Zhang Mingyuan of the Zhang Family

The man looked utterly puzzled. "Kid, what are you talking about? What do you mean, I've been duped?"

If not for the fact that the kid before him was rather good-looking, he would have long since turned around and left.

Meng Haoran pointed at the Mysterious Earth Barbarian Bull calf in his hands and smiled. "Fellow Daoist, did you just buy this Mysterious Earth Barbarian Bull from West Market?"

The man nodded slightly. "Yes! What about it?"

"Then that's it! This Spirit Beast has a hidden ailment!"

After saying that, Meng Haoran folded his arms across his chest and struck a mysterious, unfathomable pose.

"A hidden ailment?"

The man's face filled with anger as he barked, "Kid, don't you dare deceive me! I, Zhang Mingyuan, am not someone to be trifled with!"

Zhang Mingyuan had just spent eight hundred Spirit Stones in West Market to buy this Mysterious Earth Barbarian Bull calf. He had already thought it was somewhat expensive, and hearing the kid before him say this naturally made him angry.

"Zhang Mingyuan? Fellow Daoist Zhang, don't be hasty. Listen while I explain it to you slowly!"

With that, Meng Haoran crouched down and pointed. "Fellow Daoist Zhang, take a look here."

Zhang Mingyuan slowly crouched as well, following the direction of Meng Haoran's finger. His gaze landed right on the eyes of the Mysterious Earth Barbarian Bull calf in his hands.

"What's wrong with that? I don't see anything unusual!"

"Fellow Daoist Zhang must be occupied with countless matters every day. How would you notice such small details? I've dealt with these Spirit Beasts that plow the Spirit Plant Fields many times, so I understand them a little more deeply."

Meng Haoran replied, "Normally, a Mysterious Earth Barbarian Bull would never be this large. One of this size would already be an adult Barbarian Bull! Under normal circumstances, an adult Barbarian Bull would only cost between five hundred and six hundred Spirit Stones. Fellow Daoist Zhang, you understand what I mean, right?"

At this point, how could Zhang Mingyuan fail to understand?

Zhang Mingyuan abruptly rose to his feet and cursed furiously, "Damn it! That little bastard actually dared to swindle me, Zhang! Today, I'll smash his platform, overturn his stall, and tear down his signboard!"

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, wait a moment longer!"

Still crouching on the ground, Meng Haoran reached out and gently lifted the Mysterious Earth Barbarian Bull calf's eyelid. "The eyes of normal Spirit Beasts are clearly black and white. But this Mysterious Earth Barbarian Bull you just bought has bloodshot eyes, and its aura has remained vigorous and powerful. Fellow Daoist Zhang, what does that tell you?"

Zhang Mingyuan shook his head repeatedly, indicating that he did not know.

Seeing this, Meng Haoran explained, "It means that this Mysterious Earth Barbarian Bull has been in a constant state of excitement!"

Zhang Mingyuan slapped his thigh and shouted, "They fed the Mysterious Earth Barbarian Bull pills!"

Zhang Mingyuan was a cultivator and knew a thing or two about pills. Putting Meng Haoran's words together, it was not difficult for him to guess what tricks the Lin Family had played on these Spirit Beasts!

"Exactly! If they hadn't secretly fed these Spirit Beasts pills, how could they have grown so quickly? How could their quality have surpassed that of other Spirit Beasts?"

At his side, Meng Haoran fanned the flames. "It's like forcing the seedlings to grow in our Spirit Plant Fields! It looks delightful in the beginning, but when it comes time to harvest the spirit plants, you won't even have a place to cry!"

Zhang Mingyuan grabbed the Mysterious Earth Barbarian Bull calf and strode angrily toward the Lin Family's sales area.

Before leaving, he said one thing to Meng Haoran.

"Thank you!"

Watching Zhang Mingyuan's retreating back, Meng Haoran smiled at Meng Xiaoran. "Zhang Mingyuan isn't someone easy to provoke. If he causes a huge scene at the Lin Family's sales site, it'll be enough to give them a headache!"

Meng Xiaoran also praised Meng Haoran inwardly. "Brother Haoran, what should we do now?"

Meng Haoran replied, "Lin Qingbai wants to use Spirit Beast sales as a springboard to build up the Lin Family's strength. We'll do the opposite of what he wants. I've already found a good method for raising Spirit Beasts. To establish the reputation of our Meng Family's Spirit Beasts in West Market, today we'll ruin the Lin Family's name!"

Meng Xiaoran was overjoyed upon hearing this.

Now, not only had their Meng Family made tremendous progress with spirit plants, they had also eaten away at the Lin Family's talisman market. And now, their Meng Family was about to enter the Spirit Beast trade as well—three paths blooming at once!

Meng Haoran patted Meng Xiaoran on the shoulder. "Xiao Ran, go keep watch over at the Lin Family's place first. Remember everything they say to those customers."

Meng Xiaoran nodded. "Alright, Brother Haoran. I'll go over now."

Meng Haoran reminded him, "Be careful in everything you do!"

After saying that, Meng Haoran turned and left, heading in another direction.

"Zhang Mingyuan alone won't be enough. If I want to destroy the Lin Family's reputation in the Spirit Beast business in one stroke, I'll need to find a few more customers!"

At that moment, Lin Jiangfeng was sweating profusely, his hearty laughter ringing across the elevated platform.

"Those passing by, take a look! We only have three Spirit Beasts left here. If you don't buy them today, you'll have to wait until tomorrow!"

Lin Jiangfeng raised his hand and shouted, "Earlier, a customer bought five Spirit Beasts in one go! Opportunity knocks but once—once it's gone, it's gone!"

The moment his words fell, an angry curse suddenly rang out.

"Gone your mother!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the area around the platform abruptly fell silent. Everyone turned to look and discovered that the customer who had bought the Mysterious Earth Barbarian Bull calf not long ago had returned!

Lin Jiangfeng was utterly curious. "This customer, why have you come back?"

"Heh! Why have I come back? You still have the nerve to ask me that?"

As he spoke, Zhang Mingyuan flung the Mysterious Earth Barbarian Bull calf onto the platform and roared, "Kid! Dare you touch your conscience and say that the Spirit Beasts you're selling are all legitimate?"

Hearing this, Lin Jiangfeng's heart skipped a beat. Damn it! Someone found out!

The customer who had bought five Spirit Beasts at once stopped in his tracks, turned around, and walked to Zhang Mingyuan's side. "Fellow Daoist, what did you mean by what you just said?"

Seeing that this man had also been duped by the Lin Family just like him, Zhang Mingyuan repeated Meng Haoran's words in public.

Sure enough, after hearing it, the man's face immediately turned livid. He looked up at Lin Jiangfeng on the platform and said coldly, "Kid, is what this fellow Daoist said true?"

Seeing the cannibalistic gaze of the man below the platform, Lin Jiangfeng swallowed lightly. "This customer, please listen to me..."

Before he could finish, Zhang Mingyuan slammed a palm onto the platform, making it shake several times. He shouted sharply, "Little bastard! Say one more word of nonsense, and I'll wreck this platform!"

Lin Jiangfeng glared furiously. "You!"

At that moment, Lin Qingbai, who had been hiding to one side, suddenly jumped out with a placating smile. "Fellow Daoist, don't be so impatient. Let's talk this out properly!"