After a cup of tea's time, Chang Bao returned, leading a middle-aged cultivator with him.
"Brother Wang, this is the seller—Brother Jiang Chao!""Brother Jiang, please have a seat!"
Jiang Chao looked anxious. Before sitting, he blurted out:
"How many spirit stones are you offering?"
Wang Yanfeng and Wang Hao exchanged a glance. Lifting five fingers, Wang Yanfeng said:
"If the herb is in good condition, we'll pay five hundred spirit stones."
Jiang Chao's face fell:
"Five hundred is far too little! I want eight hundred! This is one of the key ingredients for the Foundation Elixir—if it's any less, forget it!"
"But it's only eighty years old—six hundred stones is the maximum!" Wang Yanhzou insisted.
Chang Bao interjected:
"Brother Wang, Brother Jiang has hardships of his own. Can we raise the offer?"
Wang Yanfeng pondered, then nodded:
"Fine—seven hundred spirit stones. That's our final offer."
Chang Bao turned to Jiang Chao:
"Brother Jiang, seven hundred is very fair. Even other shops won't pay more!"
Jiang Chao hesitated, then agreed:
"Very well—meet me at the market gate tomorrow morning."
After Jiang Chao departed, Wang Yanfeng explained that every such deal required an inspection before payment to prevent wandering cultivators from fabricating stories and cheating hundreds of stones.
"I'll accompany you this time. When you go alone in the future, be even more cautious.""Yes, Eighth Uncle—I value my life too much!" Wang Hao thought.
With the deal sealed, they prepared for their expedition into the Broken Source Mountains. They needed a large stock of talismans and healing pills—Spirit-Return Pills, Clarity Pills, Red Blood Pills—to survive. It was wise to carry them even if they never used them.
Two days later, Jiang Chao returned as promised, and the three set off.
The Broken Source range stretches hundreds of thousands of li, marking the boundary between the South Sea Realm and the Deep Origin Continent—hence its name. Qingniu Market sits on the southern foothills. Rumor speaks of Fourth-Level demon beasts deep inside, though even Second-Level demons are rare.
Soon they vanished into dense forest. Jiang Chao and Wang Yanfeng moved cautiously; Wang Hao was calm, his Map-of-Shamelessness showing no nearby threats.
But as vegetation thickened and ordinary beasts grew numerous, stealth became impossible. Their passage stirred ever more creatures.
"Brother Jiang, how much farther?" Wang Yanfeng asked after fending off a wolf pack."At least another day and a half!" Jiang Chao replied. Qi Refiners travel hundreds of li per day—another day and a half meant diving more than a thousand li deeper.
"At this depth, we'll surely encounter Second-Level demons!" Wang Yanfeng fretted."That's why I brought you," Jiang Chao said with a grin. "I've been here twice and never met one!"
Wang Hao frowned—his map had shown a green skull ahead, marking a Second-Level beast. Perhaps Jiang Chao had been lucky, or the beast had moved on.
When they reached a river, Jiang Chao led them into the water, swimming along the bank to avoid two demon-beast patrols. Even a wandering cultivator can be cunning!
After more skirmishes, they arrived at a clearing. Behind a boulder stood a tall green plant.
"This is the Lapis Lettuce," Jiang Chao announced. "Shall we complete the trade?"
Wang Yanfeng signaled Wang Hao to verify. Raising a protective shield, Wang Hao touched the plant, and his farm interface lit up the lettuce seed icon.
"Eighth Uncle, it's confirmed!"
Relieved, Wang Yanfeng placed seven hundred spirit stones on a rock:
"Thank you, Brother Jiang. I look forward to our future collaborations."
Jiang Chao pocketed the stones with a sly smile:
"As long as the Wang family pays fair prices, spirit herbs will never be scarce."
But as Wang Yanfeng prepared to dig up the lettuce, Wang Hao growled in realization:
"That was far too easy…"
Before they could react, Jiang Chao sneered:
"Too late—activate the formation!"
He swept his hand in a sealing gesture, and a translucent yellow barrier sprang up around Wang Hao and Wang Yanfeng.
"Seriously? My first expedition and I'm already ambushed like this?" Wang Hao cursed silently.
Wang Yanfeng dropped his spade in fury:
"Brother Jiang, we meant you no harm! Cancel the formation now and we'll let this go!"
But Jiang Chao only laughed:
"You're naive if you think I'll back down."
"Even with that formation, you alone cannot stand against us both," Wang Yanfeng tried to bargain, signaling Wang Hao to restore his energy.
Suddenly, a woman in green and a dark-faced man stepped forward behind Jiang Chao:
"How dare you ambush members of the Wang clan? You seek your deaths! The clan will not let this pass!" the dark-faced man thundered.
He chuckled:
"Once our business here is done, we're leaving Qingniu Market. No need to worry about any reprisal."
Watching his uncle flail, Wang Hao felt like a mere extra in someone else's drama—while these three were the true protagonists. His Eighth Uncle really was not to be trusted!