Liang Yan's expression darkened. "Watch your words."
"What did I say wrong?" Zhao Biru shot him a cold, disdainful glance, her eyes full of contempt.
She couldn't stand the man before her. Her dislike ran deep. Zhao Biru and Jian Xiaolou's older sister, Jian Xiaochai, were both born in White Cloud City on the same day, which often led to comparisons between the two.
Zhao Biru came from a sixth-tier family, but she was always overshadowed by Jian Xiaochai. Jian Xiaochai seemed born to eclipse her—more beautiful, more talented, and more likable. Even in their cultivation, Jian Xiaochai had advanced to Foundation Establishment a year earlier.
Zhao Biru's existence seemed to be made only to highlight Jian Xiaochai.
Even her engagement had been arranged by her family with a man who had been rejected by Jian Xiaochai.
Liang Yan, though clearly angered, merely lifted his lips slightly before falling silent.
Jian Xiaolou, meanwhile, was equally frustrated but powerless. She wanted to slap Zhao Biru across the face, but with her meager cultivation, she couldn't even touch a finger to Biru's body. Rationality told her to stay calm, but it was difficult. If it were just about her, she might have shrugged it off. But when it came to her family, there was no tolerance.
She turned her gaze to the stall owner selling the beast pouch and, blinking, asked, "Senior, will you sell it if she offers three hundred mid-grade spirit stones?"
The stall owner raised an eyebrow. "I'll offer six hundred. Tell her to get lost if she doesn't want to deal."
The crowd gasped. His tone was so dismissive, it seemed he was no ordinary person.
Zhao Biru, taken aback, was about to retort when Liang Yan interjected, speaking through a voice transmission. "He's no ordinary person. Don't provoke him."
Zhao Biru, though not foolish, was unwilling to let it go, her face cold. "Then name your price."
The stall owner slowly removed his hand from his chin, crossed his arms, and regarded her with a sneer. "Don't waste my time. You definitely don't have what I want."
For a moment, Zhao Biru was stunned by his gaze.
Jian Xiaolou, meanwhile, was quietly formulating a plan. "Senior, would it be acceptable to exchange for a spirit artifact? Does it have to be of a certain grade, or would something rare suffice?"
The stall owner nodded. "Yes, I want something rare, something not on the spirit artifact catalog."
Jian Xiaolou understood. In the current world of spirit artifact crafting, most creations came from a catalog. Innovation was costly, and the resources of the Red Sky Realm were limited. Few dared to experiment with resources unless they were high-level crafting masters.
She happened to have an unfinished artifact that she had made herself.
Though... it might be a bit embarrassing.
Reaching into her storage pouch, she pulled out a damp, fist-sized lump of clay. "Take a look at this. It's only a half-finished piece, but it's certainly something you've never seen before."
Laughter erupted from the crowd. The lump of clay looked exactly like... clay. Some of the nearby alchemists couldn't hold back their amusement.
The stall owner, however, didn't react immediately. He stared at the lump of clay intently. "Young friend, may I take a closer look?"
Jian Xiaolou handed it to him, explaining earnestly, "Though it's inexpensive, the fusion technique is quite refined. The array I designed myself took a lot of effort."
"You've used Blue-Eyed Gold Silkworm silk?" The stall owner examined it in his hand and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "And there's... some kind of animal secretion?"
"Yes, snail and blood toad secretion."
The materials she chose were nothing special, just some common items from the Dragon Prison Mountain. The purpose of this artifact had originally been for Battle Sky, to protect him from the impact of his own strength. However, he refused to use it.
The stall owner, now intrigued, formed a ball of purple light in his palm and inspected it more closely. His bored eyes lit up. "Does it have a name?"
Jian Xiaolou hurriedly replied, "Soft and Squishy."
"Good, good, good." The stall owner repeated three times, clearly eager to keep it for himself. With a flick of his robe, he disappeared into the night, leaving behind only a faint voice. "The Soft and Squishy is mine. The beast pouch is yours. The pouch has nine chambers, far beyond the three you expected. Your sister will figure out the benefits herself..."
Jian Xiaolou was delighted and hurried to retrieve the beast pouch.
She had originally just wanted to spite Zhao Biru, but now she had ended up with a treasure.
"At least I traded a lump of clay for a three-chamber beast pouch," she said smugly, patting her storage pouch. "While you couldn't even buy it with three hundred mid-grade spirit stones. Did you really think you could use it to embarrass my sister?"
Zhao Biru, red with rage, clenched her teeth. "You...!"
Frustrated beyond belief, she stormed off, grinding her silver teeth.
Liang Yan gave Jian Xiaolou an approving smile before going after Zhao Biru.
As the crowd began to disperse, preparing to leave, the sound of galloping hooves and the sharp cry of a Qilin horse pierced the air.
The traders were all startled. The black market had always been unofficial, and for years, the higher-ups had turned a blind eye. Why were official forces here today?
Jian Xiaolou recognized the approaching person instantly. It was the bully who never missed an opportunity to make money.
A group of cultivators led by Li Jianxiao stormed into the crowd, dispersing everyone. "Only the seller remains. All others leave immediately!"
"Who says we have to leave?" some cultivators grumbled, seeing that they were not from the Floating Light City Guard.
"Because I say so," Li Jianxiao said lazily, his voice cold as he dismounted from his Qilin horse, "I'll count to three. If you don't leave, there will be consequences."
The cultivators, not knowing who Li Jianxiao was, didn't take him seriously at first. His cultivation seemed to be at Qi Refining, and yet he had so many Foundation Establishment cultivators surrounding him. It was easy to dismiss him as a rich heir throwing his weight around.
"One..." Li Jianxiao raised one finger.
The cultivators didn't take it seriously, thinking it was just some rich young master showing off.
Jian Xiaolou, however, decided it was safer to leave the scene and quickly walked through the bustling crowd toward Yue Ze, seeking safety in his presence.
"Two..."
Before he could finish, a melodious voice interrupted him: "What are you doing now?"
The voice, as clear as a pearl dropping in a jade dish, made Jian Xiaolou pause and turn toward the source of the sound.