Northsky Island, outside the storefront of the Rare Treasures Tower's General Association.
At the first glimmer of dawn, the shopkeeper ordered an assistant to paste a freshly copied, foot-long sheet of red paper on the noticeboard outside.
Quite a few travel-worn people were waiting outside. They were all grassroots rogue cultivators who had been there for a long time, and at the sight, they gathered around to look.
"Oh, have these merchants turned over a new leaf? They've actually raised their purchase prices!"
"The sun really is rising in the west."
Everyone was bewildered and doubtful, almost suspecting that their eyes were deceiving them. The notice posted by the shop plainly stated that it would raise its purchase prices for various spirit materials and treasures.
Someone stopped the assistant as he was about to return inside and asked whether the notice was true. The assistant waved his hands repeatedly and hastily said, "Immortal masters, I can't read a single word. Please don't make things difficult for me."
The shopkeeper came out to rescue him. "Fellow Daoists, is there anything you're unsure about?"
The shopkeeper was also a cultivator, so the rogue cultivators did not dare act out of turn. They asked, "What exactly is this notice about?"
The shopkeeper laughed. "So you're worried there's been a mistake! Rest assured, there's no mistake. We really have raised our prices.
"Starting today, purchase prices for common, ungraded spirit materials will generally increase by ten percent, and precious varieties by twenty percent or more. Certain special varieties will rise by thirty to fifty percent!
"It's all here in black ink on red paper. You can rest assured, fellow Daoists.
"All right, we're about to open for business. If you'd like to buy or sell spirit materials, please come inside in order."
A little