Beast Bone

The Trading Fair was located in Qingyang Town's North Square, right at the crossroads of numerous factions. With so many disputes there, no single power could swallow it whole, and thus the Trading Fair came into being.

Within the Trading Fair stood businesses belonging to many different factions. With profits to be made, these powers tacitly accepted its existence, and over time, a peculiar balance had formed.

Qingyang Town's Trading Fair was quite famous within a hundred miles. Not only did the town's residents enjoy trading there, but nearby villages and even some shady bandit groups often came as well. This made Qingyang Town's Trading Fair increasingly crowded with all sorts of people. Even the Lei and Xie Families, the local powers, coveted the Fair's profits but still did not dare monopolize it.

When Lin Yan and Qingtan arrived at the entrance to the Trading Fair, they could not help clicking their tongues at the dense sea of people inside and the clamor soaring into the sky. This truly deserved to be called the largest trading place within a hundred miles of Qingyang Town. Its popularity was simply terrifying.

"Let's go."

Lin Yan gave the Trading Fair a curious look. This was the first time he had come to such a place since his rebirth. Although he had seen livelier gatherings in his previous life, the charm of this foreign world still stirred his curiosity.

With that, Lin Yan took Qingtan's little hand and squeezed into the Trading Fair.

Inside the Trading Fair, the dazzling array of shops was enough to make one's eyes spin. Though the streets were already quite broad, the overwhelming flow of people still made them feel somewhat cramped.

Lin Yan and Qingtan had only wandered down one street before they were drenched in sweat from the crowd. Qingtan, however, remained immensely excited. Her delicate little face was flushed red with excitement, making her especially adorable. Her clear, sweet laughter drew many gazes, and when they saw the girl's picturesque features and skin as white as snow, a trace of amazement flashed through every pair of eyes.

Following Lin Yan through twists and turns, they gradually entered the depths of the market. The goods sold here were generally far more precious than those outside, so the customers who could shop here were considered somewhat capable even in Qingyang Town.

Fortunately, though Lin Yan was not particularly wealthy, he had looted quite a bit of gold and silver from the Scorpion Tiger King's cave last time. It was usually of little use, but he had brought plenty with him while shopping with Qingtan this time. At the very least, he would not have to suffer the embarrassment of letting a girl pay the bill.

Along the way, Lin Yan bought Qingtan quite a few delicate little trinkets, leaving the girl overjoyed.

At that moment, Lin Yan's expression shifted as he suddenly stopped before an utterly inconspicuous stall.

The stall owner was a middle-aged man of around forty. His weathered, solemn face made him look like an old hand of the martial world. Still, upon spotting a potential customer, he smiled and greeted Lin Yan. "Passing by is better than missing out. What does this young master need? So long as the price is right, everything at my stall is for sale."

Seeing Lin Yan's extraordinary bearing, the owner stepped forward politely. As an old hand, he naturally needed to have sharp eyes.

Lin Yan looked over the goods on the stall. They were mostly things obtained from wild beasts, such as tiger pelts and sable furs. However, one item caught his attention.

In one corner of the stall lay a heavily damaged Beast Bone. It was covered in gray residue and still had some unwashed yellow mud clinging to it, making it look as though it had only recently been dug out of the earth.

The Beast Bone seemed to have existed for a long time. Other than being old and damaged, there was nothing particularly eye-catching about it. Yet Lin Yan discovered that the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire within his body suddenly pulsed when it sensed the Beast Bone. This meant that the bone contained high-quality bloodline power, enough to whet the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire's appetite.

This discovery delighted Lin Yan at once. He had originally been worrying about how to make the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire grow again, but he had not expected this trip to the market to let him pick up such a bargain.

For the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire to react like this, the Beast Bone had most likely been left behind by a demonic beast above the Origin Core Realm. Otherwise, it could not possibly have remained preserved for so long.

Licking his lips, Lin Yan did not immediately pick up the Beast Bone. Instead, he casually picked up a wolf fang beside it. The fang was sharp and pointed, gleaming especially brightly under the sunlight. Whether used as a weapon or an ornament, it was clearly not bad.

The stall owner hurriedly said, "Young Master has a good eye. This wolf fang came from a Storm Wolf, a powerful beast comparable to an Earth Origin Realm cultivator. Not only can it be kept as a collectible, but if Young Master wishes, it can be polished into a sharp blade. Either way, it is quite a valuable item. Young Master's judgment truly is keen."

Lin Yan paid no attention to the owner's praise. He had heard such words countless times in his previous life. He simply asked, "How much for this wolf fang?"

The stall owner hesitated before saying, "Two hundred taels of silver."

Hearing that, Lin Yan tossed the wolf fang away and turned to leave without the slightest hesitation.

A third-grade spirit herb only cost around a thousand taels of silver, yet he dared ask two hundred taels for a single wolf fang. He was clearly treating me like a fool to be fleeced. Besides, this was not my real target anyway.

Watching Lin Yan walk farther and farther away, the stall owner's expression changed. He had thought Lin Yan was extremely interested in the wolf fang, which was why he had boldly named such a price. Who would have thought that the youth would not even bargain before turning around and leaving?

Seeing the youth about to disappear from sight, the stall owner gritted his teeth. "Young Master, please wait."

"Oh?" Hearing the call, Lin Yan revealed a faint, knowing smile. Then he turned back toward the stall owner and said helplessly, "Your wolf fang is too expensive. I can't afford it. What, am I not even allowed to leave?"

Seeing Lin Yan turn the tables on him, the stall owner could not help smiling helplessly. "Young Master jests. I was too greedy just now. How about one hundred and fifty taels this time?"

Lin Yan shook his head again. "Still too expensive."

The stall owner's mouth twitched. Seeing the youth's utterly indifferent expression, he could not figure out what Lin Yan truly intended and began to feel a headache coming on. He then said with an awkward smile, "One hundred taels of silver. It can't go any lower. This wolf fang itself is worth quite a bit, and I have to make a living too..."

"Sigh..." Under the stall owner's uneasy gaze, Lin Yan let out a sigh. He bent down and rummaged through the stall, scooping up the damaged Beast Bone along with a handful of other items. Raising the handful of goods, he said, "One hundred taels for all of this together..."

The stall owner's shrewd gaze swept over the items in Lin Yan's hand, and he quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, they were all cheap goods...

"Deal!"

Lin Yan readily tossed out one hundred taels of silver, then grabbed the items and turned to leave without another word.

It was not that he had to haggle over every purchase. He only had one hundred and fifty taels of silver left on him. If the other party noticed how interested he was in the Beast Bone, there was no telling what complications might arise. He might even end up leaving empty-handed.

Looking at the plain, unremarkable Beast Bone in his hand, which faintly contained a trace of terrifying aura, Lin Yan smiled. Fortunately, everything had gone rather smoothly.

While Lin Yan had been busy bargaining, Qingtan had wandered boredly to a neat little stall. She stopped gracefully and extended her fair, tender wrist to pick up a pale green bracelet. The bracelet was made from ordinary material with a little ice silver added to it, making it cool to the touch and perfect for summer wear. Though the material was common, it was still refined and elegant...

After playing with it casually for a while, she was about to buy it when she remembered that the youth had already bought her many things today. A trace of happiness appeared on her delicate face. She gave the old woman behind the stall an apologetic smile and was just about to return the bracelet when a cold voice suddenly rang out. "Where did this wild little girl come from? My family's Miss Xie Ting has taken a liking to that item. If you know what's good for you, hand it over obediently."

When Lin Yan, who had just hurried over, heard those words and saw Qingtan's adorable, innocent little face, his previously joyful expression immediately darkened like storm clouds. Rage surged through his heart like an erupting volcano, shooting straight into the heavens.

Someone actually dared bully my woman!