The Ten Heroines are Insane! - Chapter 96:

Chapter 96: Nalan Qing, The Profiteer – The Punishment of Xu Ze:

Upon hearing Nalan Qing’s words, Xu Ze felt a twinge of dissatisfaction. This woman didn’t even recognize his voice, not taking him seriously at all. 

After the other heroines were reborn, they became highly sensitive to him. But Nalan Qing, obsessed with making money, seemed oblivious. If someone like her wasn’t taught a lesson, she would never understand who the real genius was.

“Oh? High-quality goods? Lady, why not come in for a chat?” Xu Ze said with a smile, standing outside the door. 

Hearing this, Nalan Qing quickly opened the door and walked in. 

She found herself in serene and elegant bamboo woods. 

A man in a white robe with blue stripes sat in the pavilion, drinking tea, his back turned to her. 

Nalan Qing couldn’t see his face, but the figure seemed strangely familiar, as if a memory was on the verge of surfacing in her mind. 

“Miss, didn’t you bring something good to show me? You’ve come in, so why are you just standing there in a daze?” Xu Ze’s voice was warm and inviting, snapping Nalan Qing back to reality. 

She quickly regained her composure, her face brightening with a merchant’s smile. 

Whoever he was didn’t matter—she had made up her mind to strike a big deal today.

“Ahem, sir, have you heard of the new spiritual weapon launched by the Nalan Merchant Guild recently?” Nalan Qing pulled out a piece of jade from her robe. The jade was a vibrant green, with golden patterns of birds and beasts inlaid along the edges, giving it an opulent appearance.

“This is the ‘Kingfisher Tong Jasper,’ a new spiritual beast jade from the Nalan Merchant Guild,” she explained. “Sealed within this jade is a thousand-tailed spirit bird. Once the user bonds with it through a drop of blood and activates it with a trace of mystical energy, they can summon this rare and obedient spiritual beast.”

As Nalan Qing spoke, she stepped forward to present the jade to Xu Ze, eager to catch a glimpse of the man’s face. 

However, before she could take another step, Xu Ze merely flicked his hand, and the jade flew into his grasp. 

Seeing her chance to move closer slip away, Nalan Qing could only smile and remain where she stood.

“Oh? This is quite an intriguing item.” Xu Ze remarked, examining the jade with interest. 

This Kingfisher Tong Jasper was a ‘spiritual jade,’ something that should only appear later in the novel “The Immortal Emperor of Heaven and Earth.” It was originally designed to store large spirit beasts for battle, allowing them to be summoned at will. 

Yet, somehow, Nalan Qing had managed to acquire it ahead of time, turning a practical tool into a luxury item for the wealthy to flaunt.

Nalan Qing’s keen understanding of the desires of the rich and reckless was impressive. If the person sitting before her was anyone other than Xu Ze, perhaps some wealthy young master, they might have been easily swayed and paid up without hesitation.

“But, how much does this jade cost?” Xu Ze asked, placing the jasper on the table and taking a sip of tea.

Nalan Qing’s smile widened as she rubbed her hands together. “It’s not expensive, only 50,000 high-grade spiritual stones.”

Xu Ze barely kept his composure, resisting the urge to spit out his tea. 

50,000 high-grade spiritual stones? 

What kind of fool would pay that much? 

While the jade might be worth something, Xu Ze, with his knowledge of the original novel, knew that the prototype of this item, ‘spiritual jade,’ was worth at most 30 to 50 spirit jades. 

Even with the rare thousand-tailed spirit bird sealed inside, its market value would only be a few thousand spirit stones.

Nalan Qing was clearly relying on the fact that no one else knew the true value of the item to make an enormous profit, much like a transmigrator introducing the first mobile phone and selling it for an exorbitant price. 

Xu Ze could easily deduce that Nalan Qing’s greed had reached dangerous levels.

“…Sir?” Nalan Qing blinked, her face full of anticipation. After all, she was the one who set the price, hoping that this wealthy young man would simply buy it without question.

Xu Ze suppressed his irritation and smiled. “Well, it’s not that expensive…” he said, though the words tasted bitter.

“Sir, if you’re satisfied, would you like to buy it?” Nalan Qing’s eyes lit up with excitement, gleaming like coins. “We also have ‘Xuanwutong Jasper,’ ‘Xiang Que Tong Jasper,’ and ‘Xuan Dogtong Jasper.’ If you’re interested, I can bundle them together for you.”

“Oh? What’s the price?” Xu Ze asked, his back still turned to Nalan Qing, a smile playing on his lips.

Nalan Qing’s eyes crinkled into crescents as she rubbed her hands together. “The price is negotiable. It’s more about showing off your status. With these items, you’ll surely stand out among other young masters.”

Xu Ze nodded slightly. “Yes, you’re right. These items are indeed desirable. I’ll buy them all.”

Nalan Qing’s joy was evident as she eagerly pulled out more jade from her robe. 

However, just as she was about to present them, Xu Ze raised his hand and smiled. “But before that, let me inspect the goods first, alright?”

“Of course! As long as you buy them, everything will be yours.” Nalan Qing nodded eagerly, her face full of flattery.

Xu Ze picked up the Kingfisher Jasper and, with a thought, let a drop of his blood fall onto it. 

The jade glowed briefly as it absorbed the blood. 

Once the bond was established, Xu Ze infused a trace of holy fire into the jade. Then, feigning confusion, he frowned and said, “Huh? Why can’t I summon the spirit beast?”

“What? How can that be?” Nalan Qing was taken aback. 

Though she was greedy, she knew that to make money, she had to maintain a good reputation. 

Her products were always of high quality, and she was meticulous about it. How could something be wrong with this Tong Jasper?

“It seems this jade isn’t as valuable as I thought.” Xu Ze said, pretending to be disappointed as he tossed the jade aside.

Nalan Qing quickly caught it, staring at the jade in disbelief.

“No, that’s impossible! How could there be nothing? I was sure the spirit beast was inside…” She infused a bit of spiritual Qi into the jade, but there was no response. Panicking, she crushed the jade in her hand.

As the jade shattered, a stream of hot air escaped, carrying a savory aroma. 

Nalan Qing peered closely at the fragments. 

Instead of a thousand-tailed spirit bird, there was only a perfectly roasted chicken, lying on the ground, its delicious scent wafting through the air.