Chapter Three: The Gilded Chamber of Commerce

Su Ziye was indeed extremely confident, but Liu Ru was deeply anxious.

After all, this was something that completely defied common understanding.

“Is there anything I can help with?” Liu Ru looked at Su Ziye and asked.

“Of course there is!” Su Ziye replied with a cheerful smile. “Do you have class today?”

“Yes,” Liu Ru answered.

She had a class on Ancient World History that afternoon. Though her cultivation remained at the Stage of Observing Things, and she wasn't in a rush to choose her path before reaching the level of Enlightened Knowledge—when she did, she would likely pick the Power of the Sun—what Leafnight Academy taught extended far beyond cultivation alone.

“Then skip it,” Su Ziye said, looking at her with a smile.

“I don’t want to,” Liu Ru replied, pursing her lips. “That class is in high demand.”

She had begun to learn how to talk back a bit, but Su Ziye didn’t mind this at all.

“What time is your class?” Su Ziye asked.

“Three in the afternoon,” Liu Ru replied.

“Then let’s make sure we’re back before three,” Su Ziye said. “Come out with me for a bit.”

“Fine, fine,” Liu Ru agreed, her face full of reluctance.

...

Leafnight Academy, East Market.

Withered Dragon was sitting under the signboard of his own trading guild, enjoying the shade.

Though Leafnight City in July was not truly hot, the blazing sun overhead always brought a drowsy lethargy.

Within Leafnight, there were only two commercial centers—the East and West Markets. The West Market was generally for private individuals, those running small businesses; no matter where you acquired your treasures, you could try your luck there for a good price, and there were always bargain hunters wandering about.

On the other hand, the East Market catered mainly to major clients and large merchants.

If you wanted to buy weapons, the West Market offered a dazzling array of swords, spears, and halberds, but in the East Market, you could find premium blades and swords bearing the mark of the international brand Gilded Rose.

If you sought potions, the West Market had a wide variety of raw materials and many privately made magical brews, but in the East Market, the top-quality, well-crafted potions from Frozen Flame House were always the most coveted by adventurers.

So it went for all manner of goods: anything available in the West Market could be found in an upgraded version in the East—of course, with a correspondingly higher price.

Withered Dragon was not affiliated with any of these famous brands. The sign above him bore the four golden letters: Shining Gold Trading Guild.

This was the largest and most renowned trading guild on the continent. Unlike those specializing in a single type of product, a true trading guild dealt in the exchange of all goods—so long as there was profit, they would trade in it.

Branches of the Shining Gold Trading Guild spanned the world, with nodes in nearly every major city. The branch in Leafnight handled all business throughout the Lanye Empire and held substantial authority and influence.

Yet for that very reason, although the Shining Gold Guild maintained a storefront and office in the East Market, few customers ever visited.

Shining Gold specialized in large-scale transactions; while you might theoretically buy a needle and thread here, no one would actually think to come for such trifles—why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?

“Are you the only one here, sir?” At that moment, a youthful voice reached Withered Dragon’s ears.

He opened his eyes and saw two people standing before him: one, a strikingly beautiful blonde girl, the other, a black-haired, black-eyed boy. Notably, both wore the uniform of Leafnight Academy.

Withered Dragon immediately perked up, sitting upright in his lounge chair and regarding them. “What brings two students here today?”

He also noticed the difference in their uniforms.

The girl wore white, marking her as a member of the Snowbound Society—the most formidable and feared force in Leafnight, worthy of vigilance.

The boy wore black, the signature of the Student Council—the department Withered Dragon dealt with most frequently.

After all, the Student Council was responsible for tax collection.

In fact, all taxes in Leafnight were managed by the academy, since the city lacked a mayor or lord—the academy was the real master here, and within it, the Student Council ruled.

“Are you really the only one here?” the boy pressed. “May I ask how I should address you?”

“It’s true, just me. I’ve sent my clerks out on errands,” Withered Dragon said with a cheerful smile. “My surname is Ku, given name Long—you may call me Boss Long. I handle most matters here. But may I ask what business brings you two?”

“I’m here on behalf of the academy to discuss a business deal with you. Would you be interested, Boss Long?” the boy replied, meeting his gaze.

“A businessman never turns down business,” Withered Dragon replied, sizing him up. “But we haven’t done business with the academy for some time. May I ask your name?”

“I am Su Ziye,” the boy introduced himself with a smile, then gestured to his companion. “This is my mistress, Liu Ru.”

At the mention of Liu Ru, Withered Dragon jolted with surprise. “So it’s Miss Liu Ru!”

The Third Trial of Leafnight was a city-wide event. Not only did it bring a flood of students and make accommodations scarce, but the entire city seemed to hold its breath as the trial approached.

Every trial brought its own news and produced a new crop of rising stars for people to talk about over tea.

This year’s most dazzling figure was undoubtedly the student named Liu Ru.

Never had Withered Dragon expected her to appear before him in person.

“That’s right,” Su Ziye replied on Liu Ru’s behalf, producing a list from his sleeve and handing it to Withered Dragon. “We need your guild to procure the materials on this list within three months and store them in a city warehouse. We’ll take delivery as needed.”

Withered Dragon took the list and glanced over it. To his surprise, every item was an ordinary, everyday necessity—not valuable, though the quantities were considerable.

For example, the first item was white sugar—one hundred tons.

While this amount posed no problem for the Shining Gold Guild, Withered Dragon was baffled as to what they needed so much for.

The rest were various spices and sundries, many kinds but in smaller amounts. Withered Dragon estimated the total value at around one thousand golden leaf-blades.

“These supplies are usually provided by the academy’s regular suppliers,” Withered Dragon said carefully. “Are you sure you want to buy them from me?”

“Yes. Is that a problem?” Su Ziye retorted.

“Of course not,” Withered Dragon replied with a smile. “Please, come inside. I’ll draft a contract for you. But I should mention in advance: you’ll need to pay a deposit equal to one-tenth of the order’s total value.”

“Well…” Su Ziye grinned shamelessly. “Would it be possible to waive the deposit?”