"Sir, our pavilion wishes to acquire this technique, but first, we would like to evaluate it to offer a fairer price," the man said with a polite and sincere smile.
But Aotian scoffed inwardly.
What he had handed over earlier wasn't the actual technique—just an introduction.
If he allowed the man to examine the full content before payment, he would simply devalue the technique and offer a common or even low price, just to maintain Qianbao Pavilion's reputation as a fair business.
And if Aotian refused the price?
The attendant would politely bid him farewell.
But by then, he would have already memorized the entire technique after absorbing it from the jade slip—saving himself a fortune in spirit stones.
"No need," Aotian rejected without hesitation. "The introduction I provided is sufficient. Once the sale is finalized and the price is set, you can verify whether it matches what I gave you earlier." His voice was indifferent beneath the hood.
Rihai remained silent, letting Aotian handle the negotiation.
If everything went well, great.
If he suffered a loss, it would be a good lesson for his growth. And since she had more than enough spirit stones to cover his losses, she decided not to interfere.
'Looks like I worried for nothing.' She smiled discreetly, proud of the man she had chosen.
"Oh, what a shame. We'll do it your way, then," the attendant said with an indifferent smile, unfazed that Aotian had not fallen for his trick. He had just been trying his luck.
"What price are you asking?" he inquired, staring at Aotian, still concealed beneath his robe.
This time, Aotian had done his homework.
The first thing he researched was the prevalence of fire spiritual roots among cultivators.
According to Rihai, in the poorer regions of the Lingxi world, most cultivators came from mortal backgrounds, and along with them, some mortal prejudices remained.
Since mortal societies were largely patriarchal, resources were concentrated in the hands of men. These mortal-born cultivators and their families followed the same principles.
And those with more resources had a greater chance of pursuing cultivation breakthroughs—such as Foundation Establishment techniques.
Moreover, low-level spiritual roots were influenced by the cultivator's own body.
Men, possessing Yang bodies, were more likely to develop an affinity for the fire element.
Women, with Yin bodies, had a greater tendency for water spiritual roots.
This wasn't an absolute rule, but among low-level cultivators, this bodily influence was quite common.
Higher-quality spiritual roots, however, were not affected by this influence.
Aotian learned all this through his long conversations with Rihai.
The second thing he analyzed was the technique's market potential.
Qianbao Pavilion wouldn't sell the technique only in that branch.
It would be copied and distributed among all its other branches.
That meant he wasn't just selling a single technique.
He was selling a product that would be mass-produced and sold on a large scale.
So, Aotian knew exactly what he was doing.
"I want 15 million low-grade spirit stones, plus 40 million in jade slips from this pavilion's branch," he declared directly, without hesitation.
The attendant's eyes widened for a moment.
Not because Aotian was asking too much.
But because he was asking too little.
If he had asked for 55 million spirit stones, the old man would have refused outright.
The most he would have paid was 25 million.
But 15 million spirit stones?
That, he could pay immediately without even needing a transfer from other branches.
And as for the 40 million in jade slips?
If they were from any Qianbao Pavilion branch, he would have rejected them immediately.
But exclusive slips from his own branch?
That was a steal.
This branch didn't deal in high-level techniques.
They only handled Qi Refinement-level techniques, spells, and skills—cheap, low-profit items.
The real profit for the pavilion came from the resale of spirit weapons, pills, spiritual herbs, and talismans.
Techniques were profitable, but they didn't sell in high volumes within the pavilion, since they were already widely available elsewhere.
It was much cheaper to buy these techniques in other places.
Now, if it were a Foundation Establishment technique, that was a different story.
Since they weren't widely available, they were highly valuable.
The old man immediately recognized how beneficial this deal was for him and didn't even need time to think.
"Deal!"
He accepted immediately, not even attempting to bargain—fearing they might change their minds.
A new Foundation Establishment technique that Qianbao Pavilion didn't own was worth more than all the Qi Refinement techniques in his entire branch combined.
And so, Aotian and Rihai left Qianbao Pavilion loaded with riches:
150,000 mid-grade spirit stones
6,000 Qi Refinement techniques
106 Qi concealment techniques of Refinement-tier
45,000 Refinement-tier spells
Various skills and inheritances from cultivation branches, such as alchemy, formations, and talismans.
300 Essence Refinement Techniques
There weren't more Essence Refinement techniques only because, according to the administrator, "they take up too much space"—which, in other words, translated to: "We don't hoard trash!"
As a city built atop a first-tier supermassive spiritual vein, with thousands of cultivators living there, the abundance of low-level resources was unmatched compared to Black Rock Mountain.
Even mortal-tier techniques like Essence Refinement were plentiful.
Each jade slip weighed around 20 grams, meaning the total weight of the ones he carried amounted to tons.
And when combined with the weight of the spirit stones, transporting everything became a real challenge.
Aotian wanted to carry it all by himself, but with his strength—equivalent to a third-level Qi Refinement cultivator—he could only manage a little over half.
The rest… well, Rihai had to help.
But not without demanding her price:
"So this is how you treat the girl who likes you? Like a pack mule?"
"Haaah, I'm sooo tired… If only there were a strong man to help me carry all this weight!"
By the time they reached home, Aotian had heard at least ten taunts.
And the worst part?
There was nothing he could do about it.
But the moment they stepped inside, Aotian's helpless expression turned into a cunning smile.
Rihai, already preparing to tease him again, stopped mid-sentence.
'Why is he looking at me like that…?!'
"Hehe… Rihai, Rihai…" Aotian slowly shook his head, still smiling.
"You do realize you shouldn't tease an excited young man like me, right?"
He dropped the heavy bags onto the floor, causing the building to almost tremble.
Fortunately, the protective formations activated, preventing the floor from cracking under the impact.
Rihai thought about running, but before she could take a step, two firm hands grabbed her waist.
Under her mock terrified gaze, Aotian closed in.
A proper dose of intimidation ensued.
Of course, they were just playing.
But the kisses…
…grew wilder and wilder.
…
Some time later, they slowly pulled away.
Their eyes were still clouded with restrained desire.
Aotian's hands gripped Rihai's waist firmly, while she held onto his neck, her fingers gently caressing his hair.
For a moment, neither wanted to let go.
"So…" Aotian raised an eyebrow, still holding her hips.
"Did you learn not to provoke your man?"
His arrogant tone and confident smirk made it clear he thought he had won.
Rihai, her eyes gleaming with amusement, smiled.
"I didn't learn a thing."
Before Aotian could react, she licked the tip of his nose—then ran off.
"Hahaha!"
"Y-you DARE?! Get back here!" Aotian shouted, stunned, before chasing after her.
…
A few minutes later, a frustrated scream echoed through the house.
"THAT'S DISGUSTING, AOTIAAAN! You licked my entire face!"
"Heh! As if you didn't lick mine too! Now I reek of saliva!"
"You dare say you reek of saliva?! I'm a cultivator! My saliva is way more fragrant than yours! Yours is the one that stinks!"
"Too bad for you!"
"AOTIAN!"