A few low-level cultivators had gathered around the stall, which seemed to be doing pretty well. Luo Mu walked over and saw one of them haggling with the vendor.
The moment the vendor called out, cultivators immediately crowded over and started asking the price. It was clear how much they valued cultivation manuals.
"One hundred low-grade Spirit Stones? That's outrageous!" A cultivator asked the price, then complained with a livid expression.
"One hundred low-grade Spirit Stones is outrageous? This is a rare 'top-grade' cultivation manual. One hundred low-grade Spirit Stones is already a bargain. Take it or leave it. I guarantee someone will buy this excellent manual in no time. If its attributes were compatible with mine, I'd never sell it." The vendor was clearly confident in his manual. When he saw the other man trying to haggle, his expression immediately turned cold, and his tone grew stiff.
"This manual really is good. How about lowering the price a little, fellow cultivator? I really can't afford a hundred low-grade Spirit Stones." The cultivator looked embarrassed and pleaded.
"Not a single Spirit Stone less—not even one." The vendor shook his head like a rattle drum and refused outright.
"If you can't afford it, move aside. I'll take this manual." Just then, another cultivator nearby spoke up. He tossed over a hundred Spirit Stones, picked up the manual the vendor had been hawking, and turned to leave.
It all happened so suddenly that neither the vendor nor the cultivator had time to react. The other man had already put away the manual and walked off. Luo Mu, standing nearby, was just as frustrated. He hadn't even gotten a look at the manual before it became someone else's property.
The vendor was fine. Once he recovered, he pocketed the Spirit Stones, looking pleased. But the cultivator who had wanted to buy the manual was livid and in a foul mood. He was just about to chase after the buyer and pick a fight, but sensing that the man's spiritual power was stronger than his own, he stopped short, his face darkening.
The cultivator flung his sleeve and turned away. It was only natural to feel frustrated when someone else snatched up the cultivation manual he needed. The other cultivators who had come for the manual also gradually dispersed.
"What kind of manual did you just sell, fellow cultivator? It seemed to be in high demand." Luo Mu didn't leave. Instead, he asked the vendor about the manual he had just sold.
Luo Mu had a reason for asking. If it really was a rare "top-grade" manual and suited him, he didn't mind chasing down the cultivator who had bought it and purchasing it from him. If that didn't work, he could trade him Qi Gathering Pills instead.
In Luo Mu's view, Qi Gathering Pills were ideal for trading with cultivators in the Qi Refining Stage. They were every bit as sought-after as a decent cultivation manual.
"Oh, that was a pretty good fire-attribute cultivation manual. It's not only simple to learn, but also quite powerful. Barring any mishaps, it should serve a cultivator all the way through the Foundation Establishment Realm." Although Luo Mu was wearing a mask that obscured his face and made him seem mysterious, his clothes were the uniform of Jinxiu Academy. The vendor both envied him and was happy to satisfy his curiosity.
Jinxiu Academy was a prestigious name, a symbol of status, and the best place for low-level cultivators to cultivate. For Rogue Cultivators, though, a hundred low-grade Spirit Stones a year in tuition was simply too expensive. So, although low-level cultivators all wanted to attend Jinxiu Academy, many were forced to give up because they couldn't afford it.
The vendor before him was one such person. He didn't have many Spirit Stones to begin with, and would rather spend his tuition money on spirit herbs and medicines to improve his cultivation than enroll at Jinxiu Academy.
For a Rogue Cultivator without Spirit Stones, that was far too extravagant.
"So it was a fire-attribute manual. It's completely useless to me." Luo Mu looked a little disappointed and muttered under his breath.
After exchanging a few words with Luo Mu, the vendor started packing up his stall. Now that the manual had sold, he couldn't wait to buy some things he needed for cultivation. There was nothing valuable left at his stall anyway, so packing up would cost him nothing.
"Do you have any other manuals for sale, fellow cultivator?" Luo Mu felt a little disappointed. Seeing that the man was already packing up and preparing to leave, he asked casually.
"Any other manuals? I think I might have an auxiliary manual. How about I show it to you?" The vendor raised an eyebrow as he remembered the auxiliary manual in his Storage Bag that he had never been able to sell. He was delighted; maybe today he'd finally manage to get rid of it.
Before Luo Mu could even agree, the vendor eagerly took out a Jade Slip and handed it to him.
"This is the only one I have left. It's an auxiliary manual, but if you use it well, it'll be a deadly weapon in a fight! How about I let you have it cheap?" The vendor held the Jade Slip out in front of Luo Mu, smiling as he gave his manual a generous plug.
When Luo Mu heard it was only an auxiliary manual, he lost most of his interest. Seeing the vendor's crafty smile, he immediately understood: this manual probably wasn't any good.
But the man had already handed him the Jade Slip. If Luo Mu didn't take it and have a look, it would be awkward for the vendor. He sighed inwardly, accepted the Jade Slip just to be polite, and reluctantly sent his divine sense into it.
The vendor watched Luo Mu closely, not even blinking. But Luo Mu's cheek, visible beneath his mask, remained calm, showing neither joy nor sorrow. This made the vendor uneasy.
He had held onto this manual for a long time, but had no use for it. In other words, very few cultivators in the cultivation world could use this kind of manual, which was why it had remained unsold for so long.
It was neither worth eating nor worth throwing away. For the vendor, selling such a useless manual would be ideal. But he also knew few cultivators would be interested in it.
The vendor sighed quietly to himself, thinking this deal had fallen through again.
"How much are you asking for this manual?" Luo Mu asked calmly just then.
"Huh? Y-you really want it?" The vendor was startled, then delighted, and asked Luo Mu in disbelief.
"This manual is somewhat interesting. I'll take it back and study it," Luo Mu said, his tone unchanged.
"Oh, I see. This manual really is quite good. Since you want it, how about I give you a discount? Hmm... five Spirit Stones. Does that sound fair?" The vendor looked nervous and kept his eyes fixed on Luo Mu, afraid he'd asked too much and the other man wouldn't buy it.
"Five Spirit Stones?" Luo Mu asked with a smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Uh... do you think that's too expensive, fellow cultivator? How about three Spirit Stones? You should be satisfied with that price for a cultivation manual." Seeing Luo Mu's smile, the vendor's heart sank. He immediately assumed Luo Mu thought it was too expensive and gritted his teeth as he cut the price by nearly half.
"Three Spirit Stones?" Luo Mu raised an eyebrow, giving the vendor no definite answer and instead looking thoughtful.
"Tell you what, fellow cultivator, don't even think about it. I'm in a hurry, so just take it for one Spirit Stone. Stop dragging this out." After only a moment, the vendor, who was desperate to unload the manual, had already run out of patience and lowered the price again.
"One Spirit Stone? All right... but this manual..."
"Fine! It's a deal! From this moment on, the manual in your hands is yours." Seeing that Luo Mu still wanted to say something, the vendor excitedly cut him off and loudly declared the deal, as though he wanted everyone to hear.
The vendor had a reason for doing that. By shouting so loudly, he made sure that every cultivator passing by or manning a stall knew they had made the deal. That way, Luo Mu couldn't back out.
Luo Mu was taken aback, then glanced around. Seeing that quite a few cultivators had noticed them, he shook his head helplessly, took out a low-grade Spirit Stone, and tossed it to the vendor.
The vendor caught the Spirit Stone, his face lighting up. He hurriedly greeted Luo Mu, then turned and left, as if he really did have something important to do.
"One low-grade Spirit Stone! Heh... not bad. I finally got rid of that useless manual." On the way, the vendor wore a delighted expression, his heart bursting with joy.
For low-level cultivators, one low-grade Spirit Stone was no small amount, especially for low-level Rogue Cultivators, who valued Spirit Stones like their lives. Selling a useless manual for one Spirit Stone was a great bargain for a low-level Rogue Cultivator like him.
"Good thing I ran into a fool, or who knows when I'd have sold that manual. But then again, the manual really is pretty good. It's just... just too useless." Cursing Luo Mu as a fool, lamenting how useless the manual was, and secretly congratulating himself, the vendor slowly disappeared into the night market.
In his mind, he'd gotten the better of the deal tonight, and the thought made him laugh out loud.
"Good thing I ran into a fool..."
At the same time, Luo Mu, still in the night market, was thinking the exact same thing. Naturally, he meant the vendor who had just left.
Only after carefully placing the Jade Slip in his Storage Bag did a smile finally spread across Luo Mu's calm face. He had bought a cultivation manual for just one Spirit Stone, and it was more suitable for him than any other. How could he not be happy?
Thinking back on what had just happened, he realized he had come within a hair's breadth of missing out on the manual. Luo Mu couldn't help but exclaim inwardly that it was fate.
When the vendor said the manual cost only five Spirit Stones, Luo Mu was taken aback, shocked that it was so cheap. But before he could say anything, the nervous vendor had already dropped the price to three.
When Luo Mu heard it was only three Spirit Stones, he was even more shocked. As he wondered why, the impatient vendor assumed he was weighing the price, panicked, and lowered it again—to a mere one Spirit Stone.
One Spirit Stone. Luo Mu didn't even hesitate before snapping up the manual!
Before you continue