Shopping

"Bring sixty jin of Mystic Devouring Beast meat and bones. Come on, let's go shopping."

After lunch, Cao Fengqi waved his hand and told his father and the others, "You're all coming."

"Hehe, all right. Lock the door."

It was still raining outside. Like the black snow of the previous few days, it wasn't coming down very heavily.

Everyone took an umbrella, and after locking the door with a lock made from a level 4 metal material, the family headed out together.

"There are still so many people at the market, even in the rain?"

"The weather's been abnormal lately. With the sky covered in black clouds, evil beasts have been coming out during the day, and the danger has increased sharply. Other families might also want to buy some supplies to prepare."

As the family headed toward the market, they noticed that there were plenty of people around.

"Huh? Why have all the weapons and equipment in the shop gone up in price? By ten percent, too?"

When they arrived at Spirit Forger Wang's shop and stepped inside, they heard another customer complaining.

Cao Fengqi looked over and saw that everything in the Spirit Forger's shop had indeed gone up by ten percent.

"Why does it keep getting more expensive?"

Cao Jiancheng frowned as well.

"Metal materials have been in short supply lately. There's nothing our boss can do about it."

The young man behind the counter said indifferently, "There have been unusual phenomena in the world one after another these past few days. You shouldn't worry too much about this little price increase. Staying alive is what matters."

"A little? You call this a little? Your prices were already ridiculously high."

Someone said unhappily, "You're profiteering off a disaster!"

"Heh, isn't a ten percent increase just a little?"

The young salesman glanced at him dismissively, his tone mocking and arrogant. "That's the price right now. Take it or leave it."

The customers around them looked unhappy when they heard that.

But there was nothing they could do. There was only one Spirit Forger in all of Liangmin County.

Some items could only be bought here.

What a rip-off.

Cao Fengqi looked at the level 4 weapons and equipment inside. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "What happened to the level 4 Evil-Breaking Blade you had before?"

"Oh? You want to buy a level 4 blade?"

The young man looked at him in surprise and answered, "Someone already bought that level 4 Evil-Breaking Blade. If you want to buy a level 4 blade, you'll have to wait two days."

Cao Fengqi was somewhat speechless. He couldn't even buy one if he wanted to.

No wonder the Spirit Forger's shop had no shortage of customers, even with its outrageous prices.

"Fengqi, I don't need one."

Cao Jiancheng, standing beside him, immediately tugged on his arm.

His son already had a level 4 blade, so another would naturally be for him.

But he wasn't worthy of one.

"Then let's buy Mom and my sister-in-law a level 3 blade each."

Since he couldn't buy one anyway, Cao Fengqi said no more about it and looked at his mother and sister-in-law.

"No need."

Cao Jiancheng tugged on his arm and said, "Level 3 blades are common at the market. There's no need to buy them here. They're much cheaper outside."

"That's right, let's buy them outside," Liu Xiuxiu and Liu Chunying immediately told him as well.

"All right, all right."

This place really was a rip-off, so Cao Fengqi didn't insist. He looked at the young salesman and said directly, "Get me five level 1 arrows and twenty level 3 arrows. I'll trade level 4 beast bones for them."

"Oh? No problem." The young man's eyes lit up when he heard that.

"Six jin of level 4 beast bones for this handful of arrows. That's expensive."

After they walked out of the Spirit Forger's shop, Cao Jiancheng spoke with some regret.

"It doesn't matter. The beast bones are no use to us anyway."

Although the trade didn't seem fair to him either, Cao Fengqi didn't mind much.

He looked at the arrows in his hands with satisfaction.

[Triangular Arrow: Level 3]

[Effect: Possesses decent armor-piercing ability. Causes continuous bleeding after hitting a target.]

They didn't penetrate as well as Evil-Piercing Arrows and were less effective against evil spirits, but their bleeding effect allowed them to deal greater damage to evil beasts.

Twenty Triangular Arrows, plus ten Evil-Piercing Arrows, would be enough for now.

Having bought what he needed, Cao Fengqi looked at his family and said, "Come on, let's go to the Worldweaver's Clothing Store."

"The Worldweaver's Clothing Store sells soft armor. Because of its properties, their prices are even higher than the Spirit Forger's."

Cao Jiancheng shook his head again. "Let's take a look at the central market."

"Just follow me."

Ignoring his father, Cao Fengqi insisted, "Stop thinking about saving money all day."

Deputy County Magistrate Xiao had said she would give him half off anything he bought at the Worldweaver's Clothing Store. It was a good opportunity to buy some equipment for his parents and the others.

Besides, most of the clothing at the Worldweaver Clothing Store was soft armor.

At the same level, soft armor was worth much more than ordinary armor.

There wasn't much difference in their defense.

The advantage of soft armor was that it was light and convenient. Naturally, anyone with money would choose it.

Compared with the Spirit Forger's shop, the Worldweaver's store was a luxury establishment.

"Fengqi, you don't need to buy us such good equipment. Your sister-in-law and I rarely go to the Lost Land..."

"Enough. Just follow me."

Liu Xiuxiu had started to speak, but Cao Fengqi cut her off and said firmly, "We're buying whatever I say."

"Then let's do as Fengqi says."

Cao Jiancheng thought about the resources their family now had and spoke to his wife.

It wasn't as though they couldn't afford soft armor.

He had just thought it unnecessary.

"Huh? Sis, what brings you here?"

The Cao family had just entered the Worldweaver Clothing Store when a voice suddenly rang out.

Holding Xiaobao's hand, Liu Chunying looked at the two people in front of her and replied calmly, "Brother, we're here to buy some equipment."

Cao Fengqi raised an eyebrow as he looked at the man and woman in the store.

"Chunying, the clothes here are very expensive."

The woman beside him looked her up and down and asked with a smile, "What's this, Chunying? Have you had some good luck and made a haul lately?"

"My sister-in-law has indeed had good luck lately."

Cao Fengqi looked at the two of them and spoke slowly.

"Oh, is that so? That's good."

The woman froze for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Hehe, now that you're doing well, you won't need to come to our house asking for help anymore."

"Ask you for help? I..."

A trace of anger and regret appeared in Liu Chunying's eyes when she heard her sister-in-law's words, but before she could finish-

"Young Master Cao, you're here! Have you brought your family to buy clothes?"

A saleswoman came over warmly from the counter ahead and spoke to Cao Fengqi.

The unexpected interruption cut Liu Chunying off, and she looked over in surprise.

The warm welcome from the saleswoman at the Worldweaver Clothing Store didn't just leave Liu Chunying stunned.

Liu Qiang and Wei Chunchun also looked over in surprise.

What??

Although the salespeople at the Worldweaver Clothing Store weren't as arrogant as those at the Spirit Forger's shop, they still carried an air of superiority.

Ten years ago, their status would have been equivalent to managers at a luxury store, a rank above the sales clerks.

And now one of them was being so welcoming?

Cao Fengqi wasn't particularly surprised by the saleswoman's attitude.

After all, he had helped Deputy County Magistrate Xiao obtain a level 6 treasure. He was a super VIP customer at the store.