Forced Transaction
“What happened?” A level four alchemist stepped in.
“Senior brother Ji, our customer disagrees with my appraisal. According to my examination, it is only a thousand years old,” expounded the twenty-year old or so youth.
“That’s nonsense. The herb is already slightly red, which is a sign that it’s two thousand years old. I may not be an alchemist, but I am a retailer by trade. I’m not clueless!” argued the youth with many scars on his face.
“Please give me a moment to double check.”
Ji Liangcai was an alchemist roughly thirty years old. As a qualified alchemist stationed at the store, his appraisal was given more weight.
“While you’re at it, teach him how to tell apart one thousand and two thousand year old indifferent night lotuses. That’s an authentic indifferent night lotus herb!” The youth shot the appraiser a glare.
An indifferent night lotus two thousand years old was called “indifferent sacred lotus” and worth over ten times its value at one thousand years old. Accordingly, the contexts in which they were applicable also changed. It wasn’t the type of herb one would find sitting on the side of the road. It took someone willing to risk their time and dedication to find and obtain, hence its value.
Ji Liangcai carefully picked up the herb and shook it. He spawned a white light on his finger tips and made a small slit to smell it. After the meticulous inspection, he elucidated, “It is clean, and its spiritual qi is potent. As such, it gives the impression it is two thousand years old. However, judging from the root’s colour and the lines on the leaves, you can see that it, in actual fact, is only between 1500 to 1550 years old. Therefore, it is not a real sacred lotus and only fetches a price of approximately ten thousand spirit stones.”
“Impossible. I had someone appraise it before coming here, and he told me it was a genuine indifferent sacred lotus.”
“Are you questioning me?” Ji Liangcai asked in a threatening tone.
It wasn’t worth affronting an alchemist for it. Thus, the youth replied, “Sorry, it is a misunderstanding. I am not questioning your evaluation. Since you have said it is an indifferent night lotus herb, I will not sell. Please excuse me.”
“Please wait. It may not be a sacred lotus. Nevertheless, our level six alchemist, Elder He Xing, needs it. Would you be interested in selling it to us for twenty thousand spirit stones?”
Ji Liangcai asked out of formality as, by all means, they could’ve taken it by force with a level six alchemist backing them. Ji Liangcai’s smirk made a statement itself. Having an indifferent night lotus in one’s possession was no big deal. Having a level six alchemist coveting it after it when one possessed it was called carrying a time bomb. It was an enticing offer to get in the good books of a level six alchemist. Even so, the youth was certain his lotus was a sacred lotus. That being the case, he would be selling himself short if he sold it for twenty thousand.
Vexed, the youth requested, “I accept. With that said, can I personally pass it on to Elder He Xing?”
Ji Liangcai sneered. “Elder He Xing is a busy man. Nobody is permitted to disturb him when he is working in seclusion. Moreover, not everyone can enter Pill Cauldron Sect. As such, I shall personally hand it to him. Thank you for the thought.”
The youth gnashed his teeth. He was only hoping to make a profitable and reasonable sale, and he was sure he was being duped. Worst of all, he had to submit to the threat.
Conniving scumbags, the youth inwardly remarked. Though he puffed his chest out, his voice was still meek. “What if I refuse to sell?”
“Haha, Our store prides itself on fair trade. We do not force customers to buy or sell. If you do not wish to sell it, I will not force you. Since Elder He Xing needs it and you refuse to sell it, I will purchase it from somebody else.”
Although level four alchemists were respected in the outside world, Pill Cauldron Sect was home to plenty of them. Alchemists they dispatched to Hundreds Herbs Hall were those the sect deemed undeserving of further investment and only good for clerk work. Ji Liangcai was one of such abandoned disciples.
Ji Liangcai didn’t lie about Elder He Xing requiring the herb. Ji Liangcai, as a disciple, couldn’t pretend he didn’t hear that from the elder. The search for the herb would be a difficult one. Therefore, the easiest and quickest way to obtain it was to con the youth, declaring it an indifferent night lotus instead of a sacred lotus.
Cognisant of the fact that Primordial Infant Realm cultivators would likely assault him before he could leave Twenty-Five Kilometres South Garden, the youth surrendered. “All right, I’ll sell.”
“Allow me to extend my gratitude on behalf of Elder He Xing,” voiced Ji Liangcai, wearing his fake smile.
Some of the Primordial Infant Realm cultivators were disappointed. They were hoping the youth would refuse so that they could jump him and make twenty thousand. The remainder deemed his decision wise, except for one person at the rear, who explicated, “From what I can tell, though, it’s more than two thousand years old.”
“Who was the one spread false information?” Ji Liangcai wrathfully questioned.
Mu Yu wore a harmless and idiotic smile to greet those who turned to him.
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