Ch. 75 – Discount

“Cough, cough…..” After spraying water everywhere, Feng Ye coughed a few times before regaining his composure.

Hao Chen, on the other hand, was fanning himself calmly, lacking any sense of shame over his inappropriate words.

Although Fang Yang felt that the logic of this explanation was a bit odd, he couldn’t find any fault in it for the time being. Just at that moment, his stomach growled again.

Since this wasn’t a dine-and-dash meal, he began to eat with peace of mind.

And while Fang Yang concentrated on his food, the two people on opposite sides of the table began a silent war.

Feng Ye shot Hao Chen a warning look, telling him not to talk nonsense. And Hao Chen smiled back, using his unwavering shamelessness to absorb the entirety of Feng Ye’s glare.

Feng Ye narrowed his eyes and increased the intensity of his attack, but Hao Chen continued to smile calmly, not taking him seriously at all. 

With a bang, Fang Yang placed his empty porridge bowl on the table, then wiped his mouth with satisfaction. This sound was like a clarion announcing the end of a war, bringing a conclusion to the struggle between Feng Ye and Hao Chen.

Unsurprisingly, this war ended in Feng Ye’s defeat.

Hao Chen stood leisurely with a victorious smile on his face, and asked Feng Ye as he left the table: “We didn’t go shopping for clothes for Fellow Daoist Feng Ye yesterday. How about we go and have a look around now?”

Feng Ye sent him a look, wondering what this fish had up his sleeve. But he didn’t have anything important to do in any case, and wouldn’t know where to go if he went shopping alone, so he nodded in agreement.

Fang Yang said goodbye to the two of them: “Cao Zirui is still waiting for me at the inn. I said I’d go back to see him in half a shichen, so I’ll leave first.”

Feng Ye and Fang Yang waved to each other as they once more split into two groups.

Feng Ye initially thought that Hao Chen was using clothes shopping as an excuse to plot against him, but unexpectedly, Hao Chen didn’t do any such thing. He simply brought Feng Ye to the largest clothing shop in North Sea City.

Even though it was a ready-made clothing store, the clothes sold here were anything but ordinary. They were all magic garments made of strong materials, with the cheapest ones costing thousands of spirit stones.

Feng Ye glanced around, and was deeply injured by the long strings of zeros on the price tags.

Although breakfast had been paid for due to Hao Chen’s recognizable face, Feng Ye had already spent half his savings to buy a pot of water before his arrival, and only had one spirit stone left in his pocket.

If all of the zeros on the price tags could be omitted, only then would he be able to afford it. But this was not to be.

However, Hao Chen had no awareness of his financial situation. Not only did he bring Feng Ye with him, but he acted like a rich man and called for the shop owner as soon as they entered the store.

Hao Chen said grandly: “What decent goods do you have here? Show them to us.”

The shop owner came out from behind the counter with a bow, saying to Hao Chen with an obsequious smile: “Honored…..Honored Lor…..”

When Hao Chen’s eyes instantly sharpened, the shop owner reacted swiftly, changing his address from “Honored Lord” to “Honored Customer.”

It seemed that this fish’s identity was known to everyone in North Sea City, which was why he was able to act with such great confidence.

Feng Ye had already seen through Hao Chen’s deception, but he said nothing and just continued to quietly watch him perform.

Hao Chen gave the shop owner a look of praise, and the other party breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if he had escaped disaster. He’d heard about the miserable end of the loudmouthed Crab Eighteen, who was said to have been made into a steamed crab.

The shop owner hesitated before continuing: “My shop only uses the finest materials. Ordinary robes on the market, while having decent defensive capabilities, are made solely out of materials that prioritize defense at the expense of comfort.”

“Clothes are meant to be worn, after all. Defense is important, but comfort is equally important. Take a look at the fabrics I have here.” The shop owner casually pulled down a piece of clothing hanging on display and said: “This is made of mermaid-woven silk. It’s light and thin, and won’t get wet or burn, comfortable to wear and with excellent protection. It is a great value for the cost.”

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, what do you think?” Hao Chen didn’t express his thoughts after hearing the shop owner’s introduction, but turned his head to question Feng Ye.

Feng Ye had come to a stop not far from Hao Chen upon entering the store, leaving room for him to perform. When Hao Chen addressed him, he stepped forward cooperatively.

There was no script for this play, so Feng Ye just went with how he felt. He touched the so-called mermaid silk and remarked sincerely: “It feels nice.”

It was indeed very nice. The mermaid silk was so soft and fine that it won over natural silk by a few points. In addition, because it wouldn’t get wet in the water or burn in a fire, it was very convenient for traveling in the sea or on land.

You got what you paid for – it felt nice, and the price was pretty impressive too.

Feng Ye glanced at the price tag and immediately posed a question: “Why is there such a price difference when they’re all made of mermaid silk?”

The expensive ones cost tens of thousands, while the cheap ones only cost thousands. It was no exaggeration to say that the price difference was astronomical.

The shop owner didn’t answer immediately, but gave Fang Yang a careful once-over. He looked like a normal human being. His strength wasn’t very high, and his face was even less pleasing to the eye.

But for a person who was mediocre in every aspect, his Lord actually condescended to hide his identity and remain by his side, even taking him clothes shopping. What was the relationship between his Lord and this person?

The shop owner’s mind was in turmoil. He couldn’t think of an answer at the moment, but no matter what, he couldn’t afford to offend the person his Lord had brought.

Therefore, he quickly answered: “Honored Customer may not know, but although this is all mermaid silk, it is divided into different levels. Mermaid silk woven by mermaids who have lived for decades costs only a few hundred spirit stones per piece, so the clothing made with it isn’t expensive either.”

“A mermaid who lives for hundreds of years can weave mermaid silk for thousands of spirit stones per piece. In short, the more advanced a mermaid’s cultivation, the better the quality of her silk, and the more expensive it is. The most expensive mermaid silk in this store was woven by a mermaid who cultivated for nine hundred years. This right here costs ten thousand spirit stones per piece of fabric.”

The owner took the most expensive garment down from its display cabinet, handing it to Feng Ye when Hao Chen made a gesture.

Feng Ye compared the feeling of this garment to the one he’d touched before, and it was indeed very different. It appeared that the shop owner’s words were true. After touching, he returned the garment to its owner intact.

When the shop owner saw this, he thought Feng Ye was disappointed with the quality of his materials. This was his Lord’s person, after all, so he must have very high standards.

The shop owner said quickly: “Although this shop is small, nine hundred year mermaid silk is the finest material circulated even in the heavenly realm’s North Sea. As for those over a thousand years old, those can’t be bought outside, only…..”

The shop owner couldn’t help but glance at Hao Chen when he said this, and Hao Chen responded with a threatening smile.

The shop owner immediately withdrew his gaze and continued with restraint: “Only our Lord of the North Sea possesses it. The production of thousand-year-old mermaid silk is extremely limited, and once it is produced, it is supplied to our Lord. It is rarely released to the outside world, and can be said to be priceless. Garments made of thousand-year mermaid silk are comparable to heaven-grade magic weapons in this world. So generally speaking, this nine hundred-year mermaid silk is the best available on the market.”

Feng Ye understood the shop owner’s underlying meaning, and explained: “I’m not looking down on your materials.”

“Then if you don’t mind it, would you like to try it on?” the shop owner said enthusiastically.

Feng Ye waved his hand in refusal. The reason was simple: he couldn’t afford to wear it. Unlike Hao Chen, he was very self-aware and had a clear understanding of his poverty.

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, why don’t you try it on?” Hao Chen also joined the persuasion team. “Although it’s not the best material, it’s at least better than what you’re wearing.”

Although his robes were ragged and torn, revealing a few well-defined muscles, he looked sexy rather than slovenly. The problem was that not just Hao Chen could see this – others could as well, so it was best to cover up.

Hao Chen astutely kept that part to himself.

Feng Ye glanced at the shop owner, then at Hao Chen, who held the garments with an enthusiastic look on his face. He gave the shop owner a polite smile, then very naturally grabbed Hao Chen’s wrist and led him toward the door.

He failed to notice the shop owner’s horrified expression when he took Hao Chen’s wrist so naturally. He was just focused on whispering to Hao Chen: “Fellow Daoist Hao Chen, have you forgotten how much money you have on you?”

This fish was always so ignorant to his penniless state that he needed Feng Ye to remind him.

“This…..” Hao Chen skewed his eyes, the next bout of nonsense already on the tip of his tongue.

However, Feng Ye headed him off: “You and the owner hit it off at first sight, and he’s going to give you a free meal?”

Hao Chen choked. Feng Ye had snatched away his excuse.

But it didn’t matter. If Feng Ye blocked off one path, he would find another. After all, he was a creature of both water and land.

Hao Chen gave a mysterious smile, waving his mini fan as he said: “No, no, I’m just really good at getting discounts.”

Under Feng Ye’s puzzled gaze, Hao Chen leisurely made his way back to the shop owner.

He pointed to the most expensive piece of clothing in the store and asked: “How much is this one?”

Although the shop owner was still immersed in shock from the sight of someone holding his Lord’s hand, he immediately snapped back to his senses at Hao Chen’s question: “This is…..50,000 spirit stones.”

“Oh.” Hao Chen nodded pretentiously, then held up a finger: “Will you sell it for one spirit stone?”

The shop owner was momentarily stunned, then met Hao Chen’s eyes and nodded: “Sold!”

Hao Chen turned around and smiled at Feng Ye watching on the sidelines. His expression said: Told you I’m good at getting discounts.

Feng Ye: “…….”

Fair enough.

However, although Hao Chen had won the clothing, he didn’t intend to purchase them just like that. Instead, he asked for a reward from Feng Ye: “Shouldn’t Fellow Daoist Feng Ye give me something in return since I helped him get such a huge discount?”

There it is. The cunning wolf has finally revealed his tail, thought Feng Ye.

He had known Hao Chen must have ulterior motives to be so enthusiastic about buying clothes for him, and that he was probably plotting something. So before Hao Chen could tell him what he wanted in thanks, Feng Ye promptly declined: “No need, I don’t really want it.”

Hao Chen: “……”

He swallowed the excessive request on his lips and said: “Actually, I wasn’t going to ask for very much…..”

But the more he spoke, the more vigilant Feng Ye became: “No, it’s really not necessary.”

Hao Chen was about to say something else, when a sudden shout from afar interrupted their conversation.

“Honored Lor—” Old Crab Nine rushed to the door of the clothing store, panting, and received a glare from Hao Chen. He came to a sudden realization and switched his words: “H-honored Proprietor Crab says that the case from yesterday hasn’t been fully investigated yet, and he needs you there to investigate further.”

“What else is lacking?” Unhappy about the interruption to his plan, Hao Chen’s tone was particularly unfriendly.

He was having a great time shopping with his sweetheart when he was suddenly called back to work by his subordinates. It would be strange if he wasn’t unhappy.

“Um…..” Old Crab Nine blew nervous bubbles. It was inconvenient for him to speak bluntly with other people around, so he could only say vaguely: “It is a very important matter. You must return.”

Hao Chen frowned. He had never been very involved in such matters. Apart from maintaining the safety of the North Sea, all other matters, big and small, were handled by his subordinates. What could be so important that it required him to go back?

Everything was fine in the North Sea, and there had been no disputes in heaven recently. What could have happened? He suspected that this crab was making a big deal out of nothing, but just to be cautious, Hao Chen decided to accompany Old Crab Nine back.

He gave Feng Ye an apologetic smile: “I must go with him to handle something. Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, continue your stroll and I’ll come find you later.”

Feng Ye’s gaze had been on Old Crab Nine since the moment he appeared, and he responded to Hao Chen’s words with a nod.

Hao Chen followed the crab outside. Once they were out of the store and away from Feng Ye’s gaze, Hao Chen sent Old Crab Nine a threatening glare: “You had better actually have something important for me.”

Old Crab Nine’s claws trembled in fear, and he affirmed repeatedly: “I do, I do.”

Hao Chen withdrew his gaze, still somewhat skeptical. What could be going on?

If it turned out that the crab was just kicking up a fuss, he would make seafood stew.

A fish and a crab walked back to the main hall in the center of North Sea City without stopping. Proprietor Crab was waiting in the hall with another crab beside him, and they stepped forward to greet him.

These crabs looked pretty much the same, and Hao Chen was unable to tell them apart. With no idea who the lackey at Proprietor Crab’s side was, he got straight to the point: “What do you need from me?”

Proprietor Crab didn’t reply immediately, and instead nudged the crab beside him with his claw: “Eighteen, report to our Lord at once.”

“Okay, Cousin,” Crab Eighteen replied.

“Wait, eighteen?” Hao Chen suddenly cut in before Crab Eighteen could make his report. “Crab Eighteen?”

Hao Chen’s eyes narrowed as he realized who this crab was, and that Proprietor Crab had dared to disobey his orders. He scoffed and said in a frigid tone: “I thought I told you yesterday to have this loudmouthed crab steamed.”

“Well…..” Proprietor Crab explained guiltily: “Honored Lord, I did intend to do as you commanded, but didn’t get a chance. This is a good thing, because Eighteen was taking a stroll on the beach when he ran into a bigshot.”

“What bigshot?” Hao Chen’s tone was a little disapproving.

What kind of person could be considered a bigshot compared to him?

“Honored Lord, please have a look.” The other crab immediately presented a pearl between his pincers. 

He carried this pearl with him for the purpose of recording images, and had happened to record what he’d witnessed the previous night.

Hao Chen took the pearl and held it in his palm. He casually injected a bit of spiritual power into it and watched the image that appeared midair.

The first person to appear was someone he knew – Xue Ren of Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Could this be the bigshot the crabs were talking about? Hao Chen’s eyes suddenly turned cold.

Proprietor Crab hurriedly defended himself: “Honored Lord, please keep watching.”

Hao Chen held off on getting angry. He would finish watching before settling the score with these crabs.

A second person soon appeared in the image, a man wearing black robes and a mask.

Crab Eighteen had begun recording upon seeing the man arrive, because he keenly sensed that this man was very dangerous and wanted to use it as an example for his cousin to pay more attention to security in North Sea City. He never expected to catch such a big fish.

No, not a fish. This was a……

Hao Chen watched the image in boredom. Due to Crab Eighteen being a distance away, the sound of the waves was so loud that he couldn’t hear any of the conversation between Xue Ren and the man in the black robes.

Trying so hard to act all mysterious. Hao Chen regarded the black-robed man with disdain.

Hao Chen himself was open and honest, and would use his original appearance when he secretly descended to the mortal realm. Unlike this black-robed man, who hid his face.

However, Hao Chen’s disdain vanished without a trace when he saw the black mist emerging from the black-robed man in the image.

His expression finally turned serious, and the fan he was casually waving came to a stop. He could only hold his breath as the black mist began to take on a shape.

Then, he watched as a man walked out of the black mist, his face just as handsome as the one recorded on the jade slip.

But that face was no longer as cold as when it had appeared up in the clouds one hundred years ago. In this moment, the ruthless man sent Xue Ren – and Hao Chen outside the image – an inexplicably malicious smile.

Crash went the rolling waves.

The man seemed to say something, but Hao Chen was unable to hear it.

His mind wasn’t on the man’s words. He simply stared at that face and muttered a name: “The God of War…..Yinglong.”

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