The Contract

Fold the price in half, then fold it in half again. That was the essence of haggling at street stalls in Gao Xian's previous life.

If the other party refused, then so be it. If they agreed right away, he'd feel uneasy instead.

The owner of the Cloud Clothing Workshop had clearly never dealt with this sort of thing before. Gao Xian's ruthless haggling had enraged him.

Gao Xian gave an awkward laugh. "You can ask for the moon, but I can still bargain. We can talk it out, fellow Daoist. Why are you getting so worked up?"

The owner's expression darkened. "Do you know what lotus silk is? You break a lotus root and draw out strands ten times thinner than a hair.

"Do you know how much work it takes to gather strands that fine? And how much work it takes to weave them into material?"

The owner gritted his teeth, looking ready to lunge at Gao Xian and bite him. Gao Xian felt a little guilty and lowered his voice. "Then give me a reasonable price, boss."

"Eighty Spirit Stones. That's the price."

The owner pointed at the door. "If you can't afford it, get out. The door's right there."

Gao Xian had a middle-aged office worker's soul in a young body. He had never thought haggling was shameful.

In his experience, having no money was what really hurt.

He put on a smile. "Boots this expensive—hardly anyone at Flying Horse Market can afford them. I'm sincere about buying, and you're sincere about selling. So let's both give a little."

The owner thought it over, then said irritably, "Seventy Spirit Stones. That's my bottom price. Take it or get lost."

"Seventy Spirit Stones..."

Gao Xian still thought that was expensive. His regular pay was only five Spirit Stones a month.

Even if he saved every coin for a year, he still couldn't afford these boots. And his income was already considered decent for Flying Horse Market.

Cultivators had to buy spirit rice, talismans to protect their lives, and the pills they needed. Those basic expenses alone squeezed every last Spirit Stone from low-level cultivators.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that even Huang Ying would have to think long and hard before buying these boots.

Gao Xian had only gotten rich in the past two months, and he had a little over a hundred and thirty Spirit Stones saved up. Spending more than half of them on a pair of boots still pained him.

The owner said nothing. The sale wasn't his alone to make. It would be good if he sold them, but if he didn't, it wasn't a big deal.

Gao Xian thought it over again, then gritted his teeth. "I'll take them. But..."

Before Gao Xian could finish, the owner cut him off with a firm wave. "No bargaining!"

"I'm not trying to bargain. But for such expensive boots, you should throw in something extra."

Gao Xian said, "I'm not asking for much. Just a Diexie Belt, and two sets of robes, underclothes, and socks."

The owner said impatiently, "Fine."

The Water-Fire Lotus Silk Boots were so expensive that they had sat there for over half a year. Countless people had looked at them, but no one could afford them.

The clothes and belt he was throwing in weren't worth even two Spirit Stones altogether. It was still a good deal.

Gao Xian took seventy Spirit Stones from the inner pocket of his Diexie Belt. Seeing so many Spirit Stones, the owner's face brightened with delight.

As a businessman, he couldn't help lighting up and feeling happy at the sight of Spirit Stones.

The owner adjusted the boots for Gao Xian. They were stretchable, and a spell formation could change their size.

Gao Xian picked out a black Python Skin Belt as wide as his palm. It had no spell formation engraved on it, but the python skin still retained some spiritual power. It could repel mosquitoes and offered a degree of defense.

He actually liked a blue robe, but it was too expensive, and it was too eye-catching.

In a place like Flying Horse Market, dressing too well could easily invite trouble.

Carrying his things, Gao Xian returned home, completely satisfied.

After changing into his new clothes, boots, and belt, Gao Xian took out the Wind and Moon Mirror and looked himself over. He felt he looked much more handsome.

The broad Python Skin Belt was perfect for carrying the seventeen-pound Stone-Slicing Sword.

With the Stone-Slicing Sword at his hip, Gao Xian took a turn around the courtyard. Whenever he spotted anything sticking up, he went over and slashed at it. The mosquitoes and flies that crossed his path were no exception.

He moved faster and faster, racing around the courtyard at full speed and drawing his sword to strike now and then.

Cold, sharp flashes of swordlight darted and crisscrossed through the little courtyard, each slash letting out a sharp whistle.

The figure racing like the wind suddenly stopped. Two deep footprints marked the ground.

After all that running, the new boots had held firm and fit snugly, giving Gao Xian stable support and a secure feel.

The long boots were spattered with mud. He rinsed them with water, and they looked as good as new. Not a drop of water clung to them.

Gao Xian tested them with the Fire Control Art as well. Sure enough, they were fireproof. At least a short burst of flames wouldn't damage them.

With these boots on, his speed could increase by at least twenty percent. He no longer had to worry about his shoes falling apart when he exerted himself.

The Wind Control Art empowered within the Water-Fire Lotus Silk Boots was exceptionally practical, too. He could activate it instantly through Sister Lan.

The Wind Control Art let him harness the wind while also reducing its resistance as much as possible, allowing him to go another twenty percent faster.

In other words, wearing these boots boosted his speed by nearly forty percent. That was a huge improvement.

Using Old Wang as his benchmark, even mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators might not be able to match his speed.

Seventy Spirit Stones was expensive, but the boots were worth it.

Gao Xian did the math. He had sixty-seven Spirit Stones left. Including the Spirit Stones Zhou Ye and Huang Ying owed him, he could scrape together two hundred now.

That was a huge sum!

Too bad things were a little troublesome with Shopkeeper Zhu. Otherwise, life would be so sweet!

After buying the boots and sword, Gao Xian stopped going out. Every day, he cultivated various arts and, when he was in the mood, made time to refine pills.

But something was weighing on him. His food tasted bland, and he couldn't sleep soundly.

A few days passed like that. Then one night, Gao Xian suddenly jolted awake.

In the dim room, Gao Xian silently picked up his sword and got out of bed. When he reached the door, he saw two One Yang Talismans burning on it.

Even through the door, Gao Xian could feel the dense, icy aura outside.

"Old Wang's back!"

Gao Xian knew Old Wang was outside. The old man's power had clearly grown, and the One Yang Talismans were almost unable to hold him back.

Gao Xian thought it over for a while, but in the end he didn't open the door to confront Old Wang.

The yin energy ignited two more One Yang Talismans, and Old Wang finally left.

The main reason was that there were still more than ten One Yang Talismans on the door, making it difficult for Old Wang to force his way through.

After waiting a while, Gao Xian finally opened the door. In the chilly moonlight, wisps of black smoke still rose from it.

Gao Xian murmured, "Don't rush. Take your time..."

Gao Xian wasn't surprised to find that Old Wang had come looking for him again. He was even a little pleased. The old man had been beaten by him again and again, yet still couldn't get him out of his mind.

His Grandmaster-level True Yang Spear was extremely sensitive to the yin energy of Evil Spirits. As soon as Old Wang drew near, Gao Xian had sensed him in his sleep. It would be difficult for Old Wang to catch him off guard.

Back in his room, Gao Xian used the True Yang Spear to examine himself and found that the wisp of evil energy on him had grown stronger.

Their brief standoff had clearly deepened the connection between them.

To prevent any mishaps, Gao Xian put up some more One Yang Talismans on the doors and windows.

After that, Old Wang came by every night, but a layer after layer of One Yang Talismans kept him outside.

Seven or eight days later, Zhu Qiniang came to find Gao Xian. "Old Zhu has gotten to the bottom of it. He confirmed that you're the one who refined the Deer Antler Powder and the Heavenly Gui Pills. He's the one who sent me to bring you back and settle accounts."

"What did Shopkeeper Zhu say?" Gao Xian asked.

"Old Zhu's very pleased. He's already decided you're a money tree, and he wants to make you sign another hundred-year death contract."

Zhu Qiniang shook her head slightly. "If you sign that contract, you'll be Old Zhu's ox and horse for the rest of your life."

Gao Xian's expression turned complicated. "Shopkeeper Zhu really isn't leaving me a way out..."

Zhu Qiniang looked at Gao Xian expectantly. "What are you going to do?"