Outwitting a Shady Merchant

While Lang Lei and Griseo were strolling through the streets, they happened to spot a shop. It was dilapidated, but the symbol on its sign successfully caught Lang Lei's attention.

"Isn't this the shady shop Flender opened in Suotuo City?" Lang Lei thought for a moment, then looked at Griseo in his arms. "Little Griseo, do you want to take a look inside that shop?"

Griseo nodded without hesitation. She knew Brother Lang Lei was interested in it. Brother Lang Lei had accompanied her for so long, so she was more than willing to accompany him somewhere he wanted to visit.

Seeing that Griseo did not mind the rundown state of Flender's shop, Lang Lei relaxed and led her inside.

"Boss, what does your shop sell?" Lang Lei pretended to be a curious passerby as he casually surveyed the store.

"Everything on the shelves is for sale. Look for yourself." After saying that, Flender lay back down in his grand chair just after sitting up.

Lang Lei could not help but complain inwardly. With service like that, an ordinary customer would probably leave in anger right away.

All that could be said was that, as a Soul Sage, Flender truly had the capital to be arrogant in a small place like Suotuo City.

He just was not suited to running a shop...

Lang Lei turned his gaze toward the shelves. Damaged Soul Tools that barely looked intact and all kinds of miscellaneous ores were carelessly piled together without any sorting.

"Let me see..." Lang Lei scanned them one by one. Sure enough, he soon found the Hair Crystal from the original story, the one Tang San had bought to make Dragon Whisker Needles.

However, he did not call attention to it or reveal any expression. Instead, he calmly pointed to a battered Soul Tool beside the Hair Crystal and asked, "How much is this?"

Flender lifted his head and casually named a price without even looking. "One hundred Gold Soul Coins."

"Boss, isn't that a little too ruthless for business?" Lang Lei deliberately snapped back.

"Now it's two hundred Gold Soul Coins." Apparently thinking Lang Lei had taken a liking to the broken Soul Tool, Flender raised the price again. "This was dug out of ancient ruins. It's good stuff."

"Then keep it for yourself, Boss." Lang Lei answered casually before turning toward another shelf.

Flender choked on his words, then fell silent again.

"How much is this one?" Lang Lei casually pointed at another item.

"Fifty Gold Soul Coins." This time, Flender did not quote such an outrageous price. After all, he had picked up all this stuff for just a few Silver Soul Coins. Any sale would be profit.

"Can't it be cheaper?" Lang Lei tried to haggle.

"This is Ancient Grade, one of my prized treasures! I looked wrong just now. This one costs one hundred Gold Soul Coins."

Lang Lei pretended to skeptically glance at the casually displayed items on the shelf, then at Flender.

Flender's skin was certainly thick. He wore a completely serious expression, without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

"Then you'd better keep it, Boss. I won't take what you love." Lang Lei withdrew his gaze and looked at other items.

Flender was speechless again, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"Hmm? Boss, this..." Lang Lei had just begun to ask when Flender immediately cut in.

"Ten Gold Soul Coins, friendship price!" Flender declared loudly.

"I only wanted to ask why you put socks on the shelf..." Lang Lei was speechless too. Wasn't this a bit too shady?

Judging by Flender's attitude alone, Lang Lei seriously doubted whether the entire shelf's contents had even cost one Gold Soul Coin.

"Uh... These were worn by a Super Douluo above level ninety-five. What's wrong with selling them for more?!" Flender forced out an awkward explanation.

"Could it be..." Lang Lei put on an extremely shocked expression.

"What is it now, kid?" Flender was starting to fear this young-looking fellow.

"Senior, are you some reclusive expert with an incredibly high Soul Power Level?!"

"Hm? How did you know?" Flender was somewhat surprised. His Soul Power Level was already at the Soul Sage level. The Golden Iron Triangle he had once formed with the others had some renown across the continent. In Suotuo City, he could at least be considered an expert, right?

After all, a Soul Emperor could become a teacher with considerable status at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

"Wow! Could Senior be one of those legendary Super Douluo? The kind who can enter Douluo Hall, the sacred ground of Soul Masters!" Lang Lei pretended to be incredibly excited. "This junior was disrespectful just now!"

"Mm, it's fine, it's fine..." Flender waved his hand reflexively.

"Cough, cough, cough—" But when Flender realized what had been said, he shot to his feet and choked on a mouthful of saliva.

"Kid, you can't just say things like that! What Super Douluo? I never said I was one!" Flender hurriedly explained. On the Douluo Continent, impersonating a Titled Douluo was no small matter. That was simply courting death, and it was not something one could successfully fake.

Let alone a Super Douluo—there were only a handful in the entire continent.

"But these socks..."

Flender hurriedly looked toward the shelf and discovered that the socks there were a matching pair with the ones on his feet. The other one was still on his foot...

Flender quickly used Soul Power to retrieve the sock from the shelf. Lang Lei instinctively retreated far away in disgust.

"Ahem, I was only joking just now." Flender turned around and clasped his hands behind his back, pretending nothing had happened.

"Fine..." Lang Lei pouted in feigned disappointment, then casually pointed at a battered jar.

"Boss, how much is this?"

"..."

"Five—no, fifteen Gold Soul Coins. Lowest price!" This time, Flender took a careful look before answering. To keep the other party from being unable to afford it, he had even deliberately quoted less.

"Hmm..."

"What is it?"

"I don't have enough money..." Lang Lei pretended to be deeply troubled.

"..." Flender was speechless and could only ask proactively, "How many Gold Soul Coins do you have?"

"O-one..."

"..."

"Forget it. I'll bear the pain and part with it. One Gold Soul Coin, consider it a gift." Flender spoke as though he were being extremely generous.

"No! You're a good person, Boss. I can't let you suffer such a loss." Lang Lei said righteously. "No matter what, I won't take this jar. Boss, there's no need to try to persuade me!"

"Uh..."

"Boss, how many Gold Soul Coins is this?" After looking around for a while longer, Lang Lei finally pointed at the Gold Ore.

"One Gold Soul Coin!" Flender glanced at it. It was just an ordinary rock, albeit one with a slightly unusual appearance.

"Deal!" Lang Lei supported Griseo in his arms with one hand and slapped a Gold Soul Coin onto the table with the other. He casually stored the Gold Ore in his Storage Soul Tool, then left Flender's little shop without looking back.

"..." Flender froze. That guy actually had a Storage Soul Tool! How could he possibly be short on money?

"Forget it, I still made a profit. It was only a rock." Flender muttered as he lay back down in his grand chair. "Young people these days are something else..."