CHAPTER 149: CHAPTER 149: WANTING TO SPEND MONEY AND ENCOUNTERING A HALF-PRICE DISCOUNT (FOURTH UPDATE)

"I need to personally investigate to see who exactly runs that Cloud Grocery Store!" The Auction House Shopkeeper was furious to the point of wanting to scratch the walls.

Meanwhile, Miss Hu Jiu was also regretting to death, questioning why she had blurted out the secret about the Foundation Establishment Pill being sold in the young gentleman’s shop to the public.

Indeed, her third sister was right. Running around the Market every day, playing and gossiping without thinking, had made her so foolish! No matter how disappointed and upset she was, no matter how much she trusted her good friend, she shouldn’t have casually told her.

Great, now there would definitely be a lot of people keeping an eye on the grocery store’s every move. How would she get the chance to buy the Foundation Establishment Pill now?

"Waaaah... I can’t live like this!" The more she thought, the more upset she became.

Unable to transform into a pretty face due to unsuccessful cultivation of the Transformation Technique; not having succeeded in Foundation Establishment after so long, even getting a Pill was snatched by someone else; always dreaming of enjoying life without using her brain, how could the young gentleman, likely an Alchemist, fancy her?

It’s over, her fox life’s prospects are bleak!

She pursed her lips, thinking that nobody could find out about this foolish thing she had done, or else she would forever be labeled as the dumbest vixen. What foolish thing had the last fox pup who received the "honorable title" done?

Ugh, she even had the mind to think about such nonsense, clearly her brain was broken!

Miss Hu Jiu beat her head a few times hard, looking around to find the Auction House’s thugs in the crowd eyeing fiercely, immediately realizing she brought great trouble to the young gentleman.

The customer earlier bought the Foundation Establishment Pill at a bargain price and would surely remain silent, but she, having been in the Market for a long time with a seemingly good relationship with the wonton shop next door, thought nothing of it and accidentally leaked the news when losing control of her emotions.

Unexpectedly, the other party immediately informed other shopkeepers, and the news spread like that.

What does the Auction House rely on to make money?

Of course, by creating hype, inflating prices, leveraging the fact that others couldn’t access the Foundation Establishment Pill to buy low and sell high. Now, with her blabbing, everyone knows that they can buy a Foundation Establishment Pill for eighty-five thousand, would anyone be fooled by the high prices of the Auction House again?

"Damn it, how should I warn the young gentleman to be on guard?" She was at a loss.

Don’t be fooled by how Auction House Shopkeeper Liu Wanhai looks slightly plump and unrestrained with his disheveled gray hair and always having a benign smile. That guy is ruthless indeed! Last time, a hawk tricked into being fooled couldn’t pay enough Spirit Stones and was reportedly gutted to serve as a warning.

What if he bore a grudge and targeted the young gentleman because of this?

There were still many shadows of varying heights and sizes surrounding the front of the Cloud Grocery Store.

But the shop’s window display was already closed, the door tightly shut; someone tried to peek inside through the door crack but saw only a blank whiteness.

"Strange, the Market shops are all registered, with the Cloud Grocery Store listed among them, but the shopkeeper column is blank, how odd." Auction House Shopkeeper Liu Wanhai personally went to the Market Authority to check the registration book and found that even the most mysterious Money Shopkeeper’s name and details were registered, yet not a single piece of information was available for a small grocery store!

Even in the lowest level and most remote Cyan Fish Mountain Market, positions are chosen and Arrays are set up by the Alliance.

The entire Market is set upon a large Array to ensure all Market regulations are accurately enforced, also serving as the fundamental reason for effective combat restrictions; any violation of rules would be forcibly expelled by the Array.

Under stringent management, every shop in the Market must be Array-permitted and registered before opening for business, without exception.

"It is indeed rare but not entirely strange." The Market Officer at Cyan Fish Mountain Market sat cross-legged, leisurely speaking, "You must remember, these Market Arrays were ultimately crafted by an Array Master and are not divine objects, anything beyond the detection scope of the Arrays can’t be restricted."

Liu Wanhai was stunned momentarily, "Beyond the detection scope of the Arrays? Does that mean... your point is the owner of the Cloud Grocery Store is so powerful that they are beyond the Array’s constraint?"

"The other party might well be a skilled Array Master." The Market Officer remained calm, even too lazy to open his eyes as he continued speculating, "Or perhaps, related to some mighty person in the Alliance, who doesn’t want their identity revealed. Wouldn’t it just take a word?"

Many shopkeepers were shouting earlier, and I heard that the Cloud Grocery Store sold a Foundation Establishment Pill. If the identity is an Alchemist wishing to stay low-key, that makes it even more likely. In any case, this shop opened without my intervention; just know it and don’t go spreading it around."

"Thank you for the guidance, Market Officer." Liu Wanhai respectfully offered a generous gift before withdrawing from the room.

Darn it, what kind of holy being comes to meddle in the small Cyan Fish Mountain Market? If you’re that capable, why not wreak havoc in the big Market?

He was burning inside but didn’t dare act rashly; he decided to assign a confidant from today on to keep an eye on the shop’s movements, not letting the other party detect hostility, yet also finding out what the grocery store intends to do.

Occasionally selling a few Pills at a low price is fine, but if they continuously disrupt prices, a solution must be found.

The "culprit" Jiang Yuan had no idea that a single Foundation Establishment Pill kept the Market bustling for so long; he was busy with Incense Making when suddenly he heard a system notification— the Foundation Establishment Pill was sold!

[Achievement: Spirit Stones accumulated to one hundred thousand. Reward: half-price discount on all purchases within ten minutes]

"What an assist from heaven!" He jumped with excitement, thinking that even the system encourages me to spend money tonight!

However, even with the discount, he needed to spend wisely as Spirit Stones had countless uses; saving more still felt dependable. Hence, after considering, he first spent fifty Spirit Stones to purchase one hundred units of Butterfly Demon Scale Powder.

Items that can instantly mature crops are handy but without urgent tasks, they aren’t too relied upon.

Primarily, the newly restored poultry and livestock barns being left vacant while waiting for crops to mature and produce enough feed felt like a waste of time, and it took a few days for the poultry and livestock to mature too.

Therefore, Jiang Yuan planned to sow today’s crops, use Butterfly Demon Scale Powder to hasten the harvest today, and then sow again. The system would still count the progress as if planted that day, and they would mature by tomorrow.

And tonight, with enough grain produced for feed, buying poultry and livestock before dawn meant they’ve essentially been reared for a day when ascending in the Wilderness, exploiting this bug efficiently saves time.

Moreover, with the one hundred thousand Spirit Stones achievement reward being so considerate and offering half-price, how could he not quickly implement his plan?

Therefore, Jiang Yuan put aside Incense Making, sprinting around with Butterfly Demon Scale Powder to mature a batch of crops, putting them into the Bait Workshop to make feed while intensely purchasing in the meantime.

Once the poultry and livestock barns were repaired, the shop automatically unlocked poultry and livestock. Originally costing five thousand gold coins for a calf, five thousand coins now buy two calves with the discount, how could he not seize the moment and buy, buy, buy?

Upon entering the livestock barn, what looked like a simple and rustic pointy-roofed house from the outside was quite spacious within.

Inside was a row of feeding troughs, with running water on the left for animals to drink, and a small bell above the water trough, indicating ringing the copper bell would summon livestock from outside. The entire barn was clean and tidy, requiring only feeding daily, eliminating concerns about cleaning up.