Chapter 31: Trade Valley
Han Li casually smashed a giant crater that was around an acre in area into the secluded cave abode, then placed the plot of spirit farmland into it, and Lu Jun couldn't help but burst into raucous laughter upon seeing this.
"Your extraordinary strength has far exceeded my expectations, Fellow Daoist Han! I have truly been humbled!"
"You're far too kind, Fellow Daoist Luo. Now that you've finished examining my abilities, it's time that we discuss some official matters, is it not?" Han Li asked with a hint of a smile on his face.
A sheepish smile appeared on Luo Jun's face upon hearing this, and he cleared his throat in a slightly awkward manner as he replied, "I had no such intentions, Fellow Daoist Han. There's not too much that needs to be said. You don't need to do anything to become a guest elder of our sect, and every year, our sect will assign you 50,000 spirit stones and some pills to support your cultivation.
“However, the pill assignment window for this year has already passed, so you'll have to wait for next year. This is your badge, it contains a map of our sect and some information on all of our sect's peaks. This is this year's spirit stone allotment of 80,000 spirit stones. The additional 30,000 spirit stones are a welcoming gift from Peak Master Nangong."
Luo Jun pulled out a shimmering golden badge and an azure storage bag as he spoke, then offered them to Han Li.
A complex look appeared in Gu Yunyue's eyes as she cast her gaze toward Han Li. The benefits that Luo Jun had just described were normally reserved only for Deity Transformation Stage elders, but given the power that Han Li has displayed, no one could argue that he was unworthy of such treatment.
"Thank you, Elder Luo. By the way, are Sharp Watch Pills allocated yearly by the sect or are there some other avenues through which they can be obtained?" Han Li asked as he accepted the badge and the spirit stones.
"Sharp Watch Pills are occasionally allocated by the sect. They're great for treating injuries, but they don't have much use when it comes to cultivation base advancement. Some disciples will trade them in our sect's internal markets, but most of them are traded very quickly, so they're not easy to obtain," Luo Jun replied.
"It looks like I'll just have to try my luck then," Han Li said with a thoughtful expression.
Luo Jun didn't linger much longer, and he departed with Gu Yunyue and Yu Menghan after exchanging some more small talk with Han Li.
Following Luo Jun's departure, Han Li activated all of the restrictions within the cave abode, then led Liu Le'er on a tour. He arranged a bedroom for her to rest in, then departed from the cave abode.
Around 15 minutes later, Han Li appeared in a valley several kilometers away from Cloudrise Peak.
There was a white stone plaque situated at the entrance of the valley, upon which were engraved the words "Trade Valley" in large red characters. Beneath the plaque was a wide stone street that extended into the valley.
This Trade Valley was none other than the internal market that Luo Jun had referred to earlier, and even before entering the valley, Han Li could already hear the chaotic commotion one would normally expect to hear in a busy market.
Han Li paused momentarily at the entrance of the valley, then continued onward, and by the time he arrived under the plaque, most of the valley was laid out before him.
Most of the streets in the valley sloped upward, and all of the shops were also constructed in a way that followed the terrain of the valley. All types of flags were hanging outside the shops, and it looked no different from a normal market.
At the moment, it was just past noon, and there were countless people entering and exiting the shops in the market, presenting a lively and bustling sight to behold.
Han Li chose a pill shop at random before walking into it, but shortly thereafter, he emerged in an expressionless manner before proceeding to the next shop.
He visited five or six large pill shops in a row, but didn't encounter even a single Sharp Watch Pill. Only in one of the shops was he informed that they had recently received one such pill, but that was two months ago, and it had been traded away on the same day.
After close to half a day, Han Li traversed through almost the entire market, but still had nothing to show for his efforts.
After emerging from yet another pill shop, Han Li didn't continue deeper into the valley. Instead, he made his way toward a secluded corner in an unhurried manner, then suddenly swiveled around before casting a cold gaze toward a nearby tree.
"You've been following me almost the entire time I've been in this valley. Do you have some business with me?"
"Please forgive me, Fellow Daoist. It's all just a misunderstanding."
A gray-robed elderly man emerged from behind the tree before making his way over to Han Li with a sheepish expression.
The man's hair and beard were all completely white, yet he had an extremely youthful, childlike face, presenting a rather peculiar contrast to behold.
Han Li could sense that the man was a Deity Transformation cultivator. "A misunderstanding?"
The elderly man's expression remained unchanged as he calmly explained, "I am Gao Bulin, an elder of Sunset Peak. I just so happened to overhear that you were searching for a Sharp Watch Pill, and that's why I've been following you briefly."
"The Sunset Peak? If I recall correctly, that peak is specifically dedicated to the pill refinement masters of the sect, right? Could it be that you have a Sharp Watch Pill in your possession?" Han Li asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Hehe, I do indeed have a Sharp Watch PIll, and I intend to trade it, but I'll have to see if you have anything that I need," Gao Bulin replied with a smile as he took a glance at the storage bag on Han Li's waist.
"What are you looking for, Elder Gao?" Han Li asked.
"There's no hurry. I still don't even know your name yet, Fellow Daoist," Gao Bulin said, displaying no urgency to proceed with the trade.
"I am Han Li, a guest elder of the Cloudrise Peak. Can we get back to business now?" Han Li asked with a calm expression.
"A guest elder of Cloudrise Peak? You must possess some remarkable abilities, Fellow Daoist. I'm completely unable to discern your cultivation base! But I digress. I am looking for Glacial Yin Water, Blue Crystal Sand, Heavenly River Starstone, or a Lanling Flower or Inkfragrance Herb over 3,000 years old.
“Do you have any of those things, Fellow Daoist Han? If you have any one of them, I'd be more than willing to trade my Sharp Watch Pill to you," Gao Bulin said as he stroked his long beard.
"Surely you jest, Elder Gao. Every single one of those things is extremely rare. If I had those things, I would be asking for far more than just a Sharp Watch Pill," Han Li said.
Gao Bulin's expression stiffened slightly upon hearing this, and a sheepish look appeared on his face.
"I suggest you make some more realistic requests, Fellow Daoist. Otherwise, I'd be willing to purchase the pill from you using spirit stones as well," Han Li continued.
Even though he hadn't found any Sharp Watch Pills thus far, he had managed to sell some of the materials, ingredients, and pills that he had previously obtained for a decent sum of spirit stones. In addition to the spirit stones that Luo Jun had given to him, he had a small fortune at his disposal. Of course, the few top-grade spirit stones that he had obtained weren't being factored into those calculations.
Gao Bulin hesitated momentarily upon hearing this, then conceded, "Alright, in that case, I'll do you a favor and trade my Sharp Watch Pill for spirit stones. I'll take two top-grade spirit stones for my Sharp Watch Pill. What do you say?"
"You're asking for way too much, Elder Gao! Sharp Watch Pills may be quite rare in this market, but even the highest asking price shouldn't exceed 600,000 spirit stones!" Han Li said as his brows furrowed slightly with displeasure.
"I don't think I'm asking for too much. After all, you're referring to the prices in our sect's internal market. If a Sharp Watch Pill were to go on auction outside of the sect, it would fetch a far higher price," Gao Bulin countered in an unhurried manner.
Han Li was silent for a moment, then asked, "How about this? I don't have any of the things that you listed earlier, but I have some other precious materials and ingredients in my possession. Are you interested?"
"If you're only referring to some common treasures, then there's no need to bring them out, Fellow Daoist Han. It would be much more convenient to just use spirit stones," Gao Bulin said with a smile.
"I have an Azure Underworld Crystal, a Myriad Yin Spirit Trapping Array Scroll, and a Yin Soul Zoysia. Do any of those things catch your interest?" Han Li asked.
Those were all things that he had found in Lu Ya's storage bag, and they were precious items, but they weren't very useful to him.
A hesitant look appeared on Gao Bulin's face, and only after some contemplation did he reply in a reluctant voice, "I have some use for a Yin Soul Zoysia, but it has to be at least 1,000 years old, and the Sharp Watch Pill is yours if you can throw in an extra 300,000 spirit stones on top of that."
Han Li immediately turned to depart upon hearing this, not hesitating in the slightest.
"Fellow Daoist Han, please wait!"
Gao Bulin's calm facade instantly fell away at the sight of Han Li's sudden departure.
Han Li naturally wasn't serious about leaving, and he willingly obliged, stopping in his tracks. However, instead of making his way back to Gao Bulin, he merely turned around to look at him from where he was.
Gao Bulin hurriedly made his way over to Han Li, then said with a sheepish smile, "Don't be in such a hurry to leave, Fellow Daoist Han, the price is still negotiable. Would you be able to let me see the Yin Soul Zoysia that you have in your possession?"
Han Li didn't waste any time with words as he flipped a hand over to produce a wooden box that was around half a foot in length, then opened the lid of the box by a sliver. Gao Bulin immediately released his spiritual sense to inspect the contents of the box, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face before quickly fading.
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