Chapter 189: Liana’s Inner Turmoil
Chapter 189: Chapter 189: Liana’s Inner Turmoil
Chapter 189: Liana’s Inner Turmoil
"Have you heard of the Celestial Elixir Pavilion?"
Rhain’s eyebrow rose a fraction.
Of all the things she might have asked, he hadn’t expected that.
Obviously he had heard of it — he had built it himself.
"I know of it," Rhain replied without a change in expression. "Why do you ask?"
Liana looked down at her boots, as she explained softly.
"Since coming to the Inner Province, the incredibly rich essence here, combined with the monthly resources provided to newcomers, has caused my cultivation to rise rapidly. I am on the verge of breaking through to the eighth level of the Essence Condensation Realm."
A flush of deep embarrassment crept up her neck.
"I heard that the Celestial Elixir Pavilion sells flawless, one-hundred-percent purity pills. I wanted to purchase an Epic-Grade breakthrough pill to ensure my foundation remains perfectly stable. But... the price of a single Epic-Grade breakthrough pill there has been driven up to two million Aetherium Crystals."
Liana’s voice grew smaller.
"I managed to save most of the funds, which is why I started taking on extra, exhausting shifts in the Forging Division to earn more Aetherium Crystals. But I am still short by about three hundred thousand. So... I was wondering if... if you could lend me three hundred thousand Aetherium Crystals? I swear I will pay you back as soon as I can!"
For the proud pearl of the Silvercrest Clan, a girl who had never lacked for anything in Mirravele City, to be reduced to begging for money was intensely humiliating.
But this breakthrough was critical for her future in the Academy.
And if she had to ask anyone, she could only bring herself to ask Rhain.
Hearing her plea, Rhain was left entirely speechless.
He hadn’t expected that one of his friends would be struggling precisely because he had deliberately kept the prices of his own pills high.
The irony was almost absurd.
He stood there, staring at her soot-stained face and exhausted eyes, and felt a pang of guilt for her.
Rhain let out a silent, helpless sigh in his heart.
He looked at Liana’s ashamed, lowered head and spoke in a gentle voice.
"I have a better solution."
Liana blinked, confusion replacing her embarrassment. "Better solution?"
"Come with me to the Celestial Elixir Pavilion," Rhain said. "I happen to know the people working there. I can help you secure a very generous discount on all your future purchases."
Liana’s silver eyes widened with genuine shock. "You... you know the people at the Pavilion? Personally?"
The Celestial Elixir Pavilion was the most talked-about establishment in all of Stormveil City.
Its mysterious backer had sent tremors through the three great Noble Families themselves.
For Rhain to casually claim a personal connection was nothing short of extraordinary.
Rhain smirked faintly, turning to lead the way, "Something like that. Come."
Wait!"
Liana called from behind.
Rhain glanced back, his eyebrows rising a fraction. "What’s wrong?"
Looking down at her soot-covered work clothes, leather apron, and grimy gloves, she realized that she currently looked no better than a street beggar.
"I... I can’t go to the most prestigious shop in Stormveil City looking like this!" Liana stammered, frantically trying to wipe a smudge from her cheek, only to make it worse. "Give me a moment! I need to change my clothes first. Please, wait for me at the gates!"
She dashed back toward her Outer Palace courtyard with surprising speed, leaving Rhain standing alone in the corridor with an amused smirk on his face.
"Women,’ he mused quietly.
Roughly twenty minutes later, Liana re-emerged from her quarters.
The transformation was night and day.
She had cleaned herself thoroughly, her silver hair now cascading in elegant waves over her shoulders.
She wore a beautiful, fitted dress of red silk that accentuated her graceful figure, and her snow white skin skin was entirely free of dirt, clear, and radiant.
The girl who now stood before him was undeniably the same peerless beauty who had once been hailed as the number one beauty of Mirravele City.
"Let’s go," Liana said, a touch of shyness in her voice at his brief glance.
Without further delay, the two left the Stormveil Academy grounds and made their way toward the commercial heart of the city.
_______________
When they arrived at the Thunderwood Eastern Premium District, Liana’s eyes widened at the sheer spectacle before them.
A queue of wealthy elites, minor nobles, and powerful cultivators stretched for more than three full city blocks from the Celestial Elixir Pavilion’s imposing front gates.
Luxurious carriages lined the avenue.
Servants held parasols over their masters.
Guards in expensive armor stood at rigid attention beside their employers.
The crowd had grown even larger than the last time she had visited.
Usually, Rhain would simply wrap himself in the Boundless Sky Wind and soar directly to the pavilion’s third-floor window in a matter of minutes.
But with Liana beside him, it was out of the question.
"There are even more people than before..." Liana murmured, her expression falling. "I came once in the early morning weeks ago, and the line was already impossible. Right now it’s late afternoon — there’s absolutely no way we’ll be able to purchase anything today."
She turned to Rhain, gently tugging his sleeve.
"Let’s come back another time, Rhain. Maybe if we arrive before dawn—"
"Just wait here," Rhain said calmly, entirely unbothered by the enormous crowd. "Give me a moment."
Liana was confused. How could waiting possibly help?
The people in line looked ready to murder anyone who dared to cut ahead!
Just as she was nervously scanning the crowd, her heart suddenly plummeted into her stomach.
A hulking figure broke away from the pavilion’s front entrance and began striding directly toward them.
She recognized the man instantly.
It was one of the two main guards who permanently stood watch at the Celestial Elixir Pavilion’s front doors, Luka.
Panic seized Liana’s heart.
During her previous visit, she had personally watched that exact same guard casually break the legs of two Core Formation Realm experts who had dared to cause a commotion, tossing them into the street like discarded garbage.
"Why is he coming toward us?" Liana’s face drained of color.
She suddenly realized that they weren’t standing in the queue like everyone else.
They were just loitering at the side of the road, practically inviting trouble.
"Rhain!" Liana grabbed his arm urgently, trying to pull him away. "We need to get in line! Quickly! If that guard thinks we’re trying to skip or cause problems, he’ll throw us out, or worse!"
But Rhain didn’t budge. He stood as still and immovable as a mountain.
"Rhain, please—!"
Before Liana could forcefully drag him away, Luka arrived.
And then, to her utter shock—
"Esteemed Guest," Luka said, bowing deeply from the waist, his scarred face carrying genuine respect, "we have been expecting you. Please, allow me to escort you inside."
Liana’s hand, which was still clutching Rhain’s sleeve in panic, went completely limp.
"E-Esteemed Guest?" Liana stammered.
Rhain gave a slight nod to Luka. "Lead the way."
Luka straightened and stepped aside, gesturing respectfully toward a private side entrance that Liana hadn’t even noticed existed.
As Rhain walked forward, Liana hurried to catch up, her legs feeling slightly weak.
Behind them, the enormous crowd lined up outside the front gates erupted into irritated murmurs.
"Hey! Who the hell are they?!" an arrogant young noble barked, pointing a furious finger. "I’ve been waiting here for nine hours! Why do they get to skip the line entirely?"
"This is outrageous! Does the Pavilion not respect its own rules?"
But before the outrage could boil over, an older cultivator immediately slapped the young noble’s hand down.
"Are you tired of living, you idiot?" the older cultivator hissed through gritted teeth. "Did you not just see the Pavilion’s chief guard—a man who breaks Core Formation experts for breakfast—bow to him like a servant? If he commands that level of respect, his background must be so terrifying that he could wipe out your entire clan with a single word! Shut your mouth If you anger someone with that kind of background, not even your ancestors can save you!"
The furious mutters were instantly silenced.
Luka led Rhain and the still-stupefied Liana through the private entrance, past heavily warded corridors, and directly into the main floor of the Celestial Elixir Pavilion.
Inside, the pavilion was bustling with attendants.
But the moment they crossed the threshold into the main hall, a towering figure was already standing there, waiting.
Vulcan.
Seeing Rhain approach, Vulcan’s eyes lit up.
He immediately stepped forward, his mouth opening instinctively.
"Mas—"
Rhain’s dark grey eyes snapped toward Vulcan.
The subtle, razor-sharp glance was hardly perceptible to anyone else, but Vulcan caught it instantly.
He swallowed the word that had been about to leave his lips and smoothly redirected his greeting.
"—Masterful timing, Esteemed Guest!" Vulcan smoothly corrected himself, his deep voice respectful. "We have been expecting your arrival."
As Vulcan straightened up, his sharp eyes naturally drifted to the beautiful, silver-haired, and red-robed girl standing beside Rhain.
A flicker of genuine surprise crossed Vulcan’s face.
His master’s wife was already an otherworldly fairy, and now another breathtaking girl appeared at his side.
Vulcan resisted the urge to give Rhain a knowing look.
"Please," Vulcan gestured warmly toward the private staircase leading upward, "allow me to escort you to the third floor. Everything has been prepared for your comfort."