No matter whether Linglong had taken a liking to her or not, at least those bright white Spirit Stones were already in her hands. Hua Jian had never been one to go against Spirit Stones, and this time was no different.
After all, Linglong hadn’t really done anything wrong. If others thought she had potential and wanted to bring her into the Sect to shine, that was hardly a problem.
One can’t just stop people from dreaming, right?
As for whether to accept or not, Hua Jian didn’t think there was any need to rush into a decision. After all, neither Linglong nor Senior Sister Xia had spoken plainly about it, so she would just pretend she knew nothing.
Eat when it’s time to eat, sleep when it’s time to sleep. Only by keeping her energy up could she make money in the new Secret Realm!
After that day, Hua Jian didn’t encounter any more incidents. The cultivators from the Hudaosi took away the two Demonic Cultivators and their belongings and returned to Hudaosi Headquarters.
Hua Jian, meanwhile, prepared in an orderly fashion to explore the new Secret Realm.
“Senior Sister Xia left a Token with a Space Talisman inside. When the time comes, it will activate automatically and transport you into the Secret Realm.”
This saved Hua Jian from wasting time traveling. Otherwise, with her current financial status and strength, trekking all the way to the location of that Secret Realm would have been exhausting.
Nowadays, most Secret Realms were accessed this way. The actual Secret Realms in Linglong Pavilion were not located within the pavilion itself; the spatial gates cultivators saw there were merely portals leading to the Secret Realms.
“By the way, is there anything you want to buy? I can sell it to you at an insider price,” Su Xiaoxiao asked with a sly smile as she led Hua Jian around the Linglong Pavilion’s shops.
Seeing that scheming expression, Hua Jian couldn’t help but be wary. Su Xiaoxiao was usually a good elder sister, but right now, they were enemies!
Su Xiaoxiao was the villain trying to dig Spirit Stones out of her pocket!
“The entry-level Spirit Robe from Jade Pool is practically useless. Look at this one—its defense is excellent, and it’s only two hundred Spirit Stones…”
“Not interested? Then check out this Spirit Whip, only a hundred and fifty Spirit Stones…”
“Hey, Hua little sister, don’t run! I’ve got plenty more good stuff here!”
…
Good grief, Su Xiaoxiao’s sales mode was terrifying. Hua Jian fled out of Linglong Pavilion, panting, feeling that the three-digit prices in that shop were absolutely shocking.
Right now, she barely had a three-digit amount of Spirit Stones on her, and buying just one item would leave her completely broke.
Better to look for something she liked at the marketplace beside Linglong Pavilion. Although there were many fakes, the prices were low.
Compared to the relatively empty Linglong Pavilion shop, the ordinary cultivators’ market was much livelier. Countless cultivators jostled through the crowds, and every now and then, the passionate exchanges of bargaining customers and disgruntled sellers could be heard.
Hua Jian wandered the bustling market but didn’t find anything she really liked. Whenever something caught her eye, she’d glance at the price and lose interest again.
After about an hour, Hua Jian stopped in front of a little stall with little foot traffic.
It wasn’t that she liked anything on the stall; she seemed to recognize the vendor.
“Aren’t you the Old Woman who sold me that formula?” Hua Jian crouched down, making sure she hadn’t made a mistake.
The green concoction she used to deceive Spirit Beast senses was made using the formula this Old Woman had sold her. What a coincidence to run into her here.
The Old Woman looked up and studied Hua Jian with cloudy eyes for a second, then a flash of realization crossed her face. “So it’s you, little girl.”
Apparently, she still remembered Hua Jian, who had spent quite a lot of Spirit Stones buying a useless formula.
“Have you found anything you like? Granny will give you a 10% discount.”
“No, and the formula you sold me last time was useless. It was a complete waste of Spirit Stones.”
“Hey, that was then, this is now. You paid your Spirit Stones willingly last time, didn’t you?”
Clearly, this Old Woman wasn’t a good person. She was shamelessly slippery.
Fortunately, Hua Jian wasn’t really there to ask for a refund, just to chat with a familiar face.
“But little girl, you really came at the right time. Granny still has a treasure I haven’t brought out.” The Old Woman chuckled and pulled out an old Jade Slip from under her black robe.
“This contains a Unique Escape Technique, but it’s quite damaged. Granny can’t repair it. How about you spend some Spirit Stones to buy it?”
Having been tricked once, Hua Jian wasn’t about to fall for it again. Unique Escape Technique, huh? Hua Jian wasn’t lacking in escape techniques.
“It’s only five Spirit Stones, and I’ll sell this treasure to you.”
But on the other hand, five Spirit Stones was so cheap that no one could complain. Even if it contained some ancient risqué book, she’d accept it. After all, you get what you pay for. Genuine escape techniques weren’t bought for just five Spirit Stones.
Some things people don’t fear counterfeit goods; they fear paying a high price for fakes.
If it’s fake, just charge fake prices. Few would hate fakes then, and Hua Jian was that kind of person.
If this old Jade Slip were sold for fifty Spirit Stones, Hua Jian would have cursed the Old Woman for shamelessly fleecing a young girl. But five Spirit Stones? Hua Jian would think, “You’re so kind, Granny. No tricks here.”
“How about three?” Hua Jian tried to bargain.
The Old Woman raised an eyebrow. “Four, that’s the lowest I can go!”
Hua Jian wanted to counter with three and a half, but seeing the Old Woman’s expression, she figured the chance of success was low.
Fine, four Spirit Stones then. Saving that one Spirit Stone could buy some supplies.
She took out four Spirit Stones from her Storage Pouch and handed them over. Holding the Jade Slip in her palm, she sensed the information inside with her divine sense.
This time, the Old Woman really hadn’t lied. The Jade Slip did contain a damaged and obscure escape technique. To Hua Jian’s surprise, she found that the technique was somewhat similar to the escape techniques she already knew.
It seemed they shared the same origin…
Is this finally my day to find treasure in the market? The classic plotline for a transmigrator has finally arrived?
Hua Jian’s eyes lit up. Only now did she feel that being a transmigrator was quite useful.
“Granny, I’m the one making a profit this time!” Hua Jian cheerfully put the Jade Slip into her Storage Pouch.
“When have I ever tricked you, little girl? Off you go now, don’t bother Granny’s business.” The Old Woman waved her hand impatiently, instantly abandoning the kindness from before.
Once she collected the Spirit Stones, her expression changed. This Old Woman was truly mercenary.