C5 Attack Me Together!

Seeing Xu Ming rush off, Huo Siyan bit her tongue, holding back her words. Lee Qiuya's anxiety peaked, "Ming, what's the big rush? Let's all go together..."

Without waiting for Xu Ming's consent, she grabbed Huo Siyan's hand and they both trailed behind him.

"Why are you following me? Miss Huo must have things to attend to once she's home. You both should go on with your tasks..."

Xu Ming called out over his shoulder, quickening his pace as if he were being followed not by two stunning women but by a pair of dogs.

Huo Siyan and Lee Qiuya exchanged incredulous looks. Both girls were confident in their beauty; men typically couldn't resist their charm, often going out of their way to offer assistance. But Xu Ming's dismissive attitude, as if he were shooing away flies, was something they had never encountered before.

Huo Siyan's eyes flashed with irritation, and Lee Qiuya, whose mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, now burned with indignation. "Ms Siyan has come to resolve an important matter; you'll understand in a couple of days. As for me, once Ms Siyan returns to the sect, I'll be going back with her... From now on, I'll be a disciple of the Extreme Martial Sect too..."

Lee Qiuya spoke impulsively, but she swallowed the words that almost escaped her lips. Xu Ming, striding ahead, remained oblivious.

He didn't engage further. After a brisk fifteen-minute walk, they finally reached the marketplace.

Upon entering, Xu Ming weaved through the crowd like a fish through water, paying no attention to the merchandise on either side, utterly uninterested.

However, when Huo Siyan and Lee Qiuya arrived, several tall, stern-faced individuals immediately closed in around them—not to encroach, but to offer protection.

The marketplace was expansive and highly profitable. To conduct business there, one had to pay a fee. The Huo family, the Lee family, and the Coiling Dragon Gang, along with another underground faction from Four-direction City, had carved out their territories within the market.

With the Huo and Lee families' talented daughters stepping into the market, their respective guards were on high alert. Most of them clustered around the young women, leaving only a few to maintain order, ensuring the marketplace ran smoothly.

Xu Ming, the Fourth Young Master of the Xu family, was essentially superfluous at home. Ignored by everyone, he enjoyed his solitude. Before long, he had left the two young ladies far behind.

"Ah... young man, are you in search of something? How about these Inner Cores? They're fresh from the Mercenary Group..."

Xu Ming had been searching for Spirit Beast Inner Cores, browsing numerous stalls without finding what he wanted. As he walked past one particular stall, giving it a second glance, the vendor called out to him, eager to sell his Spirit Beast Inner Cores.

"Fresh? Is there a difference from those that have been stored longer?"

Xu Ming smirked, clearly skeptical, yet he paused to listen.

"No... no difference..."

The vendor was visibly uncomfortable, realizing that Xu Ming was not as naive as he had hoped.

"Hey... you thought you could swindle me because I'm new here?"

Xu Ming was forthright, piercing through the vendor's intentions.

The vendor, now even more sheepish, insisted earnestly, "It's just a way to draw in customers... Young man, you seem savvy. I have everything up to Rank Four Spirit Beast Inner Cores. Perhaps there's something you need?"

Xu Ming nodded, "I am indeed looking... Let's see... Ah, I only need a Rank One Spirit Beast Inner Core. What's your price?"

His attention seemed to be on the Rank One Spirit Beast Inner Cores, but his eyes were actually drawn to a few damaged cores tucked away in the corner of the stall.

"A Rank One Inner Core won't be overpriced. Others might charge fifteen gold coins, but I'll offer it to you for fourteen..."

The vendor's face was all smiles, his eyes attempting to convey honesty.

Xu Ming scoffed, unimpressed, "Spirit Beast Inner Cores of the same rank can vary greatly, with prices differing based on their attributes. Have you forgotten to mention that?"

The vendor looked wary but maintained his smile, "I knew you'd recognize quality. The prices I quoted were for the Wood and Fire Attributes. Other attributes, of course, will be more affordable." He lowered his voice, adding, "For you, just eight gold coins each. This price is unbeatable—others are selling them for ten gold coins."

Xu Ming shook his head. "Wood and Fire Attributes are only worth this much. As for the other attributes, at most three gold coins each..."

The vendor's face soured, impatience creeping in. "Young man, you're just making up prices now. I doubt you could buy a Spirit Beast Inner Core anywhere for what you're offering... Look..." He gestured to several damaged Inner Cores in the corner. "Even those damaged ones, Rank One Gold and Water Attributes, still go for two gold coins apiece. And for a Rank Two Spirit Beast Inner Core, you're looking at five gold coins..."

"Brother, nobody's a fool to sell damaged Spirit Beast Inner Cores... You wouldn't find a buyer at five gold coins for the lot..."

Xu Ming smirked, clearly unimpressed, as if to say, "You're quite the swindler."

The vendor's eyes flickered with annoyance. "My friend, we're talking about pristine Inner Cores here. If anyone wanted those damaged ones, I'd let them go for three gold coins, not five. But for an intact Inner Core, it's the price I quoted, not a coin less..."

Xu Ming's expression shifted slightly as he spoke calmly, "Wrap them up for me. And that dark object over there, pack that up too."

Delight spread across the vendor's face. "You're taking all these Rank One Spirit Beast Inner Cores?"

"No, no, no," Xu Ming gestured dismissively, pointing to the three damaged Inner Cores. "We've settled on a price. Those three Spirit Beast Inner Cores for three gold coins."

The vendor's face contorted, his expression as unpleasant as if he had swallowed a fly, and he turned to Lee Zhen in disbelief. "You're buying damaged Spirit Beast Inner Cores? Young man, you do realize..."

Before the vendor could continue, a sharp voice interrupted: "Xu Ming, have you lost your mind? You're actually buying broken Spirit Beast Inner Cores?"

Xu Ming frowned, not bothering to look back to know that Huo Siyan and Lee Qiuya had caught up to him.

Battling a headache, Xu Ming maintained his composure as he addressed the vendor, "We've settled on a price. I'll be taking these three Spirit Beast Inner Cores. Here are three gold coins for you."

Once Xu Ming had safely stored the three Spirit Beast Inner Cores in his Space Ring, he breathed a sigh of relief.

And yes, he even snagged that blackened, rusty piece of metal.

The vendor was left in shock. This man actually bought a damaged Spirit Beast Inner Core!

Hold on, what did that beautiful girl call him? Xu Ming? The Xu family's good-for-nothing?

"Well, that makes sense..."

The vendor muttered to himself, then with a wry smile, he accepted the three gold coins. "I've taken quite the hit here. These should've fetched at least six gold coins. But you, young man, have outsmarted me... You came specifically for the damaged Spirit Beast Inner Cores, didn't you?"

Lee Zhen couldn't deny it; he had scoured all the stalls selling Spirit Beast Inner Cores, but only this one had three damaged ones.

Acknowledging Xu Ming's admission, the vendor stopped talking, while Lee Qiuya persisted, seemingly oblivious to the fact that her loud voice was attracting the attention of the entire market.

"Xu Ming, have you lost your mind? Or are you just out of money? These damaged Spirit Beast Inner Cores are utterly useless. If you're short on cash, I can lend you some..."

Lee Qiuya's face was a mix of disbelief and deep puzzlement.

Following Lee Qiuya's outburst, the crowd began to scorn Lee Zhen, smirking at the Xu family's so-called failure.

Yet, the vendor looked at Xu Ming with hopeful eyes. "Young man, why not purchase a couple of the finer ones? These Spirit Beast Inner Cores might not be fit for crafting high-end pills, but they can still aid in cultivation. Plus, they'd make for attractive jewelry or clothing accessories..."

The vendor understood the vanity of youth and was well aware that one of the two young ladies was the betrothed of the Xu family's outcast. As a man, Xu Ming would naturally want to impress, especially in the presence of his fiancée.

"Why are you meddling?" Xu Ming's irritation was barely concealed as he turned to face Lee Qiuya with a serious expression. "The deal is done. Didn't you realize that I intended to buy the damaged Spirit Beast Inner Cores?"

Lee Qiuya's face fell, a frown creasing her brow before she had an epiphany, "You can't afford it, can you? Don't worry, I'll lend you the money. You want to buy a Spirit Beast Inner Core for Ms Siyan, don't you? How could you consider giving her something damaged?"

Her thoughtless words soured Xu Ming's mood, and he found himself feeling a twinge of aversion toward the stunning girl.

Meanwhile, hushed whispers spread among the onlookers: "Xu Ming is the least valued son of the Xu family's Patriarch. Rumor has it he's already sixteen with a mere Martial Dao Cultivation Level of Grade Two, relegated to working on the family farm."

"That's right, with only three measly silver coins to his name each month, it's no wonder he can't afford it..."

"Even if he could afford it, what difference would it make? Miss Huo is now the prized disciple of the Extreme Martial Sect Master, the future Sect Master herself... Even a flawless Spirit Beast Inner Core fashioned into exquisite jewelry would fail to catch her eye..."

Hearing the piercing comments, Lee Qiuya realized her mistake. Yet, she lifted her chin defiantly, refusing to apologize, though a hint of regret flickered in her heart.

"That's right..." Lee Zhen, too, overheard the murmurs, and it was impossible to deny the frustration boiling within him. His patience with Lee Qiuya had evaporated. "I simply can't afford it... I am the Xu family's reject, an outcast with no funds to speak of. How could I possibly buy anything?"

The crowd was taken aback, Huo Siyan and Lee Qiuya included.

Xu Ming had an astonishingly thick skin. Anyone else subjected to such cutting remarks would be mortified. But Xu Ming stood his ground, unabashed and assertive.

After his declaration, Xu Ming pushed his way through the crowd, leaving a final remark in his wake: "Besides, I bought the Spirit Beast Inner Core for my own purposes, not as a gift for anyone..."

Lee Qiuya's face flushed with anger. She shot a glance at Huo Siyan, whose face also bore a hint of irritation, and called out, "Xu Ming, hold it right there. Are you even a man?"

"Whether I'm a man or not, how about we find a place and put it to the test?" Xu Ming replied, slapping his chest with feigned seriousness.

That was definitely flirting...

A blush crept onto Lee Qiuya's cheeks, and Huo Siyan's complexion also turned awkward. The two young women were so mortified they found themselves at a loss for words. However, the guards from both their families were not amused. "Young man, mind your language..."