Because Their Currency Wasn't Accepted, the Two Were Embarrassed

"Let's go in and take a look." Lu Jing paused before the magnificent building, then pulled Wang Dong'er toward the largest General Store in Spirit City.

As they crossed the threshold, the view before them suddenly opened up. The interior was enormous, divided into several orderly sections. The Weapon Area, Armor Area, Material Area, Medicinal Material Area, Soul Tool Area... The dazzling array of goods was enough to make one's eyes swim. Shop Assistants in uniform bustled about, attending to richly dressed or otherwise extraordinary customers.

With a clear goal in mind, Lu Jing led Wang Dong'er straight to the counter at the very back of the Medicinal Material Area. The medicinal fragrance was strongest here. All kinds of Jade Boxes and Wooden Boxes sat on the counter, holding rare medicinal ingredients whose prices were clearly no small matter. A shrewd-looking middle-aged Shopkeeper in a neat Silk Shirt was checking a ledger.

"Boss, do you have Whale Rubber?" Lu Jing asked. His voice was not loud, yet it reached the Shopkeeper's ears clearly.

The middle-aged Shopkeeper looked up at the sound, a professional smile in his eyes. But when his gaze landed on Lu Jing's obviously young face, a trace of barely noticeable surprise flashed across it.

Then, when his eyes fell upon Wang Dong'er beside Lu Jing—slender and graceful, with peerless looks and bearing—that surprise instantly turned into amazement and deep curiosity. This pair was peculiar. The boy was far too young, while the Maiden was beautiful enough to seem otherworldly. Judging by her clothes and temperament, she was clearly not from an ordinary family.

The Shopkeeper was a businessman, after all, and quickly reined in his emotions. His smile became even more welcoming. "Yes, yes, yes! The young master and Young Lady want Whale Rubber? This shop does indeed have premium stock!"

As he spoke, he discreetly assessed them, seemingly evaluating their purchasing power and true intentions. Whale Rubber was good, but expensive, and it was mainly used for alchemy and that sort of thing, so such thoughts were only natural.

"We want the best. The oldest." Lu Jing added calmly, but with an unquestionable certainty in his tone.

"The best?" The Shopkeeper raised his brows. The smile on his face did not change, but his doubts only multiplied.

He probed, "Is the young master purchasing it for an elder in the family?" He truly could not think of any other reason a child would want top-grade Whale Rubber. Could it be for use with the beauty beside him, who was obviously of extraordinary birth? Wasn't that a bit excessive?

"Why are you asking so many questions?" Wang Dong'er frowned slightly, displeasure showing between her Beautiful Eyebrows. She disliked his probing gaze, especially the disdain it carried toward Lu Jing's age. "If you have it, bring it out for us to see. If not, we'll go elsewhere."

Startled by her cool yet proud voice, the Shopkeeper immediately put away his little thoughts. He could tell this Maiden was not merely a pretty face; the nobility in her bones could not be faked.

He hurriedly smiled apologetically. "Please calm your anger, Young Lady. It's not that I'm being nosy, it's just that... the best Whale Rubber is indeed extremely expensive. I was merely afraid the two of you would be disappointed after seeing the price. Since you want the finest, please wait a moment. I'll fetch it right away."

With that, the Shopkeeper turned around and carefully opened a hidden compartment in the cabinet behind him, one sealed with a special talisman. The compartment appeared ordinary, but faint Soul Power Fluctuation guarded it. Cautiously, he took out two Square Boxes carved from Dark Purple Sandalwood. The wood was warm and smooth, its grain delicate, and it gave off a faint fragrance. One look was enough to tell they were no ordinary items.

He solemnly set the two Wooden Boxes on the counter, then gently opened their lids as though unveiling priceless treasures.

The two pieces of Whale Rubber were nearly transparent, with an Amber Sheen. Golden liquid seemed to flow slowly within them, their glow contained and utterly free of impurities. The jelly itself faintly emitted a warm heat, and the surrounding space seemed subtly warped by the immense Life Energy contained within. A vast, ancient aura from the deep sea—from a Giant Beast—faintly seeped out, making one's mind tremble.

"Hiss..." Wang Dong'er could not help drawing a sharp breath. Her beautiful eyes were filled with shock. She came from the Clear Sky Sect and had seen plenty of fine things, but such pure Ten Thousand Year Whale Jelly, with such abundant energy, was exceedingly rare even Ten Thousand Years Later!

Rare things were precious. Whale Rubber of this quality would likely already be worth a fortune Ten Thousand Years Later, and even then, it would be impossible to buy.

"Young master, Young Lady, please take a look."

The Shopkeeper's voice carried a trace of pride and reverence as he explained, "These two pieces are the Myriad Treasure Pavilion's Bottom of the Box Treasures. They were taken from Ten Thousand Year Level Deep Sea Demonic Whales! Refined through a Secret Method by a top Alchemist, all impurities have been removed. Their Medicinal power is gentle yet immense—they are peerless treasures! I'm afraid you couldn't find a third piece in all of Spirit City."

He paused before naming a shocking price. "Thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins per piece."

"Thirty thousand?!" Wang Dong'er blurted out in surprise. Though she had been mentally prepared, hearing the price still made her heart skip a beat. If this price were placed Ten Thousand Years Later, forget buying Whale Rubber of this level—even getting Thousand Year quality of the same grade would be considered fortunate.

"Boss." Lu Jing lightly tapped the counter with his fingers, his gaze resting on the tempting Whale Rubber. His tone remained calm and even. "They're good goods, but thirty thousand is too expensive."

The Shopkeeper's smile stiffened slightly. "Young master, this is Ten Thousand Year Demonic Whale Rubber! It is absolutely worth the price! You can ask around..."

"I know it's precious."

Lu Jing interrupted him, his sharp gaze fixed on the Shopkeeper. "But no matter how precious something is, it only has value if there is demand. Whale Rubber may be good, but its uses are limited. And among the entire Douluo Continent, how many people can afford to pay that price for it? Boss, how long have these Bottom of the Box Treasures been sitting there? Twenty thousand for both. I'll take them."

"Twenty thousand?!"

The Shopkeeper's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He repeatedly waved his hands. "No, no, young master, you've cut the price far too harshly! This is Ten Thousand Year Demonic Whale Rubber, not cabbages! How about this? If you sincerely want them, eighty thousand for both—that's the lowest I can go!"

"Fifty thousand."

Without changing expression, Lu Jing directly stated his desired price. His tone was decisive as he reminded him, "Boss, business depends on circulation. Is this Whale Rubber going to breed or lay eggs in your hands? If you don't sell it to us today, we'll turn around and leave. Then your treasures will have to keep sitting in that hidden compartment as Bottom of the Box Treasures until who knows when. Maybe one day their Medicinal power will leak away, and they'll become worthless instead. Fifty thousand, payment and goods exchanged on the spot. What do you say?"

He did not speak quickly, but every sentence struck at the heart of the matter, directly pointing out the slow turnover and tied-up capital of top luxury goods like Whale Rubber. His assured, experienced bargaining manner was nothing like that of a child. He seemed more like a shrewd veteran who had spent years in the marketplace, leaving Wang Dong'er beside him utterly dumbfounded.

The Shopkeeper's face shifted between green and white, and fine sweat even seeped from his forehead. He had to admit Lu Jing made sense. He had acquired these two pieces of Whale Rubber years ago by chance from a powerful Soul Hunting Group in the deep sea. They had cost a fortune, yet few had ever shown interest, much less anyone wishing to buy both at once. If they remained unsold and their Medicinal power truly began to fade, the losses would only grow greater.

He looked at Lu Jing's unquestionable gaze, then at the breathtaking Maiden beside him. Though she was astonished by Lu Jing's bargaining, she clearly had no lack of money and was waiting to pay. Gritting his teeth, he said painfully as if carving flesh from his body, "This... young master, you truly are... Fine, fine! Consider it my first sale of the day and a good bond forged! Fifty thousand it is! Take both pieces!" As he spoke, he swiftly shut the Wooden Boxes, as though afraid Lu Jing would change his mind.

"Straightforward!" A faint smile finally appeared on Lu Jing's face.

Seeing this, Wang Dong'er admired Lu Jing even more and immediately acted. From an exquisite Space Soul Tool at her waist, she took out a dazzling card edged with tiny Crushed Diamonds. The card itself glimmered with a warm Soul Power radiance, and its front bore the Clear Sky Hammer Emblem and the mark of the Continental Union Bank, etched with incomparably intricate craftsmanship—symbols of identity and wealth Ten Thousand Years Later.

"Here. Fifty thousand." Wang Dong'er handed the card toward the Shopkeeper with natural ease.

The smile on the Shopkeeper's face completely froze the moment he saw the card. The muscles in his face twitched, his eyes widened round, filled with utter bewilderment and confusion.

He stared fixedly at the card he had never seen before. Its design was entirely unfamiliar, its material peculiar, and it even gave off faint Soul Power. It was as though he were looking at something from beyond the heavens.