Seeing this scene, he immediately became a little excited, secretly thinking that this storage pouch must also be worth a hundred gold coins—such a treasure could truly be considered an immortal’s handiwork.

As he willed it, a jade slip appeared in his hand from within the space. Focusing his mind, he saw that it contained a map, depicting a secluded house in a remote corner of the outer sect area, which would henceforth belong to Ethan Brooks.

“We’ll look at it later. The Treasure Pavilion is already open—why aren’t you going in?” the shrewd man said coldly.

Ethan Brooks raised his head, put the storage pouch into his robe, glanced at the open pavilion doors, took a deep breath, and, with a hint of anticipation, stepped inside.

The moment he entered the Treasure Pavilion, Ethan Brooks's expression suddenly changed, and he gasped.

Chapter 0004: A Bronze Mirror

Inside the Treasure Pavilion, pearls and jewels glittered, dazzling multicolored lights filled his vision. Rows upon rows of jade shelves stood tall, each compartment shining with radiant light. Treasure vases, small swords, jade pendants, and precious pearls were everywhere, making Ethan Brooks's breathing instantly quicken and his heart race, as if blood was rushing to his brain in an instant, leaving him stunned on the spot.

In his entire life so far, Ethan Brooks had never seen so many treasures. At this moment, he was completely overwhelmed by the dazzling display, his mind buzzing, and he unconsciously developed a desire to snatch all the treasures for himself.

“The value of these treasures... they’re all priceless. I’ve struck it rich—working for immortals really does come with great benefits.” Ethan Brooks muttered as he walked past row after row of jade shelves, his expression excited. He subconsciously looked up, thinking to himself that if this was only the first floor of the three-story Treasure Pavilion, then the treasures on the upper two floors must be even more valuable.

“Immortals... are really rich!” Ethan Brooks took a deep breath. At that moment, his eyes suddenly focused as he saw, in a very prominent position in the Treasure Pavilion, a bronze mirror.

This bronze mirror was somewhat rusty and looked quite ordinary. There was not the slightest hint of treasure light on it, making it stand out in stark contrast to the surrounding treasures.

With curiosity, Ethan Brooks picked up the bronze mirror and examined it closely. The more he looked, the more ordinary it seemed, as if it were a mundane object with nothing remarkable about it. But since it was placed in the Treasure Pavilion, Ethan Brooks thought it must have some value.

“Junior brother, you have a good eye.” A voice came from behind Ethan Brooks. The shrewd man had appeared at some point, looking at the bronze mirror in Ethan Brooks's hand with a tone of praise.

“Since you picked up this mirror, it means you are fated with it. There are many legends about this mirror, especially regarding its mystery. It’s said that to obtain this item, one needs not only great fortune but also great destiny. I believe you are just such a person, junior brother. With this mirror in hand, you will soon be able to laugh proudly at the world.” The shrewd man sighed repeatedly, his voice seemingly carrying a strange power that left Ethan Brooks momentarily dazed.

“This mirror...” Ethan Brooks looked odd, lowering his head to glance at the bronze mirror again. There were no intricate carvings on it, and the rust made even reflections in the mirror blurry and unclear.

“Don’t be fooled by the lack of treasure light, junior brother. You should know that any truly spiritual treasure hides its brilliance in the mundane. The more unremarkable it appears, the more extraordinary it is.” Seeing that Ethan Brooks was about to put the bronze mirror back into the compartment, the shrewd man quickly stepped forward to block him, looking at Ethan Brooks seriously.

“Junior brother, picking it up means you are fated with it. How can you give it up just because it looks ordinary? I’ve been in charge of the Treasure Pavilion for many years and know the origin of every treasure here. This bronze mirror once caused a sensation in the State of Zhao. It was formed from a ray of light that fell from the heavens and was obtained by the Patriarch of Kaoshan, who studied it diligently and believed it to be a treasure that could reach the heavens. Although he never figured it out, he was certain that if the right person encountered this mirror, they would be able to roam the world without equal.”

Hearing the name of the Patriarch of Kaoshan, Ethan Brooks was taken aback. Having just entered the outer sect, he was unfamiliar with many things and hesitated.

“If even the Patriarch of Kaoshan couldn’t figure it out, how could I...”

“Junior brother, that’s not the right way to think. Let me tell you, the fact that the Patriarch couldn’t figure it out only proves how extraordinary this treasure is. And before you, dozens of people have taken this treasure. Although none of them figured it out, they all had no regrets.”

“What if... you are the one truly fated with this mirror? Besides, you can rest assured—if you can’t figure it out after taking it, you can return it at any time and choose another treasure. Many of your fellow sect members before you returned it within two or three months. You’ll find, as we get to know each other, that I’m easy to talk to and don’t like to make things difficult for my fellow disciples. So I always let them exchange it for another treasure.”

“If you take it and can’t figure it out, you can return it at any time and pick another. But this opportunity... if you give it up, and you really are the one fated with it, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.” The shrewd man looked at Ethan Brooks with deep meaning. Seeing Ethan Brooks hesitate more and more, he secretly laughed to himself, thinking that these new outer sect disciples were the easiest to fool. As long as he told them the origin and legends of the mirror and used some grand words, he could guarantee their blood would boil with excitement.

He hadn’t lied to Ethan Brooks about the mirror’s origin and legends, but using the mirror as bait had earned him quite a few spirit stones. After all, whenever someone returned the mirror, he would make things a little difficult, naturally requiring some spirit stones to smooth things over.

“But...” Ethan Brooks had studied since childhood and was quite clever. He could clearly hear the shrewd man’s persuasion and knew that the mirror was probably not as the man claimed. But with the man blocking his way, clearly determined not to let him put the mirror back easily, even tossing it aside would likely be useless. He felt a bit of regret for picking up the mirror.