A short while later, Lu Ye sat in a partitioned room, surrounded by screens that blocked prying eyes. The female demon cultivator had vanished, but before leaving, she had instructed Lu Ye to wait here. She said that a manager would soon come to conduct business with him, and if he needed anything else, he could ring the bell beside him, and someone would come to attend to him.
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On the table was a pot of freshly brewed tea. Lu Ye poured himself a cup and took a sip, immediately showing a look of surprise. The tea seemed to be no ordinary tea, as it contained some spiritual energy, though not much, it was indeed present.
This discovery made Lu Ye even more aware of the vast wealth of the Tianji Merchant Alliance. This was just the tea served to guests, and the daily consumption must be considerable. Without a solid foundation, they couldn't afford such extravagance.
He drank it in large gulps, finishing a pot, but still no one came to attend to him. Lu Ye was not in a hurry and gently rang the bell beside him.
Immediately, a Tianji Merchant Alliance attendant walked in: "What does the guest need?"
Lu Ye pointed to the empty pot on the table: "Refill!"
The attendant was momentarily taken aback, but she quickly understood what "refill" meant, smiled, and picked up the empty pot to leave.
A short while later, she returned with a pot of spiritual tea and gently placed it down: "Please enjoy, guest."
It wasn't until Lu Ye had drunk three pots of tea, feeling so full that he was burping, that a woman walked in: "I have kept you waiting, Fellow Daoist. I am Liu Ruyin, and I greet you."
A faint fragrance immediately enveloped Lu Ye's nose. Looking at the woman who had entered, she was dressed in a revealing outfit, with large areas of snow-white skin exposed. Coupled with her soft and sweet voice, the small partitioned room became filled with an ambiguous atmosphere.
"It's fine," Lu Ye nodded.
Liu Ruyin pulled out a chair opposite Lu Ye and sat down. She then picked up the teapot and personally poured a cup of tea for Lu Ye, leaning forward so much that the outline of her back was alluring, and the exposed cleavage made Lu Ye dizzy.
He quickly took a sip of tea to calm himself down.
When she entered, Lu Ye had probed her spiritual aura and deduced that she was at the third level of the Spirit Stream realm. However, her spiritual aura was not very clear, indicating that she often took elixirs for cultivation.
Putting down the teapot, Liu Ruyin said, "I wonder what Fellow Daoist wants to sell?"
Lu Ye took out the minerals he had prepared to sell from his storage bag. He certainly wouldn't take them all out at once; it was his first time dealing with the Tianji Merchant Alliance, and he still didn't understand their character.
He took out the same minerals he had previously displayed at the market stall.
Placing the minerals in front of Liu Ruyin, she casually picked up one and examined it for a moment, nodding slightly: "This piece of Crimson Essence Iron is of good quality, but it's a bit small. If it were larger, it could be forged into a long sword."
She picked up another piece, her eyes brightening: "This piece of Star Moon Stone is also good, with very few impurities."
She took the third piece…
Lu Ye witnessed what professional expertise looked like. Liu Ruyin was well-versed in the minerals in front of her, and her comments hit the mark, though Lu Ye didn't fully understand them.
Finally, she picked up the Yuan Magnetic Ore, smiling: "This is quite rare outside the battlefield, and it can fetch a good price."
She put down the Yuan Magnetic Ore and looked at Lu Ye: "The Merchant Alliance can offer 55 spirit stones for these items. If Fellow Daoist finds the price acceptable, we can proceed with the transaction."
Thanks to his previous observations at the market, Lu Ye had a rough idea of the purchasing power of 55 spirit stones, and this price was within his expectations.
When he had displayed the minerals at the market stall, although many people tried to haggle for a lower price, he had a general understanding of their value.
The price Liu Ruyin offered was not far off from his own estimate.
He frowned slightly and said, "It's a bit cheap."
Liu Ruyin smiled: "Compared to selling them one by one, it is indeed cheaper, but it saves Fellow Daoist a lot of trouble, doesn't it? The Merchant Alliance is a large organization, and many people need to be supported. Fellow Daoist should give us some room for profit."
"Add a bit more."
Liu Ruyin rubbed her forehead, looking troubled, but her appearance was still charming, and this look only added to her allure.
"Alright, since Fellow Daoist is sincere, I will add four more spirit stones. Please don't haggle any further, or I will have to pay out of my own pocket." She looked at Lu Ye pitifully, as if she had been wronged.
Lu Ye naturally didn't believe her, but seeing her expression, he knew he couldn't get a higher price, so he said, "Alright."
Liu Ruyin immediately beamed: "How would Fellow Daoist like to receive payment, in spirit stones or spirit pills?"
"How do you sell your spirit pills?" Lu Ye asked, somewhat surprised that he could receive payment in spirit pills. He had planned to buy spirit pills after receiving the spirit stones, but then he realized that many low-level cultivators would do the same, and this method of payment by the Tianji Merchant Alliance undoubtedly saved a step.
"A bottle of nine Spirit Nourishing Pills is priced at 10 spirit stones."
Lu Ye frowned: "Don't try to fool me. They sell for one spirit stone each outside. Why are yours more expensive?"
Liu Ruyin explained: "Although they are all Spirit Nourishing Pills, the quality of the pills made by different alchemists varies. The alchemists in the Merchant Alliance are all highly skilled cultivators, not like those outside. If Fellow Daoist doesn't believe me, you can buy some and compare them. Moreover, if the quality of the Merchant Alliance's spirit pills were really problematic, so many cultivators wouldn't buy from us."
Lu Ye nodded: "That makes sense. I'll take five bottles of spirit pills, and the rest in spirit stones."
"Alright!" Liu Ruyin nodded, stood up, and said, "Please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist."
She turned around, swaying her hips as she left the partitioned room, and quickly returned, placing five bottles and four spirit stones in front of Lu Ye: "Here are your items."
The transaction was completed, and each put their items into their storage bags.
Before Lu Ye could stand up, Liu Ruyin said, "It's getting late. Does Fellow Daoist have a place to rest?"
Her question made Lu Ye suddenly realize something. There seemed to be no inns or similar accommodations in the market, at least not that he had seen.
Seeing Lu Ye's expression, Liu Ruyin understood and said, "The third floor of the Merchant Alliance is an inn. It costs one spirit stone per night, and it guarantees that Fellow Daoist's rest and cultivation will not be disturbed. Additionally…"
She leaned close to Lu Ye's ear, her breath like a breeze: "If Fellow Daoist has any other needs, you can call the manager over there to arrange it."
"I'm not that kind of person!" Lu Ye said sternly, inwardly surprised that the Tianji Merchant Alliance did all kinds of business.
Liu Ruyin, who had seen many people like Lu Ye, pretended not to hear him and said in a soft voice, "I am available at that time. If Fellow Daoist wants me to serve you, you can call the manager to find me."
Lu Ye's head felt heavy: "I really am not that kind of person."
A short while later, Liu Ruyin watched Lu Ye leave, her smile fading, and she said in annoyance, "What a stingy man!"
Under normal circumstances, when a cultivator made a large transaction here, they would tip one or two spirit stones, especially after Liu Ruyin had increased the price for Lu Ye.
This was an unwritten rule.
Unfortunately, it was Lu Ye's first time making a transaction here, and he naturally didn't know about tipping.