Contract

Fold it in half, then fold it again—this was the core essence of bargaining at street stalls that Gao Xian had mastered in his previous life.

If the other party didn't agree, so be it. If they agreed immediately, he would actually feel uncomfortable.

The boss of Cloud Clothing Workshop clearly had no experience with this, and he was incensed by Gao Xian's ruthless bargaining tactics.

Gao Xian gave a dry laugh: "Ask for a sky-high price, pay back on the spot. We're here to negotiate, Fellow Daoist, why the rush?"

The boss's face darkened: "Do you even know what lotus silk is? It's extracted by snapping a lotus root and pulling out threads ten times thinner than a human hair."

"Do you know how much effort it takes to collect such fine threads? And how much more effort it takes to weave them into material!"

The boss gritted his teeth, looking as if he were ready to pounce and bite someone at any moment. Gao Xian felt a bit guilty and whispered: "Then, Boss, give me a fair price."

"It is eighty spirit stones."

The boss pointed at the door: "If you can't afford it, get out. The door is right there."

Inside Gao Xian's young body lived the soul of a middle-aged corporate slave; he never felt that haggling was shameful.

In his experience, having no money was the most uncomfortable thing of all.

He offered a conciliatory smile: "Such expensive boots, not many in Flying Horse Market can afford them. I'm buying in good faith, and you're selling in good faith, so let's both take a step back."

The boss thought for a moment and said irritably: "Seventy spirit stones. That's the bottom line. Buy it or get lost."

"Seventy spirit stones."

Gao Xian still felt it was expensive. One had to remember that his regular salary was only five spirit stones per month.

Even if he saved for a year without eating or drinking, he wouldn't be able to afford these shoes. Given his income, he was already doing quite well in Flying Horse Market.

Cultivators must purchase spiritual rice, life-saving talismans, and essential medicinal pills; these basic expenses alone drained the spirit stones of low-level cultivators.

It is no exaggeration to say that even Huang Ying would have to think twice before buying these shoes.

Gao Xian had only struck it rich in the last two months, having saved over one hundred and thirty spirit stones. Spending more than half of it on a pair of shoes made him truly reluctant.

The boss remained silent. A transaction wasn't his alone; if he could sell them, great, but if not, it didn't matter.

Gao Xian thought it over and over, then gritted his teeth: "I'll take the shoes. However,"

Before Gao Xian could finish, the boss made a firm gesture: "No more bargaining!"

"I'm not trying to bargain, but for such expensive shoes, you should throw in a little something extra."

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

The boss said impatiently: "Fine."

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

The clothes and belt added together weren't even worth two spirit stones, so it was still a profitable deal.

Gao Xian took seventy spirit stones from the inner lining of his belt. Seeing so many spirit stones, a hint of joy appeared on the boss's face.

As a businessman, his eyes lit up at the sight of spirit stones, and he couldn't suppress the joy in his heart.

The boss helped Gao Xian adjust the long boots; the boots were naturally flexible and could be resized using a small formation.

Gao Xian chose a black Python Skin Belt the width of a palm. It had no internal formations, but the python skin retained some residual spiritual power, which could repel insects and provided a certain level of defense.

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

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

Carrying his pile of items, Gao Xian returned home feeling satisfied.

After changing into his new clothes, shoes, and belt, Gao Xian took out the Wind and Moon Mirror to check his reflection, feeling that he looked much more dashing.

The thick python skin belt was perfect for hanging his seventeen-pound Stone-Slicing Sword.

Gao Xian walked around his courtyard with the Stone-Slicing Sword at his waist, striking at any protruding object he saw; the passing mosquitoes and flies were not spared either.

His speed grew faster and faster as he circled the courtyard at full tilt, drawing his sword to strike from time to time.

Cold, sharp sword lights flickered and crisscrossed in the small courtyard, emitting shrill whistling sounds as they tore through the air.

The figure, moving as fast as the wind, came to a sudden halt, leaving two deep footprints in the ground.

After the frantic run, the new shoes proved sturdy and snug, providing Gao Xian with extremely stable support and a secure fit.

The long boots were covered in mud, but a splash of water made them look brand new, and they didn't retain a single drop of moisture.

Gao Xian tested them with his Fire Control Art, and sure enough, they were fireproof. At the very least, short-term exposure to flames would cause no damage.

Wearing these shoes, his speed would increase by at least twenty percent, and he no longer had to worry about his shoes falling apart when he exerted force.

The Wind Control Art imbued within the Water-Fire Lotus Silk Boots was also exceptionally practical. He could trigger it instantly through Sister Lan.

The Wind Control Art could harness the power of the wind while minimizing wind resistance, allowing his speed to increase by another twenty percent.

In other words, by wearing these shoes, his speed had increased by nearly forty percent—a massive improvement.

Using Old Wang as a benchmark, he feared that even mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators could not match his speed.

Although seventy spirit stones were very expensive, it was ultimately worth the price.

Gao Xian tallied his accounts; he still had sixty-seven spirit stones left. Adding the spirit stones that Zhou Ye and Huang Ying owed him, he could now scrape together two hundred spirit stones.

That was a huge sum!

It was a pity that Shopkeeper Zhu was a bit troublesome; otherwise, life would have been absolutely wonderful.

Gao Xian bought shoes and a sword, then stopped going out, spending every day practicing various techniques and taking time to refine pills whenever he was in a good mood.

However, he had something weighing on his mind, so his food tasted bland and his sleep was restless.

After several days had passed like this, Gao Xian suddenly woke up with a start one night.

In the dim room, Gao Xian silently picked up his sword, got out of bed, and upon reaching the door, discovered that the two One Yang Talismans pasted on it were burning.

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

"Old Wang is here again!"

Gao Xian knew Old Wang was right outside. Old Wang's power had clearly grown quite a bit; the One Yang Talismans were barely able to hold him back anymore.

Gao Xian pondered for a while, but in the end, he did not open the door to confront Old Wang.

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

The main reason was that there were still over a dozen One Yang Talismans on the door, making it difficult for Old Wang to force his way in.

After waiting a while, Gao Xian pulled the door open. Under the cold, ghostly moonlight, wisps of black smoke were still rising from the door.

Gao Xian muttered to himself, "Don't be impatient, take it slow..."

Discovering that Old Wang had come knocking again did not surprise Gao Xian; he was even a little happy. This old man had been tormented by him time and time again, yet he still couldn't forget him.

His Grandmaster-level True Yang Spear was far too sensitive to the yin energy of evil spirits. The moment Old Wang approached, he felt a strong reaction even in his sleep. It would be quite difficult for Old Wang to ambush him.

Returning to his room, Gao Xian used the True Yang Spear to inspect himself and found that the wisp of evil energy on his body had grown even thicker.

The short-lived confrontations with Old Wang had clearly deepened the connection between them.

To prevent any accidents, Gao Xian pasted a few more One Yang Talismans on the doors and windows.

From then on, Old Wang came to circle the house every night, only to be blocked outside by layers of One Yang Talismans.

Seven or eight days later, Zhu Qiniang found Gao Xian: "Old Zhu has already finished his investigation and confirmed that it was indeed you who refined the Deer Antler Powder and the Heavenly Gui Pill. This time, he sent me to bring you back to settle accounts."

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

"Old Zhu is very happy. He has already started treating you like a cash cow and wants you to sign a new hundred-year death contract."

Zhu Qiniang shook her head slightly: "If you sign this contract, you will only be able to work like a beast of burden for Old Zhu for the rest of your life."

Gao Xian said with a complex expression: "Shopkeeper Zhu really isn't leaving me any way to survive..."

Zhu Qiniang looked at Gao Xian with anticipation: "What do you intend to do?"