7: Chapter 7 Fellow Daoist, I run a small business and conduct business with integrity.

A flush still lingered on A Xiang's cheeks as she gently shook her head, her voice soft and tender:

"Many thanks for your concern, Immortal Master, but I must return to look after my sister; it is not convenient for me to stay longer."

As she spoke, her gaze lingered on his face for a fleeting moment before quickly dropping.

In that glance, there was hidden reluctance, but also restraint.

Jiang Xuan nodded, not attempting to persuade her further.

He personally walked her to the door. When they reached the threshold, he fished two Spirit Stones from his sleeve and silently pressed them into her palm.

A Xiang looked down to see two lustrous Spirit Stones resting in her palm, emitting a faint, warm glow.

She froze for a moment, then looked up, her almond-shaped eyes full of confusion: "Immortal Master, this is..."

Jiang Xuan's tone was calm: "Take them. It is not much, but it should be of some use."

A Xiang clutched the two Spirit Stones, her fingertips tightening.

Her lips moved, and her eyes turned red almost instantly.

Tears welled up, streaming down her cheeks, dropping one by one onto her lapel.

She quickly wiped her face with her other hand, not refusing: "Immortal Master's great kindness... A Xiang will keep it in her heart; I will never forget it in this lifetime."

By the time she reached the last few words, her voice was clearly choked with sobs.

Jiang Xuan waved his hand, saying no more.

A Xiang gripped the Spirit Stones tightly and turned to walk towards the town.

Her figure swayed in the morning light, her steps still somewhat unsteady, her moon-white skirt hem gently fluttering at her ankles.

After walking a dozen steps, she couldn't help but look back one last time.

Jiang Xuan was still standing at the doorway.

She curved her lips into a smile, then turned back around and quickened her pace, turning into the alley.

Jiang Xuan watched her disappear around the street corner and let out a soft sigh.

It is not easy for anyone.

Two Spirit Stones might not even be enough to fill the gaps between the teeth of a powerful Cultivator.

But for a destitute Loose Cultivator like Ye Baiyuan, she would be willing to go all out and kiss him twice for two Spirit Stones.

As for an ordinary woman like A Xiang without a Spiritual Root, if she wanted to earn this amount herself, without any great Luck on her side, she might not be able to save it up even when she was old and gray.

However, he, Jiang Xuan, was no living Bodhisattva here to save the world. If he could lend a hand while convenient, he would. If he couldn't, then everyone had to rely on their own fate.

He turned and went back inside, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and had just taken a sip when the light at the entrance dimmed.

A slender figure appeared at the shop entrance, her voice clear yet tinged with weakness: "Shopkeeper, do you have any rejuvenation pill?"

Jiang Xuan looked up. The person who arrived was a woman around twenty years of age, dressed in a white brocade robe with a belt cinched around her waist, accentuating her slender figure.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn waters, and her features were extremely striking and vibrant, full of heroic spirit. Among the female Cultivators in this town, her face was top-tier.

However, her current state was quite poor. Her face was so pale it was almost devoid of color, fine cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and a streak of dried blood hung from the corner of her mouth.

One hand supported herself against the doorframe, while the other clutched her ribs. Her body leaned slightly forward, her breathing shallow and rapid. She stood there swaying, as if she might collapse at any moment.

A faint, gamey scent lingered on her. Jiang Xuan sniffed and immediately recognized it—it was the aura of a Yao Beast. She must have just crawled out of a fierce battle.

"I do, Fellow Daoist, please come in." Jiang Xuan set down his teacup and quickly walked out from behind the counter.

Su Yue stumbled over the threshold, her steps unsteady, and she had to struggle to steady herself with every step.

Jiang Xuan reached out to support her by the outer side of her arm, not making direct contact, but rather using his Spiritual power to give her a lift.

Su Yue felt the gentle supporting force, turned her head slightly to look at him, and nodded in acknowledgment.

Reaching the counter, she braced herself against it and stood still, her chest heaving several times before it calmed down.

Jiang Xuan had already retrieved a small emerald-green jade bottle from the wooden shelf behind him and placed it on the counter. "Rank 1 rejuvenation pill, twenty Spirit Stones each."

This rejuvenation pill was the life-saving asset for Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators when they went out for training. After ingestion, the abundant medicinal power would rapidly circulate through the body, stopping bleeding and forming scabs over torn flesh.

Torn wounds and damaged meridians could also knit back together at a very fast speed. It could stabilize physical injuries in the shortest possible time, dragging someone back from the gates of death. It was an essential medicine for Cultivators to sustain their lives after combat.

Su Yue stared at the small, emerald-green bottle on the counter, her heroic eyebrows knitting together. A look of difficulty surfaced on her pale face.

Jiang Xuan saw this expression and understood immediately. Sure enough, Su Yue searched around her waist and sleeves. Finally, she took out a piece of translucent white Spirit Jade from her inner garments and handed it over.

"Shopkeeper, see how much this is worth?"

Jiang Xuan took the Spirit Jade and examined it carefully, turning it over and over. The Spirit Jade felt warm and smooth to the touch, its quality was not bad, and traces of flowing Spiritual charm could be faintly seen inside. However, these traces were clearly much thinner than in new jade, as if it had been worn close to the body for many years, and its Spiritual nature had been gradually absorbed by the human body for the most part.

The System's appraisal results also came out simultaneously. He set down the Spirit Jade and spoke the truth: "Fellow Daoist, this Spirit Jade is of good quality, but having been worn for years to nourish the spirit, the Spiritual charm inside has been greatly depleted."

"I can offer at most fifteen Spirit Stones for it."

Su Yue's eyebrows furrowed even tighter, her tone carrying a hint of resentment: "Shopkeeper, this piece of jade was bought for thirty Spirit Stones originally."

"Cutting the price in half all at once, are you bullying me because I am heavily injured and taking advantage of my misfortune?"

Jiang Xuan spread his hands, his tone frank: "Fellow Daoist, I run a small business and trade with integrity."

"You are also a practitioner yourself; a probe with your Divine Sense will tell you how much Spiritual charm remains inside."

"Let's put it this way: if I asked you to spend twenty Spirit Stones to buy this jade back right now, would you be willing?"

Su Yue opened her mouth, but in the end, she couldn't find any words to refute him. She had indeed checked, and the Spiritual charm inside was worth at most that amount.

After a few moments of silence, she took a step back and said: "Shopkeeper, seventeen."

"If we can make this deal, I will come to your shop often to buy things in the future and become a regular customer."

Jiang Xuan looked at her, then at the Spirit Jade on the counter. To be honest, seventeen was indeed one Spirit Stone higher than his estimated price.

But the quality of this jade was there, and if he took it to resell, finding a wealthy Cultivator to sell it for twenty was not impossible. Plus, this woman said she would come often in the future, although he had heard this many times in the past few days. But after all, in business, having one more returning customer is never a bad thing.

He nodded: "Fine, let's consider it a gesture of goodwill between Fellow Daoist and me." As he spoke, he took out seventeen Spirit Stones, lined them up neatly on the counter, and put the Spirit Jade away.

[Congratulations to the Shopkeeper for completing a transaction. Transaction price: 17 Spirit Stones. Obtained Cultivation rebate: 3.4. Obtained Contribution Points +1!]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Stage 3]

[Progress: 35.2%]

Su Yue looked at the seventeen Spirit Stones in front of her but did not reach out to take them. Her gaze crossed over the Spirit Stones and landed on the small, emerald-green bottle beside them.

After a silence of two or three breaths, a rare flush of red appeared on her pale face, and when she spoke, her tone was much lower than before:

"Shopkeeper... this rejuvenation pill, could it also be a bit cheaper?"

Jiang Xuan was speechless. Good grief, was she trying to fleece him alone? He smiled helplessly: "Fellow Daoist, you must have bought rejuvenation pills elsewhere. Which shop in town doesn't sell them for twenty Spirit Stones each? Even if I gave you a discount of one, that's still two short; I can't make that work."

Su Yue pursed her lips, a trace of embarrassment flashing across her eyes.