David Brooks was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, “Interesting, you’re quite the schemer, aren’t you? Is this some kind of honey trap?”

The two lackeys immediately glared at him, looking quite intimidating. Little Beggar, however, was unafraid: “The item is on me. If you’re interested, I can show you right now.”

David Brooks waved his hand, “Fine, let’s have a look.”

Little Beggar carefully took out a tattered cloth bundle and opened it to reveal what looked like an ordinary wildflower.

“You little thief! Do you take me for a fool, trying to trick me with some wild weed?” William Brooks shouted angrily, rolling up his sleeves, ready to teach Little Beggar a lesson.

But the other party just sneered coldly at him, “As expected, a bunch of fools who can’t recognize value. Fine, I won’t do business with you lot.”

David Brooks’s first reaction was also that this kid was trying to scam them, but seeing how confident he was—and since he did need a high-grade spiritual herb—he stopped William Brooks and asked in a deep voice, “Since you claim this is a spiritual herb, what kind is it exactly?”

Little Beggar answered honestly, “I don’t know either. My family is from Giant Rock Village, over a hundred li outside the city. I usually make a living by gathering herbs. I don’t know the name or effects of this spiritual herb, but I’m sure it’s extraordinary.”

He spoke with such certainty that David Brooks didn’t interrupt him.

“Because I stumbled upon this spiritual herb by accident, when I entered a very hidden valley and saw two fierce beasts fighting to the death over it! If I hadn’t been lucky, this spiritual herb would never have ended up in my hands. But the clerk at the herb shop bullied me because I’m young—he only offered me a hundred copper coins for such a precious herb! Outrageous! That’s why I waited at the door, hoping to find someone who could recognize its value.”

David Brooks sized up Little Beggar and realized that although his clothes were ragged, he wasn’t actually dirty: “Can I take a look?”

Little Beggar looked at him with some distrust. William Brooks snapped, “You think my young master would covet your worthless weed?”

Little Beggar hesitated, but eventually handed the spiritual herb to David Brooks. He took it, gently rubbed his mustard seed ring, and opened a tiny, almost undetectable channel hidden beneath the herb.

This was an idea David Brooks had come up with: he couldn’t identify spiritual herbs himself, but if Little Beggar wasn’t lying, anything two fierce beasts fought over had to be extremely valuable. So he wanted the peach tree to help him check.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened the gap, the peach tree inside the ring space started shaking its branches wildly, as if it couldn’t wait to rush out. David Brooks quickly closed the gap, breaking out in a cold sweat: Can’t you be a little more reserved?

Still, he was quite pleased, because this confirmed that Little Beggar hadn’t lied—it really was a precious spiritual herb. Outwardly, though, he remained calm and asked, “Are you telling the truth? Can you take my men to see if there really are fierce beasts?”

Little Beggar grinned, “The price for the spiritual herb is for the herb. The price for the beasts is for the beasts.”

He held out his hand, and David Brooks could only smile wryly.

If the other party were a spoiled brat or the son of a wealthy family in the county, David Brooks might have ordered his men to secretly seize whatever he fancied.

But to do that to such a “weakling” would be dishonorable. If he really did that, he’d lose all face among the county’s young elites.

Chapter 008 Innate Spiritual Peach (Part 2)

“I don’t know what this thing is either, so I can’t assess its value. How about you name your price first? Include the two fierce beasts—if they really exist.”

After David Brooks finished speaking, Little Beggar thought for a moment and said, “Three thousand taels of silver for everything!”

“Why don’t you just rob me!” As soon as Little Beggar finished, William Brooks exploded, cursing angrily. David Brooks just calmly held up one finger, “One thousand taels, that’s all I have.”

“Not a coin less than two thousand!”

After some haggling, they finally settled on one thousand five hundred taels of silver. David Brooks would pay one thousand up front, and the remaining five hundred after the two fierce beasts were delivered.

David Brooks took the seemingly ordinary spiritual herb, then gave John Brooks a sinister order: “Take some men and follow him. If he tries any tricks, you know what to do!”

John Brooks already thought Little Beggar had cheated the young master and was unfriendly toward him, so he immediately grinned viciously, “Don’t worry, young master, leave it all to me. I’ll make sure he begs for death!”

David Brooks waved his hand and left with William Brooks.

He carefully placed the spiritual herb into the ring space, burying it under the peach tree. He could clearly feel the peach tree wildly waving its branches and leaves, seemingly overjoyed.

Unfortunately, because the golden bamboo lacked spirit jades, the analysis of “Dao Arts” was progressing very slowly, still just a blur of text.

David Brooks thought for a moment—waiting like this wasn’t going to work. He was racking his brains for ways to make money. In fact, with his status as the young master of the The Brooks Family, earning a few hundred or a thousand taels of silver was easy, but earning spirit jades… impossible!

Spirit jades and wild stones were essential for cultivators’ training and were already extremely rare. With such high demand, even ordinary cultivators might not have more than a few pieces.