A fight broke out?
They had just arrived at the Ghost Market, and it was already this exciting?
Jiang Ying looked toward Xiao Di, but to her surprise, he didn't look panic-stricken as she had expected; he only looked somewhat helpless.
Xiao Di supported his forehead and sighed.
"Old man is fighting with someone again? Sigh, he... Never mind. I get it. I'll come right over with you."
Fighting with someone *again*...
It seemed this was a regular occurrence? The customs in this Ghost Market were truly rustic! Trading blows at the slightest disagreement?
Fortunately, before coming here, she had prepared quite a few talismans for fighting and defense...
"Do you need my help?"
Xiao Di shook his head. "No need. It's just an everyday affair; going by myself is enough."
An everyday affair? Fine then. Seen in this light, this Father Xiao had an explosive temper, which made it no wonder that Xiao Di's temper was just as explosive. Following in his father's footsteps, indeed.
An apologetic look appeared on Xiao Di's face.
"Senior Sister, I'm sorry..."
Jiang Ying nodded in understanding. "It's fine. Go take care of your family matters first."
Xiao Di patted Xiao Fensi on the head.
"Then the task of showing Senior Sister the way is handed over to you. Once Senior Sister finishes her business, bring her home, understand?"
"Do I need you to tell me?" With that, Xiao Fensi puffed out her chest and patted it hard.
"Don't worry, Big Sister! Wherever you want to go, Xiao Fensi will definitely get you there!"
Xiao Di glanced back at Old Qian's grocery store, still uneasy.
"Senior Sister, think about it again! Or let Xiao Fensi take you to have a look at other shops! In short, don't let him rip you off!"
Xiao Fensi reached out and pushed him forward.
"Alright, alright! Stinky Xiao Di! I've never seen you so nagging before! Go resolve Old Man's problem already!"
The monkey-faced masked person also ran over, hurriedly grabbed Xiao Di, and ran off, chattering away as he went.
"Let's go, let's go! When I came over just now, your father had already beaten the guy's face into a grocery store of soy sauce. Any later, and your old man will probably beat the guy into the wall where you won't be able to pry him off! You say, your old man is such a big person, why is he like a powder keg that explodes at a single spark? When you beat someone up, your family will still have to compensate them with spirit stones!"
Jiang Ying sighed silently. You don't know how frightening the world is until you leave the Academy. The pugilistic world is truly treacherous; when fights break out, flesh really does fly and every blow lands solidly!
For someone whose heart is entirely set on making money, it is better to value harmony for wealth...
Jiang Ying raised her foot, about to step into Old Qian's grocery store, when she saw Xiao Fensi still standing in place, staring straight at the center of the street. Thinking something else had happened, Jiang Ying hurriedly asked:
"What's wrong?"
Following Xiao Fensi's gaze, she breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that an old man selling candied haws was shouting out his wares at the bustling intersection. A few children without masks were gathered around him, apparently "Ghost Market aborigines" just like Xiao Fensi.
Xiao Fensi gazed longingly at the old man, swallowing hard.
Jiang Ying fished out a handful of spirit stones and shoved them into Xiao Fensi's hands.
"Go on, buy whatever you want to eat."
Xiao Fensi let out a cheer.
"Big Sister is the best! Thank you, Big Sister!"
She skipped and hopped toward the busy intersection.
Upon seeing the newcomer, the owner of Old Qian's grocery store leaped up from his chair with a "swoosh," his rolls of fat instantly shaking like wind chimes. He piled on the oily yet sincere smile typical of a merchant, his wrinkles blooming like flowers all over his face.
"Does the young lady have anything she wants to sell?"
"Boss Qian, do you buy talismans?"
Old Qian's narrowed eyes shifted as he sized up Jiang Ying.
"What kind of talismans is the young lady selling?"
"Five low-grade defensive talismans, five low-grade offensive talismans, and three auxiliary talismans. How much can you offer?"
Old Qian narrowed his eyes.
"Six hundred."
Without batting an eye, Jiang Ying smiled faintly.
"One thousand five hundred."
Old Qian smiled with his eyes narrowed into slits.
"Young lady, this is your first time coming to the Ghost Market, right? Low-grade talismans aren't in high demand here, and auxiliary talismans have practically no buyers at all. How about this, I'll give you seven hundred, just to make a friend!"
Old fox, Jiang Ying thought to herself, did he really think she didn't know the market rates of the Ghost Market? In her past life, it wasn't as if she had never asked people to buy things for her in the Ghost Market.
Jiang Ying smiled faintly.
"A single low-grade defensive talisman can sell for a hundred and thirty or forty. I can understand you wanting to make a profit, Boss, but squeezing the price down like this is truly uncalled for. Furthermore, those three auxiliary talismans of mine are completely different from other people's talismans; naturally, they cannot be calculated at the price of ordinary low-grade talismans."
Not expecting someone who looked like a novice to actually know her stuff, Old Qian immediately plastered a smile back onto his face.
"It was Old Qian who failed to recognize a master, please forgive me, Young Lady. Why doesn't the young lady explain her 'auxiliary talismans' in detail to Old Qian?"
Jiang Ying pulled three talismans out of her sleeve pocket and leisurely introduced them.
"This is the 'Ten-Thousand-Year Kill talisman'; once thrown, it turns into a sharp blade that directly pierces an extremely vulnerable part of the opponent. This is the 'Laughing Stomachache talisman'; once struck by it, the victim will laugh uncontrollably until their stomach hurts so much they roll around on the ground. This is the 'Club to the Head talisman'; there's nothing particularly special about it—it simply transforms into a muffled cudgel and lands a vicious strike right on the opponent's head..."
Old Qian stared at those talismans, his eyes instantly lighting up. Such peculiar talismans were truly unheard of and unseen; this was a business opportunity! But this young girl also seemed somewhat difficult to handle. Unable to figure out her background, Old Qian secretly observed Jiang Ying while pondering silently, keeping his mouth shut.
Knowing this old fox was still trying to probe her background, Jiang Ying realized that when dealing with a crafty merchant like Old Qian, she had to use both soft and hard tactics. Only by letting him know her prowess could she avoid being suppressed in momentum when negotiating prices.
She said softly, "Boss, you have weathered the business world for a long time, so you must deeply understand this as well. Some people simply deserve a beating. But I feel that dealing with such people doesn't require splashing blood and dirtying your own hands, which is why I developed these talismans to teach them a lesson. Honestly speaking, the effect is fantastic!"
Jiang Ying pulled out a "Ten-Thousand-Year Kill" talisman, leaned close to Old Qian, and gestured with it twice against his body.
"Would you like to try it?"
Old Qian waved his hands repeatedly and backed away. "No, no. Using such extraordinary items on Old Qian would simply be squandering heavenly treasures!"
As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed longingly on the talismans in Jiang Ying's hand.
Jiang Ying tucked the talismans back into her sleeve pocket.
Old Qian stared wistfully at Jiang Ying's cuff.
"Boss Qian, before I completely change my mind, would you like to reconsider the price for the talismans just now?"
Seeing that look in Old Qian's eyes, Jiang Ying knew he was clearly tempted. Striking while the iron was hot, she gently guided him:
"I drew all of these rare talismans myself, and I can draw as many as I want. If Boss Qian is a straightforward person, it wouldn't be impossible for us to continue cooperating in the future."
Old Qian's eyes rolled.
"I'll take all your talismans for one thousand four hundred. What does the young lady think?"
"One thousand seven hundred."
Old Qian grew anxious.
"Young lady, even though your auxiliary talismans are novel, Old Qian cannot guarantee they'll definitely sell for a high price. At least let Old Qian make a little profit."
Jiang Ying smiled without a word, her expression watertight, seemingly leaving no room for concession.
"One thousand six hundred! That really is a friend's price! Young lady, at least let Old Qian make a little something!"
Seeing Old Qian's anxious expression, Jiang Ying decided to quit while she was ahead. Leave a way out in everything, so you can meet again in the future.
She was very satisfied with the current price.
She nodded.
"Alright, one thousand six hundred, it's a deal."
Old Qian beamed with joy.
Once the transaction was complete, Old Qian hurriedly pulled out his Yulingtong, his face piled with smiles.
"Young lady, leave some contact information!"
"Alright."
After exchanging spiritual power, Old Qian still didn't forget to chatter: "Young lady, if you have any talismans in the future, be sure to come to Old Qian's place!"
Satisfied, Jiang Ying counted her spirit stones and walked out of Old Qian's grocery store.
Just as she reached the doorway, her footsteps suddenly halted.
The old man selling candied haws in the center of the street was still there, but Xiao Fensi was nowhere to be seen!