Selling

Time waited for no one.

Tomorrow was the day Steward Li would arrive. Wang Ba had little time left.

Still, he fermented the chicken feed, fed the chickens, and cleaned up in an orderly fashion.

By the time he finished, despite having rushed, it was already evening.

There was not much time left before the market closed.

Yet Wang Ba was not particularly anxious.

This was precisely the timing he had deliberately chosen.

During the day, there were too many people and prying eyes. Carrying so many Spirit Chickens would inevitably attract attention.

If a cultivator happened to pass by, his disguise might be seen through.

Wang Ba had no absolute confidence in the concealing effect of Yin Spirit Power.

But going just before the market closed would greatly reduce the risk.

Most importantly, there was another limitation to using Yin Spirit Power.

The more people I deceive, the more Yin Spirit Power it consumes. Deceiving Old Hou and Niu Yong earlier wasn't too bad-it only used about a twentieth.

But he could well imagine that a single drop of Yin Spirit Power would be nowhere near enough to deceive everyone in an entire market at once.

Thus, his only choice was to avoid the crowds.

After some hesitation, he finally set off with thirteen Spirit Chickens.

He had kept the Male Spirit Chicken that was somewhat different from the others for breeding, filling the vacancy left by Jia Two, which he had sold earlier.

In other words, four Spirit Chickens were still hidden at the mountain estate.

Jia One and Jia Two were roosters, while Jia Three and Jia Four were hens.

This time, he was not going to West Garden Market, the closest market to him, but to South Lake Market in another direction.

South Lake Market lay in a valley beside South Lake, nestled against the mountains and overlooking the water, with superb scenery.

Although this was still part of the sect's peripheral menial laborer area, it was at its very outer edge.

A few more li south would take him beyond the Eastern Saint Sect's grounds.

Of course, outer disciples frequently patrolled the sect's boundaries. With the methods these immortals possessed, menial laborers like them had no hope of slipping past.

But Wang Ba had no intention of leaving the sect anyway.

Despite all its restrictions, this place was also his blessed land.

Once he left the sect, where would he find another place where he could raise Spirit Chickens and draw out lifespan?

Those seemingly ordinary supplies of free chicken feed alone would be a major problem.

Especially since he still needed the markets here to exchange for enough Precious Chickens.

Perhaps thanks to the third level of the Body-Strengthening Scripture, his feet flew even with thirteen Spirit Chickens on his back.

Along the way, he did his best to avoid meeting anyone head-on.

He had no desire to waste Yin Spirit Power on passersby.

Fortunately, he had indeed chosen a good time and encountered few people along the way.

This was mainly because South Lake Market was remote, with few cultivators' blood relatives living nearby.

Thus, as he had hoped, he entered South Lake Market with the Spirit Chickens on his back.

Unlike bustling West Garden Market, South Lake Market had noticeably fewer shops.

Accordingly, there were only two grain shops in all of South Lake Market.

A scant few people hurried along the narrow road paved with bluestone slabs.

Some glanced casually at Wang Ba, only to turn away again without concern.

What they saw was a middle-aged man in an ocher robe carrying a large bamboo basket on his back.

The basket was quiet, as though it held medicinal herbs or something similar.

Sensing the drop of Yin Spirit Power within his Yin Spirit Palace rapidly shrinking,

Wang Ba could not help quickening his pace.

Fortunately, he had scouted the route before and was quite familiar with the market's layout, so he soon reached his destination.

The Burning Blade Grain Shop.

To Wang Ba's relief, there were no customers inside, only the shopkeeper and an assistant taking stock and tidying up.

The consumption of Yin Spirit Power immediately slowed.

Fortunately, nearly seven-tenths of his Yin Spirit Power remained.

"Have a quick look, customer. The market will be closing soon."

The shopkeeper was a portly middle-aged man with a small mustache. He glanced at Wang Ba as he entered, offered a casual greeting, then resumed directing the assistant's tidying.

In his eyes, this was a menial laborer with an unremarkable face and utterly ordinary clothes.

Although he carried a large bamboo basket, one look was enough to tell he was a pauper.

A single glance at the man's eyes told Wang Ba what he was thinking.

But he had no time to waste, so he cut straight to the point. "Shopkeeper, do you buy Spirit Chickens here?"

"Sorry, our little shop doesn't buy Precious Chickens... Spirit Chickens?!"

The middle-aged shopkeeper instinctively turned and looked Wang Ba over again, surprise showing in his eyes.

But then his eyes shifted, and he coughed.

"You want to sell Spirit Chickens?"

"Yes. May I ask whether your shop buys them? At what price?"

Wang Ba cupped his hands as he asked.

The middle-aged shopkeeper smiled and raised a hand invitingly.

"Erhu, bring tea. Come, customer, please sit."

Though inwardly pressed for time, Wang Ba sat down with a calm expression.

The middle-aged shopkeeper unobtrusively sized Wang Ba up again, then glanced at the battered bamboo basket he had set down. His smile deepened, but his tone became leisurely.

"Of course we buy Spirit Chickens. I thought you meant Precious Chickens just now."

"Ah, you may not know this, customer, but Precious Chickens aren't worth much these days. Even Spirit Chickens are only barely worth a little. How many do you have?"

For a moment, Wang Ba was bewildered.

Spirit Chickens were only barely worth a little?

Since when had Spirit Chickens become so cheap?

Or were his horizons simply too narrow?

Were things he considered expensive worth nothing in other people's eyes?

Wang Ba hesitated, then said, "One. A male Spirit Chicken, lower first grade."

"Oh, lower first grade, and a male at that..."

Drawing out his words, the middle-aged shopkeeper stroked his small mustache and smiled.

"Perhaps you aren't aware, customer, but male Spirit Chickens aren't worth much. Their price is half a hen's at most."

"And with Spirit Chicken prices falling lately, as for the price..."

Wang Ba nodded at this. Naturally, he knew that.

But this was effectively a business with no capital outlay for him, so he was willing to sell outright even for a little less.

"Shopkeeper, just name your price."

Wang Ba urged him on.

"Good! Straightforward! Then I'll be direct. For this Spirit Chicken, I'll give you this much..."

The shopkeeper held up five fingers.

"Five Spirit Stones?!"

This time, it was Wang Ba's turn to be surprised.

Had those grain shopkeepers at West Garden Market collectively suppressed their offers before?

What a bunch of crooked merchants!

"What Spirit Stones!"

The middle-aged shopkeeper said indignantly, "Five thousand taels of silver!"

Hearing this price, Wang Ba froze, scarcely able to believe his ears.

"How much? Five thousand taels... of silver?"

"That's right. These Spirit Chickens used to be quite expensive-seven or eight thousand taels of silver! Unfortunately, quite a few Spirit Chickens have come out of Dingzi Manor lately, so they're just not worth much anymore..."

The middle-aged shopkeeper rambled on.

But Wang Ba no longer had any interest in listening to his nonsense.

"If you're not making a sincere offer, shopkeeper, then forget it."

After those few remarks, how could Wang Ba fail to realize that the man had taken him for a fat sheep to slaughter?

At market rates, ten thousand taels of silver could barely be exchanged for one lower-grade Spirit Stone.

Without wasting any more time, he picked up his bamboo basket and made to leave.

"Don't go, customer! How much do you want?"

The middle-aged shopkeeper asked in return.

"Three Spirit Stones!"

Wang Ba paused, then gave the price he had in mind.

The Lu Family Grain Shop had previously offered three and four-tenths. Since he was in a hurry to sell, he was willing to accept somewhat less.

Unexpectedly, the middle-aged shopkeeper shook his head repeatedly.

"Three? Far too much! Eight-tenths of a Spirit Stone at most!"

Although he did not want to waste Yin Spirit Power, Wang Ba was unwilling to waste any more words either. He simply picked up the bamboo basket and left.

"Hey, don't go, customer! If you still think it's too low, name a price! Hey! Hey!"

The middle-aged shopkeeper called after him, rising onto his toes.

Yet he could only watch as Wang Ba carried his bamboo basket to the other grain shop.

At this sight, the middle-aged shopkeeper instead revealed a cold sneer.

"Hah!"

"A mud-legged peasant who stumbled into a stroke of dogshit luck, and he dares dream of Spirit Stones!"

"He'll have to come back to me soon enough!"

"After he walks out of my shop, would the shopkeeper at Liu's Shop dare take his goods?"

"Eight-tenths of a Spirit Stone? Hah!"