However, it was regrettable that after walking down the entire first floor, Ji Yuan did not find any more bargains. Although he saw many precious spiritual items, they had all been identified and clearly priced long ago.
It made sense, though. Anything that appeared here had been appraised by Hao Han Tower, so the chances of finding a hidden gem were extremely low. Stumbling upon an undiscovered piece of Tian Jin Shi was already a stroke of extreme luck.
Such a rare divine material, even if only the size of a fingernail, would fetch a sky-high price at an auction. For sword cultivators, infusing even a small piece into their natal flying swords could greatly enhance their power and sharpness.
It was the same for other magical artifacts and treasures!
Although he hadn't found any bargains, Ji Yuan did purchase quite a few precious spiritual items. Most of them were herbs of various ages, with only a small portion being materials for artifact forging.
The former were generally difficult to find, and even with Ming Xin Xuan's capabilities, it was hard to procure sufficient quantities. If encountered, there was no reason to miss them.
As for the latter, they were prepared for his disciple.
Now that Zhao Yue Bai was also cultivating the Xuan Tian Sword Art, she naturally needed a natal flying sword. It was better to start sooner rather than later; the sooner it was forged, the sooner it could be nurtured.
This would be greatly beneficial to both the natal flying sword and Zhao Yue Bai.
However, the forging of a flying sword also involved certain considerations. While ordinary spiritual materials could be used to forge a sword-specific flying sword, and it could later absorb the essence of spiritual materials to gradually increase its rank, this approach would undoubtedly waste a lot of time and effort. It was far better to use superior spiritual materials from the start.
"Only two or three types left. I hope I can find them on the second floor," Ji Yuan sighed and ascended to the second floor of Hao Han Tower with Xia Dong.
There were undoubtedly fewer cultivators here than on the first floor, and the environment was quieter, without the clamor, instead exuding a sense of tranquility and leisure.
This place was also different from the first floor. Instead of open stalls, it was divided by walls into shops, and the area of each shop was quite substantial.
After walking a few steps, as Ji Yuan was searching for shops selling spiritual materials, he felt Xia Dong stop behind him and turned around curiously.
He saw Xia Dong standing outside a shop, her eyes shining as she stared at the exquisite dresses, her subconscious desire to step forward repeatedly suppressed.
"If you like them, buy a few," Ji Yuan said casually.
Upon hearing this, Xia Dong's expression flickered, but her gaze quickly dimmed.
Although the monthly allowance from the Qian family was not small, she was also a cultivator of the first realm, and her daily cultivation expenses were not low. Over the years, she hadn't accumulated much wealth.
That little money was enough for food and drink, and occasionally for cosmetics, but to buy a few custom-made dresses would make her situation tight.
Xia Dong even felt that she probably couldn't afford even a ribbon on a dress.
"Buy a few. You're always wearing Qian family clothes. Whose side are you on?" Ji Yuan said in mock disdain, pulling her into the shop.
Before Xia Dong could react, two maids quickly stepped forward, curtsied, and stood quietly beside them.
They did not gush about the shop's products. Only when Ji Yuan and Xia Dong stopped before a particular dress and showed interest would they speak a few simple words.
Just like now, Ji Yuan and Xia Dong stopped before a sky-blue dress, and their eyes lit up almost simultaneously.
"This Cloud Pattern Flowing Immortal Dress is a new product from recent years, created by a renowned artisan from Misty Pavilion. It is deeply loved by countless fairies."
"Not only is its appearance elegant and flattering, but it also contains various restrictions, such as dust removal, calming the mind, and being impervious to water and fire."
The two maids spoke one after another, introducing it in sweet voices.
Ji Yuan listened and nodded, then turned to the girl beside him, "What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Xia Dong nodded hesitantly. She naturally loved it, but the price on the wooden plaque made her a little anxious.
Before this, although she came from the Qian family, she had not been exposed to Ming Xin Xuan's business, and naturally had never seen a dress priced at five hundred taels of silver!
"Do you like it?" Ji Yuan pressed.
She nodded. Just as she was hesitating about how to refuse to spend this 'unnecessary money,' the person beside her had already nodded to the two maids.
"Five hundred taels of gold, or fifty thousand taels of silver," one of the maids said softly, omitting the premium for converting gold to silver, and specifying that ordinary silver was not accepted.
"Five hundred taels of gold!" Xia Dong's eyes widened in disbelief.
She had originally thought that five hundred taels for a dress was already an exorbitant price, but she never expected that the number on the tag represented gold!
A full fifty thousand taels of snowflake silver!
That was enough to buy a magic artifact of lower quality!
"The dresses in our shop are priced at a minimum in gold. For the shop's treasures, they are purchased with spirit stones," one of the maids said with a slight bow, merely explaining. Her expression was not one of contempt.
However, such a price surprised even Ji Yuan, and his expression was somewhat hesitant.
It wasn't that he was reluctant to spend the money, but he felt the cost-effectiveness was a bit low, and it would be better to buy a defensive magic artifact.
"Although this dress is not a magic artifact, it has defensive capabilities, and its protection is more comprehensive than ordinary magic artifacts."
"Besides, wearing beautiful clothes not only brings joy to oneself but also pleases those around you," the two maids said in succession.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan nodded slightly, realizing it was indeed logical.
He glanced at Xia Dong beside him. When he had asked if she liked it earlier, although she had hesitated for a moment before nodding, there was indeed a deep affection in her eyes.
At that moment, he no longer hesitated. He took out five gold notes of one hundred taels each and handed them to the nearest maid.
"May I ask, honored guest, do you wish to wear it now or take it back to your manor?" After confirming the authenticity, they both inquired.
Since he had bought it, Ji Yuan naturally wanted Xia Dong to wear it first and see if it truly suited her.
The young girl then took the newly retrieved 'Cloud Pattern Flowing Immortal Dress' and went to the specially prepared changing room.
In less than half an hour, she changed into the new dress and stood before Ji Yuan.
The Cloud Pattern Flowing Immortal Dress was primarily sky blue, with a secondary color of light white. Golden threads were embroidered with cloud patterns. The waist had no extra embellishments, only a light gauze that gradually transitioned from blue to white, highlighting the girl's slender, willow-like waist.
"Good!" Ji Yuan clapped his hands, exclaiming in admiration.
Although he didn't understand these things, he knew what looked good and what looked bad. Xia Dong wearing this outfit indeed gave off an aura of a fairy descending to earth.
Even the two maids, who had seen many such dresses, couldn't help but their eyes lit up, with a genuine smile.
"Does it really look good?" Xia Dong asked hesitantly.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan nodded repeatedly. The girl was already beautiful with an ethereal and agile charm. Paired with this 'Cloud Pattern Flowing Immortal Dress,' it was truly a perfect match.
"Thank you, Young Master!" She bowed with joy, and a warmth welled up in her heart.
After all, it was a dress worth five hundred taels of gold, equivalent to fifty thousand taels of silver. Yet, the other party did not even bat an eye, which showed how much he valued her.
Just because she expressed a liking for it, he was willing to spend such an astonishing sum. Even without Qian Ni Chang's instructions, she was willing to follow him.
As a servant, who wouldn't want to find a good master?
At least a master who is willing to spend a lot of money on them couldn't be too bad!
"No need to thank me. I'll deduct it from your monthly allowance from now on," Ji Yuan waved his hand and then said with a serious expression, "Your monthly allowance from the Qian family is about twenty taels of silver. I'll round it up to thirty taels."
"If I deduct ten taels each month, you'll have to... pay it back for over four hundred and ten years."
Xia Dong's smile froze. After a long while, her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at the young Daoist standing before her. She finally managed to suppress the urge to draw her sword and pierce him through.
The little bit of感动 she had felt earlier vanished without a trace, leaving not a single drop.
After all, cultivators of the third realm only had a lifespan of three hundred years. Even with longevity-increasing spiritual items, it would only extend it by a hundred or eighty years at most!
If calculated this way, she would have to at least form a Golden Core to have over four hundred and ten years to repay the debt!
This is simply... outrageous!
"Puff!" The two maids from the shop couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
"Hahahaha!" Ji Yuan also couldn't hold back and threw his head back, laughing heartily.
It was only then that Xia Dong realized what was happening, and her face flushed red, extending all the way to her ears.
She snorted coldly and strode out, clearly embarrassed.
"Honored guests should quickly catch up," the two maids exchanged glances, then said with a smile, "Girls are after all shy."
Ji Yuan cupped his hands in a fist and immediately turned to chase after her. However, no matter what he said, Xia Dong kept her head down and refused to speak to him.
Helpless, he could only follow silently, wondering if he had gone a bit too far.
After a long while, when he saw a group of people appear before him, his eyes lit up as if he had seen a savior.
"Old Zhao!" Ji Yuan shouted loudly and quickly walked over.
At the same time, he kept an eye on Xia Dong. Seeing her hesitate for a moment before following closely behind, he couldn't help but feel relieved.
"Why are you here too? I thought you would be in seclusion until the day of the auction," Zhao Yuan Song said with surprise and a teasing tone.
Jiang He, Xu Qi Qi, Li Jun Xian, and Zheng Wan Rong, the four people beside him, were all smiling.
Suddenly, their expressions froze. Their gazes passed over the young Daoist in front of them and landed on Xia Dong behind him, their eyes filled with astonishment.
"This is... Xia Dong?" Li Jun Xian murmured, then his expression immediately turned grim, and he couldn't help but gasp.
Beside him, Zheng Wan Rong nonchalantly removed her hand from his waist, pulled Xu Qi Qi over, and stood beside Xia Dong, looking her over with a hint of envy.
"Is it really Xia Dong?" Zhao Yuan Song couldn't help but ask. It wasn't that he couldn't recognize her from her changed appearance, but after changing into the 'Cloud Pattern Flowing Immortal Dress,' her entire demeanor had changed so much.
"It is indeed Dong'er," the young girl said with a gentle bow. She did not show the same expression she had shown to Ji Yuan, but instead wore a sweet smile.
"Miss Dong'er is truly naturally beautiful," Zhao Yuan Song exclaimed sincerely, without much flattery.
Then, he changed the subject, looking at Ji Yuan beside him, and asked with curiosity, "You haven't told me why you're not continuing your seclusion and instead came to browse Hao Han Tower."
Hearing this, he gave a bitter smile. The reasons were somewhat complicated, and it was not the place to elaborate.