The next day.
After seeing off Grandpa Li, the chief steward of Prince Fu's Estate who had come to deliver gifts, Yu Xian turned around to look at the towering stacks of gift boxes filling the courtyard and could not help shaking his head.
All flash and no substance. It would have been much better if they had just cashed it out for him.
Fortunately, his monthly stipend had increased. Five hundred taels of silver was not a huge amount, but steady streams made for long rivers.
Besides, the going rate for a Xiantian Mid-stage cultivator was quite different from that of a Xiantian Early-stage one. From now on, the estate would probably stop assigning ordinary tasks to him—the cost-performance ratio was simply too low.
Of course, even if they did assign him tasks, he wouldn't accept them.
When he could lie down and enjoy freebies, why bother moving?
On the other side, Yulan was quite happy.
As soon as Grandpa Li left, she flitted among the gift boxes, opening them from time to time to admire and play with the contents. She was especially enchanted by several bolts of brocade and silk that were claimed to be royal tributes, finding it hard to put them down.
"My Lord, this fabric is truly gorgeous. Let me make you a set of clothes with it," Yulan said cheerfully.
Yu Xian glanced at Chen Yi, who was quietly standing by his side, and suddenly recalled the adorable way she had tightly bitten the corner of the quilt last night, refusing to cry out. He smiled and said:
"Sure. There is plenty of this fabric; just make sure to use what's left over to make outfits for yourself and Sister Xiaoyi too."
"My Lord, you are so good to me! Sister Xiaoyi, you'll help me, won't you?"
Yulan looked at Chen Yi and issued an invitation.
These days, very few young women did not know how to sew; even the Princess Consort possessed exceptionally fine embroidery and handicraft skills.
Chen Yi softly replied that she would, though she seemed somewhat low-spirited.
Yet Yulan seemed entirely oblivious, walking over to take her hand and whispering in her ear as they discussed clothing styles.
"By the way, you two keep the house today. I'm heading out to take care of some business. If that so-called Consort Ding sends over any compensation, just accept it."
Turning a blind eye to the little schemes of the two young women, Yu Xian gave his instructions and headed out of the estate with his wine gourd in hand.
……
Baibao Pavilion.
This was the largest commercial firm in Changning City, boasting a million hidden treasures and connecting trade between the north and the south. The wealth amassed within the entire building was enough to buy half of Changning City, and rumors had it that it was backed by Prince Fu's Estate.
Yu Xian noted that there was no need for rumors.
Not long ago, when Grandpa Li came to deliver gifts, he had asked him where in the city one could buy jade, preferably in large pieces.
Grandpa Li had immediately recommended Baibao Pavilion to him, explaining that the Prince's Estate was actually the major shareholder of Baibao Pavilion.
If he went there, his status as a Heavenly-grade Consort would even entitle him to a thirty percent discount.
Yu Xian didn't bother keeping a low profile. As soon as he stepped through the doors, he presented his Prince's Estate token to the greeter, and a senior manager of Baibao Pavilion immediately came forward to receive him.
Upstairs in a VIP room.
A maid arranged two plates of pastries and bowed before withdrawing. The manager personally served Yu Xian tea, his face wearing an expression of perfectly measured reverence.
"Please have some tea, Consort Ding—ah, Consort Yu. I wonder what you are looking for on this trip? Whatever this establishment possesses, this humble one will procure it for you."
Yu Xian picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and stated his purpose.
"I want a single piece of jade. The material doesn't matter, but the bigger the fish—er, the bigger the block, the better. At least three square feet."
In the Mortal Realm, the probability of finding an actual Dharmic Instrument was no different from searching for a needle in a haystack, and Yu Xian had never considered himself the lucky sort who could casually stumble upon a windfall.
Thus, he intended to forge one himself.
He naturally didn't know the proper, orthodox art of artifact-forging, but he was somewhat familiar with primitive blood-forging.
This was a method of artifact-forging belonging to impoverished cultivators.
By finding a passable material and nurturing it day and night with one's heart's blood, mana, and spiritual sense, one could initially forge an artifact embryo in about three months.
By continuing to nurture it this way for three to five years, it could successfully transform into a low-grade Dharmic Instrument.
Such a low-grade Dharmic Instrument would share a telepathic connection with its creator and be a much better fit, yielding a boost in power by thirty percent when wielded compared to ordinary Dharmic Instruments.
If materials were continuously added and smelted into it later on, there was even a chance to upgrade the Dharmic Instrument.
However, this method consumed immense heart's blood and time, easily delaying one's cultivation. Ordinary cultivators would forge at most one such item, and once the Dharmic Instrument was damaged, it would also cause severe injury to the owner's vitality.
It was said to be the earliest method of artifact-forging.
Later on, with the advancement of artifact-forging techniques, the Immortal Cultivation World gradually phased out this backward practice.
Yet for an impoverished wretch, as long as it didn't cost money, what did wasting a bit of time and blood matter? This type of blood-forging method had instead become universally accessible and immensely popular.
As a reserve candidate who had once dreamed of becoming an immortal, Yu Xian naturally refused to lag behind and had acquired a copy early on.
"No restriction on material, a large single piece of jade?"
The manager softly repeated Yu Xian's request, his mind rapidly sifting through Baibao Pavilion's inventory.
Yu Xian quietly sipped his tea, not disturbing the manager's train of thought.
In his eyes, the most valuable things in the Mortal Realm were probably mineral ores.
Whether gold, silver, copper, iron, or jade deposits, they all held a certain degree of value even in the Immortal Cultivation World.
Refined gold, liquid silver, copper mother, and black iron could all be extracted from ordinary ores, but the required raw materials were simply too vast in quantity for ordinary cultivators to handle.
Not to mention anything else, they couldn't even afford a large-capacity storage Dharmic Instrument.
Yu Xian had actually thought about buying some iron ore to refine himself.
But considering the sheer workload, coupled with the environment of the Mortal Realm where even replenishing spiritual qi was difficult, he decisively abandoned the idea.
So he chose jade.
Jade was the essence of stone and naturally contained a faint trace of spiritual qi, making it a natural material for artifact-forging. Forging with it had the advantage of being simple and easy to pick up; even a single material could be used to forge an artifact embryo.
The downside was that cheap goods were never good, resulting in a Dharmic Instrument with relatively weak power that was easily suppressed during magical combats with others.
Still, as long as it worked, why demand a bicycle?
Yu Xian had a very clear self-awareness regarding his own net worth and combat level.
The manager searched his memory thoroughly, yet couldn't come up with a single piece of jade that met Yu Xian's requirements.
"My apologies, Consort Yu. This establishment truly does not possess the large block of jade you are looking for. The largest piece of jade we have here is a carved jade Chinese cabbage, but it is only about a foot long and wide. Would Your Honor care to take a look?"
Yu Xian felt a tinge of disappointment and shook his head, saying, "No need. Just keep an eye out for me. If there is any news, send someone to Prince Fu's Estate to find me."
With that, he rose to his feet.
"Please wait a moment, Consort Yu."
The manager called out to Yu Xian, wearing the expression of someone who had just remembered something: "Consort Yu's words just now reminded this humble one. If Consort Yu desires a large block of jade, you might as well wait a few days and come back to take a look.
Because at that time, a group of jade merchants from the southwest will be holding an auction at our Baibao Pavilion for a batch of raw jade ores and some jade collections."
"In addition, jade merchants from several surrounding prefectures will also be coming to purchase goods. If even they don't have what you want on hand, then probably the entire Changning Prefecture does not possess jade that meets Your Honor's requirements."
Changning City was a hub for river transportation. Relying on its geographical advantages, its commercial atmosphere was exceptionally robust, with merchant caravans and boat owners from all over the country stopping by to trade every year.
Baibao Pavilion, backed by the Prince's Estate, was the best intermediary, providing communication channels and platforms for unfamiliar merchants. This was how Baibao Pavilion had made its fortune.
Hearing this, Yu Xian suddenly felt that his luck wasn't bad. Although he hadn't directly stumbled upon a ready-made Dharmic Instrument, at least a solution had immediately presented itself upon encountering a problem.
"Good. What is your name? When I come back then, I'll look for you directly."
"This humble one is Liu Sanquan."
The manager's smile became several shades more sincere this time.
The Prince's Estate token presented by Yu Xian belonged to a Heavenly-grade Consort, which carried a very high status within the estate.
By establishing a connection today, his path upward within Baibao Pavilion would be much smoother in the future, and he might even have the chance to let his name reach the Prince's ears.
"Mm, I'll remember you."
Without any superfluous words, Yu Xian acknowledged the statement and walked out of the room.
When buying things, he had always been straightforward—he bought whatever he needed and disliked idle wandering.
Yet his footsteps suddenly paused, and he quickly walked over to two customers who were casually chatting in the hall nearby.
"What were you guys talking about just now regarding a military equipment case? And what is going on with the Guangnan riot?"