Chapter 43: Selling

A short while later, Lu Ye was seated in a private booth, with screens obscuring any prying eyes. The female demon cultivator had disappeared, but before leaving, she had instructed Lu Ye to wait there, explaining that an attendant would soon arrive to conduct the transaction. If he had any other requests, he could ring the bell nearby, and someone would come to assist him.

On the table was a pot of brewed tea. Lu Ye poured himself a cup, and after taking a sip, a look of surprise immediately crossed his face. The tea was clearly no ordinary brew; it contained a small but definite amount of spiritual energy.

This discovery further impressed upon Lu Ye the immense financial power of the Heavenly Secret Trading Alliance. This was merely complimentary tea for guests; the daily consumption must be enormous. Without significant wealth, such an operation would be unsustainable.

He drank heartily. After finishing the first pot, still no one had arrived. Lu Ye, not in a hurry, gently rang the nearby bell.

Immediately, a maid from the Heavenly Secret Trading Alliance entered. "How may I help you, honored guest?" she asked.

Lu Ye pointed to the empty pot on the table. "More tea!" he requested.

The maid paused for a moment, but quickly understood his meaning. She smiled faintly, picked up the empty pot, and left.

A short while later, she returned with another pot of spiritual tea, gently placing it down. "Please enjoy," she said.

It wasn't until Lu Ye had drunk three pots of tea and was nearly bursting, hiccupping, that a woman finally entered. "I apologize for the wait, fellow cultivator," she said. "My name is Liu Ruyin; it's a pleasure to meet you."

A faint, sweet scent immediately wafted to Lu Ye's nose. He observed the woman who had just entered: she was lightly dressed, revealing large expanses of pale skin. Coupled with her soft, sweet voice, the small booth's atmosphere grew subtly intimate.

"It's fine," Lu Ye nodded.

Liu Ruyin pulled out a chair opposite Lu Ye and sat down. She then picked up the teapot and personally poured him a cup of tea, leaning significantly forward. The contours of her back were captivating, and the white skin visible at her open neckline made Lu Ye dizzy.

He quickly took a sip of tea to compose himself.

When she entered, Lu Ye had subtly checked her spiritual aura. He estimated she was at the third stage of the Spirit Stream Realm, though her aura wasn't particularly pure, suggesting she regularly relied on elixirs for cultivation.

Setting down the teapot, Liu Ruyin asked, "What would you like to sell, fellow cultivator?"

Lu Ye retrieved the ores he intended to sell from his storage bag. He, of course, didn't take them all out at once; it was his first interaction with the Heavenly Secret Trading Alliance, and he wasn't yet sure of their integrity.

The ones he presented were the same ones he had displayed at his stall earlier.

One by one, he placed the ores before Liu Ruyin. She casually picked up one, examined it for a moment, and nodded slightly. "This piece of Scarlet Essence Iron is of good quality, but it's a bit small. If it were larger, it could be forged into a long sword."

She then picked up another, her beautiful eyes brightening. "This Star-Moon Stone is also good; it has very few impurities."

She picked up a third...

Lu Ye witnessed true professionalism. Liu Ruyin appraised each of the ores before him as if they were her own treasures, her comments all precise and to the point, even if Lu Ye didn't fully understand them.

Finally, she picked up the primordial magnetic ore, a smile playing on her lips. "This item is quite rare in the outer regions of the battlefield and can fetch a good price."

She set down the ore, looked at Lu Ye, and said, "The Alliance can offer fifty-five spirit stones for these items. If you find the price acceptable, we can proceed with the transaction."

Thanks to his observations in the market earlier, Lu Ye had a rough idea of the purchasing power of fifty-five spirit stones, and this price was within his expectations.

While many people had tried to lowball him when he was hawking his wares, Lu Ye had generally managed to gauge the approximate value of his ores from those interactions.

Her quoted price was not far off from his own estimation.

He frowned slightly. "That's a bit cheap," he said.

Liu Ruyin smiled. "It's certainly cheaper than selling each item individually, but it saves you a great deal of effort, doesn't it? The Alliance is a large enterprise with many mouths to feed, so you should allow us a small margin of profit."

"Add a bit more," Lu Ye pressed.

Liu Ruyin raised a hand to rub her forehead, feigning a headache. However, her beauty ensured that this gesture, far from being off-putting, only added to her charm.

"Alright, since you're serious about selling, I'll add four more spirit stones on my own authority. Please, you absolutely mustn't haggle any further, or I'll have to pay out of my own pocket for this deal." She gazed at Lu Ye pitiably, as if she were being unfairly treated.

Lu Ye naturally didn't believe her, but seeing her demeanor, he knew further negotiation was futile. "Alright," he conceded.

Liu Ruyin's face immediately blossomed into a radiant smile. "How would you like to receive payment, fellow cultivator? Spirit stones or spiritual pills?"

"How do you price your spiritual pills?" Lu Ye asked, somewhat surprised that payment could be made in pills. He had originally planned to use the spirit stones to purchase pills later, but on second thought, he realized many low-level cultivators likely did the same. This payment method from the Heavenly Secret Trading Alliance clearly saved a step.

"A bottle of nine Spirit-Nourishing Pills costs ten spirit stones."

Lu Ye frowned. "Don't try to fool me. Outside, they sell for one spirit stone per pill. Why are yours more expensive?"

Liu Ruyin explained, "While they are all Spirit-Nourishing Pills, the quality of elixirs produced by different alchemists varies. The alchemists who refine Spirit-Nourishing Pills here at the Alliance are all highly skilled grand cultivators, far beyond what those outside can compare to. If you don't believe me, you can buy some and compare them for yourself; you'll notice the difference. Furthermore, if the Alliance's elixirs truly had quality issues, so many cultivators wouldn't come here to purchase them."

Lu Ye nodded. "There's some truth to what you say. In that case, I'll take five bottles of spiritual pills, and the rest in spirit stones."

"Certainly!" Liu Ruyin nodded, stood up, and said, "Please wait a moment, fellow cultivator."

She turned, swaying her hips as she left the booth, only to return quickly. She placed five bottles and four spirit stones before Lu Ye. "Here are your items," she announced.

With the transaction complete, both parties stored their respective items in their storage bags.

Before Lu Ye could stand, Liu Ruyin spoke again. "It's getting late. Do you have a place to rest, fellow cultivator?"

Her question suddenly made Lu Ye realize something: there didn't seem to be any inns or similar accommodations in the market, at least none he had seen.

Seeing Lu Ye's expression, Liu Ruyin understood. She explained, "The Alliance's third floor and above serve as an inn. For just one spirit stone, you can stay the night, assured that your rest and cultivation will not be disturbed. Additionally..."

She leaned closer to Lu Ye's ear, her breath like orchids. "If you have any other needs, they can also be met. Simply speak to the attendant over there."

"I am not that kind of person!" Lu Ye said sternly, secretly astonished. The Heavenly Secret Trading Alliance truly delved into all sorts of businesses!

Liu Ruyin, having seen many like Lu Ye, simply ignored his words. Her voice remained sweet and mellow as she said, "I finish my shift at midnight. If you wish for my services, you can ask the attendant to find me then."

Lu Ye felt his head swell. "I'm really not that kind of person."

A moment later, Liu Ruyin watched Lu Ye's retreating figure, her smile fading. Annoyed, she muttered, "Stingy man!"

Under normal circumstances, cultivators who completed large transactions here would give a tip of one or two spirit stones, especially after Liu Ruyin had increased the price for Lu Ye.

This was an unwritten rule.

Unfortunately, since it was Lu Ye's first time trading here, he naturally didn't know about the tip.