2: Chapter 2 In this cannibalistic world, there are no free lunches.

Half a month ago.

He had muddled his way into this world of Cultivation through Transmigration, possessing not a shred of cultivation base, nor any background or connections.

The only thing he had was this System named "Traveling Merchant."

As long as he completed a genuine and valid transaction within his shop, with the transaction price fluctuating no more than twenty percent from the market price.

The System would directly convert twenty percent of the transaction amount into pure cultivation base, infusing it into his body to assist his cultivation.

No need for meditation, no need for arduous training, no need to take Medicinal Pills; he could improve his cultivation base just by doing business.

Besides this, the System also included a Contribution Point Mall.

The items inside were all-encompassing, ranging from the most basic introductory goods like Qi Refining manuals, inedia pills, and bone-strengthening powder.

Further up, there were foundation establishment pill Formulas, mid-grade Magical Artifacts, and rare Spirit Treasures.

And in those locked pages deep within the mall, there were likely even more powerful treasures.

As long as he had enough Contribution Points, he could exchange for anything.

Jiang Xuan's lips curved slightly, revealing a contented smile.

No rush, take it slow.

He poured himself another cup of cold tea, sat behind the counter with his legs crossed, and waited for the next customer to arrive.

...

At dusk, as the sun set.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

Jiang Xuan looked up and saw that Ye Baiyuan had actually returned.

His hand holding the teacup paused, and he raised an eyebrow: "Fellow Daoist, do you have something else you want to sell?"

Ye Baiyuan appeared worried, and asked: "Shopkeeper, do you have any qi-regulating pills here?"

Jiang Xuan stood up and nodded: "Yes, thirty Spirit Stones each."

The qi-regulating pill is a first-grade Medicinal Pill, an essential item for Cultivators at the Qi Refinement Stage when regulating their breath.

After taking it, the medicinal power would turn into a cool, thin stream, slowly flowing throughout the body along the Meridians.

It would clear out the congested and chaotic Spiritual Qi in the body bit by bit, soothe the restless Meridians, and restore the smooth circulation of Spiritual Qi.

This is of great benefit for stabilizing one's cultivation Foundation.

Hearing the price, Ye Baiyuan's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she said softly:

"Shopkeeper, isn't that too expensive? How can you act like a stranger after kissing me?"

"Lower the price a little, I came back specifically to buy from you."

Something had gone wrong during her cultivation, and her Spiritual Qi was not circulating smoothly; she urgently needed a qi-regulating pill to sort it out.

If left unchecked, the congested Spiritual Qi would only accumulate deeper; by then, not only would her cultivation base stagnate, but it might even damage her Foundation.

In the future, wanting to reach Foundation Establishment would be hopeless.

Jiang Xuan spread his hands, looking helpless: "Fellow Daoist, I've already given you a discount because of that kiss; the original price was thirty-two."

Ye Baiyuan quickly stepped forward two paces, reached out, and grasped Jiang Xuan's hand that was resting on the counter.

Her fingers were soft, with a slightly cool touch, and her eyes looked at him pitifully:

"Shopkeeper, I want three, will eighty-two Spirit Stones do?"

Jiang Xuan felt his palm being enveloped by a cool, soft hand, and the sensation truly made his heart flutter.

But he still shook his head: "That won't do, Fellow Daoist, you're cutting the price too ruthlessly; if I sell at that price, I'll have to pay out of my own pocket."

"If you don't believe me, go ask other shops; charging you thirty, the profit margin is already razor-thin."

Ye Baiyuan gently bit her lower lip; in fact, it wasn't that she hadn't asked around at other shops.

On the contrary, she had just come back after circling through other shops.

Jiang Xuan's Yunyou Shop had been open for less than half a month, its reputation far less renowned than the old shops in town, and it was usually deserted.

But after visiting the whole circle, his place was unexpectedly the cheapest.

She let go of his hand, lowered her eyes, and her voice dropped: "Shopkeeper, I really have no more Spirit Stones."

"I've been saving desperately these past few days, and only managed to save up eighty-two... please, have pity on me."

This was not an exaggeration.

Ye Baiyuan had embarked on the path of Cultivation all alone, without Sect protection or Family support; everything depended on herself.

Some time ago, something went wrong during her cultivation, damaging her Meridians, and she had spent most of her savings just buying Medicinal Pills for recovery.

Unfortunately, her internal Spiritual Qi circulation was not smooth, her strength was greatly reduced, and even going up the mountain to gather herbs was much more strenuous than before; the speed of earning Spirit Stones was so slow it was worrying.

These eighty-two were saved bit by bit from her own meager resources.

Jiang Xuan looked at Ye Baiyuan in front of him, examining her carefully for a moment.

Honestly speaking, she was indeed beautiful.

If placed on Earth in his previous life, this face would be enough to top the trending charts.

But in this world of Cultivation where Fairies are everywhere, Spiritual Roots are more valuable than beauty.

Relying solely on a face, one really couldn't exchange for much.

However, Jiang Xuan's heart softened a little in the end.

He couldn't bear to see people suffer, especially this kind of solitary, desperate Loose Cultivator.

But he couldn't break the shop's rules and give away profit for nothing; once the rules were broken, future business would be impossible to conduct.

So he thought about it and revealed a smile: "It's not entirely impossible."

Upon hearing this, Ye Baiyuan's eyes suddenly brightened: "Really?"

As long as she had three qi-regulating pills, she could clear out the congested Spiritual Qi in her Meridians and restore herself to her previous state.

At that time, she could go up the mountain to gather herbs, take on odd jobs, and earn Spirit Stones again; everything would be able to start up again.

Jiang Xuan nodded, then changed the subject: "However... you have to spend the night with me."

Ye Baiyuan froze.

Her hand gripped in her sleeve stiffened, and the expression on her face went from surprise to astonishment, then her whole face burned red, blushing all the way to her ears.

She hurriedly shook her head repeatedly, and took half a step back: "No... that won't do!"

She hadn't even been in a proper relationship before, how could she...

Seeing her reaction, Jiang Xuan didn't press the issue and shrugged:

"Fellow Daoist, in this man-eating world, there is no such thing as a free lunch."

"You can't expect to take things away empty-handed without being willing to pay anything, right?"

His tone when saying this was very calm, without any aggressive meaning, just stating a truth that everyone knew.

Over the past half month, he had been doing business in Tingfeng Town and had seen many Loose Cultivators coming and going.

These people were high and mighty Cultivators in front of Mortals, but the lives they led behind the scenes were only known to themselves.

They did everything with caution, not daring to offend anyone easily, and not daring to get hurt easily.

Without a Sect backing them or elders to fall back on, one wrong step meant eternal damnation.

Sometimes he even felt that these Loose Cultivators lived less freely than the ordinary people in town.

Ye Baiyuan stood where she was, not saying a word.

The room fell silent, and only the sporadic footsteps on the street outside and the sound of a spatula hitting a wok from someone's kitchen in the distance could be heard.

Her eyes wavered between hesitation and struggle, her fingers unconsciously clutching the fabric of her sleeve.

A long time passed.

So long that Jiang Xuan thought she was going to turn and leave.

Only then did he hear her speak softly, her voice as thin as a thread: "Then I want four."

Jiang Xuan raised an eyebrow, calculated for a moment, and opened his mouth just about to say "That might be a bit difficult."

Ye Baiyuan suddenly raised her head, her pretty face completely flushed, but her eyes stared straight at him:

"I am still a maiden!"

"Spending the night with you, you would be my first man!"

"Can't you be a little nicer to me?"

These few sentences contained shyness, annoyance, and a sense of desperate determination.

Jiang Xuan opened his mouth, finding that he actually had nothing to refute.

That was true; it was just a matter of him subsidizing one pill.

"Fine." He nodded readily, "Four."

Ye Baiyuan's tensed shoulders finally relaxed, and she let out a long breath.

"Then let's settle the bill for these three first."

Jiang Xuan turned around and took three small cyan porcelain bottles from the wooden shelf behind the counter, placing them in a row on the countertop.