168: Goods, toys, stress relief tools

"Brother Li, why aren't you using your chopsticks? If you don't eat, it's all going into my stomach." Zhang Sheng didn't even lift his head, his tone flat.

Zhenshi Tower had already returned to normal, as if the earlier conflict had been nothing but a phantom.

After the burly man compensated the manager with ten thousand spirit crystals, he buried his head back in his food, and indeed, Zhenshi Tower pursued the matter no further.

From the reactions of those around him, Zhang Sheng had already seen through it: in this Upper Realm, slaves were simply not considered people. They were commodities, playthings, tools for stress relief, but they were certainly not "people"!

Across from him, Li Sheng watched Zhang Sheng's words and actions, and a ridiculous illusion welled up in his heart—as if he were the naive newcomer, and Zhang Sheng was the seasoned veteran of this world where the strong preyed on the weak.

He could not capture even a trace of human warmth in Zhang Sheng.

A faint trace of disappointment flashed in the depths of Li Sheng's eyes, and he immediately spoke: "Brother Luo, I am truly sorry. I just received news that the teleportation array from this city to the prefecture city is about to open, and I must rush to participate in the assessment for the Qinglan Guards. I'm afraid I cannot continue drinking with you, Brother Luo; please forgive me."

"Brother Li, please do as you please," Zhang Sheng said, his tone unchanged. "I wish you success. When you rise in the ranks in the future, just remember to treat me to another drink."

"Haha, that goes without saying!" Li Sheng readily agreed. "Brother Luo, until we meet again."

Li Sheng's silhouette disappeared at the doorway. Whether he was using it as an excuse to leave or truly had urgent business, Zhang Sheng did not care in the slightest. Li Sheng had already settled the bill for this expensive feast when he entered.

However, once Li Sheng left, Zhang Sheng did not touch the food on the table again. He didn't even glance at the delicacies anymore, just sat quietly for a moment, then suddenly raised his voice: "Manager! Come here!"

The person who hurried over was a manager who looked like a normal Cultivator, with no slave brand on his neck. He showed no sign of negligence toward Zhang Sheng, who was only in the Divine Breath Realm, and bowed respectfully: "Distinguished guest, what are your instructions?"

Zhang Sheng's voice was loud and clear, carrying throughout the hall: "I'm new here and don't know the rules. When Eating at your Zhenshi Tower, is there a custom of giving tips?"

As soon as he spoke, many diners around them looked over with great interest. The burly men at the table behind Zhang Sheng also set down their wine cups.

"Distinguished guest," the manager said with a beaming smile, "tips are entirely up to your discretion; our shop never forces them. If you enjoyed the meal, rewarding a small amount is our shop's honor."

Zhang Sheng raised his hand and took out a storage ring, declaring loudly: "Fine, this young master had a great meal today! There are one million spirit crystals in this storage ring; consider the ring yours as a reward too!"

"Clap!" The storage ring was tossed into the manager's hand. One million spirit crystals! This number instantly shattered the silence of the hall. All gazes focused squarely on Zhang Sheng, speculating which wealthy young master this was.

The burly men at the table behind Zhang Sheng exchanged glances that now carried a hint of ferocity.

"Thump!" The manager was so excited he knelt down directly. "Thank you for the generous reward, distinguished guest! Next time you visit, there is no need to verify your funds; you may go directly to the private booths on the second floor!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he swept over the other half of the dishes on Zhang Sheng's table that had barely been touched, and a trace of doubt flashed in his heart: Is this lord's appetite truly so strange? To barely taste such delicious food? But the huge reward immediately washed away this doubt.

Zhang Sheng said no more and stood up to leave. The moment he stepped out the door, the burly men at the table behind him also immediately settled their bill and followed him out. Seeing this scene, many diners wore amused smiles on their faces.

The person in charge of the first floor of Zhenshi Tower was a middle-aged man who had been silently wiping a wine glass the whole time. From the moment Zhang Sheng entered until he left, he seemed to be an outsider, with the manager handling all orders and payments. At this moment, he finally stopped wiping and cast his gaze toward Zhang Sheng's empty table. A rabbit-eared girl was just about to step forward to clean up.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew in from the window. Silently and soundlessly, that dining table, along with all the bowls, dishes, cups, and leftovers on it... instantly turned into a pile of fine powder! The entire process was shockingly fast; not a single person in the building noticed anything unusual. Witnessing this scene, some diners silently... mourned for those burly men who had followed him out.

Not long after walking out of Zhenshi Tower, a Jade Slip appeared in Zhang Sheng's hand—it was the communication Jade Slip gifted by Li Sheng. With a "poof," a cluster of faint blue flames rose from his fingertips, instantly burning the Jade Slip until not even ashes remained. How could Zhang Sheng easily trust a stranger met by chance? Who knew if there was a tracking mark hidden inside this Jade Slip? Naturally, it had to be destroyed completely.

The very moment the Jade Slip was incinerated, Li Sheng, who had just stepped onto the teleportation array to the prefecture city, seemed to sense something. He quickly took out the corresponding Jade Slip from his storage ring. He saw the Jade Slip silently shatter in his palm, turning into powder that drifted away from between his fingers. "Heh... cautious, aren't you." Li Sheng whispered, his eyes suddenly turning cold and piercing, a completely different person from before when he was in front of Zhang Sheng.

After leaving Zhenshi Tower, Zhang Sheng's primary goal was to dispose of the useless "miscellaneous items" in his storage ring—a pile of low-grade Spiritual Artifacts, Medicinal Pills, and Talismans that were like chicken ribs to him. Heavenly Injury City was filled with shops; he even saw the signboard of the Eight Gods Sect, but in terms of scale and Aura, the Youyuan Chamber of Commerce and the Qinglan Chamber of Commerce naturally dominated.

Zhang Sheng casually walked into a shop named "Tianshui." The clerk at the door saw he was a new face and immediately handed him a Jade Slip: "Guest, this is our shop's trading catalog." Zhang Sheng took the Jade Slip and asked offhandedly: "This catalog... it doesn't cost money?" The clerk smiled: "It's a free gift, a worthless little trinket that every new guest gets."

Zhang Sheng's mouth twitched slightly, and he cursed inwardly: Those two, Youyuan and Qinglan, are truly unscrupulous! They even charge for a catalog! His question was tantamount to exposing his identity as a New Prefecture Cultivator, but in this place, New Prefecture Cultivators were everywhere, so it wasn't surprising.

He probed the Jade Slip catalog with his Divine Sense: The first item listed was, shockingly, the "New Prefecture Cultivator's Essential Handbook," priced at one hundred spirit crystals. Below it was a note: Free if you spend ten thousand spirit crystals in the shop. The rest were mostly low-grade Cultivation Techniques, Spell Jade Slips, Spiritual Materials, Medicinal Pills, and Talismans; Heaven-Grade items were pitifully scarce and of extremely low quality, holding no appeal.

"Guest," the clerk enthusiastically promoted, "let me recommend this to you—the 'omniscient guide' Jade Slip! It records major events and news happening recently in Qinglan Prefecture, and even Qingchuan State and the Song Kingdom! Real-time updates! For example, that Song Xuan Sha from the Qinglan Academy just entered the fledgling tiger ranking and already shot up to over twenty thousandth place! Absolutely fresh and hot!"

"Don't look at the fact that it costs ten thousand spirit crystals; this is an authentic product from the Ascending Heaven Pavilion, well worth the price! When walking in the Upper Realm, being well-informed is the most important thing!"

Zhang Sheng's heart stirred: Real-time news updates? Isn't this just the Upper Realm version of a news feed? He also noticed that the prices here seemed a bit lower than the two major chambers of commerce in Huafu. "Fine, I'll take this 'omniscient guide'." Zhang Sheng nodded, then continued, "Also, I have a batch of miscellaneous items I don't need; do you accept them?"

"We accept! Of course we accept!" The clerk's eyes lit up. "Distinguished guest, please come inside!" He hurriedly led Zhang Sheng toward the inner hall.