This Kid Was Addicted to Selling People

Qingshan Mountain Market.

With the Purple Copper Spirit Mine being excavated, some Purple Copper had already flowed into the market, drawing countless cultivators here. For a time, the Market bustled with activity, and the major powers were all delighted, smiles plastered across their faces. Even the housing prices within the Market began to rise along with it.

"Junior Brother, come take a look. These are businesses the sect no longer handles, so after taking them over, they became your Senior Brother's own business."

More than half a month later, Lin Chang'an had already grown familiar with everyone. Zhang Qing, in particular, was all smiles and treated him as one of his own.

"Recently, quite a few people have flooded in. Your Senior Brother's business is somewhat... unpresentable."

Zhang Qing rubbed his hands and smiled awkwardly, but Lin Chang'an only smiled and shook his head. Then he stared solemnly at him and said in a deep voice, "Senior Brother, making money isn't shameful!"

"Junior Brother!" Upon hearing this, Zhang Qing seemed to have found a kindred spirit. With a face full of emotion, he said, "No wonder Elder Lu hadn't accepted a disciple for so many years, only to take a liking to you at first glance."

"Come, come, Junior Brother. Take a look at your Senior Brother's business."

Still smiling broadly, Zhang Qing led Lin Chang'an to the bustling, chaotic outskirts of the Market. All sorts of random goods were sold here, and eventually, they arrived at a stable.

"Please, buy me."

"I'm only in my forties. I can still work."

"My white hair is natural. I'm not even fifty yet!"

Amid the uproar, a group of people bound inside the stable like livestock came into view. Their eyes were filled with pleading, especially whenever someone passed by. They begged pitifully for others to buy them.

The sight was rather horrifying, but Lin Chang'an, who had seen even greater cruelties, had long learned indifference. He could barely look after himself now; where would he find the time to show kindness?

"Junior Brother, these were all goods your Senior Brother bought at a high price."

Though he spoke of selling people as goods with such cold-blooded words, Zhang Qing looked like a man who considered himself kindhearted. Yet as he said, it was indeed so.

"Senior Brother truly is kindhearted." Lin Chang'an could not help sighing in reply, and Zhang Qing immediately smiled.

"Junior Brother, you understand better than those outsiders." Zhang Qing gave him a thumbs-up, then turned to look at the figures and shook his head. "If no one buys them here, their fate will only be worse."

"The strong and healthy will be refined into human puppets for others to command. As for the crippled and elderly, their flesh, blood, tendons, and bones can be used for pill refinement, talisman drawing, artifact forging, and the like. They may even be fed to spirit pets or blood corpses."

Zhang Qing spoke calmly, yet this was also the true portrayal of these people. That was why everyone here pleaded so pitifully for buyers.

Once they failed to sell, no one would keep feeding them.

"This is dirty, exhausting work too, Junior Brother. It doesn't earn many Spirit Stones, and sometimes, those that end up in my hands still need to be fed." At this point, Zhang Qing let out an irritated sigh.

"Elder Lu gave the order: unless they are cultivators who committed crimes, we are not allowed to act recklessly."

Lin Chang'an could not help nodding secretly upon hearing this. This Elder Lu truly had vision and courage. He was clearly transforming the sect.

"Doesn't sell for much?" Lin Chang'an looked at the cultivators in the stable, doubt appearing on his face.

"Senior Brother, though I have never worked in this trade, I know perfectly well how enormous its profits are."

Seeing Lin Chang'an's disbelieving expression, Zhang Qing could not help twitching at the corners of his mouth. He shook his head with a bitter smile. "This business would naturally bring enormous profits in Great Jin, but here! These under-the-table businesses are the least scarce things around."

Well, it seemed every trade had competition.

"Too many people are in this line of work. After finishing this batch, your Senior Brother doesn't plan to do it anymore."

Seeing Zhang Qing's disdainful look as though he no longer wanted to continue in this business, Lin Chang'an seemed to think of something and deliberately put on a contemplative expression.

"If these people truly cannot be sold, they will probably be taken by the demonic path at a low price in the end. That would harm them as well. Junior Brother has a method that might earn us a sum."

"You have a method?" Zhang Qing stared at Lin Chang'an in astonishment, then burst out laughing and waved his hand. "Junior Brother, this trade is not easy. The prices are clearly marked, and the buyers who come here are almost all from small lineages, specifically picking out the young and strong."

Seeing Zhang Qing's disbelief, Lin Chang'an smiled. "Senior Brother, what if I can sell all these people?"

"For real?"

"Naturally!"

As the two looked at each other, Zhang Qing turned serious this time. With a solemn expression, he looked deeply at Lin Chang'an. "Junior Brother, I won't hide it from you. Since word of the Purple Copper Spirit Stone spread, many people have flooded into the Market. Those amateurs have been acting recklessly and ruining the rules."

"If not for the order from above forbidding us from acting rashly and requiring the Market's stability, this business would not be so difficult. So this time, your Senior Brother has nearly prepared to take a loss. If you can truly help your Senior Brother earn a profit!"

At this point, Zhang Qing clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "After costs are deducted, half the profit will go to Junior Brother."

Looking at the forthright Zhang Qing, Lin Chang'an merely smiled and shook his head. Seeing this, Zhang Qing's smile stiffened slightly. He felt that Lin Chang'an was being somewhat greedy.

If Elder Lu had not valued him, why would he bother making friends with him?

"Not enough."

After seeing Lin Chang'an say those words so casually, four words rose in Zhang Qing's heart: doesn't know what's good for him. Yet for Elder Lu's sake, he still had no choice but to force out a stiff smile.

"Then how much does Junior Brother want?"

Although his face was smiling, anyone with eyes could see how stiff that smile was. In Zhang Qing's eyes, Lin Chang'an was getting a little carried away.

Qi Feng and Li Han, who happened to be guarding this place in the distance, saw this scene and could not help feeling somewhat worried.

Yet faced with Zhang Qing's unpleasant expression, Lin Chang'an grinned and said with a light laugh, "I also want to add one more person!"

"Add one more person?" Zhang Qing was somewhat dumbfounded after hearing this. How had this suddenly turned into adding another person?

"Wang Yugang, Alchemist Wang!" Lin Chang'an looked at Zhang Qing, then casually smiled as he turned toward the stable and said faintly, "I think these goods are missing one person. This is the prize. With him here, I can sell all of Senior Brother's goods until nothing remains."

At that moment, Zhang Qing finally understood. Seeing Lin Chang'an's calm and unruffled manner, the corner of his eye twitched. Well, this kid was addicted to selling people.

The moment he entered this place, he had immediately sold off his elder uncle and older cousin. Now he wanted to sell another person. Whoever offended this kid, he sold them. And why did this kid seem even more professional than him?

This method of repaying every grievance in kind—he truly kept every grudge in his heart, ready at all times to take revenge. What a genuine petty man.

"Ha, I wondered what it was. So that's all." Zhang Qing laughed loudly, completely forgetting the unpleasantness from moments ago.

"Junior Brother, rest assured. Alchemist Wang has long been lining his own pockets and bullying his fellow disciples. He has already violated the sect's rules, so this is the perfect chance to clean him out."

Zhang Qing looked righteous and dignified, without mentioning Alchemist Wang's value. Lin Chang'an also smiled, nodded, and said seriously, "Senior Brother, I am not joking. If we want to sell all these goods in one go, we really need such a person."

Anyone unaware of the situation would have thought the two were discussing legitimate business. Yet Qi Feng and Li Han, who knew what was going on in the distance, looked at each other. Why did Brother Lin seem even more like someone raised in this place than Senior Brother Zhang Qing?

Ahem, ahem. Koi was extremely curious—Fellow Daoist "Smooth as Flowing Clouds," how did you cast sixty-seven recommendation votes in one go? I'm dying of envy ┭┮﹏┭┮. I want that kind of dozens-of-votes haul too. How did you do it?