Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Big Deal

Inside the Wangchuan Pavilion, Wan Yi did not rush to contact Qi Mingyue, choosing instead to wander leisurely from the first floor upward.

Having been in too much of a hurry during his previous visit, he hadn't taken a proper look around. Now, with a thorough inspection, he discovered quite a few strange and marvelous items.

On the tenth floor, behind the counter, several puppets were on display. Once these puppets consumed spirit stones, they could mimic living beings with startling accuracy. Both their presence and the pressure they exuded were indistinguishable from those of real people.

The shop assistant explained to him, "Once you purchase these puppets and bind them with a drop of your blood, they share a telepathic link with you. With a mere thought, you can control the puppet to speak and interact with others. Their tone and expressions are as natural and fluid as a living person's; even a cultivator at the Tribulation Transcendence stage would be unable to discern the deception."

Wan Yi grew more enamored the longer he looked, but his jaw dropped when he saw the price tag.

These puppets were categorized by level: a puppet with the strength of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator cost 300,000 high-grade spirit stones; one at the Deity Transformation stage cost 500,000; and the Tribulation Transcendence stage models were astronomically expensive, priced at a staggering 1,000,000 high-grade spirit stones.

Feeling his storage ring, Wan Yi sighed. He had thought the 40,000 high-grade spirit stones he extorted from Niu San and Ma Si earlier were a fortune, but it seemed his perspective had been too narrow.

The assistant, sensing his embarrassment, smiled and said respectfully, "Master Constable, the Prison Warden has already given instructions. From now on, you may select items you desire from the Wangchuan Pavilion each month, and they will be billed to the account of the Soul-Snatching Division."

Wan Yi asked in surprise, "You know who I am?"

The assistant gave a fawning smile. "Of course. After you left previously, our Pavilion Master showed us your portrait, specifically to ensure that we would never show you any neglect."

*Qi Mingyue is quite meticulous,* Wan Yi thought to himself. He turned to the assistant and asked with a smile, "Is there a limit to my tab here?"

The assistant nodded. "Certainly. As long as it does not exceed one million high-grade spirit stones per month, it can all be charged to the Soul-Snatching Division!"

Wan Yi felt a surge of secret satisfaction and instructed the assistant, "Very well, get me a Tribulation Transcendence stage puppet first!"

The assistant’s face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly retrieved the highest-quality one available. He didn't care if Wan Yi was signing for it or not; he earned a commission on every sale. A transaction of one million high-grade spirit stones was equivalent to half a month's worth of his usual sales.

Under the assistant’s attentive guidance, Wan Yi mastered the puppet’s operation. After binding it with a drop of blood, the palm-sized doll transformed into the height of a normal human.

With a thought, he commanded the puppet to open its mouth, tossed in a handful of high-grade spirit stones, and in the next second, the puppet emanated the pressure of a Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivator.

Simultaneously, Wan Yi felt a subtle connection form between him and the puppet. With a mere impulse, the puppet could execute any action he desired, and even its facial micro-expressions while speaking were as vivid and lifelike as a real person.

What surprised him even more was that the puppet came equipped with several martial arts techniques; once he issued an attack command, the puppet would determine the optimal combat strategy based on the opponent's actual situation.

With this puppet, Wan Yi felt much more secure. At the very least, he now had the means to protect himself. He could handle things above the Imperial stage, and for anything below it, this puppet could hold its own long enough to create an opportunity for escape.

Although Yan Wuji had promised him a group of experts, even a tiger has moments of slumber. It was always more reassuring to have one's own means of survival tucked away in one's own pocket.

After putting the puppet away and signing the bill, Wan Yi was in high spirits and tossed the assistant ten Soul-Nurturing Pills as a reward. The assistant was overjoyed; these were precious items, priceless in the Underworld, impossible to buy regardless of how many spirit stones one possessed.

Just as the assistant was thanking him profusely, a playful giggle echoed from behind Wan Yi. "Master Constable is certainly generous. Could you reward a young woman like me with some Soul-Nurturing Pills as well?"

Hearing the sugary, seductive voice that seemed to melt into his bones, Wan Yi shivered, rubbed the goosebumps on his arm, and turned around with a smile. "Pavilion Master Qi, you really know how to joke. These are just trifles; if you like them, feel free to take them. There is no need to speak of rewards."

Qi Mingyue rolled her eyes at him and pouted, "You unromantic, boorish man! How dreadfully boring!"

She let out a "giggle" and continued, "Little Yi, you’ve returned to my Wangchuan Pavilion less than a day after leaving—don't tell me you missed me?"

Wan Yi shook his head helplessly and tossed her a storage bag. "I’ve returned to discuss a major business deal with you. Would Pavilion Master Qi be interested?"

Qi Mingyue took the bag, checked its contents, and gasped, covering her red lips with her hand. Her beautiful peach-blossom eyes stared at Wan Yi in disbelief. "My goodness, did you go out and rob someone?"

Wan Yi shook his head, ignoring her teasing, and said seriously, "I have one million Soul-Nurturing Pills here, and I want to make a deal with you."

Qi Mingyue quickly replied, "I will have someone bring you the spirit stones immediately."

To her surprise, Wan Yi shook his head. "Don't be in such a hurry. I don't intend to sell these Soul-Nurturing Pills to you."

Qi Mingyue’s expression shifted, and she chided him, "Master Constable, we had an agreement. You aren't going back on your word, are you?"

Wan Yi’s mouth curled into a smile. "We did agree that your firm would acquire Soul-Nurturing Pills, but not this batch. I intend to use this batch as a deposit, valued at the current market price in the Underworld, to order a shipment of flying swords from you."

Qi Mingyue rolled her eyes and couldn't help but spit out, "You little fox, you’re even craftier than Yan Wuji!"

Wan Yi chuckled, "Likewise."

Although she was slightly annoyed, the temptation of one million Soul-Nurturing Pills was simply too great. She hurriedly tucked the storage bag away and asked, "How many flying swords do you intend to buy? And of what grade?"

Wan Yi stroked his chin, drawing out his words. "As for that... at least one hundred thousand. As for the grade, nothing lower than a low-grade spiritual treasure!"

"How many?!" Even someone as experienced as Qi Mingyue was shocked out of her composure.

Wan Yi had expected this reaction. He chuckled and confirmed, "You heard me correctly: one hundred thousand! But there is no rush; you can supply them in batches, and I will pay you monthly. However, you must provide at least one thousand swords initially, with uniform style and quality. That million Soul-Nurturing Pills will serve as the deposit. As for the price per sword, feel free to name your terms, and I will settle the payment with more Soul-Nurturing Pills according to the market rate."

Qi Mingyue looked troubled. "One hundred thousand flying swords, all of the same quality? That is likely impossible. You know that for a sword of spiritual treasure grade, gathering the materials for just one is already difficult. You, on the other hand, demand one hundred thousand—aren't you making things difficult for me?"

Wan Yi had considered this, but he assumed that with the scale and power of the Wangchuan Pavilion in the Underworld, it shouldn't be hard to gather them. He hadn't expected such a response.

Just as he was struggling with the thought, Qi Mingyue suddenly changed the subject. "One hundred thousand spiritual-grade flying swords are indeed impossible to assemble. However, I can offer you something else as a substitute. I wonder if you might be interested?"