Retracing his steps, Wang Ba quickly arrived at the rendezvous point he had agreed upon with Ye Lingyu.

From a distance, he spotted her standing there. Her shoulders were slumped and her expression was downcast, as if she had been waiting for an age.

The moment Wang Ba saw her, she spotted him in the crowd.

Her face lit up instantly. She waved her arm enthusiastically. “Uncle! Over here!”

Wang Ba felt the weight of curious gazes pricking him from all directions. A pang of unease shot through him—he hated attracting attention. He quickened his pace, hurrying to her side to minimize the spectacle.

To be honest, standing next to this Inner Sect disciple did make him feel considerably safer.

“Senior Ye, I actually found…”

Wang Ba was about to mention the High Grade Spirit Poultry he had located at the Hundred Beasts Garden when Ye Lingyu cut him off.

Her voice dripped with pitiful frustration. “Uncle, Uncle… do you know how to haggle?”

“Uh…”

The word ‘haggle’ triggered immediate flashbacks of his brutal negotiation with Shopkeeper Lu. His confidence wavered, and his heart rate spiked with phantom anxiety.

But then, he remembered his recent achievement: I did manage to slash that price in half.

Slowly, a sliver of confidence returned.

Out of caution, he asked, “Does Senior Ye need me to negotiate on your behalf?”

“Mhm! Mhm!”

Ye Lingyu stomped her foot in annoyance. “I found a place called the ‘Myriad Treasures Pavilion,’ but their Spirit Poultry is outrageously expensive! I… I tried to bargain, but I just couldn’t bring the price down. It’s infuriating!”

It was the first time Wang Ba had seen Ye Lingyu so flustered.

Yet, even in her anger, this girl radiated an aura of endearing foolishness. Or, to put it kindly, innocence.

For some reason, Wang Ba originally wanted to seize this opportunity to guide Ye Lingyu to the Hundred Beasts Garden. It would have been easy. But the words that actually left his mouth were:

“Let’s go. We’ll haggle together.”

“Really?!”

Ye Lingyu’s eyes went wide with pleasant surprise.

Upon getting his confirmation, this somewhat dim-witted girl literally jumped for joy, hopping three times in excitement.

The movement immediately attracted even more attention from the surrounding crowd.

Wang Ba, standing beside her, instantly regretted his impulsive nobility. He wanted nothing more than to melt into the cracks of the bluestone pavement beneath his feet.

But it was too late. Ye Lingyu grabbed his sleeve and forcefully dragged him all the way to the entrance of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

The entrance looked ordinary enough, but upon stepping inside, Wang Ba discovered the interior was shockingly vast.

It was far larger than the Hundred Beasts Garden. The furnishings were opulent, the atmosphere heavy with the scent of wealth. There were even two additional floors above.

However, they didn’t need to go up; the spirit beasts were housed on the ground floor.

As soon as Ye Lingyu entered, her demeanor changed. Feeling like she finally had a backer, she charged toward the spirit beast section with renewed aggression, towing Wang Ba behind her.

Wang Ba kept his head lowered the entire way. He was truly terrified of this girl’s lack of situational awareness.

Ye Lingyu’s return caught the attention of the shopkeeper, who hurried over to greet them.

“Junior Sister, you’ve returned?”

The shopkeeper of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion was a middle-aged man with a refined, scholarly air. He paused slightly when he saw the Laborer Disciple in tow, a flicker of confusion crossing his eyes, but his professional smile never wavered as he cupped his hands in greeting.

“Mhm, mhm! I’m here to buy High Grade Spirit Poultry!”

Ye Lingyu shoved Wang Ba forward, looking somewhat triumphant. “I’ll let him talk to you!”

“Him?”

The shopkeeper looked at Wang Ba in surprise.

Being a merchant who observed details for a living, he immediately noticed the faint traces of chicken manure on Wang Ba’s robes. His confusion deepened.

A laborer? And she trusts him this much? That is rare.

But since the customer was willing, he couldn’t interfere. He turned to Wang Ba, his tone polite but firm.

“Little Brother, I have already told your Master. These High Grade Spirit Poultry are incredibly rare, especially the hens. They are in high demand. I quoted her 324 Spirit Stones, which is already a discounted rate based on our shared Sect fellowship. If you wish to bargain further… I’m afraid it will be very difficult for me.”

“He’s my Uncle!” Ye Lingyu protested from the side.

The shopkeeper didn’t mind the correction. He assumed Wang Ba was a relative from the mortal world whom Ye Lingyu had brought into the Sect.

He watched Wang Ba with calm composure, waiting.

Wang Ba felt the shopkeeper’s cultivation pressure. It was undisguised and heavy. With matters coming to a head, Wang Ba felt a familiar nervousness, but he gritted his teeth and spoke.

“Shopkeeper, let’s not waste words. Give us your floor price. If it fits, we buy. If not…”

“This is the lowest price,” the shopkeeper replied indifferently.

The merchant had long since pegged this girl as a novice. She was wealthy (“fat sheep”) and, most importantly, she had shown her hand immediately—she was desperate to buy.

Returning a second time, even with a helper, only proved her determination.

Why would he lower the price?

He wasn’t afraid of the girl causing trouble. He wasn’t forcing the sale, and his own backing within the Sect was substantial. The negotiation was under his control from the start.

Of course, he didn’t want to push too hard and drive her to a competitor. His plan was to let the laborer beg for a while, then reluctantly drop the price by a dozen stones… no, maybe just four stones to round off the zero. That should satisfy them.

“Senior, let’s go.”

Wang Ba spoke abruptly.

Without a shred of hesitation, he turned on his heel and walked away.

The Shopkeeper: “???”

Ye Lingyu froze. She opened her mouth to speak, but seeing Wang Ba’s unwavering steps, she chose to trust him. She scrambled to follow.

“Why are we leaving?” she whispered as she caught up.

“Too expensive. We’ll go elsewhere,” Wang Ba said, his voice flat and loud enough to carry.

“Oh.”

Ye Lingyu nodded obediently. Since even Uncle said it was too expensive, they could only look elsewhere.

Hopefully, the next place is cheaper, she thought.

Despite her obedience, she felt a pang of disappointment.

Wang Ba, however, was walking a tightrope of tension.

He hadn’t given up at all.

Comparing the prices between this place and the Hundred Beasts Garden, he knew this shopkeeper was deliberately fleecing them. If he stood there arguing, he would never get a fair price.

He had to force the shopkeeper to show his hand.

Do you want this deal or not?

If you want it, you have to move.

You aren’t the only shop in the market.

He was gambling. Gambling that the Myriad Treasures Pavilion didn’t want to lose a bulk sale.

In the darkness of his mind, he counted down.

Three!

Two!

One!

“You two, wait a moment!”

The shopkeeper’s voice rang out. His resolve had cracked.

Got him.

Wang Ba breathed a sigh of relief internally.

Externally, his face remained completely expressionless as he slowly turned around.

“May I ask if the shopkeeper has any further instructions?”

…

The time of an incense stick later.

Wang Ba walked out of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion looking utterly drained.

Once the shopkeeper had taken the initiative to stop them, the power dynamic shifted. The rest was just a war of attrition.

After a fierce round of verbal sparring, he had successfully secured the discount for Ye Lingyu.

But he wasn’t happy.

Because his plan to take Ye Lingyu to the Hundred Beasts Garden—and thereby earn the free Spirit Beast Bag as a commission—had evaporated.

And he had destroyed the plan with his own hands.

Sigh! How pedantic! It was clearly a win-win-win situation…

Wang Ba sighed repeatedly in his heart.

He didn’t know why he had insisted on helping Ye Lingyu haggle here.

If he had just taken her to the other shop, the boss would have sold the goods, Ye Lingyu would have gotten her chickens, and he would have received the bag. A perfect triangle of benefit.

Sure, Ye Lingyu would have spent a few more Spirit Stones, but she was rich. She wouldn’t have cared.

Yet, as if possessed by some strange spirit, he chose to fight for her here.

The bargaining was a success, but the Spirit Beast Bag that had been within his grasp had flown away.

Looking back, if he had to choose again, he feared he would still make the same choice.

The reason was simple: his character wouldn’t allow him to exploit someone’s genuine trust for his own profit.

Even in a scenario where everyone seemed to win.

So Wang Ba felt he was being pedantic, perhaps even foolish.

But, he had to admit, this was simply who he was.

Principles aside, the pain of loss was real. He had no idea when he would get another chance to obtain such a valuable treasure. The thought made his chest ache.

Fortunately, seeing Ye Lingyu’s excited face beside him improved his mood slightly.

“Uncle, you’re amazing! A hen that cost 324 Spirit Stones… you actually talked him down to 210!”

“I bought five, so you basically saved me over 400 Spirit Stones! That’s incredible!”

“Uncle, next time I need to buy anything, I’m coming to find you!”

Ye Lingyu was overjoyed, hopping and skipping along the path.

Please, don’t!

Wang Ba’s heart screamed in rejection.

Just then, Ye Lingyu seemed to remember something. She fished around in her sleeve, pulled out an object, and presented it to Wang Ba like a treasure.

“Uncle! I have an extra Spirit Beast Bag. Here, it’s a gift for you!”