The Earth's Heart Pavilion was a smaller shop than its neighbors but had an air of understated quality. Instead of flashy displays, its windows showed simple pedestals holding individual specimens, each carefully lit to highlight its unique properties.

A bell chimed softly as we entered. The interior was cool and dim, with shelves of carefully labeled specimens lining the walls. Each stone sat on its own cushion of spiritual energy, suspended in perfect stillness.

"Young Master Wei," an elderly man emerged from the back room, his eyes bright despite his apparent age. "It's been too long."

"Master Tao," Wei Lin bowed. "I hope you're well?"

"Well enough, well enough." The old man's gaze swept over our group, lingering briefly on Liu Chen's worn clothing before returning to Wei Lin. "What brings you to my humble shop today?"

"We're looking for some quality spirit stones," Wei Lin replied. "Specifically, ones suitable for a young Stone Guardian's consumption."

Master Tao's eyebrows rose slightly. "A Stone Guardian? How fascinating. They're quite rare in these parts." His sharp eyes focused on Liu Chen. “Ah, would this young friend happen to be the one I've heard about? The clever boy with a stone companion who's been... shall we say, collecting unofficial road taxes?"

Liu Chen shuffled his feet but managed a respectful bow, his cheeks reddening. "Yes, honored senior. His name is Rocky."

"Rocky?" Master Tao's lips twitched. "A... distinctive name. And what has Rocky been consuming up until now?"

"Just... regular rocks," Liu Chen admitted quietly. "Whatever we could find."

"I see, I see." Master Tao stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Well, we can certainly do better than that. Let me show you some options."

He disappeared into the back room, returning moments later with a tray holding several specimens. "Now then, what we have here..."

The first stone was a deep bronze color with swirling patterns that seemed to move in the light. "Desert Star Stone," Master Tao explained. "Forms in places where earth and metal essence naturally combine. Excellent for developing a Guardian's outer defense."

The second was pure white with occasional flashes of rainbow light. "Moon Frost Crystal. Very pure earth essence, helps stabilize a Guardian's core and smooth out any imperfections in their stone form."

The third was the most striking – a deep blue-black stone that seemed to drink in the light around it. "And this is what we call Void Weight Stone. Found only in places where gravity itself has been warped by natural phenomena. Helps a Guardian develop better control over their mass and density."

Liu Chen stared at the stones with obvious longing but didn't reach for them. "They're... they're probably very expensive..."

"They are," Master Tao agreed frankly. "But Young Master Wei wouldn't have brought you to my shop if price was a concern."

Wei Lin stepped forward, already pulling out his token pouch. "We'll take all three."

"But..." Liu Chen protested weakly.

"Consider it an investment," Wei Lin said with a wink. "After all, it's good business to help promising young talents. Right, Ke Yin?"

I couldn't help but smile, recognizing the same calculating kindness he'd shown me. Wei Lin had a gift for making his generosity sound like pure self-interest.

"Now then," Wei Lin turned to Master Tao. "About the price..."

What followed was a masterclass in cultivation world haggling. Wei Lin and Master Tao traded references to market conditions, recent spirit vein discoveries, and transportation costs like skilled duelists exchanging blows.

"Three hundred and fifty spirit stones is my final offer," Master Tao declared. "And that's only because you're one of my favorite customers, Young Master Wei."

"Two hundred," Wei Lin countered. "The Desert Star Stone's pattern is slightly irregular, and I noticed the Moon Frost Crystal has a minor inclusion in the lower left quadrant."

They went back and forth several more times before settling on three hundred spirit stones. Even at the reduced price, Liu Chen's eyes nearly fell out of his head. Master Tao carefully wrapped each stone in silk cloth inscribed with protective formations.

"Perfect for keeping their energy stable during transport," he explained to Liu Chen. "You'll want to unwrap them one at a time when feeding them to your friend. Too much at once could cause indigestion."

Liu Chen clutched the package to his chest like it was made of solid gold. "Thank you," he whispered, bowing deeply to both Wei Lin and Master Tao.

As we left the shop, I could see Liu Chen practically vibrating with excitement. He kept glancing between the package and the city gates, clearly eager to share his treasure with Rocky.

"Liu Chen," I said, making a decision. "After you've fed Rocky, would you like to come back to Azure Peak Sect with us?"

The boy froze mid-step, his eyes going wide. "M-me? To an immortal sect?"

"Why not?" I smiled. "You've already got a powerful spirit beast companion. That's more than most disciples start with."

"But..." Liu Chen looked down at his worn robes. "I'm just... I don't deserve..."

Lin Mei stepped forward, gently ruffling his hair. "Don't say that. Never say that."

"She's right," I added. "And even if we haven't tested your cultivation potential yet, the fact that you formed a soul bond with Rocky suggests you have talent. That's not something just anyone could do."

I'd been watching the boy closely during our journey. The way he moved, the casual way he'd dropped from that tree – there was a natural grace there that went beyond normal human limits. The soul bond with Rocky had clearly affected him, granting him abilities that bordered on cultivation techniques.

"And if Rocky keeps getting stronger," I continued, "you'll need proper training to keep up with him. A soul bond goes both ways – as he grows, you'll need to grow too."

Liu Chen's eyes grew even wider as he processed this. I could practically see the gears turning in his head as he thought about the opportunities this represented.

"But... what about Rocky?" he asked cautiously. "Would he be allowed to come too?"

"The sect has plenty of remote areas where he could stay safely," Lin Mei assured him. "And I'm sure the elders would be fascinated by a genuine Stone Guardian. They might even help with his development."

"I..." Liu Chen bit his lip, then squared his shoulders. "Can I go give these to Rocky first? He's really hungry, and I promised..."

Wei Lin laughed. "Of course! Go on, we'll wait here."

The boy clutched his precious package and darted off through the crowds with impressive agility, already familiar enough with the city layout to take the most direct route to the gates.

I watched him go with a slight frown. "Should we..."

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"He'll be fine," Wei Lin assured me. "The guards won't bother him now that they know he's with us. And Rocky isn't far."

"Besides," Azure added in my mind, "if anything threatened the boy, Rocky would know instantly through their soul bond. Stone Guardians are extremely protective of their bonded partners."

I nodded, relaxing slightly. Still, I made a mental note to ask Liu Chen about his background once he was more comfortable with us. His reaction to being invited to the sect, that immediate "I don't deserve it" – there was definitely a story there, I just don’t know if it was a protagonist-level story.

"Young Master Wei!"

A voice called out from the crowd, and I turned to see a middle-aged man in blue merchant's robes hurrying toward us. He had the same facial features as Wei Lin, though his cultivation was notably lower, probably at the first stage.

"Cousin Zhang," Wei Lin greeted him. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" Cousin Zhang said breathlessly. "Your father sent me to find you as soon as he heard you were in the city. He wants you to come home immediately – there's some situation with the Sun Clan..."

Wei Lin's expression tightened slightly. "What kind of situation?"

"I don't know the details, but apparently they're trying to undercut us on the new spirit herb shipments. Your father says it's urgent."

Wei Lin glanced at us apologetically. "I should probably..."

"Go," I waved him off. "We'll wait for Liu Chen and make sure he gets back safely. You handle your family business."

"Are you sure? I don't want to abandon you..."

"We'll be fine," Lin Mei assured him. "We can show Liu Chen around a bit more while you're busy. Maybe look at some basic cultivation supplies for him?"

Wei Lin nodded. "I'll try to make this quick. Meet me at the main gates in two hours?"

"We'll be there," I promised. "And Wei Lin? Remember what we talked about. About some things being more important than business."

He gave me a small smile. "I remember. Though in this case, I think protecting our spirit herb shipping routes might actually be important for everyone. The Sun Clan has some... questionable quality control standards."

With that slightly ominous statement, he hurried off with his cousin, leaving Lin Mei and me to wait for our young friend's return.

"So," I said after a moment, "want to look at cultivation robes while we wait? I think Liu Chen could use something a bit more suitable for sect life than what he's wearing now."

Lin Mei's eyes lit up. "Oh! And he'll need basic cultivation materials too. Meditation cushions, practice weapons, writing supplies for technique study..."

I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Should we be worried that we're already acting like overprotective seniors when he hasn't even officially joined the sect?"

"Please," she sniffed. "I've seen how you watch out for him. You started doing it the moment we met him, even when he was trying to rob us."

"He grows on you," I admitted. "Like a very small, very determined fungus."

Lin Mei laughed, then grew more serious. "Do you think he'll tell us what happened? Why he was out there alone?"

"Eventually," I said. "Once he trusts us more. For now, let's just focus on making sure he knows he has people he can rely on."

We spent the next hour browsing shops for basic cultivation supplies, putting together what Lin Mei called a "proper disciple's starter kit." I contributed what I could, though Wei Lin had already made it clear he would handle the majority of the expenses, though I estimate it wouldn’t be total up to more than ten spirit stones.

"It's not charity," he had insisted earlier. "It's investing in the sect's future. And if my father asks, we can call it 'strategic resource allocation for long-term asset development.'"

I smiled at the memory. Wei Lin had a gift for making kindness sound like pure business sense. It was probably a necessary skill, growing up in a merchant family that valued practical advantages over emotional considerations.

Eventually, we made our way back toward the city gates. I could sense Liu Chen's approach before I saw him.

The boy practically skipped up to us, his face split by the biggest grin I'd ever seen. "Rocky loved them! Especially the blue-black one! He said it made him feel all tingly inside, and now he can make his arms super heavy or super light whenever he wants!"

"The Void Weight Stone," I nodded. "Sounds like it's working as intended."

"And the white one made his stone form all smooth and pretty," Liu Chen continued excitedly. "And the bronze one made his outer layer super hard! He tried to show me by hitting himself with a boulder, but I told him that was a dumb way to test it."

Lin Mei and I exchanged amused glances. Trust a young boy's first instinct with new powers to be "hit it really hard and see what happens."

"Speaking of Rocky," I said carefully, "have you thought about our offer? About coming to the sect?"

Liu Chen's expression sobered slightly, but his eyes remained bright. "I... I'd like that. If you're sure it's okay. Rocky says he wants to come too – he thinks it sounds interesting!"

"Then it's settled," Lin Mei smiled. "Though we should probably get you some proper clothes first. Can't have our newest disciple showing up in rags."

Liu Chen looked down at his worn robes, then back up at us with suspicious brightness in his eyes. "You don't have to..."

"We want to," I cut him off gently. "Consider it your welcome gift from your new sect siblings."

The boy ducked his head, but not before I caught his wide smile. "Thank you," he whispered. "For everything. Me and Rocky will never forget this!"

Just then, I sensed Wei Lin's familiar qi signature approaching. He looked slightly harried but satisfied as he joined us.

"Family business handled?" I asked.

"For now," he nodded. "Though my father wants to meet all of you for dinner. He's... very interested in meeting my sect brothers and sisters."

The slight emphasis he put on those words made it clear this wasn't just a social invitation. I glanced at Lin Mei, who had tensed slightly.

"All of us?" she asked quietly.

"All of you," Wei Lin confirmed, reaching for her hand. "No more hiding."

I smiled, proud of my friend's decision. Then I gestured to Liu Chen, who was watching the interaction with innocent confusion. "In that case, should we get our newest disciple properly outfitted first? Can't have him meeting the head of the Wei family looking like he just finished wrestling spirit beasts in the forest."

"Even if that's exactly what he's been doing," Lin Mei added with a laugh.

Wei Lin looked at Liu Chen's worn clothing and nodded. "Definitely. I know just the place – they specialize in cultivation robes for younger disciples."