"How many do you need, Brother? I can just give them to you."
It's a classic case of 'a big store bullies the customer, but a big customer bullies the store'.
Hu Yao was backed by Jinyun Valley, so Chen Che naturally couldn't treat him the same way he treated the rat-eyed man from before. Call it sizing people up, or call it knowing which way the wind blows. After all, Cultivation wasn't just about fighting and killing; it also required a bit of social grace.
Besides.
'I'm here to do business. Who am I going to impress by acting all high and mighty?'
"You're too kind."
Hu Yao recognized him as the Cultivator from the entrance who'd said he had the makings of a Golden Core. He smiled and refused the offer. "Just sell them to me at market price!"
He wasn't like these other Loose Cultivators.
'As a disciple of Jinyun Valley, I get a monthly stipend of three Low-Grade Spirit Stones. I'm loaded!'
With that, he handed over a bag of Spiritual Sand.
Chen Che took it, estimating it was about twenty taels.
According to market prices.
A Tier One Low Grade Pill was worth five taels of Spiritual Sand. A Tier One Middle Grade Pill was worth twenty taels. And a Tier One High Grade Pill went for fifty taels, which was equivalent to one Low-Grade Spirit Stone.
Of course, the price would fluctuate slightly depending on the Pill's quality.
After a moment's thought, Chen Che gave him an extra Body Nourishing Pill right then and there. Hu Yao quickly tried to refuse, but Chen Che just smiled and said, "Don't worry about it, Brother. Just come back and give me your business in the future!"
"You're too generous!"
Unable to refuse, Hu Yao could only accept the Pill with a smile. He had planned on leaving after buying the Body Nourishing Pill, but now he felt a little awkward just walking away. "By the way," he asked, "do you have any Pills for restoring True Essence or increasing Cultivation speed?"
Chen Che's interest was piqued. "Brother, you practice Cultivation in Jinyun Valley. Surely you're not lacking for things like that?"
Hu Yao found him to be an interesting person, especially after receiving the extra Body Nourishing Pill. He decided to be frank. "In the Valley, disciples at the Mid-stage Qi Cultivation Realm get three Qi Gathering Pills per month."
"But that's nowhere near enough for us!"
Then,
Hu Yao shared a few more details about life in the Valley.
For example, resources in Jinyun Valley were distributed according to a disciple's Cultivation. The higher their Realm, the more they received. If they ran out, they had to take on Sect missions—like hunting Demon Beasts, guarding the Market, or harvesting Spirit Grass—to earn a little extra.
For example, there was only one Alchemy Master in the Valley, so Pills were in limited supply...
Chen Che nodded to himself as he listened. 'One Body Nourishing Pill in exchange for inside information on Jinyun Valley is a good trade for me.' He then took out the bottle containing Qing E's Qi Gathering Pill, which was covered in black spots. "I only have this one Qi Gathering Pill!"
But Hu Yao took one look and immediately waved his hand in dismissal. "The quality is too poor!"
Next, Hu Yao glanced over the other items on the stall. He looked at the *Earth Skill* and *Kaiyuan Scripture* for a moment but wasn't interested. He didn't even spare a glance for Qing E and her husband's Weapon before cupping his hands in a farewell gesture.
"Friend, if you get any more Qi Gathering Pills in the future, please let me know."
"Will do!"
Chen Che nodded.
He tended his stall for a while longer. Plenty of people stopped by, but very few had any real intention of buying. Most just asked about prices and effects, said they'd come back if they needed anything, and then walked away.
Before long, Ding Fei, the man he'd met at the street entrance, sauntered over. He had his eye on the Qi Gathering Pill.
In the mortal world, Ding Fei was respectfully called an "Upper Immortal," and his uncle's family praised him to the high heavens.
Here, however, he was like any other commoner, haggling with Chen Che for what felt like an eternity.
"Come on, brother, give me a discount! This Qi Gathering Pill is pretty low-quality... I saw a few people look at it just now, and none of them wanted it... How about this: throw in the saber, and I'll take it all for three taels of Spiritual Sand. Let's just call it building some goodwill between us!"
He droned on and on, practically talking himself hoarse.
Finding him annoying, Chen Che finally sold the Qi Gathering Pill and the saber used by Lord Qing E for a total of four taels of Spiritual Sand.
Watching the ecstatic Ding Fei depart, Chen Che secretly shook his head.
'Pills may be scarce, but the market for different types varies. It looks like I need to do some market research before jumping into business. I can't be so reckless!'
He had previously assumed that the people of this world were fierce and that low-level Cultivators frequently engaged in private duels.
He thought Healing Elixirs would be best-sellers, but now that he had a deeper understanding, he realized the opposite was true.
It made sense.
These Loose Cultivators were dirt poor. They'd split a single grain of Spiritual Sand in half if they could.
Any money they had, they'd want to spend it all on improving their Cultivation. Who would be willing to spend a fortune on a Healing Elixir just to have it sit there, unless they were actually injured? Only those with a little more wealth would buy one to keep in reserve.
'Looks like I'll have to learn how to start refining some Qi Gathering Pills.'
He thought to himself.
Still, earning twenty-four taels of Spiritual Sand today left him quite satisfied.
As he was leaving the Market, Hu Yao saw Chen Che and called out a greeting. "Friend, heading back so early?"
"Yeah, I have some things to take care of."
Chen Che nodded, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then turned to leave.
After he left.
Several figures left the Market in a staggered fashion, seemingly unconnected to one another.
"Heh, Er Ya followed him. That guy's in for it now."
"Which one?"
"The one who chopped off Er Ya's right hand..."
...
'They really followed me!'
He walked out of the miasma.
With a glance from the corner of his eye, Chen Che noticed he was being followed.
Several figures trailed him from a distance. One of them was indeed the rat-eyed man.
However, this was within his expectations.
'After all, I cut off his hand. How could he not hold a grudge?' When the rat-eyed man had left without a word, Chen Che had become even more alert. As the saying goes: a dog that's going to bite doesn't bark, and a man who's going to betray you will do it with a smile.
Moreover.
The most crucial thing was that no matter how high your Cultivation was, you could always have a bad day—like a tiger stranded on an open plain—and these were exactly the kind of people who excelled at kicking a man when he was down.
Guarding against a thief for a thousand days is pointless; it's better to eliminate the threat for good.
That was why he had deliberately acted as bait, hoping to draw out the rat-eyed man and whoever was backing him.
Of course.
If he had run into a powerhouse like a Sitting Tiger, he would have had no choice but to endure it. Fortunately, the ones following him were just small fry.
'Bring it on!'
Chen Che pretended to speed up.
"Trying to run?" Seeing this, the men behind immediately picked up their pace.
Finally, before a dark and gloomy forest.
Er Ya let out a fierce roar and leaped high into the air, landing directly in front of Chen Che to block his path. His right hand was bandaged, and he held a saber in his left. He was still wearing the same blood-stained clothes, and his face was twisted in a sinister snarl.
"Run! Why aren't you running anymore?"
Er Ya hissed when he saw Chen Che stop.
As he spoke, the three Cultivators right behind him quickly fanned out, subtly cutting off all routes of escape.
"You dared to chop off my hand, so today I'm going to chop off yours!" the rat-eyed man bellowed, grinding his teeth as he pointed his saber at Chen Che. His voice was the only sound in the silent forest, his eyes filled with bitter resentment.
It was true he was used to throwing his weight around the Market, but when had he ever been humiliated like this?
All he'd wanted was to extort a little money.
And what happened?!
He lost a hand!
"Weren't you so tough back in the Market? Huh?! I bet you didn't expect this outcome, did you? Are you regretting it now? Well, even if you are, it's too late!"
"Are you done?"
Chen Che asked, tilting his head.
Er Ya froze for a second.
"Why waste your breath on him? Just waste him and be done with it!"
Someone behind him was getting impatient.
With a furious shout, the man slapped his hip and summoned a Golden Saber, which shot toward Chen Che's waist.
The other two exchanged a look, drew their Weapons, and became blurs as they whistled through the air, attacking Chen Che's legs.
In an instant, the three formed a pincer, cutting off Chen Che's path of retreat from wickedly clever angles.
With his right hand severed, Er Ya was a bit slow to move. But before he could even act...
SHING!
A sword's cry rang out.
The Enchanted Sword suddenly erupted in a brilliant light, like a flash of lightning.
SWOOSH!
In a flash, a swift Sword Aura blazed through the forest. The fierce Sword Qi created a shockwave that sliced through the tall grass. The three men charging at Chen Che suddenly froze, their bodies still in a running posture as they came to an abrupt halt.
Then, to Er Ya's utter shock, their lower bodies remained in place while their torsos, like felled trees, slid sideways and fell.
THUD!
Three corpses slammed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
With a flick, the sword's light vanished as it returned to its sheath.
Chen Che hadn't moved an inch.
The words in Er Ya's mouth were suddenly stuck in his throat.
"Go on, keep talking!"
Chen Che grinned.
"Or what, are you just not the talkative type?"
Er Ya's face went white. He dropped to his knees and began kowtowing frantically. "Senior, I was wrong! This junior was blind as a bat! You are a man of great magnanimity, I beg you, spare my life! I'll never do it again..."
He was terrified, kowtowing over and over.
His head slammed against the ground with audible thuds, and soon it was covered in blood.
"A prodigal's return is worth more than gold. The ability to admit one's mistakes and change is a rare quality indeed!" Chen Che sighed leisurely. Just as a sliver of hope sparked in Er Ya's heart, thinking he might be spared, Chen Che's tone shifted.
"But when you do something wrong, there's always a price to pay, right?"
"What?"
Er Ya's heart leaped in alarm.
He shot up from the ground like a coiled spring and tried to flee. But in that same moment, a flash of sword light pierced through his skull.
THUD!
The corpse hit the ground, raising a puff of dust.
Chen Che turned his head slightly, his gaze landing on an ancient tree a hundred zhang away. "Come on out," he said calmly.