"Lin Tian, do you truly not know your own worth?" Lin Xinxing spoke disdainfully.
"Didn't you call for all the younger generation of the Lin family to gather?" Lin Tian responded, his eyes filled with grievance.
"The Lin family's descendants, do you think you deserve to be one of them?" Lin Xinxing sneered. "I called them here to find the true culprit who killed my Green Leaf Serpent King's cubs. What? Do you think someone like you, a useless waste, could have killed my cubs?"
As soon as these words left his mouth, many of the Lin family's younger generation present showed a flash of mockery in their eyes. To them, Lin Tian's actions were nothing short of self-humiliation.
Lin Tian had not expected such an answer. He had thought that, having offered himself up, he would be welcomed, but instead, Lin Xinxing was pushing him away. With such intelligence, finding the real culprit behind the death of the Green Leaf Serpent King's cubs was likely a task that wouldn't be accomplished even in the next life.
As the mocking gazes followed him out, Lin Tian walked back to his room, head hung low.
When he saw the spiritual liquid in the spiritual power extraction device before him, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He had to admit, after realizing that cycling could boost his cultivation, Lin Mo and the others had worked tirelessly. Now, the device contained enough spiritual liquid to fill three small vials.
After sneaking away from the Lin family, Lin Tian found a secluded spot and swallowed the spiritual liquid. As it entered his body, he felt the spiritual energy surge through him. Not long after, with a sound akin to popping beans, his cultivation was firmly solidified at the second layer of Qi Refining. He still had a bottle of spiritual liquid left.
Just as he was about to head back to the Du family, his eyes inadvertently fell upon the four characters of the Dragon City Chamber of Commerce.
He paused and glanced at the spiritual liquid in his hand, and an idea formed in his mind. How much money could he get if he sold this liquid?
After a moment's hesitation, Lin Tian donned a black cloak to conceal his identity and strode toward the Dragon City Chamber of Commerce.
"Good day, how may I assist you?" Upon entering, a voice as clear as a silver bell rang in his ears. Turning slightly, he saw a charming maid standing respectfully by his side.
"I wish to sell something," Lin Tian said, deliberately lowering his voice.
"Sorry, if you wish to sell something, you'll need to wait for our manager to come and make the final decision," the maid replied respectfully. "Please wait a moment, I'll go fetch our manager."
After sitting down in a corner, Lin Tian began to carefully observe the Dragon City Chamber of Commerce. He had heard that it was one of the three most powerful merchant guilds on the continent, and upon seeing it firsthand, he could see the grandeur for himself.
"Greetings, I'm Xue Mei, the manager here. I hear you wish to sell something. May I take a look?" Soon, a woman dressed in luxurious clothing descended from the upstairs. Upon seeing Lin Tian, her brow furrowed slightly, but as the manager of the Dragon City Chamber, she quickly concealed any negative emotion and replaced it with a warm smile.
"What I wish to sell is this," Lin Tian quickly retrieved the vial of spiritual liquid and placed it on the table.
"You wish to sell... this?" Xue Mei frowned, her voice filled with skepticism.
"Yes," Lin Tian confirmed with a nod.
"Xiao Tao, throw this person out," Xue Mei ordered without hesitation.
When she had descended, she hadn't sensed any fluctuation of spiritual energy from Lin Tian. Naturally, she had assumed he was just a powerless waste. After speaking to him briefly, she guessed he was merely a boy of about ten or so years. Coupled with the fact that the vial was made of low-quality jade, her suspicions were confirmed.
The boy was clearly here to cause trouble, not to sell anything.
"You haven't even looked at it, and you're already kicking me out?" Lin Tian spoke up, clearly displeased. He knew his spiritual liquid might not be worth much, but the fact that she hadn't even bothered to look at it before dismissing him was infuriating.
"Do you really think I need to take a second look at this trash?" Xue Mei snapped, turning her head. "The Dragon City Chamber of Commerce is one of the most prestigious in all of Qinglong Continent. We have extremely high standards when it comes to judging people and goods."
Even first and second-tier spirit tools or pills might not catch their attention, let alone the contents of such a shabby vial. To her, conversing with Lin Tian was a waste of time.
"You didn't even bother to take a look, yet you already call it trash?" Lin Tian's face darkened as he retorted. Even if the spiritual liquid wasn't worth much, it was the result of a month of his sleepless labor. How could he endure such humiliation?
"Do you still need to look? Kid, if you know what's good for you, get out now before I take matters into my own hands," Xue Mei said, her voice cold, her patience worn thin.
"With such a shabby shop, I wouldn't even bother coming," Lin Tian muttered, frustrated, as he put the vial back into his bag.
"Shabby shop?!" Just as he was turning to leave, a towering figure stepped through the door. As soon as Lin Tian's gaze met this person's, an invisible pressure weighed upon him. The cultivation of this individual was clearly far beyond that of his father.
"Shopkeeper Tu, you're back." Upon seeing this man, Xue Mei's previously arrogant attitude instantly turned into a smile of flattery.
"May I ask, young brother, what it is you wish to sell? Might I have a look?" Shopkeeper Tu said, his smile faint but genuine.
"This brat is just here to cause trouble. Why bother being so courteous with him?" Xue Mei interjected.
Despite his doubts, Lin Tian handed over the vial. As Shopkeeper Tu received it, he couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.
Upon seeing the vial, his initial thoughts were the same as Xue Mei's: what valuable item could be inside? But unlike Xue Mei, Shopkeeper Tu maintained his composure. Though he was certain the contents of the vial weren't valuable, he still gently twisted the cap off.
The moment the cap opened, an incredibly pure wave of spiritual energy erupted from the vial. Even someone of Shopkeeper Tu's cultivation felt his internal energy stir as a result.
His face changed instantly as he quickly sealed the vial, a look of shock replacing his previous disdain. There was even a hint of fanaticism in his eyes.
"Is this Earth Vein Spiritual Liquid?" Just as he was about to speak, he paused. The energy from the vial lacked the characteristic Earth Vein essence, yet the purity of the spiritual power was undeniable. If it wasn't Earth Vein Spiritual Liquid, then what could it be?
"Are you done looking? If so, hand it back," Lin Tian said, his patience now wearing thin.
"Young brother, I'll take the contents of this vial," Shopkeeper Tu said, not allowing Lin Tian to take it back.
Xue Mei, who had previously looked down on Lin Tian, now stood frozen in disbelief. "This vial, with its worthless jade, is worth thirty thousand spirit stones?" She thought, completely astounded.
"Thirty thousand spirit stones!" Lin Tian nearly choked upon hearing the number. In his mind, the vial might have fetched a hundred spirit stones at best. But now, it was being offered at a hundred times that amount!
"Three hundred thousand spirit stones," Shopkeeper Tu added when he saw Lin Tian's shock. His tone was now firm, but there was a trace of hesitation.
Upon hearing this, Lin Tian gasped. Three hundred thousand spirit stones was half the annual income of the Lin family. Yet here he was, about to sell a single vial of spiritual liquid for such an astronomical sum.
"I wasn't planning to sell it to you, but seeing your sincerity, I'll reluctantly accept your offer," Lin Tian said, now fully satisfied with the price.
Xue Mei stood there, stunned. She had never imagined that the vial of 'trash' would be worth three hundred thousand spirit stones. Had she known, she would have made sure to handle the transaction herself.
But as fate would have it, another regretful moment was about to unfold.
"Xue Mei, go to the accounts office and collect your two months' salary. You're dismissed," Shopkeeper Tu said calmly, not even a flicker of emotion in his voice.