Price Fluctuations

Price Fluctuations

Han Yi had been about to nod when he suddenly stiffened.

This female cultivator was no simple person. Though they had only met twice, she was remarkably familiar and outgoing, a completely different type from Chu Jinmo and Yan Ru.

Chu Jinmo was gentle and graceful, Yan Ru was cold and aloof, while Chen Yujin was smooth and worldly.

By comparison, Han Yi preferred dealing with Chu Jinmo and Yan Ru.

Han Yi reined in his thoughts. As usual, after entering the room, he went to a table and took the pills he had prepared in advance from his storage pouch.

Most of the pills he refined were sold to the Nine Dragon Shop. A smaller portion was reserved for the female cultivators of Little Sea View Peak, an even smaller portion was privately sold to fellow disciples he knew well, and the rest he kept for his own cultivation.

The moment the female cultivators saw Han Yi take out the pills, they swarmed forward like sharks that had scented blood. In less than a minute, every pill had been snapped up.

Those whose hands had been slower and had gotten less wore regretful, unsatisfied looks. They stared at Han Yi eagerly, hoping he would take out more.

Han Yi put the spirit stones into his storage pouch and spread his hands to show that there were no more. Only then did the women reluctantly disperse.

Han Yi had been privately trading pills with the female cultivators of Little Sea View Peak for more than a year or two. They were exceptionally welcoming toward his pills—one could even say they were thoroughly satisfied.

After all, his pills were reasonably priced, and their quality was far better than pills of the same price bought from the sect hall or the market.

Good quality at a low price naturally made them immensely popular.

Before leaving, a trace of doubt suddenly surfaced in Han Yi's heart. He stopped and asked Chen Yujin, "By the way, Junior Sister Chen, this transaction felt different from before. Are you all very short on pills?"

Chen Yujin sighed, lowering her brows in a pitiful manner, but Han Yi felt nothing at all.

"Senior Brother Han, you do not know."

"Recently, the prices of pills in the sect have risen, whether at the main hall or in the market."

"Your prices have remained unchanged. You have practically let all the junior sisters pick up a huge bargain."

"Now that I mention it, Senior Brother Han, you are not going to raise your prices too, are you? Please do not. If you raise them too, the junior sisters will have no way to survive."

As Chen Yujin raised her voice, Han Yi knew she had always been prone to exaggeration. This display was merely meant to keep him from raising his prices.

As for such a small amount of profit, Han Yi was indeed willing to forgo it for now, treating it as a means of maintaining connections.

"Junior Sister Chen, rest assured. No matter how prices rise within the sect, the pills I supply will absolutely remain at their original prices. There will be no changes."

Han Yi spoke with finality.

Chen Yujin's face lit up with delight, her charm flowing like silken threads.

Han Yi ignored that coquettish glance and continued, "Junior Sister Chen, do you know why the prices of sect pills have risen recently?"

Chen Yujin knew that this senior brother before her had no interest whatsoever in becoming Dao companions, so she stopped casting alluring glances.

"Senior Brother Han, it seems you truly know nothing. Fine, let me tell you. It is not just pills that have risen in price—everything in the sect has."

"Formations, talismans, magical artifacts, pills, pill-refining materials, and so on. Over the past month, they have all risen by more than ten percent compared with before."

"I heard... I heard..."

Chen Yujin's tone turned hesitant, as though she was considering whether she should say it.

"What did you hear? Just say it." Thinking she was deliberately stringing him along, Han Yi spoke impatiently.

"I only heard it from others, so it may not be true. I heard from an uncle-master that this wave of price increases has something to do with another sect."

"Another sect?"

Han Yi did not immediately understand.

Chen Yujin nodded. "That is right. According to rumors, in many places throughout Shu Province, the friction between the Blood God Sect and our Mystic Pill Sect has been increasing. I heard the sect higher-ups are rather tense right now."

Han Yi frowned. Information regarding the Blood God Sect surfaced in his mind, deepening his confusion.

"The Blood God Sect is also a sect of Great Qian. It has always kept to its own waters and we to ours with the Mystic Pill Sect. How could friction arise?"

Chen Yujin shook her head. "I do not know that. In any case, that is all I know."

"Right now, a somewhat heavy atmosphere is spreading beneath the surface in the sect. Senior Brother Han, take care of yourself."

Seeing that Chen Yujin knew nothing more, Han Yi put aside his doubts, cupped his hands in thanks, and turned to head down the mountain.

Along the way, information about the Blood God Sect surfaced in his mind.

The Blood God Sect was likewise a Golden Core sect of Great Qian. Though it was stronger than the Mystic Pill Sect, it was only stronger by a limited margin.

The Mystic Pill Sect occupied the Mystic Pill Mountain Range. Its influence stretched across Taibai, Nanyang, and Luofeng Commanderies in Shu Province, with its main power centered in Nanyang. It was also considered one of the major powers in Taibai Commandery and Luofeng Commandery.

The Blood God Sect lay west of the Mystic Pill Sect, bordering Taibai Commandery. It occupied another three commanderies of Shu Province, along with part of Taibai Commandery.

In terms of territory, the two were roughly comparable.

Their high-level cultivators were also nearly evenly matched in combat strength.

For many years, the two sects had lived in peace, each minding its own waters. In fact, because of the Mystic Pill Sect's nature, the Blood God Sect and the Mystic Pill Sect had maintained a fairly cordial relationship.

As Han Yi descended the mountain, his steps halted. He suddenly remembered that when he had gone to the Nine Dragon Shop today to sell pills, Manager He had offered a more generous price than usual.

He had thought it was because the pills he refined were of better quality, or simply due to normal market fluctuations.

But in light of Chen Yujin's words, there was clearly more to it.

If the Mystic Pill Sect and the Blood God Sect truly had friction, then the reactive price increases of pills and magical artifacts in the market made sense.

Han Yi paused on his way back to Little Spirit Void Peak. After descending the mountain, he turned directly toward a market in the Outer Peak.

An hour later, he left that market and entered Red Sun Peak again. This was his second time entering the Inner Peak that day.

Two hours later, evening drew near.

Han Yi returned to the courtyard of Little Spirit Void Peak with an exceptionally grave expression.

"Something is indeed wrong."

"All cultivation resources have risen in price across the board."

"Moreover, I saw quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Inner Peak. Under normal circumstances, it would be nearly impossible for so many Foundation Establishment cultivators to appear at once."

"This means something must have happened."

"Could it truly be related to the friction with the Blood God Sect?"

After investigating for most of the day, Han Yi felt as though mountain rain was about to come, with wind filling the tower.

"Tomorrow, I will go to the Inner Peak and ask Senior Brother Guan Di, or find Chu Jinmo and Yan Ru to see whether they have any internal news."

Han Yi decided to probe for more information the next day. Intelligence from the Inner Peak would certainly be more timely than that from the Outer Peak.

Then—

He entered the Meditation Chamber and took out the mid-grade sword artifact he had purchased that day.

He began refining the sword artifact.

No matter what happened, no matter what came to pass—

His own strength would always come first.

Cultivation never ceased.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, Han Yi tied the Shadowless Sword at his waist. For a sword artifact, carrying it close and periodically channeling spiritual power into it aided refinement.

This was part of a sword cultivator's daily routine, and Han Yi followed suit.

After securing the Shadowless Sword, he did not immediately leave. Instead, he sat cross-legged in the Meditation Chamber and summoned a semi-transparent pale-red panel.

The information displayed on it had changed markedly from more than a year ago.

Lifespan: 29/118

Realm: Qi Refining Layer 6 (21/100)

Cultivation Art: Fire Pill Profound Art (Subtlety 19/100)

Skills:

Pill Refining Technique (Peak Mastery 31/100)

Spirit Void Finger (Peak Mastery 22/100)

Sword Control Technique (Peak Mastery 37/100)

Body Lightening Technique (Peak Mastery 19/100)

Fire Shield Technique (Comprehensive Mastery 8/100)

Turtle Breath Technique (Intermediate 29/100)

Talisman Making Technique (First Glimpse 19/100)

(End of Chapter)