Shang Yilin flushed with anger and snapped, "If you want to die, just say so. Use your piece of junk? I certainly don't want it, I'm buying this for my brother."
Zhang Ming watched everything in silence, realizing that the relationship between the two was unusual.
"Let him wear it then," Xuan Tiangang said, losing interest the moment he heard it was for Zhang Ming. "Hurry up and go, having your little brother wear it will show its true value."
"What's so valuable about a man wearing it? Oh, so he's not your man, he's just your little brother," Xuan Tiangang muttered as he led them to his shop.
The shop was hidden inside an abandoned underground mall, filled with all sorts of bizarre items: ancient texts, medicinal herbs, burial artifacts, calligraphy, paintings, antiques, and even trafficked girls, firearms, and ammunition.
Once inside, Xuan Tiangang took a box from the back room and handed it to Yilin. "Here you go. Last time you thought it was ugly, and now you've come looking for it yourself, still for your brother. Women, watch out for being conned out of your money and heart."
Listening to this, Zhang Ming felt not only like a kept toy boy, but also like a scumbag.
"Please show some respect," Zhang Ming said coldly. "Out of respect for Sister Shang, I won't argue with you, but if you insult me again, you will regret it."
"Oh, look at you with a temper! Let me see how tough you are? Kid, you've got quite a big mouth," Xuan Tiangang said, narrowing his eyes dismissively.
"You can try," Zhang Ming replied in a deep voice.
"Try then. Come on, let's see what you can do to me." With that, Xuan Tiangang reached out to shove Zhang Ming.
Zhang Ming was not about to let him get away with it, having already reached the limit of his patience. Seeing that Xuan Tiangang was about to make a move, he didn't hesitate and kicked out. Using only thirty percent of his strength, he landed a heavy blow straight to Xuan Tiangang's chest.
"Ouch, oh my heavens!" Accompanied by a miserable howl, Xuan Tiangang was sent flying straight into the back room.
"Ow, that heartless old Daoist priest, you're going to be the death of me!" Inside the back room, Xuan Tiangang groaned in pain.
Before long, Xuan Tiangang rubbed his chest and limped out, muttering, "Little demoness, why didn't you stop your man? These old bones of mine are practically falling apart."
Shang Yilin curled her lips and let out a cold laugh. "Hmph, old Daoist, my brother was already holding back. Otherwise, you'd have met the King of Hell by now. Stop rambling, tell me, how much is that treasure armor? I want to buy it for my junior brother."
Xuan Tiangang's eyes widened and he said smugly, "This treasure armor is a priceless treasure. It's made from millennium-old black gold silkworm silk, unearthed from an ancient tomb. Wearing it makes you impervious to swords and spears, keeps you feeling like it's spring all year round, and helps cultivators keep calm. There are benefits too numerous to count."
"And let me tell you, this treasure armor has a secret function that I don't usually tell just anyone. Seeing as we're destined to meet, I'll let you in on it," Xuan Tiangang said with a mysterious smile.
"I tried it out, it really can boost *that* ability. Amazing, right?" Xuan Tiangang winked and nudged.
Shang Yilin blushed bright red and roared, "Pervert! Say one more word and I'll make sure you become a eunuch."
"Hehe, I'm telling the truth, you'll see once you try it." Seeing the fierce glare Zhang Ming was giving him, Xuan Tiangang shrank his neck awkwardly and didn't dare make another sound.
"Ahem, let's talk business. This treasure armor is expensive, but considering our friendship, I'll give you a twenty percent discount," Xuan Tiangang said with a straight face.
"You profiteer! Fine, fine, for my brother's sake, I won't argue with you. We'll go with your price. But I also want a thousand flying daggers," Shang Yilin said decisively.
"Good grief, little demoness, are you joking? Every single one of those flying daggers is a masterpiece of painstaking effort, forged from rare extraterrestrial meteorite iron. You want a thousand of them? Isn't this highway robbery?" Xuan Tiangang's eyes widened.
"Stop, I don't want to listen to your nonsense. Besides the flying daggers, you also need to forge a thousand silver needles for my brother, using the same material as the daggers," Shang Yilin said domineeringly.
"You're driving me to hang myself," Xuan Tiangang exaggeratedly collapsed onto the floor and played dead.
Zhang Ming felt a bit guilty, knowing that Shang Yilin's flying daggers were worth a fortune. "Sister Shang, a hundred silver needles will be enough. For me, the material doesn't matter, I only carry silver needles for convenience."
Hearing this, Xuan Tiangang was displeased. "Young man, don't boast. Do you know what materials I use for my flying daggers? They can even pierce the protective Qi of Heaven-tier masters, and yet you're standing here acting all modest."
"Listen to that, little brother, this guy has no sense of gratitude whatsoever," Shang Yilin laughed until her shoulders shook.
"It's my fault. Then let's do as Sister Shang says, a thousand it is," Zhang Ming compromised helplessly.
Zhang Ming muttered inwardly: This guy is truly shameless to the extreme!
"You brat, this is outright extortion! A hundred, not a single one more," Xuan Tiangang gritted his teeth in agony.
Shang Yilin ignored Xuan Tiangang's whining completely. She picked up the box containing the black gold silkworm silk treasure armor, linked her arm through Zhang Ming's, and said, "We'll pick up the order in three days, and settle the bill all at once. Let's move out."
"Don't do this to me! You're going to drive me to bankruptcy like this!" Xuan Tiangang chased after them, panting heavily and begging repeatedly.
"Hey, don't leave! How can you treat a Daoist priest like this? I take it back, I'm not doing this business anymore, it's too unfair, come back!" Xuan Tiangang shouted as he chased them, tears almost welling up in his eyes.
Yet Zhang Ming and Shang Yilin paid him no mind whatsoever. They quickened their pace and vanished into the bustling crowd in the blink of an eye.
"Hmph, you two lovebirds! To think I kindly gave you the Tathalaya Buddha Staff to sweeten your romance, and yet you con me like this. I hope the man becomes impotent and the woman barren, bah! Running into you two is the absolute worst luck."
Xuan Tiangang sat on the ground, beating his chest and stamping his feet, cursing until spittle flew everywhere.
On the other side, Zhang Ming and Shang Yilin didn't care at all and walked right out of the underground market.
"Sister Shang, this treasure armor really is a treasure. That old Daoist didn't trick us, but I have no use for it. You should wear it," Zhang Ming said on the way, examining the armor closely.
Having cultivated in the mountains, the various skills his master taught him covered everything, and identifying treasures was his specialty.
Whether it was rare heavenly materials or antique weapons, he could tell good from bad at a single glance.
This black gold silkworm silk treasure armor truly was a rare and wonderful item, far surpassing ordinary treasures.
Not only was the armor impervious to swords and spears, but it also helped a person stay calm and composed.
Zhang Ming even felt a wave of heat emanating from the armor, causing an inexplicable dryness and heat to rise in his chest, making his mouth parched.
He hurriedly circulated his internal energy to disperse the sensation before slowly calming down.
He had also verified the stubborn old man's words—this armor really could boost certain abilities. That rumor was actually true.
"What do you mean you have no use for it? Once the Marquis of the Northwest dies, the forces behind him will definitely come looking for us, probably in the next few days. We need to keep a low profile these next few days. Once the old Daoist finishes forging my flying daggers, we won't have to fear them."
Zhang Ming paused for a moment and continued, "Sister Shang, don't be afraid, I can handle it."
"What are you going to handle? With Sister Shang here, when would I ever let you take risks?" Shang Yilin insisted, still maintaining her dominant stance.