"We are all human. Whether we are cultivators or mortals, whenever we want to buy something, we can never escape the matter of comparing three shops."
Sun Zhicheng said loudly, "Whenever someone wants to buy something, they naturally want the best value for their money. After all, whose silver, whose Spirit Stones, were blown in on the wind? If you are a child of some great clan, then pretend I never said that!"
As soon as he said this, the onlookers burst into laughter once more.
Meng Haoran did not find Sun Zhicheng's words amusing. He said calmly, "What you say sounds reasonable, and comparing three shops is only human nature. But Xinghua Meng Pavilion has rules for doing business. They are written clearly in black and white: once goods have been sold and leave the pavilion, they may not be returned or exchanged!"
Meng Haoran stepped forward a few paces and raised his voice. "If everyone acted like you, coming to Xinghua Meng Pavilion to return or exchange goods for no reason—one group coming today to return Spirit Stones, another group coming tomorrow to exchange goods—then Xinghua Meng Pavilion might as well close its doors!"
Meng Haoran's words were reasonable and rang like iron striking the ground.
Among the crowd outside were quite a few people who ran shops of their own. After hearing Meng Haoran's words, they all nodded in agreement.
"If Xinghua Meng Pavilion had not hung up that sign, and if it did not say that once goods were sold and left the pavilion, they could not be returned or exchanged, then if you came here to return or exchange goods, the Meng Family would have no second word to say!"
Meng Haoran suddenly changed tack. "Moreover, our Meng Family's establishment is called Xinghua Meng Pavilion. It is a cultivation pavilion, and all the goods sold within are cultivation items. You take these things out, then bring them back to return or exchange them—do you think that is appropriate?"
With things having been said to this extent, there was no room left for retreat!
Sun Zhicheng suddenly pulled out two items from his robes and lightly waved them in the air. "Both of these talismans are defensive talismans. The one in my left hand is a defensive talisman sold by Xinghua Meng Pavilion, while the one in my right hand is a defensive talisman sold by Xinghua Lin Pavilion. The reason I came to your pavilion today to demand the return of my Spirit Stones was precisely because I saw the defensive talisman sold by the Lin Family pavilion!"
Meng Haoran asked calmly, "Fellow Daoist Sun, are you unaware? Although the Lin Family and my Meng Family are both located in Xinghua Village, and our pavilions stand on the same street in Qingyang County Town, the quality of the talismans we sell differs. The talismans sold by the Lin Family, whether in quality or effect, fall far short of the Meng Family's talismans. You may go outside and ask around about that."
Sun Zhicheng smiled faintly and waved a hand. "No need to ask! The Lin Family's talismans being inferior to the Meng Family's was true in the past! But this defensive talisman in my hand is the Lin Family's latest-developed defensive talisman. Its effects far surpass those of your Meng Family's defensive talismans!"
Upon hearing this, Meng Haoran's expression froze. His eyes fixed straight on the tiny talisman in Sun Zhicheng's right hand.
The Meng Family had entered Xinghua Village first and had accumulated several centuries of cultivation foundations. In the making of talismans, they had always led the Lin and Chen Families of Xinghua Village.
This was something all Rogue Cultivators in Qingyang County Town had witnessed with their own eyes.
Yet the defensive talisman Sun Zhicheng had suddenly produced had caught Meng Haoran completely off guard!
Meng Haoran's gaze shifted as he asked in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist Sun, since you claim that this defensive talisman sold by the Lin Family is better than the defensive talismans sold by my Meng Family, then please explain: where does the Lin Family's advantage lie?"
Seeing that he had gained the upper hand in words, Sun Zhicheng naturally pressed his victory.
"Kid! Since you want an explanation, I'll show you solid proof!"
Sun Zhicheng waved his hand. "Kid! Step back a few paces. Be careful not to get hurt!"
Hearing this, Meng Haoran smiled and retreated several steps.
Sun Zhicheng walked to an open patch of ground in front of the pavilion, took out the defensive talisman sold by the Meng Family, and violently flung it into the air!
Then Sun Zhicheng shouted, "Storm Stab!"
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth before him suddenly surged. Then it formed one wind spike after another, shooting furiously toward the Meng Family's defensive talisman!
Just before Storm Stab reached the Meng Family's defensive talisman, Sun Zhicheng suddenly shouted, "Explode!"
As Sun Zhicheng's words rang out, that defensive talisman abruptly exploded!
In the blink of an eye, it formed a small defensive formation!
It instantly swallowed Storm Stab within it!
Sun Zhicheng stepped forward and looked at the wall. "Kid, take a look. The talismans sold by your Meng Family are indeed quite good, but aside from protecting the area directly in front of a cultivator, they cannot protect the other areas!"
Hearing this, Meng Haoran looked closely. Most of the Storm Stab Daoist Magic Sun Zhicheng had just used had been blocked by the defensive talisman made by the Meng Family. Only five or six wind spikes had not been stopped and had pierced directly into the blank wall!
It perfectly confirmed Sun Zhicheng's words.
"Kid, don't be in such a hurry. Now take another look at the defensive talisman sold by the Lin Family!"
After saying that, Sun Zhicheng repeated the same procedure. He threw up the Lin Family's defensive talisman, then used Storm Stab again, sending it stabbing toward the blank wall!
The Lin Family's defensive talisman suddenly exploded. In an instant, it formed a small formation several inches larger than the Meng Family talisman's!
It swallowed every last one of Sun Zhicheng's Storm Stab attacks!
Seeing this, Sun Zhicheng raised a brow slightly, turned back toward Meng Haoran, and asked, "Kid, open those big eyes of yours wide and take a good look at the Lin Family Talisman. How is it?"
At his words, Meng Haoran looked over and saw that aside from the earlier marks, the blank wall had not gained a single new puncture hole.
"The Lin Family's talismans can actually surpass the Meng Family's talismans?"
"Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up and buy them!"
"If we're even a few steps too late, we won't be able to buy any!"
Someone in the crowd outside suddenly shouted several times.
This prompted everyone to rush away.
Sun Zhicheng came before Meng Haoran and smiled. "Your Meng Family sells talismans for four Spirit Stones, while the Lin Family's talismans cost only one Spirit Stone more. Although they cost one extra Spirit Stone, their defensive power is plain for all to see. With just one more Spirit Stone, we can buy talismans better than your Meng Family's, talismans that can protect the lives of us Rogue Cultivators at critical moments. Kid, which kind of talisman do you think we would buy?"
Rogue Cultivators like Sun Zhicheng were unlike Lineage members like Meng Haoran. The former had limited resources, so the talismans they purchased naturally had to be the kind that could protect their lives.
Since the Lin Family's talismans cost only one Spirit Stone more than the Meng Family's talismans, Rogue Cultivators would certainly buy the talismans sold by the former.
After all, one only had one life!
Sun Zhicheng asked again, "Kid, which kind of talisman do you think we would buy?"
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