Chapter 654: 654 satisfied
The shopkeeper brought out a Storage Bag, which contained Second-stage Demon Beasts. After a glance, he put it away again.
Then he called over five clerks to count the numbers.
"Fellow Daoist, let’s go inside to talk."
Tan Shaoting didn’t mind; he still trusted Duobao Pavilion.
"Fellow Daoist, let’s discuss the price of these demon beasts."
"Shopkeeper, please name a price."
"How about this? I’ll give you three Spirit Stones for a First-tier Demon Beast, ten for a Second-stage, and fifty for a Third-rank."
Tan Shaoting nodded, understanding it was normal for them to lower the price given the large quantity.
The father and his three sons sat with the shopkeeper, drinking tea for about an hour, before a clerk came in.
The counting revealed a total of five thousand six hundred and thirty-five First-tier Demon Beasts, four thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight Second-stage, and three thousand four hundred and ninety-six Third-rank Demon Beasts.
"Fellow Daoist, this totals to two hundred forty thousand and nine hundred eighty-five Spirit Stones. I’ll round it up for you to two hundred forty-one thousand.
Fellow Daoist, we also have Mid-grade Spirit Stones here. Would you like to convert them?"
"Shopkeeper, there’s no rush. I still need some Array Plates, specifically Fifth-rank ones that integrate defense and offense."
"Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment."
The shopkeeper fetched a Storage Bag and took out five Array Plates from it.
"Fellow Daoist, these are our store’s Fifth-rank Array Plates. Let me introduce them to you and see if any catch your interest."
After listening to the shopkeeper’s introduction, Tan Shaoting found them all quite good. After all, Fifth-rank Array Plates were not common on this continent.
"Shopkeeper, what’s the price of these Array Plates in this session?"
"Fellow Daoist, all the Fifth-rank Array Plates are crafted by a master from the Array Sect. We merely sell them on consignment at Duobao Pavilion, and they cost fifteen thousand low-grade Spirit Stones each.
However, since you’re a major customer at Duobao Pavilion, I’ll offer you a discount. It’s only thirteen thousand five hundred low-grade Spirit Stones for you."
Tan Shaoting pondered; this price was reasonable. "Shopkeeper, I’ll take all five of the Fifth-rank Array Plates."
"Alright, these are yours now, Fellow Daoist. Is there anything else you need?"
Tan Shaoting looked at the three children, who all shook their heads, indicating they didn’t need anything else. The Storage Rings their father gave them might not contain much, but everything inside was of top quality for their use.
"Shopkeeper, I need a gold attribute sword. I want a good one."
"If you are using it yourself, Fellow Daoist, I recommend a sword without attributes. It’s a work of the Supreme Elder from the Divine Artifact Sect. I’ll bring it for you to see."
"Daddy, listening to the shopkeeper, this must be good stuff," Qi Hong said with a smile.
"No matter how good something is, it must suit you."
The three children nodded, waiting for the shopkeeper to return, who then placed two swords on the table.
"Fellow Daoist, this sword is the attributeless one, and this is the gold attribute sword you requested. See which one you prefer."
Tan Shaoting immediately took a liking to the attributeless sword.
"Shopkeeper, how much for this sword?"
"I knew Fellow Daoist would choose this one; it truly is the masterpiece of the Supreme Elder from the Divine Artifact Sect.
This attributeless sword costs fifty thousand low-grade Spirit Stones, but I’ll give you the same discount, which comes to forty-five thousand Spirit Stones."
"Great, I’ll take this one. Shopkeeper, sell me all the Heavenly Thunder Pearls."
"Our Duobao Pavilion at the Shushan Sect has a total of twenty Heavenly Thunder Pearls, priced at one thousand Spirit Stones each, making it twenty thousand Spirit Stones."
"Alright, please tally up the total, shopkeeper."
"Fellow Daoist, the total is one hundred thirty thousand five hundred, but I’ll waive the fraction, making it exactly one hundred thirty thousand. You still have one hundred eleven thousand Spirit Stones left. Do you need to convert them into Mid-grade Spirit Stones?"
"Please convert forty thousand into Mid-grade Spirit Stones, and the rest keep as low-grade Spirit Stones."
When the father and sons left Duobao Pavilion, they were all smiling. Although they spent more than half of their Spirit Stones, they acquired plenty of great things too.
"Let’s go eat," said Tan Shaoting as he treated the three of them to a delicious meal. He also took them to stroll around the market; though they didn’t find much, it was still an informative experience.
The father and his sons returned to their home within the sect. "Here’s a thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones for each of you, ten thousand low-grade Spirit Stones, one Array Plate per person, and six Heavenly Thunder Pearls each. Keep them safe."
The three children nodded with smiles, putting away their items.
"Dad, how much longer will we stay in the sect?"
"We’ll stay here until the secret realm at Wolf Tooth Mountain opens," he replied.
It’s too dangerous outside. He couldn’t guarantee the children’s safety, and everyone suspected he reached the tenth floor, so many would be looking for him. It was best to stay here and send word to the Shushan Sect when they left.
"Dad, how will you refuse the peak master of Sword One Peak when he returns?"
"I’ll say your mom is your master, and you won’t take another."
"Is that acceptable?"
"It is," Tan Shaoting had met Ye Wenxian, a righteous person who wouldn’t force anyone. Honestly, if they were to stay, having such a master would be great for his son.
Tan Shaoting worried, though. Even if not in the same realm, he feared the children becoming too entangled with this place, which might not be good for them.
"You three should head back tomorrow. I’m going to explore the Book Collection Pavilion. I have plenty of points to look up if there’s any record of a time tunnel."
He remained unsettled; though he assured the children, he lacked confidence himself.
He didn’t want to stay away from his wife for too long. Her unfamiliar gaze last time was hurtful.
In her dreams, Su Yuanyuan saw their experiences, though not entirely detailed, she got the gist.
Awake, she stared blankly, still finding such a fantastical world hard to believe. However, seeing the children’s situation, she was quite satisfied.
Could this be a blessing, to know her children’s current state? If this was true, she had to thank the heavens.
It seemed late, so she left the space, already past three in the afternoon. She headed down the mountain with a basket, picking wild vegetables along the way. The two Daoists used to cook for two, but now with six, vegetables might run short.
Returning to the Daoist Temple, she saw everyone coming out of their rooms to look at her.
"What’s wrong?"
"Yuanyuan, you’ve been out for so long, we’ve been worried about you."
"Thank you, but you don’t need to worry. I can take care of myself."
"Yuanyuan, how was the view up there?"
"It’s all trees, but I found a lot of things that might be medicinal herbs. I didn’t pick them, though, as I’m not knowledgeable about them."