Deal

Was there?

There really was!

If what she wanted had been more powerful immortal arts or stronger cultivation methods, Chen Xuan naturally would have had no way to provide them.

But what she lacked was not any specific cultivation technique.

Rule Two of the Shopkeeper's Rules, "Treat every ability with care," was practically telling him that even seemingly insignificant abilities might hold the key to solving certain problems.

The methods of trade were illustrated in the latter half of the booklet, and the process was not complicated, so he had memorized it after reading it once. To be honest, he was curious whether these so-called ability trades could truly work. But at this point, any doubts no longer mattered. Once the arrow left the bow, there was no turning back.

Chen Xuan picked up the barcode scanner in one hand and operated the mouse with the other, opening the inventory.

He skipped over "Can Eat a Lot" and "Can Sleep a Lot," as they probably did not suit her needs. After thinking for a moment, he selected "Broadly Read Through the Ages" LV2 and pressed the scan button at Liu Shuyue.

The software immediately responded.

A box popped up on the left side of the screen, corresponding exactly to the inventory box!

Ability Trader: 1

Name: Liu Shuyue.

However, her box was blank. Green arrows connected the two boxes, and each box had four slots.

Clearly, what traders had to offer was not money, but their own abilities.

"So this is... the ability trade you spoke of?" Liu Shuyue's expression changed drastically, as though she could see something. She reached out and felt through the air, muttering, "But how do I know it's what I need?"

"This shop does not do one-off business. We put customer experience first—if you think it doesn't match the description or is of no help to you whatsoever, you may return or exchange it for free within a month," Chen Xuan said smoothly. "As for the price... I first need to see what abilities you are willing to trade."

As soon as he finished speaking, something new appeared in the blank box!

"Heart Calming Incantation" LV6. White rarity.

There was another line of annotation below: A beginner cultivation method. Its advantage is that it suits most people's talents; its disadvantage is the same.

"How about this?" she asked.

Chen Xuan remained silent.

Liu Shuyue thought for a moment, then raised a brow. Another entry appeared in the box.

"Feng Shui Secrets" LV1. Also white rarity.

He still gave no response.

The girl frowned.

Soon, the third slot in the box lit up as well.

"Alchemy" LV2, still white.

"This should do, right?"

Chen Xuan considered it, but ultimately shook his head slightly. That was because he saw that the performance points beneath the box had risen to "4."

"You're taking three of my abilities in exchange for one of yours, and you're still not satisfied?" Liu Shuyue's expression grew even uglier. "They are clearly all abilities of the same grade. What exactly is the basis for your pricing?"

"How much rice can a sword be exchanged for?" he countered.

The girl hesitated before replying, "...I don't know."

"..." He coughed twice. "Let's say ten loads. Then if a farmer needs to protect his grain, or a swordsman is about to starve to death, would the terms of that trade remain unchanged?"

"The former might use twenty or thirty loads of rice to buy the precious sword, because he has another hundred loads of grain stored in his home. But the latter would be willing to trade for even a single load of rice, because if he does not eat, he will starve to death."

"When you desperately need something, it naturally becomes more expensive."

Liu Shuyue's gaze turned slightly cold. "The example you gave is called exploiting someone's desperation."

"I did not force you to trade." Chen Xuan sighed. "It even comes with a trial period—I already said that you can return it at the original price within a month. Someone exploiting your desperation would not let you use it for twenty-nine days without charging anything, would they? Besides, those abilities you are willing to trade... are they really that rare? Especially for a sect disciple."

Her imposing manner faltered.

Chen Xuan immediately knew that his guess had been correct. Even an ordinary person like him had four abilities available for trade, so she most likely had even more.

Moreover, an ability-for-ability trade looked fair, but a little thought made it clear that it was a huge loss for the shopkeeper, because the inventory would not increase!

The number of abilities in the inventory determined his future success rate in making deals. The more he stockpiled, the more bargaining chips he would have to offer.

After hesitating for a while, Liu Shuyue finally made up her mind. "I'll add one last thing. If this still isn't enough, then forget it!"

As she spoke, the fourth slot lit up as well.

"Spirit Sword Technique" LV5, white rarity.

Chen Xuan moved the mouse over it: Sword qi attached to external objects; even flying petals and plucked leaves could injure people. It looked quite powerful, but at its core, it was still a common-grade ability.

All four of her slots were now filled, and the performance points had become "5."

This showed that the shopkeeper's performance placed greater importance on transaction volume. What he sold also counted, so if both sides' boxes were filled, one transaction could earn eight performance points.

But his inventory was too limited now, so he clearly could not do that yet.

At this point, even if he wanted her to add more, there was no room left in the trade box.

"That truly is a discounted price." Chen Xuan finally nodded. "If you have no objections, then we have a deal."

"...What a pity."

"What is?"

"I thought this place was tastefully decorated and pleasant, and the goods you sell are so incredible. You must surely be a member of an immortal sect, sir, not someone who haggles over every last coin like an ordinary merchant." Liu Shuyue's tone was regretful. "My accepting four for one does not mean others will do the same. If you encounter an independent cultivator or an evil cultivator next time, be careful not to push them too hard, lest it backfire."

If he had been any other cultivator, hearing her compare him to a merchant might have made him fly into a rage on the spot.

But he was not a cultivator.

He merely wanted to expand his inventory and improve his performance. Was that wrong?

"Thanks for the advice." Chen Xuan smiled and nodded. "Are you done?"

"You—" The girl was at a loss for words. She shot him a fierce glare. "Fine, deal!"

The moment Chen Xuan pressed the confirm button, he immediately felt as though something had been pulled out of his body, while four new entries instantly appeared in his inventory.

So this was what it felt like to lose "Broadly Read Through the Ages"...

He tried to recall those historical tales, but his mind contained nothing but blankness.

In contrast, Liu Shuyue's eyes rolled slightly upward, her eyelids trembling as if she were having a seizure. Fortunately, the process lasted only a second or two before she quickly returned to normal.

"How is it? How do you feel?" Chen Xuan also wanted to know about the customer experience.

"I... I feel like a lot of things suddenly appeared in my head..." She covered her forehead and muttered, "So that's... so that's how it is..."

"How is it?"

"No, it's nothing. Since the deal is done, I'll take my leave first." Liu Shuyue seemed eager to leave. She staggered as she turned and walked out of the shop, not even giving Chen Xuan a chance to question her.

A few seconds after the girl left, the familiar view of the residential complex returned.

Chen Xuan walked to the entrance and craned his head outside for a look. Only after confirming that she had vanished did he take a deep breath.

His first deal had gone through just like that?

Everything that had happened was real. The Shopkeeper's Rules were not some baseless fantasy, but a genuine guide for the profession!

The specks of blood on the floor still reminded him that a visitor from another world had indeed come here just now and purchased one of his abilities.

What he urgently needed to do now was not confirm the results of the transaction, but clean up those bloodstains first. Otherwise, if Uncle Police came knocking, he would never be able to clear his name.