Chapter 92: Haggler Han Lin Vs The Sellers

After bagging the three varieties of seeds, the shopkeeper—who had just witnessed Lu Feng casually put a massive man to sleep with a single blow—was still trembling slightly as he handed over the packages. He quickly accepted the fifteen gold coins without another word of complaint, bowing repeatedly as they began to step away from the stall.

Before leaving the seed stand, Lu Feng paused and glanced over at the nearby bench where the heavy mercenary still sat propped up, looking for all the world like he was taking an afternoon nap.

Lu Feng caught the eye of a young market porter who was standing nearby with a wooden handcart, looking for work. Lu Feng gestured for the young man to come over and pulled two silver coins from his pouch.

"Do you see that man sleeping on the bench over there?" Lu Feng asked calmly.

The porter nodded quickly. "Yes, young master."

Lu Feng extended his arm, pointing directly toward the open second-floor balcony of the high-end restaurant down the street, where Ma Guiren sat behind the railing. "Carry that man up to that balcony. Place him right beside the young man sitting alone at the table, and deliver a simple message to him."

The porter looked up at the luxurious balcony, then down at the shiny silver coins. "What message, sir?"

Lu Feng smiled faintly. "Tell him this ’Next time, try a little harder. But do make sure to watch out for Big Sister Su.’ and then you can leave after saying that."

The porter’s eyes lit up at the generous payment. "Consider it done, young master!" He immediately hurried over to the bench, hoisted the unconscious mercenary over his broad shoulder with some effort, and began making his way toward the restaurant’s entrance.

As the porter carried the limp mercenary up the wooden stairs to the balcony, Lu Feng stood in the middle of the street and turned his gaze directly toward Ma Guiren. Up on the balcony, Ma Guiren watched in utter shock as his hired thug was unceremoniously dumped into a chair right across from him. As he looked back down toward the crowd in a panic, his eyes met Lu Feng’s once more.

Lu Feng gave him a slow, deliberate smile before turning around to rejoin the ladies.

Leaving the botanical area behind, the trio strolled deeper into the heart of the trade market, where the aromatic scents of street food gave way to the heavy metallic clang of blacksmiths and artisan shops.

"We still need to procure proper cooking wares and utility items for the estate," Lu Feng remarked as they walked, his gaze sweeping over the various storefronts. "The current kitchen setup is far too basic if we intend to process high-tier spiritual ingredients effectively."

Han Lin’s eyes lit up at the mention of the kitchen. "A proper spiritual stone stove would be wonderful! The heat distribution on standard wood-fired stoves is far too uneven for delicate spirit broth."

They soon stepped into a large, well-stocked housewares emporium. The broad showroom displayed everything from polished brass tea sets to heavy iron cauldrons.

After inspecting several displays, they settled on a high-grade culinary stove forged from heat-resistant obsidian iron, equipped with an array core designed to channel fire-attribute spirit stones evenly.

Along with the stove, they selected several reinforced copper pots, spirit-retaining ceramic jars, and a set of fine kitchen knives crafted from refined cold-iron.

When the shop owner calculated the total for the culinary set, he wiped his hands on his apron and smiled warmly. "For all these fine obsidian pieces and the imported cold-iron cutlery, that will come to forty-five gold coins."

Han Lin immediately stepped up, her eyes narrowing as she pointed at the obsidian stove. "Forty-five gold? The array core on this stove is only a low tier formation to generate more heat, and these copper pots aren’t even reinforced with runes on the inner lining! Twenty-five gold coins for the entire set."

The shopkeeper gasped, placing a hand over his chest. "Twenty-five?! Young lady, the cold-iron alone cost me twenty gold to import from the northern mines! I would be losing money! The lowest I can possibly go is forty gold!"

"Thirty gold, and we’ll pay in crisp, unblemished gold coins right now," Han Lin countered smoothly, leaning forward with her hands resting on her hips. "Otherwise, we can take our business three doors down to the smithy up front."

The shopkeeper hesitated, looking between Han Lin’s sharp, uncompromising posture and Lu Feng’s quiet, steady presence. He let out a heavy sigh and threw his hands up in defeat. "Thirty-two gold! Not a copper less, or I truly lose my profit margin!"

"Deal," Han Lin said with a satisfied grin, stepping back so Lu Feng could settle the payment.

While the shop attendants packed the heavy cookware into storage crates for delivery, Han Lin’s attention drifted toward a luxurious tailor shop located directly across the avenue. Vibrant silk banners fluttered outside, displaying elegant robes trimmed with intricate embroidery.

"Since we are already replenishing our supplies," Han Lin said, turning to Lu Feng with a hopeful smile, "we should inspect the garments as well. Our current robes are practical, but having a few durable, high-grade outfits suitable for official visits wouldn’t hurt."

Ye Chenxue offered a subtle nod of agreement. "Quality spirit-silk also offers minor resistance against dust and environmental elemental qi."

Entering the tailor shop, the two ladies were immediately greeted by an attentive shopkeeper who presented their finest fabrics. Han Lin enthusiastically tried on several vibrant dresses woven from soft cloud-silk, while Ye Chenxue selected a few refined, minimalist robes crafted from frost-patterned satin that complemented her calm demeanor.

When the tailor attempted to charge premium prices for the custom fittings, Han Lin expertly worked her magic once more, cutting the total cost down significantly through a spirited round of bargaining. Lu Feng quietly picked out two sets of dark, durable robes reinforced with subtle defense runes along the hem.

By the time all their purchases were finalized—including the spiritual seeds, the heavy obsidian stove, kitchenware, and the new wardrobe additions—the total expense came out to just over a hundred gold coins. Lu Feng paid the sum smoothly from his pouch, handing over the coins to the satisfied merchants.

Stepping back out into the bustling street under the bright afternoon sun, Han Lin stretched her arms happily. "That was certainly a productive morning. Everything will be delivered directly to the estate before evening."

Lu Feng nodded, his expression turning thoughtful as he looked down the long avenue leading toward the upper district of Crimson Vale.

"Now that our shopping is complete," Lu Feng said calmly, "let us make a trip to Lin Laifu’s estate. There are a few matters I need to discuss with him directly."