sbdcsierra Chapter 555 Tianjian Chamber of Commerce
Chapter 555 Tianjian Chamber of Commerce
The headquarters of the Heavenly Sword Merchant Guild can be said to be the most luxurious building in the entire Heavenly Sword City, apart from the Heavenly Sword Tower.
It was a magnificent five-story pavilion with upturned eaves, with a black stone base and a main frame constructed of dark brown sandalwood.
The glazed tiles shimmered with iridescent colors under the sunlight, and auspicious beast bells made of rare bronze hung from the eaves, producing a clear and melodious "ding-dong" sound when the wind blew, easily drowning out the hustle and bustle of the street.
A huge golden "Heavenly Sword" banner fluttered in the wind, embroidered with the emblem of the Four Directions Sword Alliance.
As far as Shen Xu knew, only third-grade sects were qualified to issue pill tickets.
However, the Four Directions Sword Saint had extraordinary connections and managed to win over the Alchemist Alliance, Ningchuan Sect, and Seven Luminaries Sect in Ningzhou, granting the Four Directions Sword Alliance, a fourth-rank power, the right to issue pill tickets.
This made Shen Xu very curious about the status of the Four Sword Saints in the Yuancang Sword Sect, and why they would abandon the Central Plains where dragons and snakes rise from the land, and come to such a remote place as Ningzhou.
Although Shen Xu got up very early today, he still saw a constant stream of people when he arrived at the Tianjian Chamber of Commerce.
A diverse array of pedestrians moved among them.
There were caravan leaders, weary from their journey and speaking with accents from other places, as well as shop assistants in uniform, and also simply dressed, rogue cultivators and ordinary people clutching a few pill notes, their faces filled with tension and hope.
The Heavenly Sword Merchant Guild fostered the prosperity of the entire district.
Surrounding it, numerous industries related to elixirs abound, including shops specializing in alchemy furnaces and alchemy ingredients, and elegant teahouses offering tasting and exchange services, filling the entire street.
Upon entering the pavilion, the first thing that catches the eye is a row of densely packed jade counters, filled with people waiting.
Despite the bustling noise inside the huge hall, it was not chaotic.
Behind each counter sat several smartly dressed shop assistants in matching blue robes. They spoke very quickly but clearly, their fingers flying across the jade abacus.
"Three hundred Nourishing Essence Pills, please accept them!"
"Your imperial ticket..."
The soft light emitted by the precious artifact used to examine the pill ticket, along with the continuous tinkling sound, was heard as it swept across the ticket.
The most prominent feature facing the main gate is a huge, polished stone wall.
The screen displays real-time updates on important news regarding elixir trading within the Sword Alliance, as well as procedures for handling various businesses at the Heavenly Sword Merchant Guild.
Following the instructions, Shen Xu found the counter where he could handle his business.
The good news was that there weren't many people at the counter, and he only had to wait a short while before it was his turn.
Behind the counter sat a middle-aged shopkeeper dressed in a higher-ranking blue robe, who looked very experienced. He had a friendly smile on his face. "Young man, are you here to exchange for pill tickets from other major regions?"
"Hmm! I'd like to ask how much the handling fee is for exchanging Sword Alliance pill tickets for Ningchuan Sect pill tickets?"
"Ningchuan Sect's pill tickets can circulate throughout Ningzhou, so the fees they charge are the highest among all the major regions."
According to the latest exchange rate, a 5% handling fee will be charged when exchanging Dan Tickets from Xingchuan Region for Dan Tickets from Ningchuan Sect.
"I wonder how much you'd like to exchange, young man?" the middle-aged man asked with a smile.
"Damn, it's so dark!"
Three percent of his Nourishing Essence Pills disappeared after just one transaction. One million was thirty thousand. Shen Xu felt his heart was bleeding.
However, he had to go through this process, and the Ningchuan Sect's Chamber of Commerce would only charge him a higher price.
Shen Xu knew that there must be an insider price for this exchange, but he could no longer reveal his identity as a disciple of the Sword Alliance.
Let the Li family earn this money! Anyway, they still owe Li Xiaoyi a lot.
"I want to exchange one million Ningchuan Sect Pill Tickets."
"Huh? What did you say, sir?"
"I want to exchange one million, you don't need to doubt it."
"Please wait a moment!" After saying this, the middle-aged man hurriedly left his seat and came to his side from another place.
"Please follow me, sir. The second floor is where a distinguished guest like you should stay."
Following the man, Shen Xu arrived at a luxuriously decorated room on the second floor.
One of the older men, who looked like an accountant, stroked his goatee and whispered something to a young manager who was holding a thick ledger and looked nervous.
Upon seeing Shen Xu arrive, the old man immediately smiled and said, "Honored guest, please have a seat. I heard that you wish to exchange one million Ningchuan Sect pill tickets. Is that true?"
"Any questions?"
"May I ask who the guest is?"
Do I need to register with my real name to redeem the pill tickets?
"As long as you don't have a pill ticket with an identity verification, you don't need it. But one million Nourishing Yuan Pills is not a small amount. If no one can vouch for you, the Chamber of Commerce may not be able to redeem it for you."
"There's a rule that says if I don't have anyone to vouch for me, what's the maximum amount I can exchange?"
"Ten thousand!" the old man smiled.
Upon hearing this, Shen Xu frowned; he had no desire to return to the Heavenly Sword Chamber of Commerce.
"Then let's exchange 10,000 first!" Shen Xu felt helpless. It really was true that the Sword Alliance made money and the Sword Alliance spent it. For the first time in his life, he had the trouble of having money but not being able to spend it.
"If you only need to exchange 10,000, the counter downstairs can process it." The old man gestured for the customer to leave.
After Shen Xu left, the old man immediately said to the young manager beside him, "Find someone to tell Miss that someone who meets her requirements has come to the Chamber of Commerce today."
After exchanging his pill tickets, Shen Xu looked at the somewhat gloomy sky and couldn't help but feel a little depressed.
Ten thousand Nourishing Yuan Pills may seem like a lot, but for him who was about to sit in the inter-domain formation, it wasn't much, not to mention the other expenses.
The Four Directions Sword Alliance has restrictions on exchanges, not to mention other places.
Moreover, a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.
It's dangerous for him to flaunt a million Yuan-Nourishing Pills anywhere; he might already be being watched.
At worst, the Four Directions Sword Alliance could expose his identity, but no one else would come to his rescue.
But he really didn't know how to find a guarantor without revealing his identity.
"Brother, I see that your eyes are full of sorrow. I wonder if I can help you relieve your worries?" At this moment, a gentle voice suddenly rang in his ear.
Seeing the white-clad youth approaching him, Shen Xu's eyes instantly sharpened. "Zuo Chen!"
"Aren't you going to say goodbye to your old friends before you leave?" Zuo Chen said with a smile.
"How did you know I was here?" Shen Xu's eyes were full of suspicion.
Even a stargazer couldn't be so accurate; he suspected that Zuo Chen had done something to him.
"It seems you still lack understanding of the Star Gazer. Once I have enough information about you, your whereabouts will be certain to me."
There might be a slight difference in timing, but I happen to be quite free lately.
"What do you want to do?" Shen Xu said coldly.
"I'm just here to see you off as a friend, and I'll do you a favor by making a deal," Zuo Chen said, handing him a bundle of Ningchuan Sect pill vouchers.
Shen Xu gave Zuo Chen a deep look, took the pill tickets, and then handed all the pill tickets he had, as well as some Ningchuan Sect pill tickets, back to Zuo Chen.
"I don't like owing people anything."
"I don't like it either," Zuo Chen said with a smile after taking the pill ticket.
"Just be your hero."
After finishing speaking, Shen Xu left the Heavenly Sword Chamber of Commerce without looking back and disappeared from Zuo Chen's sight.
"He could have been a seed for Xingchuan Domain, but unfortunately his heart wasn't in Xingchuan Domain." The figure of Haoyue Sword Master appeared beside Zuo Chen.
“He has already helped Xingchuan Domain enough. Initially, the only reason he was willing to stay in Xingchuan Domain was because of his family. After the goddess awakened, that reason no longer existed. It would be surprising if he didn’t leave.”
"It's actually better that he left. The conflict between Su Jing and him was giving me a lot of headaches."
"Sword Master is mistaken. Their conflict mainly lies with Young Master Jing, not Shen Xu. I think even if Shen Xu leaves Xingchuan Domain, Young Master Jing will still go to find him."
"How could I not know? I can only hope that Su Jing won't threaten Shen Xu's family! Otherwise, I'll be in a very difficult position."
Zuo Chen smiled. "Has the Sword Saint decided which path to choose now?"
"The Blood Central Realm has greatly enhanced the Xingchuan Region, and we absolutely cannot give it up."
Furthermore, the first batch of disciples sent by the Sword Alliance has already entered the Blood Central Realm, and we believe they will bring back results soon. The Bright Moon Sword Master looked towards the direction of Heavenly Sword Mountain.