Chapter 20: The Merchant’s Retribution

“Hmph, I detest nothing more than you deceitful merchants, masters of lies. What true efficacy could this possess? I suspect you’ve simply peddled horse urine as a treasure!”

Su Qin did not rush to reply. Instead, he deliberately paused, allowing the anticipation of the crowd to build, waiting a full thirty seconds before he slowly spoke.

“One drop of Golden Spear Tears will fully restore the spiritual energy of a Qi Condensation cultivator,” he explained.

“Two drops can replenish half for a Foundation Establishment cultivator. As for Golden Core cultivators, I apologize, but this old man lacks sufficient data to provide an accurate answer.”

This revelation struck the crowd like a thunderclap. Nearly ten thousand people had been locked in a stalemate here for half a day, and the spiritual energy of most was already severely depleted, making their situation immediately perilous.

Every ounce of spiritual energy meant an increased chance of survival.

“Senior, I’ll take two drops!”

A petite voice drifted over. Su Qin lifted his gaze, identifying the speaker as the young female cultivator who had first activated the sword array defense.

She fumbled through her belongings, producing twenty-five spirit stones.

‘She truly possesses extraordinary courage.’

A look of appreciation flickered in Su Qin’s eyes. With a raise of his hand, vibrant green vines, brimming with life, gathered the spirit stones.

“For my first customer, it’s buy one, get one free. Here are five drops for you.”

‘Innate Companion Spirit Wood!’

The other Golden Core cultivators grew visibly more solemn. Such a high-quality wood spiritual root, if its owner were to become a healing arts master or a blacksmith, would guarantee an extraordinary start, a truly heaven-blessed talent.

Furthermore, if one sought quick success, a wood spiritual root of this caliber, coupled with a decent fire spiritual root, would allow them to cultivate the Art of Wood and Fire Translucence.

The inexhaustible vitality of the Companion Spirit Wood, combined with the passable refining characteristics of a fire spiritual root, essentially transformed the individual into a living human cauldron.

While its immediate effect might not rival a single-use item, its reusability and potential for multiple users made it invaluable. Such an artifact, once it appeared in the world, would almost certainly be claimed by a major power.

‘Could he truly be a prominent itinerant merchant from another region?’

‘And what cultivation level could that young girl beside him possess, the one who has remained silent all this time?’

‘Her cultivation was utterly inscrutable.’

Jiang Changhe, however, paid no mind to these speculations. Having just entered the early Foundation Establishment stage, her spiritual energy was almost entirely depleted.

Moreover, with her vibrant and spirited appearance, many male cultivators around her were beginning to cast unsettling glances her way.

The slightly astringent spiritual liquid entered her mouth, and a surge of warmth instantly rose in Jiang Changhe’s lower abdomen. In less than three breaths, a profound sense of power permeated her entire body.

She gazed at her hands in astonishment. Around her, everyone who sensed the shift in her aura was instantly dumbfounded.

Not only was Jiang Changhe’s spiritual energy completely replenished, but she had also broken through a bottleneck in one fell swoop, advancing to the third layer of Foundation Establishment!

“Senior! I am willing to exchange all my spirit stones for more spiritual liquid!”

Jiang Changhe was overjoyed, seemingly oblivious to the dangerous glares that had once again intensified around her.

“Heh heh, human nature truly cannot withstand a test.”

Su Qin, with a cold gaze, accepted the payment and shot nine drops of Golden Spear Tears into the young woman’s hand. Jiang Changhe stared at the gathered spiritual liquid in her palm as if cradling a rare and precious treasure.

She wrinkled her nose, taking a light sniff. The scent was somewhat unpleasant.

However, she seemed not to notice the changing glares around her. Almost the instant the spiritual liquid touched her hand, several ferocious-looking cultivators simultaneously swung their blades, hacking down at her.

Su Qin sneered. With a slight lift of his hand, several thick vines instantly pierced through the attackers, leaving them utterly riddled.

Blood flowed into the ground, and the blood beasts drank gleefully.

“Listen well, you barbarians of the Southern Frontier!”

Su Qin’s words brooked no argument, radiating an undeniable authority.

“I, Fan, am here to conduct business, not to witness your Southern Frontier’s greed, malice, and endless slaughter for territory! Transactions are sacred and inviolable. Anyone who dares to disrupt my business will meet the same fate as these youngsters!”

“My master and I have no desire to participate in your conflicts. However, if you insult our dignity as merchants, then so be it! My young master is a Nascent Soul True Monarch! And my perfected Golden Core vines are certainly not to be underestimated!”

This was another bombshell, silencing the entire valley.

Itinerant merchant, surname Fan, the Fan Clan of Central Plains, the wealthiest family under heaven.

All these pieces of corroborating information, combined with his astonishing methods and the vine tentacles whose origins even they couldn’t discern…

‘They were not to be provoked. These two were beyond their reach.’

Gu Yuhe, on the other hand, felt a strange thrill upon hearing Su Qin address her as ‘master.’ Her only two plump thighs gently rubbed together, feeling somewhat firm.

Su Qin, at this moment, was unaware that his casual remark had inadvertently triggered a peculiar switch, one that would lead him to profound regret for a long time to come.

“Two hundred thousand spirit stones! I wish to purchase all the spiritual liquid in Senior’s possession!”

Almost instantly, Qi He assessed the situation. This was not merely buying spiritual liquid; it was clearly buying a lifeline!

‘He must be appeased, at any cost!’

Su Qin pursed his lips. ‘He haggled over redeeming Qi Shuyue, yet he’s so quick to pay for his own life.’

Accepting the flying storage bag, Su Qin nodded, confirming its contents. He then used a vine to send over a wine jar, causing almost everyone present to widen their eyes and involuntarily swallow.

The moment it reached his hands, Qi He began distributing it, restoring his own spiritual energy as well.

“Anyone else wish to buy? I still have ninety percent remaining.”

Su Qin’s voice betrayed no emotion; he merely glanced at the somewhat astonished Qi He.

“Your money isn’t enough,” he stated. “Selling it all would fetch at least two million spirit stones.”

“One hundred thousand spirit stones! Senior, please accept!”

A lean Golden Core cultivator shouted. Su Qin nodded, completing the transaction.

He had finally understood. This was not merely buying spiritual energy; it was buying one’s life.

‘Spiritual liquid or not, it didn’t matter. As long as it was the Senior’s business, they would certainly support it! No need to stand on ceremony!’

Calls to buy came one after another. Su Qin manipulated his vines to handle the transactions, selling off seventy percent of his spiritual liquid and accumulating one million four hundred thousand spirit stones.

Even Elder Gao succumbed to the pressure, purchasing one hundred fifty thousand worth.

‘Damn it, my condition is worsening, while those old geezers around me are fully recovered. There’s no need for that True Monarch to even act; not buying is simply courting death!’

Su Qin proudly lifted his head.

“That old geezer,” he said, “I’m talking about you. Don’t look at anyone else.”

Elder Gao’s face flushed crimson, yet he dared not utter a single word of rebuttal.

“Was what this old man said not true?” Su Qin continued. “Millions of spirit stones are made in mere minutes.”

Though Elder Gao’s face stung with humiliation, he still forced a smile.

“This junior is but a frog at the bottom of a well, ignorant of Senior’s profound methods.”

“So now, who is the ‘coffin stuffing’?”

“This junior… this junior is indeed ‘coffin stuffing’.”

Power outweighed pride, and Elder Gao could only admit his error and bow his head.

“Good, at least you’ve finally spoken a truth,” Su Qin declared. “Since this Seat is in a good mood, I’ve decided to sell the remaining goods at half price today.”

At these words, almost everyone pricked up their ears, eager to know what wondrous items would be offered.

“Half-spirit treasures will all be ten spirit stones each. Spirit treasures, from low-grade to high-grade, will be fifty, seventy-five, and one hundred spirit stones respectively. Low-grade profound treasures will be two thousand spirit stones.”

Those unfamiliar with market prices might not realize, but his prices were practically a steal, a severe discount.

“Thirty thousand spirit stones! I want profound treasures, Senior! Please, don’t be shy! Just three, I only want three, no more!”

“Senior, these are all my savings! Please give me whatever you deem fit; this junior will gratefully accept.”

“Excellent, excellent.” A benevolent smile spread across Su Qin’s face. He had finally managed to dispose of the troublesome stolen goods he held.

Elder Gao excitedly purchased a profound treasure. After physically threatening other bidders, he had acquired it at the lowest possible price, a joyful expression spreading across his face.

However, the moment he took the magic treasure, he realized something was amiss.

‘What the hell? Isn’t this his son’s Soul-Summoning Banner? The small inscriptions and patches on it are identical!’

‘Holy hell, why are all the souls gone?!’

Elder Gao’s heart was filled with terror, but constrained by the current situation, he dared not delve deeper into the matter.

A slight smirk played on Su Qin’s lips.

‘Old geezer, haven’t you realized yet? What I just sold were all your belongings.’

‘And right in front of you, you paid for them yourself, thinking you got a bargain.’

‘Do you know, your belongings were quite good.’

‘But they will never wait for you to come home again.’