Remembering the initial part of the history lesson, Ye Fan was excited to ask Wen Meihui about the details of stone gambling. While they were walking the streets of Great Divide, they needed some conversation to fill the time, so he wasn't too bothered about asking Sister Wen. With a little hesitation, he gave the young woman with flame-kissed hair his inquiry.

  "Sister Wen. You said the stones contained treasures from previous eras. Do you mean there will be treasures from Rising Ashes?"

  Wen Meihui's eyes brightened in pleasant surprise. Ye Fan was an extraordinary little boy, but she wasn't sure of the extent of his background. As she got to know about the boy's master, she grew more curious about this mysterious figure in her precious little brother's life. Her steps didn't falter, but her pathing grew a bit irregular. Shaking the speculations from her mind, she continued on enthusiastically.

  "That's right! And even those from eras before Rising Ashes. I've seen treasures from Great Separation, Absolute Heaven, and Dao Seizing."

  A light shone in his eyes, revealing excitement and curiosity. The little boy trembled as he posed his question with baited breath.

  "How about treasures from Myriad Forms and Creation?"

  Seeing Ye Fan's anticipation, Wen Meihui was overcome with feelings of affection. Her soft hands ran through the young man's hair and roamed his scalp. A flicker of surprise was replaced by content as Ye Fan submitted to the young woman's whims. After a few moments, the orange-eyed young woman pulled back, coughed lightly into her hands with an embarrassed expression, and quickly answered the boy.

  "Yes, I have. But, the amount of times I've seen treasures from that era can be counted on one hand. Myriad Forms is such a distant concept that even many of those in the Immortal Realm don't know of its existence."

  A tinge of disappointment briefly overcame the young boy's disposition, but Ye Fan focused on the bright side. His thoughts were filled with fantastical scenes of five-colored light and loud gasps from bystanders. Discovering ancient secrets, ascending to heaven with a single step, getting rich overnight. These were the kind of dreams that an innumerable number of cultivators shared. Dwelling on these mirages, the boy skipped alongside Wen Meihui's lead.

  Wen Meihui's keen senses had picked up on her little friend's initial disappointment. Silently, she vowed to be less frugal and spend a bit more today for his sake. Even though he was the young master of the Ye Consortium, mortal wealth and the mysteries of the Dao were very distinct from each other. As her benefactor and precious junior, she felt obligated to provide something for him.

  The two continued through the winding streets. A few bystanders had overheard their conversation and followed them with interest. Wen Meihui and Ye Fan noticed these people, but didn't bother dispersing them as they revealed no ill intentions. The little boy continued admiring the sights of the city along the way with the fiery young woman entertaining his wondrous exclamations. After about the time it takes for a pot of tea to brew, they finally made it to their destination.

  In front of them was a large pavilion with three floors. What it lacked in terms of height, when compared to the likes of the "Three-Five Pavilion", it more than made up for in terms of width and length. Through the large open wooden gates and windows up above, numerous figures could be seen pacing back and forth, browsing the venue. The pair briefly glanced at the plaque stating, "Eastern Sea Courtyard" with a short phrase of "Fortune favors the bold." before entering the premises.

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  As they crossed the threshold, various exclamations filled their ears. Despite the commotion, the sweet sounds of the zither and guzheng rang out from the stage in the middle area. Small booths dotted the first floor with various independent vendors displaying their products. Some had their products neatly arranged in front of them, while others separated the stones into distinct piles. A gold shimmer appeared whenever any wandering hands drew close. This was the basic anti-theft formation that the Eastern Sea Courtyard provided to all the vendors. The Rank 4 formation is able to block one strike from a Nascent Soul Stage, Infant Form cultivator. Ye Fan's interest was quickly drawn away by the shouts of the vendors.

  "Try your luck! Jade stones from a Nascent Soul secret realm! Buy three and get half off the fourth!"

  "These stones emit an aura from Rising Ashes! I found them by chance from the legacy of a sealed realm and barely escaped with my life!"

  "Legacy of the defunct Two Immortals Sect of the Rising Ashes era! Try your luck!"

  A faint smile spread across his face at these words. To him, there seemed to be little difference between the hawkers at the flea market and these vendors. Ye Fan's sky blue eyes roamed through the stalls, but nothing warranted them stopping to take a look. The day was already mostly gone. A stray thought nagged at him from the back of his mind to try his luck anyway, but his penchant for saving money suppressed the impulse as quickly as it came. The pair weaved through the crowd to make their way to the stairs.

  Ye Fan had to take a few seconds to blink when he came face to face with the staircase. The stairs were remarkable and displayed the opulence and wealth of Eastern Sea Courtyard. Various jewels and precious metals could be found decorating the railings as they ascended. Sapphires, rubies, and emeralds sparkled along gold, silver, and platinum inlay. The little boy ran his fingers along the railing with every step. Although he had expected it, his eyes slightly widened as he confirmed that the gems and precious metals were genuine. As they made it to the second floor, there was a distinct shift in atmosphere.

  Everything was much calmer as the booths were all well-regulated. A sound isolating formation kept the commotion from downstairs from being heard on the second floor. Shoppers inquired without urgency and a certain level of quality control was guaranteed by the establishment. Although there were no checks for the second floor, the Eastern Sea Courtyard's reputation and the premium prices kept idlers away.

  Passing by a few booths, Ye Fan tugged on Wen Meihui's sleeve and directed her toward one booth. The booths on the second floor were all uniform in appearance. Various glass cases displayed the stones with a price for the stone and the price for the stone with an opening service written on a neatly folded paper display card. The jade stone that caught Ye Fan's eyes was a sky-blue gemstone, the same shade as his own eyes. His face briefly pressed onto the glass.

  "Excuse me, we would like to buy this one."

  Wen Meihui watched the little boy's antics with great amusement as she voiced her request to the shop attendant. A flicker of greed flashed through the shopkeeper's eyes as he saw how enamored the young woman's companion was with the stone. Without hesitation, he made an excuse for an upcharge.

  "I'm sorry, young lady. This stone is reserved for-"

  A boisterous joy-filled laugh filled the second floor, interrupting the shop attendant. Everyone's attention was drawn to the other side of the room as a bright azure light shone from the stone that was being cut. Ye Fan's eyes widened as a familiar voice rang out in the distance.

  "Absolute Heaven! A treasure from Absolute Heaven, I've struck gold!"

  Ye Fan walked in between the spectators with Wen Meihui close behind. The shop attendant called for them, but received no response. Seeing this, he inwardly made a note to himself to upcharge less if they came back. The little boy didn't take much time before he made it through the sea of robes. In the middle of the crowd was a middle-aged man, a wide greedy grin was plastered on his face as he held a rock with a gentle azure glow emanating from its seams. The blue-robed boy erupted into a joyful smile of his own and waved at the man.

  "Uncle Hu!"