Xue Ling felt the subtle drop in mood the moment Fang Bie began to speak. She was just about to offer some words of comfort, but Fang Bie pulled her hand again and walked forward two more steps.
Throughout this journey, it had always been Fang Bie pulling Xue Ling along. However, in this strange place, Xue Ling truly felt like a rootless duckweed. If not for Fang Bie’s constant reminders, she feared she wouldn't even have been able to resist the initial poisonous gas of the Dragon's Saliva Incense.
However—Xue Ling looked at Fang Bie’s Monkey mask: "Fang, Monkey Brother, what exactly are we here to do?"
Fang Bie tilted his head and smiled: "You don't need to know; just watching and learning is enough."
Saying this, Fang Bie continued to pull Xue Ling through this place filled with people in Black Clothes and demons and monsters. Due to the heavy incense, even the body odor of every person was masked by this thick scent.
Xue Ling suddenly remembered something—if that was the case, wouldn't the people here also be stained with various incense scents when they left? So, was this black cloak also prepared for this situation?
But even so, after leaving, if one didn't quickly find a place to bathe and change clothes, wouldn't they be like a turtle in a jar to others? After all, if someone used special scent-tracking methods, this incense would make you as conspicuous as a firefly in the dark.
Xue Ling whispered her thoughts, and Fang Bie chuckled: "Looks like you've made some progress."
The youth did not further evaluate Xue Ling’s opinion, but instead squatted down and asked a small vendor wearing a Thunder Duke mask: "How much for these pieces of iron?"
Xue Ling looked forward and saw that in front of the Thunder Duke were several pitch-black iron blocks. They looked quite heavy, though she didn't know if they were ordinary black iron or Profound Iron belonging to a meteorite.
The Thunder Duke looked up at Fang Bie’s mask. Without speaking, he held out five thick, short fingers and flipped them over once.
"One thousand Silver?" Fang Bie asked in return.
The Thunder Duke nodded.
"For one piece?" Fang Bie continued to ask.
The Thunder Duke continued to nod.
Xue Ling, standing to the side, was left speechless.
If such a piece of iron cost one thousand Silver?
This was probably the biggest robbery in the world.
"Can you make it a bit cheaper?" Fang Bie looked at these iron lumps seriously this time. He didn't touch them with his hands but continued to ask.
The Thunder Duke shook his head woodenly.
Fang Bie sighed and pulled Xue Ling away. The Thunder Duke continued to stand there, motionless, seemingly not at all surprised by Fang Bie’s Reaction.
Xue Ling really couldn't understand this now. She followed Fang Bie a few more steps before asking: "This should be real, right? But if you were interested, why didn't you buy it?"
Fang Bie looked at Xue Ling seriously: "I want to buy it, but do you have the money?"
Xue Ling was truly stunned for a moment.
"Money? Don't you have any?"
Fang Bie gave a wry smile: "That is one thousand Silver."
Isn't it a very casual matter to just pull out one thousand Silver while traveling in the Jianghu?
Xue Ling thought seriously. Aren't the so-called Great Heroes of the Jianghu all wealthy, welcomed wherever they go?
Was Fang Bie really this poor?
The young girl was deep in this serious thought when she was pulled forward by Fang Bie again. The youth seemed afraid that if he didn't hold onto her, she would be lost here.
Or perhaps she had overestimated Fang Bie’s financial resources and strength?
At this moment, Fang Bie had already pulled Xue Ling to a corner of the grand hall. In the corner was a young man wearing a Shancai Tongzi mask, dressed in a pure white Taoist robe.
Seeing the Monkey pulling the Green Fox to within three steps of him, the Shancai Tongzi spoke: "What can I do for you two?"
"I have some items that need to be appraised," Fang Bie said, looking at the Shancai Tongzi.
The Shancai Tongzi tapped the tabletop in front of him. His voice was that of a boy who had not yet hit puberty: "Take them out."
Fang Bie nodded and took two bottles of pills from his robes—one blue porcelain bottle and one White Porcelain bottle, both about three inches high—and placed them on the tabletop.
"What kind of medicine?" The Shancai Tongzi did not pick up the pills to check but chose to ask.
"You will know once you see them, Tongzi," Fang Bie said.
The Shancai Tongzi looked up at Fang Bie, reached out his small hand to pick up the White Porcelain bottle, pulled out the stopper, and sniffed it gently. His expression changed. He then took a small green jade dish from under the table, tilted the bottle, and poured out a pitch-black pill the size of a silkworm bean. At the same time, he took a small silver carving knife and scraped off some powder, dipping his finger into a little of the powder and putting it into his mouth.
"Eight Treasures Autumn Dew Pill."
The Shancai Tongzi slowly said these five words.
"Twelve Silver Ingots per pill. There are nine pills in the bottle, totaling one hundred and eight Silver Ingots."
Fang Bie nodded without saying anything and pointed to the other bottle: "Please take a look at the other bottle, Tongzi."
Right in front of the Shancai Tongzi, Fang Bie took out a series of items to exchange. Most were items taken from Ning Huaiyuan. Among them, the two bottles of pills: the Eight Treasures Autumn Dew Pill was a spiritual medicine for treating internal and external injuries, while the other bottle, the Snake Gall Clear Dew Pill, was a cultivation medicine used to increase Internal Energy, which was much more precious. Each pill was worth fifty Silver, and there were six pills in the bottle, totaling three hundred Silver.
Aside from these two bottles of pills, which were far more valuable than Xue Ling had imagined, the rest of the items—the Gale Swift Sword manual that Fang Bie had already memorized—were not as universal as an Internal Energy Cultivation Method. Furthermore, Martial Arts Manuals themselves carried the risk of being copied, so even if the sword manual was authentic, because the Dragon King's Hall already possessed the corresponding manual, they only offered eighty Silver to acquire it.
As for the Cold Soul Silver Needle, because it had roots in the Demonic Sect, Fang Bie did not dare to take it out for sale. The Rolex was on Xue Ling’s Wrist, and since Fang Bie had already gifted it to her, there was no reason to take it back.
Thus, the three items were exchanged for Silver Notes at the Shancai Tongzi’s place. Perhaps seeing that Fang Bie did not haggle, the Shancai Tongzi added a little extra, giving Fang Bie a five-hundred Silver Note for items that were worth four hundred and ninety-eight Silver.
These Silver Notes were in denominations of fifty Silver, totaling ten notes. The texture and craftsmanship were quite exquisite, and Fang Bie only accepted them after verifying the anti-counterfeiting stamps.
Once he had the Silver Notes, Fang Bie pulled Xue Ling back to the black iron blocks sold by the Thunder Duke and looked at him: "I have enough money now."
"Do all these iron blocks cost one thousand Silver?"
The Thunder Duke nodded.
Fang Bie smiled again: "Then can I pick one at random?"
The Thunder Duke stared at Fang Bie’s Monkey King mask.
After a long while, he nodded.
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