The old wine seller rubbed his hands together happily.
His smile nearly reached his ears.
"...Really?"
He looked at the siblings once more, as though making absolutely certain they weren't joking.
Then he burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Good!"
"Very good!"
"What wonderful customers!"
He hurried behind the counter and pulled out a worn wooden ledger.
Despite his age, his fingers moved with surprising speed as he began tallying the inventory.
"Spirit Dew Wine..."
"Frost Plum Wine..."
"Blood Flame Wine..."
He continued muttering to himself while carefully counting every jar.
Several moments later, he looked up with another broad, cheerful smile.
"In total..."
"...Three hundred and seventeen jars."
He nodded in satisfaction.
"That's everything I currently have."
He tapped the ledger with one finger.
"In spirit stones..."
"...One hundred and fifteen high-quality low-grade spirit stones."
He paused dramatically before his grin widened even further.
"But!"
"Since you're purchasing everything..."
"I'll give you a discount."
He proudly raised a single finger.
"...One hundred and fourteen."
Ling Wei stared.
His expression remained perfectly courteous.
Inside, however—
*...One stone?*
*That's the discount?*
His gaze drifted toward the mountain of wine jars.
Then back to the old man.
*Was that... supposed to be generous?*
Beside him—
Ling Yue's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
She appeared to be thinking the exact same thing.
The old wine seller, however, looked immensely pleased with his own generosity.
He snapped the ledger shut with a satisfied nod.
"If spirit stones are inconvenient..."
He spread his hands amicably.
"We also accept barter."
"Spirit herbs."
"Beast materials."
"Rare ores."
"Talismans."
"Rare wines."
"I am quite flexible."
Ling Wei glanced toward Ling Yue.
She instinctively lifted her gaze upward.
"...Senior?"
The old wine seller watched the exchange curiously.
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
*I wonder what they'll offer.*
Behind his warm smile, the experienced merchant quietly assessed the two mysterious customers.
Anyone capable of casually purchasing an entire wine stall...
Would rarely produce anything ordinary.
The old wine seller continued watching them patiently.
He waited.
Curious to see what they intended to offer in exchange.
The very next instant—
Whoosh.
A small object shot through the air.
The old man caught it effortlessly.
His cheerful smile paused.
He lowered his gaze.
Resting in his palm...
Was a spirit stone.
Not an ordinary one.
The spiritual energy contained within it was astonishingly pure.
Its crystalline surface was flawless, without the slightest impurity.
The old man's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...A top-quality low-grade spirit stone."
He looked back at the two siblings.
Before he could say another word—
Ling Yue spoke calmly.
"...This is our payment."
"We won't be paying any more than that."
Those words had come directly from Senior.
She was merely repeating them.
The old merchant blinked.
Then he laughed.
"Hahaha..."
"Young friend..."
"Surely you're joking."
He casually tossed the spirit stone into the air before catching it again.
"This single stone..."
"...You're still fourteen high-quality low-grade spirit stones short."
He smiled warmly.
"My wine is already quite inexpensive."
Ling Wei replied with the same polite composure.
"...That is all we'll be paying."
The old merchant rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"...Fourteen is rather a bit much."
He smiled once again.
"...How about thirteen?"
Ling Yue immediately shook her head.
"...No."
"...Twelve?"
"No."
"...Eleven?"
"No."
The old merchant laughed helplessly.
"...Ten?"
Ling Yue remained completely unmoved.
"...No."
The smile on the old merchant's face gradually transformed into one of exaggerated resignation.
"...You youngsters really do drive a hard bargain."
He let out a dramatic sigh.
"...Nine."
Ling Yue simply looked at him.
"...No."
The old merchant stared back.
Neither of them spoke.
Several long moments passed in complete silence.
Finally—
he threw up both hands in surrender.
"...Fine."
"I surrender."
He tucked the spirit stone into his sleeve.
"...One top-quality low-grade spirit stone."
"You've won."
Almost before the final words left his mouth—
every wine jar inside the stall began to tremble.
The old merchant blinked.
"...Hm?"
Whoosh!
One after another—
all three hundred and seventeen jars rose gently into the air.
Large jars.
Small jars.
Round jars.
Tall jars.
They floated across the space in neat, orderly lines before disappearing one after another.
Not into Ling Yue's storage pouch...
But into seemingly empty air.
The final jar vanished.
The stall was left completely empty.
The old merchant stared silently.
"..."
He slowly swept his gaze across the now-barren shelves.
Then he laughed once more.
"Hahaha!"
"Marvelous."
"It truly is marvelous."
"Young people nowadays really are extraordinary."
He made no attempt to ask where the jars had gone.
Everyone possessed their own secrets.
That was simply common knowledge within the Night Market.
Ling Yue gave a small, respectful bow.
"...Thank you."
She hesitated for a brief moment before speaking again.
"...May I ask something?"
The old merchant smiled pleasantly.
"Of course."
"Is there a trading pavilion somewhere within the Night Market?"
"There is."
He pointed farther down the brightly illuminated street.
"Continue straight."
"At the third intersection, turn left."
"You'll see the largest building in the entire market."
"You can't miss it."
Ling Yue nodded gratefully.
"...Thank you."
The old merchant waved cheerfully.
"Come again."
"I'll have even more wine ready for you next time."
The siblings turned and disappeared into the bustling crowd.
Only after they had completely vanished from sight did the old merchant quietly chuckle to himself.
"...Interesting customers."
---
The lively Night Market enveloped them once more.
Lanterns swayed gently overhead, their warm light dancing across the crowded streets.
The sounds of merchants advertising their wares and customers haggling over prices blended into a constant, bustling hum.
Ling Wei glanced toward Ling Yue.
Or rather...
Toward the invisible presence resting above her shoulder.
"...So..."
"Senior wants to visit the trading pavilion?"
Ling Yue nodded.
"...It seems that way."
A helpless smile appeared on her face.
"At this point..."
"I've stopped trying to guess what Senior is planning."
Ling Wei couldn't help but smile as well.
"...That's probably for the best."
High above them—
Lizarius remained silent.
His golden eyes gazed toward the distant trading pavilion.
Yet his attention wasn't fixed on the building itself...
But on the countless threads of fate converging within it.
Each thread shimmered with its own unique brilliance.
Among them—
One thread shone far brighter than all the others.
It was that single thread...
That had drawn him here.