Phantom

If this had been before Lei Dong was summoned and rewarded by the Ancestor, Zhao Baiwan would have slapped him across the face without a second thought for daring to cause such a scene. But now, he didn't dare. Forcing a smile, he put on the air of a businessman seeking harmony and profit: "Junior Brother Lei, this is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding my ass." Lei Dong acted impulsively, feigning rage as if he wanted to punch him. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to get those two Spirit Ghosts? That crappy Soul Nurturing Pagoda you sold me actually killed one of my Spirit Ghosts!" He shouted loudly, and a few passing brothers in the distance stopped to watch the commotion.

"Misunderstanding, it really is a misunderstanding." Zhao Baiwan quickly laughed and tried to smooth things over. "How could something I sold be defective? It must be that you, Junior Brother, accidentally mishandled it, mishandled it." As he spoke, he kept winking at Lei Dong, lowering his voice humbly. "Junior Brother Lei, don't yell. Everything can be discussed, discussed. Let's talk inside." But in his heart, he was bitter. This time, he'd really tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice. He'd thought this junior brother, with no background and only average talent, would be easy to fool and that he could toy with him without consequence. Who would have guessed he'd catch the Ancestor's favor and be rewarded with over a hundred Spirit Stones and a Mid-grade Magic Artifact? These were honors few enjoyed except the Ancestor's direct disciples.

By now, Zhao Baiwan truly didn't dare offend Lei Dong. If he kept shouting and ruined his business, that was a small matter. But if he ended up drawing out the Ghost Slave or the Ancestor, no amount of lives would be enough to pay for it.

Lei Dong also knew when to quit. With a dark face, he gave a cold snort, acting somewhat reluctant as he let Zhao Baiwan half-pull, half-push him into the room.

"Junior Brother, this matter is this elder brother's fault. How about returning the Soul Nurturing Pagoda to me, and I'll refund you ten times the Spirit Stones?" Zhao Baiwan, after much coaxing to get Lei Dong to sit down, spoke with a pained expression, his fat face trembling.

"Ten times the Spirit Stones?" Lei Dong's face flushed with anger as he stood up and cursed, "Zhao Baiwan, do you take me for a fool? The Spirit Ghost you killed is worth far more than that. How about I go find Lord Ghost Slave and let him judge this?"

"Calm down, Junior Brother, calm down." After considerable effort, Zhao Baiwan managed to get Lei Dong to sit again. Gritting his teeth with a pained look, he said, "I'll compensate, I'll compensate, alright? Tell me, Junior Brother Lei, how much should this foolish brother pay?"

Only then did Lei Dong's expression ease slightly. He glanced at Zhao Baiwan and snorted coldly, "I was going to demand ten times the compensation, but since you, Senior Brother Zhao, are being sincere enough, thirty Spirit Stones, and this matter is settled."

"Thirty Spirit Stones!?" Zhao Baiwan jumped up, his face pale and aggrieved. "That's impossible! Where am I supposed to find thirty Spirit Stones to compensate you?"

"Don't play poor with me here." Lei Dong snorted dismissively. "You've been in business for years, and they say your wealth has long surpassed ten thousand. How can you not afford a mere thirty Spirit Stones? If you're unwilling, then..."

"Fine, thirty Spirit Stones it is." Zhao Baiwan's heart felt like a dull knife was cutting it, aching terribly. All for the sake of a little petty gain, for a bit of merchant's so-called pride—who would have thought the loss would be greater? Afraid that Lei Dong might get greedier, he quickly and painfully counted out thirty Spirit Stones.

Lei Dong took the Spirit Stones and put them away, his face returning to normal as he smiled. "Since that's settled, this matter is completely over. Senior Brother Zhao, actually, I came here this time with another business deal for you."

"Business?" Zhao Baiwan, who would normally be overjoyed at the word, now shuddered visibly. His voice trembled slightly. "What kind of business?"

"I want to buy a Low Grade Flying Magic Item. I assume you have some in stock, Senior Brother?" Lei Dong stretched lazily and added, "Of course, this will be a fair trade. I won't let you take a loss."

Hearing this, Zhao Baiwan's heart settled somewhat. He thought to himself that while this junior brother was ruthless, he knew to leave some leeway. Otherwise, if he went too far, even if it meant risking the Ancestor's punishment, he'd have to bite a piece of flesh off him. Perking up a bit, he said, "A Low Grade Flying Magic Item? Yes, I have some. What price range are you looking for, Junior Brother?"

Lei Dong quickly calculated the Spirit Stones he had. He'd spent a small sum on the Mind Focusing Pill earlier, but he'd mostly recouped that by occasionally gathering various random yin herbs and mushrooms. Adding the thirty Spirit Stones Zhao Baiwan had just compensated, his total came to about one hundred and seventy.

After a moment's thought, Lei Dong spoke. "I want a flying magic item worth around three hundred Spirit Stones."

"Three hundred Spirit Stones?" Zhao Baiwan's spirits soared. It had been a while since he'd seen such a big deal. Looking at Lei Dong again, he seemed much more agreeable. Three hundred Spirit Stones—that was a huge fortune. His eyes narrowed into slits as he quickly stood up. "Junior Brother, please wait a moment. I'll be right back."

Before long, Zhao Baiwan came out carefully holding a box. He placed it on the table, looking rather smug. "This Phantom Flying Sword is a fine item. Although it's only a Low Grade Magic Artifact in quality, its speed is no less than an ordinary Middle Grade Flying Magic Item. At full speed, it can cover a thousand li in an hour. I've never been willing to sell it. If it weren't for our connection and the favor I owe you, I'd never part with it." He was indeed proud. In truth, this flying sword wasn't acquired through purchase—he'd taken it from a severely injured high-level Qi Refining Stage rogue cultivator years ago. Though he'd spent a hefty sum of several dozen Spirit Stones to erase the previous owner's Mind Power imprint, it was still far worth it compared to the sword's value.

Lei Dong picked up the Phantom Flying Sword without changing his expression. It was entirely Black Ink in color, with a hilt shaped like a skull—lifelike and fierce. The blade had a slight curve, showing excellent aerodynamics. Running his hand over it, he could feel its cool, heavy material. He channeled a bit of Profound Yin True Qi into it, and the entire sword emitted a dark green glow, almost black.

Seeing Lei Dong playing with it and the dark light appear, Zhao Baiwan said with a smile, "I'm sure you've noticed, Junior Brother, that when this flying sword is activated, its Escape Light is a deep green, almost dark. That's not much during the day, but at night, it makes it hard for others to spot you. It indirectly provides a degree of stealth."

Lei Dong gave a noncommittal "Oh" and didn't respond, instead asking, "Since you've listed so many advantages, Senior Brother, why not talk about its flaws?" In truth, Lei Dong already knew that if this flying sword were as good as he claimed, it wouldn't have been rated as a Low Grade Flying Magic Item—it would be Middle Grade.

Zhao Baiwan's smile froze. If this were before, he could have fooled this junior brother. But now, he wouldn't dare even with more guts. His lips twitched as he let out a dry, raspy laugh. "Junior Brother truly has good eyes, good eyes. The only weakness of this flying sword is its high consumption. A normal Middle Grade Flying Magic Item of similar speed only costs one Spirit Stone to fly a thousand li. But this sword requires two. Even if you use true qi instead of Spirit Stones, it consumes twice as much as other flying swords of equal quality. At your current cultivation level, Junior Brother, after flying about a hundred li, your internal true qi will be nearly exhausted." Knowing this junior brother wasn't easy to fool and even a bit afraid to try, Zhao Baiwan honestly laid out the flaws.

So it has a fatal flaw after all, Lei Dong sighed inwardly. Spirit Stones were a precious resource everyone desperately needed. Ordinary Qi Refining Stage disciples would split every single Spirit Stone in half if they could. Who would be willing to use a flying sword that guzzled Spirit Stones? But precisely because of this, it had fallen into Lei Dong's hands. Otherwise, it would have been bought up long ago.

However, even Lei Dong, with the Soul Devouring Pagoda in hand, couldn't help but wince at the thought of the massive Spirit Stone consumption. From here to the market was about eight thousand li. Using this Phantom Flying Sword for a round trip would cost around thirty-two Spirit Stones. But Lei Dong didn't want to miss out on this rare flying sword that combined speed and stealth. If its consumption were normal and it still met those two criteria, it would likely cost far more than the paltry sum he had on him. And even if he had the Spirit Stones, a small-time merchant like Zhao Baiwan wouldn't have a flying magic item of that level.

Lei Dong took a deep, cold breath. "Double the Spirit Stone consumption during flight! Senior Brother Zhao, do you take me for a fat sheep?" But in his mind, he was determined to get it. Fast flight meant more chances to escape, which meant safety. And nighttime stealth added another layer of insurance on top of speed. As for double the Spirit Stone consumption—so be it! After all, he was someone with the Soul Devouring Pagoda in hand. Safety was the most important thing.

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