"Mr. Ding, could you please take a look at this item? Although I feel it might be a thousand-year-old spiritual herb, I'm not entirely sure, so I hope Mr. Ding can confirm the age for me." Mr. Tian, speaking humbly, handed over the brocade box.
"A thousand-year-old spiritual herb?" Mr. Ding heard this with some disbelief, but still accepted the brocade box.
"Please examine it carefully! Is it really the Thousand-Year Yellow Essence Mushroom?" Mr. Tian pressed, trying to contain his excitement, and spoke somewhat urgently.
The old man didn't say anything but narrowed his eyes, examining the shape, color, and texture of the contents of the box, occasionally bringing it close to his nose to sniff.
Since Han Li had cultivated this herb himself, he naturally knew whether it was a thousand-year-old spiritual herb or not. Therefore, he remained calm, sitting on the side, paying no attention to the old man's actions. His only concern was negotiating with Wanbaolou about the price.
In contrast, Mr. Tian, unlike Han Li, stared intently at the old man's every move. His demeanor, which had been calm when facing Han Li, was now replaced with a complex expression of anticipation and anxiety.
Finally, Mr. Ding gently placed the box on the table, then stroked his beard and closed his eyes in thought for a moment before opening them again, calmly saying:
"Congratulations, shopkeeper. This is indeed a Thousand-Year Yellow Essence Mushroom, freshly unearthed not long ago, with its medicinal properties intact. I can vouch for it!"
Upon hearing this, Mr. Tian's face lit up with joy. He then politely escorted the old man downstairs before eagerly picking up the box containing the spiritual herb and examining it repeatedly.
"Mr. Tian, perhaps it's time we discussed the terms of the transaction!" Han Li, noticing that Mr. Tian seemed to have forgotten that the owner of the spiritual herb was still present, couldn't help but remind him.
"Oh... right! My apologies! Please forgive my absentmindedness!" After a slight moment of confusion, Mr. Tian remembered that the spiritual herb still belonged to Han Li and felt a slight blush creeping up his cheeks.
"Hehe, no problem! Since Mr. Han can produce a thousand-year-old spiritual herb, he must be no ordinary cultivator. There's no need for formalities between us. Let me offer you a fair price!" Han Li chuckled and teased him gently.
At this point, Mr. Tian regained his composure and placed the item back on the table before continuing:
"Since Mr. Han can produce a Thousand-Year Yellow Essence Mushroom, you must be no ordinary cultivator. There's no need for me to deceive you. Let me offer you a fair deal! You can exchange this spiritual herb for any two of the treasures I showed you earlier, or you can choose to exchange it for the item inside the last box alone. If none of these items interest you, we can also offer you spirit stones to your satisfaction. What do you think, Mr. Han?"
Feeling the sincerity in Mr. Tian's words, Han Li considered his offer carefully. It seemed reasonable and did not exceed his bottom line, so he silently agreed to it with about seventy to eighty percent certainty. However, before agreeing, he wanted to see what was inside the last box.
But before Han Li could speak, Mr. Tian, understandingly, opened the lid of the last box and pushed it in front of Han Li with a smile, saying:
"The item inside this box is our shop's treasure. However, it all depends on whether you recognize its value!"
Curiosity piqued, Han Li looked into the box and was stunned to see a lone talisman with a golden brick pattern drawn on it, shimmering with a lifelike golden light.
