“Tsk…”
Ling Hua bit his thumb in regret and remorse as he cast a sorrowful glance at the pitifully shrunken contents of his storage pouch. Yet, a few fanciful thoughts soon crept into his mind, and he let out a bitter laugh that drowned out the anguish he felt over his wasted money.
The market was brimming with life. The shouts of merchants filled the surroundings, each one praising their spiritual wares as though they had come straight from some ancient mythical era. Amid the scent of herbs and the sounds of haggling, a low growl suddenly echoed through the street.
“Grrrr…”
Ling Hua turned toward the sound, only to find rows of iron cages lining both sides of the road, each displaying different magical creatures: young wolves as black as charcoal, eagles with silky green feathers, and small red-furred dogs whose coats glowed faintly.
“Let’s try our luck here… Maybe my golden finger is hiding among one of these little fellows.”
He pushed open the wooden door of the shop, causing a bell to ring and announce his arrival.
The merchant’s gaze immediately turned toward the newcomer. His eyes caught the gleam of the “Sui Family” insignia hanging from Ling Hua’s belt, along with the bright silk robes he wore. At that moment, the scent of spiritual stones reached the merchant’s nose, and he clasped his hands together, a smile splitting across his face at the sight of the fat sheep that had just walked into his shop.
“Welcome, young sir! You honor us with your presence. How may I serve you today?”
Ling Hua replied with feigned composure, “I came to purchase a spiritual companion. Do you have any options worthy of me?”
The merchant’s smile widened until his eyes nearly disappeared among the wrinkles of his face.
“Of course, young sir! We’ve just received an excellent batch from the ‘Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.’ Please, follow me. These goods are reserved for people of high status like yourself, allowing them to inspect them before the general public.”
Ling Hua followed the merchant deeper into the shop, eventually reaching an inner courtyard where three cages made of pure white jade had been placed. Their luxurious appearance clearly distinguished them from the iron cages outside.
His eyes first fell upon a small snake with milky-white skin and eyes as clear as blue crystals.
“An excellent choice, young sir!” the merchant hurriedly commented. “This is a ‘Moon Lake Snake,’ one of the most formidable magical beasts we have. Once it reaches maturity, it can freeze cultivators in the blink of an eye, leaving them no chance of survival.”
Ling Hua turned his gaze away and looked toward the second cage, where a small wolf with dark crimson fur was crouching.
The merchant cleared his throat before explaining, “And this is a ‘Blood Wolf.’ Its breath is capable of melting even the toughest spiritual materials, let alone a cultivator’s bones.”
Ling Hua’s footsteps drew closer to the final cage, where a transparent spider rested, as though it had been carved from pure crystal. Just as he was about to extend his hand a few inches toward the cage, the merchant’s hand shot forward and stopped him.
“Careful, young sir! One wrong move and it will devour a portion of your soul, damaging your cultivation for the rest of your life. Or perhaps it may absorb your entire soul, causing you to meet your end without even knowing how you died!”
Ling Hua hurriedly stepped several paces backward in alarm, while the merchant recovered his flattering smile and moved closer to him.
“So, young sir, which of these magnificent creatures will have the honor of accompanying you?”
Ling Hua fell silent as he weighed his options. His heart yearned for that crystal spider, but he knew that with his low cultivation, purchasing it would be nothing short of an expedited suicide.
He raised his finger and pointed toward the cage containing the white snake.
“I’ll take this one.”
The merchant clapped enthusiastically.
“I commend you on your wise choice! And since this is your first visit, I’ll give you a special discount… I’ll let you have it for only 200 spiritual stones!”
The smile froze on Ling Hua’s lips.
Two hundred stones?!
He rubbed his forehead in embarrassment and quickly pointed toward the second cage.
“Ah… I wanted to ask about the price of this wolf first.”
The merchant began staring at him suspiciously, and the enthusiasm in his voice diminished.
“150 spiritual stones.”
Ling Hua’s throat went dry as he stood rooted to the spot before those astronomical figures. The temperature in the shop suddenly seemed to drop, and a heavy silence descended, broken only by the merchant’s increasingly strained breathing.
Ling Hua awkwardly rubbed his nose before asking, “Actually… do you have anything good that costs no more than 20 spiritual stones?”
The smile completely vanished from the merchant’s face. The habitual bow of his head disappeared, replaced by dry irritation and barely concealed displeasure as he looked Ling Hua up and down.
“Don’t tell me I’ve wasted my time with a penniless brat! So the rumors claiming that the Sui Family is on the verge of bankruptcy are true?”
Ling Hua gave an awkward, sheepish laugh to break the tension.
“Sorry to disappoint you, Uncle, but I lost everything I had a little while ago at the ‘Golden Talisman Tower.’”
(Damn his stubborn merchant’s soul… How did he go from reverence to contempt in a single second?) Ling Hua thought to himself.
The merchant scoffed in disdain, then swallowed his irritation, deciding that recovering a few stones was better than walking away empty-handed.
“Of course… We do have something that matches your esteemed budget. The only creature available within your means is the ‘Red Agate Crab.’ Follow me.”
The merchant led him to a huge glass tank in the corner, filled with small red crabs moving energetically, their crystal-like shells clattering against one another.
“Five spiritual stones per crab,” the merchant said dryly. “Its meat is delicious and rich in qi, making it an excellent substitute for alchemical pills, which leave toxins in the body. Its greatest advantage is that it can live in water with a low spiritual concentration, while its hard shell can also be used in the refinement of spiritual artifacts.”
Ling Hua’s expression brightened. The point about its ability to live in water with a low spiritual concentration immediately brought the flowing stream beside his spiritual field to mind.
“I’ll take four!”
The merchant released a faint thread of spiritual energy to capture four crabs and place them inside a small wooden box, consoling himself with the thought that even mosquito meat was still meat in the end.
The merchant accepted Ling Hua’s final 20 spiritual stones, while Ling Hua asked as he held the box, “How do I feed them, Uncle?”
The merchant sighed.
“Their only flaw is that they need to be fed spiritual insects or some spiritual grains every few days… But I don’t suppose spiritual insects are much of a problem for your family, are they?”
Ling Hua smiled awkwardly. The merchant was clearly referring to the insect infestation plaguing their farms, but Ling Hua’s thoughts immediately drifted toward the corpses of the dead insects lying uselessly in his field.
He had finally found someone who would take care of the cleanup!
“Of course! Thank you for your hospitality. Until next time.”
…
In one of the halls of the “Sui Family Tower,” Elder Ming Tong was sitting with several talismans in front of him. The moment he saw Ling Hua, he let out a mocking laugh.
“Hahaha! So those girls from that wicked witch’s place fooled you with illusions, did they? I warned you before, but it seems you had to stumble around the market yourself to learn your lesson. In any case, the talismans of the Golden Talisman Tower are the strongest, and they will certainly be of use to you.”
The elder’s ears picked up the faint, repeated thudding sounds coming from the wooden box tucked beneath Ling Hua’s arm. He shook his head and continued,
“And when do you plan to deliver those creatures to the mountain? They won’t last long in that box. You need to transfer them to your field before they die.”
Ling Hua tightened his grip around the box.
“I know that, Elder. I only came to pay my respects before setting off.”
The elder waved his hand with a smile.
“Travel safely, then, little one.”