C24 Something Went Wrong

"Aren't you being a bit excessive?" Ye Wenxuan's face was clouded with displeasure.

As a scion of the Ye Family, he possessed about 50,000 crystals, but the Dragon Blood Grass alone was worth close to 30,000. Combined, that totaled 80,000 crystals. Even for him, parting with such a sum would make for some difficult days ahead.

"The decision to trade or not at the Treasure-seizing Organization is entirely up to the individual. If you can't afford it, then simply don't buy it!" Wang Fei seized the chance to scornfully taunt him.

Ye Wenxuan's face turned beet red. He had spoken rashly, realizing that agreeing to a price at the Treasure-seizing Organization was indeed a matter of personal freedom. If Wang Fei refused, he had no right to object.

"Don't worry. The Beast Spirit Bead isn't worth that much," Xiao Yu reassured him, giving his shoulder a comforting pat.

"Hmph, fool. Do you think I don't know the worth of a Beast Spirit Bead? But for a lowly servant like you, it's normal to be ignorant of such matters," Wang Fei dismissed Xiao Yu's comment outright.

"Hehe, is that so? Well, I'll just wait and see who's willing to trade with you," Xiao Yu said with a smile, choosing to say no more.

The room fell silent for a time, with no one else speaking up.

If even Ye Wenxuan couldn't afford it, there were few present who could outbid him.

"Brother, what did you mean by that? Isn't the Beast Spirit Bead worth the price Wang Fei is asking?" Ye Wenxuan was full of doubts and whispered to Xiao Yu during the lull.

"The Beast Spirit Bead is indeed valuable, but its worth depends on whether it's of high quality," Xiao Yu explained. "It's like eggs. A fresh egg provides good nutrition for most people, but some eggs are rotten, and you can't tell until they're cracked open."

"Are you suggesting that Wang Fei's Beast Spirit Bead is a bad egg?" Ye Wenxuan looked surprised, then realizing the humor in his own metaphor, he couldn't help but chuckle.

However, Xiao Yu clearly grasped the situation—it appeared that Wang Fei's Beast Spirit Bead had lost its intended effectiveness.

"Brother, how did you figure that out?" Ye Wenxuan was brimming with curiosity. Even if the Beast Spirit Bead was as Xiao Yu described, how did Xiao Yu come to know this?

"There are some things I can't explain to you," Xiao Yu replied, shaking his head.

Since the awakening of his memories, Xiao Yu's soul had significantly strengthened. His heightened sensitivity far surpassed that of ordinary people, a trait shared by all Talisman Masters. Without such keen senses, one would never know to avoid the fragile areas of a Talisman Stone when inscribing, making it impossible to create a Talisman.

The moment Wang Fei opened the box, Xiao Yu had sensed the absence of any energy fluctuations in the Beast Spirit Bead, along with an ominous aura of death. It was evident that the bead's essence was compromised, rendering it not only useless for absorption but potentially dangerous if one attempted to do so.

"Brother, are you saying that Wang Fei was aware of the defect in the Beast Spirit Bead?" Ye Wenxuan sensed something amiss.

He had wondered why Wang Fei would part with such a treasure. Why not use it himself? But upon hearing Xiao Yu's observation, it dawned on him that Wang Fei probably knew the item had lost its potency and was still intent on duping someone with it.

Realizing he had nearly been ensnared by this ploy, Ye Wenxuan felt a surge of indignation.

"Young Master Wang, we offer two mid-grade weapons plus 50,000 crystals in exchange for the Beast Spirit Bead."

Eventually, several family disciples pooled their resources, hoping to acquire the Beast Spirit Bead.

"Heh, I can accept that offer. Alright, let's make the trade," Wang Fei nodded, casting a smug look at Xiao Yu.

The combination of two mid-grade weapons and 50,000 crystals brought the total value to nearly 90,000. This offer had indeed outbid Xiao Yu's earlier Spirit-gathering Talisman, giving Wang Fei a reason to be smug.

Moreover, this was the highest bid the Beast Spirit Bead could fetch, and yet Wang Fei continued to feign disappointment. Clearly reaping a benefit, he still managed to look as though he had made a loss.

"I can't stand by any longer!" Ye Wenxuan suddenly stepped forward and confronted Wang Fei, "You're offering a worthless Beast Spirit Bead in exchange for something so precious, and you're throwing in 50,000 crystals to boot. Don't you think that's rather excessive?"

A worthless Beast Spirit Bead? The surrounding crowd was taken aback, and the youths eager to trade were visibly dumbfounded.

What was Ye Wenxuan implying?

"Fatty Ye, what are you getting at?" Wang Fei's face darkened a shade.

He was indeed aware that the Beast Spirit Bead was defective; otherwise, he wouldn't have offered it. The only reason he knew was that a seasoned expert had once assessed it and informed him that the bead had lost its essence. To the untrained eye, even if one were to hold the bead, its true state would be nearly impossible to discern.

Wang Fei's intention was to offload the bead quickly. If the new owner discovered the flaw later, it wouldn't be his problem anymore. After all, the bead was intact at the time of the trade.

At the Treasure-seizing Organization, it's not uncommon to encounter items that seem valuable but are essentially worthless. If you trade for such an item, it's a testament to poor judgment. Conversely, there are genuine treasures that are mistakenly traded away for next to nothing. In those cases, the party at a loss usually has no choice but to chalk it up to bad luck.

However, Wang Fei's act of knowingly trading a faulty item was somewhat unscrupulous.

Now, Ye Wenxuan's demeanor suggested he had noticed something amiss, which seemed improbable. It was unlikely that someone of his age would possess the ability to detect such flaws.

"What do I mean? Wang Fei, your Beast Spirit Bead is utterly useless, and here you are at the Treasure-seizing Organization, trying to deceive people. Isn't that going too far? Do you have any idea what 50,000 crystals represent to someone else? That could be the accumulation of a very long time. Without it, they might not be able to afford essential resources for an extended period, which would significantly set back their cultivation."

At that moment, Ye Wenxuan was brimming with righteous fury as he lambasted Wang Fei, leaving everyone nearby stunned by his accusations.

Was Wang Fei intentionally offering a worthless Beast Spirit Bead to deceive others?

"Fatty Ye, stop spouting nonsense. How have I deceived you? You claim my Beast Spirit Bead is useless—do you have any proof?" Wang Fei was slightly panicked, yet he forced himself to maintain composure.

Admitting to the deceit now would surely provoke the wrath of many, so he had no choice but to stubbornly resist.

"Uh, well..." Ye Wenxuan faltered, having rushed forward without considering how he might substantiate his claim, which left him feeling rather embarrassed.

"Hmph, Fatty Ye, I'm aware that you're upset because I didn't sell you the Beast Spirit Bead at your desired price, but aren't you being a bit petty? To defame me over such a trivial matter?" Wang Fei, reassured by Ye Wenxuan's reaction, felt confident that the accusation couldn't be proven and began to mock him in return.

"Nonsense, do I look like that sort of person?" Ye Wenxuan retorted, visibly irritated but without evidence. He turned to Xiao Yu and asked meekly, "Brother, is there any way to prove that this Beast Spirit Bead is defective?"

Xiao Yu gave him an exasperated glance.

Despite this, Wang Fei had been a constant thorn in his side, and Xiao Yu was ready to confront the issue head-on, even if Ye Wenxuan hadn't stepped forward. Rising to his feet, he declared, "He's not lying. The Beast Spirit Bead is indeed faulty."