Attracting the masses
The hustle and bustle of city life, how I've missed it!
The streets were packed with carriages and people going into all different directions, some clothed rather extravagantly while others wore simple linen robes. The streets were wide and long with shops and stands on both sides as far as the eyes could see.
After having asked for directions, Tao Fuyuan arrived at a spacious inn. Said to be the finest one in the city, he slid the chinese style door open and the strong smell of alcohol quickly enveloped him. In front of him was a nicely decorated, large hall filled with hundreds of tables, most of which had been taken up by small groups of men and women, very few only seating a single person. Some were yelling and laughing all about while others quietly enjoyed their food, the atmosphere was lively but not too overbearingly loud. Upon taking a closer look at these people, most of them seem to be armed with swords and other kinds of weapons. Moving his gaze, a long counter was stationed on the right side of the inn, impossible to miss; he walked towards it.
"Good day, sir. Would you like to rent a room or dine?"
"Both. Are any single person rooms available?"
"Yes, but the low and middle class rooms have been booked already. We only have high-class rooms remaining." The secretary continued, "A high-class single room costs 10 anima coins per night, food included. Would this sir like to book one?"
"I'll book one for 7 days, thank you!"
After paying the 70 anima coins and receiving a red card in return, Tao Fuyuan was guided up the stairs and to his room by a waiter. Unbeknownst to him, his quick exchange with the secretary had been overheard by some of the guests in the main hall and those who had been standing in line behind him. They could only watch his back as he was being led up the stairs. All kinds of different gazes fell upon him; shocked, worried, greedy, some even scrutinizing him from top to bottom. Behold, a big fish has appeared!
Smiling from one ear to the other, the waiter stopped in front of a room and gestured for the youth to enter. As he stepped in, the waiter began speaking.
"Venerated guest, this suite has one main room, one inner room and a bathroom. The table in your main room is equipped with a jade sensor. If you'd like to order refreshments or have any questions, please swipe your red card across the sensor to notify us. A worker will come to your aid immediately."
After asking some further questions and giving the waiter a generous tip of 5 anima coins, Tao Fuyuan made him leave and plummeted onto the floor cushions.
"Nice indeed, but my castle is better!"
On the other hand, I hadn't realized that these coins are so valuable.
Mentally exclaiming his surprise, he reached into his top and pulled out the lilac-colored purse. He unbound the purse and turned it upside down, causing all of the coins to fall on the table. Falling, and falling, and falling…
This purse is bottomless!
One of the questions he had asked the waiter before sending him away was about the most common payment methods. Anima coins are the most desired sort of payment but are rather hard to obtain; only the rich and lucky ones own large quantities of anima coins. Copper coins are also widely accepted but some big markets, like this inn, will not accept copper coins. One anima coins equals 200 copper coins and could feed a poor family for several years.
Seeing as there's no end to the coins falling out, he quickly turned the pouch in his hand around again before putting it aside. Tao Fuyuan got ahold of the menu on the main table right afterwards, flipped it open and skimmed through the dishes, as well as the prices listed next to those. He sighted.
"Most dishes cost one anima coin, but a few other dishes completely overshoot that amount fivefold, even tenfold...expensive ah, so expensive. That must be the reason only high class rooms were available, 10 anima coins for seven nights equals 1400 copper coins. Who would spend money so mindlessly?"
…
Ahem, except me. This ancestor is new to this world, please excuse my poor mistakes! The previous owner of this body must be cussing me from one end of the world to the other. Please forgive me!
Pitying himself inwardly, Tao Fuyuan put the menu back on the table before beginning to count "his" money.
After one incense's worth of time, he let himself fall back with a thud.
Too many! For a small purse to be able to carry thousands of coins, if not more, and still weigh close to nothing- this universe must be trying to play tricks on me!
Another incense's worth of time later, the table was clean once again. All fallen out coins had been packed into the now sealed pouch and put away safely by this venerable one. If I lose this pouch, my life will be over!
Tao Fuyuan swiped his red card across the room and not long after did he hear footsteps approaching, followed by knocking sounds of the door.
"Come in."
The same waiter who'd brought Tao Fuyuan to his room showed up once again.
"Does this good sir need something?"
"I'd like to have a map of this city. Inns should have those in stock, right? I'll roam around this district for a while and come back before the sun sets, please have some warm food served by then."
"Of course! I will be right back."
The waiter stepped out and closed the door before walking down the stairs and into one of the personnel restricted rooms.
"And? A-Dong, what did he say?"
A small group of employees had been waiting in that room, curiously awaiting their co-worker's return.
"He's going to take a stroll through the neighborhood."
"Already?" A waitress exclaimed, the others nodding their heads in acknowledgement before another waiter added, "He just spent 70 anima coins so leisurely, he must be filthy rich! The news have spread already, many cultivators and mages set their eyes on him. Poor guy…"
"You reap what you sow. Tiantang city is huge, why didn't he visit another inn?"
"He's probably new and asked for directions." A-Dong said before another one of his colleagues spoke up, "I've never seen a tang suit-wearing young master before. What's his name again? Tao Fuyuan?"
"Doesn't ring a bell...", the co-workers uttered in unison. A-Dong left the room shortly afterwards with a map in his hand.
Two minutes later, footsteps resounded and once again, followed by a knocking sound. After letting A-Dong in and receiving the map, Tao Fuyuan left the inn and walked down the street, for about 5 minutes, before entering a well-visited general goods shop and walking up to the counter right away.
"Hello, does this store sell soul perceiving stones and elemental gems?"
A soul perceiving stone is used in order to discern one's soul color, whereas the elemental gem is used in order to find out which elements your soul is compatible with. Reading all those books back in the library, it was worth it!
"We do, indeed!" the employee responded. "Soul perceiving stones retail for 10 anima coins each while elemental gems retail for 50 anima coins each."
After agreeing to purchase one of each kind, the purchase was concluded and both parties were satisfied. Tao Fuyuan left the shop and walked further down the street before coming to a halt in front of another bustling shop.
"Magic herbs wholesale Xi Er?"
Such a weird name!
However, Tao Fuyuan's eyes widened as his line of sight wandered over the shop's windows.
These plants, didn't they grow in my spiritual fissure? Mother! Is there something I don't already have?
It only took a moment's thought for Tao Fuyuan's mood to skyrocket.
Lucky me!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone