"An elder of the upper sect honors our humble shop with his presence! How may we serve you?"
Mu Bai had entered the pawnshop and was pondering how to phrase a tactful excuse to conceal his embarrassment when the elderly shopkeeper greeted him warmly, identifying him as an elder at once.
"May I ask why you address this young man as an elder, sir?"
"Elder Qing Mao often patronized our shop when he was alive. As you surely know, his household was rather large, and there were inevitably times when money ran short..."
Even a dignified Talisman-Making Elder could run short of money. Clearly, with enough mouths to feed, anyone could end up eating dirt.
"Oh, you have a point, sir. Here I am, having to hunt in the mountains to cover my household expenses..."
Since even Elder Qing Mao had been a regular, Mu Bai felt no further shame. As he spoke, he took the white wolf hide coat from his Soul Bag and slapped it onto the pawnshop counter, pretending not to care much about it.
"Sir, this is the hide of a third-tier Moon-Howling White Wolf. Even without refinement, it can withstand a Soul Arrow from a peak second-level Soul Cultivator. Tell me what it's worth-name your price!"
The old man picked up Mu Bai's white wolf hide coat and examined it closely, practically inspecting every hair. Fortunately, the Silver-Winged Giant Tiger had killed the Moon-Howling White Wolf with a single blow, leaving its hide quite intact.
"Fine merchandise! Perfectly intact-truly rare. I imagine only a mighty Xiu Zun could kill this Moon-Howling White Wolf in a single strike..."
Holding the white wolf hide, the old man studied it carefully and voiced his own analysis. Listening, Mu Bai genuinely admired his judgment.
"Truly fine merchandise..."
"Sir, it's certainly fine merchandise, but would you please name a price..."
"Fine merchandise, worth two hundred Soul Crystals! However... here, look here. There are marks from a blow. That makes it... one hundred Soul Crystals!"
"Old man, are you kidding me?"
Mu Bai reached to take back his white wolf hide coat, but the old man clung tightly to it. "Five more! Five more! One hundred and five!"
Mu Bai nearly spat out five mouthfuls of old blood. "Carry on, old man. We're not even on the same wavelength!"
Mu Bai yanked his white wolf hide coat back, unwilling to exchange another word with this old shopkeeper. Two years ago, before he had even seen what a Soul Crystal looked like, he might have agreed to sell it for a hundred. But things were different now. Mu Bai was someone who had seen twelve thousand Soul Crystals, and inwardly he cursed this old scoundrel for a crafty, crooked merchant.
"Oh, young fellow, don't go! How much do you want? Name your price!"
"One thousand Soul Crystals!"
"One thousand Soul Crystals is a little steep, but you're certain you'll sell it for one thousand, aren't you?"
The old shopkeeper shouted at the top of his lungs, as though afraid the customers inside and the passersby outside would fail to hear him and be unable to bear witness.
"Don't get so worked up, old sir. If you shout your lungs out, don't blame me. Come, everyone saw that, didn't you? He chose to shout himself. It has nothing to do with me. If anyone is willing to offer fourteen hundred Soul Crystals, this young man's great hide coat from a peak third-tier Moon-Howling White Wolf might just be theirs! Guaranteed warm in winter and cool in summer, impervious to heat and cold. Even a third-level expert couldn't damage it in the slightest..."
Clutching his white wolf hide coat, Mu Bai likewise raised his voice and called out to the passersby who had stopped.
It had to be said that the fondness for gathering to watch a spectacle was human nature, not something a few more days of cultivation could fundamentally change.
"I'll take it!"
"In your dreams! I offer fifteen hundred!"
"Well, well, Wang Laowu, aren't you impressive! I offer seventeen hundred!"
"This old man offers two thousand. I hope my fellow cultivators will do me this kindness."
A hale old man spoke, employing his spiritual power. Though his words were unhurried, they sent a tremor through the minds of everyone around him.
It seemed this old man was a Divine Cultivator, with thin skin and little blood, unable to endure much damage. That was why he had immediately called out such a high price, hoping the others would recognize the difficulty and withdraw.
Sure enough, the surroundings fell silent at once. Pleased with himself, the old Divine Cultivator was already reaching for his Soul Crystal Bag when a man in his prime unexpectedly thundered out a bid, raising the price to twenty-five hundred!
"Good heavens, people's hearts really are treacherous! That old fellow only offered me a hundred at first!"
The man had raised the price straight to twenty-five hundred, delighting Mu Bai, but leaving the old Divine Cultivator in a bind. His expression dimmed; he truly could not raise the bid any further.
Seeing that no one around them continued bidding, the man tossed over a Soul Crystal Bag and reached to pull away Mu Bai's "peak third-tier Moon-Howling White Wolf hide coat." Unexpectedly, Mu Bai stepped backward instead, making no move to catch the bag he had thrown.
"What, are you going back on your word?"
The man glared fiercely at Mu Bai, his eyes seeming to hold two Fierce Beasts baring their fangs and claws, ready to leap out and pounce on their prey.
"This little fur coat belongs to me. Did you ever hear me say the highest bidder would get it?"
"You!"
Feeling that a mere boy had made a fool of him, the man flared with anger and drove a heavy fist straight at Mu Bai's face. Mu Bai swept his long robe aside, planted himself in a firm horse stance, and punched back. With a boom, their fists collided head-on. A fierce gust struck their faces, and everyone's robes snapped in the wind.
At the sight, the old pawnshop keeper's face trembled like chaff in a sieve. This was a clash worthy of powerful experts, yet he had initially intended to fleece this easy mark. The thought alone filled him with lingering fear.
After that exchange of punches, the man looked again at the Moon-Howling White Wolf hide coat in Mu Bai's hands and abruptly understood. This boy possessed considerable strength himself, and he also held something from a peak third-tier Moon-Howling White Wolf. Clearly, he must have a powerful force backing him.
"What about me? So what if I just don't care for Soul Crystals? You could say I regard them as dung. So I've decided to give this little fur coat to this old grandfather!"
"What! You..."
Mu Bai's startling declaration shocked not only the man but everyone watching. Even the old Divine Cultivator could not believe his ears.
"Is there something wrong with this fellow?"
"Probably something quite serious..."
Ignoring all the discussion around him, Mu Bai pressed his white wolf hide coat into the old Divine Cultivator's hands. "Grandpa Clan Patriarch, may you enjoy good health and a long life."
Having given away his white wolf hide coat, Mu Bai walked out of the shop without looking back. Hot tears were already shimmering in his eyes as he disappeared despondently into the stream of people on Spirit Command City's streets.
"Child, what are you..."
Watching Mu Bai's retreating figure disappear, the old Divine Cultivator's eyes showed bewilderment, which soon turned to affection. Whether he had sought to buy this Moon-Howling White Wolf hide coat for himself or for a younger member of his clan, the old Divine Cultivator now felt all the more how precious it was.
This was a child's heartfelt gift of respect to an elder.
"Thank you, child. Grandpa wishes you a safe journey to adulthood, too, and a fine future ahead..."
Mu Bai walked silently among the crowds on the street. Gradually, his steps grew brisker, and a bright light appeared in his eyes.
"Grandpa Clan Patriarch, don't worry about Mu Bai. I'll walk the road ahead well, going as far as it leads, walking my way into a brilliant life and a world of my own!"
Wiping away his hot tears, Mu Bai strode onward, his steps growing ever lighter amid the bustling crowds on the broad street.
Before you continue