All Kinds of Motives

"Would you sell three for ten Copper Soul Coins?" When Xiao Wu heard that question, her little head went blank for a moment.

"Uncle said humans were all clever, and there were even more cunning ones, but this person doesn't look clever at all." She would never agree to lowering the price, but as for someone voluntarily offering more money, Xiao Wu welcomed as many as she could get.

Although Xiao Wu had only received roughly a first-year middle school education, rabbits' math lessons were top-notch. Xiao Wu had already mastered this kind of mental arithmetic.

"How many do you want?"

"I'll take them all. Count up the price."

"There are fifty-one left. At three for ten Copper Soul Coins, that comes to one hundred seventy Copper Soul Coins. Thank you for your patronage."

"Here are two Silver Soul Coins. Keep the change. Carrying small coins is inconvenient."

"Big spender, little brother. They're all yours. See you!" Xiao Wu stuck the bamboo directly into the ground. With the flowers picked off, the tanghulu Ice Bamboo was no different from ordinary bamboo anyway. Carrying two Silver Soul Coins and several Copper Soul Coins, Xiao Wu skipped away.

"You really are generous."

"We're not short on this little bit of money. Don't you think that little girl was adorable? Besides, she agreed to give us a discount."

"...She was selling one for three Copper Soul Coins. Buying two only cost five Copper Soul Coins."

"Yeah."

"But you insisted on spending ten Copper Soul Coins for three, and you bought them all. If I were her, I'd sell everything to you too. I'd wish every customer were like you, even voluntarily helping me round it up to two Silver Soul Coins." His friend beside him mercilessly mocked him.

"So... I paid too much?"

"What else? You only realized something this simple now? If your family's business were handed over to you, it'd be finished."

"My brother handles the business. It works out perfectly since he doesn't have the talent to become a Spirit Master. But since you noticed, why didn't you remind me?"

"You're not short on money anyway. Besides, that little girl was so cute. I just couldn't bear to embarrass you in front of strangers. You should thank me. Still, you bought so many. Can you finish them?"

"It's not just the two of us. With the teachers, there are nearly twenty people. Two or three each, and they'll all be gone. But what kind of parents let a child so young come out and do business alone?"

"What, feeling sorry for that little girl?" A new voice came from nearby. It was the teacher leading this group. They were an intermediate class from a nearby academy, sixteen people in total, all students from the academy who needed to hunt their Second Spirit Rings. They were accompanied by four teachers and the academy's dean of instruction.

They were only hunting along the forest's edge, which was why they had moved in such a large group. The advanced class students were each accompanied one-on-one by a teacher. With a Soul King-level dean of instruction, however, they did not think any accidents would happen on the outskirts of the forest. If they encountered a thousand-year Spirit Beast on the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, it would not be misfortune, but rare good luck.

Faced with their teacher's teasing, the two students were not afraid. Instead, they grinned and offered him a tanghulu.

"Hehe, yes. Here, Teacher, have a taste. It's cool, sweet, and sour. It's especially delicious."

"You two, that little girl is only six or seven years old, yet her Soul Power has definitely exceeded level ten. Even if she doesn't have Innate Full Soul Power, she must have started at level eight or nine. She's clearly a child of some great family out on training. Why would she need you worrying about her? By the time she reaches your age, she'll be at least a Soul Elder, or a Soul Grandmaster at worst."

"How can people compare themselves to others? Being content is the only way to live comfortably and make money. That's what my father taught me."

"That makes some sense. Hand these out to everyone. We're getting ready to enter the forest."

"Yes, Teacher..."

"Aunt Qing, Aunt Qing, I sold them all! Look!" Xiao Wu held up the money pouch in her arms as if seeking praise.

"You did well. But you were really lucky today, running into such a remarkable person."

"Uncle said luck is also part of strength."

"But Uncle also said you can't always rely on luck. Come on, let's go back."

"But Aunt Qing, Uncle said human society was a mixed bag, and some people weren't even worthy of being called scum. Why haven't we encountered any this time?"

"Well... maybe all the bad people are hiding today. I don't know either." Yet several people lay in the grass behind them. Anyone from a nearby town would have recognized them as a notorious gang of human traffickers with many connections to the local auction house. But every one of them lay on the ground without the slightest trace of life.

There was no such thing as peaceful years in this world. Every bit of tranquility you felt existed only because someone else was carrying the burden for you.

This market lay on the only road leading into the Star Dou Great Forest. A group that hunted Spirit Beasts had already returned and was selling the Spirit Beasts they had captured here, but their harvest was clearly poor today.

Empty iron cages stood behind them, while there was only one cage containing a Spirit Beast. The Spirit Beast inside kept slamming the cage hard enough to make it tremble, but the cage was made from special metal and was extremely sturdy. It showed no damage under such attacks.

"Why did you only catch one monkey today? Was your luck that bad?" several nearby hunting groups asked.

"Don't even mention it. I don't know whether this monkey mutated or what, but it's terrifyingly strong. Three of my brothers were injured before we captured it. We lost big this time."

"If it's that capable, sell it for a good price. Why would you lose money?"

"Count the markings on its shoulder."

"One, two... nine stripes? This Strength Ape only has ninety years of cultivation?"

"Exactly. Otherwise, why would I say it mutated? But no matter how much it mutated, it's still only ninety years old. A Spirit Beast under a hundred years isn't worth much at all. I'm not asking for anything else. I'll be satisfied if I can earn back the medical expenses. Twenty Gold Soul Coins, and it's yours. Want it?"

"No. Don't think I don't know what you're planning. I can't afford to raise this thing. Talented people need at least a hundred-year Spirit Ring. If this were a hundred-year Spirit Beast that had mutated, I'd pay two hundred. But ninety years? Forget it."

The Spirit Beast in the cage never stopped struggling. Even though its fists had been battered bloody and several of its teeth had shattered, it continued pounding and biting at the iron cage.

"Looking at it like this, it probably won't survive either. You really took a huge loss this time."

"Ugh." He kicked the cage angrily, then sat down to one side in helplessness.

"Aunt Qing, let's save him. That monkey is so pitiful." It was Xiao Wu's first time seeing a Spirit Beast captured by humans. Its desperate struggle left a deep impression on her, and she finally understood why Ah Rou had always warned her to be careful around humans.

"Save him?" Xiao Qing observed the auras of these people. There was no particularly powerful presence among them. She had the ability to poison them all, but doing so would create a huge commotion no matter what, violating Ye Qing's principle of not taking the initiative to cause trouble. Thus, Xiao Qing hesitated. To her, Ye Qing's instructions came first; everything else had to come after.

"Come out." But Xiao Qing noticed an aura gradually approaching them.

"Don't misunderstand, I mean no harm. You can see for yourself—I have no Soul Power." A man walked out with both hands raised, showing that he had no weapon while emphasizing that he possessed no Soul Power.

"What do you want?"

"My lady seems to want that monkey, but perhaps you're a little short on money. I can tell you don't want to make a big scene. In that case, how about I buy it for you?"

"Your purpose."

"If I'm not mistaken, you are the Spirit Master with the Nine-Section Jade from a few months ago, correct?" The moment he said this, Soul Power began gathering in Xiao Qing's hand. If the other party made any threatening remark or movement, she would strike immediately.

But this man had no idea that he already had one foot through Ghost Gate Pass.

"I'm a doctor here. I was the one who treated that person last time. I can provide you with Gold Soul Coins. As the only doctor here, I'm quite wealthy. In return, I would like to ask you to help me deal with someone."

"That's impossible." Xiao Qing did not want to actively involve herself in conflicts between humans. That went against the principle of not taking the initiative to cause trouble.

"In that case, some Venom from the Nine-Section Jade would work as well."

Xiao Qing found this latter condition acceptable, but it brought her into a new round of thought. She was considering the other party's purpose.

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