The man descending from the second floor was a scholarly-looking middle-aged man in a brown robe. He was actually someone Lin Feng knew—Qi Minghe, the manager of the first floor at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion in Verdant Cloud City.
The goods in the Verdant Cloud City branch were supplied by this very Azure Spring City Pavilion. Qi Minghe had come to report on the recent situation at the Verdant Cloud branch and to collect a batch of newly acquired magical artifacts.
As he descended the stairs, he unexpectedly caught sight of a familiar figure. Puzzled, he saw Sun Ronghan escorting the person to the door before turning back. Qi Minghe immediately walked over.
Sun Ronghan also noticed Qi Minghe approaching and smiled. "Brother Qi, have you finished your business? Come, let's have a drink."
"Yes, just about done." Qi Minghe nodded, then asked, "Brother Sun, who was that person you just saw out? Do you know his identity or name?"
"Hmm?" Sun Ronghan blinked, confused. "Why? I don't know his background, only that his name is Lin Yun. He came to sell a batch of magical artifacts and also bought a large quantity of refining materials... Is there something problematic about that man?"
"Lin Yun! So it really is him!" Qi Minghe exclaimed in surprise. "What is he doing in Azure Spring City?"
Sun Ronghan looked astonished. "What? You actually know him? That young man seems rather extraordinary... Do you know who he is?"
"I suppose I know him, but like you, I only know his name," Qi Minghe admitted, nodding. "You're right, he is indeed extraordinary. He should be from Verdant Cloud City. He's brought numerous artifacts to sell at my branch several times, and the grades have been progressively higher. I suspect he might have a formidable Artificer master."
"He's from Verdant Cloud City?" Sun Ronghan said. "I also suspected he might be an Artificer himself, but from what I could tell, he's only at the early Foundation Establishment stage. It's impossible for him to craft treasure artifacts, let alone a highest-grade one. But if he has a powerful master, that explains it. Presumably, those treasure artifacts came from his master's hand... But, is there really a fourth-grade Artificer in Verdant Cloud City capable of forging highest-grade treasure artifacts?"
"Wait, what did you say?" Qi Minghe's expression froze with shock. "You said he's reached Foundation Establishment? I remember him only being at mid Qi Condensation not long ago."
"Really?" Sun Ronghan blinked, then confirmed, "While I can't pinpoint the exact layer, he definitely seemed to be at the Foundation Establishment stage. Since you say he was only at Qi Condensation recently, he's probably at the first layer of Foundation Establishment."
Qi Minghe pressed, "Also, you mentioned he brought a highest-grade treasure artifact to sell?"
"Correct. And it was a Thunder attribute offensive weapon. Look, this is it." As he spoke, Sun Ronghan flicked his right hand, materializing the Thunder Arc Treasure Blade he had stored in his Spatial Ring.
"Huh?!" The moment Qi Minghe saw the blade, his face paled slightly. "This... this is He Wenyang's weapon?!"
"What?" Sun Ronghan stared, taken aback. "You recognize this artifact? So it originally belonged to someone else? Then it wasn't crafted by that 'master' of Lin Yun's?"
"..."
Qi Minghe didn't answer immediately, instead plunging into momentary shock. He was not unfamiliar with this artifact; in fact, he remembered it vividly because he was the one who had sold it!
Ten years ago, freshly recruited into the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, Qi Minghe had been assigned to the Verdant Cloud City branch. Back then, he wasn't the manager, merely a steward. He Wenyang had just assumed the position of the He Family head and visited the Pavilion to purchase a high-grade artifact – precisely this Thunder Arc Treasure Blade. Qi Minghe had personally handled the transaction. He still recalled the excitement of his first major sale; he remembered it sold for one hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones...
Therefore, seeing the artifact now, Qi Minghe recognized it instantly. And immediately after, a realization struck him with even greater force:
—This blade belonged to He Wenyang, who had recently been killed. Rumors spoke of a powerful Golden Core cultivator wielding a flying sword. And now, He Wenyang's treasured weapon was here, sold by 'Lin Yun'... meaning... He Wenyang's death was connected to 'Lin Yun'!!
Qi Minghe didn't believe Lin Feng himself could have killed He Wenyang. Instead, his mind leaped to the young man's mysterious 'master'. It seemed highly likely that this hidden, powerful Artificer within Verdant Cloud City was responsible.
When news broke a few days earlier about the He Family head being slain by a Golden Core cultivator outside Verdant Cloud City, Qi Minghe had been quite surprised. Now, linking that event to 'Lin Yun's' enigmatic 'master', everything suddenly made sense.
"It seems my initial estimation was far too low. To think there's a Golden Core realm, fourth-grade Artificer hidden within Verdant Cloud City! I wonder if there's an opportunity to befriend such a figure..." Qi Minghe pondered internally. Suddenly, his gaze sharpened. Something felt off. He scrutinized the blade in Sun Ronghan's hand and abruptly realized what it was. "That can't be!!" he uttered incredulously. "Why is this artifact in such pristine condition?! It's been completely restored?! How is that possible..."
He was shocked to discover the artifact looked brand new! As if it had just been forged! This was impossible. He Wenyang had used this artifact for ten years; it couldn't possibly look this immaculate. The only explanation was that it had been meticulously repaired and reforged!
But... this was a highest-grade treasure artifact! Restoring an artifact of this caliber was something even an ordinary fourth-grade Artificer probably couldn't achieve!
It was important to understand: in most cases, repairing a magical artifact was often more difficult than crafting one of the same grade. Artifacts at the Magical Instrument level were manageable; their refining materials and techniques weren't overly complex, and most Artificers could handle their repair. Treasure artifacts, however, were different. Their crafting process and required materials were considerably more intricate. Unless it was the original crafter, others found it extremely challenging to repair them because analyzing the exact materials used in a treasure artifact was a formidable task.
As for Spiritual Artifacts and above, it went without saying. Almost every Spirit Artifact possessed unique crafting techniques and might contain complex micro-array formations within. Unless one was the original crafter or knew the detailed crafting process inside out, ordinary Artificers couldn't hope to repair them.
The Myriad Treasures Pavilion was a vast merchant organization employing numerous Artificers. Artifacts crafted by their in-house practitioners and sold usually came with detailed material lists. This aided buyers in gathering materials for repairs if the artifact was damaged. However, in the broader cultivation world, most cultivators' artifacts lacked such 'manuals'. Acquiring artifacts wasn't limited to purchasing from stores; many frequently changed hands. This often left owners powerless to repair them, forced to use them until they were utterly ruined.
Qi Minghe distinctly remembered this Thunder Arc Treasure Blade. It hadn't been crafted by an Artificer within the Pavilion's organization; it had been acquired from an external source. Therefore, it hadn't come with a material manifest. And now, it had been restored to a state of perfection. This revelation left him profoundly shaken.
"Could it be not just a fourth-grade Artificer... but a fifth-grade one?! Or perhaps... an Artificer possessing exotic flames?!"
A torrent of thoughts raced through Qi Minghe's mind. His interest in that mysterious Artificer intensified significantly. He resolved firmly that next time he encountered 'Lin Yun', he must find a way to cultivate a connection...
...
Meanwhile, Lin Feng remained blissfully unaware that he had attracted such intense 'interest'. After leaving the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, he headed straight for the Southern District's Bazaar Market.
Along the way, he passed three artifact shops. Lin Feng had initially hoped to find a significant number of scrap treasure artifacts there. However, he soon realized his assumption might have been flawed. The amount of scrap artifacts in these shops wasn't noticeably greater than what he'd find in Verdant Cloud City's stores...
The cultivators in Azure Spring City were far more numerous, stronger, and wealthier than those in Verdant Cloud City. Consequently, even when they had damaged artifacts, they generally couldn't be bothered to sell them for a pittance. Most simply used them until they were completely ruined and then bought new ones. Moreover, the artifact shops in Azure Spring City operated at a 'higher tier'; they predominantly sold brand-new, high-quality items. Many didn't deal in second-hand artifacts at all...
So, after visiting three artifact shops in a row, Lin Feng managed to buy only four scrap treasure artifacts – three low-grade and one mid-grade. Repairing these could net him a few thousand low-grade spirit stones. In the past, he would have considered this a decent haul. But after the staggering shock of the one million price tag for a third-grade array plate, it felt utterly insignificant...
This setback discouraged Lin Feng. He lost the motivation to search more artifact shops. His only remaining hope now rested on the Bazaar...