Chapter 49

He Pingsheng folded away the paper crane, then slung a massive sack over his back and walked into Mount Matou’s marketplace.

Most of the Qi Refining disciples here carried Hundred Treasures Sacks.

Many vendors lined the roadside.

Elixirs, materials, magic treasures!

Here, you could buy anything.

He Pingsheng spotted again the middle-aged cultivator selling elixirs; the man was unchanged, loudly hawking his own refined Qi- Gathering Elixirs and other goods.

He walked straight through to the inner row of shops.

Shops lined this area—not just one or two!

He saw again the [Fenghe Zhuang].

It was here that he had once sold Yang Flower pollen on behalf of the True Person Ku Mu.

To avoid trouble, He Pingsheng naturally did not enter Fenghe Zhuang; instead, he walked into a shop next door.

Behind the counter was a middle-aged woman.

“Elder, greetings!” He Pingsheng bowed to the woman.

“Hmm…” Her spiritual sense swept over him.

Seeing how young he was yet already at Qi Refining sixth layer, the woman was slightly startled; her tone softened: “Hello… young man, what are you looking for?”

To others, someone as young as He Pingsheng reaching Qi Refining sixth layer was surely a core disciple of some sect—so the Mount Matou merchants dared not offend him lightly.

After all, there was no need to.

“I don’t want anything!” He Pingsheng pulled from his Hundred Treasures Sack a square, four-legged alchemy furnace. “Elder, I have a top-grade magic treasure—an alchemy furnace. Do you buy these? What’s your offer?”

“Oh!” The middle-aged Daoist nun raised her eyebrows in shock. “A top-grade magic treasure?”

As she spoke, she reached out and took the four-legged square cauldron into her hands.

After inspecting it, she said: “Top-grade magic treasures are rare, let alone an alchemy furnace!”

“Young man… wait a moment. I can’t decide this myself—I must consult the back room!”

“Alright!” He Pingsheng nodded.

The Daoist nun took the four-legged cauldron and left.

After about half a stick of incense, she returned. “Alright… if you’re serious about selling, we’ll give you eight hundred spirit stones.”

He Pingsheng’s heart jolted: Eight hundred!

Sssss…

Impressive!

Far beyond his expectations.

He’d thought if he got three or five hundred spirit stones, he’d be thanking heaven and earth.

He never imagined such a high price.

“Alright…” He Pingsheng forced calm, nodding as if indifferent.

The woman paid him swiftly; he dumped all the spirit stones into his Hundred Treasures Sack.

Then he slung the sack over his back and left the shop.

After leaving the shop, He Pingsheng did not rush to the next one; instead, he circled around the outside of Mount Matou before re-entering and entering a new shop.

Why go through such trouble?

Simply to be cautious, to avoid drawing too much attention.

The second shop was called: Shunhe Tang.

He Pingsheng walked in slowly.

These shops were all much the same.

Same counter.

Same shopkeeper behind it!

The shopkeeper was a middle-aged male cultivator; his cultivation level was unknown.

He Pingsheng bowed and respectfully called: “Elder!”

The middle-aged man said: “No need for such formality. Brother, you’re already at Qi Refining sixth layer—I’m only slightly higher. Call me Senior Brother.”

“Yes!” He Pingsheng adjusted: “Senior Brother… I wish to sell an item.”

“Oh!” The man’s interest sparked. “What item?”

He Pingsheng fumbled in his Hundred Treasures Sack and pulled out a [Vine Armor Shield].

This Vine Armor Shield was also a top-grade magic treasure.

It bore four layers of sealing arrays.

“My Master said that among magic treasures, defensive ones are the most valuable!” He Pingsheng handed the shield to the man. “Mine is top-grade—when fully activated, it can easily block a full-force strike from a Qi Refining twelfth-layer cultivator!”

“Take a look—how much will you offer?”

“A top-grade magic treasure!” The man stared at the shield in his hands, eyes gleaming with greed. “Excellent item, excellent… I’ve been needing exactly this!”

“Young brother… how about this?”

The man lowered his voice. “Don’t sell it to the shop—let me buy it from you personally. What do you say?”

“You’ve already asked several shops. Give me your price.”

“If it’s fair, I’ll take it myself.”

He Pingsheng slightly furrowed his brow.

Personal purchase didn’t bother him.

But… how should I price this?

He rapidly calculated in his mind.

He’d sold the top-grade alchemy furnace for eight hundred spirit stones.

This Green Wood Shield must be worth slightly more.

Then…

One thousand?

No no no… can’t undervalue it.

“One thousand two hundred spirit stones!” He Pingsheng looked the man in the eye and named his price.

“This…” The man winced.

One thousand two hundred—this price hit right at his savings.

How to put it?

Top-grade magic treasures are rare—priced, but not available.

You simply can’t find them on the market.

Defensive magic treasures usually cost at least a thousand spirit stones; one thousand two hundred is high, but reasonable.

“Cut it a bit… brother, give me a little discount!” The man pleaded. “One thousand one hundred!”

He Pingsheng said: “One thousand one hundred and fifty.”

The man gritted his teeth: “Fine, fine… deal!”

“Wait a moment!”

The man dashed upstairs, clattering, then returned with another Hundred Treasures Sack.

One thousand one hundred spirit stones—a large pile.

He Pingsheng handed over the Vine Armor Shield, took the spirit stones, and walked out slowly.

He now had one thousand nine hundred and fifty spirit stones.

Still three hundred short of two thousand two hundred and fifty.

He Pingsheng still had two items in his possession.

One: a top-grade magic treasure sword.

The other: a complete set of [Sealed Array] materials.

Which to sell?

Obviously, the array materials.

The more he sold, the better.

He Pingsheng circled again and entered the third shop.

This shop had a distinctive name: Kunlun Pool.

He didn’t know what “Kunlun Pool” meant.

“Hehehe…” Behind the counter, an old man with white hair and beard smiled at He Pingsheng. “Young man, what do you want?”

He Pingsheng said: “A storage bag.”

“Oh…” The old man was slightly startled, straightening up. “Impressive! So young and already possessing a storage bag!”

“Remarkable, remarkable!”

“Come, come—let the old man show you!”

He led He Pingsheng to a shelf. “Look here!”

“Three types: low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade…”

“Which one do you want?”