Shopping and Treasure

Xia Mo and Xiao Yan heard Old Yao's words and looked toward the mountain path. They saw a graceful figure in purple darting and leaping her way up, reaching the mountaintop in no time.

Xiao Xun'er arrived at the summit and looked at Xiao Yan. The two began flirting and teasing each other, giving Xia Mo a full serving of their lovey-dovey display.

Seeing that it was getting late, Xia Mo deliberately interrupted them. Let it be said first: although he had been force-fed their affection, he was definitely not a dog. "Xiao Yan, let's head down the mountain. You still have something 'important' to do tomorrow."

Then Xia Mo saw Xiao Yan glaring at him resentfully while Xiao Xun'er looked at him with murderous intent. With a whoosh, he bolted down the mountain...

Early the next morning, Xia Mo yawned as he opened his door, only to find a living person standing outside. He was so startled that he nearly threw a punch and caused a fatal accident.

"Xiao Yan, why are you standing outside my door so early in the morning? Don't you know people can be scared to death?"

"What do you want from me so early in the morning?"

"Xia Mo, am I your good junior brother or not?"

"Mm, if you take me to Hundred Fragrance Tower for a meal, then you are." Xia Mo looked at Xiao Yan expectantly.

"Can you stop thinking about food every day? Lend me some money for now. I'll pay you back later." Xiao Yan looked at Xia Mo with a dark expression.

"Xiao Yan, have you gone poor-crazy? You're asking a child like me for money?" Xia Mo said with feigned surprise.

"Just tell me whether you have any. It's not only for me to spend."

"I do, I do. Wait a moment." Xia Mo deliberately dawdled back into his room.

After a while, Xia Mo came out holding five gold coins and walked up to Xiao Yan. "Here, this is all I have. The rest is with Sister Xiao Yi Xian."

"Th-this..." Xiao Yan's face seemed about to turn green.

"Don't panic, don't panic. I don't have money, but Sister Xun'er does. You can borrow some from her." Xia Mo still wanted to witness the Flame Emperor borrowing money.

"No, no. How could I borrow money from a girl?" Xiao Yan looked unwilling.

The scene shifted. "Xun'er, can you lend me some money?" Xiao Yan asked awkwardly while holding a small box.

"How much does Brother Xiao Yan need? I still have over a thousand gold coins. Is that enough?"

"Enough, enough." Xiao Yan wore an expression of utter satisfaction.

Just as Xiao Yan took the Purple Gold Card Xiao Xun'er handed him, Xia Mo jumped out from the side holding a Crystal Card. "Haha, Xiao Yan, you actually borrowed money from a child and a girl!"

"Ah, ah, you brat!" Xia Mo and Xiao Yan chased and tussled ahead while Xun'er followed behind. Afterward, the three called Xiao Yi Xian along and headed toward the Marketplace together.

Along the way, they ran into many members of the Xiao Clan. Seeing the group of four, all of them wore strange expressions. However, the four ignored them and slowly strolled through the streets.

Although Wutan City was not large, it was a city near the Monster Mountain Range, so there was still a great flow of people. The group wove through the various stalls, and before long, all four had their hands full of snacks. Naturally, all of it was paid for by Young Master Xia Mo, compensation for tricking and teasing Xiao Yan that morning.

After they had played themselves tired, Xia Mo and Xiao Yan went to a medicinal herb shop first. Xiao Yan had originally only planned to buy five portions of Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid: fifteen Purple Leaf Orchid Grass stalks and ten Bone Washing Flowers in total. All that remained were five First-tier Wood-type Monster Cores. Monster Cores were not sold in medicinal herb shops; they could only be found in the Marketplace or at the Mittel Auction House.

Monster Cores were energy crystals found within magical beasts. Their energy was incredibly violent, and even Dou Wang experts could not refine them directly. Only Alchemists could use medicinal herbs to neutralize them and refine them into pills for people to consume. Monster Cores could also be used in weapons and the like.

Most magical beasts were stronger than humans at the same level. Moreover, because of their living environment, they were extremely cunning, so Monster Cores were not so easy to obtain.

After turning this way and that, the four eventually entered one of the Xiao Clan's medium-sized Marketplaces. In order to gather five Wood-type Monster Cores as quickly as possible, they split into two groups to search separately.

Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian wandered through the Marketplace. Most of the people there were mercenaries and merchants, selling medicinal herbs, Monster Cores, and miscellaneous items they had obtained outside—some of which they might not even know the purpose of themselves. If one was lucky, they might find a treasure among them. It all depended on one's eye for such things.

As Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian wandered around the Marketplace, Xia Mo suddenly sensed a vague aura. He trusted his Treasure Seeking Talent deeply and believed that this strange feeling definitely meant there was treasure nearby.

Xia Mo carefully followed the sensation, eventually leading Xiao Yi Xian to a stall. He swept his gaze over its wares, lingering for only an instant on a jade bead the size of a quail egg and of rather poor quality before looking away.

Xia Mo continued examining the items. Seeing customers approach, the stall owner immediately began boasting about how precious his goods were and how many dangers he had faced to obtain them.

Xia Mo did not believe a single word the stall owner said. Still, he casually picked up a necklace from the stall and asked, "How much is this necklace?" Seeing that Xia Mo was young and dressed richly, the scoundrel demanded fifty gold coins.

Xiao Yi Xian, standing beside him, was about to get angry when Xia Mo gave her a look. Their tacit understanding immediately told her that someone was about to have bad luck.

"No, fifty is too much. I only have twenty gold coins. I'll take it for fifteen." Xia Mo pretended that he did not have enough money and wanted to save some.

"I bought it for one gold coin. Selling it for fifteen would already be a huge profit. But this kid has twenty gold coins. If I hold out a little longer, I can earn another one. If that doesn't work, I'll let the brat pick another item from the stall. None of this stuff is worth anything anyway," the stall owner thought.

"No, I can't make any money at fifteen gold coins. Twenty gold coins at the very least," the stall owner said.

Hearing that, Xia Mo wanted to punch him and overturn his stall. He had just asked for fifty, but upon hearing Xia Mo only had twenty, he did not even bother haggling and went straight for every coin in his hand just because he was a child.

Xia Mo pretended to hesitate and looked at Xiao Yi Xian. Seeing Xia Mo look toward the girl beside him, the stall owner feared he would change his mind and hurriedly said, "Twenty gold coins, and you can choose one more item from the stall."

"Fine, then." Xia Mo picked up that bead. The stall owner even breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he had chosen something worthless.

When Xiao Yi Xian saw Xia Mo pick up the shabby bead, she knew that it was the treasure Xia Mo had come for.

Having obtained what he wanted, Xia Mo stood up and left with Xiao Yi Xian. As they walked, he gave her the necklace.

Xiao Yi Xian put away the necklace without saying anything. They were out on the street, surrounded by too many eyes and ears. Even if she was curious, she kept it to herself.

After wandering for an unknown amount of time, Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian planned to meet up with Xiao Yan and the others deeper inside the Marketplace. Xia Mo did not need to search at all—he still had quite a few First-tier and Second-tier Monster Cores in his Storage Ring, and there should be Wood-type Monster Cores among them.

Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian followed the Marketplace street, looking around as they walked. Before long, they reached the deeper part of the Marketplace and spotted Xiao Yan in the distance. Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian headed toward the two of them.

Xiao Yan was bent over, searching intently for Monster Cores, while Xiao Xun'er stood bored beside a stall. Xia Mo had Xiao Yi Xian go over to keep Xiao Xun'er company, while he walked toward Xiao Yan...

PS: Friends may be far apart, but each should take care.