Truth be told, Han Li was quite curious about the manager of the sixth floor. Madam Lan on the fifth floor already had late Foundation Establishment cultivation — could it be that someone on the sixth floor was a Core Formation senior?
A spark of anticipation rose in Han Li's heart.
Standing behind Madam Lan, Han Li found himself truly stunned when he caught sight of the sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl before him.
The girl was dressed simply, and her appearance was only moderately pretty at best — the kind of clean-featured, unremarkable beauty one might call above average. Yet the manager of the sixth floor turned out to be a mortal girl with not a trace of Magical Power in her. This was far beyond what Han Li had expected.
What was more, the moment the girl saw Madam Lan come upstairs, she hurried over with a bright smile, grabbed the older woman's arm, and clung to her, calling "Auntie Lan! Auntie Lan!" over and over in the most affectionate manner. She didn't so much as glance at Han Li, which left him feeling somewhat deflated.
"All right, Xiu'er! There's a guest here, you know!" Madam Lan said, though the doting warmth in her voice was unmistakable.
"A guest?" The girl finally looked Han Li over with a cursory glance, her expression dripping with indifference.
"Yes. This fellow Daoist Han wishes to purchase a pill formula and that set of magic tools we acquired last time. So I've brought him up to the sixth floor for you to attend to. I need to head back down — there may be other guests on the fifth floor by now," Madam Lan said, her tone full of tender indulgence.
"If that's the case, then once Auntie Lan is free, you must come up and keep me company," the girl said with a touch of reluctance.
Madam Lan smiled fondly at these words, then descended the stairs under the girl's watchful gaze.
"Now then, what sort of pill formula are you looking for? I have seven or eight formulas here, but only two are suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators — and their prices are shocking. You won't be walking away with any of them for a few hundred spirit stones." The girl finally turned her attention to Han Li, speaking in a cool, detached tone.
Hearing her manner, Han Li wasn't the least bit offended. Instead, he chuckled.
"As long as the formulas are genuine, price is no object," he said, his own tone equally bold, which gave the girl a brief pause. She studied him a few more moments, her gaze turning slightly more serious.
"Wait here, then. I'll have someone bring the formulas and that set of magic tools." The girl's expression softened somewhat. After all, a generous-looking customer was always welcome.
She produced a small copper bell from somewhere about her person, shook it in a measured rhythm several times, then leaned back casually against a wooden chair with no intention of attending to Han Li any further.
Han Li felt a flicker of surprise but calmly pulled out a chair and sat down on the other side of the table, the two of them separated by nothing more than a small wooden desk.
The girl's delicate brows twitched slightly at his action. Though her expression carried a hint of displeasure, she ultimately said nothing.
A short while later, a young female cultivator entered, cradling two jade cases — one large, one small — in her hands.
"Set them here," the girl said flatly, pointing to the table beside her.
"Yes, miss!" The female cultivator replied respectfully, placed the jade cases on the table, and withdrew on her own.
Watching a cultivator show such deference to the mortal girl, Han Li felt a flicker of surprise pass through his eyes.
"The formulas and the magic tools are right here. Have a look for yourself. If you're satisfied, I'll tell you the price." The girl pushed the jade cases gently toward Han Li with a composed air.
Since she'd said as much, Han Li didn't stand on ceremony. He reached out, picked up the smaller jade case, and flipped open the lid. Inside lay two jade slips — one red, one white.
Han Li plucked both slips from the case, then lightly closed his eyes and slowly extended his spiritual sense into the first one.
The girl, seeing Han Li examining the pill formulas in the jade slips, produced a pristine white silk book of her own and began reading it with both hands, utterly unconcerned with his presence.
After roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Han Li withdrew his spiritual sense, a contemplative look settling over his face.
Of the two formulas, one turned out to be the ancient "Spirit Gathering Pill" recipe that Lei Wanhe had once provided — it was of no use to him anymore. The other was not an ancient recipe but rather a formula for a pill called the "True Essence Pill." Its required herbs were somewhat aged but otherwise easy to source, making it a perfect fit for his current needs.
The price of this formula, however, would surely be several times that of the ancient Spirit Gathering Pill recipe. After all, the difference in value between an ancient formula and an ordinary one in the world of Cultivating Immortality was something Han Li understood all too well.
With that thought, Han Li returned both jade slips to the case with a perfectly neutral expression, then picked up the larger case and opened the lid.