Chapter 110: Incident at the Stall

  Xu Mo, to test his luck, decided to pay a visit to the shopping district and see if a few shops were open—because not everyone celebrated the New Year. Especially when taking into account the long lifespan of cultivators, it made sense that many might have already become distant from the so-called mortal traditions.

  When he reached the shopping district, his theory proved correct. Because this place was close to the Hidden Dragon Sect, the shopping district was brightly lit like night and more crowded than usual. Xu Mo clicked his tongue and thought to himself: How could I forget that many of these people might only be mortals, but they're merchants. For profit, they’d probably sell even what’s precious to them.

  How could they dare miss out on such an important day?

  Xu Mo asked around while browsing for some gifts that were within his budget—because the last time he visited, he had nearly spent all his savings on survival goods.

  “What?! Mister, isn’t the price too high? Last time I checked, it was only a quarter piece of a spiritual stone,” Xu Mo said as he picked up a hairpin he had thought of gifting to Mei Xueyin. But he was considering giving Wei Rong’s and her gifts when they were together. If Mei Xueyin said he had given her jewelry, Wei Rong might start thinking he had feelings for her as well.

  “What are you saying, young man? The price has always been the same. In fact, I’ve even halved the rates because today is New Year!” the salesman lied through his teeth.

  Xu Mo smiled at the salesman’s response. He wasn’t angry; he had already gotten the same responses before arriving at this stall. By now, he had become immune to such words.

  “Mister, don’t you see this emblem on my robe?” Xu Mo said as he grabbed the salesman by the front of his robes and pulled him forward. The salesman let out a loud shriek.

  “Y-You can take it for free, i-immortal!” the salesman stammered, noticing how his scream had drawn attention from the surrounding crowd. He immediately played the victim.

  “Hush…”

  “What? Is someone from the Hidden Dragon Sect bullying poor stall owners again?”

  “Disgusting!”

  “I can’t believe it! This is too much. We should do something to help that poor stall owner.”

  “Should we report him to his sect? Only they have the power to suppress such people.”

  Xu Mo glanced left and right, sensing the people behind him.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Aren’t they overreacting a bit? Even if bullying is common, people should’ve come to terms with our nature by now, he thought. But he didn’t care and turned his attention back to the salesman.

  “I know what you're trying to pull here. But that won’t work on me. Here’s one half of a spiritual stone. I’m taking the hairpin with me,” Xu Mo said in a low voice, one that reached only the salesman’s ears. The man snapped back to his senses and thought, Why was I acting like I was in the right? In front of me is a cultivator.

  He had been setting up stalls in the shopping district for years and had come across many cultivators—Xu Mo was one of the few who treated him like a human, even calling him "Mister" respectfully, despite his attempt to earn a bit more from him.

  Xu Mo loosened his grip on the man’s collar, but the salesman hurriedly grabbed his wrist and said, “I’m sorry. I know I was in the wrong. Young man, here—take this crown as compensation. It was made to complement the hairpin.”

  His attitude changed, and after some time, the curious crowd lost interest as Xu Mo and the salesman started speaking calmly in hushed voices.

  “Thank you,” Xu Mo said quietly, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught the gaze of another stall owner—the very one who had first fanned the flames of rebellion against him. Xu Mo could sense the undisguised anger directed his way. He smiled faintly; sensing people’s emotions—especially strong ones—was always a curious experience for him.

  The owner of that stall was selling children’s toys on the side. He looked like he could die at any moment—his complexion pale, his body frail. Beside him sat a little girl with a dirt-smudged face, wearing thin, dirty linen clothes despite the cold weather. The old man, too, wore little to guard himself from the cold. Though winter was waning, the nights were still bitterly frigid.

  Xu Mo walked toward the stall operated by the old man and the little girl. It was more of a cloth stall. The old man instinctively hid the girl behind his back, believing Xu Mo had come for revenge. The little girl blinked her large, gray eyes from behind him. The clarity in those eyes reminded Xu Mo of someone.

  The old man shut his eyes tightly and covered the girl’s eyes as well, trying to shield her from whatever punishment he believed was coming.

  Xu Mo stopped. Between the two of them, only the small cloth stall remained. The old man, weakened by age, sat on the ground. Xu Mo bent his knees and came face to face with him.

  “How much for all the toys?” he asked.

  The question caught the old man off-guard. His eyes flew open, his hand falling away from the girl’s face. Through the gap between his fingers, she saw Xu Mo’s face clearly.

  “How much for all the toys?” Xu Mo repeated, his expression calm and indifferent.

  “F-For you, i-immortal, it would only be a few spiritual stones,” the old man stammered. Unsure of Xu Mo’s intentions, he hoped to make him lose interest by replying quickly.

  “I’m asking for the market price. I like these toys. My younger sister would love them.”

  The old man calmed slightly and answered truthfully. Since the toys were handmade, they were slightly expensive, and the total came to a staggering fifty low-grade spiritual stones.

  Xu Mo paid the full amount. As the old man started packing the toys, Xu Mo stopped him.

  “No need to pack them.”

  “Huh?!” The old man wondered if the young man had changed his mind or was simply playing with him.

  “They’re for that cute little girl hiding behind you.”

  The old man turned and saw his granddaughter had peeked over his shoulder, her head tilted in curiosity. Immediately, the old man grew alert, afraid that Xu Mo had been attracted to her. He even went so far as to label him a pervert in his heart.

  He threw the pouch containing fifty low-grade spiritual stones back at Xu Mo and said through gritted teeth, “My granddaughter is not for sale!”