"That's settled then..."
Lin Zhao rose, lightly patted the well-armored shoulder, and chuckled, "Stay with the Scarlet Moon Knights from now on."
"Mhm!"
Yuan Qi Man Man nodded with emphasis, then stood up and watched Lin Zhao leave the Grand Cathedral.
Outside the Grand Cathedral, Lin Zhao's peripheral vision caught sight of Mo Chenxue and Xiao Xia by the corner of the wall. He didn't say anything. It was good they heard; some words weren't just for Yuan Qi Man Man but for Mo Chenxue too.
Stepping out, it was time to figure out how to get by at Snow Domain Heavenly Lake.
Riding his warhorse down the main street of Tianji City, Lin Zhao fell into thought. Yesterday, the demon race had already dispatched a fifth-tier demon cultivator to lead the assault on the mountain. This indicated that his activities at Snow Domain Heavenly Lake might have already drawn the attention of Yu Zhi's distant cousin, the great demon of the upper fifth tier, 'Lord Bai Ye.' Therefore, he needed to be even more cautious moving forward.
Firstly, the camp's defenses were still too weak. It was merely a stone house; if more people were sent, it likely wouldn't hold. Secondly, there were only him and Xiang Ji at the camp. Although Xiang Ji was a ninth-tier martial artist with considerable strength, he was still just one person. If the demon race arrived with a thousand troops, Xiang Ji would eventually be exhausted. Manpower was a significant issue at Snow Domain Heavenly Lake.
As he was contemplating, someone suddenly shouted from ahead, "Come and see! Come and buy! The direct store of the Mohist School's ancestral home, the Pavilion of a Hundred Treasures, is now open! Mohist mechanisms, bronze automatons, bronze spirit beasts, Mohist offensive and defensive weapons, and more are all available. If you can't think of it, you can't buy it! Come and see! On the opening day, buy three or more items and get fifty percent off!"
"Hmm?"
Lin Zhao looked up and indeed, a new store had opened beside the main street. Its facade was drab and inconspicuous, but its boasts were grand. A direct branch of the Mohist School's ancestral home? He couldn't help but chuckle. During the battle at Snow Domain Heavenly Lake, the Mohist School's ancestral home had dispatched over ten thousand disciples to set up numerous mechanisms and formations for the human race, so Lin Zhao actually had a very good impression of the Mohist School.
He dismounted and entered the shop.
Inside, a beautiful young woman in a blue dress stepped forward, her lips curving slightly as she smiled, "Young master, what would you like to buy?"
"I'm just looking around."
Lin Zhao gave an awkward smile. Now, for the Scarlet Moon Knights, he had emptied his coffers and might not be able to afford anything.
"Certainly."
The blue-clad girl nodded with a smile, "Then please, look around."
As she spoke, she followed closely behind Lin Zhao, smiling, "My name is Xu Qingyi. If you need anything, please tell me."
"Okay."
Lin Zhao walked slowly along the shelves, his gaze sweeping over the treasures displayed. Various Mohist mechanisms, as well as ingenious contraptions, such as a carved wooden bird that could fly with a twist of its neck, a bronze bull that spewed fire from its mouth, and all sorts of peculiar items. Finally, his gaze settled on a giant crossbow. The crossbow was about five meters long from side to side, its bowstring gleamed with a cold light, and the crossbow body was covered with dense Mohist inscriptions. The arrow was very long, a full four to five meters.
"Miss Xu, what is this?" he asked with great interest.
"Demon-Slaying Crossbow."
Xu Qingyi smiled slightly and explained, "The Demon-Slaying Crossbow is an automatic device that our Mohist School's ancestral home created specifically to deal with demons. It only needs to be set up at a high vantage point. The inscriptions carved by Mohist masters can drive the mechanisms within the crossbow body. After firing a bolt, it can automatically reload a new one and can sense and lock onto the aura of demons with extreme accuracy."
"Whoa~~~"
Lin Zhao gasped, "Impressive, truly impressive... How powerful is it?"
Xu Qingyi chuckled, "Our bolts are specially tempered. The arrowheads are extremely sharp and can pierce the hide of lower fifth-tier demon cultivators, and even have a certain degree of lethality against mid-fifth-tier demon cultivators."
"A person should be honest... Miss Xu."
Lin Zhao scratched his head and said, "Just tell me directly, against which level of demons is this Demon-Slaying Crossbow basically useless?"
"Nascent Soul realm."
Xu Qingyi's pretty face flushed slightly. "You are straightforward, Young Master, so Qingyi will also be direct. Once a demon cultivator reaches the Nascent Soul realm, the power of the Demon-Slaying Crossbow becomes almost negligible. Even with the sharpest arrowheads, they cannot penetrate the protective aura of a Nascent Soul great demon."
She then frowned and smiled cautiously, "Who are you, Young Master, to ask such a question? The world has been peaceful for so long, where can one still find demon cultivators above the Golden Core realm?"
Lin Zhao chuckled silently. There are plenty, a large number of them north of the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake!
"Miss Xu, how much does this Demon-Slaying Crossbow cost?"
"Ten thousand gold."
"Huh?!"
Lin Zhao looked bewildered. Ten thousand gold coins? That was a bit too much. He had only saved a little over 6000 gold by fighting desperately at Snow Domain Heavenly Lake. How could he afford it?
"Don't worry, Young Master."
Xu Qingyi seemed to notice Lin Zhao's hesitation and smiled, "Our shop is just opening today. If you buy three or more items, you can get fifty percent off."
"Oh..."
Lin Zhao nodded and looked around again. If it was fifty percent off, he could probably afford it by buying two cheaper items to make up the count. If he could have a Demon-Slaying Crossbow to secure the camp, he and Xiang Ji wouldn't be so exhausted next time. So, he continued to look, his gaze sweeping over each item. He would ask the price for things he liked, but after asking, he would fall silent. Most of the items here were actually more expensive than the Demon-Slaying Crossbow!
Finally, his gaze fell on two green mechanical beasts placed near the entrance. These were called Bronze Beasts. They were made entirely of hard bronze, possessing sharp claws and formidable fangs. They resembled fierce tigers but had a sword-like ridge on their backs, giving them a formidable appearance.
"What are these?"
"Bronze Beasts."
Xu Qingyi smiled slightly and said, "These are things that even inner disciples of the Mohist School can craft. Bronze Beasts have extremely high defense and considerable offensive capabilities, making them suitable for all sorts of combat."
"How do they work?" Lin Zhao asked.
"Simple."
Xu Qingyi smiled, "Deploy them in a certain area, and once an enemy invades, they will attack autonomously until they are shattered. These Bronze Beasts are generally used to guard mountain gates, or purchased by royalty to guard imperial tombs. Bronze Beasts remain immortal underground for ten thousand years, and they are extremely effective at killing tomb robbers."
"Oh, impressive..."
Lin Zhao frowned. These things were indeed suitable for guarding. Moreover, they were hassle-free. If he placed them around the perimeter of the camp in the future, along with the Demon-Slaying Crossbow on the high ground, it would look more presentable. So, he asked nervously, "Bronze Beasts... how much are they?"
Xu Qingyi chuckled and held up one finger, saying, "A thousand gold each!"
"This..."
Lin Zhao looked at his pouch. 6023 gold coins. It really was going to empty him in one go. The Demon-Slaying Crossbow + two Bronze Beasts would be exactly 6000 gold. The remaining money he had might not even be enough to repair his equipment.
"Young Master."
Xu Qingyi looked at his furrowed brow and said, "Perhaps... we should look at something else?"
"No more looking."
Lin Zhao simply liked the Demon-Slaying Crossbow and the Bronze Beasts. He immediately gathered the 6000 gold from his pouch into a money bag, carrying it heavily. "Here is six thousand gold, one Demon-Slaying Crossbow, and two Bronze Beasts. Also, let's clarify the specifics first, otherwise, I won't give away my hard-earned money so casually."
Xu Qingyi couldn't help but smile and nodded, "Yes, Young Master, please tell me."
"If these devices are damaged, you must help repair them for free within six months."
"Ah?"
Xu Qingyi's small mouth parted. This request was a bit excessive. But thinking that the Demon-Slaying Crossbow had guardian inscriptions and was very sturdy, and the Bronze Beasts were even more impervious to water, fire, and blades, making them hard to damage, she smiled sweetly, "No problem. If they are indeed damaged, our Pavilion of a Hundred Treasures will definitely help you repair them within six months, and we won't charge a single coin more."
"That's good then."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Also, when I buy the Demon-Slaying Crossbow, how many bolts will you provide? Sometimes, once a battle starts, I can't control its duration, so the more bolts you provide, the better."
"Oh, it's like this..."
Xu Qingyi smiled, "According to the regulations of the Mohist School's ancestral home, one Demon-Slaying Crossbow is equipped with 100 specially tempered bolts. That should be enough."
"Not enough."
Lin Zhao's mind conjured the image of the densely packed demons swarming up the mountain, and he felt a prickling sensation on his scalp. "Far from enough. The intensity of my battles is beyond what you can imagine."
"Ah?"
Xu Qingyi was slightly taken aback, "Who exactly are you, Young Master, that even 100 bolts are not enough?"
"I wander in the region north of the Fusang Great Wall," Lin Zhao said calmly.
Xu Qingyi's small mouth parted. She carefully examined Lin Zhao's eyes. He didn't look like he was lying. They were clear and flawless. Although his face didn't show much trace of wind and frost, one could discern a hint of resolute determination. The two swords behind him exuded a faint aura of slaughter. Perhaps this person was telling the truth, a demon-slaying sword cultivator wandering in the north.
For a moment, Xu Qingyi made up her mind. Even if this deal resulted in a loss, she had to fulfill it. After all, there weren't many people like this in the world anymore. Everyone had been living in peace for too long, and fewer and fewer people were willing to venture north to hunt demons. Those sects and immortals on the mountains, which one wasn't busy protecting themselves?
"Young Master."
Xu Qingyi pursed her red lips, "One thousand is one thousand. Qingyi is willing to do business with you. As long as you can return safely, even if the Demon-Slaying Crossbow and Bronze Beasts are damaged, our Pavilion of a Hundred Treasures will repair them for you free of charge!"
"Thank you!"
Lin Zhao nodded. The next moment, 6000 gold was transacted. The Mohist treasures began to refresh in his pouch: one Demon-Slaying Crossbow, bundles and bundles of bolts, 100 per bundle, a total of 10 bundles, and two Bronze Beasts that had shrunk and settled in a corner of his pouch, gleaming with a chilling cold light and exuding a fierce aura.
"Thank you!"
Lin Zhao knew that this business was likely a loss for Xu Qingyi. He cupped his fists slightly and thanked her again.
"You're welcome."
Xu Qingyi watched Lin Zhao leave the shop. She watched him mount his horse and depart, looking at the back of the young sword cultivator. She couldn't help but curve her lips. Young sword cultivator, may you return safely. We still have business to do in the future~~~
ps: Thanks to Brother Sen for the Immortal Emperor. I wish Brother Sen more handsomeness and that he finds a girlfriend soon!!