Chapter 62: Customer is always right? Nah, I Am
It didn’t take long before he gathered everything he needed and finally made his way to the counter to pay.
The old man, who had been absorbed in his book just moments ago, finally shifted his attention to the two customers he had noticed entering earlier.
He was a little surprised that they hadn’t made any noise, let alone disturbed him to ask about any items or where they were located.
From the little he’d seen, the other party seemed to know more or less exactly where to find everything, which caught him slightly off guard,
making him wonder if he’d ever had this customer before.
That said, although a bit curious, he soon lost interest and went back to reading in peace while waiting for them to finish collecting what they needed.
"Greetings, Senior Zhèng, I’d like to buy these items," Zhu Rong said as he approached the counter, addressing the old man respectfully.
He placed several items on the table, and Zhèng Yuánqīng,
the owner of the little shop, nodded while giving them a quick look, instantly getting an idea of what they might be used for.
"Haha, young man, seems you’ve got quite the interest in the art of talisman crafting.
Tell me, are you already an engraver or just getting into it?" asked the old man as he started packing the items with movements that were neither too fast nor too slow.
He came to this conclusion because two particular items among Zhu Rong’s selection stood out,
bamboo paper and lunar pine ink.
The first was the base Zhu Rong had chosen for his talismans.
It was essentially paper but of slightly higher quality than the one used in the test.
It was more rigid and tear resistant, making it ideal for this kind of item.
The same goes for the ink as well.
It wasn’t your average ink, it was made using resin from a spiritual pine tree, a rare tree that only grew in certain regions.
When its resin was used in item crafting, it granted those items conductive properties.
In short, this ink was an excellent spiritual Qi conductor, perfect for creating rune inscriptions on paper talismans.
They were materials that, while more expensive than the average, weren’t too expensive.
A single gold coin was all it took to get enough materials to create a huge number of talismans.
In other words, they were just right for Zhu Rong’s current needs.
"I just recently registered myself at the pavilion," Zhu Rong said with a friendly face, though internally he was cursing the old man for playing favorites with his customers.
In his past life, he’d had to work hard just to get recognized by this man and to finally "earn the privilege" of buying things from his shop.
Now all it took was a bit of flattery, and there he was, putting on an angelic face that would fool anyone who hadn’t seen his other side.
"So young yet so ambitious, I like that.
I’ll give you a 20% discount. May you find success in the profession you have chossed," the old man said, handing him the neatly packed items.
Zhu Rong: "..."
’Yeah, this guy definitely plays favorites’
Zhu Rong had been the kind of person who, in his past life, was the first to flip the middle finger to anyone who said the customer was always right and should be treated kindly.
In his eyes, he was always right, and anyone who disagreed could go die for all he cared.
He treated customers however he felt like, with little regard for anyone, especially once he’d reached the peak of his profession.
But seeing someone else act the same way, favoring or ignoring a customer depending on their personal taste, left him feeling... conflicted.
Ye Ning sensed a weird tension in the air but couldn’t quite tell what was causing it.
The same went for Zhèng Yuánqīng, who also felt like something was off, though he couldn’t put his finger on it.
And so, while Zhu Rong was making preparations for the next day, something important was unfolding in the masters’ pavilion.
In a dark chamber of the pavilion, four pillars of light glowed, positioned in an invisible circular formation.
Three of the pillars were of equal height and size, impressive, yet still overshadowed by the fourth, which towered over the rest.
Seated atop the three identical pillars were figures whose appearances were blurred, almost like they weren’t really there, but it was clear they were men.
At the center of this strange formation stood an old man.
The atmosphere was silent,
None of them spoke.
Each one stood with eyes fixed on a single point, the fourth pillar, currently empty.
Suddenly, as if triggered by something unseen, the fourth pillar began to flicker like the others, and a faint figure slowly began to take shape atop it.
At the sight of this, both the old man and the other three on the pillars bowed in unison and spoke in chorus,
"We greet the Pavilion Master."
It sounded like a choir, perfectly synchronized.
Silence returned as none of them dared to move, as if even the slightest sign of disrespect could cost them dearly.
The figure on the fourth pillar nodded, her features gradually becoming more visible. While still mostly obscured, it was now clear the figure was a woman.
Soon, a throne began to materialize on the pillar, and the Pavilion Master gracefully sat upon it,
"You may rise."
Her voice was calm and melodious, yet authoritative, revealing no hint of emotion.
Everyone stood, and the focus quickly shifted from the newly arrived woman to the elderly man standing in the center of the formation.
The voice of the woman rang out again, cold and commanding, as it filled the room,
"Master Huì, I hope you have a valid reason for calling an emergency meeting."
With those words, the other three figures nodded, turning their eyes toward the man at the center.
Huì Chéng, also known as Master Huì, gave a slight nod before speaking.
"I apologize for the short notice. If it wasn’t something important, I wouldn’t dare disturb you."
He paused for a second, seemingly searching for the right words.
Seeing this, none of the four figures interrupted, silently giving him space to continue.
He didn’t keep them waiting long, and In a solemn voice, he finally spoke,
"It’s possible that a new Grandmaster has emerged within the empire."