Eternal life begins with saving my clan

Those in the inner city were even more skeptical than those in the outer city. They were more enlightened than those in the outer city, believing such a device couldn't exist.

And if it were going to exist, it wouldn't be in the hands of the declining Cao clan.

The city lord's mansion heard this news and scoffed at such idiotic propaganda.

If they thought such impossible news would allow them to reduce the pressure on them, they were bound to fail.

The Crimson Jade Pavilion, who only cared if the Celestial Heavenly store would have something important to compete against in the market, didn't even bat an eye at their absurd claim.

Almost all the somewhat powerful clans didn't care about such a stupid device.

The elite clans in the core city were disappointed but still continued in their plan to force the Cao clan to relinquish their found wealth.

The Cao clan continued their work quietly. Since the opening of the shop, they stopped spending lavishly, and their clan activity was reduced.

Only the Celestial Heavenly store was operating, but barely could anyone see anyone from the Cao clan.

Each of the people operating the store was a new face that had never appeared in the city before.

Nevertheless, various eyes monitored the stores in darkness. Everyone wanted to know how far they were going to go with their gimmick.

In the inner city, the store was devoid of any customers. Everyone passing on the street avoided the store like the plague.

The two women that advertised the Spirit Comms didn't come out from the second day onward.

It was as if the store had given up on their gimmick. Still, it was opened for business every day.

Time went by quietly, and it had been a week since the Spirit Comms appeared in Baiyun city.

Everyone's clans were expecting the Celestial Heavenly store to close down after a week of no sale.

But to their shock, more and more people trooped into the stores. They were from the lower rung of society with nothing to lose.

The Spirit Comms only cost fifty silver coins. It was expensive and not expensive.

Slowly, a trend began to appear in the outer city. People began to gather in groups, discussing in hushed voices.

Their faces filled with smiles as they spoke with one another.

"Do you see how beautiful they are?" a boy asked his friend.

"Yes. I never thought those in the barren would be so beautiful," another boy responded with enthusiasm.

The four groups of friends entered a restaurant and took a seat by the window.

"We need to buy the Spirit Image Crystal," a boy sighed, shaking his head.

"Yes. But we don't have any money…"

The four friends were lost in thought on how to get the money to buy the Spirit Image Crystal.

"Where do you think we can get the money?" a boy broke the silence.

"We need the Spirit Image Crystal. My friend said she won't talk to me if I don't show her what our city looks like."

"Yeah… most of the people in the barren land are curious about the city, and if we don't show them, they won't talk to us anymore."

"Apart from that, did you see that deadly battle?" a boy asked in excitement.

The four boys were lost in their realm of fantasy and did not notice when a girl stopped at their table.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, "And what do you mean by the barren land?"

The four friends looked at each other before they turned to look at the girl.

She was beautiful with a bright oval face. Her dress was not flamboyant but not ordinary as well.

She was the same age as the boys.

The boys looked at her for a couple of seconds before one of them asked.

"Why should we tell you?"

"I just want to know. It sounds exciting, and if it excites me enough, I'll pay for the Spirit whatever you call it," she said confidently.

"Are you serious?" another boy asked with a serious expression.

"Do I look like I'm kidding."

"Buy us the Spirit Image Crystal first, then we make you one of our friends and tell you everything."

The girl twisted her lips, placing both her hands on her waist as she surveyed the faces of the four boys.

The boys didn't try to avert their gaze as they stared directly at her also.

"Fine," she agreed. "Where are they selling it? Let's go and buy it immediately, but if what you told me is not exciting, you pay me back my money."

With a bright smile, the boys quickly got on their feet and led the girl out of the restaurant.

Shortly, the boys arrived in front of the Celestial Heavenly store.

"What are we doing here?" she asked with a slight puzzlement.

"To buy the Spirit Image Crystal," a boy responded.

"Don't you know it is not good to enter the store? They are not good people. They are deceiving with such an impossible thing," she said with her voice laced with fury.

"Who says they are not good?" a boy countered. "Don't believe what other people tell you until you confirm it yourself."

"They are good people. What they are selling is good. I don't know why many people are not buying the Spirit Comms," another boy added.

The girl looked at the boy with a conflicted expression on her face. Her parents had warned her about the bad people in the city, and this store was one of them.

Seeing the four boys defending the store, she didn't know what to make out of it. She only got out of their clan mansion to play.

What the four boys were discussing seemed fun, and she wanted to try it.

"Are you serious that these people are not bad people?" she asked in a low voice.

"Of course. If they were not, why would we come back here?"

"Besides, it's not only us that buy something from this place. A lot of people are now buying it but choose not to talk about it."

"Really!"

"Yes. Let's go; we've wasted a lot of time already."

Just as the group wanted to enter the store, a middle-aged woman appeared out of nowhere, "You, miss, you must not enter that place."

"Why?" she turned to look at the woman.

"You know why, and don't forget about your father," she reminded with a deadpan expression.

"I know. I just want to take a look. If it is as bad as what people say, I will return immediately."

"Still, I don't want you to enter. You know what would happen if your father finds out."

"He won't if you don't tell him. Besides, it's not like you're not going to follow me inside?" Her big round eyes looked at the woman.

The boys looked at the girl and her maid without uttering a word, waiting for them to make a decision.

"Fine. But if I detect anything bad from there, I'll bring you out at once," she announced, giving no room for argument.

*****

[AN: Please, don't forget to support this book with your golden ticket and power stones]