Chapter 1306: Jiang Chen Drives Down the Price

Suddenly, Luo Tianshu felt as though he had stepped on empty air and was plunging into a bottomless abyss. How could this have happened? For the past half year, he had been obsessing over the Pine Crane Pills that Young Master Zhen had promised. One hundred jin of Sky Meteorite True Iron in exchange for a single Pine Crane Pill. Their chunk of Sky Meteorite True Iron weighed a full four hundred jin — over four hundred, in fact! That meant they could trade for four whole Pine Crane Pills.

Just running the numbers made Luo Tianshu's blood surge with excitement. When he'd rushed back and told Sect Master Wei Lang about it, Wei Lang had nearly dropped his jaw on the spot. In his agitation, he'd immediately decided to personally bring the Sky Meteorite True Iron to visit Young Master Zhen.

Unfortunately, the round trip had eaten up the better part of half a year. They had, as it turned out, been a step too slow. Young Master Zhen no longer had much need for the Sky Meteorite True Iron.

Luo Tianshu's face was ashen. He exchanged a glance with Sect Master Wei Lang, and neither could conceal the disappointment written across their features.

"Young Master Zhen, my piece of Sky Meteorite True Iron is truly extraordinary. No matter what, please at least take a look. Perhaps Young Master Zhen will find its value to be considerable?"

Wei Lang decided to take the initiative. He reached out and produced a chunk of iron roughly the size of a watermelon from his Storage Ring.

This piece of Sky Meteorite True Iron was, indeed, remarkably substantial in size.

Jiang Chen still wore a faint smile on his face as he glanced at the chunk of iron Wei Lang had presented. One look, and he nearly let his eyes fall out of his head.

It was Sky Meteorite True Iron without question, but the sheer size and purity of this piece exceeded anything Jiang Chen had expected by a wide margin.

Fortunately, Jiang Chen's self-control was exemplary. Despite the shock roaring through his heart, his outward expression remained as calm and composed as drifting clouds.

He took the Sky Meteorite True Iron into his hand and turned it over for a moment, silently marveling: What a treasure. An absolute treasure. This Sky Meteorite True Iron was unquestionably a spirit-grade among its kind. That luster, that purity — four hundred jin of this was easily the equal of a thousand jin of ordinary Sky Meteorite True Iron in usable material.

The moment Jiang Chen laid eyes on this piece, he knew he wanted it. In truth, he hadn't actually managed to acquire any Sky Meteorite True Iron at all.

Everything he'd said before had been nothing more than a bargaining tactic.

After all, the fact that the Langya Sect had come to him only proved how eager they were to complete this trade. Now that Jiang Chen understood the urgency on their side, he had no reason to rush.

He had a premonition that this piece of Sky Meteorite True Iron would end up in his hands — and that he wouldn't need to pay anything close to the originally promised price.

He inspected it for another moment, then smiled and set the chunk of iron back down. "It's a fine piece, no question. If you'd brought it to the trading fair at the Dragon and Tiger Summit, I would have snapped it up without hesitation. However, as the saying goes, a thousand gold buys the bones of a horse — what you're paying for is the need. Now that I already possess Sky Meteorite True Iron, my need for it has dropped significantly. Its value to me, therefore, has naturally gone down as well."

"Gentlemen, perhaps you could consider selling it to someone else who needs it?" Jiang Chen smiled faintly, glancing toward Wei Lang.

Wei Lang was thoroughly dejected. He met Luo Tianshu's eyes, and both men's gazes were filled with regret.

"Young Master Zhen, in your estimation, what is this Sky Meteorite True Iron actually worth?" The truth was that the Langya Sect possessed this piece of Sky Meteorite True Iron, but they had never even known it was Sky Meteorite True Iron in the first place, much less what it could be used for.

They had only vaguely guessed that it was some kind of high-grade forging material — likely Heaven-grade, judging by its appearance.

But as for how much such material was actually worth, they had absolutely no idea.

If Luo Tianshu hadn't happened to overhear Jiang Chen mention it at the Dragon and Tiger Summit, he never would have guessed that the Langya Sect possessed something so valuable.

At the price Young Master Zhen had previously promised — four Pine Crane Pills — that would be an absolutely astronomical sum.

Everyone knew that at the auction, a single Pine Crane Pill had fetched a staggering price of one billion six hundred million. Four Pine Crane Pills would be worth six or seven billion Sacred Spirit Stones.

The Langya Sect was a second-rank sect. Its total wealth certainly exceeded that amount. But casually producing that much liquid capital? That was clearly beyond their ability. Most second-rank sects would struggle to produce that many Sacred Spirit Stones on short notice.

Only first-rank sects and top-tier powers like the Veluriyam Capital — supreme forces that controlled the greatest concentration of resources — could be so extravagant.

Hearing Wei Lang ask such a layman's question, Jiang Chen nearly laughed aloud. He thought Wei Lang was almost endearingly naive. Such a guileless question gave Jiang Chen a twinge of guilt, as though haggling with a man like this was practically bullying someone helpless.

"Young Master Zhen..." Wei Lang sighed softly. "Just as you said, a thousand gold buys the bones of a horse. To those who need it, this is a priceless treasure. To those who can't appreciate it, it's just a rock. Since we've already come all this way, we'd still like to trade this piece with Young Master Zhen. In my view, this material can only truly be turned to gold — transformed from the mundane into the miraculous — in your hands. If it isn't too much trouble, please name a price. Any price at all, and I won't go back on my word."

Wei Lang's candor caught Jiang Chen somewhat off guard. He had thought the man was a bit foolish, but it seemed he'd misjudged him.

Wei Lang might not be shrewd, but he was far from stupid. He was retreating in order to advance, passing the difficult decision squarely to Jiang Chen.

In plain terms, through Luo Tianshu's earlier descriptions, Wei Lang already had a rough sense of Jiang Chen's character. He knew this was not the sort of man who would cheat and rob his trading partners. That was precisely why he had the confidence to let Jiang Chen name his own price.

Because Wei Lang knew that Jiang Chen would not be unreasonable.

"That's right, Young Master Zhen. Our Sect Master has heard of your exploits and holds you in the highest esteem. Even if this trade falls through, our mutual respect remains. Our Sect Master truly admires Young Master Zhen's character and abilities, and wishes to befriend you. Perhaps the Langya Sect's standing isn't quite high enough..."