Outside the heavy cedar doors of the Grand Imperial Inn’s top-floor Cloud-Gazing Suite, the hallway sounded like a trading floor during a market panic.
Dozens of high-born clan patriarchs, ancient sect elders, and wealthy merchant moguls were packed shoulder-to-shoulder along the hall. Clad in stitched silk robes of purple, azure, and gold, these powerful figures—who normally wouldn’t deign to speak to common mortals—were practically climbing over one another. He grabbed lacquered wooden chests overflowing with top-grade spirit jades, ancient sword manuals, ten-thousand-year healing roots, and royal marriage contracts.
“Ten million spirit stones!” a grand duke from the western provinces bellowed, shoving his chest toward the brass keyhole. “Just allow my eldest grandson to carry Master Lu Yuan’s toolbox! He doesn’t even need to be an apprentice. He can just sweep the wood shavings from the shop floor!”
“Twenty million and three spirit mines!” the Patriarch of the Golden Blade Sect shrieked. It waved a stack of old family property deeds over the heads of the crowd. “Accept my daughter into Class 404! She’s a natural heavenly lightning physique! She can hold copper grounding rods during thunderstorms without complaining!”
“Fifty million! We’ll pave the roads of Ironwood Peak with polished white green jade!”
