The elder’s eyes lit up: he was never afraid of guests being picky, only of guests showing no interest at all. He let his gaze sweep, almost imperceptibly, over Senior Ling Long and the others, lingering on Ancestor Sui Bian and the Old Black Daoist, and his expression grew more certain.

“Yes, of course there is, please follow me,” he said with a squinting smile as he walked to the next iron cage set off on its own.

Inside that cage was a beastkin. He was broad-shouldered and burly, muscles knotted, honey-brown skin crisscrossed with scars of all sizes; between the thick strands of hair stood a pair of furry ears, and a long tail behind him swished restlessly.

“This one hails from the Great Luo Realm’s Golden Leopard Clan,” the elder tapped his whip against the beastkin as he boasted, “thick hide and tough flesh, immense strength, a keen nose, and a knack for treasure-seeking and bringing wealth. A must-have to guard the household.”

At the old codger’s words, the beastkin snapped his head up, cold killing intent flashing in his golden eyes. He gave a low growl and, through the bars, clawed straight for the elder. Yet before his hands reached the cage, several currents of electricity struck him with lightning speed. He gave a whimper and curled into a ball in pain.

“No matter how much he looks like a person, he still has the habits of a beast. No amount of suffering will teach him sense,” the old codger sneered, then turned to Senior Ling Long with a leering smile: “If the guest is interested, the price is negotiable.”

Ancestor Sui Bian felt something off about his expression; after a beat, he realized the man had taken him and the Old Black Daoist for pretty boys kept by Senior Ling Long, so he was deliberately pitching a strong beastkin to vie for favor. Sui Bian’s face went green then white. [Damn that short codger for judging by looks. Truly hateful.]

Senior Ling Long clearly also understood the elder’s intent. The corner of her eye twitched as she gave a slight shake of the head.

“You truly won’t reconsider?” the elder asked, surprised, and while he spoke he kept sneaking glances at Ancestor Sui Bian and the Old Black Daoist, as if wondering what spell the two of them cast.

Senior Ling Long’s gaze cooled; the elder felt a chill pierce through him and shuddered all over. He looked at Senior Ling Long with new respect and held his tongue as he moved on to the next cage.

“Please look, guest,” he said.

Curled inside the cage lay a dark blue fox. She had buried her head beneath five fluffy tails; her fur was in disarray, smeared with dried blood, and faint wounds showed here and there.

“Guest, this is a nine-tailed fox. Don’t be fooled that it has only five tails at present. From its coloring you can tell it was originally a six-tailed blue fox. During capture it suffered grievous wounds and severed one tail itself. The intelligence of a nine-tailed fox is in no way inferior to a human’s, its lifespan is long, and each tail counts as half a life. At the crucial moment a tail can serve as a death-substitute, a life-saving marvel.”

Ancestor Sui Bian and the Old Black Daoist had only glanced idly at first, not taking it to heart. But when they heard the elder’s spiel and looked more closely, they were thunderstruck, their faces changing at once. The fox in the cage was an old acquaintance. Because one tail was missing and her fur color had changed, they had not recognized her at first sight. The blue nine-tailed fox in the cage seemed also to sense a familiar aura; her body tucked in the corner stirred, then she slowly lifted her head. Through the messy fur her gaze fell on Ancestor Sui Bian and the Old Black Daoist, and the dim eyes suddenly lit.

“Re…” the Old Black Daoist managed only a single syllable before Ancestor Sui Bian blocked him with spiritual power. The Old Black Daoist’s fists clenched as he glared at Ancestor Sui Bian, eyes almost spitting fire.

“Stay calm,” Ancestor Sui Bian formed the words silently and sent him a warning look, reminding him where they were.

The Old Black Daoist wrestled back his reason and nodded; only then did Ancestor Sui Bian release him. Their commotion had already drawn attention.

“Do you know this nine-tailed fox?” the elder probed.

“We do not,” Ancestor Sui Bian said flatly.

The elder looked unconvinced. Ancestor Sui Bian went on: “But I think your introduction was quite good. Name your price.”

The elder’s eyes rolled as he rubbed his hands and chuckled: “The guest has excellent taste. A nine-tailed fox like this is a rarity; you won’t find a second in the whole underground black market. The price, naturally, won’t be cheap.”

“Quit the nonsense and name it,” the Old Black Daoist snapped, brows bristling.

Startled by his tone, the elder quickly recovered, smiling as he held up five fingers: “Five hundred pieces of spirit jade. No haggling.”

“Five hundred spirit jade?” Ancestor Sui Bian nearly jumped, eyes bulging. “Why not just rob us?”

“Guest, this is a nine-tailed fox, scarce under heaven,” the elder said unhurriedly. “Five hundred is already the discounted price for sincere buyers.”

Ancestor Sui Bian’s teeth itched with rage; he longed to flatten the old codger with one punch. A trace of chagrin flashed through the Old Black Daoist’s eyes; he knew his earlier impulse had tipped their hand and prompted the elder to name a sky-high price.

Yu Zhao had felt the fox looked familiar the moment she saw her. After all, she had lived day and night with nine-tailed foxes on Qingqiu Mountain for quite some time. Then she noticed Ancestor Sui Bian and the Old Black Daoist’s strange reactions and understood at once that the fox in the cage was likely one of the seniors who had ascended from the Cultivation World. Clearly the two had a close tie to this nine-tailed fox, and the elder had seized them by the throat. Sure enough, no matter how angry they were, Ancestor Sui Bian and the Old Black Daoist could only grit their teeth and swallow this loss.

The Old Black Daoist was penniless. Ancestor Sui Bian had been in the Lingxiao Realm of late; most of the spirit jade he had saved had been consumed in cultivation, and he had also bought a starry sky stone earlier. Even when he and Yu Zhao scraped together every last piece they carried, they still fell short of five hundred. He looked to the elder to try to bargain further, but the elder clamped down on the price and would not budge. Ancestor Sui Bian had no choice but to borrow a hundred spirit jade more from Senior Xiu Yu before he finally met the sum. Scowling, he handed it over.

“Five hundred spirit jade. The nine-tailed fox is mine,” he said.

The elder snatched the payment in a hurry, his face glowing red with delight: “Well said, well said. The guest is decisive.” He drew a key from his chest, opened the cage door, and reached to grab the fox’s leg. Her leg still bore wounds; the moment his hand touched, the fox’s body trembled with pain. The Old Black Daoist could no longer hold back; he stepped forward and shoved the elder away: “Out of the way. I will do it.”

Staggering from the push, the elder’s eyes grew gloomy for an instant, but he withdrew his hand and stood aside. The Old Black Daoist crouched and carefully lifted the fox from the cage, his voice rough: “Red Tail, we came too late. You have suffered.”