As the morbidly obese, ash-gray figure rose sluggishly from the coffin, a sudden clarity struck Sect Leader Qi, Elder Lü, and Han Yu. The buyer of the Thousand-Year Sunkwood Heart was not waiting in some distant capital; he had traveled all the way to the Green Grain Market.

“Who is this person?”

Sect Leader Qi and Elder Lü remained silent, maintaining the aloof dignity befitting their status as senior masters. It fell to Han Yu to break the silence.

Although they had already deduced the man’s identity as the Great Zhou Crown Prince, confirmation was necessary.

The traveling merchant’s avatar smiled enigmatically. “It is not my place to discuss the identity of such an esteemed guest.”

Han Yu’s gaze was cool. “And yet, you revealed our identities without a second thought.”

The avatar paused, then chuckled. “Fair enough. This is Wanchun Valley’s territory, after all. If the master of this land lacked the confidence to face a guest, it would be truly disappointing.”

By now, the mountain of flesh inside the coffin had managed to stand. Supported by two men and two women, he struggled to step over the rim of the black wood. He bowed slowly—a painful, laborious motion that seemed to fight gravity itself.

“Crown Prince of Great Zhou… Ji Ruyi…” The words were thick and slurred, forcing their way through layers of lethargy. “Pays respects… to the Sect Leader… of Wanchun Valley.”

He wheezed, his chest heaving. “Due to illness… I seek treatment everywhere. I came to purchase medicine… forgive me for… making a fool of myself.”

Sect Leader Qi observed him quietly. His Divine Sense swept over the Prince, then flicked to the attendants. The two men were eunuchs, their aura unmistakably altered; the women stood with the rigid, practiced discipline of palace etiquette.

Qi’s senses bypassed the Prince’s protective jade pendant without triggering it, scanning the body directly. The diagnosis was immediate and undeniable: Metal energy was excessive, crushing the Wood energy, causing the Earth energy to stagnate and overflow.

It was the classic, incurable “Earth Excess” syndrome.

Confirming the identity and the illness eased Qi’s mind. There was no trap here, only a desperate dying man. They had been overly cautious.

“Crown Prince, there is no need for such formality,” Qi said calmly.

He swept the room once more with his Divine Sense, then signaled for Elder Lü and Han Yu to enter.

The merchant’s avatar waved a hand, shrinking the massive black coffin into a streak of light that vanished into a Storage Bag. He handed the bag to one of the maidservants and closed the door, sealing them in.

“Can we begin the transaction now?” the merchant asked, getting straight to business.

“As you can see, His Highness is tormented by this affliction. He urgently requires the Wood Qi of the Thousand-Year Sunkwood Heart to correct his Five Elements balance. He has offered me a price I could not refuse.”

The merchant turned to Han Yu. “And Fellow Daoist Han Yu possesses the Heart, but desires the Qi Refining Spirit Boosting Pill and Jade Spirit Berry from the Central Heaven Domain.”

He sighed dramatically. “I sacrificed two puppets and ran this avatar ragged across realms to make this happen. But I have secured them: one Qi Refining Spirit Boosting Pill and five Jade Spirit Berry seeds.”

“The trade is ready.” The merchant looked at Sect Leader Qi. “I assume Sect Leader Qi is here to witness and protect his disciple? or do you have other thoughts?”

Qi regarded the merchant with a new level of scrutiny. “You travel between the Southern and Central Heaven Domains at will, and you possess avatars that can fool a Golden Core cultivator. calling you a simple ‘traveling merchant’ seems woefully inadequate, Fellow Daoist.”

“Sect Leader Qi flatters me,” the avatar replied with a practiced commercial smile. “I run a small business. I barely scrape by.”

Qi ignored the deflection. “Tell me, aside from the Thousand-Year Sunkwood Heart, is there truly no other way to cure the Crown Prince?”

Both the merchant and the Prince stiffened.

“Does… Wanchun Valley… not have… the Heart?” The Prince’s voice rose in panic, though his physical limitations made the reaction agonizingly slow.

Qi didn’t answer the Prince. He kept his eyes locked on the merchant. “Well? Is there a better way?”

The merchant’s expression turned serious. “If I said ‘no’ absolutely, I would be lying.”

“I have traveled far. I have seen wonders you cannot imagine. Perhaps there is a pill that fixes the Five Elements instantly. Perhaps there is a spirit fruit that cures all ills with a single bite.”

He gestured to the trembling, obese man. “But for him? A mortal who needs to survive for twenty years without being hunted down by the Spirit Sword Sect or assassinated by political rivals? The Thousand-Year Sunkwood Heart is the only safe, reliable option I know of that he can actually afford.”

“Can other wood spirits substitute?” Qi pressed.

“Difficult,” the merchant countered. “Take that locust wood coffin. It has Wood Qi, but it dissipates. It’s heavy. It’s impermanent. Does the Crown Prince want to drag a coffin around for the rest of his life, constantly hunting for replacements?”

“I assume,” the merchant added smoothly, “His Highness prefers a single transaction that guarantees twenty years of peace.”

Sect Leader Qi nodded slowly, absorbing the logic. He shifted his line of questioning.

“Tell me about the Qi Refining Spirit Boosting Pill and the Jade Spirit Berry. Be specific.”

The merchant straightened up, sensing a test. “The Pill saves a Qi Condensation cultivator ten days of hard labor instantly. No side effects. The Berry is the raw material for that pill. Eaten raw, it provides three to five days of cultivation progress. However, the berries rot quickly once harvested.”

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “The Southern Domain has never seen these items. If Wanchun Valley successfully cultivates the Jade Spirit Berry, your disciples will advance at a terrifying pace. Domination of the Southern Domain would be within your grasp.”

Sect Leader Qi scoffed, his expression unimpressed. “Nonsense. We cultivate for immortality, not to conquer the neighborhood.”

He waved a dismissive hand. “These items are restricted to the Qi Condensation stage. They have limited value to the Sect as a whole. And a single pill is practically useless to Han Yu personally.”

The merchant blinked, his sales pitch falling flat. The Crown Prince’s face turned from ash-gray to a sickly white.

Is the deal off?

“However,” Qi continued, his tone softening just enough to offer hope, “The Crown Prince traveled far, and you have worked hard. The deal is not impossible.”

He paused, letting the tension build.

“Wanchun Valley cannot part with the Thousand-Year Sunkwood Heart. But we have Hundred-Year Spiritual Wood Hearts.”

Qi held up a finger. “One Hundred-Year Heart should suppress the illness for a year. We will provide the Crown Prince with one Heart every year, for twenty-five years.”

“Crown Prince,” Qi looked at the fat man. “What do you say?”

Ji Ruyi hesitated. His mind raced, but his body lagged behind. “In that case… many… inconveniences…”

The fear was written plainly in his dull eyes. What if you stop giving them to me? What if you use my life to blackmail the dynasty?

Qi read the fear instantly. “Wanchun Valley’s reputation speaks for itself. We act with righteousness. If you do not trust us, walk away.”

“Furthermore,” Qi added pragmatically, “Twenty-five Hundred-Year Hearts contain far more total energy than a single Thousand-Year Heart. We are offering you a better volume of medicine. We only propose this because the Thousand-Year Heart is… structurally important to us.”

The Crown Prince hesitated again. He turned his head toward the merchant—a movement that produced a sickening crack from his stiff neck.

The merchant laughed. “I have no objection, provided the Prince still pays my fee.”

“Naturally… I will pay,” the Prince mumbled.

“Then I have even less objection,” the merchant said, turning to the Prince. “Wanchun Valley is rare among sects. They actually reason with people. If it were anyone else, I’d tell you to run. But you can trust Wanchun Valley and the Spirit Sword Sect.”

The Crown Prince closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at Qi, Elder Lü, and Han Yu.

“This… lifetime of honor and disgrace…” The Prince wheezed, bowing as deeply as his bulk allowed. “I entrust… to your noble Sect… I hope… you keep your word…”

“Wanchun Valley will not disappoint you,” Qi promised solemnly.

Then, the Sect Leader turned sharply to the merchant, his demeanor shifting from benevolent savior to ruthless negotiator.

“As for you, Fellow Daoist. Twenty-five years of supply for one pill and five seeds of questionable viability? That is insufficient.”

The merchant gaped. “You want to raise the price on the spot? Sect Leader Qi, you are more of a merchant than I am!”

Qi shook his head. “I am simply balancing the scales. Twenty-five Hundred-Year Hearts are worth far more than your offering.”

He stared the merchant down. “I want information as a bonus.”

The merchant exhaled, visibly relieved that the demand wasn’t for Spirit Stones. “Information? That I can do. Ask, and I will tell you everything without holding back.”

“Good. First,” Qi said, “The cultivation method for the Jade Spirit Berry. Soil, climate, spiritual requirements.”

The merchant tossed a jade slip over. “Way ahead of you. Consider it a gift.”

Qi caught the slip, nodded, and narrowed his eyes. “Second. Tell me about the sects in the Central Heaven Domain. And tell me what lies beyond the Golden Core realm.”

The merchant scratched his cheek, looking genuinely awkward. “I haven’t gone too deep into the Central Heaven Domain. And as for what lies beyond Golden Core… my knowledge is spotty.”

Qi crossed his arms. “Speak anyway.”