Chapter 63: The Pavilion of Marvels

For a time, everyone in the Clear Breeze Sect was focused on this matter, searching for Lin Hao and his companions.

Now, as for Lin Hao himself.

The moment he used the transfer talisman, he vanished instantly from where he stood. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in what resembled a bustling marketplace.

All around him were crowds of people, lively and noisy, just like a market. Lin Hao glanced around and saw stands selling elixirs, talisman papers, even weapons. It looked like an ordinary, everyday street. Yet, a flash of astonishment and disbelief flickered in Lin Hao’s eyes.

The clothing these people wore was utterly unlike anything he had seen before.

“Where on earth have I ended up?” Lin Hao muttered under his breath.

He immediately questioned the system, “System, just where exactly have you sent me? Where is this place?”

The system’s voice sounded in his mind: “Due to a malfunction in the transfer talisman, the host has been transported to another territory.”

“Another territory!” Lin Hao cried out in disbelief.

“System, that’s unethical! How could the transfer talisman malfunction? You have to compensate me! And how am I meant to get back?” Lin Hao promptly began to protest.

Perhaps the system realized it had malfunctioned, for it no longer spoke to Lin Hao with its usual icy cruelty. Instead, it flickered and hesitated before saying, “What kind of compensation does the host desire?”

After so long dealing with the system, Lin Hao finally felt triumphant—a rare moment when the system was forced to bow its head to him. He was so pleased he almost forgot he was stranded in a foreign land.

He stood there dazed in the street, conversing with the system in his mind.

“System, this is a major blunder! You’ve sent me to some unknown country for no reason. How am I supposed to survive? And how do I get back to my previous territory? Surely the compensation can’t be meager, wouldn’t you agree…” Lin Hao rattled on at length, believing the system would, as before, immediately shower him with rewards.

A silly grin crept across his lips, his eyes sparkling with anticipation—imagining a treasure trove of pills, techniques, and all manner of benefits courtesy of the system.

But after he finished speaking and waited a moment, his smile froze. The system gave no reply at all.

Lin Hao was startled, his smile fading as he returned to reality.

He called out repeatedly in his mind, “System! Hey!”

Still, the system remained silent. After calling for a while, Lin Hao gave up. The system was clearly playing dead.

He felt disgruntled and indignant.

Lin Hao, displeased, muttered, “System, is this how you treat your host? I’m telling you, if you keep this up, sooner or later you’ll lose me.”

No sooner had Lin Hao spoken than there was a chime.

“Due to a bug in the transfer talisman provided by the system, the host is hereby compensated with one copy of the Azure Cloud Manual, two hundred medium-grade spirit stones, and one hundred high-grade spirit stones,” the system intoned.

Lin Hao stood there stunned, his complaints stuck in his throat. His eyes grew misty with emotion; to receive something for free from the system was no easy feat.

One Azure Cloud Manual, plus all those spirit stones—Lin Hao felt that was acceptable enough.

Still, since this was a rare opportunity, Lin Hao’s eyes gleamed with cunning as he cautiously asked, “System, is that all the compensation I get?”

“If the host does not accept this settlement, the system will forcibly reclaim the items,” the system replied in its emotionless voice.

“No, no, this is fine, the compensation is perfectly satisfactory. You're being quite generous, System,” Lin Hao quickly responded.

Still, he felt somewhat stifled inside. Damn this system—someday he’d have it on its knees before him, obeying his every command.

He pictured the system as a little sprite, while he himself stood at its side, wielding the Cloud-Swallowing Sword, ordering it about at his whim.

After savoring the moment, Lin Hao gathered himself and stored all the items the system had given him into his spatial storage.

He didn’t bother to inspect them yet, but instead took in the street around him, strolling and observing as he went.

He soon reached a small stall, where a vendor was shouting, “Come see, all kinds of talismans here—guaranteed to satisfy!” The vendor even waved enthusiastically at Lin Hao.

Adopting an attitude of making the best of his circumstances, Lin Hao lingered by the stall. He examined the spread of items—messenger talismans, memory crystals—nothing more than simple talisman papers. Lin Hao picked up a few, feeling the spiritual energy within; they were all low-grade talismans.

Nothing piqued his interest, so he put them back.

Nearby, a vendor hawking elixirs was also shouting, “Come take a look, I have every kind of elixir you can imagine, and if you can think of it, I have it! Guaranteed potent spiritual energy and full medicinal strength!”

Curious, Lin Hao wandered over.

After wandering the street, Lin Hao realized that spirit stones were the common currency here, but the merchandise on offer held little appeal for him.

As he strolled along, he arrived at a place called the Delightful Inn.

Seeing the large, bustling establishment ahead, with a steady stream of patrons, Lin Hao’s stomach rumbled. Since he was hardly short on money now, he strode right in.

He took a seat and called out, “Waiter! Bring me your finest food and drink!”

“Right away, sir!” A server appeared instantly at Lin Hao’s side, courteously leading him to a table and serving tea.

When the dishes were served and Lin Hao had eaten his fill, he glanced at the server, placing a medium-grade spirit stone on the table. The server’s eyes lit up greedily as he fawned over Lin Hao, saying, “Sir, how was your meal? We also offer lodging if you’d like to stay. Judging by your attire and accent, you’re not from around here. If there’s anything you wish to know, please, just ask.”

Before Lin Hao could even speak, the quick-witted server had already rattled off a string of information.

Seeing the server, Lin Hao’s eyes showed a glint of appreciation for the man’s perceptiveness. He cleared his throat and asked, “So, waiter, are there any interesting or famous places around here? I’m not a local—I came to see the sights, to broaden my horizons.”

He didn’t mention how he’d arrived; since he was here, he might as well explore. Having never left the Clear Breeze Sect, Lin Hao was still young and curious about the outside world.

At his question, the server beamed and bowed, saying proudly, “Sir, you’ve come to the right person, and at just the right time! Tonight, there’s a grand treasure auction hosted by the Marvel Pavilion right here in town. All sorts of rare treasures will be on the block.”

“If you’re interested, you can attend tonight.”

“Oh? Marvel Pavilion? An auction?” Lin Hao echoed, his eyes lighting with interest.

“Yes, sir, the Marvel Pavilion is our largest treasure hall, offering every kind of elixir, cultivation manual, and weapon you could desire. If you have precious items you wish to auction, you can bring them there—they always offer a fair price. Or, if there’s something special you want, you can leave a deposit and they’ll procure it for you. Tonight is their grand annual auction, drawing influential figures from many sects. If you wish to see something extraordinary, it’s the perfect occasion,” the server explained eagerly.

Lin Hao was indeed intrigued by the Marvel Pavilion. He handed the server another medium-grade spirit stone, saying, “Very well, I’ll take your advice and attend tonight’s auction. Prepare the best room for me—I’ll be resting here today.”

“Of course, sir, right this way.” Taking the spirit stone, the server led Lin Hao to a fine room and served more tea.

“If you need anything, sir, just call. In two hours, the Marvel Pavilion’s auction will begin. From our inn, just walk forward two streets and you’ll see their sign—just head inside when you arrive,” the server said.

“Thank you. If I need anything, I’ll call for you,” Lin Hao replied, nodding in satisfaction.

The server bowed respectfully and exited.

Lin Hao sat at the table sipping tea, musing over the Marvel Pavilion. “Marvel Pavilion, with every kind of treasure… I really do want to see for myself.” With the system’s recent compensation, plus the spirit stones he’d saved before, he was quite a wealthy man now.

If anything caught his eye, he could likely afford it.

Feeling confident with his bulging purse, Lin Hao waited out the two hours, then followed the server’s directions.

At the entrance, he saw all kinds of carriages and flying vessels parked outside the Marvel Pavilion.

The grand sign for Marvel Pavilion was dazzling, and the characters seemed to emanate a palpable pressure—surely crafted by some great cultivator, perhaps even a defensive artifact in itself.

This only heightened Lin Hao’s curiosity and respect for the place. He thought to himself: Marvel Pavilion truly is remarkable.

Looking around, he saw people from all sorts of sects in splendid attire, as well as numerous independent cultivators, all queuing to enter.

Lin Hao stepped forward and joined the line into the Marvel Pavilion.