Now he was on his third.
Still coiled around the clay vessel. Still hovering effortlessly. His golden eyes remained half-lidded, calm and unbothered, as though consuming dozens of jars of spirit wine were nothing more than a casual pastime.
At last, the striped-tailed beast finished.
He leaned back with a long, satisfied breath—only to quickly correct himself.
He straightened, wiped his mouth, and smoothed his clothes, trying to recover whatever dignity he thought he still had left.
Then he glanced at the fox.
"My Lady…"
His tone was once again eager, though more composed than before.
"What's next on our agenda?"
The fox's ears twitched faintly.
Agenda.
That was one way to put it.
She leaned back slightly, tail swaying once behind her, and regarded him calmly.
"Is there a place here that sells materials?"
A brief pause.
"But not the kind displayed openly on stalls."
Her turquoise eyes sharpened slightly.
"The kind that isn't meant for casual trade."
The beast's expression changed immediately.
Not confusion—recognition.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"My Lady…"
He lowered his voice, suddenly more serious.
"You didn't need to explain."
"I understand exactly what you mean."
He straightened slightly, a hint of pride in his posture.
"You're referring to the inner exchanges."
His tone dropped further.
"The real market."
The fox's gaze sharpened.
There it was.
The beast leaned in slightly.
"What you see outside is only surface trade."
"Common herbs."
"Low-grade artifacts."
"Ordinary beast cores."
He gave a faint scoff.
"That's for everyone."
"But the things that actually matter…"
His eyes flicked toward the upper levels of the pavilion.
"…those are traded privately."
The fox followed his gaze.
Higher sections again.
Hidden spaces.
Invitation-only access.
Interesting.
The beast continued.
"There's a place called the Deep Vault."
"It is built within the heart of the mountain itself."
"There you will find high-grade materials, rare bloodline resources, top-tier pills, and specialized commissions."
A faint smile formed on his lips.
"If you have enough to offer, you can acquire almost anything."
The fox's lips curved slowly.
Now that was useful.
If Meihu frequented this place, then a venue like that would matter far more than any open market stall.
And if she needed anything for what was to come next, this would be the place to obtain it.
She looked at him.
"Can you get me in?"
The striped-tailed beast's grin widened.
"My Lady…"
He placed a hand over his chest dramatically.
"With me here, you will not need to worry about anything."
The fox's smile deepened slightly—amused.
"Then you had better prove useful."
Her gaze drifted briefly toward the neatly arranged wine jars, then to the remnants of the meal.
"And before that…"
Her tone remained light, almost lazy.
"Call the attendants back."
The striped-tailed beast blinked.
"My Lady?"
The fox flicked an ear toward the table.
"I want an exact count."
"Everything that was brought here."
"A full bill."
The beast stared for half a beat, as if unsure he had heard correctly.
Then quickly nodded.
"Of course, Lady!"
He straightened immediately and snapped his fingers twice.
The sound was subtle—but enough.
An attendant appeared almost instantly, smooth and silent as drifting mist.
Then another.
And another.
All arriving with flawless composure.
The striped-tailed beast lifted his chin, attempting to appear more significant than he truly was.
"My Lady requests a full accounting."
"Everything served at this table."
The lead attendant bowed.
"As you wish."
Without delay, they began their assessment.
Quiet.
Precise.
One examined the dishes. Another counted the wine jars. A third verified service tiers and formation usage.
Even the striped-tailed beast watched with fascination, clearly unused to this level of scrutiny.
The fox remained relaxed in her seat, tail loosely curled at her side.
But inwardly, her thoughts were already turning.
She had spirit stones. Materials. Artifacts. Talismans.
Enough wealth—but how much could she afford to spend without drawing attention?
How much leverage did she truly have here?
And more importantly—what would the Deep Vault require as entry?
Her gaze drifted briefly toward the floating lizard, already several jars deep into his wine, entirely unconcerned.
A faint snort escaped her.
At least one of them was enjoying a simple night.
Moments later, the lead attendant stepped forward again.
Hands folded. Head slightly bowed.
"My Lady."
"The full account is ready."
The fox did not move immediately.
She simply rested her chin lightly on one paw, composed and patient.
"Speak."
Her voice was soft, but carried effortless authority.
The attendant straightened slightly.
"Twenty standard spirit dishes."
"Three premium spirit fish preparations."
"Seven marrow broth servings infused with Moonroot essence."
A brief pause as he gestured toward the wine.
"Sixty jars of Moonveil Spirit Wine."
The striped-tailed beast coughed slightly, as though only now realizing the scale of what had been consumed.
The fox did not react.
She simply listened.
The attendant continued.
"Terrace service fee."
"Privacy formation maintenance."
"And upper-tier seating allocation."
Another pause.
"Total cost: three hundred and eighty-seven standard mid-grade spirit stones."
Silence.
For a brief moment, even the sound of the waterfall seemed to fade into the background.
The striped-tailed beast slowly looked at the table.
Then at the wine jars.
Then at the fox.
"…That much?"
The fox blinked slowly.
She leaned back slightly.
"…Huh."
Her expression remained perfectly composed.
But internally, her mind ticked once.
The fox sat still for a moment.
Then slowly tilted her head.
"…Wait."
Her voice was calm, but a faint edge of confusion slipped through the composure.
"I only ordered food and wine."
Her turquoise eyes shifted to the attendant.
"What exactly is all that other stuff you're mentioning?"
The attendant did not flinch.
He simply bowed again, as though the question had been anticipated countless times before.
"My Lady."
"The additional charges include terrace access, privacy formation deployment, spirit circulation stabilization around your table, and upper-tier seating allocation tax."
The fox blinked once.
Then again.
"…Terrace access?"
She glanced down at the seat beneath her.
"…I'm literally just sitting here."
Her tail flicked once—subtle irritation cutting through her calm.