Returning to the residence.

Ning Zheng discovered that the two major cultivation resources' humanoid Spirit Rice, "Su Yuniang", and the cellar Meat Field bedmate and Qi Fortune harvester Ning Jiaojiao, had already prepared the meal and went out together.

Recently, the other party is also not in a hurry to go fishing.

After all, without suitable equipment, this so-called dungeon instance is still progressing slowly.

Judging by this situation, it seems they need to wait until the goods obtained from the merchant are digested and converted into equipment before she can explore this Well Entrance Dungeon better after some time.

So, she took Ning Jiaojiao to wander around the night market.

Playing, visiting during the New Year, going to visit the homes of old neighbors, chatting, joking, she was simply a social queen.

Besides having over a hundred native villagers she knows, she's overall busy and nonstop.

Ning Zheng didn't think much about it, anyway, Ning Jiaojiao was happy with company.

She even assigned a task to Su Yuniang:

Find a way to send meat to the shopkeeper of Youzhu Bookstore to purchase the books he has collected!

After all, Ning Zheng has been eyeing the books on this Spirit Manor's Great Calamity book puppet for a long time.

But getting them is very troublesome, can't beat him at all.

This person was probably a Great Cultivator in the locale before, very likely a Four Viscera Realm expert, originally one of the village elders.

Just wanted the extremely clever Su Yuniang to use meat to exchange for his books, get them in hand, and bring them back.

These are likely to be the Big Boss's secret manuals.

Upon receiving the hidden task, Su Yuniang was also filled with fighting spirit, running to the bookstore every day.

This made Ning Zheng discover a new world: it is really possible to let them handle dangerous tasks and just take the results for himself.

At this moment.

He sat down to eat, recalling today's interactions.

It was his first contact with outside cultivators since coming to this world independently.

In fact, there was some unease in his heart, after all, he was essentially a newly entered low-tier cultivator.

But fortunately, nothing unexpected happened.

"Originally, that group of little blacksmiths wanted to buy a Continuing Ash Talisman, but I didn't dare let them buy it."

He sighed.

A Continuing Ash Talisman, drawn by a high-tier Talisman Master, costs 100 Magic Coins each.

It can allow Embers to take root in the Earth Vein, absorb nutrients, forming something akin to a Spirit Manor's Earth-bound Spirit, preventing them from disappearing into the air.

This is something high-tier cultivators can do casually, connecting to the Earth Vein and taking root!

"In recent years, the price of Continuing Ash Talisman in Pingchang City has inexplicably been consistently dropping, to only a fifth of the original price."

"While various strategic materials have been slowly rising in price."

"Even though the market price of the Continuing Ash Talisman is so cheap, I still dare not buy it."

But if Ning Zheng bought it, it would reveal that problems are starting to appear in this Manor.

That batch of demon men could easily do this, yet had to rely on outsiders.

And not allowing them to buy means their first batch of Embers would start to disappear after a month.

Recently, Ning Zheng browsed forums, barely learning some online game operating rules, want them to feel growth, the joy of upgrading.

Ning Zheng has no levels to let them ascend, their joy is in raising pets, fighting with Divine Artifacts.

And the Ember pet has a lifespan, a time limit of more than a month, with no means to continue it.

This would inevitably deal a great blow to their enthusiasm.

"I truly do not dare to spend money even though I have it now."

Ning Zheng sighed, having a bitter feeling he couldn't express.

Today he dared to get a Storage Bag.

Meat Field, Spirit Rice, Pill Medicine, Paper Talisman, Array Map... He dares not purchase these resources in the city.

Because that group of Demon Cultivators doesn't need such low-level resources, they definitely wouldn't go buy things for cultivating blacksmiths.

Buying them himself is easy to expose.

Luckily, he was already prepared ahead.

Meat Field, Spirit Rice, all were self-prepared, with no new needs at all.

Pill Medicines are for assisting cultivation and breaking realm, protecting oneself when breaking through the meridian.

But Ning Zheng is lucky, needing no Pill Medicine to protect his meridian while breaking?

No need.

Currently with a low realm, no need to rely on Pill Medicine to break through.

Paper Talismans, Array Maps, these combat-related things are also not necessary.

Judging by his cultivation speed, low-tier Paper Talismans will soon be phased out.

"Overall, it's not bad, having money but no place to spend it, then don't spend."

Ning Zheng also had clarity of thought.

Earn first, then talk, when his cultivation is high, this little money can be spent in minutes.

Today this group of blacksmiths also saved him quite a bit of worry.

Became prudent in their usual behavior, their demeanor towards outsiders is still quite good.

...

...

Pingchang City.

It's the New Year, a time for lights and decorations everywhere.

Zhang Huaping walked down the street carrying her flashy Thunder Dragon Saber, drawing numerous sideways glances from passersby, with a spectacular head-turning rate.

"This weapon..."

"Looks great!"

"Mom, I want one too."

"I'll get you one when you grow up."

...

Returning to the shopkeeper's store, the old shopkeeper was counting the magic coins, letting out a sigh of relief only after confirming everything was correct.

After all, this wave of trade was collectively consumed by the business alliance throughout the city.

This time, the responsibility rotated to him for the transaction; there could be absolutely no mistakes.

This wasn't just a matter of money.

This was one of the city's crucial sources of weapons.

Without the magic artifact coarse embryo, are we supposed to fight empty-handed?

Moreover, the current situation is unstable, and these war materials are extremely important.

Thus, trading with those demon cultivators was a last resort.

After ensuring there were no errors in the transaction, the old shopkeeper finally noticed the saber behind Zhang Huaping, and was taken aback, exclaiming involuntarily, "How beautiful it is!?"

"Beautiful, right?"

Zhang Huaping couldn't help but boast a little.

200 magic coins in hand, it was absolutely worth it.

If she didn't have confidence, would someone with such a large warehouse inventory be courting death?

Though not a businesswoman, she was smart enough to know that neither she nor the manor's demon cultivators were foolish.

She planned to bide her time, observing the other party's actions.

If the other party really sold for 499, she'd go along and sell too, earning a fortune.

If it didn't sell, she'd sell for a low price of 250 to those wealthy scholars with more money than sense, and still break even.

After all, she initially valued it at the regular magical artifact price, about 250 magic coins.

Alas, the other party doubled the price, creating mystery boxes and mixing in numerous inferior artifacts valued at 100 magic coins, so she wasn't optimistic.

"Your weapon is quite interesting."

The old shopkeeper's eyes lit up; originally not expecting much, he now looked at the five mystery boxes Zhang Huaping brought back, startled again.

The packaging was very exquisite, resembling gift boxes.

The gift boxes featured a never-before-seen landscape night scene style, akin to being painted with colored wax.

Exquisitely perfect, delicate, and fine.

Yet not realistic at all.

With exaggerated proportions and hues, a twisted starry sky, and bright colors, it gave a strangely pleasing aesthetic.

The old overseer, with a keen eye, was slightly taken aback, "The artist they hired has such a unique style."

In terms of actual value, it wasn't exceptionally high.

Because there were many scholars in the city, mimicking this style would result in even better works.

But as this style appeared for the first time, not yet widely imitated, such uniquely stylish packaging boxes could be worth several magic coins!

"Very meticulous, even stunning, although expensive to produce, it will be mimicked by other shops soon... Let's open it and have a look inside," the old overseer suggested.

"Don't." Zhang Huaping hurriedly stopped him, "They have an anti-counterfeit label; once the seal is broken, it can't be sold."

The old overseer was taken aback.

He found this inexplicable sense of ritual baffling.

Anti-counterfeiting is something even ordinary blacksmiths can do, but to do it on a magical artifact, leaving a label to indicate self-forging, not on the packaging box.

Who does anti-counterfeiting on a packaging box?

Once opened, it's thrown away anyway.

"Interesting, very interesting indeed."

The old shopkeeper suddenly laughed.

Having been well-read since childhood, knowledgeable, and with a talent for business, he was appointed to manage the shop.

In an instant, he sensed a certain mystery, yet felt it was not immediately clear, "Does their packaging have any significance?"

Zhang Huaping recalled, "It was to provide scalpers a basis for speculation; their words were strange, something like unopened and brand new? A girl's own use at ten percent new?"

"Don't say you don't understand, neither do I."

The old shopkeeper chuckled; in this world, with so many ghosts and mentally unstable cultivators, spouting nonsensical crazy talk doesn't surprise anyone, seen merely as amusement.

For now, he decided not to open it, borrowing Zhang Huaping's saber for closer inspection.

Zhang Huaping outlined the sales rules piece by piece to the old shopkeeper.

The old shopkeeper carefully caressed the blade, displaying a captivated expression, and began pondering its meaning.

He started pacing back and forth, and after a few minutes, slowly exhaled a breath of muddy qi:

"A high master, this can sell! And it can sell well, with the potential to become a huge hit."