When Tang Xi's face reappeared in front of her, Zhang Yiyi felt an inexplicable wave of irritation.

"Miss Tang, do you think this is an auction house?" Zhang Yiyi cast a glance at her. "I saw this item first, and I've already negotiated the price. What's the meaning of barging in like this? Do you not even understand the simple concept of first-come, first-served?"

Hah, so this was what a so-called favored daughter of a mid-tier family looked like—nothing more than this.

"Oh? I just assumed you couldn't afford it," Tang Xi replied with a mocking smile. "Besides, even if this isn't an auction, if I'm willing to pay a higher price, what can you do about it? If you're unhappy, just outbid me."

Tang Xi hadn't expected to run into Zhang Yiyi again today. Though Tang Jin had promised to teach this woman a lesson for her, who knew how long that would take? So, when an opportunity arose to humiliate her personally, she wouldn't let it slip by. After all, it was just a purchase. She didn't believe the shopkeeper would mind earning more money. Anything Zhang Yiyi wanted, Tang Xi was determined to take away.

"What, Miss Tang, are you deliberately causing trouble for me?" Zhang Yiyi sighed before her tone shifted. "But you do have a point. Since we both want it, the highest bidder should indeed win. I bid 1.25 million. Do you want to go higher?"

She raised the bid by 40,000 spirit stones and, turning to the shopkeeper, said, "I don't mind how high the bids go, but whoever bids must pay. If anyone falsely inflates the price and then refuses to pay, wouldn't that be..."

Before the shopkeeper could respond, Tang Xi sneered. "What a joke. Do you think I'd be short on spirit stones? Payment will be made in public, as per the rules of Canglang Town. No need for your reminders. I'll bid 1.3 million. This item is mine."

Tang Xi estimated that Zhang Yiyi might have some spirit stones on her—after all, she had extorted a hefty 10,000 mid-tier spirit stones from her last time. With such shameless behavior, this couldn't have been her first or second attempt. But to compete with her in wealth? Zhang Yiyi didn't know her limits.

"1.35 million," Zhang Yiyi said, raising the bid by another 50,000 without hesitation.

"1.5 million," Tang Xi countered with a smirk. "It seems you've swindled others for quite a sum as well."

"1.6 million." Zhang Yiyi gritted her teeth, her face turning pale.

"2 million. Can you go higher?" Tang Xi arched a brow, satisfied as she saw Zhang Yiyi's bloodless expression.

"..." Zhang Yiyi held back her anger, resisting the urge to lose her composure.

"Oh, not bidding anymore? With so little wealth, you dare compete with me?" Tang Xi mocked. "If you're not bidding, then this item is mine. I'm sorry to have taken something you wanted."

"Why are you doing this? You don't even need this item. Why must you snatch it from me?" Zhang Yiyi fumed. "If you have the guts, fight me fair and square. That would be true skill."

"Why? Because I enjoy it. Because I'm richer than you. What can you do about it? Go ahead and sulk!" Tang Xi gloated as she tossed a storage pouch to the shopkeeper. Paying 2 million low-grade spirit stones wasn't a small expense for her, but it was worth it to snatch something from her hated rival and see Zhang Yiyi so frustrated.

The shopkeeper, naturally delighted, quickly verified the payment. Earning nearly double the original price for a rarely inquired-about item was a windfall.

"..." Zhang Yiyi turned on her heel and left without saying another word, her face dark as a storm cloud. She wouldn't waste her breath on Tang Xi.

Tang Xi, feeling triumphant, didn't bother stopping her. She still had other errands to run. The next time they met, she expected Tang Jin to take care of this nuisance for her. Today's incident was just a minor jab, not even worth counting as interest on their grudge.

An hour later, Zhang Yiyi returned to the same shop alone.

"Shopkeeper, I'm back," she said, her previous frustration completely gone, replaced by a cheerful demeanor.

"Oh, little friend, you've returned. I've been waiting for you!" The shopkeeper beamed at her as if looking at a walking fortune. Lowering his voice, he added with a grin, "Do visit us again if there are future opportunities like today."

"Of course." Zhang Yiyi smiled. As long as there were more fools like Tang Xi in the world, why not?

From the moment Tang Xi entered the shop, Zhang Yiyi knew she had no chance of buying the item. So, she had quietly proposed a plan to the shopkeeper: play along with her to drive up the price. If she couldn't have it, she wouldn't let Tang Xi get it cheaply.

To her surprise, Tang Xi had taken the bait so easily, raising the price to 2 million in just a few rounds. Zhang Yiyi hadn't even needed to use all the tricks she'd prepared.

"Little friend, would you like to purchase another treasure ship? There's a rare piece on the third floor of our shop. If you're interested, we can negotiate a good price!" the shopkeeper offered enthusiastically.

The shopkeeper, who had already benefited greatly, was now exceedingly accommodating. Unlike earlier, he was willing to negotiate on the price without hesitation.

As Zhang Yiyi enjoyed the VIP treatment, she followed the shopkeeper to the third-floor VIP lounge. Sipping on spiritual tea and nibbling on spirit fruits, she laid her eyes on the treasure the shopkeeper had described.

"Oh..." Zhang Yiyi exclaimed after inspecting the item. She quickly realized it wasn't merely a treasure ship designed for sea navigation. Strictly speaking, this treasure could navigate both sea and sky, making it a dual-purpose flying treasure. Its versatility far surpassed that of a typical sea vessel.

Noticing Zhang Yiyi's discerning eye, the shopkeeper proudly began introducing the treasure in detail. This item, indeed an exceptional artifact, had superior defensive capabilities. Against a sixth-tier demonic beast, it could withstand an hour of intense assault as long as it was supplied with enough spirit stones. Moreover, its speed in both sea navigation and flight was astonishing—fifth-tier beasts wouldn't catch up, and even sixth-tier ones might fail.

With such qualities, owning this treasure would elevate safety to an entirely new level. It also had considerable interior space, with five rooms equipped for living and cultivation, making it spacious enough to accommodate additional passengers.

But what caught Zhang Yiyi's attention most was a subtle detail the shopkeeper seemed to have overlooked—this treasure had begun to develop a faint spiritual consciousness. This meant it wasn't a fixed-grade artifact; instead, it had the potential to evolve. With the right materials and refinement techniques, it could someday become a spiritual treasure, even birthing an artifact spirit of its own.

Seeing the treasure, Zhang Yiyi felt her previous disappointment about the treasure ship Tang Xi had snatched from her for two million spirit stones melt away. That ship was nothing in comparison. This was the treasure meant for her!

"Shopkeeper, what's the price?" she asked, her eyes sparkling as she prepared herself for the hefty cost.

"200,000!" the shopkeeper quickly gestured, pausing for emphasis before adding, "Mid-grade spirit stones!"

"What? That's outrageous!" Zhang Yiyi exclaimed, staring at the shopkeeper as if he were joking. "Shopkeeper, this can't be a fair price, right? Do I look like someone who could afford such an astronomical amount?"

200,000 mid-grade spirit stones were equivalent to over two million low-grade stones. Unless the shopkeeper was aware of the artifact's potential to evolve, this price seemed like sheer extortion.

"Uh... so how much can you afford?" The shopkeeper's tone softened, signaling he wasn't entirely serious about the initial price.

Zhang Yiyi sighed in relief, realizing the shopkeeper truly hadn't discovered the treasure's unique attributes. "I have about 30,000 mid-grade spirit stones in total," she said, slashing the price by 170,000 in one breath, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment.

"..." The shopkeeper stared at her in disbelief. How bold is this girl? Why not just ask for it for free?

"30,000 is out of the question, young friend. The minimum is 150,000—this is the pride of my shop!" he protested.

"No way! Even if I sold everything I own, I couldn't come up with 150,000," Zhang Yiyi retorted, shaking her head. Her gaze lingered on the treasure with reluctance. "It's truly a fine item, and I sincerely want to buy it, but your price is just too high."

After a few rounds of haggling, Zhang Yiyi determined the shopkeeper truly hadn't recognized the treasure's unique properties. Moreover, he seemed keen on selling it, meaning the price could be pushed down significantly.

"Forget it. I don't want to trouble you. Even if you drop it to 100,000, I still couldn't afford it. Sorry to waste your time." Zhang Yiyi sighed dramatically, giving the treasure a longing glance before preparing to leave.

"Wait, don't rush off! Let's discuss further," the shopkeeper called out, visibly distressed. "How about you offer another price? 30,000 is just too low—it doesn't even cover the cost."

"..." Zhang Yiyi hesitated, appearing genuinely conflicted. Then she suggested timidly, "How about 31,000?"

"..." The shopkeeper's expression froze. 31,000? What's the difference between that and 30,000?

"80,000!" he countered.

"32,000?"

"60,000! That's my bottom line!"

"I can't manage that. How about 33,000?" Zhang Yiyi countered, feigning helplessness.

"Can't you raise your offer more significantly? I'm reducing the price by tens of thousands, and you're increasing by thousands. It feels insincere," the shopkeeper protested.

"Shopkeeper, I'm being sincere, which is why I can only increase by a thousand at a time. I just don't have that many spirit stones," Zhang Yiyi said earnestly. Finally, she stood up and declared, "Alright, my final offer is 40,000 mid-grade spirit stones. Not a penny more. If you agree, we have a deal. If not, I'll look elsewhere."

"..." The shopkeeper was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Zhang Yiyi to turn his earlier words back on him. 40,000 spirit stones—barely above cost.

Reluctantly, he nodded, realizing there was no negotiating with someone so quick, accurate, and ruthless in haggling. If all my customers were like her, how would I survive in business?