This "Gulu City" is truly enormous! By conservative estimates, it must be at least fifty times larger than "Riva City."

Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had been wandering this city for nearly a full day, yet they had only managed to traverse two streets.

Zhong Shenxiu was beginning to regret leaving that 'Swift Eagle' in the Demon Beast Forest. He had initially feared that bringing a magical beast along would attract too much attention. While he wasn't afraid of trouble-makers, it would still be a massive nuisance.

But upon entering the city, Zhong Shenxiu realized he was wrong—catastrophically so. In 'Gulu City,' not only were there many people accompanied by magical beasts, but they were also quite numerous.

Look at that corpulent fellow, strutting down the middle of the main road, leading a 'Dawn Spring Wolf.'

Honestly, if you're going to walk, just walk properly! But no, he wouldn't do that! As if afraid people wouldn't notice him, he started swaying his massive jowls and humming a completely tuneless little melody, sporting an utterly punchable demeanor.

Zhong Shenxiu found it bizarre that someone like this dared to swagger around, trying to intimidate people. Wasn't he afraid of provoking the crowd? Look at the way he’s built—it’s like a scene from a car accident! How could someone develop such... creative features?

Damn it...

Look at those buck teeth; he dares to expose them! He could probably use them to hold an extra set of dice during a game of Mahjong.

Speechless...

Zhong Shenxiu was utterly speechless!

This guy had completely dumbfounded him!

Aside from that inhuman-looking creature ostentatiously displaying his magical beast, Zhong Shenxiu spotted many other people with beasts, but since those individuals looked more normal, he decided not to dwell on them.

Bringing magical beasts seemed to have become a city-wide trend. Zhong Shenxiu even noticed several storefronts dedicated solely to the trade of magical beasts, and their businesses appeared to be booming.

It seemed that here, magical beasts had long been legalized, commercialized, and fully mainstreamed!

'Gulu City' was simply too vast. Wandering aimlessly like this was proving rather inconvenient. If only he hadn't left the Swift Eagle in the Demon Beast Forest; he could have used the 'Control Spell' to get a rough layout map of the city, saving a significant amount of time! The more Zhong Shenxiu thought about it, the deeper his regret sank.

For Zhong Shenxiu, time was not something to be wasted.

Regret was useless now; he might as well try to understand the local customs and atmosphere. Zhong Shenxiu reasoned to himself.

Within 'Gulu City,' the populace was dense, and commercial streets were abundant. Nearly every conceivable item could be found here.

Everything in this city is ridiculously expensive! Zhong Shenxiu finally reached this conclusion after circling around for ages.

The former Zhong Shenxiu could purchase numerous items with just a few silver coins, but that was impossible here. Getting two or three articles of clothing would be considered a good haul.

Zhong Shenxiu had originally planned to acquire a small courtyard and then dedicate himself to closed-door cultivation using that spiritual milk. However, that ambition now seemed temporarily unattainable. Property prices here were absurdly high, and they demanded lump-sum payment upfront. What was even more infuriating was the complete absence of any loan services.

Buying a house is hard; wanting to buy a house without money—that's hard!

In his long life, Zhong Shenxiu was experiencing the critical importance of money for the first time!

If even acquiring a shabby little dwelling was this difficult, how much harder would it be to purchase magical equipment? Zhong Shenxiu began to worry whether his meager savings would even cover a magic ring.

Although he knew the probability was slim—extremely slim—everyone harbors a glimmer of hope. Who knows, maybe he’d stumble upon a sale or a promotion, and perhaps he could snag one!

Zhong Shenxiu was human, after all, so he allowed himself such thoughts.

Zhong Shenxiu and Robin continued their aimless stroll and finally spotted a magic shop at a crossroads.

"Welcome!"

Before Zhong Shenxiu had even shown any intention of entering, the welcoming attendant began greeting them.

This showed they had received quite professional training; they did not judge Zhong Shenxiu and Robin by their shabby attire, maintaining their professional, standard smiles and nods of welcome, making it difficult to refuse.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do! After tethering their horses behind a nearby stone block, the two stepped inside.

Entering the shop, Zhong Shenxiu's eyes lit up. Although he had witnessed countless magical treasures, he was still momentarily overwhelmed by the dazzling array of merchandise.

Robin was even more so, his wide eyes sparkling with curiosity as he constantly surveyed everything around them.

While this magic shop wasn't huge, it exemplified the saying that small things often possess complete utility. Wands, magic crystals, rings, and other goods were neatly categorized and displayed in different sections.

Zhong Shenxiu paused for a moment before making a direct path toward the magic ring counter.

"What may I help you two with?" It was another strikingly beautiful woman, her tone as gentle as before, her manner just as cordial.

Zhong Shenxiu did not answer immediately; instead, he swept his gaze over the items displayed on the price plaques.

After that single scan, Zhong Shenxiu’s heart turned ice-cold. He knew his dream of a magic ring had just been shelved. The curses he mentally hurled! Did it kill you to charge a little less for a mere ring?!

Despite his frustration, he had to accept reality. The cheapest magic ring here cost 30 Diamond Coins—Diamond Coins! Converted to gold coins, that was 30,000 gold pieces. With his current small savings, just looking at them was a privilege.

"We guarantee the quality of our products. Shop around, and you’ll find we offer unbeatable value. If you purchase today, you qualify for a 99% discount on our store price. Furthermore, if any quality issues arise after your purchase, we offer a seven-day return policy, a one-month exchange guarantee, and a full year of free maintenance," the sales attendant at the counter chirped, adopting a 'strike while the iron is hot' expression.

She then fixed her gaze, her large, bright eyes unblinking, on Zhong Shenxiu. Her meaning was perfectly clear: Please buy something, customer; I only get commission if you purchase.

Zhong Shenxiu glanced at the magic rings, then back at the sales attendant. After a long pause, he blurted out a classic question.

"Do you offer installment payments?"

Blast!

It was evident that the sales attendant's eyes flickered upward upon hearing this.

"I'm very sorry, but we do not offer credit," the attendant said, trying desperately to maintain her composure and restrain herself from exploding.

Zhong Shenxiu adopted an expression of 'I knew it would be like this,' instantly deflating like a vegetable left out in the frost—listless and disheartened!

He casually browsed the rest of the store and once again realized that this place was practically a forbidden zone for the poor. Almost every item was priced in Diamond Coins.

Blast his ancestors! This junk is this expensive?!

Zhong Shenxiu once again internalized the axiom: 'It is absolutely impossible to live without money'!

Zhong Shenxiu even began fantasizing: once he recovered his magical power and could start forging artifacts, he would open a shop just like this one—and he would absolutely bankrupt you, drive you out of business, and kick you flat!

Perhaps Zhong Shenxiu himself didn't notice it, but a small worm named 'Avarice' had begun to sprout in his mind.