But he had already lost one round. If he were to falsely accuse the other party and renege now, he would truly be acting like a stubborn fool.

Although his family’s Old Ancestor doted on him, he wouldn’t allow him to act recklessly. Reputation was one of the things the Old Ancestor valued most.

However, he was unwilling to simply lose Spirit Stones like a fool.

He insisted stubbornly, “Whether this is a setup or not can be determined simply by checking if this person has enough Spirit Stones on him. If he doesn’t have the funds and was just bluffing during the bidding earlier, then my previous bids shouldn’t count.”

Wang Hao had originally intended to buy the Soul-Falling Flower, so naturally, he had enough Spirit Stones.

Casually taking out his Storage Bag, he turned it over.

Clatter.

A pile of Spirit Stones poured out. It wasn’t a massive mountain of wealth, but six thousand was more than enough.

“Young Master Ye, anything else to say?” Wang Hao asked calmly.

Young Master Ye took one look, and his face instantly darkened.

His attendant finally reacted, stepping forward angrily. “You’re looking for death!”

“Hmm, stop!” Young Master Ye barked.

Today, he wasn’t in the right. If he broke the rules again, the Old Ancestor would definitely confine him.

Not all descendants of great families could act willfully and recklessly. There was plenty of internal competition within the clans as well. This time, the family had issued an assessment regarding the Mind-Calming Pill, and the winner would receive focused cultivation resources.

What the Wang Family treasured as a precious pill formula was merely a casual assessment for the Ye Family—such was the disparity between their forces.

This was precisely why Ye Chen had prepared to buy a batch of spiritual herbs to practice in advance. At such a critical moment, he truly had no intention of causing trouble.

Of course, to save face, he couldn’t back down too softly either.

“Today, I admit defeat. Very well, I’ll remember you. We’ll meet again another day!”

Young Master Ye spoke seriously to Wang Hao. He then glanced at the shop manager, snorted coldly, threw down the Spirit Stones for his purchase, and turned to leave.

The attendant hurriedly took the Soul-Falling Flower from the shop manager’s hands and glared viciously at Wang Hao. “Kid, just you wait!”

Wang Hao didn’t mind.

He and this Young Master Ye weren’t from the same circle; their encounter today was purely coincidental. The chances of meeting again in the future weren’t high. Besides, the other party didn’t seem like a truly vicious person, just spoiled.

What really displeased him was the Divine Pill Hall.

Using magic to collect his Spirit Stones from the ground, Wang Hao looked at the gray-robed elder. “May I ask Fellow Daoist if you have any more Soul-Falling Flowers?”

The gray-robed elder glanced at Wang Hao. “Fellow Daoist is quite clever. This shop does have one more plant, but its age is somewhat lacking.”

“No matter. Could you take it out for me to see?” Wang Hao said with a smile.

Today, he was determined to clear his mind and decided to get something for nothing from the Divine Pill Hall.

“Certainly.”

Knowing Wang Hao had Spirit Stones, how could the elder let such a customer slip away? He promptly took out a Soul-Falling Flower that appeared to be only about two hundred years old.

“Fellow Daoist can inspect it. Aside from its lacking age, everything else is normal. You could even buy it back and continue cultivating it without issue!”

“There’s no problem.”

Wang Hao touched the plant. In his mind, he saw the seed in his farm system light up. He smiled with satisfaction before placing the Soul-Falling Flower back on the table.

“It’s a pity I can’t wait that many years. Farewell!”

Seeing the Spirit Stones about to slip away, the elder immediately grew anxious and hurriedly stopped Wang Hao. “Ah, Fellow Daoist, don’t be in such a hurry to leave! We can discuss the price further!”

“No need. I only need Soul-Falling Flowers over three hundred years old; the price isn’t important!” Wang Hao looked at the elder sharply. “Does your esteemed shop intend to force a sale?”

“Absolutely not! Absolutely not! Since Fellow Daoist doesn’t want it, then let it be.”

With many people still watching around them, the elder didn’t dare truly stop Wang Hao. If their reputation were ruined, he wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences.

He sighed and took out a token.

“This is our Divine Pill Hall token. Holding this grants you discounts at our shop. I hope Fellow Daoist will accept it as an apology for today’s matter!”

Wang Hao took it. It was carved from a type of spiritual jade, inscribed with only three large characters: Divine Pill Hall. Nothing else.

He accepted it and nodded. “I simply lacked sufficient funds and couldn’t compete in the bidding; I can’t blame your esteemed shop for that. Farewell!”

After leaving the Divine Pill Hall, Wang Hao saw that it was getting late. Feeling somewhat tired, he sent Zhang San to return the carriage while he walked back to the Immortal Abode Pavilion alone.

After night fell, everyone finally returned and gathered in Wang Hao’s room.

Wang Yanfeng spoke first. “Today, I asked several shops about their purchase prices for demon beast materials; they are considerably lower than expected!”

“Yes, indeed! Materials are much cheaper here, but pills and talismans are also relatively inexpensive. The resources here are truly abundant!” Wang Yanping sighed.

Li Derong frowned, focusing on the logistics. “Renting one room at the Immortal Abode Pavilion costs five Spirit Stones. For twenty of us, that’s one hundred per day! We absolutely cannot stay here long-term.”

Wang Wenzhi spoke up. “Senior Li, I inquired about rental prices for cave dwellings and shops. For those with poor locations and small areas, the annual rent is only around one thousand Spirit Stones. Why don’t we rent one? It would serve as a base.”

Li Derong praised the idea. “That’s excellent! We’ve just arrived here and aren’t familiar with the area yet; it’s not good to rashly head out to sea. Better to rent a shop and stay for a while. At the same time, our two families—one Proficient in alchemy and one in talisman-making—can earn some Spirit Stones.”

Wang Hao was also tempted.

The Face Preserving Pill formula wasn’t cheap, and his supply of Spirit Stones wasn’t exactly endless. Opening a shop to earn money seemed like a viable path forward.

He nodded and looked at Li Derong. “Alright then! Tomorrow, I’ll go with Fellow Daoist Li to inquire about suitable shops for rent.”

Seeing his suggestion adopted, Wang Wenzhi smiled happily and added a reminder. “Elders! To rent shops, go directly to the City Lord’s Manor. Most shops within the city belong to their management.”

“Hmm! I understand. Tomorrow, the rest of you should not go out. Cultivate peacefully here instead! Wait until Fellow Daoist Li and I have rented a suitable shop and established a base before discussing the next steps!”

Wang Hao smiled, looking at the group. “The spiritual energy here is abundant. It’s your opportunity for Foundation Establishment—you must cherish it well!”

“Yes!”

Early the next morning, Wang Hao went downstairs to find Li Derong already waiting. After exchanging simple greetings, they headed together toward the city center.

Soon, they arrived beside a tall building that resembled a fortress within the city. After entering, the guard at the entrance inquired about their purpose. Wang Hao answered truthfully, and the guard directed them toward an exquisite pavilion.

Above the pavilion hung a plaque inscribed with three large characters: [Management Office].

Entering the building revealed a spacious hall. In the center sat a large red wooden desk, behind which a portly middle-aged man was manipulating a silver abacus, calculating something with intense focus.

The duo approached him quickly. “May we ask Fellow Daoist if there are shops available here?”

Without even looking up, the man tossed out a jade slip.

“Need what size? What location? Choose yourself—prices are listed there too. After choosing, tell me, and I’ll register it.”

Wang Hao hastily examined the results in the jade slip.

There were only a few options available. One was located on a main thoroughfare—an excellent location with a large area of over ten mu, including five street-front shops.

Naturally, it was expensive.

The annual rent was thirty thousand Spirit Stones, plus an additional one thousand for the management fee—essentially a property tax under a different name.

Such a shop was naturally unaffordable, and renting it would leave too much unused space. It would be wasteful indeed.