NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 88: Dongyang City
The primary reason was the extreme temperature difference between day and night in Dongyang City, coupled with the need to guard against potential attacks by the Snow Beasts at any moment. Every night after sunset, the city gates would be shut tight. As a result, Dongyang's nights were naturally not as bright and bustling as those of other cities.
When Su Luoheng entered the city, it was already dusk, and the flow of people at the city gate was gradually thinning. If he had been just half an hour later, he likely would have been locked outside for the night.
The night was hazy, a blanket of snow covering the ground, giving the entire world a peaceful and beautiful, white-veil-like look. Only a few shops remained open on both sides of the street—mostly restaurants and inns.
With the severe northern climate, people here required a high intake of calories to sustain their daily work and survival. Meat and alcohol were the most popular items in this area. Su Luoheng had done his research beforehand: Dongyang City's specialty delicacy was roasted snow pork.
Being a food lover himself, Su Luoheng naturally had to give it a try.
As for the soul tool transaction at Dongyang Commerce Guild, he figured there was no rush; he could go tomorrow without losing time.
He soon found a nearby restaurant and finally got to enjoy the roasted snow pork he'd been eager to try. The taste was truly extraordinary.
This snow pork was indeed different from regular pork. Rich in fat and prepared using a special roasting method, its fat perfectly melded into the lean meat, making it flavorful without being greasy. With each bite, his mouth filled with the savory, aromatic juices—a real treat.
Paired with a sip of wheat juice, the flavor was simply unbeatable!
Su Luoheng enjoyed three servings before he was finally satisfied and found a place to stay for the night.
---
The next day.
At dawn, after washing up, Su Luoheng left the inn and headed for the Dongyang Commerce Guild. The night before, he had already asked for directions.
As he stepped out of the inn, a cold wind swept by, swirling the leftover snow across the ground.
On the streets of Dongyang City, it was still early, but already there were plenty of people coming and going. Here, in the extreme north, the days were short and nights long, so residents generally rose early to make the most of the limited daylight.
The Dongyang Commerce Guild headquarters was located in the eastern part of the city, occupying a large area and bustling with activity.
Su Luoheng made his way smoothly to the front of the guild, where a sign with the golden characters "Dongyang Commerce Guild" hung above the entrance.
Two rows of guards stood at the entrance, each one sturdy and imposing, exuding a fierce aura—obviously seasoned soul masters with significant cultivation. A quick sense of their soul power indicated that each was at least at the Soul Elder level or higher.
Seeing this, Su Luoheng couldn't help but be impressed. The Dongyang Commerce Guild, one of the nation's top guilds, indeed lived up to its wealth and power.
As he entered the building, a warm wave of air immediately embraced him. It was clear that plenty of soul-powered heaters were in place.
After glancing around the hall, Su Luoheng walked up to the young woman at the reception desk. Seeing someone approach, the young woman greeted him with a professional smile.
"Welcome to the Dongyang Commerce Guild, sir. How can I assist you?"
"I'd like to see Manager Wang," he said, producing the nameplate he had prepared.
After inspecting the invitation, her smile instantly became more respectful. "So, you're a guest of Manager Wang. Please follow me."
She made a gesture to lead the way, then walked ahead to guide him.
After a long corridor and a turn, they arrived at a redwood door. Beyond it lay a private reception room within the guild.
Depending on the guest's status, the reception rooms varied in prestige. The room Su Luoheng was shown to was specifically reserved for the highest-tier VIPs.
The nameplate he carried was the highest-level credential, gifted to him by his teacher, Ran Yuming, allowing him to experience the premium hospitality.
"Please wait here for a moment. I'll notify the manager immediately," the young woman said respectfully, pouring him some tea before bowing slightly and excusing herself.
Su Luoheng nodded and waited patiently.
As he had some time, he glanced around.
The room was modest in size, about twenty square meters, but the decor was exquisite. The furnishings were made from premium huanghuali wood, with an elegant yet subtly luxurious air.
A wooden tea table was set in front of him, with a blue-and-white porcelain teapot and green tea cups. Though unassuming in appearance, the tea set was undoubtedly valuable.
Taking a sip of the steaming tea, Su Luoheng sat quietly and waited.
Before Su Luoheng could finish his tea, he heard a series of urgent, steady footsteps approaching. Soon, the door creaked open, and a man dressed in black tight-fitting attire, with an elegant demeanor, strode in.
This man was Wang Yun, the manager of the Dongyang Commerce Guild.
Seeing a stranger sitting in the room, a hint of surprise flashed in Wang Yun's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and clasped his hands in greeting towards Su Luoheng.
"I am Wang Yun, the manager of the Dongyang Commerce Guild."
Noticing that Su Luoheng looked somewhat unfamiliar, he asked, "May I ask how to address you?"
"Su Luoheng, a disciple of Master Ran," Su Luoheng replied with a fist salute.
"Oh!"
A flicker of realization crossed Wang Yun's eyes, and he immediately switched to a warm smile. "So you are Master Ran's esteemed disciple! No wonder you seemed a bit unfamiliar."
"I didn't expect Master Ran would send you to handle this transaction."
"My teacher wanted me to gain some experience."
"…"
Wang Yun's demeanor instantly became warm and friendly as he engaged Su Luoheng in conversation.
After all, with Master Ran's status and rank as a level seven soul master, Su Luoheng's future was bound to be extraordinary.
As they spoke, they approached a large platform.
"Manager Wang, these are the soul tools prepared by my teacher."
While speaking, Su Luoheng took out the soul tools from his storage ring: ten level six soul tools and two level seven soul tools, all neatly arranged on the platform.
The size of the platform was just right to hold all the soul tools.
"Manager Wang, please check them."
Having completed this, Su Luoheng put away his storage soul tool, stepping back to indicate for Wang Yun to proceed.
"Alright."
As soon as work was mentioned, Manager Wang's attitude turned serious. He donned a pair of white gloves, took out various instruments, and began to carefully examine each soul tool.
Large commerce guilds like Dongyang have a thorough process for inspecting soul tools.
While not guaranteeing one hundred percent accuracy, the assessments would definitely be quite reliable.
A quarter of an hour later,after inspecting the batch, Manager Wang confirmed that the quality of the soul tools was excellent.
"These soul tools are all fine, little brother. We previously discussed with Master Ran, and the total price for this batch of soul tools is three hundred thousand gold soul coins.One Hundred Thousand was paid as a deposit beforehand, so here is the remaining two hundred thousand gold soul coins."
As he spoke, Manager Wang handed over a Card.
Su Luoheng nodded slightly and accepted the card.
Being a senior soul master truly deserved its reputation as a profession akin to a money printing machine…
The income from this round of selling soul tools equaled the total amount he had earned from selling soul tools over the past year.
"Alright, no problem."
After counting, Su Luoheng stored the banknotes.
He clasped his hands in farewell and was about to leave when Manager Wang called out from behind.
"Little brother, please wait a moment."
Su Luoheng turned back, asking, "Hmm?"
With a broad smile, Manager Wang said, "I wonder if you're in a hurry?"
Su Luoheng frowned slightly. "Manager Wang, if you have something to say, please just say it directly."
"You've misunderstood, little brother."
Upon hearing this, Manager Wang waved his hand, his smile never fading. "Three days from now, our Dongyang Commerce Guild will hold a large auction at the Dongyang Auction House. This level of auction is only held once a year. So if you're not in a hurry to leave, it would be a great opportunity for you to come and take a look."
As he spoke, Manager Wang handed over an invitation card, embossed with four golden characters: "Dongyang Commerce Guild."
Su Luoheng hesitated, saying, "Manager Wang, I may not have the time."
"Little brother, this invitation is actually prepared for Master Ran. You must accept it. If you can't make it when the time comes, you don't have to come," Manager Wang said with a smile, offering it again without giving Su Luoheng a reason to refuse.
"Well, in that case, thank you, Manager Wang." Su Luoheng's eyes flickered slightly as he reached out to take the invitation.
"If you have the time, little brother, you should definitely come to take a look."
After a brief pause, Manager Wang lowered his voice, hinting discreetly, "From what I know… there will be quite a few valuable items at this auction, beneficial for both soul masters and soul mentors."
"I will think about it carefully," Su Luoheng replied, smiling and nodding, deep in thought.
"Come on, little brother, I'll see you out."
"Thank you, Manager Wang."
"Haha, it's no trouble at all. Do you have a place to stay?"
"I've already found an inn, no need to trouble you."
"…"
After some small talk, Su Luoheng left the Dongyang Commerce Guild.
---
Three days later, in Dongyang City.
After leaving the Dongyang Commerce Guild that day, Su Luoheng thought it over and decided to attend the auction. After all, it was an annual event, and since he happened to be here, he certainly couldn't miss it. Besides, he still had more than half a month before returning to the academy.
The auction house was located on the east side of Dongyang Street.
It corresponded perfectly with the Dongyang Commerce Guild, with the two establishments standing on opposite sides of the street, forming part of the busiest thoroughfare in Dongyang City: Dongyang Street.
Today, the street was particularly lively due to the large auction, bustling with people and filled with the sounds of vehicles.
Su Luoheng quickly made his way through the crowded street, arriving at the auction house.
From a distance, he could see the iconic auction hammer symbol.
The auction house covered a vast area, its bright silver exterior contrasting beautifully with the snowy landscape. The building had an overall oval shape, resembling an upside-down half eggshell.
The main building rose three stories high and occupied thousands of square meters, enough to accommodate a thousand people.
In terms of total floor space, the auction house was undoubtedly the largest structure in Dongyang City.
Aside from the lord's residence, the only establishment that could compare to it was the Dongyang Commerce Guild, though it was still far smaller in size.