FRGNM -Chapter 285 This Woman is So Cunning

“Huh? I’ll give you five thousand taels, and you still won’t sell?” Silver Wolf blinked in confusion. This was the first time he’d encountered such a situation—he was helping someone, offering money to solve a problem, and yet the other side still refused. Rong City sure had its share of strange happenings.

Zhao Yi’s voice was cold. “Not selling. The buying price is five thousand taels. If sold, the price at the auction will be at least ten thousand, and it will go through the trading hall!”

“Ten thousand? That’s quite high! If it resells for that much… Fine, I’ll give you ten thousand. How about that?” Silver Wolf placed a hand on the child’s head, dragging his chin thoughtfully as he smiled.

The man frowned, glancing at the Purple Bamboo in the child’s hands. Shaking his head, he said, “No. Maybe the auction price will be higher, so I won’t sell!”

“Get lost! Purple Bamboo isn’t even worth that much. At most, it’s eight thousand taels! I won’t give it to you under any circumstances!” The boy shouted, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Silver Wolf was about to speak when Ling Ruoxi stepped forward from the inn, smiling calmly. “Give him the Purple Bamboo.”

“Huh? Ruoxi, when did you start siding with bad people? If we give it to them, what about the kid?” Silver Wolf drooped his head, raising an eyebrow at the people across from him.

Ling Ruoxi dragged a hand across her chin, chuckling softly. “Do we need more Purple Bamboo energy? Let’s give it to him. Later, at the auction, they might even compete to give it to me.”

A fox-like smile appeared on her face. Silver Wolf shivered; every time he saw this smile, it never meant anything good.

“Kid, trust me? I can give you a bigger, thicker, better-grown Purple Bamboo. How about that?” Ling Ruoxi raised her brows, looking at the boy on the ground.

But the boy protected the Purple Bamboo in his hands and said coldly, “No. This is the Purple Bamboo I worked hard to find. Not theirs. I survive through my own labor; I don’t need your charity. Even if they beat me to death today, I won’t give it up!”

“Stubborn… but I like it.” Ling Ruoxi’s lips curved upward. She extended her right hand, revealing a golden card. Her eyes twinkled with a smile. “What’s the price? Name it. I want it.”

“A golden card!” Zhao Yi was stunned. Such a card was valid in all trading halls and signified a highly prestigious status. How could such a card end up in the hands of a little girl? Surely, she was bluffing.

He steadied himself, raised an eyebrow, and said, “Fine, thirty thousand taels. It’s yours!”

“Alright, thirty it is.” Ling Ruoxi casually swiped the card, and the thirty thousand taels were immediately transferred. Her lips curved upward as she said softly, “Xiao Bai, bring the little one inside.”

“Huh? Okay!” Silver Wolf was puzzled. Usually, Ling Ruoxi let others lose out, but today she was unusually generous, even giving money away. His instincts told him, though—Zhao Yi was doomed.

The cautious boy tightly held the Purple Bamboo, his eyes flashing with cold light. “I owe you nothing. This Purple Bamboo is mine. You’re just meddling!”

“Hey, kid, is your uncle teaching you this way?” Silver Wolf patted the boy’s head, raising an eyebrow. “What’s your name? Where do you live?”

“None of your business! Don’t call me your uncle! You’re meddling. Even if you beat me to death, I won’t give them a penny! Bandits!” The boy clenched his fists thinking of Zhao Yi’s behavior.

Bandits? Qingyi nearly spit out her tea, slapping her chest as she laughed. “Hear that? Bandits. Don’t question this kid further. Let him go—this is the first time I’ve seen a kid like him.”

“Hmph!” The boy turned his head, still protecting the Purple Bamboo.

Yuwen Zhiyuan put down his tea, exhaled, and looked at the child. His eyes glimmered as he smiled faintly. “Kid, you look so stubborn. I’m sure your uncle is worried. But you said, even if beaten to death, you won’t hand over the Purple Bamboo. Let me ask you—if you die, what happens to your uncle? If he knew you’d risk your life for Purple Bamboo, what would he do? Fall ill and die in bed? Kids’ thoughts are too naive. But I do like your stubbornness. Ling Ruoxi, the Purple Bamboo energy is insufficient—add a bit more.”

“No problem.” Ling Ruoxi nodded. With a wave of her right hand, a ten-centimeter Purple Bamboo appeared, purple energy flowing along it into the boy’s bamboo.

The two energies met with a violent tremor.

The boy’s face changed drastically. His eyes locked onto the new bamboo, glancing at the one in his hands. The essence within the new bamboo was incomparable to his own.

“This… this is the true Purple Bamboo. What you were looking for was merely its dispersed energy. But your uncle is seriously injured; even a bit of this energy will help him. Go.” Ling Ruoxi withdrew the bamboo, looking at the boy.

Cold sweat dripped from his forehead. The boy gasped, clenching his hands. “You already have Purple Bamboo. Why come here looking for more?”

“As you see, we need all the Purple Bamboo. There are five in existence, and we will collect them all to make the Purple Bamboo Divine Needles. That’s why we came to Rong City.” Ling Ruoxi’s lips curved up in a teasing smile.

Swallowing hard, the boy clenched his hands. “Minglang… my name is Minglang.”

“Minglang—a good name.” Silver Wolf dragged his chin thoughtfully.

Ignoring everyone, Minglang ran outside with the Purple Bamboo. “I’ll return your silver. Goodbye!”

“This kid really is…” Qingyi shook her head. Usually, Ling Ruoxi caused trouble for others, but today she gave them money.

Her eyes on her, Qingyi raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Looks like you plan to sell your pills at the trading hall again?”

“Purple Bamboo energy is leaking, and so many people are selling. The Purple Bamboo in Rong City has weakened. I’ll refine pills, exchange for Purple Bamboo, collect all the energy to draw out the original bamboo, and maybe teach those who don’t follow the rules a lesson.”

A gentle wind rose as the little figure dashed toward the abandoned temple, carrying the Purple Bamboo. The surrounding straw had long since dried and piled inside. A man in black lay on the straw, pale and motionless.

“Uncle, I’m back! I found the Purple Bamboo!” Minglang fed the bamboo into the man’s mouth.

The bamboo’s magical essence transformed into spiritual energy, entering the body without preparation. The purple energy flowed in with his breath. The man’s face darkened, he turned, and his eyes gleamed as the purple aura wrapped around him and slowly settled.

His black eyes sparkled. His expression improved slightly, but then he grabbed Minglang’s shoulders, shouting angrily, “Where did you get this Purple Bamboo? And what happened to your face?”

“Someone shameless stole my bamboo. Just a small injury. I dug this Purple Bamboo at Yunwu Peak,” Minglang said with a faint smile, wiping his cheek.

The man’s expression softened. “Don’t do such foolish things again. This Purple Bamboo… has it always been with you? Has anyone touched it?”

“Oh!” Minglang quickly said, “Uncle, I met some outsiders today. They were looking for Purple Bamboo and saved me. They had bamboo with strong spiritual energy, and they transferred it to mine. Uncle, how do you feel now?”

“Much better. Where are those people now?” The man’s eyes flickered with killing intent.

“At Mingyuan Inn. Five of them.”

The Rong City trading hall wasn’t as grand as the Sword Pavilion’s, and the space was smaller. Still, pills were expensive, even if not as prestigious.

“This hall isn’t great, and the starting price is too low. Should we move elsewhere?” Yuwen Zhiyuan glanced at the prices, smiling helplessly. Ordinary pills couldn’t compete with top-tier ones. If Ling Ruoxi’s pills went to the Sword Pavilion, prices would soar. Besides, he had already sampled some—tasty indeed.

Nearby, a young girl with arched brows sneered, “Price too low? Bring high-grade pills, and we’ll raise the price. Can’t? Hmph, go left and out!”

“Uh!” Yuwen Zhiyuan grimaced. “This girl is different from ours. She treats everyone equally. The kids in Rong City need training.”

“What did you say? Troublemakers, get lost! Don’t block the way!” The girl’s face darkened, and she threw her notebook at Yuwen Zhiyuan.

Her fiery personality drew a crowd, who laughed and watched.

Yuwen Zhiyuan rubbed his temples, looking at Ling Ruoxi helplessly. “See her attitude? Should we leave or stay? I really don’t know how to leave properly. Little sister, show us how it’s done.”

“You!” The girl fumed, baring her teeth. “You troublemakers! Guards, get them all out! Don’t let me see them again!”