“Alright, go ahead and enter.”

Sensing the tension building and the potential for trouble, the guard stationed at the entrance allowed them through.

“Not that you could cause a scene inside, even if you wanted to.”
“….”

The fiery expression on Bang Ryunil’s face cooled slightly, his hands unclenching as if he’d been defused.

“Huh?”

Kalstein tilted his head, puzzled by the sudden shift in Bang Ryunil’s demeanor. Jang Ilhong leaned in to explain.

“If you stir up trouble inside Maeyoung Pavilion, it won’t end well for anyone.”
“Really?”
“Maeyoung Pavilion isn’t just affiliated with the Hua Gold Sect—it’s a powerful organization with branches in multiple sects. I’ve heard the Reservoir Stage guard at the entrance is more of a warning than an actual deterrent.”
“Hmm.”

Interesting, but irrelevant.

It didn’t really matter to Kalstein. The important part was that once they were inside, Bang Ryunil wouldn’t be able to bother him further.

“Let’s go in, then. I can deal with that guy anytime.”
“….”
[Hopefully, there’s something worthwhile inside.]

Kalstein ignored Bang Ryunil completely and strode confidently into the grand pavilion with Jang Ilhong following at his side. Bang Ryunil’s face turned red with frustration, his anger barely contained.

The Reservoir Stage guard waved a dismissive hand, clearly uninterested in further conflict.

“No matter how capable you are, if you cause trouble inside, you know what happens, right? It won’t be my jurisdiction anymore.”
“Yes, I understand,” Bang Ryunil replied through gritted teeth, trying to compose himself.

Even as he tried to calm down, his teeth clenched audibly.

Bang Ryunil still remembered the underhanded tricks Kalstein had used to outmaneuver him before.

Crack—

To make matters worse, for some inexplicable reason, he had sensed the same level of spiritual energy from Kalstein—13 stars—as himself.

But that doesn’t make sense. I heard he only joined recently….

No matter how exceptional his Heavenly Spirit Root might be, there had to be limits.

“That bastard….”

It couldn’t be. There was no way someone who’d only recently joined could have progressed so quickly. Could Kalstein truly surpass him in talent despite having the same Heavenly Spirit Root?

“I don’t believe it.”

It had to be some kind of trick.

Bang Ryunil, consumed by disbelief and suspicion, hurriedly followed after Kalstein.

***

“Yuyu, it’s your turn. Upstairs, you’ll find a male and female customer.”
“Really? Finally!”

The young girl, Yuyu, replied in an excited voice.

“Yes, just do exactly as you were trained.”
“Yes! Understood.”

Yuyu quickly checked her uniform, clenched her fists tightly, and pressed her lips together in determination.

I can’t mess this up! Just follow the training!

Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, she began walking confidently toward her assignment.

In Maeyoung Pavilion, every guest is assigned a personal attendant upon entry.

With its high prices, the pavilion guaranteed top-quality products, reliability, and personalized service.

Yuyu had been taken in and trained extensively here, but this was her first real experience serving guests.

The fact that she was given this opportunity implied that the customers might not be the most influential figures—but that didn’t mean she could afford to make mistakes.

For my younger sibling and family, I have to do my best!

Her performance directly affected her earnings, and that income would help her distant family survive.

The more extravagant the customers’ spending, the greater her share. But Yuyu wasn’t expecting that much—she just hoped to avoid any mistakes.

Her customers were cultivators, after all.

A single misstep could bring severe consequences.

Of course, any troublemakers would be dealt with swiftly by the pavilion’s powerful cultivators or resolved discreetly by the manager.

Just don’t mess up! You can do this, Yuyu!

With this self-encouragement, she fixed a bright smile on her face and stepped forward to greet her assigned guests.

“Hello! I’m Yuyu, and I’ll be assisting you today!”
“Hm?”
“Oh… hi there, kiddo.”

“For Artifact Stage cultivators, you can browse up to the eighth floor! Would you like me to guide you?”
“Sure. Could you explain the differences between the floors?”
“Yes! The higher the floor, the higher the grade and price of the artifacts. However, starting from the seventh floor, there’s an additional entry fee. Only those approved by the owner may access the eighth floor.”
“I see.”

The young man and woman responded politely, putting Yuyu at ease.

Thank goodness they don’t seem intimidating!

As she began explaining and guiding them, Yuyu noticed someone else descending the stairs.

It was a young man who glanced at her with a mocking smile as he passed.

Her pupils trembled slightly.

Unlike Yuyu, who had been taken in and trained rigorously, this man had entered the pavilion through connections.

Jealous of Yuyu’s popularity among the staff, he had made it his mission to harass her at every turn.

Under the pretense of “training,” he had saddled her with endless menial tasks and errands. Recently, he’d even stolen her assigned guests, delaying her opportunities to work.

“…Do you have any specific items in mind?”

Yuyu suppressed her emotions and resumed her professional demeanor, speaking as she had been trained.

“We’ll browse up to the sixth floor first. One of our group is particularly interested in artifacts.”

So, is the lady in the group the one interested in artifacts?

There didn’t seem to be any immediate issues.

“Alright, then. Please follow me!”

Yuyu began leading them, but to her surprise, the group quickly glanced over items and moved on without much interest.

Are these not meeting their standards?

The man leading the group appeared to be the decision-maker, but his expression was difficult to read.

“Let’s move to the next floor,” he said.

By the time they reached the sixth floor, they still hadn’t shown any real interest in the items displayed.

Maybe they’re just here to look around.

Finally, they stopped at the entrance to the seventh floor.

I might not make much commission, but at least I didn’t mess up.

“This is the sixth floor. To proceed to the seventh floor, there’s an entry fee of 1,000 spirit stones,” Yuyu explained.
“1,000?”

The entry fee alone was significant. For lower-ranking Artifact Stage cultivators, who only earned a few dozen spirit stones as monthly wages, it was a daunting amount.

Elsewhere, 1,000 spirit stones could easily buy a decent artifact outright.

“This is Maeyoung Pavilion’s policy, so—”

“Hah! Haha!”

Laughter erupted from behind the group.

“To think you’d balk at a mere 1,000 spirit stones. Your level is quite apparent,” a mocking voice said.

Yuyu didn’t need to turn around to identify the speaker.

A direct descendant of a high-ranking Hua Gold Sect elder.

As an attendant, Yuyu had memorized the names and faces of important guests.

And behind him….

It was the very man who had tormented her, standing there with his usual sneer.

How could someone like him…!

Anger bubbled up within Yuyu. Mocking customers was a blatant violation of protocol. Even the most basic training would have taught him better.

“Why even come here? This place exists precisely to avoid mingling with the likes of you,” the descendant sneered.

“My apologies, young master. That was an oversight on our part,” Yuyu’s tormentor quickly added, bowing obsequiously.

What should I do?

Yuyu was flustered by the unexpected situation.

But she didn’t need to act. Her assigned customers seemed utterly unbothered by the insults.

“Yuyu, was it? I’d like to buy something,” the young man said calmly.
“Yes? Of course. What are you looking for?”
“Something similar in power to Thunderstrike Jade, I think.”
“Thunderstrike Jade? That’s a single-use artifact from the Ancient Era… I’m not authorized to handle something like that. I’ll fetch the manager for you!”
“Sure, go ahead. We’ll wait here.”

But before Yuyu could leave—

“Hold on, sir,” the harassing attendant interjected.
“Hmm?”

The man stepped forward with a smirk.

“Fraud and deceit are serious offenses in Maeyoung Pavilion.”
“…Fraud?”
“What are you doing? These people are customers!” Yuyu protested.
“Stay out of this, kid. My patron suspects they don’t belong here, and I agree. If they admit their mistake now, we won’t pursue the matter further.”

His words were laced with thinly veiled threats, questioning whether Yuyu’s customers had any right to be there.

“I’m not here to scam anyone,” the young man replied calmly.

“Where are you from? It seems you’ve come to the wrong place. But if you confess now, we’ll let it slide,” the attendant added smugly.

“Haha.”

The young man’s quiet laughter filled the room, silencing the exchange.

Just as Yuyu struggled to intervene—

“That’s enough.”

A calm, authoritative voice echoed from the seventh floor, resonating like rolling pearls.

“The manager!” Yuyu exclaimed.