299: To uphold justice! Ambergris fruit!

After Li Shengyuan and Pei Shuyun rested briefly in their inn room, they headed downstairs and onto the streets of Qianyi City.

This border city was indeed as "Qianyi" as rumored, with architectural styles on either side of the street varying wildly.

There were rough stone Yao Race castles, exquisite vine-wood treehouses, and even some Human Race-style white walls and black tiles, though they appeared quite old and low-key.

Various races wove through the area, noisy and chaotic, while the air was filled with all sorts of scents and faint fluctuations of Yao Race power and Spiritual Qi.

The two strolled seemingly at random, but their gazes swept over everything around them, especially the signs of various shops, fragments of conversations from passersby, and sporadic information posted on bulletin boards.

Li Shengyuan's Divine Sense, like an invisible spiderweb, was collecting scattered intelligence about the Sacred Dragon Domain, the Dragon Emperor, and the recent situation cautiously and efficiently, far exceeding the level of his apparent Fourth Realm cultivation.

Not long after, Li Shengyuan's gaze tightened slightly.

Not far in front of him, the Tall Woman he had met once at the inn was also walking alone on the street.

She also seemed to be observing something, her pace unhurried, and her gaze occasionally falling on stalls selling Materials or books.

Although she was of the Human Race, she was very knowledgeable about items from various races, as if she understood them very well.

Li Shengyuan and Pei Shuyun tacitly slowed their pace, following at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, maintaining observation without alerting her.

The woman seemed interested in a Spirit Medicine shop run by the Wood Spirit Clan, and after pausing for a moment, she walked inside.

Although the Wood Spirit Clan was not strong, they had a natural affinity with plants, and the Spirit Medicine shops they operated were quite famous in the Demon Domain.

Li Shengyuan's heart stirred, and he gave Pei Shuyun a look; the two also walked into the same shop, appearing as if it were unintentional.

The shop was filled with a fresh and rich herbal fragrance, and the shelves were lined with various rare herbs. Although some were not of high grade, they were all varieties rarely seen in the Great Qian.

Some Yao Race, Wood Spirit Clan, and even a few Human Race customers were browsing.

Li Shengyuan's gaze was quickly drawn to several fruits placed in jade boxes on the side of the counter, emitting a faint golden glow and a strange, fishy fragrance.

The fruits were shaped like dragon eyes, with fine scale-like patterns on the skin. They were rare spirit fruits that had miraculous effects for tempering the Physical Body, especially for those with a Dragon Clan Bloodline or those practicing related Cultivation Techniques: Dragon Saliva Fruit!

This stuff was useless to him now, but since Li Shengyuan rarely saw it, he wanted to study it.

He walked to the counter, pointed to one of the Dragon Saliva Fruits marked "Century-old," and asked the elderly Wood Spirit Clan member behind the counter, whose face was aged and skin like tree bark, for the price in a calm tone:

"Shopkeeper, how much for this Dragon Saliva Fruit?"

The Wood Spirit Clan elder raised his eyelids, his cloudy eyes devoid of emotion, and said in a dry voice:

"Century-old Dragon Saliva Fruit, listed at eighty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."

The price was high, but it was within expectations.

Just as Li Shengyuan was about to speak, the old man slowly added another sentence, his gaze sweeping over Li Shengyuan and Pei Shuyun's Human Race attire:

"However, if a member of the Human Race buys it, an additional twenty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones are required, for a total of one hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."

Another blatant discriminatory markup!

Pei Shuyun's pretty face sank instantly.

Li Shengyuan's brows also furrowed slightly. This Wood Spirit Clan member looked slightly more "civilized" than that Rhinoceros Demon shopkeeper, but the discrimination in his bones was no different.

Just then, a cold voice filled with anger rang out from the side:

"The Wood Spirit Clan has always claimed to be fair and detached from the world. When did you learn such dirty tricks of judging people by their appearance and raising prices on the spot?!"

The one who spoke was none other than the Tall Woman.

She had arrived near the counter at some point and had clearly heard the conversation just now.

At this moment, her pretty face was frosty, and her pair of phoenix eyes stared sharply at the Wood Spirit Clan elder.

Facing the accusation, the wrinkles on the elder's face, which resembled tree bark, moved, and his tone remained indifferent:

"Little girl, the shop is mine, and the rules are naturally set by me."

"The rules of Qianyi City are just like this. If the Human Race wants good things, they naturally have to pay a higher price. It's already quite generous of my shop to sell to you Human Race members at all. If you can't afford it, turn left at the door; there is a shop at the corner that specializes in selling cheap herbs to the Human Race."

"You!"

The Tall Woman's chest heaved with anger, and that faint, sharp aura around her body leaked out uncontrollably again.

Li Shengyuan took in this scene from the side, his thoughts racing.

As he expected, this woman reacted fiercely to the discrimination against the Human Race and seemed to have some sort of confidence or persistence.

Her standing out at this moment certainly had an element of standing up for justice, but it also once again exposed her unusual personality and potentially complicated background.

Many powerhouses who couldn't make it in the Great Qian, or those who were hunted by the Great Qian Demon Suppression Division like the previous Lord Nu Tao, chose to leave the Great Qian.

Some went overseas, some to the Southern Frontier, and naturally, some came to the Demon Domain.

The border between humans and demons was not strictly controlled regarding individuals, and it couldn't be managed properly either.

There were even Human Race merchants from the Great Qian who went to the Demon Domain to do business.

War was war, but business still had to be done!

It was not uncommon for Human Race powerhouses to sneak into the Demon Kingdom; some were looking for a change of environment, while others were searching for needed Spirit Medicine or treasures.

But even if Human Race powerhouses really came to the Demon Domain, they wouldn't dare to be so high-profile.

Just as the woman seemed about to explode again, and the Wood Spirit Clan elder's eyes began to glow with vigilant green light,

Li Shengyuan suddenly took a half-step forward, a look of appropriate helplessness and a bitter smile appearing on his face, and he cupped his hands toward the Tall Woman:

"Young lady, please calm down. What the shopkeeper said... sigh, perhaps this is the current situation here."

"My wife and I are new here and only wish to purchase what we need. Spending a few more Spirit Stones for peace of mind is fine."

His words seemed to be persuading the woman, but in reality, they positioned himself and Pei Shuyun as ordinary travelers who were "new here" and "only wanted peace."

His tone carried a helpless acceptance of the status quo, making them appear harmless.

At the same time, he turned to the Wood Spirit Clan elder and said in a calm tone: "One hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, we will take this Dragon Saliva Fruit."

As he spoke, he made a move to take Spirit Stones from his Storage Pouch.

His interruption both eased the tense atmosphere and placed himself in the position of a weakling who "chose to swallow his anger despite being ripped off."

It was easy to gain the sympathy or attention of this Tall Woman, who was also of the Human Race and clearly had an excess of justice.

Sure enough, upon hearing Li Shengyuan's words, the Tall Woman's angry gaze shifted from the elder to Li Shengyuan's face.

Seeing his "helpless compromise" look, and then looking at Pei Shuyun beside him, who was also showing indignation but was holding it back.

The anger in the woman's eyes intensified, but there was also a hint of complex emotion, as if she were sympathetic, or as if she were "sorrowful for their misfortune and angry at their lack of backbone."

She took a deep breath, seemingly wanting to say something else, but in the end, she just glared fiercely at the Wood Spirit Clan elder and said coldly:

"Doing business like this will sooner or later ruin the reputation of the Wood Spirit Clan!"

With that, she stopped looking at the Dragon Saliva Fruit and turned to walk toward other areas of the shop, seemingly having lost the interest to buy.

Li Shengyuan smiled slightly in his heart; it seemed the fish...

Had noticed the hook!

He paid the Spirit Stones without changing his expression and put away the overpriced Dragon Saliva Fruit.

He gave Pei Shuyun a look, and they continued to browse the shop as if nothing had happened.

But a strand of his Divine Sense was quietly keeping an eye on the Tall Woman, who had walked alone to a corner and was flipping through an ancient animal-skin medicinal herb guide.

He didn't even know her name yet; how was he supposed to communicate with her more deeply?