Chapter 415: Appraisal
After Xu Meijing's explanation, Yang Haoran gained a deeper understanding of the Yin-Yang Emporium, along with increasing curiosity. "They sell items from both the mortal and the Underworld realms. It really is a decent general store," Yang Haoran said with a smile. "Of course. Do you think a place I'd bring you to would be anything less? " Xu Meijing remarked, a hint of pride in her voice. There were no hostesses at the entrance of this Yin-Yang Emporium, and its decor wasn't particularly luxurious or grand. Yet, judging by Xu Meijing's reaction, her opinion of this general store was quite high. "How did you find this place? " Yang Haoran asked, somewhat curious. This street was incredibly remote. The last time they had visited the Underworld, they had explored many streets, but this one, specifically because of its secluded nature, had been missed. That's why Yang Haoran was curious how Xu Meijing had managed to discover this particular Yin-Yang Emporium. "The owner of this general store, Boss Huo, is the Emissary of Death for Xinyang City. When I took over Ancheng, he was temporarily in charge, so I got to know him, and he told me about this Yin-Yang Emporium," Xu Meijing explained. Yang Haoran was familiar with Xinyang City, which Xu Meijing mentioned; it was a neighboring city to Ancheng. However, what surprised him was that this Yin-Yang Emporium was actually run by an Emissary of Death from the mortal realm. Xu Meijing had previously mentioned that not all shops in the Underworld were run by Ghost Officials; some were indeed operated by Underworld Officials from the mortal realm. Still, he hadn't expected to encounter a shop run by an Emissary of Death so soon. Although surprised, Yang Haoran didn't let it show on his face. He nodded slightly, revealing a look of understanding. "No wonder. I was wondering how you knew about this place."
Under Xu Meijing's lead, the two entered the Yin-Yang Emporium. The space inside the general store was larger than Yang Haoran had imagined, but with so many shelves packed full of all kinds of goods, the shop still felt cramped and narrow. "Your Excellency Xu, welcome! " The moment their front feet crossed the threshold into the Yin-Yang Emporium, a female shop assistant immediately stepped forward and bowed to Xu Meijing. The shop assistant clearly recognized Xu Meijing, or she wouldn't have known her surname. "Greetings, Your Excellency Underworld Official. " After bowing to Xu Meijing, the shop assistant quickly bowed to Yang Haoran as well, her attitude exceedingly respectful. In the Underworld, these ghostly entities were at the very bottom of the social hierarchy, so whether they met Ghost Officials from the Underworld or Underworld Officials from the mortal realm, they would respectfully address them as "Your Excellency. " Last year, when Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing visited many shops in the Underworld, not all shop assistants were as short-sighted as the one at Yuan's Skins. The vast majority had sharp eyes and could discern the identity of Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing as Underworld Officials, and their addresses to the two were equally respectful, using "Your Excellency. " Initially, Yang Haoran found it a bit awkward to hear, always feeling strange, as such an address was rarely heard in the mortal realm. But after hearing it repeatedly, he naturally grew accustomed to it. "We're here to exchange for some Underworld Currency," Xu Meijing stated plainly, without beating around the bush, directly revealing their purpose. "Certainly, Your Excellencies, please have a seat first, and we can discuss it in detail. " The female shop assistant showed no surprise or disdain. Instead, with a smile, she first led them to a sofa to sit down. "Your Excellencies must have had a tiring journey. I'll go prepare some tea for you first. " Once they were seated, the shop assistant smiled and turned to leave. "No need to waste time. Let's get straight to business," Xu Meijing said, stopping the shop assistant. The latter nodded with a smile but did not sit down. Instead, she stood respectfully before them, not pressing for anything, quietly waiting for them to produce the items they wished to exchange for Underworld Currency. Seeing that Yang Haoran didn't immediately take out anything for exchange, Xu Meijing didn't ask why. Instead, she lightly waved her hand, and three items appeared on the coffee table in front of her. These three items included a palm-sized Eight Trigrams Mirror, a peach wood sword, and a jade pendant. They all appeared to be magical artifacts used by exorcists. "See how much Underworld Currency these can fetch," Xu Meijing said indifferently. "Certainly, Your Excellency Xu, please wait a moment. " The female shop assistant replied respectfully, then began to meticulously examine the three exorcist artifacts Xu Meijing had produced. Xu Meijing did not disturb the shop assistant. She merely crossed her legs and waited for the result with an impassive expression. In front of outsiders, Xu Meijing rarely showed a smile. She was aloof, arrogant, and dismissive, appearing unapproachable. This wasn't an act; it was simply how she usually was. When Yang Haoran first met her, she was the same. Any change now was due to their prolonged association, their relationship having evolved, which in turn altered her demeanor towards Yang Haoran. Appraising items was a technical skill, not something just anyone could do. Especially for a general store like this, which sold and acquired all sorts of goods, the sheer variety of items involved naturally increased the difficulty of appraisal. And in this particular Yin-Yang Emporium, there was only one shop assistant: the woman standing before them. While her appearance wasn't outstanding and her figure was merely average, she was undeniably a woman of true capability. The reason was simple: it wasn't hard to be a good shop assistant, but to be a good appraiser, one needed sufficient discernment and extensive appraisal experience. Otherwise, an inability to judge an item's authenticity and a tendency to quote arbitrary prices would not only offend customers but also leave the owner bankrupt, without even his underwear left. The fact that this Yin-Yang Emporium accepted all kinds of goods meant that the female shop assistant had to be knowledgeable about everything. Otherwise, she couldn't possibly handle the appraisal work. And the owner daring to entrust this shop to her indicated that her abilities in this area were recognized by him. From this, it was clear that this unassuming woman was truly capable. After a moment, the female shop assistant finished appraising the magical artifacts. As she placed the last one on the coffee table, she smiled and spoke to Xu Meijing. "Your Excellency Xu, I've finished appraising these magical artifacts. They are all quite good. However, you know our store's rules: the purchase price is always lower than the selling price. After all, we make our living from this difference, so. . . " The shop assistant didn't finish her sentence, but even without her explicitly stating it, Xu Meijing understood her meaning. "I know the rules. No need to explain that part to me. Just tell me how much Underworld Currency they can fetch here. " The shop assistant hesitated for a moment, then said, "You're the boss's friend, so I'll give you the highest possible price. All three artifacts combined, fifty thousand Underworld Currency. How does that sound? " Xu Meijing's brows furrowed slightly. She didn't speak immediately, neither agreeing nor refusing. Seeing this, the shop assistant quickly smiled and explained, "The Eight Trigrams Mirror is perfectly intact. Its value is the highest among the three artifacts, and so is the price offered for it. As for this peach wood sword, if it weren't damaged, its value would actually exceed the Eight Trigrams Mirror. Unfortunately, it's already damaged; the blade even has cracks. After we buy it, we'll need to spend time and resources to repair it before we can put it up for sale. So, in its current damaged state, its value isn't great. And this jade pendant. . . " The shop assistant hadn't finished explaining when Xu Meijing waved her hand, cutting her off. "You don't need to explain to me. Fifty thousand it is. Anyway, these exorcist artifacts are of no use staying in my hands. " The shop assistant nodded with a smile and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Excellency Xu. Then I'll accept these three artifacts. " After Xu Meijing nodded in response, the shop assistant took the three artifacts, then retrieved a stack of one-thousand-denomination Underworld Currency from the counter and respectfully handed it to Xu Meijing with both hands. Xu Meijing had no intention of checking the currency's quantity. She merely glanced at it before taking the Underworld Currency and placing it into her independent space. After putting away the Underworld Currency, Xu Meijing's gaze returned to Yang Haoran. At the same time, the female shop assistant also looked at Yang Haoran.
Comments