A Pleasant Transaction

"How was it? Have you made up your mind?"

After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Shopkeeper Ji returned to the VIP room. Looking at Jian Shang, he tossed a dark purple book to Yang Ning and added:

"Read it here until the transaction is over. How much you can remember and understand will depend on your own Creation!"

Yang Ning's eyes lit up. As if he had obtained a priceless treasure, he held the dark purple book in both hands, his expression excited.

"Wait! May I read it too?"

Just as Yang Ning was about to open the book, Jian Shang's heart stirred. He suddenly stopped Yang Ning and looked to Shopkeeper Ji.

"You? How will you return it after reading it? You can't. Of course, if he is willing to teach it to you afterward, that will be your business!"

Shopkeeper Ji glanced at Jian Shang with some amusement.

"Uh..."

Jian Shang was speechless. He had tested this before. Generally speaking, when cultivation manuals first came into an Otherworlder's hands, if an Otherworlder studied them, they would turn into light and vanish, all the information automatically imprinted into the player's mind, impossible to forget even if one wanted to. However, if a native had flipped through them first, they would become ordinary manuals. Otherworlders could still read them, but the system would not acknowledge anything learned from them.

For example, Jian Shang had diligently practiced archery over a thousand times before, yet he had not even triggered the most basic Basic Archery. He could only rely on his own comprehension and training. It did not appear on his status panel; it was not without effect, but it took twice the effort for half the result.

"Little Yang, hurry and study it. Memorize it by rote first, then slowly ponder it after we return!"

Nearly half a shichen had already passed. The Black Wolf Cavalry were probably about to arrive, so Jian Shang instructed Yang Ning.

Shopkeeper Ji had not even mentioned how Yang Ning was supposed to bring out the middle and latter portions in exchange. Clearly, Gao Hong had been right—he simply did not care. Perhaps the Penglai Commerce Association already possessed the complete Yi King Formula. This so-called exchange was merely an excuse.

Hearing Jian Shang's words, Yang Ning gave Shopkeeper Ji a grateful look, then began reading with no distractions in his heart...

Seeing this, Shopkeeper Ji merely smiled faintly and paid it no mind. He then looked at Jian Shang and asked, "What about you? Have you decided? Are you buying the information?"

"I want to, but I have no money. I can scrape together ten gold coins. Since you know I'm an Otherworlder, you should know that among Otherworlders who can currently produce ten Diamond Coins... there probably aren't many, and I just happen not to be one of them!"

Jian Shang spread his hands with frank simplicity and answered readily.

"Pfft..."

Xiao Lan, who was waiting nearby, could not help letting out a sweet laugh. Her expression immediately turned solemn, and she hurriedly stood properly.

"..."

Shopkeeper Ji's expression froze. He did not even notice Xiao Lan's impropriety, rendered speechless for a moment.

He had calculated every possibility, yet failed to account for Jian Shang not having enough money. After all, ten Diamond Coins truly were not much to them. He had thought it was a cabbage price, only to find that the other party could not even afford cabbage...

Of course, who was their lord? He had probably accounted for this factor as well!

"No matter! Didn't you say you wanted to sell a batch of goods? Decide after the transaction is finished!"

Trusting his lord, Shopkeeper Ji still forced out a smile and spoke magnanimously. It was wartime, after all. All sorts of rare treasures and family heirlooms might be brought out. Surely half a cart of spoils could not be worth less than ten Diamond Coins, could it?

It was clear that Luo Sheng, Jiang Sheng, and the other generals attached great importance to this transaction. Less than half a shichen after Luo Sheng and the other man returned, they came back to the Penglai Trading House with more than five hundred Northern Plains Biao horses and nearly two hundred Black Wolf Cavalry, heading directly to the rear courtyard.

At first, when Shopkeeper Ji saw half a cart of spoils piled together in a chaotic mess, he did not think much of them. He assumed they were merely ordinary luxuries. He casually had the appraiser look through them, only to discover quite a few good items, though there were no finished special items.

"Seven ancient paintings. The Zhou Dynasty's 'Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix' is worth seventy Diamond Coins; the Spring and Autumn period's 'Quiet Night Thoughts' is worth ten Diamond Coins; the rest are ten gold each. Twenty-three antiques. The Xia Dynasty's 'Shoutong Taowu' is worth one hundred and fifty Diamond Coins; the 'Blood Rakshasa Cauldron,' one hundred Diamond Coins; the Shang Dynasty's 'Moon Maiden,' fifty Diamond Coins; the 'Purple Smoke Silk Scarf,' thirty Diamond Coins. The remaining Spring and Autumn items are one Diamond Coin each, while Warring States items are ten gold each. These special gemstones—agate crystals, garnet jade, cat's-eye beads, olive hearts, jade fragrance crystals, and the like—are three Diamond Coins each. The remaining ordinary gems, such as rubies and emeralds, are ten gold each regardless of size. These gold ornaments, aside from the 'Holy Mother Phoenix Crown' being worth fifty Diamond Coins, will all be priced by weight regardless of size or type: two gold per tael!"

The Penglai Commerce Association was, after all, a merchant organization, and truly professional. After the items had been sorted into categories, the appraiser took less than two quarters of an hour to submit the complete list of information to Shopkeeper Ji.

"Commander Jian Shang, what do you think of these prices?"

The moment Shopkeeper Ji received the information list, he adjusted some of the prices before handing it to Jian Shang for his opinion. At the same time, he revealed Jian Shang's identity. Clearly, he had investigated him beforehand. As for how deeply, Jian Shang did not know.

"Antiques and famous paintings are difficult to price, but ten gold is not a small sum. On the other hand, the current market price of gold is one gold per tael. Giving two gold is already quite generous. I doubt other shops would offer more!"

Gao Hong, Shi Jin, and the others all came from poor families, so they naturally knew very little about luxuries such as antiques and gold ornaments. Jian Shang, an Otherworlder who had only just arrived, knew even less. In the end, Jiang Sheng, who was relatively more worldly, gave a vague analysis.

It was obvious from the way the Black Wolf Cavalry had mixed all the luxuries together and hauled them over in a cart that they had no concrete concept of such things. Luxuries had no real use to the Black Wolf Cavalry, after all. Since this was effectively a wholesale transaction, they could hardly sell every item one by one to different shops. The Penglai Trading House's prices were already very favorable and considerate.

What Jian Shang and the others did not know was that with a casual wave of his hand, Shopkeeper Ji had already raised the prices of all the items by fifty percent within the limits of his authority. Of course, Shopkeeper Ji would not, and did not dare, let the Penglai Trading House make a loss.

"What is this thing? It doesn't look like it is admiring the moon at all. It is clearly a maidservant, so why is it called Moon Maiden? It is so ugly, yet worth so much? And this Purple Smoke Silk Scarf? Why are antiques worth so much more than ancient paintings?"

Having listened to everyone's advice, Jian Shang already had an idea of the situation. Still, he curiously picked up the antiques Moon Maiden and Purple Smoke Silk Scarf and asked.

"Actually, the artistry of these items is not worth much, nor would their age alone make them worth so much. Their value mainly lies in their materials and artistic conception. This was carved from the main trunk of the rare plant Thousand-Year Moonview Vine, which is why it is called Moon Maiden. Purple Smoke Silk Scarf is the name of a rare type of silkworm silk. As for the Shoutong Taowu, it was cast from metal from the legendary divine mountain, Shoutong Mountain. The Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix and Quiet Night Thoughts possess profound artistic conceptions; it is said they may conceal some sort of cultivation method."

Shopkeeper Ji smiled faintly and explained offhandedly without the slightest attempt at concealment. This instead made Jian Shang feel rather embarrassed. He truly had judged a gentleman's heart with a petty man's measure.

Although Jian Shang knew the Penglai Trading House would definitely make a profit, they had already been extremely fair. He could not possibly expect them to buy at a loss, could he?

"Since Commander Jian Shang has no objections, the goods come to a total of 628 Diamond Coins and 71 gold. Let us call it 630 Diamond Coins!"

When Jian Shang returned the list and nodded apologetically, Shopkeeper Ji smiled and reported the final price.

"Uh... I originally thought the Northern Plains Biao were our most valuable assets. Who would have thought that this batch of spoils, hidden away as burdens to the Black Wolf Cavalry, could sell for such a high price? Though that was mainly because a few good items turned up!"

When Shopkeeper Ji announced the total, Jian Shang and the others were all taken aback, their faces filled with delight. One should know contentment and always be happy.

"Thank you for your consideration, Shopkeeper! I would also like to commission your shop to make a batch of items: one thousand cloaks embroidered with the Sky Wolf, one thousand sets of wolf-shaped helmets and armor, ten thousand Wrought-Iron Arrows bearing the Sky Wolf insignia, axes, spears, bows..."

Since he had decided to trade, Jian Shang thanked him and began equipping the Black Wolf Cavalry with the appropriate gear. This was also the main reason he had come to sell the goods this time. He was even unwilling to buy divine pills and miraculous medicines that could increase cultivation.

One had to know that although Jian Shang had recruited soldiers at elite rank and above, and their combat strength and training were sufficient, the Black Wolf Cavalry still bore the word "incomplete." They were not yet a finished product, and the difference in combat power was far from minor.

*****