Chapter 696: The Trade

"What price are you asking for this item?"

Qin Sang toyed with the bone flute for a while, appearing genuinely interested, then looked up and asked the vendor.

While he had been examining the flute, the vendor had silently observed him. Upon hearing the question, he did not answer immediately. After a moment of silence, seemingly lost in thought, he finally couldn’t resist asking, "May I ask, Sir, do you recognize the origin of this piece of bone?"

Qin Sang had already prepared a cover story. He shook his head and replied, "No. However, I can sense something from it. It seems somewhat compatible with my cultivation art."

He had the

Spirit Evasion Art

to conceal his aura. The vendor was of similar cultivation level to himself, so Qin Sang wasn’t worried about being exposed.

A flicker of light passed through the vendor’s eyes. "Forgive my boldness, but may I ask what kind of art you cultivate?"

Qin Sang snorted coldly. "That question truly is bold of you. Still, even if I don’t tell you, I’m sure you can make a few guesses. My cultivation art is unique. I rely on the power of the stars in my cultivation. That’s precisely why I’m interested in this bone. You should know that whether it’s the Inner Sea or the Outer Sea, treasures like this one, which contain the cosmic orbit’s stellar power, are exceedingly rare. Now that I’ve finally come across one, useful or not, I won’t let it slip by."

The vendor let out a hoarse and strange chuckle. "From what I know, throughout both the human and witch races, cultivation arts that rely on stellar power are even rarer than such treasures. It seems this item truly is fated for you."

Qin Sang’s expression turned impatient. "So, have you made up your mind? Are you selling it or not?"

"I’ll sell!"

The vendor gritted his teeth and gave a resolute answer. But when it came to naming a price, he hesitated again and said, "Just one astra, and the item is yours."

Qin Sang’s expression darkened instantly. He snapped, "Are you toying with me? Or did you see that someone finally showed interest and decided to make an outrageous demand? Even if I had spare astras, and I don’t, I wouldn’t exchange one for something of unknown use. Clearly, you have no intention of selling."

Embarrassment crossed the vendor’s face as he hurriedly called out to stop Qin Sang. Their dispute had already begun drawing attention from nearby cultivators, so the vendor quickly waved his hand and set up a soundproofing barrier before speaking in a low voice. "Please, don’t be angry. Take a good look at this item. It may look like a piece of bone, but in truth, it’s made from a strange material that is bone-like but not quite bone. Such material is unheard of in the immortal cultivation world, and even we Core Formation cultivators cannot see through it. Based on the material alone, its value is no less than an astra. Not to mention the possibility that there’s some hidden secret within it."

As he spoke, the vendor dropped all pretense and began pleading.

"I won’t hide anything from you, Daoist. My current condition is thanks to those witch race scoundrels. I had to self-detonate my life-bound astra just to barely escape with my life. All of my savings have gone into healing pills. I can’t afford to buy another astra. Even if my injuries heal, how much strength will I really have left? With this delay, my chances of reaching immortality are even slimmer. This bone flute was left to me by my master. It holds great sentimental value. If I weren’t truly desperate, I would never consider parting with it."

Qin Sang’s initial impression had been correct. This man had not fully recovered from serious injuries.

His wounds must have been severe. Even after consuming so many pills, his complexion still had not improved.

The vendor’s emotional words seemed sincere, softening Qin Sang’s expression slightly. However, he still refused to budge. "I don’t care how you got it. You’ve had it in your possession for years, so you surely know more about it than I do. In my view, the odds that it contains some hidden secret are slim. Most likely, it’s just a fragment of a larger treasure. If I had all the pieces, it would be another matter. But with just this one fragment, its value is greatly diminished. The Demonic Sea is vast. There’s no realistic hope of collecting the rest. I’m only buying it on a whim, to try my luck. At most, I’ll offer you a talisman astra."

With that, Qin Sang slapped a talisman astra down in front of the vendor.

The vendor’s expression soured. Qin Sang had seen through the nature of the item with ease. The vendor let out a bitter sigh and said dejectedly, "Daoist, you truly live up to one who cultivates with stellar power. Your insight is as sharp as a blade. But this item is no ordinary treasure. Even in my weakened state, I’m not about to part with it for just a talisman astra. If you’re unwilling to offer more, I’ll have to wait for the trade session, or perhaps return to Huntian Island and see if the island master is interested."

The vendor’s tone was firm. The negotiation had reached an impasse.

Although Qin Sang could tell the man was bluffing, he didn’t dare assume no one else would recognize the item’s value. After some thought, he asked, "Do you know where your master obtained this bone?"

The vendor shook his head. "When I met my master, he already had the bone. Later, I heard him mention once that he might’ve bought it at a trade fair somewhere in the Inner Sea. I don’t know the exact location. If we knew its origin, we would’ve searched for more long ago, rather than waiting until now."

So it came from the Inner Sea. Then again, it might have drifted there from the Demonic Sea.

Qin Sang had hoped to trace some lead through this man. If there were other flute fragments, perhaps he could follow the trail. But now he realized he had been far too optimistic.

Even so, since he already had one fragment, he could not let this one slip through his fingers no matter what.

At this thought, a conflicted look appeared on Qin Sang’s face. He glanced around warily, then transmitted his voice in a low tone. "Forgive my bluntness, but I suspect I’m not the only one you’ve approached about this item, and none of the negotiations worked out, am I right? How about this, I'm willing to offer a bit more. I’ll trade you a life-bound astra... but let’s make one thing clear. Once we leave this place, I will not acknowledge that this life-bound astra came from me."

"A life-bound astra?"

The vendor was startled. He gave Qin Sang a doubtful look. "Someone else’s life-bound astra?"

"Do you think I’d hand over my own?"

Qin Sang let out a cold laugh. "No need to look at me like that. I took it from a witch race scoundrel. It’s a spoil of war. I just don’t want unnecessary trouble, so I’m letting you know upfront."

Understanding dawned on the vendor’s face. "Given the current situation, that’s not uncommon. I’ve never heard of anyone returning such things out of kindness. You don’t need to worry. It’s just... life-bound astras are cultivated through a deep bond with their original owners. In someone else’s hands, their power is bound to diminish..."

"You just need to carefully nurture it for a while, and its power will gradually recover. It won’t be much weaker."

Qin Sang snorted. "A nameless fragment of unknown origin traded for a genuine astra. If you’re still not satisfied, I’ll be taking my leave."

"Fine. Take it!"

With visible reluctance, the vendor handed over the bone flute to Qin Sang. The corner of Qin Sang’s lips curved slightly as he retrieved someone else’s life-bound astra and handed it over.

Seeing that it was a spiritual sword crafted for combat, the vendor’s eyes lit up with joy.

Qin Sang wasted no time and turned to leave.

After walking a few steps, he deliberately attempted to store the bone flute inside his Mustard Seed Pouch. As expected, the flute immediately bounced back out.

Qin Sang let out a soft murmur of surprise and quickened his pace.

Only after Qin Sang’s figure had disappeared did the vendor finally withdraw his gaze, then began to fondly play with the treasured sword in his hands, clearly enamored with it.