Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

”I am simply unsure of what you two desire. Please, speak plainly. Our auction house will do its utmost to satisfy you both.”

Yi Wenqing’s words made Song Changsheng’s heart race. A flurry of unrealistic ideas flashed through his mind, but thankfully, he hadn’t lost his senses and quickly calmed himself.

Though his words were generous, it didn’t mean he’d truly grant their every wish. There was a line to walk. Asking for too little would be an injustice to their contribution, but asking for too much would be shameless. No matter how wealthy and influential they were, they were no suckers.

After a moment of contemplation, Song Changsheng steeled himself. ”Senior, would it be possible for the two of us to discuss this for a moment?”

Yi Wenqing raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected that answer, but it was all the same to him. He nodded slightly. ”Of course. Once you two fellow Daoists have made your decision, just tell her. This old man must go see Wanyun, so I will take my leave.”

He beckoned over a maid in a red dress, then departed from the hall.

”Young Masters, I am Hong Xiu. Please, what are your orders?” Hong Xiu said respectfully, giving a slight curtsy.

”We’ll have to trouble you to wait a moment, Fellow Daoist Hong Xiu, while we discuss this.” Although she was just a maid at the Qi Cultivation Stage, there was truth to the saying that even a prime minister’s doorman holds the rank of a minor official. Song Changsheng’s attitude was exceptionally courteous.

Hong Xiu smiled and nodded, then retreated silently to one side, where she stood in respectful attendance.

”Brother Yunhe, what do you want?

I did a quick estimate. They should be able to accept something worth up to one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. We’ll split it fifty-fifty. Is there anything you need?” Song Changsheng sent a voice transmission to Xu Yunhe, who was standing beside him.

Xu Yunhe was clearly distracted. Hearing the question, he answered without a second thought, ”Let’s just take Spirit Stones.”

”Are you sure?” Song Changsheng’s brow furrowed slightly.

Fifty thousand Spirit Stones versus a treasure worth fifty thousand Spirit Stones—they might seem similar, but in reality, they were worlds apart.

The reasoning was simple: some things couldn’t be bought with Spirit Stones alone. Take the Foundation Establishment Pill, for example. Its market price was around thirty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Plenty of people could afford that price, but the Foundation Establishment Pill wasn’t always available. Even when a few occasionally surfaced, acquiring one required paying a price far above market value.

This was not an isolated case. For example, when Song Changsheng was previously cultivating the *Array Carved on Body* technique, he had to pay a price far beyond the pill’s actual worth just to obtain a Heart Protection Pill.

The Luoxia Auction House had a powerful background; treasures rarely seen by the outside world were nothing special to them. Under these circumstances, asking only for Spirit Stones was without a doubt the worst possible choice.

”Let’s just take the Spirit Stones. I’m not really lacking anything at the moment,” Xu Yunhe said, his tone casual.

The Magic Technique he cultivated came from the Sword Dao inheritance he’d obtained in Hee Yunxuan’s cave estate. This legacy led directly to the Purple Mansion realm, so he had no need for another Cultivation Method.

As for Magical Artifacts, while he currently used an ordinary Tier Two Flying Sword, he actually possessed Hee Yunxuan’s Lifebound Spirit Sword. It was of an even higher grade than the Luwu Bell, its value astonishing.

As a Swordsman, a single sword was all he needed.

As for other items like Pills and Talismans, he had no great need for them. So he wasn’t wrong—he truly didn’t lack for anything valued under fifty thousand Spirit Stones.

Compared to that, just taking the Spirit Stones was more practical.

Seeing the serious look on his face, Song Changsheng didn’t press the matter further. Once he decided what he himself needed, he called over the maid, Hong Xiu.

”Daoist Hong Xiu, we have decided. We require five hundred Middle-Grade Spirit Stones and either a True Feather of Bi Fang or a Flood Dragon Scale.”

While five hundred Middle-Grade Spirit Stones were nominally equivalent to fifty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, the actual exchange rate wasn’t a strict one-to-one hundred. It was at least one-to-one hundred and ten, if not one-to-one hundred and twenty.

After all, Middle-Grade Spirit Stones far surpassed Low-Grade ones in both purity and utility. Only a complete idiot would exchange Middle-Grade for Low-Grade.

By doing this, Song Changsheng was securing the maximum benefit for Xu Yunhe.

”Young Masters, please wait a moment. I will go report to the Lord Steward at once.”

”Brother Song, aren’t you the strange one compared to me? Just asking for a single True Feather or a scale,” Xu Yunhe said via voice transmission.

A wry smile appeared on Song Changsheng’s face. ”Don’t I know that neither of these items is worth fifty thousand Spirit Stones? But they’re so incredibly rare that their value can’t be measured in monetary terms alone.”

’It’s not like I want to make a bad deal, but what choice do I have? This is a required material for cultivating the *Five Beasts Body Refining Technique*.’

The two only had to wait a moment before the maid, Hong Xiu, returned. She carried a sandalwood tray, upon which sat a Qiankun Bag.

Hong Xiu brought the tray before them and said with a hint of apology, ”My deepest apologies, Young Masters. Our auction house is currently out of stock for both the True Feather of Bi Fang and the Flood Dragon Scale. We do, however, have a Flood Dragon Horn. I wonder if that would suffice as a replacement?”

Song Changsheng took the Qiankun Bag and peered inside. Neatly stacked within were five hundred Middle-Grade Spirit Stones. Beside the pile of Spirit Stones lay a foot-long, fearsome ”Dragon Horn,” from which a faint draconic might emanated.

This was the single horn from a Tier Three Flood Dragon descendant. It was high-quality enough to serve as the primary material for refining a Tier Three Spiritual Artifact. In terms of value, it surpassed fifty thousand Spirit Stones, far exceeding the worth of a True Feather of Bi Fang or a Flood Dragon Scale.

’This item is precious, but ultimately, it’s not what I need.’

He took out the ”Dragon Horn” and, with a respectful bow, said, ”I dare to be so bold as to request this item be exchanged for a Tier Three Attack Talisman.”

Hong Xiu’s smile never faltered. Simply saying, ”One moment,” she took the ”Dragon Horn” and withdrew. A short while later, she returned with another tray, upon which lay a brand new Talisman.