The Trade

A thousand-year spirit herb in exchange for three stalks of soul-attracting grass and nine Heavenly Corpse Talismans. Was it worth it? "A single stalk of thousand-year Blue Dew Epiphyllum..." Qin Sang's voice rang out, accompanied by a wisp of blue light flying from his fingertips. The jade box could not conceal the aura of the Blue Dew Epiphyllum. A faint blue radiance cast a dreamy, azure glow across a radius of one zhang around Qin Sang. In an instant, every gaze in the hall focused on Qin Sang—or more precisely, on the Blue Dew Epiphyllum in his hand. A thousand-year age—a term capable of instantly commanding everyone's attention. "The Blue Dew Epiphyllum, the primary ingredient for Dilu Pills. Fellow Daoists who practice wood-attribute cultivation methods can take this pill to cleanse and temper their spiritual power with its medicinal strength. When encountering bottlenecks, it aids in breaking through thresholds. This Blue Dew Epiphyllum is of thousand-year age, so there is no need for me to elaborate on its efficacy..." Noticing that many people did not recognize the Blue Dew Epiphyllum, Qin Sang took advantage of the quiet hall to give a swift introduction. Toward the end, his thoughts stirred, and he paused, swallowing the words that were on the verge of spilling out and switching to a calm, casual tone. "I do not cultivate wood-attribute methods, so keeping this Blue Dew Epiphyllum has left it with no place to be put to use. As it happens, I have some interest in the soul-attracting grass. Would any fellow Daoist be willing to make a trade?" Once Qin Sang decided to trade the Blue Dew Epiphyllum for the three stalks of soul-attracting grass, he no longer cared about whether he was coming out ahead or taking a loss. But if he could gain a little extra advantage, that was naturally a good thing. Just as Qin Sang expected, once the medicinal effects of the Blue Dew Epiphyllum were revealed, the fervor it ignited was not the slightest bit weaker than that for the soul-attracting grass. Even if only one-fifth of the people in the hall practiced wood-attribute techniques, that was still a very considerable number. Qin Sang's gaze drifted toward the few people he had noted earlier, hoping their need for the soul-attracting grass was not overly desperate. If exposing the Blue Dew Epiphyllum still failed to secure the soul-attracting grass, his loss would be far too great. Right at that moment, someone Qin Sang had not expected spoke up. From the moment Qin Sang took out the Blue Dew Epiphyllum, Gao Yi's expression had shifted slightly. He narrowed his eyes to inspect it closely, seemingly discerning its authenticity. The signature, stardust-like aura of a thousand-year Blue Dew Epiphyllum was unmistakable. Having confirmed it was genuine, Gao Yi spoke up suddenly, "Fellow Daoist, are you certain you wish to exchange the Blue Dew Epiphyllum for these three stalks of soul-attracting grass?" Qin Sang looked at Gao Yi with some surprise, not expecting the Blue Dew Epiphyllum would stir Gao Yi. Dilu Pills were only effective for Foundation Establishment cultivators and did not improve the odds of Core Formation. As an esteemed False Core cultivator, Gao Yi had no need for the Blue Dew Epiphyllum himself. Unless he was purchasing it for someone else. Surprised though Qin Sang was, a wave of delight surged in his heart. The wealthiest cultivator in the hall was undoubtedly Gao Yi. Since it had caught his interest, this deal was practically nine-tenths done. Qin Sang nodded immediately. "If Commander Gao can offer a reasonable price, I will certainly make the exchange and never go back on my word." This answer left room to maneuver. Qin Sang was not overly greedy; a thousand-year spirit herb could fetch an unused, pristine talisman treasure. There remained plenty of room for negotiation. Gao Yi paid no heed to such trifles, nor did he fear that Qin Sang would dare break his word. Upon receiving a definitive answer, he immediately retrieved a talisman paper from his mustard seed bag, displayed it openly, and proclaimed in a clear voice, "I shall participate in bidding for the soul-attracting grass. A Gu Demon Ring talisman treasure, capable of both offense and defense with boundless utility, retaining seventy percent of its power. To ensure fairness, I ask all fellow Daoists here to bear witness." With that, Gao Yi waved his hand, sending the talisman treasure on a circuit before the front row of the hall. After allowing the other cultivators to inspect it, he placed it gently on the tray. Gao Yi's conduct was remarkably open and aboveboard. He adopted the stance of a fair contest of wealth, without relying on his cultivation or the authority of Yinshan Pass behind him to bully others, leaving no room for fault to be found. Ever since the soul-attracting grass had appeared, there had been many twists and turns, but this was the first actual bid. "The Mountain Suppressing Stele talisman treasure. Once unleashed, a colossal stele manifests, heavy as a thousand jun and unmatched in might. It also retains seventy percent of its power, which ought to be slightly superior to Commander Gao's Gu Demon Ring." The red-robed woman Qin Sang had noticed earlier was indeed interested in the soul-attracting grass. With a charming laugh, she displayed a talisman treasure and immediately placed her bid. Others' eyes flickered, but no one followed suit; all watched to see how Gao Yi would respond. Gao Yi's expression remained unchanged as he nodded calmly. "Fellow Daoist is correct; my Gu Demon Ring is indeed inferior to your Mountain Suppressing Stele. I concede... Are there any other fellow Daoists who wish to bid?" "A Shadowless Whip talisman treasure..." "Starlight Divine Armor..." "Third-Grade Azure Lotus..." Until they were revealed, no one would have imagined so many cultivators possessing talisman treasures were gathered in this small hall. Talisman treasures, so seldom seen on ordinary days, appeared three more times. The onlookers watched with immense excitement, their horizons broadened. Those with the strength to compete were only a select few after all, so the bidding was not frantic; most weighed their options for a long time before offering a bid. Among these talisman treasures, the finest in quality was the Daoist priest's Third-Grade Azure Lotus. Just as Qin Sang was secretly growing anxious, Gao Yi did not let him down. "Primal Sky Spear talisman treasure, offensive type, used only once in passing." Gao Yi put away the Gu Demon Ring and produced another talisman treasure, chuckling self-deprecatingly. "I have brought out the treasure from the bottom of my coffer. If any fellow Daoist can produce a talisman treasure of equal value, I will have no choice but to add spirit stones on top. Fellow Daoists need not worry that I will show favoritism; the owner of the soul-attracting grass will make the final choice in person." This Primal Sky Spear talisman treasure was practically equivalent to an intact talisman treasure. Once Gao Yi presented this treasure, the red-robed woman and the others reluctantly gave up. With no one left contesting him, there was no need to trouble the owner of the soul-attracting grass to choose. This was the least contested round since the auction began, yet with its multiple twists and turns and the frequent emergence of supreme treasures, it left everyone parched with excitement, feeling the trip had been well worth it. Gao Yi placed the talisman treasure onto the tray. Without touching the soul-attracting grass with his bare hands, he guided the three jade boxes toward Qin Sang with a pull of spiritual power. Knowing what was expected, Qin Sang flicked his wrist and tossed the Blue Dew Epiphyllum to Gao Yi. Gao Yi opened the jade box and inspected it once more. Nodding in satisfaction, he mused, "Fellow Daoist, had the Gu Demon Ring won the auction for the soul-attracting grass, I would have supplemented it with a top-grade magic tool for you. However, the value of the Primal Sky Spear is not much inferior to the Blue Dew Epiphyllum. In that case... I will cover the auction house's cut. In addition, I recall that you previously bid on a Falling Phoenix Vine; I wonder if you still have need of spirit wood? I have a piece of Water-Skimming Wood here that I can offer as compensation. What do you think, fellow Daoist?" "As Commander Gao says!" Qin Sang cupped his hands in agreement. The value of Water-Skimming Wood was somewhat inferior to Earth Fire Coiling Tung, but he was already content simply to obtain the soul-attracting grass; this piece of spirit wood was an unexpected bonus. Once Gao Yi handed the Water-Skimming Wood to Qin Sang, the trade was concluded, to the satisfaction of all. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Qin Sang did not linger over examining the soul-attracting grass. After confirming the spirit herbs were genuine, he stowed them away and resumed watching the auction. Now that even the soul-attracting grass had appeared, there were likely few items remaining.