Chapter 119: Not a Single Cent Less

In Yangcheng, this street dedicated to magical artifacts is quite renowned. Naturally, it is also a place where all sorts of people mingle. The most common scenario involves black-market merchants from the coast who, having run into trouble, pull strings to reach Yangcheng and offload everything they have left. Over time, this has created a chaotic, hodgepodge environment.

Ling Zhu was seeing such a sight for the first time. The street differed vastly from the bustling commercial malls in the city; it felt more like an ancient thoroughfare. Although everyone wore modern clothing, the items on display and even the shop signs were weathered and old. There was little trace of advanced technology here.

"Century-old shop—pawnshop, pawnshop! Pawn anything of value!"
"Prime underground wild ginseng, soaked in the blood of spirit beasts! It’s highly effective for opening energy channels!"
"Exorcism talismans! Soul-suppressing nails! Anti-ghost straw dolls! Feng shui, fortune-telling! We do it all!"
"Authentic 'True Human's Absolute Pulse' manuscript, plus the second volume of the secret technique for opening channels! Personally passed down by Master Qing Lei! Only thirty thousand a copy. This is the last day; once they're gone, I'm heading home to observe mourning!"

The cacophony of hawkers was incessant. Ling Zhu was both surprised and excited; she hadn't expected to find such novel and interesting things here. It seemed that finding materials to repair Su Ye’s conch would be a breeze. However, as she followed him, she suddenly noticed Su Ye walking into a courtyard that traded in spirit beasts, his expression one of utter disdain.

"Su Ye, aren't we supposed to be buying materials to repair your conch? Are you here to buy a pet?" Ling Zhu whispered quickly. Even if he were buying a pet, the ones here didn't look particularly impressive. Having followed her mistress for so many years, she had seen some unique tribes by the sea who kept strange pets, and some ancient martial arts families also raised formidable creatures. "Wait, Su Ye, are you planning to buy them to stew and eat? Tsk, tsk, let me tell you, this lynx-looking thing isn't even a fierce beast. If you want to eat, you should buy..."

"What are you thinking? Why are you obsessed with eating even the fierce beasts? Just handle your business well, and I promise you’ll be well-fed. Listen, I snatched this conch, understand? What if someone discovers it or tracks our scent? Wouldn't we be dead? I need to find some animal blood to stain it and mask the scent, get it?" Su Ye whispered.

"Oh, so that’s it. You really are thoughtful! If you're going to buy beast blood, buy an extra portion. The taste of simple stewed beast blood is—cough, cough! Let's go!" Ling Zhu lowered her head, suddenly afraid to speak further. Su Ye couldn't fathom how someone who practiced the Art of Heavenly Secrets could think of nothing but food instead of grand, compassionate concerns. At over a hundred years old, couldn't she at least act like she’d eaten a full meal in her life?

After walking for a short while, they spotted a middle-aged man working nearby. Su Ye walked up casually and said, "Boss, after I bought this broken conch, it’s been attracting mosquitoes all day! Can you cover its scent and change its color?"

The man glanced up at Su Ye and the conch with indifference, then looked back down. Suddenly, he froze, whipped his head back to look at the conch, and immediately donned a pair of spectacles to inspect it closely. Only then did he say formally, "Well, well! This is a fine piece! It can be done, but you get what you pay for. I’ll handle it so that no one will ever recognize it. I’ll use the blood of a living bull from Ze-West to soak it; it will look just like a bull’s horn, and its functions won't be affected in the slightest."

"That sounds great! What’s the price?" Su Ye asked.

"Young man, you care too much about the price! If you can own such an item, do you really care about this little bit of money? Do you know why I mentioned the live bull from Ze-West? You know that if those wild bulls from Ze-West die, all their blood is sucked dry, making it impossible to obtain. We sent many of our best men to collect the blood when the bulls were calving... As for the price, one flat fee: five hundred and ten thousand!" the owner declared.

"Five hundred and ten thousand?" Su Ye had expected it to be expensive and unscrupulous—this was a black market, after all—but he hadn't imagined that just dyeing a conch would cost so much. "Are you miscalculating? A car could be bought for that much! Is it really that expensive?"

"It’s not expensive at all! Do the math. My shop is famous for never haggling; not a cent less! That’s the cost price! Many of our men were crippled for life getting that blood, and I have to support them for the rest of their days! If you think it’s fair, do it! If not, look elsewhere!" The owner was quite haughty, shutting down the conversation immediately.

Su Ye didn't know if the bull was truly that miraculous, but he knew Ze-West wasn't a place just anyone could visit. Back at school, he’d heard classmates boasting about bets involving special martial artist missions in Ze-West, but no one dared to attempt them. It seemed Ze-West really was a dangerous place.

"Not a cent less?" Su Ye asked again.
"Not a cent less!" the owner emphasized.

"I don't believe it! I’ll pay five hundred thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine... I'm swiping the card now! Do we have a deal?" Su Ye slapped his bank card onto the table.

The owner’s face turned from pale to red. This was a five-hundred-ten-thousand-dollar deal! Aside from his costs, he would have made a killing! But he had just made such a bold claim—could he back out now? He could only force a smile and stammer, "Customer, you... you... alright, alright! I’ll apply that layer. I’ll take the job! I’m just an employee, why must you make it so difficult for me?"

The owner immediately invited Su Ye and Ling Zhu to sit down. He paused when he looked at Ling Zhu, but eventually, he obediently brought tea. Ling Zhu felt a bit self-conscious and whispered, "Sorry, did I scare you?"

"Haha, no, no. I often look after the monkeys and crocodiles in the shop, I'm used to it! Ah, sorry, sorry—please have some tea. I’ll get it done for you right away!" The owner, having secured such a large order, immediately set to work.

Su Ye waited as patiently as he could, but soon he began to feel suspicious. Why were there fewer and fewer customers in the shop? It was as if the owner were intentionally driving them away. His heart skipped a beat, and he stood up, saying in a low voice, "Boss, sorry! My card isn't going through. Can I owe you the money for now?"

"This... how can you say that! No, no, customer, are you pulling my leg? This is a big order... You can go home and get the money; I’ll keep the item here. By the time you return, I’ll have finished it!" The owner’s expression grew increasingly wary.

Su Ye’s face darkened. "It seems you’re not just a simple shopkeeper! Are you planning to steal my item?"

"Hmph, kid—since you've figured it out, I won't bother pretending! This item isn't yours, is it? You have a death wish for daring to touch our young mistress’s possession!" The owner slammed the table, and with a loud *bang*, over a dozen shop assistants swarmed out. They clearly knew the situation beforehand, and each was a martial artist of no small skill. Two of them even emerged leading a pair of white wolves!

Su Ye inwardly cursed. Had he run into people from the Illusory Sea Sect here? He had truly walked right into a trap! In this situation, even if he could escape safely, reclaiming the conch would be impossible. Was he really having such bad luck today?

Just then, a group of people rushed in from outside. They wore the same uniforms as the shop assistants and were all Gathering Qi stage martial artists, looking incredibly arrogant.

"Move aside—our young mistress is here!"