Chapter 8: Haggling, Rounding Down, and Halving the Price—Forcing a Sale and Losing the Piglet

The next day, Qian Jin slept straight through until noon. Only after indulging in a hearty meal of fatty meat did he set off contentedly toward the horse market.

“Did you hear? Last night, a lot of people died holding huge ingots, grinning from ear to ear.”

“Nonsense! They must’ve been killed.”

“It’s true! The authorities already examined the bodies. Not a single scratch on them.”

“I know about that! Every one of them died with a smile—you could tell they were overjoyed at the end.”

“So it turns out, sudden wealth really can kill you with happiness!”

“…”

All along the way, nearly everyone was discussing the murder case from the previous night. Qian Jin, terrified of being recognized, kept his head down and hurried along, soon arriving at the horse market.

“Come look, come see! Fine horses of the highest quality—travel a thousand miles a day, no longer a dream!”

“Don’t just walk by! Outstanding steeds—ride them or put them to work!”

Qian Jin stared wide-eyed at the middle-aged man hawking his prized horse, and timidly asked, “Uncle, yours is a stallion, isn’t it? When you say ‘ride and work,’ aren’t you being a bit too desperate?”

“I meant work—as in labor, not what you’re thinking!” The middle-aged man nearly choked on his own spit, and promptly aimed a kick at Qian Jin.

“Oh, oh!” Qian Jin sprang aside, immediately clarifying, “Of course, it’s for work. Doing anything else with a dead horse would be a crime against the body.”

“Don’t run, boy! I’ll beat you half to death today!” The man, enraged, snatched up his whip, threatening to lash him.

“I’ll buy it! I’ll buy it!” Sensing things were turning sour, Qian Jin quickly blurted out his intention to purchase.

“Two hundred taels,” the man named his price, lowering the whip only after Qian Jin made his offer.

‘Master always said, there’s no business without cunning. First knock off the last digit, then cut the price in half!’ Qian Jin recalled his master’s earnest teaching and immediately appraised the horse’s true value.

“Give me a discount—ten taels!”

“Are you looking for trouble?!” The man could bear it no longer after hearing Qian Jin’s counter-offer.

“In any transaction, you’re allowed to set your price, and I’m allowed to haggle. We can discuss further if you don’t agree,” Qian Jin retreated two steps, trying to reason with him slyly.

“Phew… You have a point,” the man gritted his teeth and spat out, “One hundred and ninety taels.”

“Twenty taels.”

“One hundred and eighty taels.”

“Thirty taels.”

“…”

“One hundred and twenty taels—deal! Damn it, what kind of rotten luck have I run into today?” Grumbling, the man snatched the silver from Qian Jin and shoved the reins into his hand with a scowl.

“Hehe! Thank you, thank you!” Qian Jin grinned from ear to ear, leading his newly acquired steed out of the city, buying some supplies along the way.

“Is that what you call haggling? You’re lucky the horse dealer had a good temper and didn’t break your bones!” Shangguan Lingxi, having witnessed Qian Jin’s ‘heaven-defying eloquence,’ couldn’t help but offer a sarcastic compliment.

“Hehe, Master wouldn’t lie to me. First knock off the last digit, then halve the price,” Qian Jin declared, thoroughly convinced by his master’s bargaining wisdom.

“Is it possible your blind old master actually meant ‘knock off the last digit’ and then halve the remainder?” Shangguan Lingxi delivered a soul-searching retort.

“Close enough, close enough.” Qian Jin laughed it off, unconcerned—experience had just proven his method right.

‘Is this what they mean by “fortune favors fools”?’ Shangguan Lingxi was at a complete loss and could only categorize Qian Jin as a fool in her mind.

…

“So fast! So fast!” No sooner had they left the city than Qian Jin eagerly mounted his new horse, yelling excitedly.

“Are you kidding me?” Shangguan Lingxi watched as the fine steed plodded along at a leisurely pace, nearly losing her temper. “Think it’s too slow? Let me give it some speed!”

She delivered a firm kick to the horse’s hindquarters.

With a piercing neigh, the horse, stung by pain, bolted forward at full speed.

“Murder! Murder!”

“Too fast! Let me off!”

“Ancestor, save me—!”

“Now that’s more like it,” Shangguan Lingxi said with satisfaction, watching Qian Jin wail and howl atop the horse.

…

“We should reach Ascending Cloud Pavilion once we get past this mountain. These past two days have worn me out,” Qian Jin complained, gnawing on a pig’s trotter beneath a large tree.

“Oink, oink—” The little pig devoured its food in big gulps, occasionally grunting in agreement.

“Second Brother, how can you eat pork so happily when it’s your own kind?” Qian Jin, eyeing the half-eaten roast pig leg, questioned the pig’s apparent lack of scruples.

“What? As long as it’s edible! You’re not picky at all,” Qian Jin tore off a chunk of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, thoroughly enjoying the taste.

“Hyah!”

“Hyah!”

“Hyah!”

Suddenly, seven or eight riders thundered past, raising clouds of dust.

“Cough, cough! Have you no decency? Can’t you see people are eating here? Running so fast—what’s up ahead, anyway…”

Choking on dust, Qian Jin leapt up, cursing after the retreating riders—until he suddenly saw them turn back, which promptly shut him up.

‘Did they hear me? I’m doomed!’

As Qian Jin hastily racked his brains for a way out, the riders reached him.

“Whoa—”

“Well, well, just a kid at the first stage of Qi Condensation,” remarked one of the white-clad riders, a handsome young man, with a note of surprise.

‘They’re all cultivators at the fourth stage or higher! Ancestor, save me!’ Qian Jin realized all of them were far stronger than he was and desperately called out to his ancestor—but no answer came, no matter how he pleaded.

“Brothers and sisters, this is all a misunderstanding. I’m just here, having a meal,” Qian Jin hurried forward to explain, thinking they’d come back to teach him a lesson for his earlier outburst.

“My, what a sweet tongue! Makes me want to have a taste myself.”

“He’s a bit young, but rather handsome.”

“Why don’t we bring him back for Sister Mengli as a child groom?”

“Giggle—”

As soon as Qian Jin opened his mouth, several beautiful women in the group began to tease him, while the men frowned and shot him menacing glances.

“Don’t frighten him. Oh, your pig is adorable! Name your price and sell it to me,” said one white-robed woman, riding forward and eyeing the pig with sparkling eyes.

‘Scared me to death! I thought they’d come back to beat me up,’ Qian Jin sighed in relief, realizing they weren’t here for trouble.

‘Wait—they want to buy my Second Brother! That’s my lifeline!’

Qian Jin instantly tensed. “Not for sale, he’s my brother.”

“Haha—”

“That’s hilarious—planning to fatten it up before selling?”

The woman ignored the others’ laughter, pursed her lips, and said, “I’ll give you a hundred spirit stones. That’s enough to buy hundreds of pigs. Just sell me this one!”

“No!” Though her offer was generous, Qian Jin and the little pig were bound by fate—he wouldn’t dare sell.

“Why bother talking?” one of the white-robed young men sneered, raising his hand and summoning a powerful force that snatched the still-eating pig into his grasp.

“Here’s your pig money. No need to thank me,” the man laughed, tossing a few spirit stones behind as he rode off. The woman, though frowning, still followed after, but not before tossing Qian Jin a delicate little pouch as she departed.