Deal

Is there?

There really was!

If what she wanted had been stronger immortal arts or more powerful cultivation methods, Chen Xuan would naturally have been helpless.

But what she lacked was not any specific technique.

Rule Two of the Shopkeeper's Rules—"Treat every ability with care"—was practically telling him that even some seemingly insignificant abilities might become the key solution to a certain problem.

The method of transaction was illustrated entirely with diagrams in the latter half of the booklet. The process was not complicated, so he had memorized it after reading it once. To be honest, he was also curious whether this so-called Ability Transaction could truly work. But at this point, any doubts had become meaningless. There was no turning back once the arrow had left the bow.

Chen Xuan picked up the Scanner Gun in one hand and operated the mouse with the other, opening the inventory tab.

He skipped over Can Eat a Lot and Can Sleep a Lot right away; they probably did not suit her needs. After thinking for a moment, he finally 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, the box on her side was blank. Green arrows connected the two boxes, and each box had four slots.

Clearly, what the trader had to offer was not money, but her own abilities.

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

"This shop does not do one-time deals. We put customer experience first—if you think the goods do not match the description, or they are of no help to you at all, you can return or exchange them free of charge within one month," Chen Xuan said smoothly. "As for the price... I first need to see what abilities you are willing to exchange."

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

Heart Calming Incantation LV6. White rarity.

There was another line of notes beneath it: An introductory cultivation Mind Method. Its advantage was that it suited most people's talents; its disadvantage was the same.

"How about this?" she asked.

Chen Xuan remained silent.

Liu Shuyue thought for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. Another item 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 be enough, right?"

Chen Xuan considered it, then ultimately shook his head slightly. This was because he saw that the Performance Points below the box had risen to "4."

"You're taking one ability in exchange for three of mine, 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 buy?" he countered.

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

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

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

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

Liu Shuyue's gaze cooled slightly. "The kind of example you gave is called taking advantage of someone's desperation."

"I never forced 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. Would someone taking advantage of your desperation let you use it for twenty-nine days without charging anything? Besides, are those abilities you're willing to trade really that rare? Especially for disciples of a sect."

Her momentum 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.

Besides, an even one-for-one ability exchange might look fair, but upon a little thought, it was obvious that it would be a massive loss for the shopkeeper, because the inventory would not increase!

The number of abilities in the inventory determined his success rate in making future deals. The more he had in reserve, the more bargaining chips he could offer.

After hesitating for a while, Liu Shuyue finally made up her mind. "I'll add one last one. If that still won't do, forget it!"

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

Spirit Sword Technique LV5, white rarity.

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

All four of her slots had now been filled, and the Performance Points had become "5."

This showed that the shopkeeper's performance placed more importance on the number of transactions. What he sold counted as well. If both sides' boxes were filled, a single transaction could earn eight Performance Points.

But his inventory was too small right now. He clearly could not do that yet.

Now, even if he wanted her to add more, there was no room left in the transaction box.

"That is indeed a generous 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 items being sold were so unbelievable that you must surely be someone from an immortal sect, not someone who haggled over every last coin like an ordinary merchant." Liu Shuyue spoke regretfully. "I accepted four for one, but that does not mean others will do the same. If you encounter a rogue cultivator or evil cultivator next time, be careful not to push too hard and have 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 only wanted to expand his inventory and improve his performance. Was that wrong?

"Thank you for the reminder." Chen Xuan smiled and nodded. "Are you finished?"

"You—" The girl was left speechless. 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 the inventory.

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

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

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

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

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

"How is it?"

"No, it's nothing. Since the transaction is complete, I'll take my leave first." Liu Shuyue seemed impatient to leave. She staggered toward the door and walked out of the shop, not even giving Chen Xuan a chance to ask another question.

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

Chen Xuan went to the doorway and leaned out to look around. After confirming that she had vanished without a trace, he finally drew a deep breath.

His first business deal had gone through just like that?

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

The specks of blood still on the floor reminded him that a visitor from another world had indeed come here just moments ago and bought 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 the police came knocking, he would never be able to clear his name.