"Hoh! Another hundred-year-old ginseng… Rare. Extremely rare these days. Tell me, young man—how exactly did you come across it?"
The old man's eyes gleamed as he held the herb up to the light, turning it slowly between his fingers.
Standing across the counter, Chen Yue scratched the back of his head, already bracing himself.
"Does it really matter?" he said with a tired sigh. "I've been coming here for two weeks now, and you ask me the same thing every single time."
"Hoh? Do I?" The old man chuckled, completely unbothered. He lifted the ginseng slightly, admiration clear in his voice. "Well, can you blame me? Herbs of this quality don't just appear out of nowhere… yet you bring them as if you own a mountain of it."
Chen Yue forced a polite smile, but his thoughts dragged like a weary traveler.
Here we go again… another curious merchant.
At this rate, he might have to pack up and move to a different city—again.
It wouldn't be the first time.
He had already learned the pattern.
The moment a merchant's curiosity was piqued, it never stopped at questions. A few days later, there would be eyes on him.
Merchants were greedy by nature, but that wasn't what made them dangerous.
They were weak against the strong but aggressive against the weak.
They could weigh a person's worth with just a few exchanges, peel back layers with a handful of words. And once they decided someone was weak…
Chen Yue's smile thinned ever so slightly.
Well.
He didn't know about others—
But he was weak.
And worse…
He had no one to rely on.
Just a few months ago, his life had been ordinary but peaceful. Part-time jobs, cheap meals, late-night games, and just enough sleep to survive the next day.
That was it.
He had no ambition nor any grand desires.
He was just living on and he was also satisfied with it.
But somehow fate decided that his life was too boring.
And so, one day as he was crossing the street. He met the legendary 'Truck-kun' and met his end.
And just like that, Chen Yue found himself in an entirely new world.
It was a world of cultivation, immortals, and people who could crush mountains with a flick of their fingers.
Naturally, like any reasonable transmigrator, he expected something good.
A cheat-like ability or perhaps a legendary physique.
Or even an all-knowing system that would guide him to the peak of existence.
And to be fair, he did get a system.
Just… not the kind he imagined.
[ A farm game system has been bound to the host. ]
That was the first thing it said and also the last thing he heard.
At the time, he thought—This is it. This is just the starting phase.
Maybe it would evolve. Unlock hidden features. Reveal something brokenly overpowered.
Except… it didn't.
As he leveled up, the only thing that changed was the size of his farmland.
There was more soil, more crops to purchase in the shop.
That's it.
No divine skills. No combat abilities. Not even any ability to help with his cultivation.
Hell, aside from the names of the crops, he couldn't even see their properties.
He didn't know what they did.
Did they heal? Strengthen the body? Extend lifespan?
He had no idea.
He was basically farming blind simply because the farm yielded results fast.
And yet, somehow everything he grew turned out to be ridiculously valuable.
Like the ginseng in the old man's hand.
Chen Yue let out a quiet breath, his gaze lingering on the old man, who was still admiring the ginseng as if it were some priceless treasure.
"Pay me for the ginseng," Chen Yue said flatly. "I have somewhere to be."
The old man coughed lightly, while a polite smile spread across his face.
"Ahem… dear customer," he began, his tone suddenly filled with forced warmth, "business has not been going well for our pharmacy lately. Would you be so kind as to lower the price… just for today?"
Chen Yue's eyes narrowed as he could see right through him.
The old man was trying to take advantage of him like he usually did.
He exhaled slowly, forcing down his irritation.
"How much are you thinking about?" Chen Yue asked, his patience already wearing thin.
The old man gently set the ginseng down and raised two fingers, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Two gold coins?" Chen Yue frowned, suspicion creeping into his voice.
A hundred-year-old ginseng like this would normally fetch over ten gold coins, at the very least.
But the old man simply shook his head.
"Twenty silver coins."
For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.
Chen Yue's brows furrowed deeply.
Twenty… silver?
For the past two weeks, he had already been selling at a loss. Six gold coins per ginseng, far below its true value but he had accepted it because no one else dared to buy from him.
Only this old man.
That was why he had swallowed his pride and kept coming back.
But this—
This was no longer bargaining.
This was humiliation.
His hand shot forward, snatching the ginseng off the counter.
"Twenty silver?" Chen Yue's voice rose, anger finally breaking through. "This is outright robbery! I'd rather throw it away than sell it to you!"
He turned sharply. "I'll never do business with your pharmacy again!"
Without another glance, he stormed toward the exit.
But just as he reached the door the old man's calm voice rang out behind him.
"Stop him."
In an instant, from the corners of the shop, two burly men stepped forward, blocking the entrance like immovable walls.
"What's the meaning of this?" Chen Yue snapped, his heart beginning to pound.
The old man sighed, shaking his head as if disappointed.
"To think…" he muttered, "I gave you the benefit of the doubt."
His gaze sharpened.
"And yet you dare steal from my pharmacy?"
Chen Yue's eyes widened in disbelief. "Steal?! That ginseng is mine!"
"Yours?" The old man chuckled softly, but there was no warmth in it. "Do you have proof?"
"Seize him," he said flatly. "A petty thief bold enough to cause trouble here… he should be taught a proper lesson."
The guards cracked their knuckles as they stepped closer.
Chen Yue's grip tightened around the ginseng, his pulse roaring in his ears.
Damn it…