Chapter 197: The Rich Have Their Reasons
Even Yun Zhonghe had mentally prepared himself, but he hadn’t expected that the consumption at Xuantian Mansion would be so astronomically higher than at Cangzhou City.
Of course, prices for goods were uniform across the entire Cultivation Realm thanks to the Immortal Alliance’s ban on price gouging. But when it came to services, there were no restrictions.
Back in Qingzhu Town, the best room for one night was just one Spirit Stone. But here, the lowest-end rooms were a hundred Spirit Stones per night, and those that were slightly better could cost up to three or four hundred!
Was this highway robbery?!
Moreover, Xuantian Mansion was so vast; if you didn’t hire a carriage, who knew how many years you’d have to run around? After all, flying wasn’t allowed in the inner and middle circles.
Carriage fares were also exorbitant, making him feel like his money pouch couldn’t keep up.
Even Yun Zhonghe felt like he was becoming an ordinary person.
Let alone Mu Jixue, Lin Zhongyu, and Tao Jiu’er, who had more modest means.
Yun Zhonghe paid for all of them.
No wonder they said big cities were fast-paced. One day, your Spirit Stones can get swallowed up without noticing, so if you don’t get rich quickly, you won’t be able to support yourself.
Yun Zhonghe deeply realized the terrifying purchasing power of big cities.
At mealtime, Mu Jixue and Lin Zhongyu asked some young lads about the commercial district’s location.
They were unaware until they asked—Xuantian Mansion had over twenty commercial districts!
Cangzhou City only had the East City commercial district.
In the end, they chose the nearest one to check out.
Xuantian Mansion offered carriages to their destination, and within the city, many teleportation arrays were set up.
To save time and Spirit Stones, Yun Zhonghe and the others took a carriage to a teleportation array and then used it to reach the nearest commercial district array.
Teleportation array prices were quite reasonable—ranging from one to five Spirit Stones based on distance.
This was the cheapest consumption Yun Zhonghe felt in Xuantian Mansion.
In a blink, the five of them arrived at the entrance of a commercial street.
Looking up, they saw an extravagant, opulent street, well-lit with a dazzling shine everywhere.
“This is truly spectacular…”
“Indeed, Xuantian Mansion. Its prosperity is indescribable.”
Mu Jixue and Lin Zhongyu looked thrilled, clearly enjoying such places.
The desire to splurge was at an all-time high!
Tao Jiu’er stayed silent as usual.
Surprisingly, Su Xiaoxiao almost melted into her surroundings.
Socially anxious and struggling with self-esteem, she felt out of place amidst the aura of wealth that seemed destined to purify her impoverished self, leaving nothing but ash.
She believed every cell in her body exuded cheapness, fearing her poverty would tarnish the prestigious street, leading enraged merchants to chase her down like hunted prey.
“No… Don’t k*ll me!”
Her old habits surfaced again.
Fortunately, Lin Zhongyu’s mother helped put her back together.
“Come to think of it, none of you seem to have a Spatial Bag or Storage Ring yet.”
Yun Zhonghe brought up this topic, seemingly considering something.
Among the team, apart from Yun Zhonghe and Tao Jiu’er having Spatial Bags, the others didn’t have any items for storing things.
“Cloud Brother, what do you mean?” Lin Zhongyu curiously asked.
“The consumption is high in Xuantian Mansion. Just traveling a short distance costs a dozen to several Spirit Stones. If we go to a sect in the future, we may spend even more on procurement trips. Once, twice might be fine, but if we do it often, the travel expenses could buy us a Storage Ring.”
Yun Zhonghe’s words reminded everyone.
With Spatial Bags or Storage Rings, they could stockpile more supplies without frequent trips, saving many Spirit Stones.
Furthermore, since their cultivation levels were high, it was time to get large-capacity storage tools.
This item was something they needed sooner or later, so why not enjoy it sooner?
Coincidentally, Uncle Zhang from the Xia Family Business had given each of them a million Spirit Stones, so they had enough funds to indulge.
As soon as he mentioned consumption, Su Xiaoxiao began to cry.
This was her first day, yet her hard-earned money was already flying away.
So, the five of them strolled the street, looking for shops belonging to the Xia Family Business.
The East Continent headquarters of the Xia Family Business was located in Xuantian Mansion, though not in this particular commercial district; it fell within the inner circle.
However, Yun Zhonghe found a store under the Xia Family Business’s umbrella. As long as it was under Xia Family Business, their Purple Gold Card was valid.
“Do you sell Storage Rings here?”
“Yes!”
The receptionist was very enthusiastic, not showing any prejudice despite seeing Su Xiaoxiao dressed in simple clothes.
“It seems,” the staff member introduced, “we have various styles of Storage Rings, including low-grade, mid-grade, and high-grade magical items. Which would you prefer?”
“A low-grade magical item, please.”
Yun Zhonghe did not hesitate much because, despite being expensive—ranging from fifteen to twenty thousand Spirit Stones—Storage Rings were worth it, even though they were no match for his Robe.
For now, they didn’t need excessive storage space, and more would only be wasteful.
Mu Jixue and Lin Zhongyu agreed with this reasoning, silently acquiescing to Yun Zhonghe’s choice.
When the clerk took out silver-white rings and announced their price, everyone was taken aback.
Thirty thousand Spirit Stones per ring?!
Far pricier than expected.
Yun Zhonghe frowned.
But the attendant reassured him that their rings weren’t expensive—at this rate in Xuantian Mansion, it had been the price for years.
What’s more, these rings weren’t just for storage—they could replace magic weapons, just like Yun Zhonghe’s defensive ring, Mu Jixue’s ice chain necklace, and Lin Zhongyu’s golden bead bracelet. Once stored, they could choose to wear the ring, allowing the use of magic weapons’ active skills without needing to carry them visibly!
“This is incredible functionality?!”
Yun Zhonghe was astonished.
In games, character equipment slots are limited, and these rings basically increased their capacity, significantly boosting their stats.
From this perspective, the rings weren’t too pricey.
Even in real life, the number of wearable magic items is limited. Two rings, two bracelets, and a necklace are standard accessories. Although humans have ten fingers, wearing ten rings would make one look like a ring addict, not to mention possible attribute clashing and the inability to activate multiple magic items simultaneously—that’s all excess baggage.
The low-grade magical items’ Storage Rings can add another equipment slot, which is incredibly powerful—wonder who made these!
Yun Zhonghe calculated; his Purple Gold Card held Uncle Zhang’s gift of a million Spirit Stones. If they bought five rings, it would cost them 1.5 million at full price. But with the Purple Gold Card’s 60% discount, it would only cost 900 thousand Spirit Stones!
He planned to use his own money to buy the rings for everyone.
This was a perfect opportunity to gain immense goodwill!
