The sect asked me to marry, and I cultivated to the pinnacle of martial arts!

That voice… It was only at this moment that the Foreign Affairs Elder, Cheng Cang, finally appeared.

Such an action is hard to believe was not intentional.

Ji Ruxue stood in the courtyard with a polite smile on her face, but her hands in her sleeves had already clenched tightly.

This old ghost is really bullying people.

"Young Miss, they're bullying us too much." The merchant guild elder beside her had clearly noticed this deliberate act and said in a low voice, his tone laced with suppressed anger.

"Let's talk about it later." Ji Ruxue took a deep breath, suppressing a trace of irritation in her heart.

This deal involved two aspects: procurement and the Shuangxian Sect acquiring a significant amount of goods. Both transactions were crucial for the Baichuan Chamber of Commerce, and she didn't want to ruin things due to momentary impulse.

Anyway, the first thing in doing business is to be able to endure, Ji Ruxue told herself to calm down.

Lu Ye stood to the side, his expression indifferent.

He had long suspected that Elder Cheng Cang's actions were intentional.

Youluo sat listlessly in a corner of the courtyard, her eyes turning cold beneath her black robe.

That Cheng Cang is utterly despicable!

A moment later, footsteps could be heard outside the courtyard gate.

A middle-aged cultivator with a thin face, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, stepped in.

He raised his chin slightly and swept his gaze over everyone. His eyes didn't seem to be looking at guests, but rather scrutinizing something low-class.

After all, in the eyes of the Twin Immortals Sect, a merchant guild with only one Heavenly Realm Level 1 retainer was indeed not a force worth taking seriously.

"Cheng Cang, the External Affairs Elder of the Twin Immortals Sect." Cheng Cang introduced himself in a calm tone, without even a polite "I've been waiting for you."

Ji Ruxue's smile froze slightly, but she quickly recovered and gave a graceful bow: "Ji Ruxue of Baichuan Chamber of Commerce greets Elder Cheng."

"The reason for my visit is to establish a long-term cooperation with your clan and to exchange resources."

Cheng Cang sat down in the main seat, slowly sipped the spiritual tea offered by his disciple, and then raised his eyelids slightly: "Hmm, you brought everything?"

Ji Ruxue gestured to the steward beside her to present a storage bag.

Inside were items carefully prepared by the Baichuan Chamber of Commerce: top-quality thousand-year-old coral, several medicinal herbs that were hundreds of years old, and some rare materials acquired from various places.

Every item was carefully selected, showing utmost sincerity.

Cheng Cang glanced at it casually for a moment, then tossed the storage bag back to the steward, his face showing a hint of impatience: "Is that all? I've heard that the Baichuan Chamber of Commerce has a great reputation in Xuanzhou, but the stuff they bring out is nothing special."

The chamber of commerce manager's face immediately turned bright red. He moved his lips, but was stopped by a look from Ji Ruxue.

“What Elder Cheng Chang says is true,” Ji Ruxue said calmly, still smiling. “Our Chamber of Commerce has only been in Wuzhou for a short time and is naturally not as large and powerful as the Shuangxian Sect. That is precisely why we need to exchange resources with your sect and develop together.”

This statement was perfectly tactful, saving face for the other party while demonstrating sincerity in cooperation.

Cheng Cang snorted, raised his hand to beckon a disciple, and whispered a few instructions.

The disciple left quickly and returned shortly with more than a dozen brocade boxes, which he placed on the table one by one.

“Take a look,” Cheng Cang said, leaning back in his chair with a hint of arrogant superiority. “These are carefully selected treasures from my Twin Immortals Sect. Ordinary people can’t even buy them.”

Ji Ruxue looked at the boxes brought by the disciples of the Twin Immortals Sect and felt a chill run down her spine, knowing that the real show was about to begin.

She stepped forward and carefully opened the first brocade box. Inside was a two-leaf Ganoderma lucidum, which was of decent quality, but the roots showed obvious signs of damage from harvesting, and its medicinal properties had been reduced by at least 20%.

A medicinal herb of this quality would be worth at most 800,000 taels of silver on the market, but the price tag next to the brocade box clearly states 2 million taels.

Ji Ruxue remained calm and opened the second brocade box.

Several talismans lay inside, all of them the most common second and third-tier talismans. The drawing techniques were only so-so, and two of them even had broken lines in the runes, which reduced the effectiveness of the talismans.

A talisman of this quality, if placed in the Baichuan Chamber of Commerce's shop, would at most sell for cost price, and it would be good enough if they could cover the cost of materials and the talisman master's fees.

However, the prices listed above have more than doubled.

The third, the fourth... Ji Ruxue looked at them one by one, her heart growing heavier and heavier.

These so-called "carefully selected" good items were either flawed in appearance, not old enough, or crudely made; none of them met her standards.

However, the prices of each item are far higher than supermarket prices, with some even three or four times higher.

This isn't a transaction; it's extortion.

Not to mention that the Baichuan Chamber of Commerce looks down on them, even a slightly larger merchant guild would probably shake its head at these so-called treasures.

Ji Ruxue closed the last brocade box, remained silent for a few breaths, and then slowly spoke: "Elder Cheng, the quality of these spiritual herbs and talismans is indeed... somewhat uneven."

"I am willing to purchase these supplies at a price slightly higher than the market price, as a way to establish a good relationship with your sect. What do you think?"

She spoke with extreme restraint, and even offered to increase the price by 10%.

According to the rules of the Chamber of Commerce, this is already a huge concession, which means that this business deal is basically unprofitable and is purely for making friends.

To everyone's surprise, Cheng Cang's face immediately darkened after hearing this.

"Slightly higher than the market price by 10%?" Cheng Cang sneered, his voice full of contempt, and said, "Miss Ji, you are the chief auctioneer of the Baichuan Chamber of Commerce, how can you be so short-sighted? These are all precious items that were personally refined and picked by the managers and outstanding disciples of my Shuangxian Sect."

"If it were out there, it would be a priceless gem, practically worthless..."

He paused, deliberately drawing out the last syllable, and coldly swept his gaze over Ji Ruxue.

"Having eyes but not recognizing a gem."

These four words were like a slap in the face, landing hard on Ji Ruxue's face.

The air in the courtyard seemed to freeze.

The chamber of commerce manager was trembling with rage, and several of the elders were also ashen-faced. They had traveled to many places with the chamber of commerce and had seen many powerful forces.

This is the first time I've seen something as domineering and unreasonable as the Twin Immortals Sect.

Ji Ruxue's chest heaved violently a few times, and her eyes reddened slightly, but she managed to suppress her surging emotions.

It's not that she can't stand being wronged; in all her years in business, what kind of people haven't she seen?
However, the Twin Immortals Sect's actions today clearly indicate that they are not here to do business.

From the initial neglect and indifference to offering inferior goods at exorbitant prices, followed by humiliation and ridicule, every step was meticulously planned, perhaps to force her to lose her composure or to force her to submit.

Since they have no intention of negotiating properly, it's better not to do this deal.

“Elder Chang.” Ji Ruxue straightened up, her smile completely gone, her tone remaining calm as she spoke.

"Since our prices differ too greatly, this transaction will be put on hold for now. I've troubled you greatly today; I'll take my leave now." (End of Chapter)