A Must-Have

1,114 words

Chapter 140: A Must-Have

“You…” The man was clearly furious. He clenched his fists and took a step forward.

“What, are you trying to force a sale? Our Ye family is not someone to be trifled with!” the stall keeper shot back without the slightest fear.

“Hmph! The Ye family is nothing so great!” The dark-skinned man didn’t back down with his words, but he still loosened his fists. It was obvious that he held the Ye family in considerable fear.

The fact that the stall keeper was using the Ye family to suppress him infuriated the man. As a tenth-layer master, he was accustomed to being flattered by others. To suffer such humiliation now would normally have made him storm off in a huff. But in his heart, he simply could not bear to part with that “Wind-Returning Bowl.” This magic tool was an exceptionally good match for his cultivation technique. If he could trade for it, his strength would undoubtedly increase by a large margin. But at this moment, besides this damaged treasure fragment, he had nothing else of value on him; all his other items were still useful, and he had run out of spirit stones several days ago. He was caught in a dilemma.

“This friend, would you be willing to sell that fragment to me? I’ll offer ten spirit stones.” From among the watching crowd, a man clad in a loose, gray robe stepped forward. He cupped his hands in front of the dark-skinned man and spoke with great sincerity.

“Not selling! If you want it, it’s thirty spirit stones,” the dark-skinned man said, shaking his head like a rattle-drum. He absolutely could not accept this price.

“Hah! If this fragment were just a bit larger, it would be worth that much. It’s a pity it’s so small. There’s very little it can cover!” The gray-robed man’s face showed regret when he saw the other man refuse, but he didn’t press the matter and simply returned to the crowd.

“Twelve spirit stones. Will you sell?”

“I’ll offer thirteen?”

…

Many of the surrounding cultivators were tempted by this damaged treasure fragment. Even if they couldn’t find a use for it themselves, keeping it around to study slowly would be worthwhile! Perhaps they could even gain some insights from it!

And so, in a short while, the price climbed to twenty spirit stones. The bidder was a simple-looking, round-faced youth.

In the face of such a high price, no one else spoke up. They all felt this was already quite high enough. If it went any higher, it would be far too wasteful! After all, for them, low-level cultivators, having a dozen or so spirit stones on them was already considered good fortune. The ones who had been bidding earlier were mostly disciples of various families, as they were the only ones with a bit more wealth.

“Twenty?” The dark-skinned man’s expression shifted. This price had already touched his bottom line! If he added in some other small item, he might just be able to trade this for the stall keeper’s “Wind-Returning Bowl.”

“You’re willing to pay twenty spirit stones?” The man’s voice grew much more amiable as he addressed the round-faced youth.

But for some reason, the round-faced youth’s face was alternating between red and white, and he looked extremely flustered.

“I… I don’t… have that many spirit stones!” a stammering sentence burst out from the anxious round-faced youth, leaving everyone in the surrounding crowd utterly stunned.

“You don’t have them! Then what were you just shouting for? Are you deliberately messing with me?” The dark-skinned man flew into a rage. The anger that had been building up inside him finally exploded. A powerful aura surged from his body, pressing down on the youth like a mountain!

“I just saw people bidding and thought it was fun! I said it without thinking! Please forgive me!” the round-faced youth quickly tried to excuse himself. He was already dripping with sweat; beads of perspiration the size of soybeans rolled down his face. How could a mere fifth-layer cultivator resist such spiritual pressure!

“Which esteemed friend just bid nineteen? I’m willing to give away one spirit stone so that you can buy this item!” The youth, using his quick wits, cried out anxiously.

Unfortunately, the surroundings were completely silent. No one responded. It seemed even that person had backed out and no longer wanted it.

“Then what about the friend who bid eighteen!” The youth looked at the black-faced man’s increasingly ugly expression and nearly broke down into tears. He was just a poor, wandering cultivator, and he only had two spirit stones on him! He had worked hard for an entire year just to get those.

Just as everyone was expecting a fight to break out, a calm voice suddenly rang out: “Hold on!” A person walked in from outside the crowd and stopped the dark-skinned man.

“What do you want?” The dark-skinned man said, his face dark and gloomy as he stared at the newcomer. His patience had just about run out. If this man was also looking for trouble, he wouldn’t mind taking him down too, even though he was pretty strong himself—a ninth-layer cultivator!

“I have a great interest in this item. I’d like to have it,” the man said, pointing at the piece of cloth and smiling at him.

This cultivator who the dark-skinned man had mistaken for a troublemaker was none other than Han Li.

From the very beginning, when this man had said the magic treasure fragment could become invisible and conceal spiritual energy, Han Li’s heart had stirred. A vague idea had popped into his head.

By the time the dark-skinned man had demonstrated the invisibility of the small dagger, the idea in Han Li’s mind had become much clearer. He was now determined to get his hands on this magic treasure fragment! Even if that round-faced youth had actually had twenty spirit stones and had wanted to buy it, Han Li would have stepped in and cut him off.

“How much are you offering?” The dark-skinned man was taken aback, but his expression softened as he asked.

“I don’t plan to buy it. I’ll trade this item for it,” Han Li said calmly as he pulled a talisman from his sleeve and placed it on the stall, making sure everyone could see it clearly.

“A Flight Talisman!” someone knowledgeable immediately exclaimed.

“It’s a high-grade primary talisman!” the other cultivators cried out in surprise. After all, high-grade primary talismans were rare even at this Grand South Assembly; only five or six had appeared so far, and each one had sold for a shocking price.

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Reading Guide Decoding

The Art of the Trade: How Han Li Wins Without a Fight

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

This chapter is a perfect primer on the "Bottleneck Economy" and the value of "Chicken Rib" items in the cultivation world. The "Wind-Returning Bowl" is a valuable, specialized item that is useless to most but a massive power-up for the right person. The “magic treasure fragment” is a classic example of a “Chicken Rib” (鸡肋, jī lè): something that is tempting to have but, for most, impossible to use effectively. Its true value is hidden, known only to someone with Han Li’s vision.

Furthermore, the reaction of the crowd highlights a key difference between low-level and high-level cultivators. The average cultivator is scraping by on a handful of spirit stones, while family disciples have deeper pockets. Han Li, however, plays a different game. He doesn't measure value in mere currency; he measures it in strategic utility. A high-grade talisman, which is a scarce and powerful resource for most, is just the right tool for Han Li to acquire a prize he deems far more valuable. This reinforces the Mortal Stream principle: a cultivator’s true wealth is not their spending power, but their ability to see and exploit opportunities others miss.

Bottleneck Economy (瓶颈经济)

A market phenomenon in the cultivation world where cultivators stuck at a bottleneck engage in desperate trade, valuing potential breakthrough items above all else.

Chapter Overview

Welcome back, fellow Daoists, to another tense episode of marketplace economics! Chapter 140 is a masterclass in the Mortal Stream's core principle: Social Bluffing and calculated negotiations are just as deadly as any blade. Forget the epic battles for a moment. This chapter is a high-stakes game of chicken played out in a crowded bazaar, where the currency isn't spirit stones alone, but wits, patience, and the willingness to exploit an opponent's desperation.

We find our protagonist, Han Li, observing a standard low-level transaction: a stubborn seller, a keenly interested buyer, and a growing crowd of onlookers. The prize is a seemingly small "magic treasure fragment" with a unique property. As tempers flare and a hapless bystander digs himself into a hole, Han Li sees not a conflict, but an opportunity. He steps in not as a peacemaker, but as a strategic player, ready to snatch the prize from right under everyone's noses with a single, well-timed move.

Key Plot Points

A dark-skinned, tenth-layer cultivator desperately wants a "Wind-Returning Bowl" from a stall, but the owner stubbornly insists on a trade for his "magic treasure fragment."
The fragment has a unique property: it can become invisible and suppress spiritual energy, making it perfect for hiding other items.
A series of bids from the surrounding cultivators push the price of the fragment up to twenty spirit stones, offered by an eager but naive round-faced youth.
It is dramatically revealed that the youth does not have the spirit stones he bid, having only shouted out of impulsive fun, which enrages the powerful dark-skinned man.
Han Li, who has been silently observing, steps in at the critical moment, not with spirit stones, but with a high-grade primary Flight Talisman, completely changing the nature of the negotiation.
The chapter ends with the crowd stunned by the value of the talisman, implying Han Li has secured a decisive advantage in the trade.

Reading Guide

Pay close attention to Han Li's non-verbal actions in this chapter. He doesn't jump into the negotiation immediately. Instead, he watches the entire drama unfold, letting the seller's frustration and the buyer's desperation reach a boiling point. He only steps in when the situation is at its most fraught, making his intervention seem like a savior’s hand rather than a greedy grab. This is the hallmark of a master of Social Tribulation (社会试炼, shèhuì shìliàn). He is not buying an item; he is manipulating a social dynamic to present an offer that the seller will find irresistible.

Notice also how Han Li frames his proposal. He doesn't say, "I will pay you for it." He says, "I don't plan to buy it. I’ll trade this item for it." This subtle linguistic shift positions him not as a struggling bidder, but as an equal offering a rare and valuable treasure. It is a powerful psychological play that instantly changes his status in the seller’s eyes from a nuisance to a potential patron. This is the translation of cold calculation into action.