Chapter 58: Bluffing

Behind the counter at the Hei Yue Merchant Guild stood a man who appeared to be in his thirties. He glanced at Yun Che as he entered, his eyes remaining utterly unperturbed despite the stranger's bizarre attire, his expression blank as he asked coldly, "Buy or sell?"

Yun Che didn't waste time. He raised his right hand and slapped three crimson-red elixirs onto the counter, his voice as cold as ice: "Three fire spirit pills—market price!"

Those three crimson elixirs were fire spirit pills Yun Che had refined using fire spirit grass he'd gathered in the Demon Dragon Cave earlier.

"Fire spirit pills?" The clerk's rigid face finally showed a hint of motion, he picked one up and gently touched it with his finger, then his face changed dramatically, his voice dropping to a whisper: "Impossible... these are perfect fire spirit pills!"

For an elixir to form, it requires gathering and storing materials, selecting the refinement method, controlling the timing, and mastering the refinement technique—all stages where spiritual essence can be lost. Especially during the refinement process, even the most skilled alchemists can rarely prevent all essence from dissipating. So, an elixir rated at 60% quality is considered top-grade, 70-80% is a rare superior one, 90% is only achievable by the highest alchemists in elite sects—a true masterpiece. The higher the quality, the faster the spiritual essence and the speed of internal refinement, and the price skyrockets accordingly. The same elixir, one at 80% quality costs at least double that of 70%, while 90% quality is almost never seen on the market, usually kept by core disciples of sects or offered as tribute. As for perfect 100% quality, even across the entire Hei Yue Merchant Guild, such items are extremely rare.

If one perfect pill was unusual enough, the clerk quickly noticed these three fire spirit pills were all 100% quality, his eyes widening to comical proportions. Fire spirit grass was already difficult to find, and refining fire spirit pills was even more challenging, but perfect 100% quality pills—he'd never even heard of such a thing. He could imagine that if any cultivators with fire-based techniques saw these three pills, they'd be so drooling they'd probably fall out of their eyes.

"Market price!" Yun Che repeated coldly.

The clerk quickly regained his composure, then hurriedly retrieved a black wooden box, carefully placing the three fire spirit pills inside to prevent any loss of spiritual essence. Facing Yun Che, his demeanor gained a touch of reverence... selling three perfect fire spirit pills right here in the Hei Yue Guild? And with such a cold, haughty attitude? He quickly muttered: "Three perfect fire spirit pills—superior among superiors, price... one hundred purple jade coins per pill, three hundred total, how about that?"

"..." Yun Che fell silent for a moment.

Yun Che remained silent for so long that the clerk grew anxious. He'd already set his attention fully on this customer; if he wasn't satisfied, he'd immediately raise the price. Three perfect fire spirit pills, even in the entire guild, were top-tier items! Countless fire-technique sects across the Tianyuan Continent would pay fortunes for these. If sold to major sects, each pill would be worth thousands.

But Yun Che's silence clearly wasn't due to being underpaid... he'd been struck dumb by that price.

Three hundred purple jade coins... My goodness!! That's three million yellow jade coins!! That's nearly a century's income for an ordinary family!

On the Changyun Continent, when he was younger and followed his master, his master never charged a single coin for alchemical treatments. After his master passed, he ate elixirs refined with his own poison beads to strengthen himself, so he had no clear concept of market prices for various elixirs.

He'd always thought that refining a fire spirit pill that could sell for one purple jade coin was quite good, selling three would mean he could live comfortably for a while. He never expected the other party to quote three hundred purple jade coins outright, leaving him speechless for the moment.

These elixirs are actually this valuable!!

On the Tianyuan Continent, good elixirs are indeed absurdly expensive. Because these superior elixirs are practically the only convenient method for advancing one's cultivation of elemental techniques and elemental energy. Sometimes years of painful practice pales in comparison to swallowing a single elixir.

Seeing no response, the clerk couldn't hold back any longer: "If you don't like this price, then—"

"Sold!" Yun Che interrupted before he could finish.

When the other immediately agreed, the clerk was overjoyed, three hundred purple jade coins received, selling to major sects would fetch at least a thousand per pill—enough to make them fight over it. He quickly retrieved the fire spirit pills, then after a brief wait, handed Yun Che a shining purple card: "Here's your jade coin card, please keep it safe. Should you need anything else, please visit us again at Hei Yue Merchant Guild."

The purple jade card represented funds exceeding one purple jade coin. Yun Che checked it—there was exactly three hundred purple jade coins!

Yun Che had gone two entire lifetimes without handling this much money. In his sixteen years, all his savings amounted to only a few thousand yellow jade coins.

Three hundred purple jade coins! How long would it take to spend this? If his girlfriend saw it, she'd probably freak out!

He tucked the jade card away but didn't leave right away. He slapped his hand on the counter again, his voice just as cold: "One spiritual essence pill—market price!"

When Yun Che placed that crimson-red spiritual essence pill on the counter, suddenly Julia's voice echoed in his mind: "What are you doing? Are you selling it? Are you insane?"

"No, no! Of course I wouldn't sell it!" Yun Che quickly denied, "Don't worry, I'm just pretending to scare them, leaving myself an advantage for later."

Julia didn't respond. "Spiritual essence pill?" The clerk looked uncertain, picked it up. Even the lowest-level members of Hei Yue Guild had remarkable eyesight. But he couldn't identify which beast this spiritual essence pill came from just by looking. He held it, rubbed it gently for a while, then his face changed dramatically, his eyes bulging out completely, both hands trembling violently: "This... this... this is... a dragon pill! A King Spirit dragon pill!"

"Hmph! Big reaction, big reaction, quote the price!" Yun Che said impatiently.

The clerk put the spiritual essence pill back on the counter, suddenly too afraid to pick it up again, his gaze toward Yun Che completely changed: "Lord, please... please wait a moment. Such a major matter... I'm not authorized to handle it..."

He called out upstairs: "Manager Pu, come quickly! There's a big deal! Hurry!"

His voice hadn't even faded when a thin, elderly man slowly descended the stairs. The stairs were wooden, but he stepped on them without making the slightest creaking sound. His eyes seemed gentle, but the inner light was as sharp as frost. This man was none other than Pu Hé, the legendary manager of New Moon City, known and respected by all.

"Big deal?" Pu Hé walked over, gave Yun Che a cold glance. His expression was calm yet carried arrogance.

"Pu Lord, you... you look!" The clerk picked up the spiritual essence pill, trembling with both hands, and presented it to Pu Hé.

Pu Hé glared at him, dissatisfied: "Hmph. Truly pathetic, a small spiritual essence pill can make you this excited! Does this mean it's not a Tianyuan pill? If you act like this, people will think we Hei Yue Guild folks have never seen anything!"

While lecturing coldly, Pu Hé casually took the pill in his hand. The moment his fingers touched it, he fell silent, his entire palm trembling. He quickly leaned in, eyes narrowed, sensing the pill's power with minuscule spiritual force. After a few breaths, he shook his whole body, mustache quivering, letting out a scream nearly eight times louder than the clerk's: "King... King Spirit... dragon pill!"

The clerk glanced at him with a knowing look—he'd just arrived, now he's shouting louder than me!

"Hmph! Such a small dragon pill has made you both so excited, Hei Yue Guild, truly impressive."

In his extreme shock, a cold, gravelly voice echoed in Pu Hé's ear. He quickly suppressed his expression, looked Yun Che in the eye, carefully examined him, then gently set down the Demon Dragon spiritual essence pill, his face showing proper respect: "My lord, may I ask... may I inquire your name and title?"

When he'd just come down from the stairs, he'd glanced at Yun Che and thought to himself, sneering internally—he'd never seen anyone swagger in his Hei Yue Guild. But now, Pu Hé felt Yun Che's demeanor was perfectly normal. Someone who could produce a Tianyuan dragon pill—what kind of existence was this? Why would he need to maintain appearances with a small guild in New Moon City?

He'd carefully examined this "middle-aged man" and was internally amazed—his eyes were so deep and sharp that he couldn't see a speck of his features, yet so keen they seemed to make everything around him disappear.

Yun Che's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze and voice suddenly turning cold: "When did business at Hei Yue Guild ever have a rule requiring us to ask for names?"

In that instant, Pu Hé felt a sudden wave of killing intent... though only for an incredibly brief moment, it made his entire body stand on end. He'd killed many people in his life, and had nearly been killed by many others, so he was very familiar with, and sensitive to, killing intent. But in his entire life, he'd never experienced such terrifying killing intent as just now. He couldn't imagine how many people this person must have killed to reach such a terrifying level of killing intent... ten people? A hundred thousand? Or perhaps... ghosts and gods would be terrified of a million?

It was probably the legendary Hell Monarch, his killing intent wasn't far from that.

Pu Hé's heart soared, his back instantly soaked in cold sweat. In all these years in New Moon City, it was his first time sweating like this. A pale, cold, killing-intent-filled individual who could casually produce a King Spirit dragon pill—what level of existence was this! Such killing intent, to him, would be as casual as reaching into his mouth to eat! If he made him angry...

Thinking this, Pu Hé's sweat poured down even faster, his head drooping, his expression even more respectful: "Hmph! My lord, Pu Hé absolutely has no intention of offending you. Only being able to kill the King Spirit beast, or the King Spirit true dragon, is a legendary figure worthy of respect. Pu Hé momentarily felt awestruck, so I apologize for my words."

He desperately wanted to know what level this "terrifying person" was at, but even with a hundred times his courage, he dared not probe into Yun Che's spiritual power level.

"Hmph!" Yun Che let out a cold snort.

The killing intent vanished without a trace. Pu Hé let out an internal sigh of relief, then carefully asked: "My lord, the King Spirit dragon pill is incredibly valuable, not to mention New Moon City, across the entire Cang Feng Empire, it's a once-in-a-century treasure. May I ask why my lord would choose to sell such a treasure?"

"Useless to me!" Yun Che said expressionlessly.

Useless to him? Pu Hé's heart pounded wildly—King Spirit dragon pills were even scorned by him! What level was this person?

Pu Hé sighed wryly: "My lord, Pu Hé has every intention of keeping this King Spirit dragon pill, but I dare not conceal it from you. This King Spirit dragon pill is incredibly valuable, its worth is beyond estimation, I'd even pledge the entire Hei Yue Guild as collateral, I couldn't even cover a fifth of its value."