The tower had seven levels, narrowing as it rose. At the pinnacle, a crystal ball emitted a hazy glow, illuminating the surrounding area for miles as if it were daylight in the dead of night.
"The owner of the Mist Pavilion must be someone extraordinary," Terra Su concluded after a single glance.
There was no other explanation; the Mist Pavilion was simply too tall, even surpassing the height of Marquis Anyang's palace. If the pavilion didn't have an extraordinary background, Marquis Anyang would never tolerate such a structure on the outskirts of Anyang City.
The owner of the Mist Pavilion must have a status and background beyond Anyang County.
Terra Su and Gu Qianyin followed the Crown Prince into the Mist Pavilion, where a line of beautiful maidservants greeted them with smiles, asking, "Guests, what brings you to the Mist Pavilion?"
Each maidservant was tall and graceful, with striking beauty. Remarkably, their height, build, and figure were identical, though their beauty varied in different ways.
More astonishing was that all these maidservants shared the same cultivation level, each at the first level of the Transforming Realm!
Such young talents at the Transforming Realm would be considered prodigies in Anyang City, yet here they were merely greeters.
It was clear these maidservants were not from Anyang County.
Even when they saw the Crown Prince, their expressions remained unchanged, as if he were just an ordinary person.
The Crown Prince seemed unsurprised by their demeanor and said with a smile, "I've brought a friend to meet the owner of the Mist Pavilion. My friend has a matter he wishes to inquire about."
With that, the Crown Prince took out a jade token from his pocket and handed it to one of the maidservants.
The maidservant examined the token briefly, then smiled and said, "You are an esteemed guest of the Mist Pavilion and have the privilege to meet the owner."
"Please, come in."
The maidservant stepped aside, allowing the Crown Prince, Terra Su, and Gu Qianyin to enter.
Inside the Mist Pavilion, the maidservant led the three of them to the fifth floor.
"Today, the owner of the Mist Pavilion happens to be resting here, so you can meet him directly and discuss your matters," the maidservant said, leading them to a quiet room.
"However, the owner prefers tranquility and dislikes noise. Therefore, only one of you may enter, while the other two must wait outside," she added.
The Crown Prince turned to Terra Su and said, "Brother Terra, you go in. We'll wait for you outside."
Terra Su nodded and entered the quiet room. The decor was elegant, with a large chair placed in the center. A figure with white hair sat with his back to the door.
Upon hearing the door, the figure turned around, revealing an old man with a lean build and piercing eyes.
"Have a seat," the old man said, scrutinizing Terra Su.
"Thank you," Terra Su replied, casually finding a chair to sit on.
A hint of surprise flickered in the old man's aged eyes, followed by a chuckle. "Young man, among those your age who have come to the Mist Pavilion and met me, you're the first to remain so composed and unperturbed."
"Thank you for the compliment," Terra Su replied with a faint smile, unfazed by the praise.
"Young man, what is your name?" the old man asked.
"Terra Su."
"You must have a reason for coming to the Mist Pavilion. Tell me, what do you wish to inquire about?" the old man continued.
"I want to inquire about Robert Jiang from the Jiang Family in Clear River City. He disappeared ten years ago during a family mission, and I want to know where he went," Terra Su said, handing over a portrait and a stack of documents.
"You want me to help you find out about this person's whereabouts?" the old man asked, stroking his beard.
"Yes, whether he's dead or alive, I need to know where he is," Terra Su nodded.
"No problem, I can help you with that," the old man replied. "However, before that, I must ask, what reward can you offer me? If the reward is too insignificant, I won't be interested."
To have the Mist Pavilion help you gather information, you must offer a corresponding reward. The Mist Pavilion demands valuable and rare treasures; if the reward is ordinary, they often refuse outright.
Terra Su was prepared for this.
Back in Clear River City, he had prepared Panlong Grass as a reward for the Mist Pavilion.
This Panlong Grass was a gift from Master Mo when Terra Su helped the Clear River City Alchemy Guild advance to a second-grade guild, awarded by the Anyang City Alchemy Guild.
Now, Terra Su took out the Panlong Grass and handed it over. "I have nothing of great value, only this Panlong Grass. I hope the owner of the Mist Pavilion will find it acceptable."
Of course, Terra Su was being modest; he had plenty of valuable items. However, he wasn't going to reveal all his cards immediately. This was business, and it needed to be done step by step.
"Oh, Panlong Grass?" the old man said, taking the box and glancing at the Panlong Grass inside. He then shook his head. "If you had come three months ago, when I was still in need of valuable herbs, I might have accepted it. But now…"
The old man didn't finish his sentence, instead returning the box with the Panlong Grass to Terra Su.
The meaning was clear: he wasn't interested in the Panlong Grass.
Terra Su wasn't surprised. He had initially thought the Mist Pavilion was merely a force within Anyang City, so he prepared the Panlong Grass as a reward. But now it seemed the Mist Pavilion had connections beyond Anyang County, making it possible they wouldn't value the Panlong Grass.
"So, what kind of reward does the senior desire?" Terra Su asked with a faint smile.
"I only want precious items," the old man replied with just eight words.
These eight words sounded simple, but the term "precious items" was quite significant. Even Panlong Grass wasn't valued by him, so what did he consider precious?
Terra Su pondered for a moment, then took out a small bottle from his sleeve.
"Perhaps the senior would like to see this," Terra Su said, pushing the bottle toward the old man.
"Oh? What is this?" the old man asked, glancing at it with a faint smile. "I don't care for mediocre items."
Despite his words, the old man took the bottle, casually opened the stopper, and looked inside.
Suddenly, the old man was slightly taken aback. "Three-River Elixirs?"
"You see correctly, senior. They are indeed Three-River Elixirs," Terra Su replied with a slight smile, surprised that the old man recognized the elixirs. It seemed he was indeed someone of extraordinary background.
It was worth noting that at the Star Pavilion auction, even the talented second-grade alchemist Li Shitong had no knowledge of the Three-River Elixirs, nor did any of the other alchemists present.
Yet this old man recognized them at a glance.
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