The Azure Cloud Sect Market was bustling. It was a chaotic mix of shouting street vendors, arrogant disciples pushing people out of the way, and the smell of roasting spirit-beast meat.
Ye Tian walked through the crowd, clutching the dirty 100-Year-Old Spirit Ginseng wrapped in a large leaf.
"Fresh Spirit Grass! Only 5 stones!"
"Dragon-Tiger Pills! Guaranteed to make you strong... in all the right places!"
Ye Tian ignored them and headed for the largest building in the market: The Pavilion of Treasures.
"System," Ye Tian muttered. "What is the market value of this ginseng?"
[100-Year-Old Spirit Ginseng. Market Price: 150 Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Black Market Price: 200.]
Ye Tian nodded. 150 stones was a fortune. An outer disciple only got 2 stones a month. With 150, he could buy pills, weapons, or perhaps a robe that didn't itch.
He stepped into the Pavilion of Treasures. The interior was luxurious, with gold-plated counters and silk curtains.
Behind the counter stood a middle-aged man with a mustache that looked like a rat's whiskers. He was currently polishing a jade vase with a look of extreme boredom.
Shopkeeper Liu. Notorious for ripping off newbies.
Ye Tian walked up to the counter and placed the leaf-wrapped bundle down.
"I have business," Ye Tian said calmly.
Shopkeeper Liu looked up. He scanned Ye Tian's clothes (standard Outer Sect grey, slightly damp) and his cultivation (he had used a technique to hide his cultivation, so he looked like a mortal).
"We don't buy garbage here, kid," Liu sneered, waving his hand like he was shooing a fly. "Go sell your wild weeds at the street stalls."
Ye Tian didn't move. He slowly unwrapped the leaf.
A rich, earthy aroma instantly filled the shop. The spiritual energy was so dense it formed a faint mist around the counter.
Shopkeeper Liu's eyes bulged. He practically vaulted over the counter to look closer.
"This... this is..." Liu's greed was palpable. He adjusted his glasses. "A Spirit Ginseng! At least 80 years old!"
"100 years," Ye Tian corrected.
Liu's eyes narrowed. The greed was replaced by a cunning glint. He realized Ye Tian looked like a nobody—no powerful backer, no high cultivation. A sheep to be slaughtered.
"Hmph. Maybe," Liu lied smoothly. "But it's damaged. The roots are tangled, and it was wrapped in a dirty leaf. It has lost potency."
He pretended to think hard. "I'll do a good deed today. 10 Spirit Stones."
Ye Tian stared at him. "10?"
"Take it or leave it," Liu said arrogantly. "You won't get a better price anywhere else. I'm being generous."
[Ding! Host is being scammed by a profiteer.]
[Please make a choice!]
[Option 1: The Doormat. Accept the 10 stones and thank him. Reward: Title "Sucker" (Merchants will automatically charge you 300% more).]
[Option 2: The Thug. Smash the counter and threaten to burn the shop down. Reward: "Exploding Flame Fist" (But the Sect Law Enforcement will arrest you).]
[Option 3: The Gaslighter. Use your "Divine Eye of Truth" to expose all his fake goods in front of the other customers. Reward: Skill "Silver Tongue" (Charisma +50).]
Ye Tian almost laughed. Option 2 was tempting, but he hated jail. Option 3, however... that was just good business.
Ye Tian smiled. It was the smile of a shark looking at a seal.
"Shopkeeper Liu," Ye Tian said loudly, drawing the attention of other customers. "You say my ginseng is damaged?"
"It is!" Liu insisted.
"Interesting," Ye Tian turned to a shelf behind Liu. "Speaking of damaged goods, that 'Ancient Jade Vase' on your top shelf..."
He activated the Divine Eye of Truth.
"It's a fake," Ye Tian announced. "Made last week in a kiln down the mountain. Paint is still wet on the bottom."
The customers gasped. One disciple, who was about to buy it, pulled his hand back as if burned.
"You... you nonsense!" Liu stammered. "That is from the Ming Dynasty!"
"And that 'Dragon Blood Sword'," Ye Tian pointed to a glass case. "It's actually chicken blood. Specifically, a rooster named Bob. You can still smell the feathers if you get close."
A burly disciple sniffing the sword gagged and dropped it.
"And those 'virginity pills'..." Ye Tian pointed to a red bottle. "They are just sugar and flour."
Chaos erupted.
"Refund! I want a refund!"
"You sold me chicken blood?!"
"This shop is a scam!"
Shopkeeper Liu's face went from pale to purple. Sweat poured down his forehead. His reputation was collapsing in seconds.
"Stop! Stop talking!" Liu hissed, grabbing Ye Tian's arm. "What do you want? I'll give you 50 stones! Just shut up!"
Ye Tian smiled innocently. "But my ginseng is damaged... surely it's not worth that much?"
"It's perfect! It's beautiful!" Liu was practically crying. "100 stones!"
"The market price is 150," Ye Tian said, examining his fingernails. "And my consultation fee for authenticating your goods... let's say 50 stones?"
Liu trembled. He looked at the angry mob forming in his shop. He had no choice.
"200!" Liu slammed a heavy bag of stones onto the counter. "Take it and get out! And never come back!"
[Ding! Choice confirmed. Reward: Silver Tongue.]
Ye Tian weighed the bag. heavy. Satisfying.
"Pleasure doing business," Ye Tian beamed. He grabbed the bag and walked out, leaving the shopkeeper to be devoured by the angry customers.
As he stepped back into the sunlight, Ye Tian felt good. He was rich.
"Hey! You!"
A voice called out from the crowd.
Ye Tian turned. A short, incredibly round disciple was waddling toward him. He held a half-eaten chicken leg in one hand and was wiping grease on his robes with the other.
"I saw that!" the fat disciple wheezed. "That was amazing! You destroyed Old Man Liu!"
Ye Tian looked at the newcomer. The Divine Eye popped up.
[Name: Fatty Wang]
[Role: The Comic Relief Best Friend]
[Talent: Finding food / Accidental Luck]
[Cultivation: Qi Condensation 2nd Layer]
Ye Tian sighed. Of course. Every cultivation protagonist needs a fat best friend.
"Can I help you?" Ye Tian asked.
"I'm Wang!" Fatty Wang grinned, offering a greasy hand. "I know everything about the Sect. You have money now, right? You need a guide! I know where to get the best pills, the best food, and where the Senior Sisters do their yoga!"
Ye Tian paused. The "Senior Sisters" part was irrelevant (obviously), but he did need resources.
"I need a weapon," Ye Tian said. "And pill ingredients."
Fatty Wang's eyes sparkled. "Brother, you found the right person. Follow me to the Black Market!"
Minutes later, in a dark alley behind the market.
Ye Tian and Fatty Wang stood before a stall run by a hooded figure.
"This is Shady Zhang," Fatty whispered. "He sells... recovered items."
Ye Tian looked at the items. Rusted swords, chipped armors. It looked like junk.
"System, scan."
[Junk.]
[Junk.]
[Junk.]
[Rusted Iron Sword... Wait. Analyzing... Error. Energy signature masked.]
Ye Tian's heart skipped a beat. The System had found something.
He pointed at a black, rusty strip of metal that looked like a fire poker.
"How much for this scrap metal?" Ye Tian asked casually.
The hooded figure looked up. "5 stones."
"5 stones for rust?" Ye Tian scoffed. "I'll give you 2."
"Deal."
Ye Tian paid and picked up the metal strip. As soon as his skin touched it, the System screamed.
[Ding! heavy Seal Detected!]
[Congratulations! You have found the fragment of the "Primordial God-Slaying Sword"!]
Ye Tian forced his face to remain neutral, but inside, he was screaming.
Protagonist Halo, activate!
"Hey, look at that!" Fatty Wang suddenly pointed at the entrance of the alley. "It's the Inner Sect enforcement squad!"
Ye Tian turned. Walking toward them was a group of disciples in blue robes.
And leading them... was a woman with cold eyes and a very familiar, very angry expression.
It was Liu Bing. The Ice Goddess.
And she was holding a drawing. A drawing of a handsome man with a confident smirk.
"Search the market!" she commanded. "Find the pervert who was bathing in my stream!"
Ye Tian looked at the drawing. It was a surprisingly good likeness.
"Uh oh," Ye Tian muttered.
Fatty Wang looked at the drawing, then at Ye Tian. He gasped. "Brother... is that you?"