Trading

The back gate stood wide open. Jiang Ding led Huang Deyou, with Han Lin and two other shop hands following behind. For a moment, they actually managed to create a faintly solemn atmosphere.

"Shopkeeper Long, your arrival honors us. Jiang Ding failed to welcome you from afar."

From a distance, Jiang Ding cupped his hands and smiled. "I was away for two days, so I was unable to meet Shopkeeper Long sooner. Please forgive me."

"You are too courteous, Young Master Jiang."

Long San was flattered. As far as he knew, this young master came from an extraordinary background and was proud and aloof. Even people like Long Shi were not qualified to make him take a step, yet today he had come out to receive him so solemnly.

The herb gatherers coming and going through the shop were startled when they saw Long San, the shopkeeper of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, and immediately regarded this inconspicuous general store more highly.

The two entered the backyard together. Huang Deyou hurriedly served tea, then stood several steps away with Long San's attendants.

His expression was slightly embarrassed. The tea was far too poor, merely the coarse tea they usually served herb gatherers. Ordinary households would not even use it to entertain guests.

"My humble home is crude. Please forgive the poor hospitality, Shopkeeper Long."

"A mountain need not be high; with an immortal upon it, it becomes famous. With Young Master here, this humble dwelling is naturally no longer humble."

Long San smiled, deeply impressed.

Leaving aside the young man's background, Long San knew that he had at least several thousand taels of silver on him. He did not need to endure such conditions at all. It could only be said that he simply did not care.

"What happened a few days ago was entirely the fault of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce!"

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Long San stood and bowed deeply. "The servant named Xiaocui has already been dealt with by our Chamber. We will not bring his head here to soil your eyes, Young Master."

"Furthermore, this is compensation from our Chamber."

Long San presented a half-opened square box of gilt silver inlay with both hands.

"Shopkeeper, there is no need to blame yourself. It is only natural for insignificant people to be blinded by greed..."

Jiang Ding smiled, accepted the box, and casually opened it. His hand paused slightly when he saw what was inside.

Normally, it was impolite to open a gift in front of the giver, but since the other party had deliberately left the box half-open, that was presumably his intention.

"It is too valuable. I cannot accept it."

Jiang Ding was silent for a while before closing the box and placing it on the table.

Inside was a century-old ginseng root!

Even in an Immortal Sect, it had undergone a qualitative change and belonged to the category of spiritual medicine.

In the resource-poor mortal world, it was naturally even more precious—a strategic resource traded only between major powers, capable of offering a slight chance to break through one's realm.

"A mere century-old spiritual ginseng is nothing compared to the centuries-old reputation of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce."

Long San handed over a golden token and said seriously, "This is our Chamber's gold token. With it, Young Master may purchase any goods at a twenty percent discount from any branch in the Yue Kingdom!"

In truth, he had struggled over giving such a lavish gift for a long time.

The reason the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce could establish itself in the Yue Kingdom was because it had earned the trust of many important figures. Jiang Ding was too young, too powerful, and suspected to have a formidable background. He was exactly the kind of person worth going to great lengths to befriend.

Long San believed that even if his judgment proved wrong, the higher-ups of the Chamber would not blame him too harshly.

Jiang Ding accepted the token without saying whether he would accept the century-old ginseng.

"I have a business deal. I wonder if Shopkeeper Long can handle it."

"Please speak, Young Master."

Long San was delighted. As expected of someone from a major power—he understood propriety.

Ordinary martial heroes, no matter how indifferent to money they might be, would have their eyes turn red at the sight of century-old ginseng that could offer some help in breaking through to major inner qi attainment. It would already be good if they did not try to seize it.

"I need five hundred and fifty thousand pairs of live Blueglow Butterflies. I must have them within three months at most."

Jiang Ding spoke slowly. "I have no money. What I can offer in trade are luminous pearls and breakthrough pills capable of advancing one to major inner qi attainment or inner qi perfection."

Long San was shaken.

Breakthrough pills!

This was not like century-old ginseng, which offered only a little assistance. Most people lacked sufficient foundations, so that slight assistance was completely useless to them—people like himself, for example.

These were pills specifically made to break through inner qi realms!

He had only ever seen such pills at the Chamber's headquarters. The only powers capable of refining them were the imperial family, the Wolf God Cult, Azure Ox Palace, and a scant few other great factions.

I'm definitely getting promoted to work at the main headquarters.

Only one thought remained in Long San's heart. He had made the right bet. The business principles left behind by his ancestors truly were the most precious of all.

"Blueglow Butterflies..."

Long San repeated, not daring to agree immediately.

One of his attendants hurried over and whispered a few words into his ear.

"Five hundred and fifty thousand pairs... that is too many." Long San looked troubled. "The purchase price of fifty or sixty thousand taels of silver is secondary. Blueglow Butterflies only exist in the Eastspirit Mountain range. Even if we searched all of Eastspirit Mountain, we might not be able to gather them all."

He did not ask what so many Blueglow Butterflies were for. Even a Moon Palace Garment beloved by noblewomen in the capital required only a thousand pairs of Blueglow Butterflies.

"I am willing to offer six Lesser Void-Breaking Pills that can advance one to major inner qi attainment, or two Void-Breaking Pills that can advance one to inner qi perfection."

Jiang Ding said indifferently.

Such pills were not expensive in the Immortal Sect. Five or six thousand to over ten thousand mortal coins could buy one, roughly equivalent to three to five months of an ordinary person's wages.

They also had no lasting side effects. One only needed some time to expel the pill toxins, and they could not be taken repeatedly within the same major realm.

As for Fledgling Eagle Inner Qi, its requirements were too high. The pills could indeed force a breakthrough, but they would destroy some extremely minute meridians, cutting off the possibility of condensing a Dao Body Prototype and resetting one's cultivation to zero.

"Deal!"

Long San abruptly rose to his feet, his eyes burning with fervor.

He had been at minor inner qi attainment for more than ten years without making any progress. If this deal went through, surely he would get one pill no matter what, right?

As for the difficulties, then they would simply have to be overcome!

"Very good."

Jiang Ding smiled, put away the century-old ginseng, and handed over a jade pill bottle of blue-green color. "This is the advance payment. The Four Seas Chamber of Commerce has been in business for centuries. You will not disappoint me!"

"Rest assured, Young Master!"

Long San took a deep breath, accepted the jade bottle, and hurried away.

The Eastspirit Prefecture branch could not handle this deal alone. The main headquarters had to send a large number of people over, both to catch butterflies and to guard against the covetous eyes of other factions.

As for whether the breakthrough pills were genuine...

This matter was of great importance. As a member of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, I, Long San, must naturally throw myself into danger and sacrifice myself to test the medicine!

The courtyard returned to silence.

Jiang Ding gripped the sword at his waist. The aura around him flickered between presence and absence—at times conspicuous, at times like withered wood. Gradually, his aura weakened further until it soon vanished completely.

If one did not look carefully with one's eyes, one would instinctively almost overlook the fact that there was a person here.

Minor Breath-Concealing Technique Initiated!

"Not easy... After so many days, I finally succeeded in using it without Reconnaissance Camouflage."

Jiang Ding sighed. He could feel his inner force circulating through his entire body, transforming along extremely complex pathways and concealing his life aura to the utmost limit.

For now, it only worked when he deliberately circulated his inner force. Any slightly intense movement or attack would cause it to fail.

Jiang Ding cautiously rose and left the small courtyard.

It was past eleven, the busiest time in the shop. Many herb gatherers, trained farmers, half-grown children, and women were handing over the specimens they had collected at the counter.

After nearly a month of collection, the common weeds and small insects found everywhere could no longer be exchanged for money. They could only go to more remote places, so prices had risen somewhat. Each specimen now cost three or four copper coins.

Jiang Ding walked around the shop once. No one took the initiative to glance at him, including Huang Deyou, who was usually so obsequious.

It was not that they could not see a living person standing there. Rather, like a stone, unless he did something to draw attention, they would instinctively overlook him.