Ling Hua walked through the throngs of people crowding the streets of the market, especially in the free-trade district, which was packed with people displaying their precious possessions on cloth sheets spread across the ground.
Everyone had something different to offer: an elixir that had been bitten by a spiritual beast, a glowing piece of white wood, ores radiating with strange colors whose names he did not know, and countless other unusual items.
However, what caught his attention the most was a stall at the edge of this area. Sitting behind it was a man dressed entirely in dark black clothing, his face concealed beneath his clothes. Spread across his cloth were numerous black seeds that looked as though they were on the verge of dying.
Ling Hua approached him.
"Ohhh, these are strange seeds, sir. What kind are they?"
A hidden smile appeared beneath the man's mask as he thought to himself.
It seems my golden finger has finally arrived. It looks like I'm going to find a third-grade elixir among these seeds, just like I read about in those novels.
The seller raised his head toward the unfamiliar young man and clasped his hands together in a gesture of welcome, a smile spreading across his face beneath the mask.
"Come, come, young master. It seems you have quite a discerning eye to recognize these magical seeds."
He motioned for Ling Hua to come closer, then leaned toward him and whispered in a voice so low that only the two of them could hear.
"This man risked his life to enter the inheritance cave of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he found these strange seeds inside. I searched through countless ancient records concerning spiritual plants, but I couldn't find a single mention of them anywhere. It seems they are legendary seeds that we common people know nothing about."
Ling Hua's pupils widened even further after hearing this shocking information, and he asked eagerly, "Are you certain, sir? How much are you asking for them? I hope the price isn't too high, because this junior doesn't have much."
He took out his pouch and showed the man his spirit stones.
"I'm telling you that these are legendary seeds, and this is all you're offering me? Do you think they're cabbages?"
The man spat out those words while licking his lips beneath the mask.
Ling Hua lowered his head toward the ground, his shoulders drooping in disappointment.
"Then this lowly one has no chance. Thank you, sir, for giving this foolish young man your precious time."
He turned around and began walking away, his steps heavy with disappointment.
But after he had taken only two steps—
"Wait."
Ling Hua immediately turned around, his eyes lighting up.
"I think you deserve to receive some support from this old man, young one. As a reward for your discerning eye, and in front of all these passing people, I'll sell you one of these seeds for that small amount of money."
Ling Hua released a deep sigh from the bottom of his lungs, and that energetic smile immediately returned to his face.
"Are you certain, sir?"
He clasped his hands tightly before his chest and bowed deeply toward this great man.
The seller picked one black seed from among the many displayed on the cloth and placed it in Ling Hua's hand.
"Yes, yes. Here you go. This is a legendary seed. It's the finest seed I have."
But the moment the masked man's hand reached toward the pouch of spirit stones in Ling Hua's hand, an unknown hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"Humph."
"Are you bullying youngsters again, Xuan Ma? But this time, you've picked the wrong sheep."
"How dare you bully one of my family's juniors, you bastard?"
The man's body trembled, and he immediately released Ling Hua's pouch. The moment he saw the person standing before him, he turned and fled as quickly as he could.
The man turned toward Ling Hua.
"You brat. Didn't I warn you before to be careful around merchants so you wouldn't get scammed?"
"Do you think spiritual seeds are chickens? Can't you use even a little common sense? If he really possessed legendary seeds, do you think he would display them in a market like this? He would have gone directly to one of the famous families and sold them to them."
The adrenaline in Ling Hua's veins dropped sharply. He lowered his head in embarrassment.
"I'm truly sorry, Elder. This junior has brought shame upon the family. I will be more careful next time."
The Trade Elder no longer bothered with this incident. He turned around and walked away.
"Damn, that bastard. Did he really think I was an easy meal, someone he could scam that easily?"
"It seems my greed blinded me. As the saying goes, greed is the death of the gullible."
"I really have to be careful about this in the future. And it seems this damn golden finger is still sleeping in its slumber. I wonder when I'll get mine."
While his mind was occupied with these thoughts, his feet carried him toward the central district.
All around him stood only the largest shops in the market, their tall towers rising into the sky. Four enormous towers stood at the four corners of the area, forming the points of a square, while a magnificent tower stood at the center.
Written across its sign was:
《Golden Talisman Tower》
Ling Hua's footsteps naturally carried him toward the towering structure.
The moment he crossed the threshold, sweet words entered his ears, as gentle as a lullaby.
"Welcome to the Golden Talisman Tower, sir."
The owner of that voice was a young woman who could only be described as a fairy among fairies. Her long black hair, resembling the night itself, made her already overwhelming aura even more striking.
Ling Hua froze for several moments, and his heartbeat quickened at the sight of the angel standing before him.
"Ye-yes. Thank you for welcoming me with such a powerful spirit—"
He immediately coughed awkwardly.
"I mean... such a cheerful spirit. Thank you."
His embarrassment only grew as he drowned beneath the charm of her eyes, which resembled a clear, deep lake.
The girl smiled at him and asked calmly, "What would you like today, sir? Are you looking for defensive, offensive, or support talismans?"
His heart sank even deeper when he saw that enchanting smile. He could no longer bear it, so he puffed out his chest and began pretending to be confident.
The only reason he had entered this magnificent establishment was curiosity, but there was no way he could now appear poor in front of this fairy.
"I... I would like several different types of talismans, please. Could you show me what varieties you have?"
He said it while silently bleeding tears inside.
The girl clasped her hands together gracefully and smiled charmingly.
"Of course, sir. Please follow me."
Ling Hua secretly swallowed his saliva. He did not dare fall behind and quietly followed her.
"Here you are, sir. These are the finest talismans available at your current level."
She displayed three talismans of different colors before him and pointed toward the green one.
"This one is called Void Blades. It summons sharp energy blades capable of cutting targets from a distance."
She then pointed toward the white talisman.
"This one is called Blessing of Endurance. It grants the user temporary resistance against negative effects such as poison, slowing techniques, and similar effects."
"Finally, this one is called the Spirit Shield. It creates a transparent spiritual barrier capable of absorbing magical attacks."
She tilted her head and looked at him with an innocent expression.
"Which talisman would you like, sir?"
Ling Hua smiled confidently and puffed out his chest even further, forcing the words through his bleeding heart.
"Could I have two of each type?"
Her pupils widened, and she immediately wrapped her arm around Ling Hua's.
Ling Hua rubbed his nose and smiled foolishly as he headed toward the counter.
"Hello, sir. I would like to purchase these talismans."
The old man behind the counter did not even bother looking at the young stranger's face. His gaze went directly to the talismans in his hand.
"Fifty spirit stones."
The words struck Ling Hua like a thunderbolt.
But he did not dare show even the slightest sign of distress in front of the girl who was still holding his arm.
He handed over the fifty spirit stones.
Inside, his heart bled more deeply with every single stone he gave away.
Ling Hua walked toward the tower's entrance with heavy steps, the young attendant still accompanying him. The moment they reached the doorway, the girl finally released her arms from his and smiled at him.
"Let's meet again, sir."
Her smile made him forget all the pain he had felt while handing over the fruits of an entire year's work.
The door closed behind him.
The girl's expression immediately filled with disdain and mockery.
"Tsk. What an ignorant pig. Hahaha, I bet he's never even met a girl before."
The old man at the counter pointed toward her.
"Well done, Jung. You caught quite a fat sheep today."
She snorted disdainfully.
"Humph. The only thing I care about is the commission I'll receive."