The sun had barely kissed the peaks of the Azure Sky Mountains when Gaurav kicked open the doors to Elara's pavilion. He wasn't carrying a sword or a scroll; he was carrying a list. A very, very long list.
"Wakey-wakey, Ice Cube! The early bird gets the worm, but the early teacher gets the premium discounts," Gaurav shouted, his voice echoing through the halls.
Princess Elara emerged from her meditation chamber, looking remarkably refreshed despite the previous day's torture. Her skin had a faint, translucent glow—a sign that her 'Cold Heart Syndrome' was finally being suppressed by Gaurav's unorthodox methods. However, her expression soured the moment she saw him.
"It is 5:00 AM, Gaurav," she hissed. "Even the Spirit Beasts are still asleep."
"Exactly. No lines at the tea stalls," Gaurav remarked, tossing her a heavy canvas sack. "Get dressed. We're going to the Heavenly Treasure Market. And don't wear your royal robes. I don't want people giving us 'Princess prices.' We're going as a simple, humble teacher and his slightly-above-average maid."
"Maid?!" Elara's fingers twitched, a frost-needle nearly forming at her fingertip.
"Correction: Apprentice-Maid-Errand-Girl. Don't let the title go to your head," Gaurav smirked, already walking away.
The Heavenly Treasure Market
The market was a sprawling labyrinth of silk tents, stone stalls, and floating platforms. Here, one could find anything from Rank 1 healing herbs to ancient (and usually fake) dragon scales. The air was thick with the scent of incense, roasted spirit-boar, and the desperate energy of cultivators trying to haggle for their lives.
Gaurav walked through the crowd like he owned the place. He didn't look at the flashy displays or the glowing weapons. His eyes were fixed on his Omniscience Archive, which was scanning the stalls at a rapid-fire pace.
[Archive Scan Active]
Stall 1: 'Ancient' Jade Pendant. (Flaw: It's painted glass. Value: 2 copper. Asking price: 50 Gold.)
Stall 2: Spirit-Enhancing Pill. (Flaw: 70% impurities. Will cause diarrhea for a week. Value: Zero.)
Stall 3: Rusty Dagger. (Hidden Detail: Beneath the rust is a fragment of Star-Iron. Value: 5,000 Gold. Asking price: 10 Silver.)
Gaurav stopped at Stall 3. The merchant was a greasy man with a wandering eye, trying to sell a "Golden Lion Sword" to a naive young cultivator for a fortune.
Gaurav picked up the rusty dagger. "Hey, Shifty. How much for this toothpick?"
The merchant glanced at the dagger and sneered. "That? That's junk from a battlefield. Give me 10 silver and take it away. It's ruining the aesthetic of my shop."
Gaurav sighed dramatically. "10 silver? For rust? Man, the inflation in this city is killing me. I'll give you 5 silver, and I'm doing you a favor by taking out the trash."
Elara watched in confusion. She could feel a faint, sharp energy coming from the dagger. "Gaurav, that blade is—"
Gaurav stepped on her foot. "That blade is a piece of junk, Elara! Don't encourage him!" He turned back to the merchant. "5 silver. Take it or I buy the shiny, fake lion sword from the guy next door."
The merchant, afraid to lose even a copper, grabbed the 5 silver. "Fine! Take the garbage!"
As they walked away, Gaurav handed the dagger to Elara. "Clean the rust off with your ice. Be gentle. If you chip the Star-Iron underneath, I'm deducting it from your non-existent salary."
Elara's eyes widened as she peeled back the rust with a thin layer of frost. A brilliant, blue-silver light erupted from the blade. It was a Star-Iron Core, a material so rare that even her father only had a small brooch made of it.
"You... you just bought a kingdom-level treasure for the price of a chicken dinner," she whispered.
"Rule number one of the All Path, Ice Cube: Most 'experts' are just idiots with louder voices. Now, let's find some real trouble."
The Golden Pavilion Incident
They arrived at the Golden Pavilion, the most prestigious auction house and shop in the district. It was owned by the Gilded Chamber of Commerce, a group that controlled most of the empire's wealth.
As they entered, a clerk in a silk robe blocked their path. He looked at Gaurav's dusty teacher robes and Elara's plain outfit.
"Entry is for Platinum Members only," the clerk said, his nose upturned. "The discount alley is three blocks south. Please don't breathe on the displays; the air filtration is expensive."
Gaurav laughed. It was a loud, arrogant sound that drew the attention of everyone in the lobby. "Platinum Member? Is that the rank where you're so rich you forget how to use your brain? Tell your manager that the man who is about to save his business from a massive lawsuit is here."
The clerk frowned. "Saving us? From what?"
"From that," Gaurav pointed at a massive, three-meter-tall statue of a Phoenix made of Fire-Cloud Crystal in the center of the hall. It was the Pavilion's pride, worth millions of gold coins.
"That statue," Gaurav said, his voice carrying through the room, "is a ticking time bomb. In exactly fifteen minutes, it's going to explode, turn this building into a crater, and cook everyone in this room like a spicy kebab."
The lobby went silent. Then, a roar of laughter broke out.
A middle-aged man in extravagant robes stepped out from the back. This was Manager Lu, a man known for his keen eye and ruthless business tactics.
"Young man," Lu said, his eyes narrowing. "That statue was carved by a Rank 5 Grandmaster. It has been stable for fifty years. To claim it is a bomb is not just an insult—it is slander against the Gilded Chamber. Guards, take him to the dungeon."
Elara stepped forward, her cold aura flaring. "Wait. He might be an arrogant prick, but he's never wrong about flaws."
Gaurav checked his imaginary watch. "Fourteen minutes left. Manager Lu, look at the base of the left wing. Do you see the faint, orange glow? That's not 'majestic light.' That's a heat-fracture caused by a mismatch in the crystal's elemental purity. The Grandmaster who carved this used a 'Water-based' tool on a 'Fire-based' crystal. Basic chemistry, really. Even a toddler should know that."
Manager Lu scoffed, but he looked. He pulled out a magnifying glass and leaned in. His face went from smug to pale in three seconds.
There was a crack. A tiny, hair-thin fracture that was vibrating with intense heat.
"Archive," Gaurav whispered.
[Archive Solution]:
Trigger: Structural collapse in 13 mins.
Solution: Strike the 'Pressure Valve' at the Phoenix's throat with a burst of pure Cold Energy.
"Elara," Gaurav said calmly. "Remember the 'Ice Needle' you used on the onions? I want you to hit the throat of that bird. Exactly 2.5 centimeters below the beak. Use 10% of your power, but make it as sharp as a diamond."
Elara didn't hesitate. She had learned to trust Gaurav's madness. She flicked her wrist. A tiny, translucent needle of ice streaked through the air.
CLINK.
The needle embedded itself into the crystal. For a moment, the orange glow intensified, and the room grew hot. People screamed and ran for the exits.
And then... a long, hissing sound escaped the statue. The red glow faded into a soft, steady pink. The vibration stopped. The air cooled.
Manager Lu fell to his knees, his forehead drenched in sweat. He had almost lost everything—his shop, his life, and his reputation.
Gaurav walked over and patted the manager on the head. "There, there. It's okay to be incompetent as long as you have someone like me to fix your mess. Now, about that 'Platinum Membership'..."
The Reward and the Rival
Ten minutes later, Gaurav was sitting in the manager's private office, sipping the most expensive tea in the empire. Elara stood behind him, still processing how he had spotted a flaw in a masterpiece from across a crowded room.
"Master Gaurav," Manager Lu said, bowing low. "You have saved the Gilded Chamber. Please, take this Black-Gold Card. It gives you a 90% discount on anything in our empire-wide stores. And please, take these Rank 4 'Heavenly Dew' pills as a token of my gratitude."
Gaurav took the pills and tossed one to Elara like it was a grape. "Eat up, Ice Cube. You're looking a bit skinny."
Elara caught the pill, her heart hammering. A Rank 4 pill! People killed for these! And he just tossed it at her like trash.
"As for the rest," Gaurav said, standing up. "I need a new bed. The one at the academy is as hard as Elder Han's head. And I want a silk robe for my student here. She's starting to smell like onions."
They left the Golden Pavilion with a mountain of treasures, followed by a team of porters carrying Gaurav's new furniture.
But as they reached the market gates, a group of men blocked their path. At the center was a young man in vibrant red robes, a sword with a ruby hilt at his waist.
"So," the young man said, his eyes burning with jealousy. "You're the one who humiliated my uncle, Elder Han. And you're the one who has Princess Elara acting like a common servant."
Gaurav looked at the young man, then at his Archive.
[Target]: Young Master Wei. (Nephew of Elder Han).
[Flaw]: Thinks he's the main character of a different novel.
[Weakness]: His right pinky toe is slightly shorter than the left, causing a balance issue in his 'Crimson Slash.'
Gaurav sighed. "Man, don't you guys ever take a day off? I just wanted to go home and nap on my new bed. Look, Wei-whatever-your-name-is... move aside. I don't hit kids on Fridays."
"I am a Core Disciple of the Blazing Sun Sect!" Wei roared, drawing his sword. "I challenge you to a duel! If I win, the Princess comes with me, and you crawl out of this city on all fours!"
Gaurav looked at Elara. "He's loud, isn't he?"
"Extremely," Elara agreed, her eyes cold. "Shall I handle it?"
"Nah," Gaurav said, stepping forward. "I've got a new technique I want to try. I call it: The Finger of Ultimate Boredom."
The crowd gathered. The market fell silent. The battle for the "Conqueror of All Paths" was about to move to the next level.