Most of the items were plain and unremarkable, either lacking Spiritual Energy or just some common Low-level materials.
Suddenly, his gaze paused for a moment at a stall in a corner.
The stall owner was a one‑eyed old man with a cold, gloomy aura. On his stall lay several rust‑eaten, broken Weapons, a few dim ores, and an inconspicuous black disk‑like item caked with mud.
Gu Sheng’s attention was fixed precisely on that black Compass.
From within that Compass, he sensed an extremely faint, yet incomparably ancient and profound spatial fluctuation.
This fluctuation was extremely obscure; if not for his Divine Sense being strong enough, it would have been almost impossible to detect.
He walked over without betraying any emotion.
Gu Yuan guided the way while lowering his voice to introduce things to Gu Sheng.
"Big Brother, look over there, those few stalls with lots of people around them, most of those are members of the Head Hunting Gang.
They specialize in forming teams to hunt powerful Demon Beasts in the ruins. Their materials are generally of decent quality, but the prices are stiff, and they’re not easy to provoke.
Over in that corner, the ones with lots of broken Array Flags and ancient runes, that’s the turf of the Array Breaking Gang. They’re good at cracking some simple restrictions inside the ruins and occasionally dig up good stuff, but it’s hard to tell real from fake—you have to depend on your eyes."
He pointed toward another area.
"Those scattered little stall owners are mostly lone wanderers or temporary small teams. Their goods are mixed, you might get lucky and pick up something valuable, but it’s also where you’re most likely to run into scams and swindlers. In short, in this workshop, you’ve got to keep your eyes sharp."
Gu Sheng nodded slightly, but his gaze didn’t linger much on those noisy stalls. His Divine Sense swept across item after item; most had thin or chaotic Spiritual Energy, nothing particularly special.
The two of them passed through the crowded main street. The deeper they went into the workshop, the fewer people there were, and the environment grew a little quieter.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a three‑story wooden pavilion.
This pavilion was quite eye‑catching in the rough camp. Though the materials were still crude, the construction was tidy and orderly. A plaque hung over the door, inscribed with three ancient characters: "Linyin Pavilion."
On one corner of the plaque, a barely noticeable emblem was carved—a vine coiling around a cluster of stars.
Seeing this emblem, Gu Sheng’s gaze paused slightly, carrying a faint hint of surprise.
He was not unfamiliar with this mark.
"Big Brother, this is the best and biggest shop in our camp, Linyin Pavilion."
Gu Yuan introduced, his tone tinged with respect.
"It’s said this is a branch of that top Martial Artist Market in Great Wilderness City. The background is deep, and there are plenty of good things inside: Elixir Pills, Weapons, Treasure Armor, even some High-level Cultivation Techniques and Martial Techniques for sale. Of course, the prices are extremely high. But their reputation is excellent—absolutely no fakes."
A branch of Great Wilderness City’s Linyin Pavilion? Understanding flashed in Gu Sheng’s eyes; no wonder the emblem was the same.
He didn’t hesitate further and stepped inside.
The interior of the pavilion was much more spacious than it looked from outside. Shelves were neatly arranged with various goods, each emitting a faint spiritual light; their quality was clearly far superior to the wares on the roadside stalls.
At this time, there were few customers inside, only two or three Martial Artists quietly inquiring about prices.
Behind the counter, a slightly fat middle‑aged man in a brocade robe was lazily reclining on a Taishi Chair, eyes half‑closed as if napping.
He was the Shopkeeper here, Manager Xia.
At the very instant Gu Sheng stepped through the door, that seemingly sleeping Manager Xia didn’t even twitch his eyelids, yet an invisible, resilient strand of spiritual power swept over, precisely skimming across Gu Sheng’s body.
This spiritual power carried a probing intent but was not domineering; it felt more like a routine precaution.
Gu Sheng’s expression remained unchanged, as though he had noticed nothing.
Behind him, however, Gu Yuan shivered involuntarily, shrinking his neck and leaning close to Gu Sheng to whisper very softly.
"Big Brother, this Manager Xia’s strength is unfathomable. I heard he’s long since reached the late stage of the Sect Realm. The leaders of the Head Hunting Gang and Array Breaking Gang don’t even dare speak loudly in front of him in this workshop."
Light flowed over the Token’s surface, and it faintly emitted a unique Array fluctuation that only the core high‑level members of Linyin Pavilion could recognize.
"Th‑this... this is..."
The fierceness on Manager Xia’s face vanished in a heartbeat. He stared wide‑eyed, locking onto that Token, his voice trembling and turning shrill.
"The Pavilion Master Order?!"
Gu Sheng looked at him lightly, saying nothing.
The expression on Manager Xia’s face shifted rapidly—from shock and disbelief, to terror and excitement after final recognition.
The next second, under the stunned gazes of everyone in the shop, this man who was usually lofty and overbearing, whom even the heads of the major gangs had to treat with respect, suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud!
"Subordinate Xia Wuyou! Did not know the Special Envoy of the Main Pavilion was present! I have greatly offended you! My crimes deserve death! I beg the Envoy to forgive me!"
Not only did he kneel, he even wailed with a sobbing tone, speaking as he reached out to grab Gu Sheng’s leg.
"Lord Envoy! You’ve finally come! I beg you, please show mercy and say a few good words for me before the Young Lady, have me transferred back to Great Wilderness City!
I really don’t want to stay in this godforsaken place anymore! Staring at this heap of junk and these savages every day, I’m about to lose my mind, wuu wuu wuu..."
This sudden reversal left the entire Linyin Pavilion in dead silence.
The clerks were dumbstruck; the customers gaped, completely baffled by what was happening.
Gu Yuan’s jaw dropped so far it was about to hit the floor; his mind was a complete blank.
Just before Xia Wuyou’s hand touched him, Gu Sheng stepped back half a pace, neatly avoiding the grab, a barely noticeable frown creasing his brow.
"Stand up and talk."
His voice wasn’t loud, yet it carried a force that brooked no refusal.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World