Chapter 935: Heavenly Mystery Pavilion

Han Li spent some time and finally found a small, obscure Daoist temple in the city. The Daoist priests in the temple were all true mortals and possessed not a shred of magic power.

Han Li was very satisfied with this. He immediately gave some silver as alms, moved the temple master, and stayed there temporarily.

After staying in the temple for a night, early the next morning, Han Li left the temple and headed straight for an academy he had discovered during the day that possessed the aura of cultivators.

Since this academy could be opened in a place like Jinjing and didn't look small, it must have some background and a certain relationship with the Confucian sect.

However, Han Li didn't care about this in the slightest. When he quietly snuck into the academy and his figure appeared before an elderly Confucian scholar with white hair and a pale face, he didn't hide his powerful Nascent Soul-stage aura at all.

When the old Confucian scholar first saw Han Li, he was greatly startled and hurriedly condensed all his magic power, but immediately after seeing Han Li's true cultivation, his expression relaxed, he abandoned his guard, took half a step forward, and respectfully bowed to Han Li:

"Senior has graced our academy; is there anything this junior can do for you?"

"You are quite sensible. I do have some small matters to find you for. Tell me everything about the locations of the few markets in Jinjing and any information you know about the auctions. You local cultivators should know this the most clearly." Han Li smiled upon hearing this and said leisurely.

"The locations of the markets are no problem! This junior will immediately copy all the maps into a jade slip. As for the auctions, this junior doesn't know much either. I wonder what senior wishes to know?" The elderly Confucian scholar agreed without the slightest hesitation upon hearing this, took out a white jade slip from his storage bag, and began to inject the maps regarding the market locations into it.

"The specific time and location of the auction, and whether there are any rare materials for sale at this auction." Han Li withdrew the smile on his face and asked without changing his expression.

"The time and location are no problem. Nine days later, the auction will be held at the Precious Light Hall in the Jinxi Market. It is divided into Core Formation and Nascent Soul level auctions, held at different times. Nascent Soul-stage cultivators can participate in the Core Formation-level auction, but Core Formation-stage cultivators cannot enter the Nascent Soul-level auction. As for what materials are for sale, this junior truly cannot answer. After all, such a large-scale auction is jointly held by the largest few markets in Great Jin. It is very difficult for outsiders to know what items are to be sold. However, according to past experience, the number of rare-tier materials appearing at the auction will be at least over a hundred. Plus, some seniors will also temporarily hand over rare items they are carrying to the auction for bidding. This auction will generally last for five or six days." The old Confucian scholar replied honestly.

"So that's how it is, Precious Light Hall!" Han Li nodded slightly and muttered to himself.

"Senior, the jade slip has been copied. Please keep it safe." At this moment, the old Confucian scholar finally finished refining the jade slip and offered it to Han Li with both hands.

Han Li didn't say a word and reached out to grab the jade slip. After sweeping his spiritual sense through it, he nodded with a satisfied expression.

"Very good. Do not mention the matter of seeing me today to anyone else, otherwise, hehe..." Han Li gave a gloomy laugh, cyan light flickered on his body, and his figure suddenly vanished from the spot.

The old Confucian scholar's eyes twitched. He sat down on a chair and began to ponder with a slight frown.

After a good while, he swept his spiritual sense through the room, but it was completely empty; it seemed there was truly no one else.

Only then did the old Confucian scholar let out a long sigh of relief, a bitter smile appearing on his face.

After Han Li left the academy, he carefully read through the jade slip and headed straight for the Jinxi Market.

The so-called Jinxi Market was actually a small area that had been covered up all year round by a clever concealment Dharma array, hiding a remote street in the western part of Jinjing City.

Han Li appeared at the entrance of the market, easily passed through the invisible barrier that mortals couldn't detect, and his figure suddenly appeared on a slightly deserted street.

Of course, this desertedness was only relative to the bustling mortals outside. Looking at it, there were at least several hundred cultivators on the street, entering and exiting some shops on both sides.

Han Li didn't use his spiritual sense to carefully scan the entire street, but he also knew that in the days leading up to the auction, this Jinxi Market definitely had Nascent Soul-level cultivators sitting in charge. Otherwise, such a large auction wouldn't be so easy to organize.

Thinking this in his heart, Han Li walked slowly, his gaze sweeping back and forth on both sides.

This Jinxi Market was clearly different from the markets Han Li had seen in various places in southern Great Jin. Both sides of the market were almost entirely tall, two or three-story pavilions, as if each one had abundant financial resources. They were all not-so-small commercial firms. However, Han Li had truly seen the names of some pavilions in other markets.

It seemed that commercial firms with some strength in the Great Jin cultivation world would all open branches here.

Since that was the case, there was no need for careful identification. Han Li carried the list of the few materials he needed to collect and immediately went door-to-door to inquire.

But the things that Han Li hadn't managed to get his hands on until now were naturally extremely rare; how could they be so easy to find?

Han Li wasn't anxious; he hadn't expected to easily find the required materials in the market from the beginning, and he was just doing it while he was at it. He had actually come to the market for another important matter.

Participating in the auction would certainly require a large amount of spirit stones. Han Li's spirit stones were indeed not few, but after the masked cultivator avatar collected other materials, he had already spent more than half of them. Now, facing such a large-scale auction, the spirit stones he had left were naturally insufficient.

Han Li intended to find a large commercial firm to sell some rare items in exchange for some spirit stones to use.

Because the quantity of spirit stones required was extremely large, the target for the sale naturally had to be one with abundant strength.

When Han Li walked in front of a three-story pavilion, his eyes couldn't help but narrow slightly.

This pavilion was clearly much larger than the commercial firms in front. And with quite a few cultivators entering and exiting, it seemed to be a good target for sale.

It was just that when Han Li saw the plaque hanging on the pavilion's gate, inscribed with the three bucket-sized golden characters "Heavenly Mystery Pavilion," his heart couldn't help but be startled.

Could this "Heavenly Mystery Pavilion" be the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion that specialized in selling Heavenly Mystery Houses?

Han Li hesitated slightly, but still lifted his leg and walked in.

The first floor of the pavilion was not small, with a length and width of thirty or forty zhang. Five or six handsome and pretty Qi Refining-stage attendants were pointing at some things on the shelves around them, introducing them to a few guests in the shop.

The moment Han Li walked in, an attendant came over with a face full of smiles, looking like he wanted to greet him.

"Step down, I will greet this senior myself."

A white-robed middle-aged man sitting on a chair in a corner of the hall, leisurely sipping a pot of fragrant tea, was startled upon sweeping his spiritual sense over Han Li's cultivation. He hurriedly put down his teacup and shouted to stop the attendant.

Then he tidied his clothes, walked over in a few steps, bowed to Han Li, and said respectfully:

"It is truly our pavilion's honor for senior to come to our Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. Naturally, there won't be anything senior wants on the first floor. How about senior follows this junior to the third floor for a detailed talk?"

"Good, I originally wanted to find someone here who could make decisions." Han Li's gaze flickered a few times, and he said indifferently.

Then, under the guidance of the middle-aged man, he went upstairs unhurriedly.

The seven or eight cultivators buying things on the first floor below, seeing this situation, naturally knew that Han was actually a Nascent Soul-level cultivator, and a commotion immediately ensued.

"It's actually a Nascent Soul-level senior; this is my first time seeing one. How does he look so young?"

"It seems the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion is going to have a big business deal. Tsk tsk..."

A series of exclamations and wonders followed one after another.

The third floor of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion was not large, but it was decorated elegantly and uniquely. Furthermore, there were two young and beautiful female cultivators. As soon as they saw the middle-aged man bring a guest in, they immediately brewed a pot of good tea.

"Senior, please have a taste. This is the Fog Rain Spirit Tea that our pavilion acquired at a great cost; it has a unique flavor." As soon as Han Li sat down, the middle-aged man introduced it with a smile.

"There is no rush to taste the tea. Let's first see if your pavilion has the few materials I want to buy. To tell you the truth, I have already run through quite a few firms in front. I haven't received any of them, and I don't hold much hope for your Heavenly Mystery Pavilion." Han Li didn't even look at the Fog Rain tea, but instead said calmly. He then flicked his sleeve across the table, and a green jade slip appeared on the tabletop out of thin air.

"Since senior is so anxious, this junior will take a look first. However, since the few firms in front didn't have what senior wanted, it seems these materials shouldn't be ordinary items." The middle-aged man smiled upon hearing this, immediately reached out to summon the jade slip, sucked it into his hand, and then immersed his spiritual sense into it to take a look.

A moment later, the middle-aged man's expression changed slightly.

Han Li remained expressionless. He had already seen this situation on the faces of the shopkeepers of those commercial firms in front many times. Who told him that the materials he was looking for were all things that were hard to find in the world, and there were even two types of materials among them that ordinary cultivators wouldn't even have heard of.

"No wonder senior didn't gain anything at the shops in front. These materials are indeed not things that ordinary shops can acquire. Apart from the 'Thunder Spirit Stone' that our pavilion still has a small piece of, our pavilion is powerless to do anything about the rest." After withdrawing his spiritual sense from the jade slip, the white-robed middle-aged man said to Han Li with a bitter smile.

"You have Thunder Spirit Crystal?" Han Li, who had already prepared himself to be disappointed again, couldn't help but reveal a look of surprise upon hearing this.

"That's right, senior has also come at a coincidental time. This piece of Thunder Spirit Stone was also just acquired by our pavilion. However, there is some trouble; this rare material doesn't belong to our pavilion either, but was deposited in our pavilion by another Nascent Soul-stage senior who is on good terms with our pavilion, preparing to use it to exchange for other things. If it cannot be exchanged, he plans to auction it at the auction in a few days." The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment and actually said words that caused Han Li to be startled.

【End of Chapter】