Purchasing

"How could this be? Didn't they say Linglong Pavilion has everything? How can they not even have the mere hundred-year Crimson Gold Snake Eye and Bear King Gallbladder!"

Yuan Qinghua's face darkened. He had previously boasted to Xu Yi that Linglong Pavilion was unparalleled in the world, but now, as soon as he opened his mouth, he was hit with a blow.

Xu Yi was also extremely displeased. After listening to Master Zhou's explanation, he had become extremely interested in the Overlord Strength Art. Master Zhou had said that the most difficult hurdle in cultivating the Overlord Strength Art was the unbearable pain during the reversal of meridians. Xu Yi was very confident in his ability to endure pain. He had originally planned to gather the medicinal ingredients and immediately cultivate the Overlord Strength Art, thus obtaining a life-saving skill. Who would have thought such a situation would arise?

"Could your establishment please procure them on our behalf? I don't believe that in such a large city as Guang'an, these two medicinal ingredients are nowhere to be found. I trust that with your establishment's capabilities, this should not be difficult. We can wait here."

Xu Yi offered a compromise.

The brown-haired woman said, "Esteemed guest may not be aware of Linglong Pavilion's capabilities. Let me put it this way: if Linglong Pavilion lacks certain medicinal ingredients, then no other shop in the entirety of Guang'an City would have them. To be honest, medicinal ingredients like the hundred-year Crimson Gold Snake Eye and Bear King Gallbladder are not exceedingly rare, but they are hard to come by. After all, obtaining such demonic beasts is difficult, and any that are occasionally acquired are bought up immediately."

"So, you mean we can only rely on luck to gather these seven medicinal ingredients!"

Seeing the deal slipping through his fingers, Yuan Qinghua was extremely displeased.

"Shut up!"

Xu Yi glared at him. Anger was never the way to solve problems. "In situations like this, how are they usually resolved? I believe your establishment must have a way to teach me."

At this moment, the brown-haired woman's attention finally focused on Xu Yi's face, and she realized that this disheveled, scruffy man was likely the true customer. "Esteemed guest is too kind. In such situations, generally, the esteemed guest places an order and pays a certain deposit. Once Linglong Pavilion has gathered all the medicinal ingredients, they will notify you. After you pay the remaining balance, you can collect the goods, and the transaction will be complete."

"Then let it be so. How much will it cost to gather these seven medicinal ingredients, and what is the deposit?"

Having no other choice, as the timing was not right, Xu Yi could only wait.

As soon as Xu Yi finished speaking, the smile on the brown-haired woman's face finally became genuine. She knew that once the conversation reached this point, the deal was essentially made. She immediately quoted a price.

Without waiting for Xu Yi to respond, Yuan Qinghua, driven by shame and a desire to prove himself, interjected from the side.

After a round of sharp-tongued bargaining, the medicinal ingredients, originally priced at 150 gold coins with a 50 gold coin deposit, were reduced by Yuan Qinghua to 120 gold coins with a 30 gold coin deposit. He also demanded that Linglong Pavilion promise to deliver the goods within two months, otherwise, in addition to returning the deposit, they would have to compensate for the loss of time.

Both Yuan Qinghua and Xu Yi were overjoyed with the negotiation outcome.

Yuan Qinghua had managed to cut the price by 30 gold coins. According to their agreement, one-tenth of this amount belonged to him, so he would net 3 gold coins from this deal.

As for Xu Yi, when he first heard Master Zhou mention that Master Zhou and his late master had gone through great hardship to gather these seven medicinal ingredients, Xu Yi had assumed they would be extremely valuable, possibly costing hundreds of gold coins. He never expected to acquire them for just over a hundred gold coins, which was far below his expectations, and he couldn't help but be pleased. In reality, Xu Yi had underestimated the difficulty. He made money quickly through illicit means, unaware of how difficult it was for ordinary people to obtain a hundred gold coins.

Only the brown-haired woman's joy was somewhat diminished. She hadn't expected Yuan Qinghua to be so difficult to deal with, which lessened her joy at closing a major deal. With a pretty expression, she asked, "Esteemed guest, will you be paying in cash or with bank notes?"

"Bank notes? Are there banks here?" Xu Yi was greatly surprised.

Yuan Qinghua, realizing his employer's lack of worldly knowledge, glanced at the brown-haired woman, who had a dark expression, and quickly said, "Master, you have come from the countryside and may not be aware of this. Although these Crimson Gold Coins are valuable, they are also heavy. When trading, a hundred or a thousand gold coins are manageable, but if it's ten thousand or a hundred thousand gold coins, it becomes troublesome, practically impossible to carry. For the convenience of the people, our Great Yue Royal Court, in conjunction with the five great aristocratic families and the four major sects, established the 'Tianxia Money House' to facilitate the circulation of money throughout the realm."

"So that's how it is!"

Xu Yi's thoughts shifted slightly, and he understood. After all, some laws of the world were interconnected. In his past and present lives, in both worlds, people who were hungry needed to eat, and those who were thirsty needed to drink. This world having money houses instead of banks, while feeling incongruous, was also normal.

"I'll pay in cash." Xu Yi took out a gold cake from his waist pouch and handed it over.

"Whoosh!"

"Hah!"

Instantly, Yuan Qinghua and the brown-haired woman's eyes widened, their mouths agape, and they let out loud gasps.

With a thud, Yuan Qinghua's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground.

The brown-haired woman stared intently at the gold cake in Xu Yi's hand, which gleamed with a soul-stirring radiance under the warm lamplight. She remained silent for a long time.

"Hurry up and settle the accounts. Help me exchange the remainder for twenty gold coins, eight 100-gold bank notes, and fifteen 10-gold bank notes."

Xu Yi spoke with emphasis.

The brown-haired woman finally snapped back to reality but dared not accept the gold coins. She apologized and quickly left.

"Master, you... you truly are a hidden dragon, a crouching tiger!"

Yuan Qinghua struggled to his feet and exclaimed with admiration from the bottom of his heart.

Earlier, he had changed his address to "Master" for Xu Yi's sake, purely to save face. He had originally looked down on Xu Yi, his employer, for his lack of worldly knowledge, viewing this collaboration as merely a business transaction.

But when Xu Yi casually produced a gold cake worth a thousand gold coins, he was utterly stunned.

"Calm yourself and focus. Don't forget, I have another deal. In your current state, I wouldn't dare entrust the subsequent business to you."

Xu Yi naturally knew the value of a single gold cake. The Zhou family, despite their wealth, had only managed to save two gold cakes over three years, which they intended to present to Lingxiao Pavilion.

"No, no, Master, rest assured. I will risk my life to complete your task."

Greed moved him. At this moment, Yuan Qinghua was stimulated by the thousand-gold gold cake as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

As the two were speaking, the brown-haired woman returned quickly. Shortly after, a portly old man in fine robes and jade belt walked in with a smile.

The brown-haired woman introduced the old man with a smile as Steward Wu of Linglong Pavilion.

After everyone had exchanged greetings, Steward Wu clapped his hands, and a waiter quickly approached, carrying a tray with a stack of golden notes, each about a palm wide and two fingers long, and a number of gold coins.

Steward Wu pointed to the tray and said, "These are the bank notes you requested, esteemed guest. Please count them!"

Xu Yi was not polite. He placed the gold cake on the tray, grabbed the bank notes and gold coins, and began counting. As soon as he finished counting, he frowned and asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

He had requested eight 100-gold notes, fifteen 10-gold notes, and twenty gold coins. After deducting the 30 gold coin deposit, the remaining amount should be 970 gold coins.

However, on the tray lay eight 100-gold notes, eighteen 10-gold notes, and twenty gold coins, totaling 1000 gold coins.