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Inside the room, everything was bathed in a sea of pink.
The walls were painted pink, the floor was covered with pink tiles, and the room was filled with numerous pink flowers.
Especially on the bed, there were all kinds of pink toys scattered about.
Even Ning Tianchen, who had lived two lifetimes, couldn't help but blush at the sight.
Ning Rongrong, however, lacked this kind of worldly knowledge. She lay down on the large pink bed, curiously examining the toys.
Ning Tianchen quickly stopped her. "Rongrong, these should have been left behind by the previous guests. This hotel didn't even bother to clean up. Don't touch them for now—I'll call someone to tidy up."
Though puzzled, Ning Rongrong obediently set the toys aside.
Shortly after, when the server heard his request, they gave him a strange look.
Those who chose the "Pink Flower Sea" room usually came specifically for these toys. These two clearly didn't know how to appreciate the mood.
Despite their internal complaints, the server still complied.
After removing all the eye-straining items, the room instantly became much more comfortable.
The large pink bed was spacious enough, and there was even a smaller bed beside it.
Ning Tianchen decided that he would sleep on the small bed while Ning Rongrong took the larger one.
However, it was still morning, and there was plenty of time until nightfall. The two decided to take a stroll around the city first.
…
Suotuo City was considered the second-largest city in the Balak Kingdom, its prosperity rivaling that of Balak City itself.
"Big brother Tianchen, that shop over there seems to be related to soul masters. Should we go take a look?" Ning Rongrong asked while munching on candy, pointing to a nearby shop.
Ning Tianchen looked in the direction she pointed. It was a rather inconspicuous shop.
There was no signboard above the door—only a symbol resembling the emblem on the Pope's Token.
"Could it be a shop opened by the Spirit Hall?" Ning Rongrong asked with wide eyes.
Ning Tianchen shook his head. "I don't think so. Let's go check it out."
He could faintly sense a weak fluctuation of soul power emanating from within the shop.
If he remembered correctly, this shop should belong to Flender, a small establishment he had set up in the city.
One of Tang San's early opportunities involved obtaining a piece of metal called Ban Jing Fa Jin (Hair Crystal) from Flender.
Standing before the shop, Ning Tianchen paused to examine the emblem above the door.
One of the six symbols on the Pope's Token was a sword-shaped pattern representing the Seven Kill Sword.
The glory of his ancestors—it seemed he had inherited some of their prestige.
Ning Rongrong whispered, "Could this shop sell soul-guidance devices? I wonder if there are any special ones here."
The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect also collected soul-guidance devices on the continent, especially those for attack and defense. Their treasury held quite a few such items.
Unfortunately, despite the passage of time, the sect's researchers had never successfully replicated any of them.
As for Flender's shop, calling it a junk store wouldn't be an exaggeration. After all, intact soul-guidance devices could fetch a good price at auctions—why would they end up in a place like this?
Even if Flender did have something valuable, given his greedy nature, how could he resist advertising it?
Upon entering the shop, the interior appeared dimly lit.
Ning Tianchen glanced around and could clearly sense the source of the soul power fluctuations.
On the two walls of the shop, shelves were embedded, and another shelf stood in the middle of the room.
At the moment, Flender was sitting comfortably in a recliner, eyes half-closed, swaying gently.
"Wow, they actually have this kind of soul-guidance device!" Ning Rongrong exclaimed as she picked up one of the devices, playing with it fondly.
Ning Tianchen turned his gaze toward it.
It was a defensive soul-guidance device, capable of withstanding three attacks from a Soul King-level expert. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had a similar model in their possession.
However, due to the unique nature of defensive soul-guidance devices, once soul power was infused into them to activate the barrier, it would consume charges regardless of whether it was attacked or not.
Thus, when selling defensive soul-guidance devices, the barrier couldn't be activated for inspection.
Perhaps Flender was exploiting this loophole to sell defective products.
It didn't matter if Ning Rongrong got scammed—they weren't short on money. In fact, after entering the academy, when Ning Rongrong discovered she had been tricked, she would likely develop a poor impression of Flender.
In the future, even if she left Shrek Academy, she wouldn't harbor any resentment.
Ning Tianchen shifted his gaze, searching the corners of the shop.
If he remembered correctly, Tang San had found the Ban Jing Fa Jin in one of these corners.
Though Ning Tianchen knew nothing about metals, there were no extra stones in Flender's shop, so it was easy for him to locate it.
Picking up the stone, he turned and asked, "Rongrong, do you see anything you want?"
Ning Rongrong didn't turn her head but instead waved the soul-guidance device in her hand. "For now, just this one. I'll keep looking."
Most of the soul-guidance devices in the shop were storage-type devices.
For someone with Ning Rongrong's experience, it was easy to tell whether the space inside a storage-type device was damaged—just a simple test was enough.
Flender didn't open his eyes, continuing to rest with his eyes closed. "A special stone and one soul-guidance device—total of ten thousand gold spirit coins."
Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong didn't respond immediately.
Ning Tianchen simply found the price outrageous and decided to stall for time, leaving the other party hanging.
Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong was engrossed in treasure hunting.
Not long after, she suddenly gasped. "How can this soul-guidance device be here!"
Ning Tianchen followed the sound of her voice and saw that she was holding a peculiar soul-guidance bracelet.
It appeared to be a defensive soul-guidance device, but there was no longer any soul power fluctuation—it was clear that its defensive charges had been depleted.
Ning Rongrong wouldn't lose her composure for no reason. He quickly walked over to check. "What's wrong?"
Ning Rongrong glared angrily at Flender. "Boss, what do you mean by this? This soul-guidance device belonged to the late Great Elder of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. After his passing, it was buried with him. Why is it here now?"
Hearing this, Ning Tianchen recalled something.
Within the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, every inner-door elder had a portrait left in the ancestral hall.
He had seen the portrait of this elder before.
In the painting, the elder was gently fingering the bracelet, his face radiating a kind smile.
Ning Tianchen could confirm that the bracelet in Ning Rongrong's hand was identical to the one in the portrait.
But even so, how could Ning Rongrong be certain that this bracelet was the one the elder had taken into his coffin?
Flender slowly opened his eyes, glancing at her casually. His tone remained calm as he said, "There are many similar-looking items on the continent. I think you must have mistaken it for something else."
Ning Rongrong immediately retorted, "There's no way I'm mistaken! At the end of last year, the elder's tomb was robbed, and this bracelet was among the stolen items!"
Ning Tianchen couldn't help but scrutinize Flender, trying to detect any traces of guilt on his face.
The rocking chair stopped swaying, and Flender finally gave Ning Rongrong a serious look.
Catching a glimpse of the jade pendant hanging from her waist, he muttered inwardly, "She's a disciple of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."
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