Chapter 36: Spirit Stone Market

Cheng Buzheng casually pushed several jade slips aside, feigning indifference.

"Boss... how many spirit stones for these few jade slips?"

The stall owner took a glance at the unique markings on the slips and replied casually, "Two first-grade low-rank cultivation techniques and one first-grade low-rank spell. Thirty spirit stones in total!"

Cheng Buzheng frowned and said slowly, "The price you're quoting isn't for some common, run-of-the-mill techniques and spells, is it? Give me a realistic price and I'll buy them... if the price won't come down, I'll move on!"

Hearing this, the stall owner sighed inwardly. He knew perfectly well that the jade slips contained nothing more than common cultivation techniques and spells—in fact, every single jade slip at his stall was of that sort.

The price he had just quoted was merely a test to see if the youth before him was a novice newly entering the cultivation world. Had it been an adult cultivator, he never would have dared to name such a price.

When his scheme failed, he didn't try to hold firm on the price; that would be foolishly throwing away spirit stones. Besides, jade slips weren't worth much; if he sold one, he could simply engrave it again later, costing nothing but a bit of time.

The only way to get the boy to buy them now was to offer a discount. This was the price of his own cleverness; his previous high price had already offended the youth. Furthermore, the boy had already pointed out that the contents were common, proving he was an experienced person.

What was the difference between holding out to the end and leaving spirit stones on the ground for no one to pick up? If the boy hadn't pointed it out or tried to haggle, there might have been some room for maneuvering.

Thinking this, the stall owner glanced at the youth.

Clasping his hands in a salute, the stall owner said, "Fellow Daoist, I was being abrupt. To show my apologies, I will sell you these three jade slips for ten spirit stones!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Buzheng's expression remained calm, showing no reaction to the sudden twenty-stone price drop. He simply nodded and proceeded with the transaction without any hesitation or lingering.

As he walked through the street stall area, Cheng Buzheng thought to himself with a hint of regret, *There were so many jade slips on that stall, yet not a single pupil technique. It seems pupil techniques are quite rare... I'll have to buy one from my sect. Fortunately, I have that low-grade spell to hide my cultivation level; I won't have to worry about attracting unwanted attention as my cultivation rises!*

He wandered aimlessly until his gaze settled on a particular stall.

The owner was an ordinary-looking young man with dark skin and yellow robes, a third-layer Qi Refinement cultivator who was quite inconspicuous in the bustling market. However, the items displayed before him caught Cheng Buzheng's attention.

He approached the stall unhurriedly and scrutinized the goods. The stall held various spirit ores, a broken magic tool, and several magic tool fragments.

Seeing someone approaching, the dark-skinned stall owner immediately flashed a simple, honest smile.

"Young man, my spirit ores are not only high quality but also cheap. If you buy in bulk, there are discounts, and if you buy a certain amount, I'll even throw in some magic tool fragments! Look at the restriction patterns on this tool; though it's broken, it must have been a very powerful magic tool originally. Even though it's scrapped, it can still be refined, and its value is quite high! Buy a certain amount of ore, and you can pick any of these fragments you want. In this entire Spirit Stone Market, I'm the only one giving things away for free!"

The stall owner held a scrapped, fire-red small sword as he introduced his wares.

Regardless of how much the dark-skinned owner boasted, Cheng Buzheng's face remained expressionless. He reached out with his hand, pulling a piece of spirit ore toward him.

He examined it closely. The bluish ore had a metallic luster; he recognized it as raw Green Refinement Iron. As a first-grade low-rank crafting material, it was common and of relatively low value.

Cheng Buzheng placed the ore back on the stall and scanned the rest of the items. He realized that everything on display consisted of first-grade low-rank materials—spirit items that were abundant and of limited value. It was no wonder the man used such an unusual sales tactic; his stall lacked any standout treasures.

Cheng Buzheng then glanced at the number of magic tool fragments, silently calculating the price.

After a moment, he looked at the honest-looking, dark-skinned owner and asked, "How many spirit stones for all these spirit ores?" He pointed to the ores on the stall.

The young man grinned and said, "Fellow Daoist... if you buy everything, it will only cost fifteen spirit stones. And I'll throw in this magic tool as well!" He pointed to the only relatively intact scrapped magic tool on the stall.

Cheng Buzheng did not argue. The more one haggled, the more the owner would think he was truly interested in the deal. He said coldly, "Fourteen spirit stones... for all the spirit ores, the scrapped magic tool, and all its fragments on your stall!"

The dark-skinned owner's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly shook his head. "No... that's too much of a loss!"

Hearing this, Cheng Buzheng did not hesitate. He turned around and walked away without a second thought.

As he stepped forward and walked down the road, he counted in his head: *One, two, three... nine...*

By now, the dark-skinned stall owner was stunned. He had never seen anyone shop like this. Seeing that Cheng Buzheng was actually leaving, the owner grew anxious. As he watched the youth walk further away, nearly passing the second stall, he thought

*Eleven...*

The owner's honest smile vanished, replaced by a look of desperation. He hurriedly shouted to Cheng Buzheng, "Fellow Daoist, wait! Have it your way!"

Hearing this, Cheng Buzheng turned around and walked back calmly, feeling a sense of relief in his heart.

In truth, if the owner hadn't called him, he had planned to finish his stroll and come back later, at which point he would have had to accept whatever price the owner offered. It was fortunate the owner had finally called him back.

This method only worked on small stalls and peddlers; trying this in a formal shop would likely be impossible, but it was worth a try if the opportunity arose.

After successfully completing the transaction, he no longer had a single spirit stone left to his name. However, he did not leave immediately. Instead, he continued to wander through the market area until he had finished a full circuit.

By then, it was already dusk.

Cheng Buzheng did not delay further. He exited the Spirit Stone Market, and once he saw no one around, a flash of yellow light appeared as he dove into the ground, moving as effortlessly as a fish returning to water.

Six feet underground, Cheng Buzheng transformed into a streak of yellow light and sped back in the direction he had come. As he passed through a canyon surrounded by mountains, his heart stirred. A streak of yellow spiritual light shot up from six feet underground toward the sky above the canyon.