If they were going out shopping, they had to dress up beautifully first!
Gong Shangyu, familiar with the layout, led Lu Li and Gu Qingying directly to the most luxurious clothing shop in Wing City.
This shop specialized in all kinds of magical robes and everyday attire.
The materials were exquisite, and the styles were novel, making it a favorite among the city’s dignitaries and cultivators.
Walking up to the shimmering shop entrance, Gong Shangyu didn’t say a word.
She directly pulled out a gold-rimmed jade card radiating a faint spiritual glow from her robes and waved it at the approaching manager.
Her tone was calm but carried an indisputable authority.
“Clear the shop. We want to pick things out in peace.”
The moment the manager saw the jade card, his pupils shrank.
A fawning smile instantly plastered itself onto his face as he bowed repeatedly.
“Yes, yes, of course! Having such distinguished guests is an honor for our humble shop! We shall clear the premises immediately!”
After speaking, he quickly directed the workers to politely escort the other customers out and hung a “Closed” sign on the door.
Watching Gong Shangyu’s spendthrift and domineering behavior in clearing the shop, a trace of speechlessness flashed in Gu Qingying’s purple eyes.
The corner of Lu Li’s eye also twitched.
He was clearly uncomfortable with such a high-profile way of doing things.
In the past, when he traveled with his disciples, he usually kept a low profile.
When had he ever been so flashy?
“Hehe, Master, Senior Brother.”
Gong Shangyu turned around, a noble smile like that of a young master from a great family playing on her lips.
“Since we are here, why not pick out a few fitting clothes? After all, the fashion in Wing City is slightly different from our Sect. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. It will make our future actions easier.”
She specifically said to Lu Li, “Master, you should choose one too. Although these lack the internal spiritual resonance of the magical robes you usually wear, the materials and craftsmanship are decent. Just think of it as a change of pace.”
With that, she followed a trembling employee toward the men’s section and began browsing.
She left Lu Li standing there in a daze, clearly stunned by his “tycoon” disciple’s shopping methods.
“Um… does your Junior Brother always buy things like this in the Sect’s Fangshi?”
Lu Li couldn’t help but lean toward Gu Qingying and ask in a low voice.
Gu Qingying curled her lip and sent a transmission back, her tone sounding a bit sour.
“Hmph, she is the Young Master of Pill Cauldron Pavilion, after all. She is used to being wealthy and overbearing. I heard that on her own turf, she just buys out the whole place if she likes something. What does this small display count for?”
Hearing this, Lu Li couldn’t help but click his tongue inwardly.
Although he was the Peak Master of a peak, Duanqing Peak had always been poor.
He had invested most of his resources into his own cultivation and his disciples.
When had he ever been so extravagant?
Looking at Gong Shangyu’s posture, he felt as if he could hear the sound of Ling Stones flowing away like water, and he felt a sudden pang of phantom pain in his wallet.
‘What a wastrel… if these Ling Stones were used to buy pills, materials, or to handle actual business, how much could be accomplished…’
Lu Li sighed silently in his heart.
However, since the money belonged to his disciple, it wasn’t his place as the Master to say much.
Seeing that Lu Li seemed a bit uneasy, although Gu Qingying complained about Gong Shangyu in her heart, she didn’t want her Master to be embarrassed.
She turned to another waiting employee and instructed, “Please, take my Master to be measured. Pick out a few steady styles of men’s clothing for him to try on.”
“Yes, Young Master!”
Seeing that this young man also possessed an extraordinary aura, the clerk quickly complied and led Lu Li toward an elegant private room inside.
Several other clever employees also swarmed forward, enthusiastically introducing various fabrics and styles.
“Lord, what do you think of this ink-colored long robe? It uses the finest cloud-pattern satin. It is low-profile yet elegant!”
“Young Master has a transcendent aura; this moon-white robe would suit you perfectly! The sleeves are embroidered with hidden floating cloud patterns. There is a natural spiritual charm in every movement!”
“In my opinion, this black-cyan martial attire is the most practical! It allows for easy movement, and the fabric is even enchanted with a lightweight Magical Formation—”
The employees chattered away, vying to please Lu Li.
Though they didn’t know his specific identity, someone who could make their manager so respectful and who held a top-tier VIP jade card was either rich or noble.
Naturally, they had to do their best to flatter him.
A few bold female employees even took the opportunity while adjusting his collar or measuring his dimensions to “accidentally” let their fingers brush against Lu Li’s arms or back.
Lu Li’s body went slightly stiff.
He had rarely experienced such a spectacle.
He felt that these employees were far too enthusiastic, noisy as a flock of sparrows.
It made him quite uncomfortable.
He could only keep a straight face, doing his best to maintain his dignity as a Master while allowing them to move him about.
Meanwhile, the shop manager leaned in toward Gu Qingying.
With a flattering smile, he asked cautiously, “Young Master, please forgive my poor eyesight, but I wonder who you all are…? The card that gentleman produced earlier is the highest-level ‘Spirit Rhinoceros Jade Card’ of our proprietor. It is only held by giants of a region or core figures of top Sects. Would you be willing to reveal a thing or two so that our small shop can share in the glory and gain some insight?”
He wanted to fish for information about Lu Li and the others’ origins, hoping to use it to boost the shop’s reputation.
Gu Qingying glanced at him, her gaze cold.
Her tone carried an indisputable distance.
“Just do your job well. Do not ask about things you shouldn’t.”
The manager hit a wall.
His smile froze, and he quickly bowed, not daring to say another word.
***
Inside the private room, Lu Li was like a human clothes rack, being manipulated back and forth by the employees as he tried on several outfits.
His muscles tightened unconsciously; he felt that this was more exhausting than fighting a cultivator of the same rank.
An employee who seemed to be a steward smiled as she helped him arrange his lapels.
“Hehe, you truly have great patience, Lord, being willing to spend time coming out with your two… Junior Brothers to buy gear. A considerate Senior Brother like you is truly rare.”
Hearing this, Lu Li gave a vague hum of affirmation.
“Mm, it is only right.”
He was too lazy to explain the master-disciple relationship, so he let the other party guess for themselves.
Seeing this, the steward assumed she had guessed correctly and continued to smile.
“I knew it! Seeing how much those two young masters rely on you, they must certainly respect you, their Senior Brother, immensely. As the saying goes, clothes make the man. When one is away from home, a decent outfit represents the face of the Sect, does it not?”
Lu Li remained noncommittal, thinking only of ending this “torture” quickly so he could get back to business.
After a lot of fussing, the employees finally selected an outfit for Lu Li.
He wore a plain white cross-collared undergarment topped with an ink-black patterned long robe.
The hem and sleeves were embroidered with simple floating cloud patterns in silver thread.
A dark green belt was fastened around his waist, adorned with a jade pendant that looked ordinary but contained a hidden spiritual light.
His long hair was simply tied up with an ebony hairpin.
His entire presence looked less cold than usual and gained a bit more steady, restrained nobility.
He looked like a son from a prestigious cultivation family traveling abroad—distinguished without being overly flashy.
Even Lu Li himself was slightly stunned when he looked in the mirror.
He hadn’t expected that a change of clothes could result in such a transformation in his temperament.
“Hey! Qingkong, is this new outfit of mine at least passable?”
After the change was complete, Lu Li walked out of the dressing room to Gu Qingying and teased his First Disciple playfully.
Upon seeing him, Gu Qingying’s cheeks flushed red.
She then walked up to Lu Li with light steps.
Like an old married couple, she began to tidy his belt and smooth the wrinkles on his collar.
As she straightened his clothes, she whispered a low, playful reproach.
“Hehe… Master, this outfit of yours is… well, it’s alright I suppose~”