freenovelworld Chapter 201 The depths of the South China Sea are far too dangerous.
Chapter 201 The depths of the South China Sea are far too dangerous.
As a result, not only was there an exhibition and trade fair on the main street that the city lord had renovated, but also stalls of all sizes were set up in every street and alley.
Like most of the cultivators who came to Zhennanguan, Zhong Lingxin slowly walked through the streets and alleys, listening to the various hawking sounds and lingering between the stalls.
Zhenhai Chao put in a lot of effort for this trade fair, with constant patrols and guards throughout the city.
As a result, the entire city was bustling with activity, yet there were very few instances of cheating customers. All the cultivators who came to participate in the trade fair were very satisfied and negotiated prices with the vendors with peace of mind.
Zhong Lingxin stopped in front of a stall selling sea snails.
Conch shells are one of the main materials for crafting communication talismans, and are used in extremely large quantities.
Seeing Zhong Lingxin's gaze lingering on the conch shell, the vendor hurriedly and enthusiastically greeted her, "Fairy, these conch shells of mine are all fished up from the deep sea. Look at the patterns, listen to the sound, they're so fresh, they carry extremely far."
Zhong Lingxin nodded; she wanted to refine a few communication talismans.
Most of the communication talismans in the Immortal Spirit Continent are of low grade and can only transmit messages over a distance of no more than ten thousand miles.
For example, right now she's at the South China Sea, far from the Qingyun Sect, so she can't receive any messages from the sect.
She wanted to refine a few high-grade ones for Chen Xingyi, Huo Jun, and her brothers to facilitate communication between them.
The seashells in front of me are all sixth-grade sea beasts. I wonder how this vendor obtained them.
She crouched down, picked up a seashell, and held it to her ear.
The conch shell's humming sound was clear and far-reaching.
The vendor said smugly, "See, fairy, I didn't lie to you, did I?"
Zhong Lingxin nodded: "It is indeed excellent. However, as far as I know, even when the cultivators of Zhennan Pass go out to sea for training, they usually hunt sea beasts that are easy to sell for spirit stones, and rarely go to the deep sea to fish for this kind of thing."
The cultivator, still smug, said somewhat awkwardly, "Well, it was just a coincidence."
"You've got so many things, this huge pile, you probably dug up the entire conch shell."
"Hehe, fairy, are you going to buy or not? If not, don't delay my business."
"I want to buy them, that's what I'm looking at right now. Did you collect all these conches yourself?"
"How could that be? Little fairy, you're obviously not from around here. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator wouldn't dare to go down into that deep sea so easily. This is my neighbor; they fished it out of the sea."
"Your neighbor is amazing."
"That's for sure. They've made a living from the sea for generations. They're highly skilled in martial arts and have excellent swimming abilities, unlike me, who can only set up a stall to make a living."
"How many spirit stones are in these ten conches?"
"Ten of them, fairy. Would you like to buy some more? My conch shells are fresh and have a good sound. If you miss my stall, you'll never find such good ones again."
Do you get a discount if I buy too much?
"Yes, yes, fairy, each of these conches costs one hundred high-grade spirit stones. If you buy one hundred, I'll give you a discount of eighty."
"Fellow Daoist, you're too good at making money. You've already sold the snail meat, but you're charging eighty for the shell? That's too expensive!"
"Fairy, it's already very cheap. It's only this price because the snail meat has already been sold."
"Sixty, I'll buy a hundred for sixty."
“Fairy, you’re obviously here to buy goods, but you’re haggling too much. Let’s compromise. You can buy all the conch shells on this stall, and I’ll give you a discount of seventy-five. Is that alright? Ask around the neighborhood, see if there’s anyone cheaper than me.”
"Fine, a compromise price, I'll take it all for seventy."
"Well, alright then, you're lucky to get a good deal, Fairy. You're such a good bargainer."
“Fellow Daoist, what are you saying? Everyone knows that the higher the grade of the conch shell, the harder it is to sell. You should be grateful that I bought them all for you. Fellow Daoist, what is your surname? When can your neighbors go out to sea? I'd like to hire them for a trip.”
"I am Hong San, Fairy. Where are you going on your sea voyage?"
"Since I've come to the South China Sea, I want to visit the islands there and explore them."
"Oh, I'll have to go back and ask for you."
"Okay, I'll come again tomorrow."
It turns out that the monks in South China Sea City who made their living from the sea also ran a business as guides.
The South China Sea is a vast expanse of water and sky. Cultivators who want to travel in the sea can easily get lost in its depths and wander aimlessly for decades or even centuries without finding their way out. They must be guided by local cultivators to enter and exit smoothly.
The next day, around noon, Zhong Lingxin leisurely arrived at the conch stall.
As soon as Hong San saw Zhong Lingxin, he greeted her warmly, "Fairy, you've arrived."
Zhong Lingxin nodded: "I'm here. How's the situation I asked you to find out?"
Hong San chuckled and said, "They'll be back in a couple of days, but..."
Zhong Lingxin handed over one hundred high-grade spirit stones: "Is that enough?"
Hong Sanle beamed: "Enough, enough, enough. The day after tomorrow, when the fairy comes again, I'll bring them here to talk to the fairy herself."
Zhong Lingxin smiled, bought some more seafood, and slowly walked back.
On the third day, Zhong Lingxin arrived again around noon.
This time, Hong San was accompanied by a strong man and a pretty woman.
Upon seeing Zhong Lingxin, Hong San hurriedly greeted her, "Fairy, come quickly! Let me introduce you. This is my neighbor, Brother Xiang and Sister-in-law Xiang. This is..."
Zhong Lingxin smiled and cupped her hands in greeting, saying, "Greetings, Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law. My surname is Lin, and my given name is Xin. You can call me Lin Xin."
This is because Zhong Lingxin concealed her surname and only showed her by her given name.
Xiang Erge and Xiang Ersao hurriedly greeted Zhong Lingxin.
Xiang Erge has the cultivation level of a Nascent Soul cultivator, while Xiang Ersao has the cultivation level of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
The two hesitated, wondering if such a Nascent Soul cultivator could possibly return alive from the depths of the South China Sea. Perhaps they should just not take the job.
Hong San said that this fairy was very generous, which really put him in a dilemma.
Zhong Lingxin noticed their hesitation and pointed to a restaurant next door, gesturing for them to join her: "Second Brother Xiang, Second Sister-in-law Xiang, and Third Brother Hong, the South China Sea Immortal Wine, a specialty of your Zhennanguan, is extremely delicious. Let's go and have a drink together."
This was Zhong Lingxin's idea to discuss the details of going to sea with them.
For a moment, Xiang Erge and Xiang Ersao were unsure whether they should go to the restaurant, since the guide jobs they had taken in the past were at least for Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
The depths of the South China Sea are far too dangerous.
Zhong Lingxin smiled and said, "I know that Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law are kind-hearted and afraid that I won't be able to get out if I go in. Why don't you tell me how dangerous the sea is and if there is any way to avoid it? If it's really impossible, I won't go. Is that alright?"
Seeing that Zhong Lingxin was all smiles and very sincere, and that she wasn't trying to force money on them, Xiang Ersao couldn't help but feel a little tempted.
If Lin Xin can listen to their opinions and follow their arrangements, it wouldn't be impossible for her to just take a short trip.
Xiang Erge was also tempted.
Seeing that the three were willing to continue the conversation, Hong San naturally packed up his stall and followed them.
If Zhong Lingxin can reach an agreement with Brother Xiang and the others, his commission will be quite substantial, so of course he has to go and listen.