Wait a minute, where is my master?

Fan Changnian looked up at the blazing sun above.

He then glanced at the surrounding crowd, buzzing with discussion yet still not initiating any conversation.

As a cultivator within the Foundation Establishment Realm, beads of sweat surprisingly appeared on his forehead.

"Little Nian, if it really doesn't work out..."

Fan Changnian walked over to his son, who was holding a cover, and whispered in his ear. However, before he could finish, his son interrupted.

"Dad, if worse comes to worst, we'll just treat this hidden moth as the ship fare. We can't let that Mr. Chen benefit from this. And dad, I'm not sure if you noticed, but during the time you were calling out just now, there were clearly a few people in the crowd who seemed like they wanted to say something, yet they didn't make any movement. They were stopped by the people next to them.

"It's obvious, that Mr. Chen, must have spread some words around."

The interrupted Fan Changnian, startled by his son's words, realized he had indeed not noticed since he was solely focused on promoting the hidden moth.

Fan Changnian was still puzzled, as although the hidden moth was greatly beneficial to cultivators specializing in assassination, its characteristic of concealing its aura was also advantageous for ordinary cultivators. Being on Sae Island, it definitely shouldn't be the problem of not recognizing the item's value. However, why was no one initiating any conversation, not even to bargain?

So it turned out the reason was this.

"Little Nian, indeed, we can't let that Mr. Chen benefit from this. But this was a rare opportunity for you to possibly reach the Core Formation threshold, this... sigh, it's just dad's lack of capability."

As Fan Changnian was talking, suddenly someone in the crowd spoke up.

"Elder Fan, what year is this hidden moth from, is it worth a Golden Core? Do use a Golden Needle to stimulate it and reveal its form for us to see. If the age is sufficient, I might consider buying it."

The speaker was clad in a sapphire-blue robe, with a robust build and a skeptical expression on his face.

Fan Changnian turned his head and recognized the man as Manager Wang, who regularly bought his moth powder.

"Manager Wang, you're also a long-time resident of this Sae Island. You know that a hidden moth cannot reveal its form frequently—it must have at least a three-day interval or else its life might be in danger. I've shown it recently at Hualong Commerce, and it hasn't been three days yet. But I, Elder Fan, guarantee with my personal integrity, if there's any Taoist adept at assassination willing to exchange, it'd be worth a Golden Core."

Fan Changnian didn't understand why the other party would ignore the directives from that wealthy young master and openly express interest in buying his hidden moth.

But right now, Elder Fan's mind was somewhat in turmoil.

After all, the crowd surrounding them, seeing no excitement, had already begun dispersing gradually.

Mostly locals of the island, they had originally come for the reputation of the hidden moth. Finding nothing worthwhile, they naturally felt bored. As they started leaving, other cultivators who were just passing by or watching for the thrill might follow suit, leaving as well.

If everyone left, his son's path to Core Formation might really be doomed.

Therefore, with someone finally starting a conversation, Fan Changnian didn't care if the other party had any ulterior motives; heating up the atmosphere took precedence.

Indeed, the islanders, well aware of the rich young master's verdict yet wanting to leave, paused their steps upon hearing someone negotiating the price and gathered around once again.

"Ss, Elder Fan, you have indeed been a long-time moth catcher on the island, and generally, you are fair in your dealings. However, business is business. For my small household, a Golden Core is no small sum. Without seeing what this hidden moth looks like, I'm really not at ease."

Manager Wang wore a troubled expression, and as he spoke, he stepped out from the crowd.

He moved a few steps forward, came closer to Fan Changnian, and lowered his voice.

"I know about Mr. Chen spreading the word, but maybe you, old fellow, are in luck. Our vice president of the commerce has announced that he wants to find a hidden moth of at least three hundred years old for a senior.

"If your moth is old enough, I'll go buy a Golden Core and purchase it right away."

Fan Changnian's eyes suddenly flashed with intense joy; the hidden moth his son was holding was precisely three hundred years old.

"Manager Wang, are you serious about this!?"

"Of course, I'm serious. I'm not going to spout off about how we've known each other for many years and all that empty talk. The vice president of our commerce guild has mentioned that whoever finds this first will have a chance to get promoted to be a manager in next year's assessment."

"I'm doing this for myself as well."

The broadly built Manager Wang, with an impatient look on his face, paused briefly, then continued.

"Is this Hidden Moth really as old as three hundred years? Give me a clear answer. If it's not, not only will my chance to become a manager disappear, but I'd also face punishment."

"Manager Wang, rest assured, I had this appraised at the Splendid Commerce Guild, and they confirmed that this item is indeed exactly three hundred years old."

Fan Changnian was initially skeptical about such a coincidence, but seeing the other party's tone and attitude at that moment, he felt somewhat convinced that the other party might indeed be serious about buying.

Both individuals weren't high in cultivation, merely whispering among themselves, so some of the audience who either had higher cultivation or better hearing, caught every word of their conversation.

At this point, some meddlers began to look around for that wealthy young master's attendants, and others quietly made bets on whether Fan Changnian would actually manage to sell the Hidden Moth.

In the center of the circle, at Manager Wang's end.

After hearing his words, hesitated for a moment before continuing in a low voice.

"Elder Fan, it's not that I don't trust you, but my future is at stake here, and I can't feel at ease without seeing the age of the Hidden Moth myself. Look, it's already been two days since the Hidden Moth last appeared. If we're careful, it likely won't cause much harm to it."

"I have a Golden Needle here, given by the vice president. It is said to cause very little damage to the Hidden Moth. Why don't you try using it?"

As he spoke, he flipped his wrist, revealing a Golden Needle that had been hidden up his sleeve, now appearing in his palm.

"This..."

Fan Changnian's brow furrowed deeply, evidently engaged in some internal struggle.

He didn't make the other wait too long, taking about three breaths

Fan Changnian clenched his fist tightly and gritted his molars as he said,

"Alright!"

He then reached out and took the Golden Needle from the other's hand.

At that moment, among the watching crowd.

The small Taoist Jin Xu, who had put his mask back on, watched this scene and suddenly whispered to the two women beside him,

"That old gentleman might be getting tricked."

Little White and Yu Yaoer, upon hearing this, tacitly turned their heads to glance at Jin Xu, then returned their gaze to the center of the circle.

Huskies sniffed hard at the three figures standing in the middle of the circle, as if trying to smell out the scent of conspiracy.

Meanwhile, the Little Fish Demon looked on before whispering back to the Taoist,

"Sir, shouldn't we do something? From what that old gentleman was saying to his son, it seems like they've been oppressed by some spoiled brats on the island."

Upon hearing this, Jin Xu slowly shook his head and slightly raised his chin, saying

"We might not need to intervene. Look over there."