With effortless poise, he crossed into the next section.

  This one had an entirely different air. A display of footwear stretched across polished wooden stands and floating shelves, each pair showcased with a glowing plaque that described its craftsmanship, materials, and enchantments.

  From soft cloudwalk slippers to reinforced flame-resistant boots used in lava caves, the section was a quiet storm of elegance and deadly precision.

  Several attendants stood neatly at attention, eyes brightening when they saw him approach. One stepped forward immediately, an older man with sleek silver hair tied back, his manner calm and professional.

  “Young Master, this section holds our finest traveling boots and specialized footwear. May I ask if you prefer light agility shoes for speed, or more armored soles for protection on rough terrain?”

  Jin Yu’s gaze swept over the display cases. “I want something light, durable, and silent.” he said. “No enchantments that interfere with Qi flow.”

  The attendant gave a small bow of understanding and motioned toward a set of elegant boots resting on a stand made of obsidian glass.

  “These are made from Nightstrider hide,” he explained. “Naturally quiet, resilient to spiritual corrosion, and seamless in movement. The soles are embedded with sky-silk threads, flexible yet firm. A favorite among shadow sect assassins and high-tier scouts.”

  Jin Yu picked one up. The leather was cool to the touch, almost weightless. He slipped one on and flexed his foot, smooth, silent, a perfect fit.

  “I’ll take them.”

  “Shall I wrap it or would you prefer to wear them out?”

  “I’ll wear them.”

  “As you wish, Young Master. I’ll add the old pair to your parcels.”

  The other attendants quickly stepped forward to remove his previous footwear and pack it with great care.

  As Jin Yu moved on, now dressed in quiet black boots that barely made a sound against the polished floor, he felt his Qi settle more easily. His steps were lighter. Cleaner.

  Perfect.

  From behind, the soft voice of the girl in blue trailed faintly through the air, speaking to one of her own attendants.

  “Did you see that ring? It's definitely no less than a Billion spirit stones. He’s either a ghost from the Central lands or a Tiger wearing a rabbit’s skin.”

  But Jin Yu didn’t turn back.

  He stepped further into the footwear section, eyes sweeping over the selection with quiet scrutiny. The attendant who had served him earlier kept a respectful distance but remained close enough for service.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “I’ll take these,” Jin Yu said, lightly tapping the pair he wore.

  “Excellent choice, Young Master. Shall I pack them with—?”

  “And every other variant in this make. Different colors. Same cut.”

  The attendant blinked. “All of them?”

  Jin Yu nodded once. “Preferably cool tones. I don’t want anything flashy.”

  “Understood.”

  Several attendants jumped into motion, carefully selecting matching pairs, deep navy, charcoal grey, steel blue, frost white, and one with faint marbled silver lining. They wrapped each with reverence and stacked them neatly in a spiritual storage box marked with a temporary seal of ownership.

  “Add it all to my previous purchases.” Jin Yu said as he adjusted the cuffs of his sleeve.

  “Yes, Young Master.”

  He gave the section one final glance before turning, leaving behind quiet murmurs of amazement among the staff.

  Jin Yu’s pace remained even as he entered the next section, one dedicated to tools and storage artifacts. The shelves here gleamed with interspatial pouches, sealing talismans, travel compasses refined with Qi-sensitive needles, and cloaking devices meant for both evasion and concealment.

  Without urgency, Jin Yu moved among them like a man selecting weapons for a silent war.

  Not failing to notice his spree in the previous sections, the moment Jin Yu stepped into the tools and artifacts section, a quiet ripple of attention followed. The attendants here, more seasoned and battle-hardened in appearance, exchanged glances, already guessing they were dealing with a very generous guest.

  One of them, dressed in deep gray battle robes and with a neatly tied braid down his back, stepped forward with a respectful bow and a courteous smile.

  “Welcome, Young Master. You’ve already brightened half the floor today, allow me to assist you in this section as well.”

  Without waiting for approval, he began motioning toward the surrounding displays.

  “Here, we have concealed daggers that emit no Qi signature, trip-wire talismans forged with shadow-thread silk, a collection of refined storage rings, some that can even shield their contents from divine sense. We also have transmission stones, sound-proof barriers, and travel compasses accurate enough to navigate cloudbound mountain veins.”

  Jin Yu didn’t spare them much attention.

  “I’m not looking for weapons or storage,” he said simply. “I need something to mask scents.”

  The attendant blinked, then straightened eagerly. “Ah, a specialty item. Certainly. For masking scents, we have spirit-mist cloaks woven with shadow wisteria fibers, Qi-cleansing powders that dissolve body essence for short durations, and these—”

  He reached behind the counter and pulled out a lacquered black case, opening it to reveal a polished orb with faint emerald veins running through its surface.

  “This is a Scent-Sealing Pearl, crafted with beast-grade crystal and imbued with dissolving essence runes. Place it on the body and it continuously neutralizes the user’s natural scent within a radius of thirty meters—”

  “I asked for the highest tier you have,” Jin Yu cut in, his voice calm, but the look in his eyes made the attendant pause.

  Quickly regaining his composure, the attendant gave a slight bow. “Forgive me, Young Master. One moment, please.”

  He hurried toward a secure compartment at the rear, unlocking it with a flick of spiritual energy. A moment later, he returned with a much smaller box, simple in appearance, but laced with heavy concealment Qi.

  “This is the [Silent Myrrh Censer], a transcendent artifact said to be refined by a disciple of the Ninefold Smoke Sect. It doesn’t mask scent, it erases it entirely. Even hounds blessed by beast blood or cultivators with bloodline-enhanced senses wouldn’t be able to track you.”

  He held it forward with both hands, gaze lowered in reverence. “It is our best piece in this category… and one of the most expensive in the store.”

  Jin Yu took the box without hesitation, his gaze flicking across the item's aura before speaking.

  “Add it to my previous purchase.”

  “Yes, Young Master,” the attendant said immediately, suppressing the slight tremble in his fingers.

  Jin Yu turned, walking away without so much as a glance back.

  After a brief stroll through the remaining sections, talismans, rare accessories, even exotic mounts, Jin Yu found nothing that caught his eye. Either the quality was too low, or the items didn’t interest him enough to bother.

  With hands in his sleeves and a silent expression, he made his way toward the front desk.

  Awaiting him there were the attendants from each section he had purchased from. They stood in a semi-circle behind the long counter, eyes respectful and postures perfectly straight. Even the one from the weapons section, despite Jin Yu only buying a single item, stood alongside the rest.

  As Jin Yu approached, the attendant from the clothing section stepped forward first, bowing slightly.

  “Clothing section, total of twenty-four outfits, all custom-tailored. Four thousand spirit stones, Young Master.”

  Next was the footwear attendant, his voice deep but clear.

  “Footwear, bulk purchase of various reinforced soles and travel-grade designs, twelve pairs in total. One thousand five hundred spirit stones.”

  Then the soft-spoken young woman from the spiritual fruit section gave a small bow.

  “Ten Grade-Three Crimson Celestial fruit . One thousand spirit stones per fruit, several others that boosts vitality, cleanses impurities, or enhances the body, totaling fifteen thousand spirit stones.”

  Lastly, the battle-robed attendant from the artifact section stepped up with both hands cupped in salute.

  “The Silent Myrrh Censer, Transcendent-grade masking artifact, refined with Myrrh Essence and Concealment Qi. Eleven thousand spirit stones.”

  Each price rang clearly in the air, none below a thousand. The other customers in the hall, already aware of Jin Yu’s lavish spending, pretended not to stare, though several couldn't help but glance in his direction.