Who's the Boss?

"Hey, hey, hey, wait! The price is negotiable! If that won't do, fifteen spirit stones!"

"Eighteen!"

"Twenty! That's already my limit!"

Yet Li Ping'an walked away without even turning his head, no matter how the shopkeeper shouted after him.

Watching Li Ping'an's departing back, the shopkeeper was so frustrated he had no words. At the same time, he muttered to himself.

Looks like I misjudged him. This fellow actually knew a thing or two about alchemy.

Damn it. I bought a fine Body-Tempering Pill for twenty spirit stones, then sold it for thirty. I lost a whole ten spirit stones!

His heart ached terribly.

Leaving aside how the shopkeeper beat his chest and stamped his feet, Li Ping'an was already walking down the street.

From the bargaining just now, he had roughly figured out that a Body-Tempering Pill was worth somewhere between twenty and twenty-five spirit stones.

But he had no intention of selling any more to that pill shop owner.

He would switch shops. There were plenty of pill shops in this market anyway.

Before long, Li Ping'an entered another pill shop and placed a Body-Tempering Pill on the counter.

"Boss, I'm selling a Body-Tempering Pill. Top-grade. Take a good look."

Though the owner saw that Li Ping'an was a stingy-looking old man, Li Ping'an had entered speaking with great confidence and without the slightest fear. The owner immediately took him seriously rather than looking down on him. He carefully held the Body-Tempering Pill in his hand and examined it for a long while before speaking.

"Mm, it is indeed a top-grade pill. How many spirit stones are you planning to sell it for?"

Li Ping'an said with some displeasure, "How many? Of course, the market price—twenty-five spirit stones."

"Twenty-five spirit stones?"

The shopkeeper raised his brows. He knew he had encountered an expert.

Still, the shopkeeper said with a bitter smile.

"Sir, the market price you mentioned was last month's. It's spring now, and pill prices have fallen by ten percent. I can only offer twenty-two spirit stones for this one."

Li Ping'an put on a slightly dissatisfied look, then nodded.

"Fine. Take it. Give me the spirit stones."

"Good, good. Certainly."

Since Li Ping'an was being so straightforward, the shopkeeper was delighted as well. Once he resold it, he could make several more spirit stones.

Before long, Li Ping'an left the pill shop with a small pouch of spirit stones tucked away.

With his first transaction under his belt, Li Ping'an handled the later ones with even greater ease. He visited seven more pill shops in succession before finally selling off all seven remaining Body-Tempering Pills.

The reason he had gone to such trouble was to avoid drawing attention.

After all, while Body-Tempering Pills were not particularly valuable, it was rather conspicuous for a stingy old man like him to produce them.

One pill could be explained away. But two or three would inevitably attract notice.

At this point, Li Ping'an felt his pockets growing somewhat heavy. After all, more than one hundred and sixty spirit stones gathered together did have some weight to them.

With spirit stones in hand, Li Ping'an found the market a few shades more enchanting as he wandered through it.

One hundred and sixty spirit stones gave him considerable purchasing power.

Now, time to look at cultivation techniques.

Li Ping'an wandered around the market for quite some time longer. Only after confirming that no one was following him did he slowly enter the largest trading shop in the market—the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

It was said that the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion had been established by one of the sect's elders. It had formidable backing and deep pockets, and the things it collected were all treasures of excellent quality.

The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion was also the market's guarantee of quality. Whenever people heard that something came from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, they would immediately feel more at ease.

As soon as he entered the shop, he saw magnificent golden decorations, and an air of luxury and grandeur washed over him.

But that only made Li Ping'an's coarse cloth clothes seem even more shabby.

"Go, go, go! Where did this filthy old man come from? We don't give alms here. Get out, get out!"

When the shop attendant saw Li Ping'an enter, he immediately came over to drive him away, thinking Li Ping'an was some beggar from who knew where.

"I'm here to buy something."

Li Ping'an explained.

"You? Buy something? Can you afford it?"

The attendant gave Li Ping'an a contemptuous look, then impatiently waved his hand.

"Go, go, go! Everything in our Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion starts at spirit stones. Do you even have spirit stones?"

"Dressed like that, you probably don't even know what spirit stones are, do you? Hurry up and get lost! Don't ruin our customers' desire to buy things!"

With that, the attendant stepped forward, preparing to shove Li Ping'an right out.

Li Ping'an sneered inwardly. Just a doorman, yet he had quite the temper.

He held his breath, focused his mind, planted his stance firmly, and stood there like a statue.

"You stubborn old man! Are you forcing me to use violence?"

When the attendant found that he could not push him, he immediately grew angry and shoved with both arms.

Yet the push sent him rebounding backward instead.

The attendant's face filled with shock.

What was going on? Was this old man's body really this sturdy?

The attendant had just raised his head and was about to fly into a rage when he saw that Li Ping'an had somehow produced a glowing spirit stone, tossing it up and down in his palm.

"Hmph! Take a good look and see whether this old man is qualified to enter the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion!"

Li Ping'an snorted coldly, and the aura around him suddenly burst forth.

In an instant, the attendant felt his legs trembling faintly. He also felt an overwhelming killing intent radiating from Li Ping'an.

The attendant had also seen that the other party seemed to have taken that spirit stone from a pouch.

That meant he definitely had more than just one spirit stone!

Oh no! Had he actually misjudged him? This was a major customer!

The attendant's eyes darted about. Then, like a lapdog, he hurriedly sidled up to him.

His face was full of fawning servility.

"Ah! Senior, I'm truly sorry. I was blind and looked down on you. It was my fault! Please, come in!"

"Hmph."

Li Ping'an snorted, his icy gaze sweeping over the surroundings as he said coldly, "Your Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion's staff have truly terrible attitudes. Where is your manager? I want to see your manager!"

Li Ping'an's shout frightened the attendant into breaking out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly begged for mercy. "Senior, please don't say that. I was wrong, truly wrong! Please give me a chance to make up for my mistake. What do you wish to buy? I'll take you there!"

"Fine."

Li Ping'an said sternly, "Then you'd better serve me properly today, or there'll be hell to pay! I came to buy a cultivation technique. Remember this: I want one that is cheap, useful, and easy to cultivate. Do you hear me?"

The attendant was instantly dumbfounded by the request.

Cheap, yet useful? How could there be such a good deal?

Only expensive ones could buy useful cultivation techniques. He wanted something cheap but useful?

Wasn't this deliberately making things difficult for him?

"Hm? You can't find one?"

Li Ping'an narrowed his eyes and stared fixedly at the attendant.

The attendant's body shuddered, and he hurriedly said in a fawning manner, "I can! I definitely can find one! I'll certainly find one for you. Please wait here a moment."