Zhang Yiyi couldn't help but chuckle when she heard the shopkeeper's opening remark. What did he mean by, "Our shop is truly offering fixed prices now"? Was this his way of putting her on a blacklist? She had only haggled once here, but apparently, that one time was enough to leave a lasting impression.

"Ahem..." Suppressing her amusement, she cleared her throat and explained, "Don't worry. This time, I'm not here to buy; I'm here to sell."

Hearing this, the shopkeeper visibly relaxed. After a brief moment of thought, he quickly deduced that this young cultivator likely returned from hunting sea monsters and wanted to sell beast materials at his shop.

"Are you here to sell materials from the beasts you hunted?" he asked, leading her further inside. "Come this way. How large is the batch, and what types are they? If they're high-grade materials, we can definitely negotiate a good price."

"Didn't you just say you're offering fixed prices now?" Zhang Yiyi teased, her smile playful as she followed him.

"Ha! You've got a sharp tongue, young friend. Buying and selling are two different things, aren't they?" The shopkeeper wasn't offended, knowing that friendliness was key to doing business.

"The quantity is quite large, and most of the beasts are at the fourth or fifth tier," Zhang Yiyi explained. "But none of the materials have been processed yet. Take a look and estimate the price. As long as it's not lower than other shops, I'll accept."

Following the shopkeeper into a designated area for trading beast materials, Zhang Yiyi noticed that although the space was vast, the contents of her storage ring would require several rounds of unloading to fit everything.

Hearing her mention fourth- and fifth-tier beasts, the shopkeeper was stunned. If not for the fact that this young cultivator had previously purchased a high-grade, small-scale magical sea vessel from his shop, he would have suspected her of joking.

Fourth- and fifth-tier beasts were equivalent to cultivators at the late Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stages. Judging by her appearance, Zhang Yiyi seemed to be only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. How could she possibly manage to hunt so many powerful beasts?

And she mentioned having a large quantity! If she wasn't exaggerating, there must be some extraordinary story behind it.

Still, as a seasoned businessman, he knew better than to question the source too much. Truth or bluff, the materials would speak for themselves soon enough.

"Alright, go ahead and bring them out," he said, calling for a few extra hands to assist with the inventory and evaluation.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Yiyi made a casual wave of her hand. In an instant, the entire transaction room was packed to the brim, leaving no empty space.

"..." The shopkeeper was momentarily stunned before breaking into a delighted grin. This young cultivator wasn't bluffing—she wasn't kidding about the quantity or quality. Most of the beasts were indeed fourth or fifth tier, and their bodies were well-preserved. Clearly, this was no ordinary cultivator. Her strength and capabilities were far beyond what they seemed.

Although processing the materials would require some effort on their end, the shopkeeper knew it would ultimately reduce wastage. Convincing her to sell the entire beasts intact would likely benefit both sides.

"Young friend, how would you like to handle the transaction?" he asked eagerly. "Since the beasts haven't been processed, it's hard to calculate prices for individual materials. Why don't we negotiate based on the type and tier of each beast? Rest assured, our shop offers fair rates. You won't lose out."

Zhang Yiyi understood his reasoning. Unlike someone skilled like He Jie, she wasn't adept at processing beast materials. Selling them as-is would naturally result in a slightly lower price, but the convenience and time saved made it worthwhile.

"Alright. Since we've done business before, I trust your shop's reputation," she agreed without much hesitation. "How long will it take to complete the inventory? I still have more to unload."

"More?" The shopkeeper's eyes lit up with excitement. "Of course! We'll work quickly. Don't worry, it won't take long!"

Hearing there was even more, the shopkeeper's enthusiasm soared. Today was turning out to be a truly profitable day. His opinion of Zhang Yiyi grew more favorable, and even the memory of her hard bargaining last time didn't seem so bitter anymore.

By the time Zhang Yiyi filled the large inventory room a second, third, and fourth time, the shopkeeper's eyes were practically glowing red. This was no ordinary "large quantity."

Although it wasn't his first time handling such a massive haul, it was rare to see so many high-grade materials gathered by a single individual. Most large shipments came from organized high-level hunting crews, who usually had their own facilities for processing materials.

The thought that Zhang Yiyi managed this alone made him marvel at her abilities. She wasn't just extraordinary—she was constantly shattering his expectations.

"Young friend, are these all the beasts you've hunted over the past several months?" he asked, barely concealing his awe.

With a strong sense of curiosity, the shopkeeper couldn't resist striking up a conversation with Zhang Yiyi, hoping to glean some insight about her background.

"Of course, I wasn't alone. Surely, you jest, shopkeeper," Zhang Yiyi replied, deflecting smoothly. "The others were just too lazy to come, so they sent me to handle it all." Even though the beast corpses bore obvious sword wounds, all killed in a similar fashion, she wouldn't admit to doing it alone.

"You and your team are truly impressive. If you come across more in the future, I hope you'll consider bringing them to our humble shop," the shopkeeper said earnestly. He believed her explanation, thinking she must have had formidable companions. Judging by her demeanor, however, she wasn't keen on elaborating, and the shopkeeper quickly realized this young cultivator, despite her age, was cautious and shrewd.

Suppressing his curiosity, he decided it wasn't worth pushing further. After all, regardless of her true identity, he had no intention of offering a lower price. Maintaining goodwill was more important than satisfying his curiosity. As a businessman, he knew better than to offend someone capable of hunting so many fourth- and fifth-tier beasts, especially with most of the fifth-tier beast cores intact. Even with help, this young cultivator was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

"Of course. If your prices remain fair, I'll naturally come back for future transactions," Zhang Yiyi replied nonchalantly. Selling to a familiar shop saved trouble, and as long as the price was competitive, it didn't matter who she sold to.

Seeing her agreement, the shopkeeper was pleased and resolved to offer a good price to ensure she returned. In the end, Zhang Yiyi kept one sixth-tier beast and three fifth-tier beasts with special uses, selling the rest for spirit stones. The shopkeeper proved accommodating, purchasing the entire batch at a fair price and rounding the total to an even sum in mid-grade spirit stones.

With a fresh deposit of 60,000 mid-grade spirit stones, Zhang Yiyi left the shop satisfied. Not bad at all. After months of effort, she'd finally recouped the cost of her small sea vessel and her other expenses, even turning a small profit.

Her next priority, upon returning to the Wang family estate, would be to pressure Luo Qiheng to come to the Canglang Sea and hunt beasts to repay his debt. As for herself, she planned to focus on cultivation for the time being. She would return to hunt beasts only when she needed spirit stones or sought to sharpen her sword techniques.

With her plans laid out, Zhang Yiyi decided not to linger in the small Canglang Town and set off for the Wang family estate.

Unexpectedly, not long after leaving town, she received a message talisman from He Jie, urging her to meet at Liulin Slope, 70 miles outside town, for an urgent matter.

The sudden summons surprised Zhang Yiyi. She hadn't had any contact with He Jie or the others for over six months. It was a strange coincidence that she'd just returned to town from the Canglang Sea only to receive this message.

Their relationship wasn't particularly close, so how could He Jie be so certain she was in town and able to respond to the summons?

After some thought, Zhang Yiyi decided against heading directly to Liulin Slope. Instead, she returned to the town and went to the residence He Jie and the others had rented previously.

Upon arriving, she found the place empty. Neither He Jie, He Ze, Liu Song, nor any of the six-member team was there. Perplexed, she knocked on neighboring doors, asking about the group and describing their names and appearances.

According to the locals, He Jie and her group had returned from the sea a few days ago. They shouldn't have left town so soon. However, two hours ago—coinciding with Zhang Yiyi's return to the port—they had suddenly left in a hurry. No one knew where they went.

This raised more questions. Did they really go to Liulin Slope? If so, why would they send her a message asking for help in such a remote location?

Zhang Yiyi decided to reply to He Jie, saying she was still at the Canglang Sea and couldn't return anytime soon. She asked what the matter was. However, after sending the message, there was no response.

She sent two more messages, but both went unanswered.

Concluding that the situation was suspicious, Zhang Yiyi decided not to go to Liulin Slope. Without clarity, she felt no obligation to risk herself for an unclear summons, especially for someone she barely knew.

Just as she resolved to leave the matter alone, a boy around five or six years old ran up to her.

"Big sister, I know where they went!" the boy said, eyes gleaming. "Give me two spirit stones, and I'll tell you."

The boy was thin and dirty, looking like a little beggar. His cautious expression betrayed his desperation.

"Go ahead," Zhang Yiyi said, unfazed by the demand. She took out two low-grade spirit stones and held them out. "But you'd better explain how you know, or I'll make you pay me back double."

The boy's eyes lit up at the sight of the spirit stones, but he hesitated to take them immediately. "I really know! I was the one who delivered the message to them!"

Fearing she wouldn't believe him, the boy quickly recounted what he knew.

"A beautiful lady—though not as pretty as you—gave me two spirit stones to pass a message to the people living here. She said their friend Han Lin was in trouble and needed help at Liulin Slope, 70 miles outside town."

"Are you sure it was their friend Han Lin?" Zhang Yiyi asked, her heart sinking. She hadn't expected this to involve her.

"Yes! She repeated the name many times. I couldn't forget it even if I wanted to," the boy said earnestly. "The lady was very pretty, like a fairy. But I can't describe her features too clearly."

After verifying the boy wasn't lying, Zhang Yiyi handed over the spirit stones. The boy happily ran off, leaving her with a heavy heart.

If the boy's account was true, someone had used her name to lure He Jie and her group to Liulin Slope. Why had they trusted such a vague message without confirming with her first? And why had she received a message later, asking her to come to the same place?

The contradictions were glaring. Who was the mysterious woman who sent the boy? What was her motive? And where were He Jie and her group now?

Zhang Yiyi's thoughts swirled as she tried to piece it all together. Something was deeply amiss.