Chương 987: Chapter 985: The Deepwater Monolith

The aquatic markets of the capital stretched out near the eastern wall. The air was thick with the scent of brine, roasted kelp and the worldly Qi radiating from thousands of captured spiritual beasts. Li Yu and Princess Jinling navigated the crowded stone pathways, moving deeper into the district where the commercial food vendors gradually gave way to specialized beast tamers. Li Yu stopped at a wide wooden stall displaying a row of glowing glass tanks.

He leaned over the counter and was studying the various scaled creatures swimming inside.

"Do you have any high cultivation aquatic beasts?" Li Yu asked the vendor. Before the man could answer with a sales pitch, Li Yu quickly held up a hand and added a rather embarrassing caveat.

"Preferably ones that do not have good fighting capabilities. I am looking for beasts that are considered defective for combat, since those should be significantly cheaper." The vendor stared at him and was blinking in confusion. Cultivators spent their entire fortunes searching for fierce and lethal companions to aid them in battle. Or at least beasts that can do other things that are helpful.

Asking for a useless fighter but high level beast was like walking into a weapons forge and asking for a sword but please make the edge blunt, the balance terrible and oh yeah, just make the blade out of glass as well while you're at it. Beside him, Jinling covered her mouth with the sleeve of her crimson dress. She was trying but failing to hide her laughter.

"What an interesting description for what you are looking for." Jinling continued to tease him from earlier with her eyes now dancing with amusement.

"The mighty Li Yu is actively hunting for the most useless beasts in the empire because his pockets are empty." Li Yu sighed and was rubbing his temples as the vendor continued to give him a strange look.

"I regret that you decided to follow me today. I am losing a large amount of face right now. If my parents or grandfather saw me now they would probably laugh at me too." He said it in a joking manner with a light smile playing on his lips. He did not actually care about the concept of face in such trivial matters. His time on his own had taught him the value of practicality over pride. Jinling found his self deprecating humor to her liking and a bit refreshing.

"You should not worry about face with me. I think your honesty is charming." The vendor was still recovering from his initial confusion and cleared his throat.

"Young Master, if you are looking for high-level beasts with poor combat utility, you will not find them with me. We deal mostly in standard guard beasts and exotic mounts here. You need to head to the central plaza. The merchants there handle the strongest beasts captured from some treacherous zones. Occasionally, they bring in heavy, sluggish creatures that failed to develop proper offensive instincts. Those usually sell for a fraction of their cultivation realm's value."

Li Yu thanked the vendor and gave him some spirit stones for the information. He was broke but he wasn't so broke as to be rude when someone had helped him kindly. Li Yu led Jinling toward the center of the market as the man instructed. As they progressed deeper into the district, the atmosphere began to shift. The outer rim was filled with more common citizens but the central plaza catered to wealthy sect elders, noble heirs and prominent guild leaders.

The density of the crowd increased and with it, the number of sharp eyes scanning the area. It did not take long for someone to recognize the young woman walking beside Li Yu. Her regal posture and striking features were undeniable and many have seen her recently at the tournament. Whispers broke out like ripples across a pond.

"Is that Her Highness?"

"The Crimson Princess is walking through the market! Make way!" The chaotic haggling of the market ground to a sudden halt. The dense crowd instinctively parted, creating a wide and clear path for the duo. Merchants scrambled out from behind their counters and were bowing deeply as Jinling approached. A vendor selling rare aquatic flora rushed forward, holding out a jade box containing a glowing blue lotus.

"Your Highness! Please, accept this Thousand Year Frost Lotus as a token of my respect. It is an honor to have you grace my humble stall." Jinling frowned slightly and she held up her hand, rejecting the offered treasure.

"Thank you sir, but please keep your wares. I am not here to pillage your stalls or throw my weight around. Please, act normal everyone. Conduct your business as you would on any other day. Furthermore, I am not the one shopping. My companion is the one looking for goods so you won't win any favor with me." The merchant swallowed hard and bowed his head again.

"As you command, Your Highness. If the Young Master sees anything he desires, I will offer a steep discount." Jinling sighed once again, knowing her words often fell on deaf ears when it came to people treating her differently. She told them to act normal and they verbally agreed to her terms but their actions spoke otherwise. It was a sign that the royal family was respected, feared or both and no one wanted to get in trouble for doing something she might find offensive.

Princess Jinling understood this and didn't trouble them any further. As Li Yu and Jinling continued walking, Li Yu's keen senses picked up the subtle movements of the vendors. The moment the duo looked like they were heading toward a specific section of stalls, the merchants frantically reached for their display plaques, quietly swapping out the high priced tags for new ones that listed the goods at a fraction of their actual cost.

"They are lowering the prices for everything we walk past," Li Yu noted in a low voice and was highly amused by the scrambling vendors.

"I suppose going out with royalty has its advantages. Perhaps even a poor person like me can afford something today if we take advantage of it." Li Yu continued jokingly as Jinling chuckled lightly.

"I told them not to do that," Jinling muttered afterwards and was crossing her arms in frustration.

"I despise when people bend the rules of commerce just because of my lineage. It ruins the authenticity of my experience with them. It's hard to tell when someone is genuine or just wants some connections."

"You cannot blame them though," Li Yu chuckled.

"To a merchant, building a relationship with the royal family is worth far more than a minor loss in immediate profits. If they can boast that Princess Jinling visited their stall and facilitated a purchase, their prestige will rise. Everyone has to survive, princess."

"I understand that of course. But it is still irritating," Jinling replied with a smile. They eventually arrived at the establishment in the central plaza and it was a pavilion constructed from light ocean stone, surrounded by towering and reinforced glass enclosures. A polished wooden sign hung above the entrance, bearing the name of Merchant Yao. Merchant Yao, a stout man wearing rich silk robes, hurried out to greet them.

He had clearly received word of the royal presence making its way through the district and he offered a practiced, respectful bow. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Welcome, Your Highness. Welcome, Young Master," Yao greeted smoothly.

"I am Merchant Yao. How may my humble pavilion serve you today?" Jinling gave him a stern look.

"Treat us as regular customers, Merchant Yao. I do not want special treatment and I do not want your prices slashed for my benefit. My friend is looking for something specific." Yao nodded sagely while turning his sharp merchant eyes toward Li Yu.

"Understood. What is the Young Master seeking?"

"I need a high-tier aquatic beast," Li Yu explained.

"Specifically, I am looking for something in the Origin Awakening realm or higher. However, it needs to have a strong defense and if possible zero offensive capabilities. It should be something that does not move much, or preferably, does not move at all. Because of these specific flaws in such a beast, the price should be lower which fits my needs right now." Li Yu was honest in what he was looking for and why he was looking for it.

Normally, that wasn't the greatest idea because a merchant could increase the price of such a beast, even though no one else wanted it, just because he was looking for it. However, with the princess in tow, it was highly unlikely he would be cheated. If anything, he would be getting a deal because of her presence. Merchant Yao rubbed his chin and was processing the strange request. Tamers sought beasts to fight for them, guard their estates, serve as rapid transport or something else entirely.

A beast that did not move and could not attack was essentially an expensive paperweight but such beasts do exist. Their defenses are strong enough or they are lucky enough to make it far on the path towards the Dao.

"That is a highly unusual request," Yao admitted while gesturing for them to follow him into the pavilion.

"I have several beasts at the Origin Awakening level but they are geared for war. I have serpentine strikers and deep trench hunters. They possess terrifying offensive capabilities, able to shred King realm armor in seconds. However, they are also quite fragile for their realm, vulnerable to counterattacks at the same level if they miss their initial strike. But because of their lethal nature, they are immensely expensive."

"Agreed, I am not looking for offense right now." Li Yu stated firmly.

"I need defense." Yao smiled and a sudden realization dawned on his face.

"As it happens, I actually do have something that fits your description. It was hauled in by a crew a few months ago. It has exceptional defense and an Origin Awakening cultivation base but it is practically immobile. Because it lacks any combat utility, no prominent tamer wants it. I am willing to part with it for a great price if the young master wants it." Li Yu's eyes lit up.

"Can I see it?"

"Right this way," Yao said while leading them through the grand pavilion and out into a spacious and reinforced stone courtyard in the back. The courtyard was designed to handle heavy beasts and was ringed by thick containment arrays. Merchant Yao stood in the center while drawing a high grade beast bag from his robes. He channeled his Qi into the fabric and formed a complex release seal.

A blinding flash of blue light erupted from the bag as a heavy and resounding thud echoed through the courtyard as the beast materialized, causing the reinforced stone beneath their feet to tremble. Li Yu stared at the creature in satisfaction.

"This is a Deepwater Monolith Barnacle." Merchant Yao introduced. The beast was the size of a small house. It possessed a jagged and conical exterior composed of heavily compressed and calcified ocean minerals. Thick layers of dark green moss clung to its shell. It did not have claws, teeth or tentacles, at least not from what Li Yu could tell. How it actually ate or did anything Li Yu did not know. It however, radiated a dense aura indicative of an Origin Awakening realm, yet it remained perfectly still.

The beast simply sat there, a massive and unyielding mountain of shell as passively absorbing the ambient worldly Qi from the air around it. Li Yu's mind raced and he was happier and happier the more he saw from this barnacle. This was a great beast to serve for his battery idea.

"It is perfect," Li Yu said while walking up to the massive shell and placing a hand against the cold surface.

"It is exactly what I am looking for." Yao smiled proudly.

"I am glad it meets your needs. I can offer it to you for a fraction of what other Origin Awakening beasts would cost." Merchant Yao went through some calculations, clearly deciding on how much of a discount he was giving on top of the already relatively low price for a beast in that cultivation realm. It was an incredible deal. A combat oriented beast at that realm would fetch at least ten times that amount.

Unfortunately, that amount may as well be one hundred times higher to Li Yu at this exact moment, his pockets were barren and he couldn't afford it. Li Yu turned back to Merchant Yao while maintaining a calm and polite demeanor.

"The price is excellent. However, my current funds are sadly low. Can I put a deposit and put this beast on reserve for a week or so? I need time to gather the necessary spirit stones." Merchant Yao's smile faltered and if Li Yu had gone by himself, he would have been politely but quickly shown the door for wasting his time. However, with the princess here, he looked more uncomfortable than anything else.

"Young Master, I apologize, but I cannot do that. Our guild operates under strict rules for fairness and for business. We cannot hold merchandise. If I allowed reserves, every person in the capital would claim beasts and may never return for them. It is strictly first come, first serve." Li Yu felt a wave of disappointment but he did not let it sour his mood. He understood the logic of commerce and what the merchant said was not unreasonable at all. Li Yu just took the chance to ask and it didn't work out.

"I understand," Li Yu nodded while offering a respectful bow to the merchant.

"Rules are rules. It seems it is not my fate to acquire this beast today. Perhaps I will be lucky and it will still be here when I return." Jinling watched the exchange and she found his antics amusing. Every noble, sect heir or young master she had ever interacted with possessed pockets overflowing with wealth or at least servants on hand to pay. So being with Li Yu as poor as he currently was with a different experience for her all together.

The way he navigated trying to get what he wanted but being short on funds was amusing. She has also been with others, not all of them but a few, where if they had been denied something like this, they would have thrown their weight around or perhaps let them know about their lineage. Li Yu acted like he had no backing at all and from what she could see treated everyone nicely. While she was trained to do such a thing as well, she couldn't say she always did the same.

Of course, she has only known Li Yu for such a short amount of time, he could easily treat people badly as well but at least she hasn't seen it yet.

"I can get it for you," Jinling offered while stepping forward.

"Consider it a gift for letting me tag along today. It is not a sum that you should feel burdened about either." Li Yu turned to her and smiled warmly but was shaking his head.

"I appreciate the offer, Princess Jinling but you do not need to do that. A cultivator must walk his own path and bear his own burdens. If it is meant to be mine, I will find a way to earn the stones and return for it." Merchant Yao stood nearby and was sweating profusely now. He watched the Princess offering to pay for the beast and the young man declining. It was clear to him that she valued this young man quite a bit and he had made it difficult for everyone now unintentional as it was.

Yao's merchant instincts screamed at him to fix this issue. He began to think about breaking the rules of his organization. Giving the Young Master a reservation would earn him favor with the royal family. It was a small risk for a massive potential reward. Yao opened his mouth and was preparing to offer the reservation anyway.

"Actually, Your Highness, perhaps I can make an exc—" Jinling caught his movement and shot him a piercing and icy glare. The look was a silent command that froze the words in Yao's throat. She did not want him to grant them special treatment, putting him in an even more precarious situation. She spent her life having doors opened for her because of her bloodline and lineage.

She wanted to be a bit more like Li Yu, making her own way through the world without relying on the crutch of her royal status even though that was exactly what she was currently doing but it was used in a different kind of way. If Li Yu accepted the merchant's refusal, she would honor that decision. Merchant Yao swallowed hard and snapped his mouth shut. He offered a stiff bow instead, the only thing he could think to do now.

"Thank you for your time, Merchant Yao," Li Yu said while turning away from the massive barnacle. They walked out of the pavilion while stepping back into the bustling central plaza. They left empty handed but their spirits were surprisingly high.