"In the last hundred years, the Yinluo Sect has only swept for Demon Beasts three times, right?"
As Fang Cheng spoke, he took three Demon Beast carcasses out of his storage bag.
He had slapped an Ice Talisman on each carcass, and the three large blocks of ice nearly filled the floor in front of the shop's counter, radiating a chilly air.
Shopkeeper Liu clicked his tongue and walked out from behind the counter. His eyes glinted shrewdly as he stared back and forth at the three Demon Beast carcasses, looking them over several times before glancing at Fang Cheng. "You killed all these?"
Fang Cheng didn't try to hide anything, nodding. "My cultivation has improved recently."
Shopkeeper Liu examined the sword wounds on the Demon Beast carcasses. After a moment, he said, "Your Sword Technique is getting more and more impressive. Not even all of the Yinluo Sect's Outer Disciples have this kind of skill. To kill Tier One Mid-Stage Demon Beasts with an Early Sensing Stage cultivation... I estimate that among the Servant Disciples, your strength ranks in the top ten."
Fang Cheng chuckled. "Shopkeeper, you flatter me. The Outer Disciples have far more powerful Magical Power and Divine Techniques than I do. I've just had a bit of a breakthrough with my Sword Technique."
Shopkeeper Liu looked them over again, clicking his tongue in amazement, before finally saying, "Same old price. Eighty-five Lower-Grade Spirit Stones per Demon Beast. What do you think?"
"Deal!" Fang Cheng agreed readily.
He almost always sold his goods here to Shopkeeper Liu. Generally, a Tier One Mid-Stage Demon Beast would fetch a price between sixty and ninety Spirit Stones. At eighty-five, Shopkeeper Liu's profit margin wasn't very large.
Shopkeeper Liu chuckled as he put away the Demon Beast carcasses. Returning behind his counter, he asked, "What'll it be this time?"
Fang Cheng said, "Another three hundred catties of Jade Crystal Rice, and also some Tier One Middle Grade poisons. The more, the better."
Shopkeeper Liu frowned. "With the Spirit Stones you're getting, you won't be able to buy that many poisons."
With that, he turned, pulled open a drawer in the cabinet behind him, and started rummaging through it.
The cabinet was similar to a storage bag, but the space inside was much larger. It also had dozens of drawers, each containing different, neatly sorted miscellaneous goods.
A moment later, Shopkeeper Liu took out a pitch-black cloth sack, placed it on the counter, and reached out to untie the opening.
A thick, pungent stench immediately burst out.
Fang Cheng hurriedly held his breath, but his vision still went dark and he nearly fainted. He quickly circulated his Magical Power to barely remain conscious.
Shopkeeper Liu, however, seemed completely unaffected. He opened the sack and pointed at its contents, saying, "Tier One Middle Grade poisonous scorpions and centipedes, plus three catties of Hundred Poison Mushrooms. The total comes to two hundred and eight Lower-Grade Spirit Stones. I'll round it down and just charge you two hundred."
Fang Cheng said hastily, "Alright, please close it up, quickly!"
Shopkeeper Liu tied the sack shut with a grin and took out three palm-sized silk pouches, placing them on the counter.
An exquisite "rice" character was embroidered on the pouches; they were the bags for the Jade Crystal Rice.
This Jade Crystal Rice came from Feihong Island in the Abyssal Marsh and was one of the main products of the Ye Family, one of the four great families subordinate to the Yinluo Sect.
Each silk pouch could hold exactly one hundred catties of Jade Crystal Rice.
However, these pouches were just simplified versions of storage bags and couldn't be reused. Once opened, the Jade Crystal Rice would pour out, and the pouch would become useless.
One hundred catties of Jade Crystal Rice was worth twenty Lower-Grade Spirit Stones.
In total, Fang Cheng spent two hundred sixty Spirit Stones. After the exchange, he ended up paying Shopkeeper Liu five Spirit Stones to settle the difference.
'Money really does flow like water!'
Fang Cheng put away the Spirit Rice and the sack of poisons, then asked, "Shopkeeper, do you have any Flying Swords here?"
Shopkeeper Liu asked directly, "What grade are you looking for?"
"Tier One Middle Grade is fine," Fang Cheng said.
Shopkeeper Liu turned, opened a drawer, and took out a wooden box, handing it over. "I don't have many Flying Swords. For Tier One Middle Grade, this is the only one I've got. It's been sitting here for several years, hasn't sold."
Fang Cheng curiously opened the wooden box. Inside lay a Flying Sword that seemed to be carved from red jade. Its blade was as light as a feather, and within the sword, a bright yellow flame flowed, faintly emitting an aura that made one's heart pound in alarm.
Beside the Flying Sword was a jade tablet inscribed with its name—Red Feather Sword.
The power of this Flying Sword was countless times stronger than the Refined Iron Sword he used to have!
With his Sword Technique, if he were to use this Flying Sword, he could probably kill a Tier One Mid-Stage Demon Beast instantly with a sneak attack.
Shopkeeper Liu explained, "This Flying Sword was forged five years ago by a Late Sensing Stage Loose Cultivator. He originally wanted to forge it into a Tier One Upper Grade Flying Sword, but he was just a bit off. If you buy it and refine it properly for a few years, you might be able to help it advance a grade."
"How much?" Fang Cheng couldn't take his eyes off the Flying Sword.
Shopkeeper Liu chuckled. "We're old acquaintances. One price: six hundred Spirit Stones. If you like it, take it!"
"Er..." Fang Cheng gave an awkward laugh. "Could you hold onto it for me? I'll come back to buy it when I've saved up enough Spirit Stones."
There weren't many Tier One Mid-Stage Demon Beasts left on the Demon Beast Wilderness Island he frequented, and he couldn't defeat Tier One Upper Grade ones yet. If he were to switch to an unfamiliar wilderness island, he would need time to adapt and wouldn't dare venture too deep rashly.
'For now, my rate of earning Spirit Stones is bound to slow down. It'll all depend on the price I can get for the Spirit Wine from the Feng Family.'
Bidding farewell to Shopkeeper Liu, Fang Cheng left the shop and returned directly to his small courtyard in Spirit Wind Alley.
...
「Several days passed in a flash.」
On this day, Fang Cheng changed into a brand-new, cyan-colored robe and went to the Jade Banquet Tower on the east side of the Yinluo Sect Marketplace.
The restaurant was over three hundred feet tall, with nine stories in total. It was built in a magnificent and grand style, and compared to the surrounding buildings, it stood out like a crane among chickens.
This Jade Banquet Tower, owned by the Feng Family, was said to have a "thousand-year history." It was the most prestigious restaurant in the entire Yinluo Sect Marketplace and was quite famous.
It was said that even the cheapest Spiritual Cuisine in the tower cost several dozen Spirit Stones, while the more expensive dishes could cost over a thousand. The average Cultivator simply couldn't afford to eat here.
The tower's clientele consisted of disciples from prestigious families, Elders, the most outstanding Loose Cultivators, as well as the Yinluo Sect's Inner Sect and True Disciples, and even major figures like the sect's Elders and Peak Masters!
When Fang Cheng walked into the Jade Banquet Tower, a beautiful young woman in a gorgeous long dress immediately came to greet him. Her smile was sweet and warm, and she didn't seem to mind his low cultivation level in the slightest. "Welcome to the Jade Banquet Tower, esteemed guest. How many are in your party? Do you have a reservation?"
Fang Cheng said, "I'm looking for your Shopkeeper Cao."
The woman's beautiful eyes sized Fang Cheng up for a moment before she smiled. "May I have your name, esteemed guest, so that I may inform him?"
"My surname is Fang. I was entrusted by Spirit Friend Feng Ling to brew Spirit Wine. Just tell Shopkeeper Cao that," Fang Cheng said lightly.
"Of course. Please wait here for a moment, esteemed guest."
The woman led Fang Cheng to an elegant tea table in the main hall before gracefully departing.
Another young woman came over, gently poured him some tea, and invited him to drink. The quality of the service secretly amazed Fang Cheng.