Chapter 389: Qinghe Princess

The immortal ship's speed was incredible!

Five days later, they arrived at the imperial capital.

As they stepped down from the immortal ship, a bustling, scorching aura rushed toward them.

"Wow…"

Xiaohe was stunned!

She stood frozen on the staircase descending from the immortal ship, gazing at the towering buildings around her, the golden and radiant palaces, her mind reeling.

So magnificent.

Even He Pingsheng was utterly awed by the sight.

So grand!

It wasn't just Xiaohe—many others visiting the capital for the first time were equally awed by the might of the Liang Empire's imperial capital.

Moreover, spiritual power floated in the air of the capital itself.

Though faint, it was present.

As long as you could secure a residence here and set up a Spirit Gathering Array, cultivation would naturally pose no great problem.

"Let's go!" He Pingsheng tugged Xiaohe, and the three continued following Huang Shen.

After descending from the immortal ship plaza, they rode spirit beast carriages for about half an hour before finally stopping at the entrance of a merchant association.

The four got off the carriage.

He Pingsheng put away the spirit rabbit and the cart, then looked toward the merchant association.

Above its entrance hung a massive sign bearing four large characters: 【Grand Void Merchant Association】.

Inside, the association was vast.

It had three floors!

The first floor was the general merchandise section, with a fairly complete selection.

Almost everything was available.

Ling Zhiwang stepped forward and said, "Comrade He… hehe… what do you think of our association?"

He Pingsheng nodded. "Looks decent enough."

"Hehe!" Ling Zhiwang said. "We rarely lack items of first, second, and some third-grade quality—visitors can usually find what they need!"

"But third- and fourth-grade items are scarce."

"This is the biggest difference between our association and others!"

"Oh, by the way…"

"The second floor sells valuable items; the third floor is a small auction hall, capable of accommodating a thousand people!"

He Pingsheng inspected each floor under Ling Zhiwang's guidance.

He was fairly satisfied.

As Ling Zhiwang said, the valuable items on the second floor were indeed few.

There was nothing to be done.

Major associations built their stockpile over decades of accumulation.

The Grand Void Merchant Association had only been open for a few years—it was no surprise they lacked deep reserves.

As for the third-floor auction hall, He Pingsheng did not go up.

Since the association opened, it had never held a single auction.

Simple: they had nothing to auction.

To hold an auction, you need sufficiently valuable items.

And not just one or two—you need enough to sustain at least two hours of bidding.

That means at least twenty different items.

Because no auctions had ever been held, few outsiders came to consign items.

This vicious cycle left the association unable to host auctions at all.

Behind the association was a large courtyard, thirty zhang wide and one hundred zhang deep.

Within the courtyard stood dozens of buildings.

There were grand halls, smaller pavilions, and modest cottages.

Crucially, the place had decent spiritual energy.

"This place is excellent!" The moment he entered, He Pingsheng set his eyes on the courtyard.

Ling Zhiwang said, "This was personally arranged by the Crown Prince—he said no rent is needed; it permanently belongs to our Grand Void Merchant Association!"

He Pingsheng was stunned.

How to put it?

This gift was still quite valuable.

In the imperial capital, every inch of land was priceless—renting such a courtyard would cost countless spirit stones, yet it was given to He Pingsheng outright.

One could not deny: the Ninth Imperial Prince's gift was heavy indeed.

After viewing everything, He Pingsheng chose a main hall in the back courtyard and moved in temporarily.

He then summoned Huang Shen.

"Senior!" Huang Shen bowed deeply, standing before He Pingsheng without daring to raise his head.

He Pingsheng pulled out a porcelain bottle. "This is a top-grade Chaoyuan Pill."

"As long as you're not utterly devoid of wisdom, you'll reach Golden Core even if you have to be carried there!"

Top-grade elixirs guarantee a hundred percent breakthrough.

Huang Shen accepted the pill with deep gratitude. "Thank you, Senior… but… I'm still stuck at the eleventh level!"

Huang Shen had long hit a bottleneck.

His problem wasn't Foundation Establishment pills—it was the rare treasures needed to break through the Foundation Establishment barrier.

He Pingsheng smiled, then pulled out a jade box from his storage ring. "Since I promised you Golden Core, I've already prepared it for you."

"This is a Nanqi Fruit. Take it."

"Once the shop runs normally, find an opportunity to break through."

Huang Shen, trembling with excitement and gratitude, knelt down and banged his head on the ground three times. "Senior, you are my rebirth in the cultivation path!"

"From this day forward, Huang Shen is of the Grand Void Merchant Association—I will serve you for life!"

He Pingsheng nodded. "Fine."

"Go."

He waved his hand.

Whether Huang Shen's gratitude was genuine or performative, he didn't know.

But it didn't matter.

What use was a person's sincerity?

As long as they did their job.

In He Pingsheng's eyes, this was merely a transaction.

You serve me, I reward you.

That's all.

After seeing Huang Shen off, He Pingsheng took out an array plate and began setting up arrays in the courtyard.

More precisely, he set up arrays outside his main hall.

According to He Pingsheng's plan, his cultivation ground would be protected by a third-grade array.

A defensive array was unnecessary—in the capital, no one would dare openly attack so brazenly.

But a Spirit-Blocking Array, a Spirit Gathering Array, and a Warning Array were essential.

As for the entire courtyard's array system, he planned to eventually enclose the whole compound in a fourth-grade array once he mastered fourth-grade array techniques.

Only then would it be truly secure.

One by one, the arrays unfolded.

Just as He Pingsheng finished setting up all the arrays, Ling Zhiwang rushed over in a panic.

"Comrade He… Comrade He…"

"Something's wrong!"

He Pingsheng asked, "What is it?"

Why does something go wrong the moment I arrive?

"Q… Qinghe Princess…"

"Qinghe Princess has come to settle accounts with you!"

Ling Zhiwang looked miserable.

He Pingsheng rubbed his forehead. "What Qinghe Princess?"

"I don't know her. Did you offend her?"

"No!" Ling Zhiwang said. "I have no idea how we angered this goddess—when we first opened the shop, she stormed in with a sword, demanded you come out and take one hundred and eight cuts from her!"

"You see…"

Ling Zhiwang looked utterly innocent: It's not my fault.

He Pingsheng's pupils narrowed slightly. "Fine… I understand."

He remembered.

Princess Qinghe—wasn't she the imperial princess the royal ancestor had said he would make his concubine?