Chapter – 79
Buying and Selling
“Little brother, how about I treat you to a meal and add a mid-grade spirit stone on top?” Shan Xiong changed his approach, starting to follow Qin Mo persistently.
At first, Qin Mo really didn’t like him, but seeing this guy stick around even after being rejected more than ten times, his disgust lessened considerably.
“Do you know what Li Xuanfeng spent all his spirit stones to buy from me?” Qin Mo stopped in his tracks and looked back.
“What?” Shan Xiong was momentarily stunned. He thought maybe it was some higher-grade ancient beast hide.
“A single hair.” Qin Mo looked at him calmly.
“One hair?” Shan Xiong couldn’t believe it. Then he thought of something and asked, “Could it be a feather from a high-level ancient beast?”
“No, just a single hair.” Qin Mo reached smoothly into his bundle and pulled out a hair — golden, slightly curled.
“Just one hair?” Shan Xiong stared at it, dumbfounded. It clearly wasn’t a feather from a high-level ancient beast.
However, seeing the smile on Qin Mo’s face, a chill ran through Shan Xiong. He realized that Li Xuanfeng didn’t buy this hair because it was valuable, but because he had encountered someone even more cunning — and that person was standing right in front of him.
“What do you want?” Shan Xiong took two steps back, gripping his giant axe cautiously.
“Don’t want this cowhide?” Qin Mo asked.
Shan Xiong hesitated. Of course, he wanted the hide — he had long been searching for one to make inner armor. But his massive frame required a large ancient beast and a complete hide.
Unexpectedly, today he had encountered a strange man wandering around with a Qingfeng cowhide, which thrilled him — until he realized the man was extraordinarily strong.
“I want it, but I’ll never spend all my spirit stones.” Shan Xiong stared at Qin Mo, lacking confidence, then stepped back again and added, “I’d never do it, even if you forced me.”
“Ten mid-grade spirit stones, not a single one less.” Qin Mo gestured, then turned to walk away. After a few steps, he looked back. “If you don’t plan to buy it, don’t follow me. Otherwise, when I lose my temper, who knows, you might end up spending all your spirit stones for a single hair.”
Shan Xiong, about to follow, froze. Watching Qin Mo walk away, he broke into a sweat. Finally, he gritted his teeth and followed.
At the entrance of a tailor shop, Shan Xiong stopped Qin Mo. “I’ll buy it, but there’s a condition.”
Qin Mo didn’t even look at him and walked straight inside.
Shan Xiong panicked and hurried after him, saying, “I just want to be friends with you.”
“Not too expensive?” Qin Mo looked back.
“It’s worth it.” Shan Xiong grinned awkwardly, yet secretly delighted.
Qin Mo said nothing, simply picked up a gray robe, and without waiting for the shopkeeper, went into a private room to change.
When he came out, Shan Xiong could hardly believe it. “You… you’re that little brother from before?”
Now dressed in the robe, Qin Mo’s figure was still lean and his skin dark, but his aura had completely changed from the wild man before.
“Handsome, really handsome.” Shan Xiong gave a thumbs-up, sincerely.
“Flattery won’t work; not a single spirit stone will be spared.” Qin Mo tossed the cowhide he had just taken off to him.
“You’re not a horse, so where’s the horse’s ass?” Shan Xiong received the hide, happy to see it intact. Then he handed over a bundle of ten mid-grade spirit stones.
Qin Mo didn’t open it; he just put it into his larger bundle, paid, and left the tailor shop.
Shan Xiong carried his axe and followed, blocking his way. “Come on, I’ll treat you to a meal.”
Qin Mo didn’t refuse. They went to a tavern in the city, ordered ten pounds of beef, several side dishes, and a large jug of bitter wine, and sat down.
“What’s your name, little brother?” Shan Xiong asked.
“Qin Mo.”
“Qin Mo?” Shan Xiong thought for a moment but had never heard of such a young strong fighter. “You’re not a lone wanderer, right?”
“Sort of.” Qin Mo chewed the beef and sipped the bitter wine, enjoying a certain unique flavor.
“Came to Qingyun Stronghold to sell hides?” Shan Xiong asked, eyeing Qin Mo’s bundle.
Even with Shan Xiong’s courage, he didn’t dare touch Qin Mo’s bundle.
“To get some spirit stones,” Qin Mo replied, then added, “Know a good place?”
“Yes, of course.” Shan Xiong seemed to have been waiting for this. “After we eat, I’ll take you there. You’ll get a good price.”
“Thanks.” Qin Mo nodded.
“No need to be polite. Aren’t we friends now?” Shan Xiong smiled.
After the meal, Shan Xiong led Qin Mo through winding alleys. When they reached the city center, Qin Mo stopped, staring at a notice on the wall.
“Want to join the army?” Shan Xiong asked.
Qin Mo didn’t answer immediately. He realized he desperately needed spirit stones, and the notice clearly stated that participating in this war could earn generous rewards.
“Yes,” Qin Mo said.
“Follow me.” Shan Xiong took Qin Mo away from the notice.
At first, Qin Mo was curious, but considering Shan Xiong was a local boss, he asked nothing and followed.
After a detour, they arrived at a quiet alley. Shan Xiong knocked on a door. A lazy voice called from inside: “Who is it?”
“Looking for Wuye,” Shan Xiong replied.
The door opened with a creak. A lecherous little servant appeared, immediately smiling at Shan Xiong. He paid no attention to Qin Mo, assuming he was just a laborer.
Inside was a serene courtyard. A path of blue stone was flanked by strange plants, and an ancient tree almost covered the entire area.
In the main room, an elderly man with white hair and beard was sipping tea. Seeing Shan Xiong and Qin Mo, he smiled.
His gaze, however, immediately fell on Qin Mo, lingering briefly before shifting to Shan Xiong. “Why so late?”
“Had a little trouble,” Shan Xiong replied, smiling. “Let me introduce — this is Wuye. And this is my new little brother, Qin Mo.”
“Please sit. Tea will be served.” Wuye nodded.
After they sat, Wuye continued, “You know, I don’t deal with strangers.”
“Of course. But Qin Mo isn’t a stranger. He has some business that may interest you,” Shan Xiong said, setting down his axe. “First time meeting, second time familiar, right?”
Wuye pondered and nodded, then rose, his deep eyes scrutinizing Qin Mo. His presence was oppressive. “What business does Qin Mo have?”
Shan Xiong stayed silent, smirking knowingly.
Qin Mo remained calm. Facing the pressure, he slowly unstrapped his bundle, took out the spirit stones, and threw them on the floor. “Tell me, how much are these hides worth?”
The action seemed casual, but Wuye, a seasoned 80-acupoint opening stage cultivator on the verge of entering the next realm, was slightly surprised. The youth didn’t flinch under his pressure, clearly formidable.
“I’ll have a good look.” Wuye squatted and opened the heavy bundle.
At first, he didn’t pay much attention. But when he saw the assorted hides, his expression stiffened.
These hides were skillfully taken from ancient beasts — extremely intact. Yet even for Wuye, this wasn’t extraordinary.
“Three one-star upper-grade, one two-star lower-grade… worth roughly ten…” He stopped mid-sentence.
Beneath four hides lay another, patterned black and white with a terrifying aura.
“One two-star lower-grade, a Cloud-Piercing Leopard.” Wuye picked up the hide and stood.
Shan Xiong, sipping tea, nearly spit it out. Seeing the hide, he was shocked. He thought Qin Mo’s cowhide was the highest-grade. But the youth even had a three-star beast hide. How could he not be astonished?
“Are you sure you’re not a human-form ancient beast?” Shan Xiong gripped his axe, alert.
“If I were, you’d be dead 800 times already,” Qin Mo said calmly.
Shan Xiong, a little embarrassed, sat back down, uneasy inside.
“You killed them yourself?” Wuye asked cautiously.
“Sort of,” Qin Mo explained lightly. “I found it almost dead, fighting another beast over territory.”
Qin Mo’s tone was casual, but the two didn’t believe it. A three-star ancient beast, even wounded, isn’t easy to handle, especially one as fast as the Cloud-Piercing Leopard.
“Forty mid-grade spirit stones. How’s that?” Wuye finally said after long deliberation.
“Deal.” Qin Mo nodded. Forty mid-grade stones equaled 400 lower-grade stones, plus Shan Xiong’s ten — 500 in total.
Usually, no one prefers converting mid-grade into lower-grade spirit stones. Higher-grade stones contained denser, purer spiritual energy.
Five hundred lower-grade spirit stones — even the Hammerstone Tribe might not dig that much in years.
Yet Qin Mo, upon receiving them, remained calm, casually putting them in his bundle.
Shan Xiong and Wuye exchanged glances, silently speculating. Such composure suggested he wasn’t a simple wanderer, but perhaps a prodigy of some powerful clan.
