"How should I address you, Boss?"
"There's no need for formalities. Just call me Boss Li," Li Rong replied, waving a hand. "What does the customer need? Are you here to accept a bounty or exchange items?"
It was the first time in his life that Li Rong had been called "Boss." The title still felt awkward on his tongue, so he decisively cut the conversation short and moved straight to business.
Ning Fengzhi keenly sensed Li Rong's lack of interest in idle chatter and could only smile wryly. In his many years as the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, people had always scrambled to curry favor with him. Now, for once, he was the one actively probing, only to be casually brushed aside. It left him with a strange, unfamiliar helplessness.
"Excuse me, Boss Li," Ning Fengzhi said, adjusting his tone, "how do you price a ten-thousand-year Spirit Bone?"
"Hm… so you're looking to sell one?" Li Rong nodded slightly. "Spirit Bone pricing depends on four factors: the Spirit Beast it originated from, the Spirit Ability it contains, its age, and its completeness. Take a complete hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone, for example. Even the lowest-value one would still be classified as a fifth-grade item."
"Fifth-grade?" Ning Fengzhi echoed.
"Yes. The goods in this shop are roughly divided into six grades," Li Rong explained calmly. "Sixth-grade items start at five hundred thousand sacrificial coins. Fifth-grade begins at one hundred thousand. Fourth-grade is ten thousand, third-grade is five thousand, and second-grade is one thousand."
He paused briefly, then added, "Also, lower-grade doesn't necessarily mean cheaper."
Ning Fengzhi looked up.
"For instance," Li Rong continued, "some spirit tools can greatly enhance a Spirit Master's combat power, but are only usable by Spirit Elders and below. Such items are classified as second-grade. However, due to their special effects, their prices can rival—or even exceed—ordinary fourth-grade medicinal pills."
"A spirit tool that enhances a Spirit Master's combat power?" Ning Fengzhi's heart skipped a beat.
"Don't even think about it," Li Rong cut him off flatly. "Those are rare goods. They're almost never left in stock. If the main branch were to dispatch such items to me, your continent would first need to prove its purchasing power."
These words struck Ning Fengzhi like a hammer. Just yesterday, after sensing Li Rong's Golden Pupils, he had already confirmed that this Boss Li was no ordinary person. Sword Douluo had even speculated that Li Rong's strength was no less than that of a ninety-seventh-level Titled Douluo. And yet, such a terrifying expert was merely the manager of this shop?
Then how powerful was the true Boss?
A ninety-ninth-level peerless Douluo? Or… a hundred-level existence? A god?
As if sensing Ning Fengzhi's turbulent thoughts, Li Rong spoke again, his tone sincere and unembellished. "The true Boss is the Sacrificial Dao Lord. Everything in this shop belongs to him. Even the sacrificial coins you see are named after the Boss's title."
Ning Fengzhi's pupils shrank. "Then the bounty list… and this screen here…"
He fell silent for a long while, clearly struggling to organize his thoughts. Finally, uncertain how to address it, he gestured toward the crystal screen. Li Rong reminded him, "That's the activity list."
"And what is the significance of these two lists?" Ning Fengzhi pressed. "And what about the screen behind you, the one without any text?"
"The bounty list on the left is for high-priced bounties," Li Rong explained patiently. "When the shop temporarily lacks certain resources, bounties are issued here. Completing them yields more sacrificial coins than standard exchanges. Once a bounty is fulfilled or expires, it's removed."
He then pointed to the right. "That's the current merchandise list. Items there are usually slow-moving stock sent by the main branch for discounted sale to quickly recover funds. Once they sell out or demand rises, they're also removed."
Turning around, Li Rong faced the crystal screen behind the long counter. "As for this one," he said frankly, "that's the emergency bounty list. It's only used for urgent missions."
He looked back at Ning Fengzhi, emphasizing each word. "The rewards are exceptionally generous."
Ning Fengzhi silently digested everything he had heard while calculating in his mind. A hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone was fifth-grade. Then a fifty-thousand-year Spirit Bone would likely be fourth-grade. A normal ten-thousand-year Spirit Bone would be third-grade, worth at least five thousand sacrificial coins.
To exchange for a Soul Doubling Pill priced at four hundred eighty thousand coins…
Ninety-six ordinary ten-thousand-year Spirit Bones.
The moment he reached that conclusion, Ning Fengzhi's expression froze. Ninety-six Spirit Bones? That was absurd. Even for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, such a number was completely unrealistic. Even accounting for higher-quality bones, the total would still be fifty or more.
Half of Ning Fengzhi's resolve collapsed. Still, he refused to give up completely. Swallowing his pride, he attempted to appeal for leniency, hoping for a discount—or at least a method to earn sacrificial coins more efficiently.
Li Rong rejected him without hesitation. These were the shop's rules. He was merely an employee, with no authority to alter the Sacrificial Dao Lord's decisions.
His expression clearly said: Believe it or not, this is how it is.
Ning Fengzhi could only sigh inwardly and turn his attention back to the activity list. Even if he couldn't afford the Soul Doubling Pill, there might still be discounted items worth considering.
Then his gaze landed on another medicinal pill.
"Boss Li," he asked, "can this Innate Spirit Pill evolve my Spirit?"
"No," Li Rong replied. "Your issue isn't a Spirit defect. It's an incomplete Spirit evolution. This pill won't work."
"So I need something similar to the Xiusui Pill?" Ning Fengzhi asked quietly. "A pill that allows the Spirit itself to evolve?"
"Yes."
Ning Fengzhi sighed, a hint of bitterness flashing across his face. Just as he was about to continue browsing, the shop door opened again.
A new customer entered.
Li Rong glanced over and immediately recognized him. Green robes, gloomy expression—there was no mistaking it. Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo noticed Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo at once. Since they had already exchanged greetings the day before, he simply nodded in acknowledgment before moving directly to the lists.
His eyes were immediately drawn to the bounty list. Compared to the uniformly green activity list, the blood-red text was far more eye-catching. After reading through it, he shifted his gaze to the activity list—and froze.
The item at the very top seized his attention. Desire surged violently within him.
Ning Fengzhi watched from the side, vaguely amused. Seeing the normally aloof Poison Douluo lose his composure was undeniably satisfying. Unfortunately, Dugu Bo quickly regained his calm. He swiftly filtered out items he didn't understand, techniques with unclear effects, and pills that neither he nor his granddaughter could currently use.
In the end, only three items remained worth exchanging.
Soul Doubling Pill — Sixth-grade medicinal pill. Enhances self-cultivation. Price: 480,000 sacrificial coins. Remaining: 3.
Purple Essence Infusion Liquid — Third-grade medicinal liquid. Suitable for Spirit Masters between level thirty and fifty. Can be applied externally or consumed internally. Increases cultivation speed and slightly tempers the body. Usable once per week. Price: 6,000 sacrificial coins. Remaining: 100 portions.
Qingming Longevity Pill — Fourth-grade medicinal pill. A rare longevity item. Each pill extends lifespan by twenty years. Maximum of five pills per person. Discounted price: 80,000 sacrificial coins. Remaining: 6.
Seeing the limited quantities, Dugu Bo's eyes flickered. He turned to Ning Fengzhi and said bluntly, "Sect Master Ning, your sect is vast and prosperous. These sacrificial coins should be nothing to you. Consider it Dugu Bo owing you a favor. Let me exchange first."
He paused, then added casually, "I need one Soul Doubling Pill, forty-eight portions of Purple Essence Infusion Liquid, and three Qingming Longevity Pills."
Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo were stunned speechless.
Nothing to you?
Goods worth over a million sacrificial coins—and he said it like pocket change?
Before Ning Fengzhi could respond, Dugu Bo bowed slightly to Li Rong and strode out of the shop, soaring into the sky to retrieve his treasures.
Ning Fengzhi finally snapped. "Uncle Jian," he said urgently, "return to the sect immediately. Bring all ten-thousand-year Spirit Bones and valuable spirit tools from the treasury. You must arrive before Dugu Bo returns."
If Dugu Bo realized they lacked sufficient coins, that old fox would definitely prioritize the Qingming Longevity Pills. Ning Fengzhi wouldn't get even one.
Longevity pills.
Five pills meant a hundred extra years of life.
Ning Fengzhi's eyes reddened.
Damn Dugu Bo… where did you get so many sacrificial coins?
_____________________
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