The Soul-Startling Bell and the Crimson Flame Shield

The bronze bell was only the size of a palm, and strange patterns covered its surface.

At first glance, it looked somewhat mottled with rust, but a closer inspection revealed that it was smooth and full-bodied. It was truly marvelous.

"This bell is called the Soul-Startling Bell, a First-Tier Superior-Grade Law Artifact. Released without warning, it can leave an enemy rigid for an instant.

The old man took the Soul-Startling Bell from the box and held it out to the Flame Martial Envoy, continuing:

"Fellow Daoist, you wished to purchase a defensive Law Treasure. This item fits the bill, so I brought it out.

"If you use it while fleeing, the instant your enemy is frozen will give you enough time to do a great many things."

The Flame Martial Envoy took the little bell and examined it closely.

Though the bell was not a conventional offensive Law Artifact, its strength lay in catching an opponent off guard.

In a battle of techniques, where the situation could change in an instant, a moment's distraction was a major opening. If both sides were equally matched, it was enough to severely injure an opponent.

"How many Spirit Stones?"

The old man held up three fingers without a word.

Qin Fei pondered for a moment, but instead of saying whether he wanted it, he looked at the second Law Artifact.

The wooden box opened, revealing a strange little crimson shield lying quietly on the silk cloth.

"This is the Crimson Flame Shield. It can release the power of blazing flames to weaken an enemy's Technique Methods. The shield itself is also exceptionally sturdy, and once released, it can defend against enemies on its own. The price is five hundred Spirit Stones."

Qin Fei's heart stirred. Judging by the shield's presence, it was still only a First-Tier Superior-Grade Law Artifact.

Its functions were also quite ordinary. He could not see at all what made it worth five hundred Spirit Stones.

"Shopkeeper, do you take me for someone who doesn't know the market? Fine as this shield is, it may not be as useful as the Soul-Startling Bell. How can it sell for such a high price?"

The old man shook his head and explained:

"There is something you don't know, Fellow Daoist. Someone else left this shield with me to sell on consignment, together with a ritual refinement method. That is why it costs so much.

"But you needn't feel you're getting the worse end of the deal. That ritual refinement method is far superior to the ordinary methods on the market. After a Law Artifact is refined with it, its power can increase by as much as twenty percent.

"If he weren't in urgent need of Spirit Stones, he would never have put it up for sale."

A ritual refinement method was a special method used to refine a Law Artifact after obtaining it, making the artifact easier to wield.

Qin Fei had heard of such methods, but had never possessed one.

When he used Law Artifacts now, he simply drove them directly with Spiritual Power. It was straightforward and crude, but lacked finesse.

Qin Fei looked at the Flame Martial Envoy, his lips moving slightly as though he were communicating through voice transmission.

Before long, he sighed softly.

"My senior brother is interested in both treasures, but the price is a little high. In the end, we're a few Spirit Stones short."

The price was actually quite fair, and both items came from the Divine Weapon Pavilion, so there was nothing to fault about their quality.

With Qin Fei's wealth, buying both at once would be no problem at all.

But this was no small sum of Spirit Stones, so Qin Fei could not make it look too easy.

"How many Spirit Stones short are you, Fellow Daoist? If it's only a few, I wouldn't mind lowering the price a little and making a friend."

These two items were not cheap. Although people often showed interest, very few were willing to buy them, so they had remained in his hands for a long time.

Now that he had a chance to sell them, he naturally would not let it slip away easily.

To his surprise, Qin Fei said nothing. Instead, he took a ball from his Storage Bag and placed it on the counter.

"We're quite a few Spirit Stones short, and I'm really embarrassed to ask. Shopkeeper, could you take a look and see if this can be used to cover some of the cost?"

"A puppet?"

The old man picked up the ball and muttered to himself, but immediately lost interest.

Ordinary puppets on the market were not worth much, especially some utility puppets. Getting a few dozen Spirit Essences for one would be quite good.

Could these two be planning to use this to make up the difference?

He shook his head slightly, but still tossed the puppet onto the floor.

The next moment, a giant rock python suddenly appeared before him. Its raised head nearly punched a hole through the ceiling.

"Sixth Level of Qi Refining! A Battle Puppet!"

The old man's manner changed at once, and keen interest appeared on his face.

What he had thought earlier was not wrong. Some ordinary utility puppets really could sell for only a few dozen Spirit Essences, and any that sold for more than one or two Spirit Stones were considered excellent.

What he had not mentioned, however, was that there were many kinds of puppets, and the differences in price were particularly large.

This was especially true of Battle Puppets. Almost every time their cultivation rose by one level, their price would skyrocket.

On the market, a Battle Puppet at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining could sell for as much as one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.

Though they were not exactly rare, many elders were willing to pay for them to protect the younger members of their clans.

"Would you two fellow Daoists like to use this toward the purchase? Although our Divine Weapon Pavilion deals mainly in Law Artifacts, we also buy goods that sell well."

Clearly, in his view, there would be no shortage of buyers for the puppet before him.

"How many Spirit Stones can this count for?"

"You two presumably already know its market price. But to show the sincerity of our Divine Weapon Pavilion, I'm willing to offer five more Spirit Stones and make a friend.

"If you have similar puppets in the future, or even puppets at the late stage of Qi Refining, you can bring them to me. The price will certainly satisfy you both."

Qin Fei was quite pleased, but he still put on a show of discussing it with the Flame Martial Envoy.

After a while, he turned around and said clearly:

"My senior brother says that if you add another five Spirit Stones, he'll make the trade."

The old man hesitated briefly, then agreed.

"Certainly. How will you two pay the remaining Spirit Stones?"

Qin Fei took out three more puppet balls, all of them Desolate Rock Giant Pythons at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining.

"These four puppets will cover six hundred and forty Spirit Stones, correct?"

The old man nodded slightly.

"That's right. You only need to pay another one hundred and sixty Spirit Stones, Fellow Daoist. But forgive me for asking something unrelated: did you make these puppets yourself?

"If so, we could discuss working together. I could even give you a further discount."

Qin Fei remained unmoved. He took out a small bag and placed it on the counter.

"My senior brother was fortunate enough to obtain these puppets in some ruins. Though I would very much like to work with you, Shopkeeper, I lack the good fortune. These are the remaining Spirit Stones. Please count them."

The old man looked disappointed. Though he did not entirely believe him, he could only let the matter drop.

He escorted Qin Fei and his companion downstairs and watched them for a long while before returning to the room.

After leaving the Divine Weapon Pavilion, Qin Fei did not hurry to leave the marketplace. Instead, he wandered around.

No one noticed that whenever he passed along a small path, a little spider would drop from beneath his robes and burrow into a crack in the ground.

The Wooden Kite had already taken flight as well, surveying everything below.

Only after shaking off several suspicious individuals did he find a long-abandoned residence and slip inside.

By the time he appeared again, his appearance had changed. He had become a graceful young master holding a folding fan, and he blended into the crowd.

Once safely home, Qin Fei immediately activated the defensive array and began living without stepping beyond his doors.

He had gained quite a lot this time. Obtaining two First-Tier Superior-Grade defensive Law Artifacts was a cause for delight.

But what Qin Fei valued most was the ritual refinement method that had come with the Crimson Flame Shield.

He sat cross-legged on the floor, took out the method, and began reading it carefully.