The Red-Line Light-Speed Needles

One could not help but wonder. The manager of the sixth floor—given that the fifth floor’s Madam Lan was already at Late Foundation Establishment—surely the sixth floor’s master must be a Core Formation senior? Han Li allowed himself a flicker of anticipation.

Standing behind Madam Lan, he stared blankly at the young girl before him. She appeared to be sixteen or seventeen, dressed simply, with features that could at best be called pleasing—mid-tier looks. But the master of the sixth floor was a mortal girl without a trace of magical power. This was so far beyond his expectations that he was genuinely stunned.

What struck him most was that the moment the girl saw Madam Lan, she beamed and rushed over to grab the woman’s arm, calling out “Aunt Lan!” and “Aunt Lan!” repeatedly, clinging to her with obvious affection. She did not spare Han Li a single look. He found himself mildly exasperated.

“Alright, Xiuer! We have a guest here,” Madam Lan said, though the fondness in her voice was unmistakable to anyone listening.

“A guest?” The girl finally glanced at Han Li with utter indifference.

“Yes. This Fellow Daoist Han has come to purchase some pill formulas and that set of magic tools we acquired last time. I’ve brought him up to the sixth floor to hand over to you. I must go back down—there may be other guests on the fifth floor now.” The woman’s voice was filled with reluctant tenderness.

“Oh, in that case… when Aunt Lan has free time, you absolutely must come up and keep me company longer.” The girl’s voice held a note of reluctance.

Madam Lan smiled warmly, then descended the stairs under the girl’s watchful gaze.

“What kind of pill formula are you looking for?” The girl finally turned to face Han Li, her tone cold. “I have seven or eight formulas here, but only two are suitable for Foundation Establishment, and their prices are shockingly high—not something a few hundred spirit stones can cover.”

Far from taking offense at her tone, Han Li smiled.

“As long as the formulas are genuine, price is not an issue.” His own tone was just as grand, causing the girl to pause and look him over with a bit more seriousness.

“Wait a moment, then. I’ll have someone bring the formulas and that set of magic tools upstairs.” Her tone softened slightly; after all, a generous customer was always welcome.

She produced a small copper bell from her person, rang it in a measured pattern a few times, then casually settled into a wooden chair, showing no intention of entertaining him further.

Han Li was slightly taken aback, but unhurriedly pulled a chair over and sat down on the opposite side of the girl, a wooden table between them.

His casual action made the girl’s brow furrow. Though she looked somewhat displeased, she ultimately said nothing.

After a short while, a young female cultivator entered, carrying two jade boxes—one large, one small.

“Set them here. That will be all,” the girl said, pointing to the table beside her, her face expressionless.

“Yes, Miss.” The female cultivator responded respectfully, placed the boxes on the table, and withdrew.

Seeing a cultivator defer so respectfully to a mere mortal girl, Han Li’s eyes flickered with surprise.

“The pill formulas and the magic tools are here. Please inspect them yourself. If you are satisfied, I will tell you the price,” the girl said, pushing the jade boxes toward him.

Since she had put it that way, Han Li did not stand on ceremony. He reached for the smaller jade box, lifted the lid, and revealed two jade slips inside—one red, one white.

He drew both slips out, closed his eyes, and slowly extended his spiritual sense into them.

While Han Li examined the pill formulas, the girl produced a white silk book and began reading it with both hands, utterly disregarding his presence.

After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Han Li withdrew his spiritual sense, a contemplative expression on his face.

Of the two formulas, one was the ancient formula for the “Spirit-Gathering Pill” that Lei Wanhe had once provided—useless to him now. The other was not an ancient formula but a pill called the “True Essence Pill.” The required ingredients, aside from needing a few extra years of age, were quite easy to assemble, making it perfectly suited to his needs.

However, its price was likely several times that of the Spirit-Gathering formula. By now, Han Li understood very well the relative value of ancient formulas versus ordinary pill recipes in the cultivation world.

With this thought, he calmly returned the two jade slips to their box and picked up the larger container, opening its lid.

What he saw inside made him pause in surprise. The jade box contained thirteen gleaming red needles, each only about an inch long. They were completely crimson, with a faint, flowing light shimmering over their surfaces.

“Flying needle magic tool?” Han Li murmured, astonished.

He considered himself quite knowledgeable about all kinds of magic tools, but this was the first time he had ever seen a flying needle tool, let alone witnessed one being used. His interest was immediately piqued.

The girl glanced up at his muttered words, a flicker of displeasure crossing her face. But she quickly returned to reading her silk book without any change in expression.

At this moment, Han Li was pinching one of the red needles between two fingers, studying it intently. He did not notice the girl’s expression—and even if he had, he would not have cared about her precious temper.

His eyes were half-lidded, his expression utterly serious.

Though he had never seen another flying needle tool before, he had heard rumors of their sinister and vicious nature. It was said that flying needle tools, while having slightly lower attack power than ordinary magic tools, excelled at sneak attacks and ambushes due to their small size and incredible speed. Many cultivators even called them “shadow tools,” and they enjoyed a considerable reputation in the cultivation world.

Of course, because of their small size, the materials required for their refinement were highly specialized, and the difficulty of crafting them was several times greater than that of ordinary tools. Such magic items were extremely rare. Any cultivator who possessed a flying needle tool treated it as a hidden trump card, never revealing it to outsiders lightly.

And now, before his eyes were thirteen of them. How could he not be shocked?

“Miss, does this set of flying needles have a name?” Han Li kept his external composure steady despite his inner excitement, asking the girl.

“Red-Line Light-Speed Needles,” the girl replied indifferently, setting down her book.

“Good. I’ll take this set of needles and the True Essence Pill formula.” Han Li’s decision was immediate.

“Oh? You really want this magic tool set?” The girl’s expression turned odd, as if she did not quite believe him.

“What? Is there a flaw with this treasure, or is your pavilion unwilling to sell it?” Han Li raised an eyebrow, slightly displeased.

“You misunderstand. Though this set of Red-Line Light-Speed Needles is extremely valuable, it is hardly beyond the means of our Stardust Pavilion. I asked only because I must inform you in advance: this needle tool is nothing like ordinary magic tool sets. It has no master-servant distinction. To wield it, you must activate all thirteen needles simultaneously, or you will be unable to command them at all.” The girl’s tone was icy.

“Activate them all at once…” Han Li suddenly understood. No wonder such a rare set of flying needles had never been sold. The requirement on one’s spiritual sense was simply too high.

“That is correct. Aunt Lan was originally quite taken with this set herself, but she could only control eight or nine of them, so she gave up on it.” The girl’s tone remained flat.

“All thirteen, then?”

Han Li let out a soft laugh. Without warning, he reached a hand toward the remaining needles in the box and beckoned. Instantly, a red light flashed, and every needle floated into the air. They transformed into over a dozen streaks of crimson light, so fine they were nearly invisible to the naked eye, and began to weave around Han Li’s body at astonishing speed. In moments, they formed a delicate-looking red net.

At this sight, the girl’s lips parted slightly, surprise flickering across her face for the first time.

Han Li waved his hand, and all the red streaks flew back into the jade box, reverting to their original needle form.

“I trust I may now purchase this treasure?” Han Li’s voice was calm and steady.

“Since you can actually use it, of course you may. The True Essence Pill formula and the flying needles together come to four thousand spirit stones.” The girl’s expression returned to normal, her tone once again flat and withdrawn.

“Four thousand spirit stones?” Han Li rubbed his nose as he looked at her. This price was truly beyond what he had expected.

“Fifteen hundred for the formula, twenty-five hundred for the needles,” the girl quoted without hesitation.

To be honest, in her view, four thousand spirit stones was not at all unreasonable. Both items were rare treasures in the cultivation world, and had it not been for the current great defeat the allied forces had suffered at the hands of the demonic path, no one would have been willing to put them up for sale.

Just then, Han Li abruptly sat up straight, his expression turning serious.

“May I ask how your pavilion handles the purchase of thousand-year spiritual herbs?”