I Want This One

The senior brother who had spoken earlier immediately looked displeased.

"Junior Sister Fuyun, even if you buy this Demon Beast, you won't be able to keep it alive for long. It really isn't worth it," the senior brother in blue continued to advise her.

But Su Fuyun had made up her mind. She smiled at the senior brother in blue, her face full of innocence and sweetness. "I know you're worried about me, Senior Brother, but I'm fated to meet this Demon Beast. I really can't bear to see it locked up here. If I truly can't keep it alive later, that's all right too. I'm willing to let it go."

Her actions left everyone present marveling at her kindness.

The senior brother in blue sighed as well. "Alas, Junior Sister Fuyun, you're always so innocent and kind. You really make people worry."

"It's all right. Don't I still have you senior brothers to look after me?" Her playful words drew a doting smile from him.

Watching from the side, Sang Ying clicked her tongue in admiration. No wonder Su Fuyun had become the female lead!

As the female lead, Su Fuyun had luck beyond ordinary understanding, so the Demon Beast she had taken a fancy to probably wasn't ordinary either. Perhaps it would grow into a formidable creature of the sixth tier or higher someday.

But none of that had anything to do with her. Sang Ying looked at the stalls of all sizes ahead and thought she might have a look around herself.

"What did you say? This Gale Hound costs a hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones?!" Su Fuyun suddenly cried out.

Only after she had drawn everyone's attention did Su Fuyun realize she had lost her composure. She instantly resumed her usual gentle manner, lowered her head slightly, and said pitifully, "Fellow cultivator, a hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones really is a bit expensive. Could you be a little more accommodating?"

The stallholder had a soft spot for a pretty face, and seeing this, he said, "All right, I'll take ten mid-grade Spirit Stones off. You only need to give me ninety."

The cultivation world had its own standard for exchanging Spirit Stones. A hundred low-grade Spirit Stones could be exchanged for one mid-grade Spirit Stone, and a hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones for one high-grade Spirit Stone. But a single supreme-grade Spirit Stone was worth ten thousand high-grade Spirit Stones.

Spirit Stones were extremely scarce. Although Su Fuyun was Immortal Venerable Yanchen's disciple, she usually received an allowance of only ten mid-grade Spirit Stones from the sect. Immortal Venerable Yanchen knew little of worldly affairs and mostly had rare and wondrous treasures on hand; he had few Spirit Stones instead.

Moreover, he was devoted to cultivation and would never think of such a small matter as his disciple not having enough Spirit Stones to spend.

Thus, although Su Fuyun was thriving in the Flowing Light Sword Sect, she did not have much to her name.

Ninety mid-grade Spirit Stones amounted to nine months of her allowance. She could afford it, but it was half her entire fortune. To spend it on a Demon Beast... Su Fuyun felt it wasn't quite worth it.

But though she was unwilling, the person inside the jade pendant kept urging her on, saying this was a great fortuitous opportunity she absolutely could not let slip.

Su Fuyun clutched the jade pendant, pressing her lips together without a word.

Seeing that she remained silent, the stallholder realized she was short of money and bluntly said, "Fellow cultivator, are you buying it or not? If you aren't, stop standing around here. Aren't you holding up my business for nothing?"

Just moments ago, he had called her "fairy," but now she was "fellow cultivator." The stallholder's snobbery left Su Fuyun feeling thoroughly aggrieved.

"How can you speak to her like that? Can't my junior sister take some time to think about buying a Demon Beast?" the senior brother in blue argued on Su Fuyun's behalf.

Sang Ying couldn't be bothered to watch their farce any longer. She planned to wander around. If she didn't find anything she wanted, she would return to the encampment and rest.

But the moment she moved, Su Fuyun spotted her.

Su Fuyun immediately called out to Sang Ying, "Junior Sister, Junior Sister! I have something to discuss with you."

Forced to stop, Sang Ying waited as Su Fuyun hurried over. "Junior Sister, I left in a hurry this time and didn't bring enough Spirit Stones. Could you lend me some money?"

Su Fuyun remembered that Sang Ying's parents had both been quite capable and had left her a sizable inheritance. Even the Ice Soul Sword Sang Ying used now was a rare treasure.

She probably wouldn't care about such a small sum.

With that thought, Su Fuyun felt even more confident asking for the loan.

Sang Ying was so angry at her self-righteous manner that she laughed, and she opened her mouth to refuse.

Just then, the Demon Beast cub locked in the cage whimpered again. It was tiny and plump all over, and it clawed desperately at the cage, as though it badly wanted to escape.

Its babyish appearance was utterly adorable.

Sang Ying had always had a weakness for cute things. Seeing this, the refusal on her lips turned over, and what finally came out was, "All right."

Su Fuyun immediately broke into a smile. "Thank you, Junior Sister. Shall I write you an IOU?"

She had only said it casually, but Sang Ying nodded and agreed in earnest. As she handed the Spirit Stones to the stallholder, she also took out a Jade Slip and gave it to Su Fuyun.

"There's no need to go to the trouble of writing an IOU. Senior Sister can simply make a recording in the Jade Slip." Sang Ying had no intention of letting Su Fuyun take the slightest advantage of her.

Su Fuyun's smile froze on her face. She reluctantly took the Jade Slip and did as Sang Ying said, recording the loan and promising to repay it once she returned to the sect.

Although the "enormous" debt of ninety mid-grade Spirit Stones made Su Fuyun's heart nearly drip blood, by the time she held the Demon Beast cub in her arms, she was no longer quite so angry.

After all, a fortuitous opportunity was more important than Spirit Stones.

After helping Su Fuyun pay, Sang Ying left the group on her own. She made a circuit of the market and, seeing nothing good, picked out a few storybooks to take back with her.

Just as she was about to return to the encampment, a small stall beneath a tree not far away suddenly caught her attention.

The stallholder wore a large black cloak that covered him completely, concealing his appearance. Only his build suggested that he was a man.

Although he too had set up a stall, unlike the other stallholders, who were eager and proactive, he had simply spread out a black cloth and put some strange and curious things on it. He neither called out to customers nor chose a crowded place for his stall, giving off an air of "let the willing take the bait."

Drawn by this unusual approach, Sang Ying went over to look at his stall.

After giving the wares a cursory glance, Sang Ying's eyes were drawn to a tattered little booklet.

She picked it up and, without even leafing through it, asked, "Fellow cultivator, how much is this booklet?"

Sang Ying liked the patterns on the booklet very much.

"I'm buying this!" Before the stallholder could name a price, a hand suddenly reached over from the side, trying to snatch the booklet from Sang Ying.

Sang Ying was a nimble sword cultivator. She slipped aside and dodged the hand.

She looked up to see a young female cultivator in red magical robes, gazing at her with her chin raised haughtily:

"Didn't you hear me? I want this booklet!"