To begin with, Dugu Feiying led Prince of Shicheng Hua Tianxiong to a site near an office building about five kilometers away from the Alchemist Guild headquarters. The atmosphere in this area was somewhat desolate; the roads were narrow and winding, and the sparse trees on either side swayed gently in the breeze.
It was a five-story commercial building with a slightly weathered exterior, its walls mottled by the erosion of time. Seven storefronts were arranged in a row, their doors tightly shut as if narrating the silence of the past. Dugu Feiying pointed to the building and introduced it to Hua Tianxiong, saying, "This is the first place we are going to look at."
Hua Tianxiong narrowed his eyes slightly and examined the structure carefully. He paced slowly around the building, his footsteps echoing softly on the paved path. He would occasionally stop to touch the rough walls, feeling the traces left by time, or look up to inspect the roof tiles, seemingly assessing their stability. However, despite being only five kilometers from the Alchemist Guild headquarters, the location was tucked away on a remote side street with little foot traffic, and most of the surrounding shops were boarded up. Furthermore, the asking price for the building was absurdly high—5 billion Primary Spirit Stones. Hua Tianxiong shook his head and said decisively, "This price is simply not worth it. Let's go look at the next one." Dugu Feiying nodded, and the two turned to leave.
Chapter 1007