Although Huang Shulang couldn't tell what method Mu Qian had used, the fact that he'd dealt with them without so much as releasing his Martial Soul was enough to earn his respect, wasn't it?
Only then did Mu Qian have the leisure to look around the room.
The furnishings were extremely simple, nothing like the lavish decorations in Spirit Hall. Everything was as plain as could be—even the wooden platforms holding the display cases showed faint signs of decay. Who knew how many years they'd been there?
A few worthless items hung on the walls, but they weren't what Mu Qian was interested in.
His gaze was now fixed on the first item for sale.
To Mu Qian's surprise, it was an old-fashioned-looking necklace.
The gold on it had grown extremely dull. A dim gray crystal dangled from its end, and in one corner of the crystal's base ran a crack so fine that most people would never notice it.
Mu Qian shook his head. With his Spiritual Power spread out, no detail could escape his notice.
It must once have been a defensive Soul Tool accessory, but it had long since lost its original function. That almost imperceptible crack seemed to tell the story of its previous owner's glorious past.
It was worthless. It was probably only here to fool some clueless sucker.
He quickly examined the second and third items as well. Neither had any real value.
But when he shifted his gaze to the fourth display case, he finally stopped.
"This thing..." Mu Qian's pupils narrowed, and he furrowed his brow slightly.
Inside the case sat a round stone about the size of an infant.
Its surface was mostly a bluish-black, like solidified magma, and was covered in irregular cracks. Dark red light shimmered faintly within them, while a faint, searing heat radiated from the stone.
"Woof, woof!"
Little Flower suddenly barked urgently in Zhu Zhuqing's arms. Mu Qian silently turned and glared at him, and only then did he settle down.
"Huang... Shulang, how much is this?" Mu Qian's brow relaxed, and he asked as if it were nothing.
Huang Shulang stepped forward and replied respectfully, "To answer the customer, it's 50,000 Gold Soul Coins."
"Are you sure you didn't add an extra zero?" Mu Qian feigned surprise.
"I'm sure. Even our boss doesn't know what this thing is, but it contains an extremely powerful energy of fire."
"Judging by the energy alone, it's already extraordinary. It even surpasses the total Soul Power possessed by most Spirit Kings with fire attributes."
That was the limit of what he could explain. There were rules to follow, but Huang Shulang also hoped they might sell one or two of the items on the third floor.
Mu Qian nodded, giving up on trying to haggle further.
The person behind Huang Shulang might be a Titled Douluo. Trying to talk them into lowering the price would be next to impossible.
In fact, Mu Qian felt that 50,000 Gold Soul Coins was already a steal.
Other people might not know what the stone was worth, but he knew a little.
Mu Qian didn't recognize its appearance, but he recognized the fire element it contained.
It was the same as the one in Little Flower!
Back in the Far North, the Snow Maiden had said that even with hundreds of thousands of years' worth of accumulated knowledge, she couldn't identify Little Flower's species.
But that fire attribute, which surpassed the ultimate, and the powerful bloodline that outclassed countless top-tier Spirit Beasts could not lie.
Clearly, Little Flower's identity was anything but simple!
And something with the same aura as the fire element inside Little Flower couldn't possibly be an ordinary stone.
"Here are 50,000 Gold Soul Coins. I'll take it." Mu Qian readily took out a Soul Coin card bearing that exact amount.
Little Flower had grown up with him. Though he sometimes treated him a little harshly, he was still one of Mu Qian's most important companions.
If it could help Little Flower, Mu Qian could easily pay 50,000 Gold Soul Coins. He wouldn't even hesitate to trade a Spirit Bone for it.
"Certainly!" Huang Shulang broke into a wide grin and hurriedly took the stone out, handing it to Mu Qian.
He looked as if he were afraid Mu Qian might change his mind.
What could he say? That was glittering money!
They earned a five percent commission on every item they sold. On 50,000 Gold Soul Coins, he'd make 500!
For people like them, who had no Soul Power, that was already a fortune.
He'd just been envying the attendant who'd served Hu Liena and the other two. He hadn't expected to earn even more than him in the blink of an eye.
After putting the strange stone away, Mu Qian looked over the remaining items. None of them caught his attention.
"Zhuqing, let's go." Mu Qian turned and took Zhu Zhuqing's hand. This time, he didn't need Huang Shulang to lead them; they went back downstairs by the same staircase they'd come up.
Only after they left the strange shop did Zhu Zhuqing finally give in to her curiosity. "Mu Qian, do you know what that thing is? That man was obviously ripping you off. Why buy it?"
Zhu Zhuqing couldn't understand. She hadn't seen any use for the strange stone.
But after a year together, they'd grown used to one another. She hadn't wanted to ask about it in front of the attendant.
Surely Mu Qian had his reasons?
Mu Qian shook his head and glanced around. When he saw no one paying them any attention, he said, "Let's go back to the hotel first. I'll explain later."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly. She had never seen Mu Qian act so cautiously before.
The two hurried back along the route they'd taken, quickly returning to the Martial Soul City Central Hotel.
Zhu Zhuqing wasn't talkative and didn't say a word along the way. She knew that if Mu Qian wanted her to know, he'd explain it himself.
As soon as they returned to their room, Mu Qian put up a Spiritual Power barrier to make sure no one outside could spy on what was happening inside.
Only after that did he take the strange stone out of his Starry Sky Ring.
"Woof! Woof, woof!"
The moment Little Flower saw the stone, he sprang back to life, barking excitedly despite having been half asleep just moments before.
"Little Flower, do you know what this is?" Zhu Zhuqing finally noticed his unusual reaction. She gently stroked his smooth, fiery red fur, curiosity showing on her face.
"Woof, woof!"
For once, Little Flower made no response at all. His gaze seemed fixed solely on the stone before him.
A sacred, blue-gold light shone from Mu Qian's eyes. No longer needing to hold back, he sent his vast Spiritual Power surging into the stone.
In his vision, the dark gray outer layer of rock peeled away, revealing what lay beneath.
"This is... a Spirit Beast egg?" Mu Qian's astonished voice echoed through the room.
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