Chapter 8 Bargain Went Wrong

• "Hey, how much for these talismans?"
• The shopkeeper, happy to make a sale, replied with a grin, "It's not expensive. The protective talisman is 750 dollars, the banishing talisman is 1500 dollars, the fortune-turning talisman is 2250 dollars, and the wealth-attracting talisman is 3900 dollars."
• Oh, man. Sullivan was taken aback.
• Those prices were pretty crazy.
• To be honest, he could tell the talismans were made with real materials—cinnabar and chicken blood.
• But there wasn't a trace of any spiritual energy in them.
• In plain terms, they were just pieces of paper with some drawings on them. They might be worth 15 or 30 dollars for peace of mind, but starting at 750 was outrageous. It was practically robbery!
• "Look, kid," the shopkeeper said. "I can see you've got some bad luck coming your way. And we seem to be on the same page, so I'll give you a 50% discount—375. How's that sound?"
• Bad luck?
• "Three hundred seventy-five? Do you think I'm a fool? I'm wearing a hat—how can you see my bad luck through that?"
• Sullivan wasn't interested in dealing with this scammer.
• "Anyone who cheats on people will eventually face the consequences. Be careful with using talismans to trick people—you might end up with some bad karma!"
• Still, talismans were useful items. Sullivan thought this could be a profitable business, or else the guy wouldn't be setting up a stall.
• Once he got the money from treating patients, he planned to buy wolf hair brushes, yellow paper, and cinnabar to make talismans. Even if he didn't sell them, he could use them to improve his own skills.
• Right now, he was at the beginner level of talismans-making, so his talismans were still pretty weak.
• After leaving the talisman stall, Sullivan spent another hour wandering around the black market, exploring every corner, until he finally found a stall selling silver needles.
• "Hey, how much for this set of silver needles?"
• Sullivan squatted in front of the stall, looking at the eighteen silver needles, which were nearly brand new.
• "Seven hundred fifty. Make sure you check them out properly."
• An old, scruffy man with a straw hat on his head took it off lazily when he heard the question and replied casually.
• "Seven hundred fifty? That's pretty pricey. I could get a whole set at a jewellery store for less than that."
• "Silver isn't gold. These eighteen needles don't even weigh twenty grams combined."
• He was here to score a deal, not to get ripped off!
• "Do you really think a set from a jewellery store can compare to this? Kid, these are the Quantum Needles! On their own, these needles might not be worth much, but the full set—well, you might not get it for 750, or even 7,500. If it weren't me ... "
• Quantum Needles?
• The term instantly popped into Sullivan's head.
• The Quantum Needles were created by a master a hundred years ago. The needle technique could heal the dead, fix broken bones, and connect the forces of positive and negative.
• The technique was impressive, but it required specially infused spiritual energy silver needles to work.
• The spiritual energy wasn't added by the user but was infused into the needles during their creation.
• "Is that for real? Quantum Needles? I've never heard of it. Are you just using a fancy name to scam me?"
• As Sullivan picked up the silver needles, he felt a powerful surge of spiritual energy flow into him!
• The needles were genuine; the Quantum Needles were real, but Sullivan's lack of cash was real too!
• "Me, lying? Looks like the Quantum Needles have really been lost to time. Forget it. You're not the right person to own these needles; just go. Even if I gave them to you, you wouldn't be able to use them. Just think of me as a scammer and leave."
• What the heck!
• The old man wasn't playing along as expected!
• This was starting to annoy Sullivan.
• He just wanted to negotiate the price; he was very interested in the needles. Even if he couldn't use the Quantum Needles, the needles would still be highly useful with other techniques.
• He had some knowledge of refining tools from his own heritage, but he wasn't skilled at it yet. Calling this set of silver needles a magical artefact wasn't far off.
• If used correctly, they could not only save lives but also kill silently!
• Sullivan needed them. There was nothing better suited for him.
• But now it was clear he had messed up!
• "What do you mean not the right person? I don't believe that! Will you sell them for 75 dollars or not?"
• Sullivan asked through gritted teeth.
• "I won't sell!" The old man replied impatiently.
• "Hey, old man!"
• Sullivan was about to say something else when he suddenly felt the silver needles vanish from his hand.
• "This set of silver needles is really impressive. I didn't expect to find something like this here. Boss, how much for them? I'll take them!"
• Sullivan looked up and saw a person with a pretty, fresh face and a playful smile who had grabbed the needles. The moonlight made her bright, clear eyes sparkle like two stars.
• "Miss, shouldn't there be some order when buying things? I saw these silver needles first!"
• Sullivan was a bit angry. It was bad enough that the old man wasn't playing along, but now this girl had shown up out of nowhere.
• Judging by her outfit, she was dressed in designer brands from head to toe. Especially the large jade pendant around her neck—it was clear she was wealthy. For her, 750, or even 7,500, wouldn't be a problem.