After all, Jiang Chen had lived two lives—how could he possibly be angered by such a childish provocation, watching the farcical performance of this jumping clown?
Jiang Chen smiled with contempt. "I can't buy it? In this world, is there really anything that can't be bought?"
The person in charge scoffed, his gaze sweeping across each merchant, clearly signaling to them that under no circumstances should they sell to Jiang Chen. To do so would be to disrespect him, Zhang, and by extension, the Qianlan Northern Palace.
Yet Jiang Chen ignored these petty maneuvers entirely. From beginning to end, that playful smile remained at the corner of his lips.
His leisurely gaze swept across all the merchants. They either averted their eyes, didn't even lift their heads, or gave helpless, bitter smiles and shakes of the head.
Obviously, if forced to choose, they would not side with an outsider.
Even if their relationship with this manager from the Qianlan Northern Palace wasn't particularly close, and they weren't truly aligned with him.
But this was the pressure of circumstance, the unspoken rule.
The Qianlan Northern Palace manager clearly understood this. Seeing everyone's reaction, his confidence grew. He gave Jiang Chen an arrogant, triumphant smile.
The implication was obvious: Go on then, buy one from me, if you can!
Jiang Chen remained as calm as ever, letting out a light chuckle. Suddenly, he took a slight step forward.
He raised one hand, and a pill bottle appeared in it. His voice was calm, a smile still playing on his lips, as he spoke lightly: "I have here a single Blue Sea Pill, of supreme grade, capable of instantly restoring seventy percent of one's True Qi. Its value needs no explanation from me. I offer this pill in exchange for ten stalks of Blue Iris Grass and twenty Wooden Gruit Seeds. First come, first served. Once it's gone, it's gone!"
All those petty tactics, little games, so-called merchant unspoken rules, were in reality utterly flimsy. They were nothing more than matters of face.
Before absolute profit, there was no unspoken rule that couldn't be broken. Moreover, this kind of unwritten rule was never reliable.
A supreme-grade Blue Sea Pill, instantly restoring seventy percent of True Qi!
Throughout the entire Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance, in the field of qi replenishment and gathering, before the Blue Sea Pill's debut, the absolute maximum was restoring forty percent of True Qi instantly.
Occasionally, an alchemist might perform exceptionally, producing a pill that restored fifty percent.
But seventy percent? That was utterly unheard of!
The Blue Sea Pill had actually entered mass production at the Alchemist Hall in the Eastern Kingdom several months prior. However, the output was not yet large. The amount that flowed into the Tiangui Kingdom was pitifully small.
But once the Blue Sea Pill entered the market, it caused a massive sensation in the Tiangui Kingdom, becoming wildly popular. In the kingdom's upper echelons, even a single pill was hard to come by.
This was hardly surprising, after all. The Alchemist Hall's production in the Eastern Kingdom wasn't even enough to meet domestic demand; orders were already endless.
The amount that trickled into the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance was truly minuscule.
Therefore, in the Tiangui Kingdom, while the Blue Sea Pill had a great reputation, those who actually possessed one were exceedingly rare.
And a supreme-grade Blue Sea Pill capable of instantly restoring seventy percent of True Qi? That was something people hadn't even heard of.
The entire trading area fell silent the moment Jiang Chen finished speaking. A deathly stillness descended.
Everyone seemed to have tacitly sealed their lips.
"A supreme-grade Blue Sea Pill? Instantly restoring seventy percent of True Qi?" Finally, someone's brain caught up.
"Just for ten stalks of Blue Iris Grass and twenty Wooden Gruit Seeds? Is... is this some kind of joke?"
"No way! The value of ten stalks of Blue Iris Grass and twenty Wooden Gruit Seeds doesn't even come close to a normal Blue Sea Pill, right? Supreme-grade? Are you absolutely certain?"
"Is this young man crazy from being pushed? Talking nonsense?"
Words could be spoken carelessly, but pills could not be faked. Jiang Chen didn't bother with grandstanding. He tipped the pill bottle, and a single supreme-grade Blue Sea Pill rolled into his palm.
The moment the pill appeared, everyone's gaze snapped to it as if drawn by a magnet.
Instantly, everyone's breathing quickened, their eyes filling with a fervent light.
It truly was a Blue Sea Pill!
That luster, that aura, that purity, that spiritual appearance—it looked like a pill imbued with life, brimming with a vibrant, heart-stirring vitality.
This temptation was like a shapely beauty, full-figured and curvaceous, wearing only a thin layer of sheer gauze, her inner landscape faintly visible beneath. It was nearly irresistible, making one's blood boil with desire.
Could such temptation be refused?
For the sake of some so-called face? Some so-called unspoken rule? To help some jerk from the Qianlan Northern Palace put down an outsider?
Obviously, that was absurd and laughable.