The Futu Hermit couldn’t help but take a higher view of Li Mo.
Li Mo, not yet twenty, had mastered such exquisite Artifact Refining skills and reached the Four-layered Puberty Stage, even cultivating his Spell to the point of seamless command.
It’s definitely not something that can be explained away as mere luck.
His talent and comprehension are top-quality, possibly even a rare Taoist Body.
Li Mo put away the Desert Map, and the Magic Artifact wrapped his skin once more.
The Futu Hermit’s attack, had it not been for the protection of the Desert Map, would have resulted in definite flesh wounds, showcasing the defense of the Five Refinements Desert Map.
Li Mo also noticed that the wall damaged by the Ghost Tiger was slowly recovering, indicating that the whole brothel was a Magic Artifact.
However, it should just be a Mid-grade Magical Artifact, as the larger the size, the more spiritual materials it consumes, exponentially increasing the difficulty of refining.
Hu Wen stretched lazily, satisfied, and spoke to the copper mirror: "Li Mo, you should stay at the Qinghong Flower Tower for the next few days."
"Understood, Steward Hu."
Li Mo immediately agreed.
He had many preparations to make. To maximize profits, some spiritual materials needed to be refined into Magic Artifact Embryos for sale.
The Futu Hermit shook his right arm’s folds, making the damaged furniture disappear completely.
He said solemnly: "Indeed, the brothel is more or less cleared. Doctor Han, you might as well help with the female brothel workers’ corpse transformation."
"I, a doctor, what kind of decorum is this?"
Han Cai’s face showed some embarrassment, but he still headed toward the hall.
When the Qinghong Flower Tower was initially established, it was probably a joint effort by three people: Hu Wen providing the Human Skin Magic Tools, Han Cai maintaining the female brothel workers’ bodies, and the Futu Hermit overseeing and guarding.
In a certain sense, the Qinghong Flower Tower was entirely a Spirit Stone mine.
"Li Mo, you little boy, what are you standing there for?"
Han Cai turned his head 180 degrees, and seeing this, Li Mo quickly followed. The two figures disappeared at the end of the corridor, returning to the noisy hall.
A commotion arose in the Qinghong Flower Tower.
The guards came forward to drive away guests, while disheveled cultivators left the brothel in swarms.
They dared not voice any objections. Just seeing Han Cai hanging upside down from the hall ceiling sent shivers down their spines.
At least he was in the Weak Crown Period, potentially nearing Core Formation at thirty.
Moreover, it was confirmed that an auction would take place at the Heart Beast Black Market, and those who didn’t want to get involved had to stay at least fifty li away from the black market to be safe.
Li Mo used pieces of white cloth and screens for concealment, decorating the hall as an operating room.
"Not bad, you have quite an eye."
Han Cai nodded in satisfaction, indicating that the female brothel workers should gradually strip off the Human Skin Magic Tools and replace the decayed and ruined flesh and joints.
The female brothel workers, no longer exuding charm, trembled under Han Cai’s lingering aura.
When Li Mo encountered their true forms, he found the bodies beneath the Human Skin Magic Tools were even more corpsified than ordinary cultivators.
Thinking about it carefully.
The cultivators visiting the brothel for music barely cared about the female brothel workers’ appearance. Those who had lived hundreds of years should have anticipated that rot was unavoidable for both immortals and mortals.
Although Li Mo knew some surgeries, he could only assist Han Cai.
Han Cai worked too fast, operating on eight female brothel workers simultaneously; simple joint replacements took just a few minutes.
The female brothel workers didn’t dare take a big breath.
After the surgery, they immediately left the brothel, fearful of unwittingly offending Han Cai and not knowing how they might die.
Li Mo also enjoyed the leisure, chatting with Han Cai about the auction.
The last auction occurred over fifty years ago, reportedly causing many casualties, with indescribable dangers lurking.
Han Cai had attended two auctions, each with different situations.
But one thing was certain: the auction’s gains were worth the risk.
Li Mo felt his scalp tingling.
He repeatedly cross-referenced the Creation Book’s records about auctions, remembering it as a rotating bidding format.
What strange events happened at later auctions to make them so feared?
After finishing the surgeries, Han Cai found that it was unknowingly the next day’s noon.
The guards also dispersed, leaving only the four of them at the Qinghong Flower Tower. All other shops in the black market locked their doors, and the street was deathly silent.
Through the window, Li Mo noticed a number of cultivators hiding in the alley.
Unable to find refuge under store shelters, they silently awaited participation in the auction as walk-in customers at the Heart Beast Black Market.
Some gazes turned toward the Qinghong Flower Tower.
Seeing this, Li Mo closed the window, using slats of wood to shut the doors and windows tightly, preventing any cultivators from desperately trying to escape into the Qinghong Flower Tower.
Compared to the relatively quiet hall, the second floor of the brothel never stopped bustling.
The Futu Hermit dismantled all private rooms, dividing the second floor into four areas, temporarily reinforcing the walls with paper-like spiritual materials.
Han Cai and the other three’s area occupied eighty percent of the space, leaving Li Mo with only about twenty percent.
Naturally, Li Mo understood that the auction’s profits were accompanied by danger, and since his goal was merely to sell spiritual materials and purchase suitable Magic Skills, he wasn’t greedy.
After confirming the doors and windows were secure, he went to the kitchen to refine Magic Artifact Embryos.
The Magic Artifact Catalog Li Mo chose focused on defense, making them relatively easier to sell. However, the refining was slightly more challenging.
He quickly immersed himself in Artifact Refining.
The Futu Hermit wore a peculiar expression, focused on posting talismans on the wall while his mind was distracted monitoring Li Mo’s Artifact Refining, suddenly noticing an oddity.
Though the quality of the Magic Artifact Embryos Li Mo refined was uneven, the process was incredibly skilled, requiring no excessive thought.
Such a foundation in Artifact Refining, how could it come from a cultivator not yet twenty?
Given the Futu Hermit’s understanding of Han Cai, the latter wouldn’t bother earnestly teaching a disciple, let alone the indifferent Hu Wen.
It seems he still underestimated Li Mo’s talent a little.
If given a chance, he should obtain Li Mo from Han Cai, having him help guard the Qinghong Flower Tower so the Futu Hermit could have more free time.
Over ten days, Li Mo spent refining in total seven robe-like Magic Artifact Embryos.
The artifacts were called the "Golden Embroidered Taoist Robe," leaning toward the Golden Earth Element, a very common protective Magical Artifact.
Li Mo didn’t wear the Golden Silk Taoist Robe because maintaining the Desert Map and Caged Bird taxed his Spiritual Power, and adding another Magic Artifact would bring more harm than good.
He packed away his Artifact Refining tools, closing his eyes for meditation to recover.
During the ten days, there were occasional knocks on the doors and windows of the Qinghong Flower Tower, apparently from cultivators self-suggesting to enter the shop, but seeing Han Cai and the other three ignoring them, they finally retreated.
After Li Mo’s Spiritual Power returned to its peak, he prepared to head to the brothel’s second floor.
At this moment, a drizzle began falling within the black market, quickly turning into a torrential downpour, a distinct fishy smell permeating the air.
Be aware, the Heart Beast Black Market was enveloped in an array, with rain and snow never impacting the streets across four seasons.
But now, the storm seemed intent on flooding the black market; clearly, this unusual phenomenon arose from the auction, causing the atmosphere to become tense at once.
Between the sidewalk tiles, maggots tangled with one another, and flies buzzed in all directions.
The shops revealed the aura of their Magic Artifacts one after another.