The next day.
On a wide cobblestone path, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu walked together.
It was early morning, the busiest time for the market district, with numerous cultivators shuttling between the various shops lining the sides of the streets.
On the street, Lin Tianming looked all around, eyeing the bustling commercial area and conversing intermittently with Lin Shilu beside him.
Feeling the lively scene around him, Lin Tianming showed a hint of pleasure and then spoke up:
"Fifteenth Grandfather, not far ahead is the location of Lingxiao Tower. This street’s position is not bad, close to the central market’s auction, so it’s always bustling with people—an excellent location within the entire commercial district!"
"Indeed, it’s not bad; the pedestrian traffic here is significant. The surrounding shops are all big, and their business appears to be booming..."
Lin Shilu nodded and replied. As soon as he entered this street, he felt the difference.
The two walked on, and soon they arrived in front of a three-story pavilion.
Stopping in his tracks, Lin Tianming looked up at the building before him.
This was a three-story pavilion covering over ten acres, beautifully engraved all over. Above its main entrance hung a golden plaque with the words "Lingxiao Tower" written in a dragon-and-phoenix dance script.
Looking at the imposing Lingxiao Tower, this was their destination for the trip.
"Come on, let’s go in and take a look first!"
Lin Shilu commanded, stepping towards the interior of Lingxiao Tower, with Lin Tianming quickly following behind.
Visit frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓ for the b𝘦st novel reading experience.
Inside Lingxiao Tower at the moment, the vast hall was nearly empty, with only a few Qi Refining Cultivators selecting treasures.
Gao Yuzhou sat at the front desk, looking at the few Qi Refinement Stage customers with a worried expression, heaving sighs from time to time.
As a member of the Gao Family in charge of Lingxiao Tower’s business for several years, he had never seen it as deserted as in the past month, with each day worse than the last.
"Who knows if Seventh Uncle has had any success? If there’re no new treasures, I’m afraid Lingxiao Tower won’t be able to hold on much longer!"
Muttering to himself, Gao Yuzhou’s face showed a look of loss.
Upon seeing Lin Tianming and his companion enter, Gao Yuzhou forced a smile and immediately came forward to greet them.
"Welcome to our store, honored cultivators. May I ask what you are looking for?" Gao Yuzhou greeted with clasped hands.
After he finished speaking, Lin Tianming and his companion didn’t say anything, instead examining Gao Yuzhou himself. Enjoy exclusive chapters from freewebnovel
Seeing Gao Yuzhou’s clearly nervous and insufficiently confident demeanor, Lin Tianming and his companion speculated that Lingxiao Tower’s situation must be extremely dire.
Feeling their gaze, Gao Yuzhou’s heart sank, though he hid it well, the Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators still sensed it.
With Gao Yuzhou unsure of their purpose, he tried to seem more natural despite the palpitations inside him.
After several moments passed, Lin Tianming finally retracted his sharp gaze and spoke:
"I require some Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials and a few bottles of Second Order Spirit Origin Pills."
Hearing this, Gao Yuzhou’s expression grew even more solemn.
What Lin Tianming requested were all Second Order items; Lingxiao Tower hadn’t restocked any Spiritual Objects for half a year, relying solely on old inventory to scrape by.
With the current situation, the Gao Family was both afraid of Lingxiao Tower losing business and of the last bit of stock selling out. Coupled with the prolonged absence of new supplies and many customers unable to purchase what they desired, several regular customers had almost all stopped coming.
Now, faced with such a large order for Second Order Pills, if this were the past, Gao Yuzhou would have been overjoyed, but now it was a thorny issue.
Because Lingxiao Tower simply didn’t have that quantity. If he outright refused, it might reveal Lingxiao Tower’s desperate situation.
Seeing that Gao Yuzhou had not replied for a long time, along with his hesitating look,
Lin Tianming became even more certain of his suspicion that Lingxiao Tower must be on the brink of collapse.
A few breaths later, Gao Yuzhou spoke somewhat helplessly:
"Honored cultivators, as the elixirs have not yet been refined, we presently don’t have sufficient quantity. If you are in a hurry, perhaps you could try your luck at other shops!"
Hearing this, Lin Tianming and his companion, without further words, clasped their fists, turned around, and left Lingxiao Tower directly.
After coming out of Lingxiao Tower, Lin Tianming and his companion once again took a round around the other shops in the street.
After half a day, they had toured much of the market district.
Back at their residence, they sat in the small courtyard chatting casually. Lin Tianming picked up his tea cup, took a light sip, and then said,
"Fifteenth Grandfather, it seems the rumors are indeed true. The Gao Family’s Lingxiao Tower has little stock left. If they don’t get a replenishment, I’m afraid they won’t last much longer."
"Hmm..."
Lin Shilu nodded, agreeing with his view.
After coming out from Lingxiao Tower today, they visited many shops, and even the worst performing shop had more inventory and patronage than Lingxiao Tower.
By that comparison, if the Gao Family cannot resolve the issue in a short time, it’s only a matter of time before Lingxiao Tower changes owners.
"Tianming, this is good news. I’ve already sent a message to Brother Ye, and he’s already thinking of a way. Let’s wait patiently for a while!" Lin Shilu said.
Lin Tianming acknowledged and then added,
"Good, for the next few days, remind Tianfeng and the others to keep a close watch on Lingxiao Tower and the Gao Family’s movements."
After speaking, Lin Tianming clasped his hands and returned to his own room.
...
Time swiftly passed by, days turning into weeks.