Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 14 Strange Black Banner
"The remaining pills can probably be sold for four or five hundred spirit stones, so those two magic tools must be sold for at least three thousand five hundred spirit stones."

"I originally thought that these two top-grade magical instruments would sell for 3,600 spirit stones, but I didn't expect the price of magical instruments to drop so much in recent years. Every trading shop only offers a little over 3,000 spirit stones."

"What is Senior Brother Lin planning to do?"

"There's nothing we can do. Let's go to West Street tomorrow and try our luck. Maybe someone who knows the value of the goods will be willing to buy it at a high price. If no one buys, we can only wait until March 15th to try the auction in the market. This is why the headmaster asked you to arrive before March 15th. There will be an auction at Xianxia Market at that time."

"What if the auction doesn't sell for that high a price?"

Lin Zixiang sighed slightly: "Then there is no other way. I still have some things on me. I really have no choice but to sell the magic weapon I carry with me. No matter what, even if I have to sell everything I have, I have to collect enough money for the foundation-building pill."

Hearing him say this, Song Xian nodded, inwardly appreciating that his master had made the right choice in choosing the right person. As a disciple, he naturally wanted to contribute his share, so he said, "That's not necessary. Selling a magic weapon for just a few hundred spirit stones is too uneconomical. The two of us should be able to pool our money. I have a hundred spirit stones here, if you don't have enough, you can use them."

Lin Zixiang remained noncommittal: "We'll see when the time comes! By the way, Junior Brother Song, you seem to know a lot about magical instruments. How did you know the extent of the damage to the internal restrictions of those two instruments?"

Song Xian had already prepared an excuse: "I don't know any of this. I just read about Golden Silk Wood in a miscellaneous book before, and I know that the high-grade magical instruments made from it are not as easy to decay as he said. I also saw that he was cunning, so I lied to him. If he dies, it will prove that what he said is true."

"Junior Brother Song is truly brilliant. I'm ashamed to say I'm not as good as him. Honestly, I've done business with them time and again, and I always thought they were the fairest. I don't know how many times I've been cheated by them."

"Brother Lin, don't worry. Business is all about deception. We've been practicing at the mountain gate for years, so we definitely don't understand this as well as they do."

The two chatted for a while and then took a rest.

The next morning, the two came to Xianxiafang West Street, which was an area specially designated by the market for free buyers and sellers.

There were no shops or attics on either side of the entire street. There were only scattered monks selling their goods in different places. Various shouts could be heard everywhere, and there were loud arguments between buyers and sellers. The noise was very noisy, just like a vegetable market.

"What right do you have to say that my elixirs are not good? I have been selling here for so long and have always had a good reputation. You are not allowed to leave until I explain it to you clearly today."

"Need I tell you more? Look at your goods. Look at this Pearl Spirit Ginseng. It's only three inches long, withered, mixed colors, and shriveled. It's obviously inferior, yet you're selling it for such a high price."

"Bullshit, this is dug from the cliffs of Wan Canyon. This is the wild, top-quality stuff. Those round, smooth, and colorful ones are artificially grown, and their medicinal effects are not even half as good as mine." Two men were arguing loudly in front of a stall. The stall owner was young, and he was arguing with his face red.

At this moment, all the good seats on the street had been taken, so the two had to find a slightly more secluded place to sit down. George Lam was well prepared. He took out a large cloth bag from his storage bag and spread it underneath. He also took out a sign, wrote a few big words on it, and inserted it in front.

Then he took out two top-grade magic weapons and some remaining pills from bottles and jars and placed them on the cloth bag.

People were coming and going on the street. The two of them sat there, not shouting, but waiting quietly for someone to come.

Not long after, a fat middle-aged man at the seventh level of Qi Refining came to the stall and asked, "Do you have any water-repellent pills?"

Lin Zixiang responded, "Isn't it written here? Do you need it?"

"Bring it to me first."

Lin Zixiang then picked up a small bottle and handed it over: "This is a first-grade, top-grade water-repellent pill. After swallowing it, you can dive to a depth of two hundred feet and last for two hours."

The obese man took the pill bottle and poured out a dark green pill the size of a steel ball. He held it in his hand and examined it carefully for a while. "How much do you sell this pill for?"

"Thirty spirit stones."

"No, it's too expensive. Make it cheaper."

"Thirty spirit stones, no bargaining. If you want it, take it. If you don't want it, forget it. If it's in a shop, it would cost at least thirty-five spirit stones."

"There's something wrong with the color of your pill. The effect won't be that good. So, I'll give you 10% less! Twenty-seven spirit stones, I want them."

"Thirty spirit stones, not a cent less."

The fat man looked at it again and again, and finally put it down reluctantly.

"How many spirit stones does this Jade Dew Pill cost?" After a while, another cultivator came to the stall and asked.

"This first-grade, top-grade Jade Dew Pill is an excellent antidote. One pill can protect you from all poisons for an hour. It's the nemesis of some poisonous monsters. Even against the poison spewed by second-grade monsters, it can last for a while. Forty spirit stones, not a penny less."

"How about a little less, thirty-five spirit stones?"

"Forty spirit stones, not one less."

The man shook his head, stood up and left.

……

The market was bustling with people, many looking but few actually buying. Everyone wanted to get the lowest price possible. The two of them sat there for several hours, encountering at least twenty or thirty people asking for prices, but not a single one made a purchase. The reasons for this were twofold. First, those who came to the West Street market to shop were usually short of money. Otherwise, they wouldn't come here to try their luck and save a few spirit stones. It would be much better to buy directly from the larger shops, where the quality was guaranteed.

The second point is that the two of them have just arrived, are unfamiliar with the place, and cannot trust others.

The most important thing in selling things is word of mouth, and word of mouth is spread through the circle of acquaintances. If people don’t know you, they naturally won’t trust you.

You said this elixir is of high quality and can provide immunity to all poisons for an hour, but how can others know? What if it only lasts for a quarter of an hour? Wouldn't that make them feel ripped off?

After all, there are only a few people with professional vision and knowledge, and it is not easy to come across them.

Although the magic weapons and elixirs sold by the two were indeed of good quality, others might not believe it.

"Junior Brother Song, you don't need to stay here with me. I can do it alone. This is your first time down the mountain, and the master wants you to broaden your horizons. Just wander around by yourself! Maybe you can find one or two things you like, but just don't get into conflict with others." After receiving more than a dozen people but not selling a single item, Lin Zixiang seemed a little discouraged.

"Okay." Song Xian was not pretentious. He was indeed a little tired of sitting here. He said hello and got up to leave. He walked slowly along the street. When he saw something that interested him, he would stop in front of the stall to ask in detail. Sometimes he would also open the Eye of Observation to check the quality of the item.

……

In the following days, the two of them sold magic tools and elixirs on the West Street of the market, and they also checked out of the room at the Fuyuan Inn. This was because there was still some time before March 15th, and several spirit stones every day would be a considerable expense. Now that they didn't have enough spirit stones, it would be best to save as much as possible.

During the day, the two men came to West Street to sell goods, and left the market at night and slept outdoors.

Because no one is allowed to stay overnight in the city, the free market on West Street must close at the hour of Xu, and violators will be fined heavily.

On this day, Song Xian was strolling in the market looking at goods as usual. When he picked up a black banner, his expression changed slightly.

"This is a low-grade magical weapon with only one level of restriction. Since there's no name engraved on the banner, I don't know what to call it. If you think it's good, take it for one hundred spirit stones!"

The stall owner was a tall, thin man with a rat-like face. He looked to be in his thirties with a fair complexion. He was a cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining. This should be his first time setting up a stall here, as Song Xian had never seen him before.

"It's only one layer of restriction, and you're selling it for a hundred spirit stones? Fellow Daoist, you really know how to ask for an exorbitant price!" Song Xian observed carefully with the black banner in his hand, without saying a word.

Just as the man said, this is a low-grade magic weapon. When the spiritual consciousness probed into the internal space of the magic weapon, there was only one layer of restriction.

But under his observation, there was something strange.

Dharma Instruments: (Panners and Flags)

Ban???

Attack power: ???

Defense: ???

Completeness: ???

This kind of data appeared for the first time, so he felt that it was somewhat unusual.

This item doesn't show what level of magical instrument it is, nor does it show the number of layers of restrictions. Even the completeness is three???
How could this happen? Was it a change in my own innate magical power? Or was it simply that this magical instrument was unique? When I probed into the interior with my spiritual sense, I found a layer of restriction, indeed!

Looking at its shape, it is ordinary and nothing special.

"Fellow Daoist, please give me a price, what do you think is appropriate?"

"Fifty spiritual stones."

The man shook his head and said, "This is too low. This is a magical weapon after all."

"I've never seen a magical weapon with only one level of restriction before. A magical weapon refined to this level is no different from garbage. Who refined this?"

The man smiled and said, "I don't know who refined it, but it wasn't me. I just got it by chance. How about this! If you really want it, add a little more. Fifty spirit stones is really too low."

"I guess it's some fledgling weapon refiner who used this to refine his skills. You see, there's not even his name or the name of the weapon left on it. He must have felt ashamed, so he was embarrassed to leave his name. To be honest, I'm giving it to my sister as a gift. I have a good weapon myself, so why would I need it?" Song Xian put down the black banner and drew the Youlong Sword from his waist. On the surface, he was handing it to the man to see, but in fact he was observing it with the Eye of True Observation.

Various data about the Youlong Sword immediately appeared in his mind.

If there was nothing wrong with the Eye of Truth, then there must be something strange about the Black Banner. He secretly made up his mind.

(End of this chapter)