Chapter 113: Buying Information
Liam finished the last grain of Spirit Rice and set his chopsticks down. He exhaled, savoring the aftertaste of lotus herbs still lingering on his tongue. Then he rose from his seat, collected himself, and walked toward the counter where the waitress waited.
"I’ll settle the bill," Liam said casually, retrieving the pouch of coins Zhou had given him.
The young woman nodded with a faint bow, tallying up his order on a slate tablet. "That will be three silver coins, honored guest."
Without overthinking it, Liam fished out a gold coin from the pouch and handed it over. The waitress blinked, surprised at his generosity, but quickly composed herself. She took the coin, then carefully counted out his change: ninety-seven silver coins stacked neatly on a small wooden tray.
Liam froze briefly in shock.
What? Ninety-seven silver?
He stared at the gleaming pile, then back at the waitress. The weight of the coins pressed into his palm when he picked them up.
So one gold equaled one hundred silver. Not ten or even twenty. One hundred.
"I really need to get a handle on this world’s economy," he muttered under his breath. "The logic here doesn’t match anything I’ve read before."
Back on Earth, gold was valuable precisely because of scarcity. In cultivation novels, the ratios were usually ten-to-one or ten-to-ten-to-one between copper, silver, and gold. But here? This world’s economy was built on a completely different logic.
He tucked the coins discreetly into the Dimensional Space and gave the waitress a nod. "Thank you."
Before he could leave, he turned back and asked, "By the way... is there a place I can purchase information? Maps, histories, that sort of thing?"
The waitress thought for a moment, then her eyes brightened. "Yes, honored guest. The Crimson Pavilion just two streets down specializes in such things. Maps, sect records, even trade routes. They are... reputable."
Liam gave her a small smile. "Perfect. Thank you again."
He turned and walked toward the door. Just as he reached the threshold, a strange thing happened.
A voice whispered in his mind.
Be careful. The Xuan family will not let this slight go unpunished.
Liam stiffened, his hand pausing on the doorframe And he smiled.
"Interesting."
He could have tried probing but he didn’t bother. With that person’s strength, and their ability to hide from his senses, he knew that he would never find them even if he tried.
He simply pushed the door open and stepped out into the bustling street, the whispers of the restaurant fading behind him.
As he adjusted his clothes, his gaze flicked down the direction where he’d flung the young master and his lackeys. Unsurprisingly, they were gone. Likely limping back to their clan with humiliation burning their faces.
"They’ll report to their elders," Liam muttered. "And they’ll come back with stronger people."
Unfortunately for them, they won’t find me. And even if they do, I can just slip away into the Dimensional Space.
With that, he turned his steps toward the Crimson Pavilion.
***
It didn’t take long to find. The establishment stood taller than the surrounding shops, its crimson-painted walls gleaming under the lantern light, and its wooden signboard carved with elegant characters.
Inside, the air was cool and quiet, filled with the faint scent of sandalwood. Rows of scrolls and tomes lined lacquered shelves.
Attendants in plain gray robes moved silently between them, guiding customers and retrieving documents.
An attendant approached Liam immediately, bowing lightly. "Welcome, honored guest. What knowledge do you seek? We have maps, sect records, trade routes, even information on spirit beast territories."
Liam didn’t hesitate. "I’d like to purchase basic information. Maps of Blackstone City, its surrounding regions, and the major powers that hold influence here. I’ll also need details on sects, clans, and safe travel routes."
The attendant’s eyes brightened. "Of course. The basic city map, sect and clan records will cost two silver. Expanded regional geography information costs three gold. And for spirit beast territories... that will be one additional gold."
Liam nodded calmly. "I’ll take them all."
The attendant bowed again. "Please wait a moment."
Within minutes, the attendant returned with a neat stack of scrolls and two bound books. The parchment crackled faintly with spiritual ink.
"These contain what you seek," the attendant said respectfully.
Liam nodded, slipping the entire bundle into his Dimensional Space as he picked them up. Then he paid: four gold and two silver.
"Safe travels, honored guest," the man said with a bow.
"Thank you," Liam replied smoothly, before leaving the pavilion.
After purchasing knowledge, Liam’s next priority was a place to stay.
I don’t exactly need sleep here, but I’ll need a safe base. Somewhere to return when I come back from Earth.
Fortunately, being near the city gate made things convenient, as establishments like inns, restaurants lined the streets.
One of the inns, in particular, stood out: The White Lotus Inn. It was larger than the others, its entrance flanked by carved stone lions.
Liam stepped inside. The lobby was spacious, its floor tiled in polished jade stone. An ornate counter stretched across the back, where attendants were busy, attending to guests.
He approached one and asked evenly, "Do you have available rooms? Tell me the types."
The attendant brightened immediately. "Yes, honored guest. We have common rooms for three copper per night, standard private rooms for one silver, and cultivation suites with spiritual formations for three silver. But our finest option is the VIP room — five silver per night. It includes spirit beast meals, secure treasure storage, and a formation-protected door for safety."
Liam thought it over, then nodded. "I’ll take the VIP room."
The attendant’s smile widened. "Excellent choice, honored guest. Please follow me."
Another attendant led him up two flights of stairs, their footsteps echoing softly against the jade floors. They stopped at a door carved from sandalwood, etched with runes.
The attendant bowed, slid the door open, and handed Liam a polished bronze key. "This is your room. The formations will recognize you as long as you have the key. Please enjoy your stay."
Liam nodded and stepped inside.
The room took his breath away.
It was spacious, more like a suite than a mere room. The floor was carpeted with woven spirit grass mats that exuded a faint, calming fragrance. The walls were paneled with polished wood, hung with scroll paintings of misty mountains. A low table stood at the center, crafted from a single slab of jade, with cushions arrayed neatly around it.
The bed was enormous, its frame carved from blackwood and its mattress piled with silk sheets that shimmered faintly. Beside it, a small incense burner released a subtle aroma that cleared his mind.
In the corner stood a secure jade chest, its surface carved with glowing formation runes — the secure storage promised.
And near the balcony, a formation circle had been inscribed into the floor, radiating a faint blue light. Its purpose was clear: protection. Any intruder would be repelled the moment they crossed the threshold.
Liam smiled faintly in satisfaction. He sat on the bed and bounced lightly once. The silk sheets were smooth, the mattress firm yet comfortable. Nowhere near his luxury back on Earth, but for a foreign world? It was perfect.
With a sigh of contentment, he retrieved the books he had just bought from the Dimensional Space.
The first was a scroll map of Blackstone City, its streets neatly marked, sect estates highlighted in crimson ink. The second book contained records of the major sects and clans — names like the Nine Heavens Thousand Blades Sect, the Moonshadow Pavilion, and the Xuan Family glared back at him from the pages.
Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly as he skimmed the section about the Xuans. "So, one of the top five families, with deep ties to the city lord’s mansion..."
"Well, we will have to wait and see how things go in the future," he muttered to himself, as he continued reading.