"Hello there. How can I assist you today?"

Ning remained calm when meeting the protagonist. He didn't make the cliché mistake of yelling out their name or acting so exaggeratedly that it came off as suspicious. He had long been prepared for their meeting. After all, it was inevitable since they were both in the same sect.

"I want to buy all the demon cores you have," Xiao Fan replied, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he surveyed the numerous demon cores on the stall. It was a rare find to come across someone selling such a massive quantity of demon cores.

Hearing Xiao Fan's demand, Ning couldn't help but feel delighted. This was a fat sheep—a prime target for a profitable sale. With a friendly smile, he began his sales pitch, "Sure thing! Currently, I have six second-stage demon cores and three third-stage demon cores. How about fifty spirit stones for the second-stage cores and a hundred and thirty for the third-grade ones?"

The price Ning quoted was fair, even considered slightly cheaper than the market rate. He knew that certain monster cores held greater value than others, but the difference wasn't significant enough to fuss over.

As for asking for a higher price? Ning wasn't stupid enough to do that. That was straight-up courting death.

Ning had still not completed his profiling of the protagonist, so he didn't know how this guy would act regarding such things. While it may not be as serious, there are numerous protagonists he has read about who, once they felt they were humiliated, were the type to go straight for the kill.

For such protagonists, they would rather die than be humiliated. So, Ning's price seemed fair.

Xiao Fan also nodded upon hearing the price; it was surprisingly within his budget. So, he happily took out a large sum of spirit stones from his space pouch.

Ning wasted no time and quickly counted the spirit stones, confirming their sufficiency. He then handed over all the beast cores to Xiao Fan, offering a polite customer service smile. "Thank you for your purchase."

Observing Xiao Fan's eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he collected the demon cores, Ning couldn't help but ponder for a moment. He decided to seize the opportunity and asked, "Brother, are you in dire need of more demon cores?"

Ning still had some cores left that he hadn't brought with him, and considering the market only opened once a month, he saw a chance to take action.

Xiao Fan paused, his interest reignited. "You have more?" he inquired, momentarily setting aside the cores he had just acquired.

"Well, yes. But they're not here at the moment. If you're truly in need, we can meet in about an hour," Ning admitted a tad sheepishly. Since he hadn't yet acquired a space pouch, everything was stored back in his cave.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Xiao Fan nodded in agreement. He was indeed desperate for more demon cores, eager to increase his strength as for some reason he seemed to be getting more and more enemies recently.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Seeing Xiao Fan's consent, Ning promptly excused himself and swiftly made his exit.

...

After a short wait, Xiao Fan spotted the disciple approaching once again. The young man appeared slim and frail, but his complexion was healthy and fair, giving him an overall charming appearance. He wore a simple green robe that seemed to have been washed countless times, nearly worn through. Yet, there was an elegance and gentleness to his movements and demeanor.

As Xiao Fan observed the sizable sack brought by the disciple, he couldn't help but let his guard down slightly. It appeared that this would indeed be a trade, not a trap set by his enemies.

"Here it is! You can inspect the goods," Ning said, taking out the cores from the bag.

The quantity of cores caused Xiao Fan's eyes to widen in surprise. There were at least three third-stage cores and six second-stage cores. Even for someone like him, it would be challenging to hunt down so many beasts.

'Looks like this disciple is stronger than he appears,' Xiao Fan thought, examining the goods once more before nodding in approval. "Alright, let's proceed with the trade."

"I'll sell them at the same price as before. Additionally, I have something special that might interest you," Ning remarked, noticing the curiosity in Xiao Fan's eyes. Slowly, he retrieved the core of the saw-tooth tiger.

Sensing the aura emanating from the core, Xiao Fan's breathing quickened slightly, his eyes shimmering with desire. "A fifth-stage demon core?"

"Yes, it's a demon core from a saw-tooth tiger. I was fortunate to obtain it when the tiger was injured. Since I have little use for the core myself, I thought of selling it to you," Ning explained with a smile.

"What do you want in exchange? I don't have enough spirit stones at the moment," Xiao Fan stated straightforwardly. A mid-stage monster core usually cost between 800 to several thousand spirit stones. After all, the disparity between the early-stage and mid-stage of Qi condensation was quite significant.

"Is that so? In that case, do you have any items or herbs that could enhance my cultivation? Oh, and I don't need pills at the moment," Ning continued, his intention being to obtain some valuable items or rare herbs from the protagonist.

Even if Xiao Fan had the money, Ning preferred to trade the core for useful items or herbs. Especially with the upcoming inner sect competition, he wanted something truly beneficial.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Fan raised an eyebrow, then produced a grass with small golden lines.

"Can we trade using this?" Xiao Fan asked, a hint of pain in his heart, but the need for the demon core outweighed his attachment to the grass.

As Ning looked at the grass before him, his pupils dilated. "A Dragon Qi grass. Judging by the length of the golden lines, this is a twenty-year-old Dragon Qi grass. Where did you find it?"

Ning, having frequently searched for herbs, had invested a considerable amount of spirit stones in a catalog of various beasts and plants in this cultivation world, allowing him to easily recognize the grass.

Dragon Qi grass was a spiritual herb that, when consumed, could significantly boost cultivation. A twenty-year-old specimen like this could raise one's cultivation by almost an entire realm when combined with other materials. It even had the effect of stabilizing the foundation. However, it could only be found in places with extremely rich spiritual energy. How on earth did this guy come across it?

"I picked it up." It was a nonchalant reply, but that only pained Ning further.

This guy fudging picked a Dragon Qi grass, and knowing his luck, what he said may actually be true.

Was this the protagonist's privilege?

Thinking like this for some reason, Ning felt a burning pain in his heart.

"I see. Your Dragon Qi grass has a bit more value than my fifth-stage demon core, but combined with the other cores, you are not at a loss. Let's conclude the trade."

Xiao Fan nodded, his eyes were shining as he caught the saw-tooth tiger core.

"Then, goodbye." Ning carefully kept the herb in his pouch and went his way, bidding farewell to the protagonist among us.