Profiteer Flender!

The group laughed and chatted incessantly along the way.

Only Hu Liena wore a long face. Her arms were laden with shopping bags, and she glared at Ning Rongrong through gritted teeth.

Most of these items had been bought by Ning Rongrong.

She was doing it purely to get back at Hu Liena for ruining her good time.

"Ning Rongrong, you just wait!"

"Once I finish investigating Qin Jiuxiao, I'll make sure you regret this!"

She muttered under her breath, but Ning Rongrong had been watching her closely the entire time.

Ning Rongrong immediately walked over and slapped Hu Liena on the backside.

"What are you whispering about? Were you secretly badmouthing me?"

Hu Liena's mouth twitched, but she forced a smile while suppressing her rage.

"How could I? You're the young mistress, it's only right for you to discipline me."

Satisfied, Ning Rongrong smiled and hurried to catch up with Qin Jiuxiao.

Soon, they passed a small shop.

The shop was not large—one might even call it dilapidated—consisting of nothing more than a small wooden shack less than thirty square meters in size.

The front door stood wide open, but there was not a clerk in sight.

"What kind of shop is this? Is it selling junk?"

"Brother Jiuxiao, why are we here?"

Ning Rongrong fanned the air in front of her nose with a look of disdain. Having grown up in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the shops under their banner were bustling with people, if not outright magnificent.

She had never seen such a shabby establishment.

Qin Jiuxiao walked inside after only a single glance. He remembered this was Flender's shop, and it contained a specific crystal that Tang San would later use to craft Dragon Whisker Needles.

That was an item capable of piercing through spirit power barriers; it was exactly what Tang San had relied on to defeat Zhao Wuji.

If he took it away, would Tang San still have the means to win against Zhao Wuji?

Qin Jiuxiao was looking forward to finding out.

Although the other girls didn't know why Qin Jiuxiao had gone inside, they followed him in.

Once inside, a middle-aged man was lying on a rocking chair with his eyes closed, resting as his body swayed gently.

The rocking chair creaked rhythmically.

He had sharp, narrow eyes and wore a pair of rectangular glasses, giving off the distinct aura of a profiteer.

Qin Jiuxiao walked up to him and called out:

"Uncle Flender, you have customers!"

Flender remained unmoved.

"Flender, if you don't wake up, I'm taking this crystal!"

Qin Jiuxiao picked up the crystal from the shelf and spoke again.

But Flender still didn't budge, appearing to be fast asleep.

"Is this guy dead to the world?"

"If he runs his shop like this, he would have been robbed clean long ago."

Ning Rongrong curled her lip, and the others nodded in agreement.

But Qin Jiuxiao knew this old man was just pretending to sleep.

He sneered and swept his gaze over the counter.

He walked straight to a cabinet, entered the password, and pulled out a bag of Gold Soul Coins.

"Flender, since you're dead to the world, I'm borrowing the Gold Soul Coins from your safe!"

"I'll pay you back when I have money..."

Before he could finish, the rocking chair spun wildly, and the figure on it vanished.

Qin Jiuxiao's arm was suddenly clamped by a hand with prominent knuckles, the grip shockingly strong.

"Heh, done pretending to sleep?"

Qin Jiuxiao met Flender's awkward gaze with an expression that said he had seen through him all along.

"Seriously, what is a young master like you doing in my little shop?"

"What could this pile of junk possibly have that compares to your Qin Family?"

"And!"

Flender's eyes locked onto the money bag in Qin Jiuxiao's hand, his eyelids twitching.

"How do you know the password to my safe?"

"I change it every three days, yet I still can't escape your Qin Family's intelligence network?"

Qin Jiuxiao tossed the money bag back into Flender's hand and pointed at the crystal on the counter.

Flender followed his gesture.

"I want this crystal. One Gold Soul Coin."

"One hundred Gold Soul Coins!"

Flender immediately hiked the price without hesitation.

He curled his lips into a smirk as he looked at Qin Jiuxiao. This young master wasn't short on cash, and if he didn't fleece him now, he'd never get another chance.

Qin Jiuxiao chuckled.

"Twenty at most."

"Ninety!"

"Fifteen."

"Eighty!"

"Ten coins."

"Fifty. Not a copper less, or you can leave—I'm not selling!"

Flender was firm, his expression brooking no negotiation, though the gleam in his eyes behind his glasses was impossible to hide.

He had picked up this crystal at a flea market for only a few Copper Soul Coins.

Even selling it for one Gold Soul Coin would have been a profit.

"Hey! Old man!"

"You're selling such a piece of junk for this much money? You're such a profiteer!"

Xiao Wu pointed at him, her bossy demeanor returning.

Now that she had tempered her body with Qin Jiuxiao's blood, the spirit beast aura on her was masked. Even if a Spirit Douluo or a Title Douluo saw her, they would only be misled by the chaotic aura and assume she had just killed a spirit beast and was stained with its blood.

"Little girl, this is the market price. You won't find a fairer merchant within ten miles!"

"Heh, there aren't any other merchants within ten miles, you're the only one!"

Ning Rongrong shot him a sidelong glance.

Flender crossed his arms and didn't deny it, lazily lying back in his chair with a smile on his face.

He casually sized up this group of boys and girls.

He hadn't paid much attention at first, but the more he probed, the more shocked he became.

Damn it, these were all seeds of genius.

He knew Ning Rongrong; she was the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, no doubt about that.

As for the sisters Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun, one had originally been a level 27 Great Spirit Master and the other a level 40 Spirit Sect.

But now, after being baptized by Qin Jiuxiao's precious blood, their spirit power had increased significantly.

Zhu Zhuqing had reached level 29, and Zhu Zhuyun was well into her forties, though she had yet to obtain her fourth spirit ring. Qin Jiuxiao had said he would help them hunt for them together once Zhu Zhuqing reached level 30.

Xiao Wu had originally been level 29, but she was now at the threshold of level 30 and could condense her third spirit ring at any time.

And although Hu Liena was a bit older than them, her spirit power was also exceptionally deep.

When Flender's spiritual power began to probe Qin Jiuxiao, his pupils constricted.

A sharp, piercing cry forced his spiritual power right back out.

He let out a muffled groan, only to see the faint, mocking smile on Qin Jiuxiao's lips.

Good kid, he did that on purpose.

Still, this boy's martial spirit and spirit power were definitely stronger than the others—even he felt the pressure.

Flender's eyes darted around, his profiteer nature taking over.

If he could lure these little monsters to his Shrek Academy, combined with the ones already at the school, wouldn't the academy take off instantly?

Then, he could take them to the Spirit Fighting Arena to compete.

The money-making potential would be insane!

Thinking of this, Flender immediately sprang up, rubbing his hands together like a fly and chuckling.

"Old Man Flender, that look on your face doesn't make you look like a good person."

"What are you up to now?"

Qin Jiuxiao eyed him askance and took two steps back without a trace.

Flender's eyes burned with intensity as he walked up and hooked his arm around Qin Jiuxiao's shoulder, acting like an old friend.

"Hahaha, Jiuxiao, Uncle was just joking with you earlier."

"Your father and I are old acquaintances. How could I possibly try to rip off my own nephew?"

Qin Jiuxiao wasn't buying it and swatted his hand away.

"Just say what you want. I can see through your schemes at a glance."

Flender chuckled and handed the crystal to Qin Jiuxiao.

"Uncle will give you this crystal!"

"Looking at your ages, you're at the perfect time for school. Uncle knows a very good academy."

"As long as you graduate, you get a title from the Heaven Dou Empire!"

"Uncle can give you a recommendation, hehehe!"