"Good Evening Sir, I heard you are looking for precious metals. May I ask what's your budget? Hehe." Manager Wu asked Zhu Furong with a broad salesman smile.

"Not much, about six gold coins." Zhu Furong honestly answered.

"It's indeed not much, but not less too. Hehe." Manager Wu still kept his salesman smile.

"Please take a look at these ores here, you may find them useful." Saying this, Manager Wu gestured to the counter.

On the counter there were 4 metal ores placed in an order being observed by two beefy men in black hanfu. Their faces are hidden with a black mask and both of them are carrying a sword on their waist.

They looked similar to the current Zhu Furong in attire except they are way taller and carry a sword with them.

Beside the two beefy men there sat a beautiful girl about 5 years old. She is all fair with her black hair tied into a Chinese bun adorned with golden ornaments. She wore a yellow hanfu with a purple belt.

She has a cute and beautiful face. Her eyes are deep like a calm lake and her eyebrows are thin with the ends raised towards her temples, giving her somewhat of an intelligent look.

All the intelligent looking kids are naughty troublemakers, history is the proof.

The way the little girl carries herself gives the vibe of someone who sits in a higher position. She is definitely someone very important.

Zhu Furong just took a quick glance at the girl then proceeded to join the two beefy men in observing the 4 metal ores.

From the left the ores are in the colour of red, blueish silver, green and pink.

Zhu Furong recognized the red and blueish silver metal ores as Red Iron and Sky Damascus Steel. Both are about the size of the fist and are good for forging weapons.

According to Zhu Xingzuo, the chicken egg sized green ore is Silver Moss, it's more of a medicine than a metal ore. The existent form and rarity of it must have fooled the store to think of it as a metal ore. Silver Moss is kinda similar to the All-Cure treasure from Zhu Furong's past life. It can cure any disease or disorder, but it's not as potent as the All-Cure treasure and only works on people under the Cultivation Rank of Foundation Establishment.

The last pink metal ore is quite huge, about the size of a basketball. This ore has left both Zhu Furong and Zhu Xingzuo drooling. This pink metal ore in reality is a huge chunk of high grade Spirit Crystal.

My oh my. In a Lower Realm where the density of Spiritual Qi in the air is not even half of that of Upper Realm, there is a basketball sized high grade Spirit Crystal that can't be even found in the Upper Realm. This is quite a treasure.

For Zhu Xingzuo who needs Spiritual Qi desperately, this is a cake fallen from the sky. He urged Zhu Furong to get his hands on it. He is so desperate that he even suggests putting it inside the Nine-Layers Pagoda and making a run for it. After all, such a huge Spirit Crystal won't be cheap. Can Zhu Furong pay for it with his 6 gold coins worth of wealth?

"What are the prices for these?" Zhu Furong asked Manager Wu.

"Hehe, not much, not much. The Red Iron is 2 gold coins, the Sky Damascus Steel is 3 gold coins. We don't know what that green ore is so there isn't a price on it yet. And lastly that pink ore, we also couldn't understand what it is but we definitely know it contains a huge amount of Spiritual Qi, so we placed a rough price of 10 gold coins on it." Manager Wu explained while rubbing his hands together.

Zhu Furong rolled his eyes secretly and thought. 'You don't know what it is but you know how to put a high price tag on it. Humph!'

He is sad. He definitely can't afford this with his net worth. Steal it? No way, who knows what kind of masters are hiding in the dark to protect this store. Also, the two beefy men following the little girl are of Revolving Core rank. No joke.

Even thinking about a fight against a Revolving Core rank Cultivator with his current Cultivation, Zhu Furong started sweating bullets.

"What do you say Sir?" Manager Wu asked while rubbing his hands.

"Er... I am quite interested in that pink ore but the price seems to be out of my budget." Zhu Furong said with embarrassment while scratching his head.

A big mistake!

Until now wherever Zhu Furong went, he kept his hands hidden inside the sleeves of his black robe. He is always holding a small bag to give off the impression of a Spatial Bag, so no one would doubt him when he puts the materials inside the Nine-Layers Pagoda directly after purchasing.

But this time he committed a blunder. He is holding the small bag with his left hand hidden inside the sleeve but he used his right hand without the cover of the sleeve to scratch his head, revealing a jade-white small hand.

The little girl instantly noticed this. "Ah! What a beautiful hand." She commented without thinking.

Zhu Furong realized what happened and instantly pulled back his hand inside his robe. "Cough! Cough!" He tried to hide his mistake with a slight cough.

Manager Wu didn't mind it. It is quite common for the Young Master and Mistresses to go out for fun hiding their identities. All Manager Wu cares about is money.

"Well no worries, no worries Sir." Manager Wu followed to help Zhu Furong with this embarrassing situation.

"As I can see, Sir, you seem to know about all these metals. How about this, if you tell me all you know about the green ore, I will sell the pink ore to you for only 6 gold coins." Manager Wu offered.

"Deal." Zhu Furong answered without a second thought.

"Wait! I want all these ores." Suddenly the little girl shouted from behind.

Both Manager Wu's face and Zhu Furong's hidden face turned awkward. This was an unexpected hindrance just after both of them had struck a deal.

Zhu Furong turned around and said with an irritated tone. "This Miss... It's not fair."

"Insolence!" Suddenly the two beefy guys stepped forward from the sides with their hand on the sword hilt, scaring Zhu Furong shitless.

"Er..." Zhu Furong instinctively took a step back, he didn't understand what he did wrong to be shouted at.

The little girl raised her left hand and the two men stepped back and stood silently to her sides. They are her bodyguards.

"What's not fair?" The girl asked nonchalantly.

"Er..." Zhu Furong looked left and right towards the two beefy men. He was scared to speak.

"What are you scared of? Are you even a man? Speak!" The little girl ordered in a haughty tone.

"Well... You see... I just made a deal with Manager Wu and then you suddenly said you will buy all the ores. It isn't fair." Zhu Furong straightforwardly said.

"Humph! I came here first and I was looking at these ores way before you arrived. I haven't even said that if I want to buy them or not, how can you guys just go ahead and make a deal in front of me? Am I a joke to you?" The little girl stared at Zhu Furong and Manager Wu.

Manager Wu tucked his head into his shoulders with fear.

"Yes, yes, er... I mean no, no." Zhu Furong stuttered. He slapped his own head. "I mean no, you are no joke to us." Zhu Furong wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

In this short period of stuttering he almost made fun out of the little girl which in turn called out the killing intent of her bodyguards for a brief moment.

"This girl and her bodyguards are such a bully. She definitely was just looking at the ores with no will to buy them. I say Big Brother, just knock these men out and steal those ores. If you remove all the weights off your body, you can definitely outrun them." Zhu Xingzuo said angrily.

"Shut up! What do you know? This girl is definitely not someone simple. And knock these men? I can probably do that to the manager and the sales boy but look at those two bodyguards of her's, they are Revolving Core rank Cultivators, I don't have a death wish." Zhu Furong scolded Zhu Xingzuo via Divine Sense.

"Who in this state has the capability to hire such bodyguards? Looking at her attire she looks like a princess. Don't tell me..." Saying the last line to Zhu Xingzuo, Zhu Furong shuddered.

'Princess ah! If she really is the princess of Ming Dynasty then it's better to not offend her. But I almost did offend her. Am I safe? Or am I not safe? Oh god, I don't want my peaceful life to be ruined by my own hands. Better to bend your knees to save your head ah!' Zhu Furong thought with regret.

He wasn't ready yet to fight against these kinds of people. Maybe in the future... Well, we will see that in the future.

"Miss, If I may be so bold to ask for your name, hehe." Zhu Furong asked in an awkwardly meek tone.

The little girl brushed her bangs behind her ear. "You may call me Princess Ming Lan(orchid), that's what others called me." Ming Lan said with a mischievous smile.

'Damn! She really is the princess of the Ming Dynasty. I better watch my mouth else.' Thinking about the consequences he got a chill running down his spine. 'This is the state of Ming Dynasty ah, no matter how far I run I won't be safe ah, and what about my family? I don't care about all of them but I don't want to cause any troubles to my Elder Sister, grandfather and Fourth Uncle, they all love me so much.'

"Hehe, so it's the princess. I didn't expect to see your highness here of all places. My apologies if I had offended you somehow. This lowly one doesn't know his place. Please forgive me, hehe." Zhu Furong started acting like a humble servant creeping the hell out of everybody present. Even Zhu Xingzuo who is sitting inside the Nine-Layers Pagoda spat with disgust.

Hehe, these ores are all yours, I don't want any of them, your highness may take them all." Zhu Furong said while smiling awkwardly.

"What a scaredy-cat and what a creep. He is shivering with fear just from hearing my identity. So pathetic." Ming Lan said with disgust.

"I said I want the ores and you gave up just like that? Don't you have any backbone? Which noble house are you from? I didn't know our Ming Dynasty had such losers. Is everyone in your house a loser like you?" Ming Lan mocked.

This princess has such an eccentric nature. It seems like she really loves to bully others. And from the attitude of the people present here, it's clear that they have no desire to stop her.

The words from the princess pricked Zhu Furong like a sharp needle. He didn't lash out but his body language showed a subtle change.

He suddenly stood straight with his hands behind his back. Calm and serene just like a lake Zhu Furong's voice reverberated. "The Dragon wants to sleep in peace but the people think it's ill. They prepare their bows to hunt the Dragon, only to be killed."

"Little Princess, if someone acts humble to you, it doesn't mean he is subservient to you. It's just, the person doesn't want to cause any unnecessary troubles."

"After all, making an enemy out of someone of your position is not a good idea."

"Well. I don't know about others, but I don't like bickering with people, it's a waste of time."

"But if a person is adamant on slapping my face, I won't just sit back. If necessary, I will break his hands before he can even touch my face."

Zhu Furong turned towards Manager Wu. "The green ore is called Silver Moss. It's not a metal ore but a medicine. It can cure any disease or disorder under the Foundation Establishment rank but it can't save you from mortal wounds. In simple words, a miracle medicine that can provide a mortal with a second life."

"I don't need anything out of this deal, just keep the information as a gift from me for our possible future transactions. I will take my leave." Zhu Furong gave a salute and turned towards the stairs to leave.

He walked a few steps but was stopped by the princess.

"Wait!" The princess shouted. Then in a calm tone she asked. "That was a nice speech. What's your name?"

"If I wanted to give my name, I wouldn't be hiding my face and attire will I? Please don't ask such silly questions Little Princess, the people will think of you as a fool." Zhu Furong mocked with his back facing Ming Lan.

"How dare you talk to the Princess like that." One of the bodyguards roared ready to chop Zhu Furong up.

"Step back! Who gave you the permission to act on your own?" Ming Lan frowned.

"My apologies Princess." Both the bodyguards bowed and stepped back to their guarding positions.

Zhu Furong slowly turned back and looked into the two bodyguards eyes without any fear.

Ming Lan looked at Zhu Furong. "They call me the 'Tomboy Princess', they call me 'The Princess with a sharp tongue', but no one has ever dared to call me 'Little Princess' and that too at my face."

"To mock the princess of the country without even flinching... I think I have to re-evaluate your character. At least you are not a pathetic loser but maybe you are a fool." Ming Lan smiled evilly.

"No, no, your highness, what are you saying? How can I be so impudent to mock the princess of the Ming Dynasty? I will be charged with treason. No way! I don't want my head to fly away." Zhu Furong shook his head.

"And about what type of character I have... Whatever it is, it's way better than yours for sure." Zhu Furong taunted.

Ming Lan squinted at Zhu Furong. "Humph! Talking with such sarcasm to a six-year-old, you don't seem to be much of a gentleman." Ming Lan ridiculed.

"To be the princess of a whole country and enjoy bullying innocent people, you also don't seem to hold any self-esteem." Zhu Furong ridiculed back.

"Also, to suddenly bring up your age into the conversation... Are you trying to frame me for bullying instead? Is this how the royal family works? Passing the blame to others?" Zhu Furong sneered.

"You..." Ming Lan angrily stared at Zhu Furong, pointing her finger at his nose while breathing fire.

Zhu Furong ignored her and turned back. He secretly slapped his own mouth.

'Shit! Did I go too far? She won't order her bodyguards to attack me will she. I will definitely die. Oh my god, what a shit mouth I have. Must be the influence of Xingzuo. Fuck!' Zhu Furong's heart beat like a drum, but he acted all calm on the outside.

The two bodyguards stared at Zhu Furong's back like they wanted to eat him alive.

The place suddenly fell silent.

"Ehem!... Well if you have nothing else to say, I will take my leave." Zhu Furong broke the silence and started walking towards the stairs at a steady pace.

No one stopped him this time. The princess and her bodyguards gazed at Zhu Furong's back with rage as he was leaving.

Zhu Furong slowly walked out of the store, looked left and right and then shot with max speed to a random direction, vanishing into the darkness of the night. He fled like a beaten dog.

"Ah Big Brother, what about the Spirit Crystal? We left it behind." While running, suddenly Zhu Xingzuo's voice sounded inside Zhu Furong's head.

"Can you fight those two Revolving Core rank bodyguards?" Zhu Furong calmly asked via Divine Sense.

"Impossible!" Zhu Xingzuo instantly denied.

"Then shut the fuck up! We will see about it later, for now don't you dare mention that Spirit Crystal to me." Zhu Furong shouted via Divine Sense.

He continued. "Didn't get any rare metals but offended the princess of the country. What luck. Fuck!" Zhu Furong lamented.

He ran quite far, then changed his direction to the opposite of Zhu manor. He travelled about two miles. He then took several turns here and there and after confirming that no one was following him, he started his journey back home.

...

It was 9 o'clock at night when Zhu Furong returned home. Zhu Ling was waiting for him outside his room.

Zhu Furong silently entered from the window he had kept unlocked and opened the door of the room from inside. Yawning, he stepped outside.

He acted like he had just woken up and tried to escape any punishments by making the excuse of deep sleep.

Zhu Ling checked his forehead for any signs of fever, then scolded him for not answering the door and sleeping like a dead log, worrying her so much.

At last she twisted Zhu Furong's ear, ordered the servants to deliver dinner for her little brother and then she left to sleep in her own room.

Back to the All Metals store...

The princess snapped out of her gaze, then she gritted her teeth and ordered her bodyguards to chase the bastard.

For the first time in her life, the Tomboy Princess has faced such humiliation. She has to know the identity of the culprit. She wanted revenge.

Both the bodyguards chased after the black hooded figure but lost him after chasing quite far. They couldn't understand how a person with no signs of Cultivation can run so fast.

Even if he has some Cultivation, it must be the preparation stages, like Body Preparation rank or Meridians Opening and Qi Condensation rank. This doesn't make any sense! Both bodyguards scratched their heads.

Both of them are middle stage Revolving Core Cultivators but they can't even chase a non-Cultivator, such shame.

Well, Zhu Furong has put away all his weights inside the Nine-Layers Pagoda. He is now 700kgs lighter, of course he will run fast.

Soon the bodyguards returned back to the All Metals store. They couldn't catch the man but their effort didn't go in vain.

The princess returned home with a smile on her face while playing with something in her hand.