Chapter 92: The World Looks Up to Those in High Places

“As expected of Senior Brother Xu of the Ancient Cloud Hall. Generous and decisive, his reputation is well-deserved,” Chang Jizi said, his smile looking a little forced. He was rapidly calculating his available funds. While he could afford the twelve hundred and fifty stones, an extra thirty was half a month’s profit from his alchemy. Seeing Xu Can about to pay, he quickly shouted, “I’ll add another ten!”

Compared to Xu Can’s bold raises, Chang Jizi seemed much more stingy. His cautious ten-stone bid immediately drew quiet snickers from the crowd. They might not have ten stones to their own names, but that didn’t stop them from wanting to see a good show. Chang Jizi felt the ridicule and shot a cold, murderous glare at the onlookers, who immediately wiped the smiles from their faces, terrified of being singled out.

“Another fifty,” Xu Can said, casting a disdainful glance at the alchemist. The disciples of the Jade Bamboo Hall are all so petty, he thought. With a disposition like that, he dares to compete with me?

His casual words brought the price to thirteen hundred, drawing another wave of gasps from the crowd. This powder truly was a treasure. Qin Haoxuan and Xu Yu remained perfectly calm, as if the price meant nothing to them. Behind them, Luo Jinhua was fighting the urge to tell Xu Yu to take the deal and run. But seeing that Chang Jizi still looked like he wanted to bid higher, she held her tongue.

Chang Jizi knelt and picked up one of the packets, taking a deep sniff. Having encountered countless spirit herbs in his life, he was shocked by its fragrance. He had no idea what could have been used to make it. Without further hesitation, he declared, “I’ll add another hundred!”

“Senior Brother Chang has great spirit!” Xu Can said, though his leg couldn’t help but tremble slightly. Fourteen hundred spirit stones. Had the alchemist lost his mind? Even if the Jade Bamboo Hall was wealthy, this was an absurd price. But now he was in a bind; if he backed down, he would be a laughingstock. If word got back to his master that he had shown weakness here, he could lose favor.

Just as he was hesitating, one of his followers had an idea. He stepped forward with a fawning smile. “Senior Brother Xu, Senior Brother Chang,” he said, “you two are old friends. Why damage your relationship over a few packets of powder? If you keep bidding against each other, the only ones who profit are these… nobodies.”

The two rivals realized he had a point. Their pride was costing them a fortune, and for what? To benefit a couple of new disciples.

“Then what do you suggest?” Chang Jizi asked, already regretting the two hundred stones he had personally added to the price.

The follower, a disciple named Yan Dong, smiled. “Since you two are the only real buyers, why not just agree to reset the price to the original two hundred per packet? You can pool your money, buy the lot, and split it three packets each. Everyone wins.”

It was a sensible solution. Trying to take it all for themselves was clearly impossible, and a bidding war would only breed resentment. Yan Dong, seeing that neither of them objected, puffed out his chest and strode up to Qin Haoxuan’s stall with the borrowed might of a tiger.

“Junior Brother,” he began in a patronizing tone, “business is about fairness. Our ancestors created Yixiantian so that disciples could trade and improve the sect’s overall strength. You are new, so I will forgive your ignorance. The customer should not be taken advantage of. Now, Senior Brother Xu and Senior Brother Chang will each pay six hundred stones for these six packets. You should have no objections. For a new disciple, twelve hundred stones is a massive fortune. Don’t be too greedy.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Pu Hanzhong’s Nature Hall insignia and smirked, completely confident. What was there to fear from someone who associated with the Nature Hall?

He expected them to meekly agree. Instead, Qin Haoxuan just shook his head. “The price was raised by them, not by me. They can choose not to buy, but if they go back on their word after bidding, I’d rather not sell at all.”

Yan Dong’s face darkened. “Senior Brother Xu and Senior Brother Chang are prominent disciples of their halls. If you are sensible now, a little bit of their favor in the future will benefit you for a lifetime.” Though his words were pleasant, his tone was a clear threat.

Qin Haoxuan just sneered. Just then, Xu Yu, who had been sitting quietly, stood up. “First,” she said, her voice clear and firm, “I am the one who refined this powder. Second, you are the ones going back on your word after making a bid. And now, I am unhappy. Therefore, I will not be selling it to you.”

Her words stunned everyone. Xu Can and Chang Jizi, who had been letting their follower handle the dirty work, felt their faces burn with anger. But just as they were about to lash out, they saw Qin Haoxuan glance pointedly at Luo Jinhua. They followed his gaze and saw the renowned beauty from the Hundred Flowers Hall. She met their eyes with a polite smile and took a deliberate step closer to Xu Yu, making their close relationship clear.

The pieces clicked into place. They were both high-level disciples, not fools. They remembered that Luo Jinhua had been assigned to guide a Purple Seed named Xu Yu. They looked again at the small, delicate girl who had just told them off. Could this be… the Unsurpassed Purple Seed, Xu Yu? A chill went down both their spines.

Xu Can shot a questioning look at Luo Jinhua, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Confirmation. They looked at each other, horrified. They had almost offended a Purple Seed. Even if she was weak now, offending a Purple Seed was career suicide. She could go cry to the Sect Master, and their lives would be ruined. And even without that, Luo Jinhua herself was a favored disciple of her Hall Master.

They were suddenly grateful for Qin Haoxuan’s subtle warning glance. Was it worth offending a Purple Seed for a few hundred spirit stones? Absolutely not. For a moment, they both felt the urge to murder their “clever” follower, Yan Dong, who had almost ruined everything.

“Junior Sister,” they said in unison, their voices now dripping with respect, “it was our mistake. We were rash. Our… dog leg… has blind eyes. It was our fault. Please, sell the powder to us. We will offer fifteen hundred third-tier spirit stones. What do you think?”

“Senior Brother…” Yan Dong began, completely bewildered. Why were they raising the price again?

“Shut up! Get lost!” they both roared. He shrank back, still not understanding why they were so afraid of a disciple from the Hundred Flowers Hall.

(End of Chapter)