The laughter was ethereal, filled with playful delight. Han Yi had never witnessed such an expression from Chu Jinmo before, and he found himself momentarily stunned.
After a moment, he regained his composure and realized that Chu Jinmo seemed different today. Their relationship appeared to have taken a step closer.
One of life's three great illusions? Han Yi chuckled wryly to himself, turned, and left. Instead of returning directly to Azure Dragon Peak, he headed to Red Sun Peak, entered Red Sun Market wearing a mask to conceal his aura, and made his way straight to the Nine Dragons Merchant Guild.
Today, he intended to dispose of some of the spoils he had acquired from the Myriad Demon Mountain Range.
He Fangwei, ever eager for business, greeted him with a cordial smile, his eyes narrowed to slits. "Fellow Daoist, have you come to purchase a Magic Artifact or sell Medicinal Pills?"
"I'm here to sell Magic Artifacts," Han Yi replied in a low voice.
He Fangwei blinked in surprise, then his smile widened, his already narrow eyes shrinking to barely visible crescents. "Quickly, please come in!"
After ushering Han Yi into a private meditation chamber, they settled into their seats. He Fangwei's gaze remained fixed intently on Han Yi.
Han Yi wasted no time and produced the first Magic Artifact: a Blood Soul Banner that was more than half-destroyed.
"A Blood Soul Banner," He Fangwei remarked, recalling Han Yi's previous sale. "If I remember correctly, I appraised a similar banner at four thousand Spirit Stones back then. However, that was during a market shortage, resulting in an inflated price. Moreover, that banner was only lightly damaged and contained four primary souls. This one only has three remaining and is far more severely damaged. I can only offer thirteen hundred Spirit Stones."
"Fellow Daoist, does that sound acceptable?"
He Fangwei discreetly licked his lips, barely containing his excitement. He remembered Han Yi's previous sale vividly, and judging by that experience, this Blood Soul Banner was merely an appetizer. He was certain higher-grade artifacts would follow.
Sure enough.
Han Yi nodded in agreement with the appraisal and retrieved three sets of Body-Protecting Inner Armor from his Storage Pouch.
He Fangwei's eyes glittered with anticipation.
"These are all Mid-Grade Magic Artifact-level Body-Protecting Inner Armor," Han Yi explained. "Two sets are intact, while the third is about thirty percent damaged."
"Two complete sets of Mid-Grade Magic Artifact Body-Protecting Inner Armor," He Fangwei said, "though both are Mid-Grade, their values differ. The first is among the finest of its class, appraised at 3,500 Low-Grade Spirit Stones. The second is a standard Mid-Grade piece, valued at 1,500 Low-Grade Spirit Stones. The third set, though damaged, would have been priced between the other two if intact, but is now appraised at 1,200 Low-Grade Spirit Stones due to the damage."
"Adding in the Blood Soul Banner, the total comes to 7,500 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, equivalent to 75 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."
"Fellow Daoist, does this price seem fair to you?"
Han Yi nodded without objection. Well-versed in the market range for Mid-Grade Magic Artifacts, he knew that He Fangwei's offer was more than reasonable.
"Excellent. Shopkeeper He, please examine this artifact as well."
Han Yi retrieved a silver folding fan from his Storage Pouch and placed it on the table.
He Fangwei's eyes widened instantly, and he leaped to his feet.
"The Silver Scale Fan?"
He carefully picked up the silver folding fan and appraised it for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Finally, he murmured, "It really is the Silver Scale Fan."
"The Silver Scale Fan?" Han Yi repeated, hearing the fan's name for the first time.
He Fangwei nodded emphatically. "There's no mistake. This is indeed the Silver Scale Fan."
He set down the silver folding fan. "Fellow Daoist, do you recall the set of High-Grade Magic Artifacts, the Silverlight Pearls, that you sold last time?"
Han Yi nodded. He had obtained the Silverlight Pearls from a youth wielding the Top-Grade Magic Artifact Golden Light Shuttle, his face twisted with a sinister smile. The pearls were part of a complete set of High-Grade Magic Artifacts.
It was precisely from selling that set that Han Yi had acquired the funds for his subsequent shopping spree. He not only purchased the Wind Demon Dagger but also several Spirit Talismans, including a First-Tier High-Grade Yin Thunder Talisman.
Looking back, it was that single transaction—the sale and subsequent purchases—that enabled Han Yi to emerge unscathed from the Myriad Demon Mountain Range, having slain four cultivators and seized abundant spoils of war.
What is taken from the Blood God Sect shall be used against the Blood God Sect. Every deed, every consequence, is ordained by fate.
He Fangwei continued, "The Silverlight Pearls were appraised at six hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, equivalent to sixty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. They originated from the Southern Dipper Divine Palace, one of the Three Great Sects of Great Qian. This Silver Scale Fan also hails from the same sect."
"In terms of raw power, the Silver Scale Fan surpasses the Silverlight Pearls. However, the Silverlight Pearls were part of a set, each of the three individual pearls being a High-Grade Magic Artifact in its own right. Therefore, I appraise this Silver Scale Fan at five hundred and sixty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, slightly lower than the pearls."
"Fellow Daoist, does this price seem acceptable to you?"
Hearing the offer of 560 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, Han Yi couldn't help but feel a surge of delight. He had previously sold the Silverlight Pearls for 600 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, and now the Silver Scale Fan would bring in another 560.
Jackpot!
The cultivators of the Blood God Sect were truly walking treasure chests.
"Very well, I accept Shopkeeper He's offer."
Before Han Yi could produce his fourth Magic Artifact, He Fangwei stroked the Silver Scale Fan, a peculiar glint in his eye. "Fellow Daoist, are you aware of the connection between the Silverlight Pearls and the Silver Scale Fan?"
Han Yi paused, holding back his next offering. "A connection? I wasn't aware."
He Fangwei's expression turned serious. "The Southern Dipper Divine Palace, one of the Three Great Sects of Great Qian, is renowned for its series of Magic Artifacts."
"Among these, the High-Grade Silver Series and the Top-Grade Flame Series are widely celebrated for their immense power, earning both reverence and wariness."
"The Silverlight Pearls and Silver Scale Fan both belong to the High-Grade Silver Series."
He Fangwei shifted his tone, probing. "Fellow Daoist, have you recently returned from the Myriad Demon Mountain Range?"
He hadn't investigated Han Yi's background, but he had previously speculated that Han Yi was merely an Outer Sect Disciple at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining. Now, however, it seemed more likely that Han Yi was an Inner Sect Disciple, as only such disciples could participate in missions to the Myriad Demon Mountain Range and have the opportunity to acquire so many Blood God Sect Magic Artifacts recently.
Suddenly, He Fangwei found himself entertaining numerous conflicting hypotheses about Han Yi's true identity.
Han Yi nodded in acknowledgement but offered no further explanation. Instead, he retrieved the final Magic Artifact from his Storage Pouch and placed it on the table. "Shopkeeper He, I have one last artifact for appraisal."
A gilded halberd, two meters long and nearly as wide as the table, was gently laid down. Its golden sheen seemed to imbue the entire room with an air of regal dignity.
He Fangwei had assumed the transaction was complete, as before. But when Han Yi produced another artifact, he paused in surprise before leaning forward to examine the halberd closely.
First, he visually inspected it, felt its texture, and tapped its surface. Then, activating his Appraisal Technique, he channeled mana into the halberd. A pale golden light flowed across its surface, resembling a serpentine golden dragon.
Nearly half an incense stick's time passed before He Fangwei finished his appraisal. His expression was a complex blend of shock and bewilderment—the most intricate expression Han Yi had ever seen on the shopkeeper's face.
"Shopkeeper He?"