"My strength isn't much. I wouldn't be able to wield such a heavy weapon." Han Li withdrew his gaze and shook his head, his expression unchanged.
"Then how about this Moon Arc Sword? It's forged from refined violet copper — not only is it light as a feather, but it's also remarkably tough. A rare superior-grade flexible sword."
"Too short. It doesn't suit me." Han Li glanced at it faintly, clearly unimpressed as well.
"Too short?" The shop assistant's perpetually smiling face faltered for a moment, and he seemed at a loss for how to respond.
"What's that over there? It looks rather interesting." Han Li suddenly took a few steps forward and pointed at an object on another table, asking slowly.
What he was pointing at was a coil of jet-black flexible cord, about as thick as a thumb.
"That's a Flood Dragon Rope, forged from gold silk. It's used specifically for binding. Even a low-tier spirit beast of tremendous strength won't be able to break free easily once it's tied up with this rope." The assistant stared blankly at the item for a moment, then began to explain.
"A Flood Dragon Rope? Let me take a look."
Han Li reached out without ceremony and picked the item up in his hand. With a slight shake, the black cord snapped perfectly straight with a soft *whoosh*, as rigid as a thin rod.
The assistant standing nearby stared at the sight, his eyes going slightly glassy. He had served countless customers at this weapon shop and naturally had a decent eye. Anyone who could wield a flexible cord to this degree so effortlessly was definitely no ordinary person — most likely a body cultivator. A trace of reverence crept onto his face.
"This is quite nice. But it's still a bit too thick. Do you have anything thinner like this?" Han Li gave it two light swings, then asked with a slight frown.
"Something thinner... I'm afraid our shop doesn't carry anything like that." The assistant muttered a couple of times, replying with some embarrassment.
"Oh? You want something thinner? I happen to have an item. Would you care to take a look? Though I should warn you — the price isn't exactly cheap." A rough voice suddenly came from behind Han Li.
Han Li's expression shifted slightly, and he slowly turned around.
Two burly men stood behind him. One was tall and broad-shouldered, with long hair draped over his shoulders, exuding the dangerous aura of a wild beast. The other had a sallow complexion and looked somewhat gaunt.
Both wore leather robes. The long-haired man carried a tall golden spear strapped to his back, along with a massive bundle on his shoulder, while the gaunt man held a wooden case several feet long in one hand, his expression somewhat dark and gloomy.
What caught Han Li's attention was that each of them wore a spirit stone–inlaid ring on one finger — though these were noticeably cruder than the one on Zhang Kui's hand, and the spirit stones set in them were a size smaller.
"Spirit tools... Body cultivators..."
The words surfaced in Han Li's mind, and in the span of a breath he identified the two men's identities. The corner of his mouth curved upward slightly as he said:
"As long as the item suits me, price is no issue."
"Very well. But this isn't the place for conversation. Come with my brother and me somewhere quiet, and we can talk." The gaunt man sized Han Li up, then broke into a smile.
"No problem." Han Li nodded without the slightest hesitation.
The three of them left the weapon shop and returned to the street. The two men appeared to be intimately familiar with the surrounding area, leading him through a winding series of turns until they arrived in an inconspicuous little alley.
Not a soul in sight. Utterly quiet.
"This will do. Brother Xin, show him the goods." The moment they stopped, the gaunt man turned to the big man and gave the order.
"Got it, Brother Bao!" The tall man answered, yanking the bundle from his shoulder and giving it a shake.
A clattering crash, and a heap of items spilled across the ground — bottles, jars, beast hides, beast horns, all manner of things.
The gaunt man bent down and retrieved a palm-sized wooden case from the pile.
"Take a look. This is Earth Dragon sinew that my brother and several other body cultivators obtained after killing an Earth Dragon. It's not only incredibly thin and tough, but it also has excellent elasticity — it can easily stretch to several times its original length."
"Earth Dragon?"
Han Li had no idea what kind of spirit beast this so-called Earth Dragon was, but from the sound of it, it was likely just a low-tier species. He let no trace of reaction show on his face and reached out to take the wooden case, lifting the lid.
Inside lay a slender, milky-yellow strand, bundled neatly with a red cord and resting tamely within.
Han Li didn't stand on ceremony. He pinched the red cord between his fingers, and it crumbled to pieces instantly.