The appraisers, who specialized in valuing such items, were utterly shocked when they saw the goods Zhou Yan presented. Each of them exclaimed in disbelief, "Are you really intending to trade these with us?"
Zhou Yan smiled. While these items were insignificant to his territory, their value to others was immense, hence their astonishment. They likely thought Zhou Yan had brought the wrong items.
Zhou Yan nodded and confirmed, "Yes, these are the items I've brought for trading. I believe you are aware of the value of these materials."
Among the materials Zhou Yan offered were spatial stones. However, these were only four-star quality. With the **"Free Material Instance"** ability, he had no shortage of four-star spatial stones, which was why he was willing to part with them.
Besides spatial stones, he also brought low-level materials collected from various worlds. The quantities were substantial, and these were materials others desperately lacked. Upon seeing them, the other party was indeed delighted.
After a thorough discussion of the valuations, both sides completed the transaction.
"We look forward to our next trade with you." Because the items Zhou Yan presented were exceedingly precious, they only traded for a portion, with Zhou Yan keeping the rest. Thus, they eagerly anticipated another trade.
However, Zhou Yan simply smiled and replied, "I may not come again."
"Ah, why is that?" The other party was taken aback by Zhou Yan's statement.
"I can only purchase two thousand units at a time, and it wastes my time. I can't possibly come here every day," Zhou Yan stated.
This left the other party speechless. They were helpless and could only watch as Zhou Yan and his companions departed.
"Notify the manager. Inform him about what happened here. If he has so many rare materials, we need to secure more trades with him," the appraiser urged.
After Zhou Yan left, Xiao Zhao inquired, "Lord, you intentionally brought out those materials, didn't you?"
Zhou Yan chuckled and playfully tapped Xiao Zhao's nose. "You clever girl. I did this to gauge their reaction to seeing those materials. It seems they are quite tempted, which makes things easier."
"Then will they come looking for us?" Zhou Zhiruo asked.
"Whether they look for us or not, if they need something, they'll find us. With their capabilities, finding us won't be difficult."
Zhou Yan walked onto the street and said, "Find us a place to stay."
"Didn't we pass a decent inn earlier? Let's check that one out," Cai Yan, who was more considerate, suggested after hearing Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan embraced Cai Yan's waist, causing her face to flush immediately. "Then let's go have a look."
Upon arriving at the inn, they confirmed it was indeed quite large. As they stepped inside, Zhou Yan asked, "How many superior rooms are available?"
"How many people are in your party? We can accommodate quite a few. We are one of the larger inns in Shangyang City," the innkeeper replied confidently, introducing their establishment.
Nodding, Zhou Yan responded, "Our numbers aren't large. Can we book the entire inn?"
"You want to book the whole inn!" Hearing that Zhou Yan's party wasn't large yet wanted to book the entire inn, the innkeeper was stunned. What kind of request was this?
"Is that not possible?" Zhou Yan inquired.
"It's possible, it's possible. How long would you like to book it for?" The innkeeper looked at Zhou Yan, surprised by his apparent wealth. It made sense, seeing him with ladies on both sides; he must be a wealthy lord.
"Let's book for a week first," Zhou Yan replied.
"Well, that will be a minimum of ten million spirit coins," the innkeeper stated.
"Deal," Zhou Yan replied immediately, finding it surprisingly cheap.
The innkeeper was dumbfounded. Seeing Zhou Yan agree so readily without haggling, he immediately regretted not asking for a higher price.
"Please wait a moment, we'll clear the rooms immediately!" The innkeeper quickly called for his staff to vacate all guests.
For an establishment like theirs, ten million spirit coins in a week was an unattainable sum. Having such a significant customer, even at a loss for other guests, was a worthwhile trade.
Although the displaced guests were unhappy, the owner refunded their money, leaving them with no grounds for complaint. Shangyang City had other inns, after all.
Zhou Yan paid the fee and informed others of the inn's name. He ordered a table full of dishes and began a feast with Cai Yan and the others, his only remaining task being to await the black market's commencement.
However, an hour later, the innkeeper announced that a distinguished guest wished to see him.
"Lord, they've come to find us after all," Xiao Zhao exclaimed, her smile as delightful as a skylark's.
Zhou Yan also smiled confidently. Since they had come to him, it meant the materials he possessed had deeply tempted them, giving him complete control of the situation.
Even if they hadn't visited, Zhou Yan would have suffered no loss. As he had mentioned, his primary objective wasn't necessarily to purchase those materials.
Even if he couldn't buy them, he could always use the **"Free Material Instance"** ability when the need arose.
However, the **"Free Material Instance"** could only be changed once a month, and at its highest level, only ten types of material instances could be accessed. This was still too few for him. His territory was vast, with many high-level buildings, creating a substantial demand for materials.
The need for high-grade materials, in particular, was astronomical.
"Please invite those esteemed guests up. Also, prepare some fine tea for us," Zhou Yan instructed.
"Naturally." The innkeeper knew who was coming to visit. Even without Zhou Yan's request, he would have prepared the best tea. However, he was astonished that Zhou Yan could command the personal visit of such important figures.
Zhou Yan and his companions sat in the room, waiting. Soon, a knock sounded at the door. "Please come in," Zhou Yan said.
As the door opened, three men appeared before Zhou Yan. They did not carry themselves with arrogance. Upon entering, they immediately cupped their hands and said, "Greetings, we are the managers of the East City Emporium. My name is Luo Keqi."
"Greetings. I am Zhou Yan." Zhou Yan rose, shook hands with them, invited them to sit, and then asked, "I am aware of your purpose. Let's discuss the exchange rates."
The other party was pleased with Zhou Yan's directness and smiled. "You are a man of few words, brother. We won't beat around the bush either. We assure you that you won't be at a disadvantage."
Therefore, Zhou Yan directly stated the materials he required, specifically their unique soul crystals and soul stones. The other party readily agreed, clearly having anticipated this.