Chapter 118: If You Put It That Way, I Have Also Wronged You
The tavern recommended by Li Zi was indeed reliable; in his previous life, he had also stayed here. The experience was decent.
At the tavern counter, Li Xingtian threw down a few spirit stones to pay the room fee. He took the room token handed over by the waiter and simultaneously rejected the waiter's food recommendations.
Li Xingtian did not like eating for a reason. In his previous life, he suffered a big loss due to greed for food and nearly lost his life.
Therefore, in this life, after reaching Foundation Establishment and abstaining from grains, he rarely took the initiative to eat. Except for when his Master actively called him to eat, Li Xingtian never ate outside food.
Events teach a person once, and they understand.
Li Xingtian prepared to cultivate in the room for a while to recover from the fatigue caused by recent travel. He said to Li Zi at his side:
"Wait for me at this tavern tomorrow at Mao Hour."
Li Zi was stunned upon hearing this, not expecting it to end here today. She watched Li Xingtian step toward the guest rooms on the second floor, looking like she wanted to speak but stopped.
Taking a deep breath, she then asked in a cautious and trembling tone:
"Senior, can we settle the money first this time... I will definitely lead the way for Senior with all my heart and effort."
Li Xingtian turned around and looked at Li Zi for a while. Then, after throwing a spirit stone to her, he turned back and walked toward the second-floor guest rooms again.
Li Zi caught the thrown spirit stone with both hands, then lowered her brows trembling to look at the spirit stone in her palm.
She quickly calmed the emotions in her heart and hurriedly turned to run out of the tavern.
Li Xingtian glanced sideways at the figure darting out the door, shook his head slightly, and continued walking up.
In terms of time, he had arrived fully ten-plus years early this time.
In this life, he had Master's top-notch cultivation techniques, an uninterrupted supply of Blood Qi Spirit Stones, and sufficiently stable cultivation time.
This allowed him to avoid many detours.
It also made Li Xingtian understand just how big the gap was between him and those top sect disciples. When others were cultivating carefree with full resources, he was still worrying about not having enough spirit stones for tomorrow's cultivation.
And this time difference of ten-odd years was enough for Li Xingtian to obtain unimaginable gains.
Sunset Valley had an opportunity. An undiscovered opportunity, one that only he knew about.
Rest well, prepare well...
The Central Province is huge, and there are still many opportunities waiting for him.
————
The next day at Mao Hour.
When a fully recovered Li Xingtian came down from the tavern, he did not see Li Zi waiting for him below as yesterday.
Did she take the spirit stone and run?
It looked like she really just entered the profession; daring to run after taking the money? Where did this clever guide come from? Didn't she know that there are no spirit stones in the world that can be taken for free?
Did she really think he was a sucker from outside?
Li Xingtian did not wait and walked directly out; he would settle this small score properly after finishing his business.
Here, he was also familiar.
Li Xingtian set off from the tavern, heading for the Treasure Pavilion, which had the tentatively best reputation.
Stepping into the Treasure Pavilion, Li Xingtian looked at the counter and spoke:
"Ten Evil Suppression Talismans, ten Evil Warding Talismans, one bottle of Obstacle Breaking Pills, and two hundred meters of Foundation Establishment Spider Silk."
Sitting at the counter was an old man; he raised his eyes to glance at Li Xingtian, then turned around to retrieve things from the large drawers behind him.
The old man first took out ten Evil Suppression Talismans, while speaking in a calm tone: "One hundred and ten spirit stones."
Li Xingtian looked over, his tone slightly cold:
"Are you taking me for an outsider of the valley to be ripped off?"
The old man looked back in surprise and sized him up again. This attire didn't look like someone from inside the valley, but he still changed his words:
"So it is a brother, I have offended. I'll give a friendship price, ninety spirit stones."
"Seventy-five, and additionally give a Blood Clotting Pill as compensation."
The old man's hand drawing out the Evil Warding Talismans paused, then he turned around and gently placed the ten Evil Warding Talismans on the table, staring intently at Li Xingtian in front of him.
His voice was old as he said: "Brother, your face looks unfamiliar to me; it does not look like you have been to the valley before. Bargaining like this, could it be you are here to find fault?"
The old man looked at Li Xingtian with a faint gaze.
How did this kid know his bottom price? And quoted it so accurately? He indeed had not seen this person before.
Li Xingtian's expression was calm, and he spoke indifferently: "I do not recall that Old Deng of the Treasure Pavilion would ask this and that. Are you selling or not?"
"Old Deng? I have not heard this address for a long time."
The old man was stunned upon hearing this, then revealed a relieved smile. He stroked his white beard as if reminiscing, then kicked toward a hidden cabinet.
"Since you were recommended by an acquaintance, then naturally I will sell. I am old now, and only nostalgia remains as a hobby."
The old man chuckled lightly, placed the two bottles of pills on the counter, and stood up to walk toward the inner warehouse.
A roll of two hundred meters of Foundation Establishment Spider Silk was quite large; naturally, it would not be piled up in the main hall.
The waiter at the side looked at the old man turning to leave with surprise.
He had entered the Treasure Pavilion as an apprentice at the age of ten; it was not an exaggeration to say this old man watched him grow up. But he himself did not know what this old man's surname or name was.
He only addressed him as Shopkeeper.
Usually, going to the warehouse to get goods, he would just order him to go get them while the Shopkeeper stayed to watch the goods.
Today...?
The waiter silently sized up Li Xingtian. Who exactly was this person?
Li Xingtian did not wait long before the Treasure Pavilion Shopkeeper walked out holding the coiled spider silk, almost as big as Old Deng himself, and threw it on the floor of the main hall.
The Shopkeeper sat back on the chair behind the counter with a smile on his face and said:
"Young man, check the goods. Don't go back and say Old Deng cheats people."
Li Xingtian just flipped through the first twenty talismans. After confirming there were no problems with these talismans, he put everything else away.
Everyone in this valley knew.
Old Deng only cheated outsiders of the valley and strangers.
Li Xingtian took out seventy-five spirit stones and placed them on the counter:
"That is natural. Who doesn't know Old Deng is the most righteous person?"
The Shopkeeper chuckled as he put away the spirit stones, nodding with satisfaction:
"I love hearing these words."
After Li Xingtian bowed slightly with cupped hands, he turned and left.
He knew Old Deng, but Old Deng did not know him anymore. Not hearing Old Deng's teasing toward him, he was actually somewhat unaccustomed to it.
Walking out of the Treasure Pavilion, Li Xingtian casually strolled along the street and bought some emergency items.
Li Xingtian's experience was still extremely rich; he was a cultivator who had climbed up from the bottom. He had eaten most of the bitterness there was to eat.
Regarding how to pick out treasures from a trash heap, Li Xingtian was extremely knowledgeable.
When he had bought just about everything, Li Xingtian strode toward the teleportation formation.
At this moment, on one side of the teleportation formation, those clever guides waiting for customers were still there.
The female clever guide in the blue dress was also still there.
Li Xingtian walked straight over. Seeing Li Xingtian, that female clever guide also hurriedly stepped forward to welcome him.
This was a big spender who gave a spirit stone casually. She hurriedly said in a soft voice:
"Senior, do you have any instructions?"
"Li Zi took my spirit stone and did not come the next day."
The female clever guide revealed a surprised expression, but quickly suppressed it and hurriedly said:
"Please come tomorrow, Senior. We will definitely give Senior an explanation."
Li Xingtian nodded gently and said no more, walking straight toward the tavern.
He did not possess the good quality of repaying grievances with virtue after being cheated. He did not care if others were cheated, but if he was cheated, a price had to be paid.
This group of clever guides cared most about reputation. If someone smashed their rice bowl, someone would smash that person.
When Li Xingtian returned to the tavern, he discovered Li Zi sitting in the main hall, looking anxiously at the doorway.
Seeing Li Xingtian, Li Zi hurriedly walked over and with a plop, knelt down, hurriedly explaining:
"Senior, I am really sorry! I came a little late, and the shopkeeper said you had gone out. It is my fault; please be magnanimous and forgive this lowly one this once... Can I give you half price this time?"
Li Xingtian looked at Li Zi in front of him and spoke:
"If you put it that way, I have also wronged you."
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