Chapter 8 - 8 8 Market, Trade_1
He put his head down and finished the days work. While it was still daytime, he pocketed a few Precious Chicken eggs that hed saved and planned to go to the West Garden market to trade for some grain.
Fortunately, over the next few days, the Precious Chickens delivered quite well, laying many eggs. Not only did they meet the sects targets, but they also exceeded it a bit.
Otherwise, hed be starving.
What? A Precious Chicken egg is only worth 5 taels of silver?
At the entrance of Chens Grocery Store, Wang Ba couldnt help but raise his voice.
Five taels of silver could buy hundreds or thousands of eggs in the mortal world, which is not a small amount, but it depends on the comparison.
In the market, the price of a Precious Chicken egg started at 10 taels.
And in here, the price of ordinary rice was extremely high, a pound costing one to two taels of silver. In the mortal world, a few copper coins would suffice.
It was helpless. In the immortal sect, because many wealthy mortals brought money into the sect and seldom money flowed out, the inflation of silver was too sever. Spirit Stones were the real hard currency.
But, Spirit Stones were not something a mortal like them could use.
This is the price. You can weigh it yourself.
Shopkeeper Chen sits lazily in his lounge chair, acting like he doesnt care if he sold it or not.
His store was called a grocery store, but it sold not only grains but also all kinds of food.
Chicken, duck, fish, meat, such as Precious Chickens, Treasure Pigs, Colorful Ducks, and so on.
It was somewhat like the community food fair at the gate of the neighborhood in his previous life.
Of course, the variety here could not be compared with that.
Wang Ba gritted his teeth and finally chose to sell the four Precious Chicken eggs in his hand in exchange for ten pounds of rice.
He had no choice, as Chens Grocery Store was already one of the fairer ones in the market.
The other grocery stores pressed even harder.
Just then, a middle-aged man in an official Sect Daoist robe, holding a covered black basket suspiciously, came to the front of the grocery store.
Wang Ba couldnt help moving his nose.
He smelled a very familiar scent.
Seeing the man glance at him suspiciously, Wang Ba wisely walked away.
However, he kept an ear out and as he walked not too far away, he perked up his ears.
He faintly heard some conversation.
Spirit Chicken twenty
No, this is the maximum number
Spirit Chicken?!
Wang Ba was startled!
The middle-aged man was selling Spirit Chickens!
Recalling the familiar smell he sensed from the man, he was more than certain!
Because that was the most obvious chicken manure smell in the chicken coop!
Spirit Chickens can also be sold?!
Wang Ba was quite shocked.
He had always thought that since the sect valued them so much, they naturally belonged to the untradable category.
But this trade instantly opened up Wang Bas mind.
He had an idea in his heart.
He hid in the dark and observed for a while and found that the middle-aged man soon left with a bulging package.
Looking at the size, more than half of it was most likely paid in Spirit Stones.
Not daring to delay, he hurried back to the manor, put on Old Suns patched Daoist robe.
He had not discarded it before, thinking that it would just be perfect for bedding in the chicken nest.
Now it came in handy.
The size of Old Sun was similar to Wang Ba, so wearing Old Suns clothes and specially smearing his face a bit, it was difficult for anyone but a very familiar person to recognize him.
Coughcough
After trying to adjust his voice, making sure that he wouldnt be recognized, he returned to the West Garden market. Instead of going to Chens Grocery Store, he looked around and chose a different shop.
He didnt say a word upon entering the store, just looking around.
Shopkeeper Lu in the store didnt chase him away either.
Since they were in the same sect, maybe they were related, or even backed by someone. There was no need to make an enemy.
He just sat leisurely behind the counter and said as usual:
Feel free to look around, sir.
Seeing that there were no other customers in the store and that the errand boys were not nearby.
Only then did Wang Ba approach the store owner and said in a low voice:
Shopkeeper Lu, if I have good things to sell, will you buy them?
Good things?
Shopkeeper Lu couldnt help but raise his head to take a closer look at these seemingly unkempt fellow disciples.
After hurriedly matching the persons image with the people in his memory, and coming up with nothing, he slowly spoke:
Everyone in the West Garden market knows, if even our Lus Grain Shop doesnt accept it, no other shop in the market will. Please, feel free to tell us what you have.
The tone was calm, but filled with confidence.
However, Wang Ba was not surprised.
He had been in the sect for more than two months and naturally knew a thing or two.
Lus Grain Shop was established by a high-ranking disciple of the outer sect.
It was considered top-notch among the markets of the mortals in the surrounding areas.
Not only was its reputation good, but it also had the backing of a high-ranking disciple from the outer sect, which gave people peace of mind.
Of course, the prices they offered for purchases were quite low.
If it were about selling eggs, he absolutely would not come here, as it would not be cost-effective.
But
I have a Spirit Chicken.
Wang Ba said softly.
With Wang Bas words, Shopkeeper Lu, who initially didnt care much, suddenly became serious and quickly asked:
What grade? Male or female?
This caught Wang Ba off guard!
Whether its male or female, thats easy.
But what is grade? Spirit Chickens also have grades?
Seeing Wang Bas puzzled face, Shopkeeper Lu also realized:
It seems you are not aware of the grade of the Spirit Chicken.
Simply put, Spirit Chickens, like Spirit Beasts, naturally need to be categorized in terms of grade.
Class I is equivalent to the Qi Refining stage of a cultivator, normally divided into lower, middle, upper, and top grades.
If you trust our Lus Grain Shop, why not bring the Spirit Chicken here, and Ill have a look for you.
On hearing this, Wang Ba hesitated.
Bringing the Spirit Chicken for others to see, wouldnt that be handing over the initiative to them?
Shopkeeper Lu, worldly-wise, saw through Wang Bas hesitation and didnt get annoyed. He smiled and said:
Well, if you dont trust me, you can go to the talisman shop and buy a Low-Rank Spirit Light Talisman. It is not expensive, twenty taels each, and it can determine the grade of a Class I Spirit Beast.
Seeing the shopkeepers assertion, Wang Ba was seventy percent convinced.
However, he was not in a hurry to leave and asked:
I wonder what the prices are for each grade?
Shopkeeper Lu avoided answering, and counter-questioned: Is it obtained in a legal way?
Absolutely no problem!
Wang Ba said resolutely.
Shopkeeper Lu stroked his beard and said:
If it is obtained legally, then a Class I lower-grade female Spirit Chicken is worth six lower grade Spirit Stones!
If its middle grade, its worth fourteen.
If its upper grade, its worth thirty.
If its top grade, even a hundred cant hold it back!
If its a rooster, cut at least half off the above prices!
The price was completely different from what Wang Ba thought.
It was far from Old Suns equivalent of seventeen or eighteen Spirit Stones.
Why are roosters so cheap?
Wang Ba couldnt help asking.
Shopkeeper Lu was quite straightforward:
Roosters contain less spiritual energy than hens, and are not good at mating. They are useless for other purposes, while hens can lay eggs. The eggs of Spirit Chickens are also beneficial for cultivators in the Qi Refining stage.
Wang Ba finally understood.
Then he cupped his hand and said, Thank you for clearing my doubts, shopkeeper. I do not have the Spirit Chicken with me at the moment. I will bring it to you later.
It doesnt matter.
Shopkeeper Lu, aware of Wang Bas hesitation, did not press him, but said seriously:
Our guest, be reassured, our purchase price is definitely the highest in this area. If you intend to sell it, please consider our shop.
Wang Ba nodded his head and left.
He visited several other grocery stores for price inquiries and took a tour of the only talisman store.
After going around and ensuring that no one was following him, he finally left the market.
He walked a little further in a direction opposite to the manors.
Still not noticing anyone following him, Wang Ba finally exhaled slowly.
It seems I was overthinking things. Nonetheless, its always better to be cautious.
After thinking about it, he already had a plan for the four Spirit Chickens in the manor.