Under the Jialan Holy Land were four internal organizations and three external ones, all managed by the Jialan Seven Sages.
Leaving aside the internal organizations for now, the three external ones included the Holy Land Academy—which recruited prodigies from across the lands—the Merchant Alliance, which oversaw guilds everywhere, and the Demon Slaying Army, stationed in major cities.
The Merchant Alliance fell under the purview of the Merchant Supreme among the Seven Sages. It lay to the west of the Jialan Holy Land, not too far from the Holy Land Academy to the south.
The airship set off in the morning and arrived at the Myriad Merchants Ancient City—home of the Merchant Alliance—before noon.
Myriad Merchants Ancient City was arguably the largest and most prosperous city on the entire Jialan Continent. It sprawled across a vast basin like some colossal heavenly beast, its footprint roughly twice the size of the Holy Land Academy. Towering city walls and ancient architecture radiated a grand, majestic aura.
Yan Zhen piloted the airship smoothly onto the landing plaza outside the city. The four of them disembarked one after another.
Guards stood watch at the city gates, requiring identification to enter.
Exiting happened through a different gate.
Looking at the bustling crowds flowing like rivers, Yan Zhen broke into a sweat. But then Dean Little Aunt and Mentor Aunt led him to the nearby VIP Channel. After flashing their credentials, they passed through under the respectful gazes of two other guards.
This was why connections mattered out in the world—you needed power and backing!
The entire city belonged to the Merchant Alliance’s domain. Shops from guilds across the lands lined the streets. Yan Zhen even spotted the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce’s storefront, though it was on the smaller side and tucked away in an unremarkable spot. The silver lining was the steady foot traffic; plenty of customers browsed inside, intrigued by the novel trinkets.
Dean Yu Qing suddenly remarked,
“The ice cream and chocolate you gave us—did you buy them here?”
Yan Zhen shook his head.
“I’m one of the shareholders in the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce.”
Grand Mentor Shui Bailan looked mildly surprised.
“Wait, does that mean you invented those sweets?”
Yan Zhen smiled shyly.
“It’s not quite an invention. I just provided some ideas.”
“Who knew you had that kind of talent?” Dean Yu Qing marveled with a tsk. “Still, you’d best focus on your cultivation right now. Everything else can wait.”
“Earning spirit stones is part of cultivation too,” Yan Zhen grumbled with a pout. “How else do you get the resources? Not everyone’s born into a big clan like you, Little Aunt.”
Dean Yu Qing shot him a sidelong glance.
“No matter how rough your start, you’re still a prized disciple of the Flame Saint. How bad could it be? Besides, haven’t we been good to you?”
Yan Zhen coughed twice.
“Mother-in-law has been great to me, that’s true.”
Dean Yu Qing narrowed her beautiful eyes and turned to stare at him. He quickly added,
“Grand Aunt’s been great too.”
A faint murderous glint flickered in Dean Yu Qing’s gaze. Yan Zhen hurriedly continued,
“Of course, Little Aunt’s been great as well.”
Only then did Dean Yu Qing look away, huffing loudly.
From the side, Shui Bailan teased,
“What about Aunt?”
Yan Zhen chuckled.
“All good, all good. I’m truly honored by the favor of all you elders~”
Shui Bailan covered her mouth and giggled.
Dean Yu Qing shot her best friend a strange look, wondering when Bailan had become such a giggler.
Long Ying, whom Yan Zhen was holding by the hand, also glanced at them oddly. She felt like a total third wheel.
—Yen Zhen was such a dummy. Chatting away happily with these beautiful elders while completely ignoring her. He didn’t even buy her treats when they passed something yummy. No self-awareness at all!
Luckily, Yan Zhen caught sight of Long Ying’s resentful little glare in time. He promptly bought her two servings of ice cream.
Long Ying’s face lit up with delight. She clutched the ice creams in both tiny hands, taking bites from left and right. She reached to take Yan Zhen’s hand again—only to realize with shock that both her hands were occupied!
Ice cream or hand-holding? It was a serious dilemma.
Seeing Yan Zhen continue to chat cheerfully with the two beautiful elders, Long Ying felt a surge of crisis. She gritted her teeth, stuffed the whole ice cream into her mouth in one go, and grabbed Yan Zhen’s hand again, only then did her heart settle down.
—Mm-hmm, successfully defended Yan Zhen Zhen once again. Though now her tummy felt super chilly~
The Merchant Alliance headquarters stood at the city’s heart, atop a pavilion that pierced the clouds. It was too far to walk, so the group hailed a beast-drawn carriage to take them there.
The Merchant Alliance itself wasn’t a trading guild but an alliance of them—something like a world trade hub. People could buy nearly any heavenly treasure here because it linked to every major guild on the Jialan Continent.
Want something? Just check the catalog. If it wasn’t in local stock, it could be teleported straight from another guild’s inventory.
Led by staff who turned out to be from the Yu Family, Yan Zhen smoothly purchased the Ancient Wood Spirit Marrow and Thousand-Year Thunderstruck Wood.
The Ancient Wood Spirit Marrow was available on-site. The Thousand-Year Thunderstruck Wood came from another guild’s stock, which cost extra since maintaining and activating the small teleportation array wasn’t cheap.
Yan Zhen didn’t spend a single coin, though. Dean Little Aunt covered it all.
The whole process was so seamless that Yan Zhen felt it wasn’t quite real.
He was the protagonist, after all. Right now, he desperately needed the Ancient Wood Spirit Marrow and Thousand-Year Thunderstruck Wood to subdue the Wind-Thunder Crystal Fire. By all rights, some antagonist should jump out to compete for them, only to get a beatdown and cough up loot to refill his pockets. Classic hero flex routine!
Sadly, no villains crashed the party. Not even any snobby doormen or haughty shop girls to put in their place.
Having paid up, Dean Yu Qing said proudly,
“Anything else? Better grab it all now.”
Yan Zhen shook his head.
“I can get the rest at the Inner Academy Exchange. I’ve already stocked up—do Little Aunt and Aunt need anything?”
“None of your business.” Dean Yu Qing’s pretty face flushed slightly. “We’re done here. Let’s go.”
“Oh.”
Leaving the headquarters, Yan Zhen held Long Ying’s hand as he trailed behind Dean Little Aunt and Mentor Aunt. They poked into shop after shop, eventually doubling back to the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce and heading to the more secluded Lingerie Section inside.
Ah… Were Little Aunt and Aunt here to buy bras and panties?
Dean Yu Qing told Yan Zhen,
“You and Long Ying wait outside. We’ll be quick.”
Yan Zhen agreed.
Local customs weren’t that liberal yet, so the lingerie area was off-limits to men.
Watching as Dean Little Aunt and Mentor Aunt entered the shop, picking through all those colorful undergarments, Yan Zhen felt a strange stir in his heart.
As if sensing his gaze, Dean Little Aunt suddenly turned and looked outside. Her face pinked as she glared in warning: no peeking.
Yan Zhen calmly averted his eyes and sat down with Long Ying on the bench by the door.
However, the shop manager emerged and approached him with utmost respect.
“Are you Master Yan Zhen, by chance?”
Yan Zhen blinked. Master? What master?
