Ling Yue accepted the storage pouch.
The instant it touched her hand—
it vanished into empty space.
She blinked.
Then looked toward the attendant.
"...Generosity?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"...What exactly does that mean?"
The attendant paused.
Before she could answer—
Ling Yue continued calmly.
"You'll be using whatever remains..."
"...To prepare beast cores."
Silence.
The young attendant blinked.
"...Beast cores?"
"Yes."
"Every beast core your pavilion currently possesses."
Another ripple spread through the already silent trading hall.
The attendant recovered almost immediately.
She lowered her head respectfully.
"...Understood."
"If that is our honored guest's request..."
"We shall gather every beast core currently available."
Without another word—
she turned and departed once more.
The surrounding customers watched her leave.
Then, almost in unison, their gazes shifted back toward the two shadow-veiled figures.
"...First every yin treasure..."
"...Now every beast core?"
"Who exactly are they?"
"I've never heard of anyone spending spirit stones so freely."
"They're treating standard-grade spirit stones as though they were ordinary currency..."
Even several veteran merchants exchanged uncertain glances.
Above the siblings—
Lizarius remained motionless.
His golden eyes stayed fixed on the depths of the pavilion.
He had no particular interest in the spirit stones.
Nor the beast cores.
They were merely convenient resources.
The bright thread he had followed...
Still hadn't moved.
Several minutes later—
soft footsteps echoed through the hall once more.
The attendant returned.
A jade tray rested in her hands.
At its center lay another storage pouch.
She approached the counter before offering a respectful bow.
"Our honored guests."
"Every beast core currently held within the Cloud Moon Pavilion has been gathered."
She carefully presented the pouch.
"There are one hundred and thirty-six beast cores in total."
She glanced briefly at the jade slip in her hand before continuing,
"After deducting the cost from the remaining balance of your spirit stones..."
"...The accounts have been fully settled."
"No additional payment is required."
Ling Yue nodded.
"...I see."
She accepted the storage pouch.
Like the previous one—
it disappeared into empty space the instant it touched her hand.
The surrounding cultivators watched in complete silence.
Not the slightest fluctuation from a storage treasure could be sensed.
It simply...
Vanished.
Ling Yue gave a small bow.
"...Then..."
"It was a pleasure doing business with you."
The young attendant immediately returned the gesture.
"The pleasure was ours, honored guests."
"If you require anything else..."
"The Cloud Moon Pavilion will gladly welcome your return."
Ling Yue hesitated for a brief moment before speaking again.
"...May I ask one more thing?"
"Of course."
"Is there somewhere within the Night Market where we can rent a room?"
The attendant smiled politely.
"There is."
"If you continue east from this pavilion, you'll eventually come across an inn known as the Night Sheep House."
She offered a brief description.
"It has a black wooden exterior, with a lantern carved in the shape of a sheep hanging above the entrance."
"You shouldn't have any trouble finding it."
Ling Yue nodded gratefully.
"...Thank you."
With that—
the siblings turned and departed the pavilion.
As the great doors slowly closed behind them—
countless eyes continued following their retreating figures.
Only after they disappeared into the crowd did the whispers resume.
"Who were they...?"
"They spent two standard-grade spirit stones without the slightest hesitation..."
"And bought every yin treasure and every beast core..."
"I've never seen anything like it."
"They must have an extraordinary background."
Inside the pavilion—
the young attendant quietly watched the entrance for several moments before finally turning away.
---
Outside—
the bustling Night Market welcomed them once again.
Lanterns bathed the streets in warm golden light.
Merchants continued calling out to passing customers.
Laughter drifted through the air.
The lively atmosphere remained unchanged.
Only after they had walked a considerable distance did Ling Yue finally release a long breath.
"...Ha..."
She placed a hand against her chest.
"...I honestly felt like my heart was about to leap out of my body."
Ling Wei laughed softly.
"...You certainly didn't look like it."
"You seemed perfectly calm."
Ling Yue immediately turned toward him.
"...Calm?"
"I was panicking the entire time!"
She rubbed her forehead helplessly.
"I just didn't let it show."
Ling Wei smiled.
"...I had a feeling."
He glanced briefly toward the invisible presence hovering above them.
"...I eventually realized Senior was speaking to you."
Ling Yue nodded.
"...Yeah."
"But he wasn't *that* much help."
She puffed her cheeks ever so slightly.
"He only told me roughly what to say."
"I still had to figure out the rest myself."
She sighed.
"And it wasn't easy."
Ling Wei nodded in understanding.
"...I can imagine."
He smiled faintly.
"Even so..."
"I'm surprised."
Ling Yue blinked.
"...About what?"
"You handled yourself far better than I expected."
He chuckled quietly.
"I honestly thought you were going to lose your composure the moment that Foundation Establishment pressure appeared."
Ling Yue scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"...I almost did."
"...Really?"
"...Really."
She instinctively looked upward.
"...But after spending more than two years being thrown into impossible situations by Senior..."
She gave a small shrug.
"...I guess my nerves have become a little tougher."
Silence.
Above them—
Lizarius remained invisible.
Completely motionless.
His golden eyes quietly observed the bustling Night Market below.
As they continued east—
the streets gradually became quieter.
The crowds slowly thinned.
The lively cries of merchants faded into the distance until only scattered conversations remained.
Before long—
a sturdy three-story building came into view.
Its exterior was constructed from dark timber, polished smooth by years of use.
Warm lantern light spilled from its windows, bathing the building in a welcoming glow.
Above the entrance hung a large wooden lantern carved into the shape of a sheep.
It swayed gently in the cool night breeze.
Ling Yue looked up.
"...This should be it."
She pointed toward the sign.
"The Night Sheep House."
Ling Wei nodded.
"It matches the attendant's description."
Without hesitation—
the siblings walked toward the entrance.
As they stepped inside—
a pleasant wave of warmth greeted them.
The interior was lively, yet far calmer than the bustling Night Market outside.
Several cultivators sat quietly at scattered tables, eating and drinking while conversing in low voices.
No one paid much attention to the newcomers.
Behind a polished wooden counter stood a middle-aged innkeeper with a neatly trimmed beard.
He looked up with the practiced smile of someone accustomed to receiving travelers from every walk of life.
"Welcome to the Night Sheep House."
His gaze briefly swept over the shadows concealing their bodies before returning to their faces.
"What can I do for our two honored guests?"
Ling Yue stepped forward.
"We'd like a room."
The innkeeper nodded.
"One room or two?"
Ling Yue instinctively glanced toward Ling Wei.
Ling Wei hesitated for only a brief moment before answering,
"One will be sufficient."
The innkeeper smiled knowingly but made no comment.
Instead, he reached beneath the counter and retrieved a small jade token.
"A standard cultivation room costs one standard-quality low-grade spirit stone per night."
"It includes a soundproof formation, a basic spirit-gathering formation, and complete privacy."
Ling Yue instinctively looked upward once more.
"...Senior?"
Above her—
the invisible white-scaled lizard quietly examined the inn.
His golden eyes swept across the numerous formations hidden throughout the building.
After a brief silence—
he answered.
"...Higher."
Ling Yue blinked.
"...Higher?"
Understanding immediately dawned on her.
She turned back toward the innkeeper.
"...We'll take one of your best rooms."
The innkeeper raised an eyebrow.
"The best?"
He gave a slow nod.
"In that case..."
"I would recommend one of our highest-grade cultivation suites."
"It possesses a superior spirit-gathering formation, reinforced soundproofing, multiple defensive formations, and complete privacy."
He smiled politely.
"The price is one high-quality low-grade spirit stone per night."
Ling Yue gave a simple nod.
"...We'll take it."
Before the innkeeper could even reach for his ledger—
five spirit stones drifted silently out of empty air.
They floated gracefully across the counter before settling into a perfectly straight line upon the polished wood.
Clink.
Clink.
Clink.
Clink.
Clink.
The innkeeper's eyes widened ever so slightly.
He examined the five stones.
Each one was flawless.
Each contained remarkably pure spiritual energy.
Looking back at the two guests, his smile became noticeably warmer.
"...Five high-quality low-grade spirit stones."
"That will cover five nights."
He carefully stored the stones before retrieving a thin jade slip from beneath the counter.
Holding it respectfully with both hands, he presented it to Ling Yue.
"This is your room token."
"It serves as both your key and your guide."
He pointed toward the faint symbols engraved across its surface.
"It will lead you directly to your room."
"The formations will recognize it and grant you entry."
After a brief pause, he added with a courteous smile,
"Please keep it safe."
"If it is lost, report it to us immediately so we can issue a replacement."
Ling Yue accepted the jade slip with both hands.
"...Thank you."
The innkeeper inclined his head.
"I hope our honored guests enjoy their stay."
Without another word—
the siblings turned and followed the faint spiritual thread emanating from the jade slip.
The moment they stepped onto the staircase—
the token emitted a soft glow.
A barely visible stream of light extended toward the upper floors.
Ling Wei glanced at it with mild surprise.
"...Convenient."
Ling Yue smiled.
"It really is."
Together—
they ascended toward the highest floor of the Night Sheep House.
Above them—
the invisible Lizarius remained silent.
His golden eyes calmly examined the inn's layered formations as they walked.
*Acceptable.*
The privacy here...
Would suffice for what he intended next.