Chapter 128: Window Shopper
Sage wasn't here because the selection of goods in Holy Flame City was poor. On the contrary it was probably one of the best supplied cities within quite a huge area. Due to the fame of the Sect for its professions, the merchants constantly supplied it with many unusual and strange materials. Not only that, the majority of most magical items, pills, magic clothing, weapons and other special cultivator equipment that people used came from the Holy Flame Sect. It wasnt that other Sects had none of their own Smiths, Alchemists or other Professions, but the majority of things that they produced would be barely enough for their own Sects to use. Additionally, a Sect that was wholly devoted to the sword, for example, might have some excellent Blacksmiths to maintain and create their weapons. They might also have Alchemists to create pills to enhance their training. How about Formation Masters? Tailor and Weavers? Chefs? Miners? Appraisers?
There was just far too many professions for a Sect to spend time and energy on, they would usually focus their resources on only a few areas. A genius or two might arise, but with time their teachings and inheritance would fade and without support a Sect would eventually just give up on the Profession and merely hire outside help when they needed it. Why devote hundreds of disciples and millions of spirit stones to train and raise Formation Masters if you only needed to put down a new Formation once every few years to guard a newly acquired mine? Even back in the 10,000 Wave Province, which was nearly 50,000 miles away from the Holy Flame Province, a high percentage of the weapons and equipment that even the Lang Clan used had the brand of the Holy Flame Sect on them. The tiny flame with a symbol in the center was well known far and wide. Each smith left their own symbol in the center, but the larger outline flame was the distinctive mark of a member of the Holy Flame Sect.
Sage wasnt shopping because there was something he wanted that he couldnt get in Holy Flame City, he was actually here to try his luck. Just like at that antique shop in the Servant District where he found that egg he still had in his ring. He was hoping to run into something unusual. Everything that was a known rarity could be found in Holy Flame City and the price was no mystery to the experts there. Sage actually hoped to find something rare because this was one of only six cities that could trade with Green Plateau Province. He was sure there might be at least a few things that were unique to the Green Plateau and with luck he might find a material or item that hadnt yet been used to its greatest potential.
As Sage moved from curio shop to curio shop it reminded him of the Golden Egg. It had been sitting in his ring for quite some time and he was cautious to put it to use. Just like the previous owners he determined it was dormant, but unlike them he had a way to take advantage of it. Using the Insect Immortal Indexs technique Mutate, he could draw out the essence from a Bug and infuse it into an egg to breed across species lines. He could even influence the breeding to cause mutations. The thing that was stopping him was that he didnt know what was in the egg and he only had the one chance. Sage was holding onto the egg until he figured out a way to use the Merge technique flawlessly with other creatures. That time with the Twin Ringed Soul Serpent had been an extreme case and he wasnt even completely sure how he had succeeded. The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñøv€l-B1n.
Sage closed his eye, ending the technique, then opened both eyes back up. Hed been standing there studying this one rock for nearly an hour and a half so he felt a bit self conscious. The others around the area had ignored him, but he felt rude. Even if he was told there was at least three people who had been meditating in study for the whole day before he even arrived, he still felt silly. Sage had just been curious to see if the whole thing was rigged, but since the rock came from a chest then it was probably legitimate to the story. There had been more than one case of a Gambling House padding out their goods or fabricating a new ruins by just taking a few treasures and mixing in truckloads of junk. Then theyd cover them all up with a special rocky mess and start their auctions, knowing only the set number of items were worth anything and even adding shills to bid up the prices of those valuable ones or even purchase them back on purpose.
Knowing he had no chance and already being short on funds, Sage left the Gambling House and was about to give up on his, so far fruitless, shopping trip. At that moment a business caught his eye, Strange Creatures. Smiling at the find, Sage rushed over. He pushed the door open and took a look around, chuckling to himself as it looked exactly like the sort of place a mogwai might be found hiding. The room was lit by tall multi-tiered candelabra, standing from the floor to near chest height and covered with half-melted candles of various colors and emitting unusual scents. Looks like theyre controlling many of the beasts with the candles.
Wicker or reed baskets covered in array symbols hung at various heights from the ceiling, each filled with one strange, but small creature or another. On the ground large cages sat on differently sized pedestals and contained the slightly large cat and dog sizes creatures. At the other side of the room, Sage could see a door opening to a large courtyard that was lined with cages and stalls for the larger beasts of burden, mounts, or war beasts. Now this, is my kind of place.
Sage walked up to the counter and smiled, Show me your best Insects, Lizards, Snakes, Spiders, Frogs, and Worms.