He gave the required Spirit Stones and left for the city through the Spatial Portal.
...
The bustling city was alive with activity as merchants, cultivators, and commoners went about their business.
Shen Yuan soon arrived at the designated meeting place, a large courtyard filled with wagons loaded with crates of herbs and guarded by a small group of cultivators.
A middle-aged woman in green robes approached him, her eyes filled with confusion. "May I ask who you are and what business you have with our group?"
Shen Yuan looked at the woman for a second before responding, "I accepted the task of protecting this caravan on its way towards the Sacred Valley Sanctuary from my sect."
The middle-aged woman thought for a second. "But we didn't give that mission to any other sect than the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect."
"Yes, that's why I'm here," Shen Yuan affirmed again.
The middle-aged woman grew more confused as she sharply looked at Shen Yuan. "Lad, no need to lie to me. I might be getting old, but I still know that no male disciple is allowed inside the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect."
Shen Yuan shook his head and took out the mission paper that he had received from the sect. "Here, have a look at this."
The middle-aged woman suspiciously took the scroll from his hand and unfurled it, her eyes quickly scanning the entire document.
She took a deep breath as she looked at him again. She bowed slightly while apologizing, "My apologies for being presumptuous in knowing something that I had no knowledge of. Let me formally introduce myself; I'm known as Master Qiu, the leader of this caravan."
Shen Yuan nodded his head. "Looks like they explained my situation in the mission scroll. Anyway, my name is Shen Yuan. I've already been briefed about the situation here. How many guards do you guys have?"
"We have five guards, all at the Origin Core Creation Realm, but none of them are specialized in combat. Most are here for their experience in escort missions and to learn some healing techniques from the healers," Master Qiu admitted with a hint of concern in her voice.
"We've also hired a mercenary at the Extreme Origin Core Realm for added protection," she finished speaking.
Shen Yuan's eyes flickered with interest. "A mercenary? Where is this individual?"
"Impossible, the caravan members are not rich eno—" Before she could finish her words, Shen Yuan interrupted her.
"Tell me the price of them."
She got silent for a bit, but her eyes soon widened in disbelief. "Wait, you will pay—" She closed her mouth as she saw Shen Yuan getting impatient with her. "A single Northern Wind Horse is priced at 10,000 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones per day or a million Low-Tier Spirit Stones. And we would need at least 15 of them for four days..." She choked as she realized the astronomical amount it was reaching.
The amount was even higher than what she earned in a year.
"So, around 600,000 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones or 60,000,000 Low-Tier Spirit Stones," Shen Yuan thought for a second as he took out an empty storage ring and put 600,000 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones in it.
"No, you would need at least 80 million Low-Tier Spirit Stones, as the conversion value is not the same everywhere," Lian Fang still reminded him.
"Matters not, here, take them and go with a few guards to get the horses. You can do at least that much, right?" Shen Yuan tossed the storage ring toward her while instructing on what to do.
Lian Fang caught the storage ring and scanned it with her Qi before her eyes widened, but she didn't lose her composure as she had expected something like this to happen.
She raised her head and nodded towards Shen Yuan before leaving with a few guards.
Master Qiu soon returned as she looked at Shen Yuan in disbelief. "Y-You didn't have to spend so much money for our sake."
Shen Yuan shook his head. "It was not for you. I want to get this mission finished as soon as possible, and that little amount of Spirit Stones is nothing for me."
Master Qiu took a deep breath and nodded towards Shen Yuan. "It is our honor to have you with us for this journey."
Shen Yuan smiled lightly and didn't reject her words.
...
Soon, Lian Fang returned with 15 Northern Wind Horses.
She had calmed down by now as she hurriedly came towards Shen Yuan. "Young Master Yuan, it was so exciting to spend so many Spirit Stones at once." Her eyes shined brightly as she exclaimed.