"Ugh…"
Beside Exalting Sanctum, a figure was hunched over a trash can, vomiting without any regard for his image.
Another black-haired girl was much better, merely covering her mouth with a pained expression. Although it felt a bit wasteful, she still disdainfully tossed the canned drink in her hand into the trash can.
"This feeling of esophageal damage… can this stuff really be considered a specialty?"
"Seele too… maybe some people like it."
After eating the overly sweet, even greasy snacks, Takatsuki had planned to buy some drinks from a vending machine. However, following the recommendation of someone nearby who claimed to be a Xianzhou gourmand, he bought two cans of specialty Soda Bean Juice, and the result…
was already obvious.
A liquid filled with pungent and sour odors…
"Hahaha, you're just not used to it yet. You'll get used to it if you drink more. You know, this is a very popular drink among the local Xianzhou people."
Takatsuki rolled his eyes at the fox-eared foxian beside him.
The taste reminded him of natto he had once tried. Although the taste was somewhat different, there was no difference in the fact that he couldn't accept it. Takatsuki still remembered how he had once forced himself to eat a bowl of natto as part of a dare, and then had an upset stomach that very night.
One could only say that it was something people who hadn't grown up eating it simply couldn't get used to.
"I still don't want to get used to it, forget it."
He rinsed his mouth with a bottle of mineral water called Scalegorge Waterscape Ice Spring. It was just ordinary spring water, yet inexplicably expensive.
"Why is this Scalegorge Waterscape Ice Spring so expensive? Isn't it just ordinary purified water?"
"Oh, that's because this spring water comes from Scalegorge Waterscape. Don't let its taste fool you; it's just like ordinary purified water, cool and refreshing, but this spring water is very high in calories. Drinking too much can make you fat."
"Pfft!" *2
This time, it wasn't just Takatsuki; even Seele spat it out.
For girls, gaining weight was a huge taboo.
"Cough cough… this water? You're kidding, right?"
The foxian nearby took a sip from his Soda Bean Juice can: "Of course not. If it wasn't special, why would it be the same price as delicious Soda Bean Juice?"
Delicious…
Takatsuki and Seele laughed awkwardly.
"By the way, what kind of place is this Scalegorge Waterscape?"
Seele asked curiously.
"Scalegorge Waterscape, that's where the Vidyadhara undergo their rebirth. Outsiders can't enter the interior, but you can look at the outer perimeter. The outer perimeter of Scalegorge Waterscape consists of beaches and the ocean, so if you want to see the sea, it's a good choice to go there."
One name was immediately followed by more incomprehensible terms.
Under the explanation of this kind foxian, the two learned that there were mainly three races on Xianzhou: the Wingweavers, the Foxians, and the Vidyadhara.
The Wingweavers were the immortal beings who had once received the blessing of abundance. Those who turned Mara-Struck were Wingweavers. Wingweavers would recover quickly even from injuries. The Stellaron Hunters whom Takatsuki had slashed must have been Wingweavers.
Then there were the Foxians. Foxians lived much longer than ordinary people, numbering in the hundreds of years. Other than their fox ears and tails, there weren't many other significant differences.
After that were the Vidyadhara. On the surface, Vidyadhara were like ordinary people, with limited lifespans, but they had a reincarnation mechanism called rebirth. Wingweavers could reproduce, but Vidyadhara could not; they could only continuously undergo rebirth and reincarnation.
These things were not secrets; not only the local people of Xianzhou, but even some outsiders knew about them.
The kind foxian also told Takatsuki and Seele that if they were interested in Xianzhou's past, they could go to Nighthaven to listen to Xi Yan tell stories.
Currently, the most popular was the story of the Cloud Knights.
However, before that, the important thing was to first go to the Jeweler's Pagoda to pawn some items for money.
The proprietor of the Jeweler's Pagoda was named Handian. True to his name, he was a learned and refined man, but also a traditional businessman. Born a Wingweaver, Handian had been running his shop on this street for several centuries.
However, even so, upon seeing the ruby Takatsuki produced, he still called it a rare treasure.
"Proprietor, you're mistaken. This gem can be called unique, absolutely impossible to find a second one. It's a pure natural ruby, and don't just look at its appearance. Proprietor, do you have any paper?"
Takatsuki smiled slightly, holding the replicated red Stone of Aja in his hand.
"Naturally, I do. What does the guest wish to do?"
Handian took out some paper from under the counter.
"Proprietor, hold it well. This ruby, in our world, has a name: red Stone of Aja, meaning without a trace of impurity. Its interior can reflect light billions of times and amplify it, projecting it from a single point."
Takatsuki said, raising the ruby in his hand.
Although the sun on the Xianzhou Luofu was simulated, it possessed the power and temperature of the sun. One should know that even the light from a burning match, when passed through the red stone, could converge into a beam strong enough to burn paper, let alone this?
The not-so-hot light passed through the red Stone of Aja, converging to a single point. A small charred black spot quickly appeared on the white paper and steadily expanded, beginning to burn.
After putting down the red Stone of Aja, the proprietor also dealt with the paper that had nearly caught fire.
"Guest, you truly have brought a remarkable treasure."
"How about it? Can such a natural ruby be called unique?"
However, Handian still denied it: "Not really. The cosmos is vast and boundless. Although my Luofu does not have such a gem, it might not be uncommon in other universes. Moreover, my Luofu trades with countless worlds and has innumerable merchants and those seeking medical treatment."
"Then has the proprietor ever heard anyone else mention such an item?"
He just wanted to devalue it, Takatsuki immediately understood Handian's intention.
"No."
On this point, Handian was disdainful, or rather, his dignity prevented him from lying: "But I was born on this Luofu and have never been to other worlds, nor dare I claim to know everything."
"Rarity makes an item valuable. That at least indicates that on this Xianzhou Luofu, this item holds extremely high value."
"Guest, you may not know, but on this Xianzhou Luofu, common ornaments are jade omens. Gemstone ornaments are mostly used by barbarians."
"Then how much does the proprietor think this item is worth for pawning?"
After all that talk, it was all to determine the price. Takatsuki felt that he couldn't out-talk this old fox who had lived for hundreds of years and was shrewd enough to open a shop on Exalting Sanctum.
"One million Credits, how about it?"
Takatsuki shook his head: "Too low."
"This is a pawn shop. If you regret it, you can redeem the item."
"I choose a dead pawn."