkled in the sunlight, and curling plumes of incense smoke drifted upward, letting the great hall loom in and out of the misty vapor with profound grandeur.
At the front gate, Zhou Wuji announced his identity to the guest-welcoming Daoist and presented his master's Celestial Pivot Demon-Subduing Token.
The middle-aged guest-welcoming Daoist examined the token, glanced at Zhou Wuji's attire, and recognized at once that the person before him was a ninth-rank Daoist acolyte.
Too lazy to bother, he casually pointed toward a side wing and said, "Go wait over there."
The middle-aged guest-welcoming Daoist was not deliberately making things difficult for Zhou Wuji; he was busy with duties and had no time to entertain a mere acolyte.
The crucial issue was that this acolyte lacked manners. Not to mention a minor acolyte, even Daoist Yiyuan did not count for much in the branch abbey.
Zhou Wuji had accompanied his master here several times, always walking straight into the branch abbey, and had never encountered such treatment.
Seeing the middle-aged guest-welcoming Daoist's attitude, he understood immediately: the fellow was snubbing him because he hadn't offered a bribe.
Having awakened memories of his past life, Zhou Wuji understood these games all too well.
Not just in a place with strict hierarchies like a Daoist abbey, even in the modern society of his previous life, low-level functionaries putting on airs was the most common thing in the world.
Daoist Yiyuan had also told Zhou Wuji that the abbot of Yunlong Branch Abbey was exceedingly avaricious. As those above acted, those below followed, fostering an institutional culture where nothing moved without money.
Zhou Wuji gave the guest-welcoming Daoist a deep look, committing the fellow's ugly face to memory. He resolved inwardly: I won't swallow this insult for nothing. Just wait until I become a big shot—let's see how I deal with you!
He refused to indulge the man. It wasn't that he couldn't afford a gift, but the fellow's attitude was truly repulsive.
While the guest-welcoming Daoist was busy greeting another visitor, Zhou Wuji slipped quietly across the front courtyard.
The branch abbey was vast, and he indeed did not know where Martial Uncle Yiping resided. But that was no problem—someone here was bound to know.
After walking for a bit, Zhou Wuji stopped an approachable-looking acolyte to ask for directions.
The acolyte looked troubled. "Grandmaster Yiping is currently the Chief of Feixuan Hall, located just behind and to the left of the Grand Hall of the Northern Emperor. I'm busy right now, so you can head over on your own."
"I have only just arrived and do not know my way around. I must trouble you, Fellow Daoist."
Seeing the little acolyte about to decline again, Zhou Wuji pressed a small piece of broken silver into his hand.
The little acolyte's eyes lit up the moment he saw the silver. "Since Senior Martial Brother has traveled from afar, it is only right that I help..."
Chapter 14