"How much are you asking for this?"
Qin Sang fiddled with it for a moment, appearing quite interested, and looked up at the stallholder.
While Qin Sang had been examining the bone flute, the stallholder had been watching him in silence. Instead of answering directly, the stallholder hesitated for a moment, lost in thought, before finally asking, "Have you recognized the origin of this bone?"
Qin Sang had already prepared an excuse. Shaking his head, he replied, "No. However, I sense something within it that seems to resonate with my cultivation method."
Shielded by the Spirit Concealment Art, and with the stallholder possessing cultivation comparable to his own, Qin Sang had no fear of being seen through.
A flicker of light crossed the stallholder's eyes. "Pardon my presumption, but might I ask what sort of cultivation method you practice?"
Qin Sang gave a cold snort. "That is indeed presumptuous of you. Still, even without me saying, you could probably guess a thing or two, so there is no harm in telling you. My method is peculiar—it requires drawing upon the power of the stars. It is precisely because of this that I have taken an interest in this bone. As you must know, whether in the Inner Sea or the Outer Sea, treasures imbued with the power of the heavenly circuit's stars are exceedingly rare. Having stumbled upon one at long last, I would hate to miss it, regardless of whether it proves useful."
The stallholder let out a strange, rasping chuckle. "From what I know, across both the human and Witch clans, cultivation methods capable of harnessing stellar power are even rarer than such treasures. It seems this item truly shares an affinity with you, Fellow Daoist."
An impatient expression appeared on Qin Sang's face. "Have you made up your mind or not? Are you selling it, or aren't you?"
"I'll sell!"
The stallholder gritted his teeth and gave a decisive nod. But when it came to discussing the price, hesitation returned to his face, and he actually ventured, "For just one magic treasure, you may take it."
Qin Sang's face darkened instantly, and he snapped, "Are you mocking me, or did you decide to open your mouth wide as a lion's just because someone finally showed interest? Not only do I have no spare magic treasure to speak of, but even if I did, I would never trade it for something of unknown use. I see no sincerity in you at all."
Embarrassment washed over the stallholder's face, and he hurriedly called out to stop Qin Sang. The commotion of their dispute had already attracted the attention of several people nearby. Waving his hand, the stallholder set up a sound-isolating restriction and whispered, "Fellow Daoist, please don't be angry! Take a closer look at this object. It looks like bone, but it is actually a bizarre material that is bone-like yet not bone. Such material is completely unique in the cultivation world; even Core Formation stage cultivators like us cannot see through it. By virtue of this material alone, its value is on par with a magic treasure, not to mention whatever unknown secret might be hidden within."
With that, the stallholder dropped his aura and began playing for sympathy.
"Before you, Fellow Daoist, I won't hide anything. Looking at my current state, it is all thanks to those Witch Clan scoundrels. I had to detonate my life magic treasure just to narrowly escape with severe injuries and barely keep my life. All my savings have been spent on healing pills, leaving me unable to purchase another magic treasure. Without one, even if my wounds heal, how much of my strength will remain? With such a delay, my immortal path might be completely lost. This bone is a relic left by my master and holds immense meaning for me. If I hadn't been backed into such a corner, I would never have dared entertain the thought of parting with it."
Qin Sang's earlier intuition had been correct; the man was indeed still nursing severe injuries.
His wounds must have been grave indeed, for his complexion showed no sign of recovery despite consuming so many pills.
Hearing the stallholder's seemingly heartfelt plea, Qin Sang's expression softened slightly, though he still refused to yield. "I care not how you came by it. Having kept it in your hands for years, you surely understand it better than I do. To my eyes, the possibility of it hiding a grand secret is slim. Most likely, it is merely a fragment of some treasure. If one could gather all the pieces, it would be another matter, but with only this small fragment remaining, its value is greatly diminished. Across the vast Demon Sea, gathering the rest is utterly impossible. I am only buying it to take a gamble on luck, and the most I will offer is a single talisman treasure."
Qin Sang slapped a talisman treasure down in front of the stallholder.
With Qin Sang having so easily seen through the item's true nature, the stallholder's face fell in defeat. "Fellow Daoist, as expected of someone who cultivates stellar power, your eyes are truly sharp... Yet this item is no ordinary treasure. No matter how diminished my strength is, I wouldn't sell it for a mere talisman treasure. If you are unwilling to offer a higher price, I can only wait for the trade fair, or simply return to Huntian Island to see if the island lord might be interested."
The stallholder looked resolute, and the negotiation stalled.
Though knowing he was posturing, Qin Sang dared not bet that no one else would recognize its worth. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Do you know where your master obtained this bone?"
The stallholder shook his head. "My master already had the bone when I first met him. Later, I heard him mention in passing that he seemed to have bought it at a trade fair in the Inner Sea, but I know nothing of the exact location. If we had known its origin, master and disciple would have gone searching for it long ago rather than waiting until now."
So it had come from the Inner Sea—though it might also have drifted there from the Demon Sea.
Qin Sang had hoped to glean some clues from this man so that if other flute fragments existed, he could track them down along this trail. It seemed he had been too wishful.
Nonetheless, since he already possessed one piece, he could not let this one slip away under any circumstances.
With this in mind, Qin Sang adopted a troubled expression, cast a wary glance around, and transmitted his voice: "To be blunt, I doubt I am the first person you have approached, and none of those talks bore fruit, did they? How about this: I can offer a bit more and trade a life magic treasure for it... But let us make an agreement beforehand: once we leave this place, I will never acknowledge that this life magic treasure came from my hands."
"A life magic treasure?"
The stallholder paused, staring suspiciously at Qin Sang. "Someone else's life magic treasure?"
"Could it possibly be my own?"
Qin Sang scoffed coldly. "You don't need to look at me like that. This treasure was spoils taken from a Witch Clan thief. I simply don't want to invite trouble, so I am making it clear to you upfront."
Understanding dawned on the stallholder's face. "In the current climate, such situations are hardly rare, and I've never heard of anyone being kind enough to return spoils. You needn't worry, Fellow Daoist. It's just... a life magic treasure is forged through a master's life and cultivation. In the hands of another, its might will inevitably be greatly diminished. This..."
"You need only nurture it carefully for some time, and its power will gradually recover without falling too far short."
Qin Sang snorted. "An unidentified fragment in exchange for a magic treasure. If you are still insatiably greedy, I shall take my leave."
"Very well! Take it, Fellow Daoist!"
Reluctantly, the stallholder handed the bone flute over to Qin Sang. The corners of Qin Sang's mouth curved slightly as he retrieved a life magic treasure belonging to someone else and handed it over to the stallholder.
Seeing that it was a spirit sword well-suited for slaughter, delight immediately surfaced in the stallholder's eyes.
Qin Sang lingered no longer, turning and walking away.
After taking a few steps, he deliberately attempted to store the bone flute into his mustard seed bag, only for the bone flute to bounce right back out.
Letting out a soft exclamation of surprise, Qin Sang suddenly hastened his pace and departed.
Only then did the stallholder, who had been stealing glances at Qin Sang's retreating figure, withdraw his gaze, turning his full attention to caressing and admiring the treasure sword in his hands.
Chapter 696