Bab 43: Zhongli Doesn't Bargain
Paimon's voice was not loud, but it brought Zhongli back to his senses.
"Is there something special about these stones?"
To be honest, these stones were not special at all; they were just ordinary jade stones.
For Zhongli, these jades didn't even have any collectible value, so he naturally wouldn't buy these "waste products."
However, there was one piece that had a bit of a story, which was what caught Zhongli's eye.
Rocks have memories, and as it happened, Zhongli could read the memories of rocks. This stone was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
Being mixed in with some ordinary jade raw stones was a bit of an insult to it.
Zhongli did not answer Paimon's question but instead pointed at the stone with a bit of a story and said, "Boss, I want this stone. How much does it cost?"
Doing business means everything has a price. If the price was right, Zhongli wouldn't hesitate to buy it.
Of course, in general, since he had little concept of money, if he really liked something, he would buy it even if it was overpriced.
If the price was lower than what Zhongli thought it was worth, it would be a bargain in Liyue's terms, and he would buy it without hesitation.
Buying it would be a gain!
The shopkeeper, a middle-aged man in his forties, had long heard of Zhongli's name.
Even if he had never seen him before, he could recognize this distinguished guest.
Having Zhongli visit his small shop was indeed a great honor.
"Lord Zhongli, if you like this stone, 100 gold soul coins will do."
The shopkeeper said respectfully, giving a bottom-line price after glancing at the "jade raw stone" Zhongli pointed out.
Buying jade raw stones was mostly done by "gamblers." They would bet that the value of the jade inside the raw stone would exceed the price they paid for it.
This was also known as stone gambling.
There were wins and losses in stone gambling. Most customers lost money, otherwise, the shop wouldn't be able to stay open.
These jade raw stones had been appraised by "jade masters" and deemed to have little value.
Only then would they be put up for sale, hoping to trick someone...
Ahem!
Masters could also make mistakes; buying one could be a lucky find!
Hearing this, Paimon's eyes widened.
She had thought that after all the shopkeeper said, he wouldn't charge anything. She didn't expect him to ask for 100 gold soul coins.
One hundred gold soul coins for a stone—honestly, the shopkeeper wasn't making money, just offering it at cost.
These stones were not iron ores but jade ores, whose value naturally couldn't be compared to iron ores.
Besides, iron products weren't highly valued on the Douluo Continent; blacksmiths had low status.
They were considered part of the lower nine classes.
"One hundred gold soul coins, that's so expensive!"
Paimon, who had been on the Douluo Continent for some time now, understood that the purchasing power of gold soul coins was not equivalent to Mora.
One gold soul coin was enough for an ordinary family of three to live happily for several months.
The shopkeeper spread his hands helplessly and said, "Little Paimon, you might not know, but this is the lowest price I can offer."
"Originally, these jade raw stones cost 110 gold soul coins each."
Although these jade raw stones had little value to the shop now, they had cost a lot when purchased.
Selling one would recover some of the cost.
After hearing the shopkeeper's explanation, Paimon nodded thoughtfully, "A full ten gold soul coins discount; it really does seem like a big discount."
"Yes, he has indeed offered quite a discount."
Whether it sounded like it or not, the shopkeeper's discount was substantial.
In Zhongli's view, the stone with a bit of a story was worth between 100,000 and 500,000 gold soul coins.
For those who needed it, even if it cost 500,000 gold soul coins, they wouldn't bat an eye. Without further hesitation, Zhongli waved his hand, and 100 gold soul coins appeared on the shopkeeper's table.
Seeing the gold soul coins, the shopkeeper beamed with joy. He quickly counted them and, finding the amount correct, asked Zhongli, "Lord Zhongli, would you like to open the stone here, or take it back and open it later?"
Stone gambling meant that eventually, the stones had to be opened, which was why the shopkeeper asked.
"I'll take it with me."
The stone wasn't very large, roughly spherical, with a diameter of about 30 centimeters.
With the transaction complete, the stone now belonged to Zhongli. He stowed it away and, with Paimon, left the jade shop.
Outside the shop, Paimon looked curiously at Zhongli and asked, "Zhongli, this stone must be something special, right?"
She knew Zhongli's discerning eye, especially when it came to stones. He would never make a mistake.
Zhongli never haggled; he wanted them all...
But his judgment was always impeccable.
Even without bargaining, the items he bought were never a loss.
"Yes, this stone is indeed special."
"It's different from ordinary stones. It used to be a living creature, a creature with life that turned into stone after death."
"???"
Paimon's mind was full of questions. If anyone else had said this, she wouldn't believe such nonsense.
"A stone?"
"Life?"
Zhongli stroked his chin and said, "Yes, in terms of the Douluo Continent, it was a very rare gem-type soul beast."
"This kind of soul beast is not only rare but also extremely difficult to hunt, thanks to its incredibly realistic natural camouflage."
"Sigh~"
Paimon scratched her head. The Douluo Continent was indeed quite magical, with stones capable of giving birth to life, rivaling even Teyvat.
"Wait a minute, Zhongli, even if it was a soul beast in life, it's still just a stone now. Is it really worth 100 gold soul coins?"
Paimon's eyes lit up, realizing a potential flaw.
A stone becoming sentient and then turning back into a stone after death—without its soul beast buff, it was worthless, right?
"From a life perspective, it's priceless."
"Its remaining shell after death is indeed worthless to humans."
"However, due to the rules of Douluo, it left behind a soul bone after death."
Paimon: "!!!"
Wow, just wow!
Paimon previously thought Zhongli bought the stone because of its sentient past and his sentimental nature, given his status as the Geo Archon.
She never expected Zhongli bought it for the soul bone!
"Its soul bone wasn't discovered by others precisely because its body structure was too sealed, completely enveloping the soul bone's aura."
"If not for that, I wouldn't have been able to scoop it up as a bargain."
"Though it's useless, it's still a nice collectible."
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone