Chapter 99: A Deal

Another five or six days passed.

Business at the Hundred Treasures Shop kept improving; each day Yan Buji could close at least twenty to thirty deals, and besides new customers, he also had over ten steady regulars.

This was a good start.

This proved that these loose cultivators weren't lacking spiritual stones; what they lacked was a shop with fair prices.

Naturally, Yan Buji's actions certainly affected the street vendors selling spiritual materials and medicines.

The rare and precious spiritual medicines they held were surely clutched tightly, unwilling to sell easily, so they could only rely on the ordinary spiritual materials they gathered themselves to hawk for spiritual stones.

But now their business had all been snatched away, naturally making them resentful and angry.

"Where did that Wei Pangzi find this good-for-nothing? Doing business like this? Tonight I'll go smash his lucky cat at home!"

"He hasn't realized yet, that guy is selling at a loss just to shout, trying to drive us all out, wanting his Hundred Treasures Shop to dominate alone!"

"Nonsense, we're not long-term stall holders here; worst case we just quit for a while and see how many spiritual stones he can burn through!"

"Exactly, I've scraped together some spiritual stones lately, enough to cultivate for a while—I'm leaving! No more playing with him!"

"Let's go, let's go, let's go."

Most vendors, seeing the poor business, simply packed up and left.

The few who persisted either sold spiritual materials rare enough that they weren't afraid of no buyers, or just wanted to see how many days the Hundred Treasures Shop could keep burning money.

They simply didn't believe Wei Pangzi truly didn't care, letting Yan Buji mess around as he pleased!

As for Yan Buji, he gave a faint smile.

It's good they left—no one competes with me now, the loose cultivators' options will shrink to only the Hundred Treasures Shop, and the first step toward success has already been taken.

"It's also a pity, though—if I could buy those rare spiritual materials from these people, stock my shop's shelves, I'd surely attract many wealthy cultivators."

Rare spiritual materials naturally couldn't be priced like ordinary ones; even if Yan Buji quoted an inflated price, that would be fine.

This is also a means of recouping funds.

That night, Yan Buji just laid out a mat on the second floor of the Hundred Treasures Shop to practice.

Late at night.

Yan Buji suddenly opened his eyes, gave a cold snort: "What boldness, daring to steal inside the market!"

Yan Buji quietly rose and went downstairs to look.

All he saw was a sneaky figure appear, ignoring the surrounding shelves, heading straight for the lucky cat on the counter!

Hmm?

Yan Buji also couldn't fathom what went through the thief's mind; he only saw him grab the lucky cat, whereupon it instantly cracked all over, likely to shatter at the slightest touch.

The key point was that there was not a sound—truly strange.

"Let you mess around with business—watch me destroy your lucky cat; your shop will surely go under sooner or later!"

Hearing the man mutter to himself, Yan Buji couldn't help but startle.

Is this how cultivators compete in business?

Indeed, high-end commercial rivalry isn't what I imagined.

"You're quite skilled, sneaking into the shop just to wreck a lucky cat?"

Yan Buji smiled as he came down from upstairs, his spiritual sense instantly locking onto the opponent.

The black-clothed person startled, then panicked: "You... how could you possibly have noticed me?!"

"Sorry, if you dare move again, don't blame me for calling the law enforcement team outside to report the loss of over a thousand spiritual stones in the shop." Yan Buji said with a smile.

The black-clothed person's face turned pale: "I didn't steal any spiritual stones!"

"Sorry, your word doesn't count. Who let you disguise yourself and sneak into the shop intending to commit wrongdoing?"

Yan Buji stepped down gradually, with no intention of striking.

The black-clothed person retreated a few steps, knowing he likely couldn't escape today, gritted his teeth: "What do you want? Not shouting, not striking—do you still intend to chat with me?"

"Not bad, you're the fellow cultivator who set up a stall outside during the day, right?"

"Yes, and?"

"I want to discuss a deal with you." Yan Buji smiled.

"You've taken a fancy to my Mystic Jade Flower? Impossible! I could never give it to you!" The other's face blanched as he immediately said.

Yan Buji nodded: "Then I'll have to ask the law enforcement team's officers to come and deal with you."

"You!"

"All right, all right, fellow cultivator, don't rush—I have a hundred spiritual stones here. Give me the Mystic Jade Flower, then help me purchase some Black Snake Grass from another fellow cultivator. Once you bring back the Black Snake Grass, I'll give you the Mystic Jade Flower, and you give me the Black Snake Grass; as for how many of these hundred spiritual stones remain, they're yours." Yan Buji flung out a bulging bag and tossed it in front of the other.

The black-clothed person froze, sensing the number of spiritual stones in the bag, and couldn't help but gulp.

That's a huge sum!

"You... you... you really want me to help you buy Black Snake Grass?"

"Besides that, all the rare spiritual herbs on the nearby vendors—if you complete tonight's transaction, I'll give you a hundred spiritual stones for each future deal, with whatever remains per agreement being yours. But you must not expose our transaction; you understand what I mean." Yan Buji chuckled.

The black-clothed person took a deep breath, picked up the bag of spiritual stones, and flung a jade box at Yan Buji.

Yan Buji caught it, opened it, and sure enough it was the Mystic Jade Flower; he nodded: "Good, the deal is done!"

"I don't understand—aren't you afraid I'll take the spiritual stones and not come back?"

"I certainly know there's risk, but this Mystic Jade Flower's value is enough to compensate the loss. Yet you would lose a chance to do business with me; if you don't mind missing out on earning hundreds or thousands of spiritual stones in the future, then I have nothing more to say. But don't you think keeping your word and being trustworthy earns more than cheating and swindling?" Yan Buji said lightly.

"Hmph, indeed a businessman, good with words. I'll take this job, but you know even if I gather those rare spiritual materials, I can't immediately put them up for sale, right?"

"That's natural—at least until no one else has rare spiritual materials, I won't let you be exposed."

"Fine, I am Yang Yier; after accepting this task from Fellow Cultivator Yan, I will do my utmost!" Yang Yier removed his mask, clasped his fists, and laughed.

Yan Buji returned the salute: "I also hope fellow cultivator finishes the first transaction soon, earning himself a little compensation for his effort."

"Hahaha."

Both laughed at the same time.

They are both smart people; there's no need to say what doesn't need to be said.

Yang Yier had no choice; if he took the Spiritual Stone and ran, he would surely be caught before leaving the market; moreover, Yan Buji flicked out a hundred Spiritual Stones with a flourish, and the deal he later mentioned also genuinely moved him, which is why he was willing to act as Yan Buji's black glove.

Yan Buji certainly wasn't worried about whether Yang Yier could procure the rare Spiritual Material back; his daring to risk being caught and smash the lucky cat in the shop at midnight shows that the other party truly is a person who keeps his word.

Whether he conducts normal trade or resorts to underhanded means, Yan Buji need only provide enough Spiritual Stones, and he need not fear that the man won't do his bidding.

This is it: under the drive of interest, a person will inevitably act in the way that best serves his own needs. Only by obtaining benefits through action, and gaining greater benefits, is one a true cultivator.