Chapter 90: Worth the Bribe?

The alchemist’s shop faded into the background as Theo pushed forward into the heart of the capital’s crafting sector. He still needed to solve Elara’s weapon problem...

The Heavenly Anvil was the most prestigious forging guild in the province.

Its architecture alone demanded respect. Theo bypassed the entry-level showrooms. He ignored the rows of standard broadswords and inscribed sabers, heading directly for the custom commission desk at the rear.

An attendant in guild robes greeted him. Theo didn’t waste time. He projected a small qi-construct from his fingertip, outlining the exact dimensions and weight requirements of the training sword Elara needed.

The attendant studied the glowing projection. Her smile faltered slightly.

"You are asking for a solid star-iron core, wrapped in gravity-sealing runes, yet entirely unsharpened," she noted. She sounded skeptical. "An item like this does not exist in standard commerce."

"Then I wish to commission it," Theo replied.

The attendant shook her head. "I am afraid that is impossible. Crafting a blunt weapon of this density requires a Grandmaster. Our Grandmasters only accept commissions from the Imperial Court or the three founding clans of the province. Such resources are reserved exclusively for the heirs of those households. We cannot allocate a Grandmaster’s time to a private individual."

"What about the underground auctions?" Theo pressed. "Or a disgraced forgemaster?"

The attendant’s posture stiffened.

She glanced nervously toward a pair of guild overseers patrolling the nearby aisles.

"Discussing unsanctioned forging violates guild mandates," she whispered, stepping back. "I could be stripped of my robes."

Theo maintained eye contact.

He reached into his spatial ring and placed three high-grade spirit stones on the counter.

The attendant stared at the stones. She shook her head.

Theo added two more.

She swallowed hard, but her feet remained planted. She didn’t walk away. Her eyes darted toward the overseers again.

Theo quietly placed five more high-grade stones onto the pile, bringing the total to ten.

The attendant’s breathing hitched. In the outer sect, a single high-grade spirit stone could fund a disciple’s meals for a month. Ten of them represented a small fortune. Guild loyalty was strong, but the allure of immediate wealth was stronger...

She placed her hand over the stones. In a fluid motion, they vanished into her sleeve.

"There is an old smelting district," she murmured. "An hour east of here. The city guards do not patrol past the iron-sand refineries. Look for a collapsed tunnel near the docks. Ask for Old Man Corvus. He operates a subterranean forge fueled by a geothermic vent. He was expelled from the guild decades ago for refusing to adhere to safety mandates. Tell him the Anvil sent you."

"My thanks," Theo said with a nod.

"We are always happy to serve the capital’s elite," she replied. "Please return if you require standard armaments."

Theo suppressed a scoff.

Ten high-grade stones for a single name, and she still wanted repeat business. He couldn’t fault her hustle, but he certainly wasn’t coming back!

He exited the Heavenly Anvil. The eastern docks were a significant distance away.

As he navigated the winding merchant streets, a grand storefront caught his eye and halted his progress.

It was an estate furnisher.

Unlike the rugged weapon shops, this building exuded luxury.

Wide crystal windows displayed lavish room arrangements that rivaled the sect leader’s private quarters.

The gilded sign above the door read: *The Jade Lotus Pavilion.*

Theo paused. Their temporary quarters in the capital were spacious, but the furnishings were entirely inadequate.

Liana had been sleeping on a rigid wooden cot. Her Supreme Yin physique required proper environmental regulation, especially after their intense dual cultivation sessions left her exhausted.

Elara’s room was equally bare. The young princess spent her days swinging branches against boulders. Her primordial strength meant she often woke up with severe muscle cramps because ordinary mattresses forced her spine out of alignment.

If she was going to reach the Inner Scenery realm, she needed proper rest.

If he was going to invest in their growth, he couldn’t ignore their recovery...

He walked inside. A sales attendant immediately approached, wearing silk robes and a welcoming smile. Theo bypassed the greeting entirely and pointed toward the central staircase.

"Where are the premium sleeping arrangements?" he asked.

"The third floor, young master," the attendant replied, unfazed by his abruptness.

Theo ascended. The third floor was a sprawling gallery dedicated entirely to beds.

There were dozens of them. Some featured canopy frames carved from spirit-wood, while others boasted silk sheets woven by rare arachnids.

He walked the aisles, testing several. He pressed his hand into mattresses stuffed with albatross feathers and sat on frames made of spring-bamboo.

None of them met his newly elevated standards. His Golden Meridian physique was dense; ordinary beds creaked under his concentrated weight.

He reached the deepest corner of the gallery. A singular bed rested on a raised dais, isolated from the rest of the displays.

It commanded the room.

The frame was a masterpiece, forged from deep-sea ironwood. The material was naturally resistant to erratic qi fluctuations, providing a grounding effect.

Theo stepped onto the dais and sat on the edge.

The sensation was immediate. The mattress yielded like warm water, enveloping his frame. Yet, it did not sink endlessly.

Beneath the initial softness, a firm, adaptive structure rose to meet his dense musculature, distributing his weight with flawless precision.

He shifted his posture, leaning back. The mattress adjusted silently. There were no pressure points.

"An excellent eye, young master."

A senior attendant appeared beside the dais. She stood with impeccable posture, holding a jade ledger against her chest.

"You are sitting on the *Lunar-Weave Sovereign*," she explained. "The mattress core is constructed from layered Cloud-Fleece, sheared from Lunar Rams that graze exclusively on the northern peak summits. The fleece naturally regulates temperature... absorbing excess heat and neutralizing unnatural cold."

Theo’s eyes widened slightly.

The dual cultivation sessions were a battlefield of opposing elements. His Abyssal Forge radiated enough heat to melt steel, while her Supreme Yin energy could turn a waterfall to solid ice instantly.

When they finished cycling their qi, their bodies were often locked in a state of elemental shock.

A bed that naturally absorbed excess heat and neutralized unnatural cold was a medical necessity.

"The inner support network is woven from compressed essence-silk," the attendant continued. "It eliminates all stress on a cultivator’s body. The exterior is threaded with moonlight-silk, giving it that distinct shimmer. It is the pinnacle of recovery furnishings."

Theo stood up, running a hand over the fabric.

The price tag attached to the deep-sea ironwood frame likely rivaled the cost of a merchant vessel.

But he didn’t care...

The comfort and medical benefits it provided for Liana and Elara were invaluable.

His investments required the best foundations possible.