Stella pulled the hood of her cloak tighter over her masked face as she followed the group through the sea of mortals, shifting between the various halls of the pavilion open to them.

They had flown over here from the Duskwalker residence first thing in the morning. Once they had reached the city's outskirts, the group walked the rest of the way down winding backstreets to avoid their origins being known once they reached the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion.

I was going to offer to use Ash's portal, but I was curious how the others handled arriving at the pavilion in secret, so this was a good but tedious learning experience.

Elder Evelyn, the shortest of them, led the group. The other Grand Elders were also present, and they seemed to be in good spirits with a spring in their step.

"Diana, are you the one who was a Crimson Tracker?" Evelyn's voice tickled Stella's ear without her looking back. The defensive arrays weren't as powerful outside the halls, so they could use Qi to conceal their voices from others as they walked past thousands of mortals shouting at one another.

"Yes, I achieved the rank yesterday. Why do you ask?" Diana's voice was carried by a faint mist that made the inside of Stella's hood a little damp.

"My trustworthy informat operates out of the Crimson Tracker area. All of us are of the Crimson Tracker rank, so it's no problem for us to get in, but Stella will need to follow in as someone else's guest if she wants to use this informat as an Iron Seeker."

Stella clicked her tongue, "I won't be an Iron Seeker for long."

"Oh? Is that what you were scheming about last night with Ashlock?" Diana asked as she slowed her pace to walk alongside Stella, "I could hardly get any cultivation done with you chatting away on the bench."

None of the Grand Elders reacted to Diana's words, so they were likely directed solely at her.

"Well, I apologize, but Ash had a lot of questions and wanted to be caught up on everything that had happened." Stella smiled as she recalled how he had reacted to her stories from the day.

"So, what's the plan? You didn't have time to fill me in yet as you were busy giving a quick morning lesson to Jasmine before we headed over here to join the Grand Elders on this trip to get the pills evaluated."

"A few things," Stella replied. "Ash wants me to scope out and accept as many bounties or missions as possible. He will then complete them on my behalf so I can meet the requirement to become a Crimson Tracker as soon as possible."

"Ashlock is going to do the missions for you?" Diana said with surprise and turned to face her, though her expression was hidden behind a black wooden mask.

Stella shrugged. "He said he was bored, so it would give him something to do."

"Bored? Can trees even get bored?" Diana chuckled, "Though I do wonder how he plans to complete the tasks on your behalf."

"What do you mean?" Stella tilted her head. "Ash can send Khaos to hunt down bounties, and he can grow any herbs an alchemist wants. Funnily enough, he would make a very good bounty hunter despite being a spirit tree so far away. If not for needing to win a duel within all these defensive arrays that keep him out to advance, I'm sure he would reach the Jade Sentinel rank before any of us."

Diana snorted, "That feels like cheating."

"Says the person who got a recommendation letter," Stella snapped back, "Some of us have to earn our ranks, you know?"

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Iron Seeker," Diana patted her shoulder. "Though for how long you two were talking, that's not all he asked of you right?"

Stella flicked Diana's hand off her shoulder and huffed, "Of course not. He also wants to learn the value of the various currencies and how Yinxi Coins relate to them."

"That shouldn't be too hard with Evelyn here to ask," Diana sped up and tapped Evelyn on the shoulder.

"Yes?" Evelyn asked. "The Crimson Tracker area is just ahead. We will be there soon."

Stella glanced ahead and realized that while talking to Diana, they had gone down a path between the Iron Seeker pavilion and the massive Trading Hall that was the focus point of the mortal commerce on this mountain. This street was far emptier, with a few people loitering around, and at the far end, she could see a gate guarded by two cultivators with their swords openly drawn.

"I just wanted to ask you about the current value of a Yinxi Coin," Diana said, and her voice reached everyone. "We are new to the pavilion and are more used to trading in spirit stones or crowns, so we don't know what would be a good price for our pills."

"Oh," Evelyn said, turning her head over her shoulder to also look at Stella. "It's quite simple. A Yinxi Coin is worth around the same as a High-Grade Spirit Stone or three Dragon Crowns. But it's impossible to trade another currency for Yinxi Coins directly. You can only acquire them by selling goods and services to the pavilion or completing bounties and missions, so they are sort of more valuable."

So, one Yinxi Coin equals a High-Grade Spirit Stone? If I remember correctly, you can buy a full meal for a High-Grade Spirit Stone, Stella mused. Having gone on a few shopping trips with Diana to Darklight City, she had slowly worked out the value of the different currencies.

Despite their fancy name, a High-Grade Spirit Stone was still just a thumb-sized piece of rock with some untamed Qi inside. The high-grade part of the name was decided based on their color. If they were pure silver, they were filled with Qi and therefore considered high grade. Whereas if the color was dulled, they were worth far less and called low grade.

But apparently, because mortals struggle to sense Qi to determine the quality of a spirit stone and carrying around a bunch of rocks is inconvenient for mortals without spatial rings, they use Crowns, which are metal coins. They were far less valuable overall, with a Dragon Crown being worth a third of a High-Grade Spirit Stone.

Diana told me that cultivators trade almost exclusively in spirit stones since they can also be used as portable Qi sources or to create arrays. Cultivators also hate being tied to a currency regulated by mortals based on arbitrary values of metals, which differ depending on the region and local supply. Spirit stones, on the other hand, can be found beneath the earth along any leyline and will hold value so long as cultivators roam these lands.

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It was all a bit of a mess, and Stella still struggled to understand the value of things, especially since the vendors often made up prices on the spot depending on the customer and their mood. Most of the time, it's easier to just shrug and pay the asking price. Diana is much better at haggling than me, so I usually leave it to her.

"Identify yourselves," the guard at the gate said sternly, which took Stella out of her thoughts. "This gate leads to the Crimson Trackers area and is off-limits to those who do not possess the necessary rank."

Evelyn was the first to step up, and Stella could only tell her apart from the others due to her height. Everyone wore identical black cloaks and jade masks, making differentiating them from behind a challenge. Only Diana stood out with her wooden mask.

We need to buy her a new jade mask once we have sold some pills. Stella held back a laugh at that thought. How had they still not sold any pills?

A silent exchange occurred between Evelyn and the guard as they both used Qi to conceal their voices. Evelyn showed the guard her pendant, and he checked something on a jade tablet before waving her through the gate. The Grand Elders lined up and underwent the same procedure before being waved through.

"Next!" The guard said and Stella stepped up alongside Diana. "Two of you?"

Diana nodded, "Yes, she is my guest."

"Alright, that is fine. They can stay for a day at most." The guard noted something on his jade tablet and glanced up, "What is your name and rank?"

Diana presented her pendant, "Diana Ravenborne of the Crimson Trackers."

The guard took her pendant for a moment to compare it against something on his tablet and nodded. "Everything checks out. You are free to pass." He returned the pendant to Diana and eyed Stella, "I have marked your guest with the defensive formation. It will force her out of the area by this time tomorrow."

Stella reluctantly nodded and followed Diana through the gate. A wave of Qi washed over her body as she felt the defensive formations relax in their suppression.

I guess they don't want to spend as many resources powering the defensive formations up here when there are so few people compared to near the Trading Hall. Stella thought as she looked around the Crimson Tracker area. The buildings were made from black wood and covered in lavish red and orange jade decor. It gave the place a sinister vibe as they walked down the wide paved street as a group and passed by a few black-cloaked figures going about their business.

Entering the central square, Stella's eyes widened at what she saw planted. It was a large black bark tree with a canopy of lush scarlet leavesa demonic tree. Red berries grew in clusters from its branches, and there was a potent acidic smell from the soil as they passed.

"That's not Ashlock's offspring, is it?" Diana asked in a hushed whisper.

Stella shook her head as she felt nothing from the tree. It didn't have a developed Soul Core, so it was just a typical demonic tree that could be found out in the wilderness, not a spirit tree. But she was still surprised to see one planted here. I guess they grew one here for the aesthetic they are going for? Either way, I will let Ash know about this. Maybe he could turn it into his offspring without earning the attention of the pavilion.

Demonic tree aside, the square was just as spacious as the one in the Iron Seeker area but was far less busy. There were the same pavilions and halls as before, but they were smaller as there was no need for mortals and their horse-drawn carts. There were only cultivators here, and if the pressure Stella felt when she passed one was to be believed, they were all in the Star Core Realm.

Taking a left, they headed toward a pavilion with a giant red phoenix made from jade hanging above the door. As with the Iron Seeker pavilion, shifty groups of cultivators were hanging out near the entrance and watching them as they passed.

Entering the Crimson Tracker pavilion, Stella felt a suffocating pressure that forced the Qi cycling in her body toward her Star Core. I didn't know an array could get this powerful. This feels awfully like I am drowning. No wonder there are so few people hanging out in here.

The room was practically deserted except for a red jade pillar in the center of the room with the bounties listed. Many Lotus Informats stood behind a counter encircling the pillar, but none had lines.

Evelyn gestured for everyone to wait while she spoke with a black-haired man. After conversing for a while, the Lotus Informant emerged from behind his counter and led them down a corridor to a private room in the back. Due to a large table in the center, it was hardly big enough for them to fit inside, but as the door closed behind them with a click, everyone began taking off their hoods and masks.

"Don't worry," Evelyn smiled at Stella and Diana as she noticed their apprehension about following their lead. "This person here is a distant cousin of mine and is trustworthy. There are also formations that protect the room, so we can't be spied on."

Trustworthy? Is it even possible for someone from your family to be trustworthy? I don't believe it. Stella scoffed in her mind but remained respectful when speaking aloud.

"We will be keeping our masks on," Stella replied, "Don't mind us."

"That's fine," Evelyn replied, turning back to the black-haired Lotus Informat, "Mark, we have four sets of pills we wish to evaluate today."

"Very well," Mark said, placing his hand on the round table. The runic formation inlaid into the wood came to life. "The cost of a pill evaluation is 10 Yinxi Coins unless the pill is of a new type unrecorded by the pavilion, in which case the fee is waived, but we will need to take a pill for testing."

"Always greedy for knowledge," Evelyn sighed as she brought out the four porcelain bottles, "These are the four we want to be evaluated."

Mark took the bottles, popped open the cork, and tipped them so a green-tinted pill rolled out into his palm. He inspected it closely between two fingers while humming, "Good coloring, and the scent is strong. This pill is of high grade and made by a talented alchemist with good ingredients." He placed the pill on a highlighted area in the center of the table, and a golden diagram appeared floating in the air alongside a list of ingredients.

"Qi Flowering Grass, Starlight Lotus..." Mark rotated the diagram, showing the inside layers of the pill and how it was made while muttering off the list of ingredients. "Hold on, what is this at the center?" He frowned as he brought out a jade tablet, "This fruit isn't listed in our records. What is it?"

"Does the pavilion buy such information?" Stella asked.

Mark shook his head, "Not here. All I can do is not charge you for this evaluation and pay you for the pill we have to take for testing. If you don't tell me about this fruit, I can't approve it for sale within the pavilion."

So, this is how the pavilion acquired such a wealth of knowledge over the years. They make it sound like they are doing you a favor by not charging you their internal currency, which you can only acquire by playing by their rules.

"Fine," Stella said. "That is an enlightenment fruit. When diluted into a pill, it gives a small boost that helps a cultivator reach enlightenment and a deeper comprehension of Daos."

Mark noted what she said and nodded, "I see. Can you tell me where and how this enlightenment fruit is grown?"

"Does that affect the evaluation?"

Mark shook his head.

"Then I will not."

"Fair enough," Mark noted that down and put away the tablet. "I will need to take this pill away and feed it to a test subject to determine the extent of its effect. Many wealthy cultivators will pay high prices for anything that gives them an edge over others when it comes to cultivating, no matter how small, so I can guess this will be a popular one."

"You said you would buy the pill before feeding it to a test subject, right?" Stella asked, "What value would you guess this pill has?"

Mark stroked his chin, thinking, "If we are to go off the market value of a high-grade pill with this effect, I would say ten Yinxi Coins per pill would be reasonable. Of course, it could be higher or lower after I verify the effect. Do you want to wait or get paid now?"

So, a hundred Yinxi Coins per bottle. Not bad at all, considering we can make an unlimited number of them.

Stella shrugged, "It's Evelyn's pill, so she can decide. I am fine with waiting till after the evaluation."

"Me too," Evelyn quickly replied. "I believe it will be worth more than only ten Yinxi Coins."

"Very well, then." Mark stored the pill away in his spatial ring and handed back the porcelain bottle before moving on to the next bottle. "Let's continue the evaluation for these three."

Stella licked her lips. She could almost smell the money they were about to be rolling in.