Lin Mu looked at the duo, waiting for them to respond and see what their next course of action would be. He had no knowledge of this supplier of theirs and wondered what he had brought. From their words, he could also get that this supplier was also someone that provided them with news and intelligence.
"Let’s go, he has entered the alley." Duan Ke spoke, breaking the silence.
Jing Wei nodded and started to walk out of the hall. They left the mansion with Lin Mu following behind them as they soon reached the small building that was the exit of the courtyard. The small lamp hanging on the roof was lit and the scenery changed.
The three of them appeared in the backroom of the shop and went to take their place in the shop. Jing Wei sat on a chair at the side while Duan Ke sat at the counter.
Meanwhile, Lin Mu was left standing awkwardly.
"What are you doing standing around dumbly? Go pretend to be a customer." Duan Ke said in a cold tone.
’Why is she mad?’ Lin Mu internally questioned.
"Human females are confusing and mysterious. A great cultivator once said that among the eight thousand great mysteries of the cosmos, the minds of the females belong in the top ten." Xukong suddenly spoke.
"Hehe, is that so, Senior..." Lin Mu muttered, finding it to be a bit strange.
The sound of the door opening resounded in the shop, as a man dressed in a delicate-looking robe walked in. The man had his hair tucked into his cap and had a short beard with a rather long mustache that hanged down to his chin.
He had a jade hanging on his waist and a white fan in his right hand, while his left hand was kept on a pouch that hung from his belt. The man looked to be in his thirties, but looking into the man’s eyes one would feel confused. They had an innocent look in one moment and then a shrewd one in the next.
Lin Mu felt the faint waves of spirit qi emanating from him and instantly recognized him as a cultivator. He curiously extended his spirit sense and probed the man. But the instant he did so, the man’s eyes turned to him and a smirk appeared on his lips.
"Core Condensation realm..." Lin Mu muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, the man had an interested look on his face after sensing the spirit sense that had just touched him.
"Oh? A fellow cultivator, greetings." The man spoke while cupping his hands and displaying a smile.
The smile seemed to be fine, yet there was a certain emptiness to it. Lin Mu hurriedly cupped his hands as well before speaking.
"Greetings to you too..." Lin Mu said in an awkward tone.
The man nodded in response and did not seem to mind Lin Mu’s previous action. He simply went to stand in front of the counter and looked at Duan Ke.
"Ahh! Lady Duan Ke is as beautiful as always. A million flowers shall turn dull before your face." The man praised in a flattering tone that dripped with coyness.
Lin Mu felt shivers on his body after hearing the man’s words and subconsciously took a step back. Unknowingly, even the short sword on his waist started trembling and seemed as if it wanted to leave the scabbard. But a few seconds later it calmed down.
The faint vein that was on Duan Ke’s forehead suddenly became prominent as her expression turned cold. Lin Mu could suddenly feel the pressure coming from her intensify. Although the pressure was not directed at him, he could still sense her power.
"Oh my, she’s strong. The pressure is not even focused on me, and yet I feel threatened. I wonder what’s her cultivation base." Lin Mu muttered with slight fear.
"Well, considering the aura she’s exuding, there is no doubt that she is at the Peak stage of the core condensation realm." Xukong estimated.
Lin Mu had known that Duan Ke was a core condensation realm cultivator and had even fought with her before, but he was still shocked when her full power was revealed, albeit unwittingly.
"Heavens was I lucky winning against her back then!" Lin Mu thanked his fortune.
Lin Mu then witnessed drops of sweat appearing on the brows of the man who had just tried to flirt with Duan Ke. But even then, the smile on his face did not weaken one bit and instead became more wide.
"Hahaha, let’s get down to business, shall we?" The man spoke, trying to defuse the situation he had created.
Duan Ke harrumphed in annoyance as she then withdrew her aura. The man wiped his forehead with his sleeve and then looked towards Jing Wei.
"Oh, Lady Duan Ke’s grandfather is here as well? That’s good, I have some special herbs that are useful for elderly men in regaining their vigor." The Man spoke.
Jing Wei who was calmly sipping his tea pretending to relax almost spit it out upon hearing the man’s crass words.
Lin Mu heard the man’s words but did not understand what he meant, thus did not react. But Duan Ke’s expression eased up a little bit after that, which she quickly hid behind her cold facade again.
Jing Wei placed his teacup down and spoke, "yes, yes let’s. Well then, what goods have you brought us today, Jingming Shang?"
"Oh? So his name is Jingming Shang..." Lin Mu repeated, memorizing it in the next second.
This man was the third person Lin Mu had met after Duan Ke and Hei Yingjie that was a core condensation realm cultivator, thus he wanted to remember his name in case it was needed in the future somehow.
Jingming Shang nodded in response to Jing Wei’s words and spread his hands apart.
"Today... I have brought you a wide variety of goods, both material and immaterial." Jingming Shang said with a flourish.