Fruit Farmer In A Cultivation World

Chapter 10: My Treasure Is Better Than Yours



Xiang Lan stopped in her tracks and looked at the two shop managers in front of her. Both these men were big shots in the city but always quibbled like little kids.

The manager of Rolling Clouds shop frequently tried to showcase that the capabilities of his shop were no lesser than that of Silver Moon Emporium. The manager of the emporium, on the other hand, was always defensive and did his best to prove his shop was ranked number one for a reason.

If it were anyone else, she'd have brushed them off and walked away as she didn't want anyone to take advantage of her reputation to advertise their shops. But since it was two of the biggest establishments in the city, she reluctantly decided to let them continue as she was often offered great treasures at a good discount by these shops.

"Oh, old Lei, you say you have something that's even better than a thousand-year ginseng?" The manager of Rolling Clouds shop questioned in a gloating manner. The two were long-time rivals, how could he dare make a claim that the emporium couldn't bring out anything better if he wasn't confident.

He had already done his investigation and was certain his opponent would lose today. The only reason the manager of the emporium stepped out was because he was a sore loser. If the positions were swapped, he'd just stay inside his shop and not show his face to avoid suffering a loss.

"Isn't it just a thousand-year ginseng? My emporium has sold many in the past."

"Surely you aren't serious. Which first rate shop hasn't sold a thousand-year ginseng before. But since you're so confident, I've also grown curious about what your emporium can bring out that can win against my ginseng."

Manager Lei cursed in his heart. This shameless bastard had been picking a fight with him for decades now. If it weren't for the fact that he was a well-respected and learned gentleman, he would have gone ahead and slapped that guy for being so petty.

Still, he also couldn't help but feel angry at himself for being so impulsive. Like how the other guy knew what his emporium had to offer, he was also fully aware of what goods were currently inside the Rolling Clouds shop.

He had already spoken but didn't have anything that could compete with a thousand-year ginseng, something that even foundation establishment cultivators would fight for.

The gears inside old Lei's mind quickly began turning. His thoughts jumped from one item in his store to another.

Unfortunately, no matter which treasure he thought of, none of them could compare to the thousand-year ginseng.

Just as he was at the ends of his rope, he saw a young disciple of the Sky Sword Sect holding a wooden box. His expression brightened immediately as he remembered the appraiser's high praise for the plum.

Though he hadn't tried the fruit himself, he trusted in the appraiser's judgment.

"Of course," Old Lei put on a brave front. "But it would be far too crude to waste miss Xiang's time with a thing as common as a thousand-year ginseng. I have something much rarer and special."

The whole crowd's eyes widened at the manager's words. Even the manger of Rolling Clouds shop showed a confused expression.

He considered the possibility that he had missed an extraordinary item but quickly brushed it off. He was past the age of making such small mistakes. He had already memorized all the expensive products in the emporium's hands right now. He was certain there was nothing that could prevent his victory today.

"You've roused my curiosity. Old Lei, quickly bring it out. I want to see what exactly it is that the manager of Silver Moon Emporium rates it so highly."

The Rolling Cloud shop's manager wasn't the only one who wanted to see what Old Lei was talking about. The entire crowd, including Xiang Lan, were waiting for the old manager to bring out the item.

Old Lei maintained a calm exterior while walking into the store. Soon, he walked out with a box identical to the one on Wei Mao's hands. The only difference was that the one old Lei brought out looked even more luxurious.

The wooden finish was clean and elegant. Furthermore, it was adorned with vermeil handle that showed great craftsmanship. Just the box alone would cost hundreds of ricetalons.

Old Lei gauged the crowd's expression. Seeing that enough anticipation had been built up, he opened the box in a theatrical manner.

"Look at these spirit plums miss Xiang. In the past five decades that I've lived, I've never once come across anything even remotely similar to this."

As the beautifully round and ripe plums came into view, the manger of Rolling Clouds shop couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

No wonder he couldn't figure out what Old Lei was up to. He would have never guessed that the thing his life long rival believed could trump over his thousand-year ginseng was a bunch of spirit fruit that was priced at just a measly spirit stone.

Many of the spectators immediately lost interest. They had expected to see some treasure that would drive them crazy but what was brought out was just some spirit fruits. Sure, they were a good cultivation supplement but they were unnecessarily expensive and only the rich cultivators would splurge on them.

Unlike treasures like the ginseng, they didn't make much of a splash even when they made their appearance at the market.

Noticing the shift in mood, old Lei clicked his tongue playfully. "These might look like ordinary spirit fruits but that couldn't be farther from the truth. This was cultivated by an eccentric senior who wanted to experience a different culinary experience. You could say that these fruits are the ultimate delicacy for gourmets. And where else could these fruits realize their full potential if not with miss Xiang, the best spirit chef in the entire city?"

Old Lei casually babbled the nonsense he had heard from the attendant while exaggerating the story.

It might be the first time he was saying it but his decades of experience allowed him to spout his lies without a single shred of hesitation. And just as he had expected, most of the people watching bought his story. In their eyes, there was no reason for a man of his stature to come up with such a fake story.

The only problem was that even Xiang Lan seemed to have believed in his words a bit too much. Looking at her studying the plums wholeheartedly, he felt a headache coming.

He had underestimated the allure of such a thing to a spirit chef obsessed with creating dishes

'It's over. Curse this stupid mouth of mine. Bragging was alright but why did I have to blow things up to such a proportion?'

Old Lei was panicking inside but maintained a professional smile on the outside. Having managed the emporium for all his life, he was confident in his poker face but even that confidence was starting to falter as he watched the beautiful chef take a bite.

Xiang Lan was known for being a harsh critic who only used the highest quality ingredients. Even treasures that would drive cultivators crazy failed to catch her eye. He was certain the plum wouldn't have ever entered her radar if it weren't for his made-up story.

Still, it was too late for regret now. He was prepared to hear Xiang Lan's negative evaluation and lowered his head silently.

However, after what seemed like an eternity, no harsh words made their way to his ears. Confused about what had transpired, he raised his head only to be shocked.

Xiang Lan, who was known for being impassive had lost her cool. Finishing a plum, she scrunched her brows in deep thought. Her expression was a mix of contemplation, joy, and regret.

She looked like she was struggling internally. It took a whole minute for her to go back to her impassive self and she walked up to old Lei.

"I'm impressed at the Silver Moon Emporium's capabilities. This is indeed something I've never come across. Please let me meet the senior who grew these plums. If you can satisfy this request of mine, I'll personally send five invitations to the emporium for the next Feast of Thousand Horizons."

Hearing her words, the people in the crowd all sucked in a breath of cold air. But the one who was shocked the most was definitely the manager of Rolling Clouds shop.

The reason he had actively sought Xiang Lan and advertised getting his hands on a thousand-year ginseng was to secure an invitation to the Feast of Thousand Horizons. But things had deviated too much from what he had expected.

Not only had he not gotten a single chance to bring out his treasure but his rival that he wanted to push down had been the one to benefit.

Old Lei, on the other hand, was caught between a rock and a hard place. He really wanted the invitations but if he revealed the origin of the plum, Xiang Lan would learn of his lies.

In the end, he could only grit his teeth and make up another lie.

"The senior in question is very eccentric. I cannot guarantee that he will be willing to meet you. But if you give me some time, I can arrange for someone to convey your intentions to him."

"Good," Xiang Lan smiled brightly. "That's already enough. I look forward to receiving good news from you."

Watching the departing young woman's back, Old Lei finally broke down.

'Can someone tell me what's going on?' 

 


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