Chapter 44 is all rolled up like this?!

The penniless sword cultivators of the Yunmiao Sword Sect were currently gathered around Shen Zhaozhao's stall, watching the four big shots complete their transaction with longing eyes, their gazes filled with a complex mix of "I'm envious, but thankfully we ran fast."

"Fellow Daoist Shen!"

A sword cultivator who had just successfully exchanged more than twenty spirit cores for spirit stones quietly approached Shen Zhaozhao, his eyes burning with fervor: "In the future, if there are any events like this, please be sure to notify me first. I am Li Chengfeng of the Yunmiao Sword Sect, and I will be there whenever you call!"

As soon as he said this, the other sword cultivators who were still congratulating themselves on cutting their losses in time immediately objected.

"Li Chengfeng, shut up!"

Another member of the Cloud Mist Sword Sect hurriedly pushed past Li Chengfeng, patted his chest, and said to Shen Zhaozhao, "Why bother informing him? What can he do with his meager wealth? Inform me! I'll sell it for 70% of the market price!"

"Seventy percent? You have the nerve to ask for that? Fellow Daoist Shen, ignore them! Come to me, I only want sixty percent!"

A group of sword cultivators from the Yunmiao Sword Sect, who should have been aloof and proud, carrying long swords that gleamed with cold light, were now competing fiercely to lower prices in order to secure the right to be "first to be acquired by Shen Zhaozhao," creating a chaotic scene.

Other sect cultivators: "???"

no? !

Where is the integrity of your Cloud Misty Sword Sect?!

You rolled it up like this just for a few spirit stones?!

Meanwhile, deep within Shen Zhaozhao's consciousness, the system emitted an overloaded, burnt aroma.

[Host detected to have completed an unprecedented, ultimate, and comprehensive combination of unethical marketing tactics; reward: +1000 Unethical Points!]

[Congratulations, host, you have achieved the following accomplishments: Leveraging Marketing, Panic Pricing, Monopolizing Supply, Scarcity Marketing, and Inflaming the Situation. Reward: 5 points in Morality Value!]

[Moral depravity score +5000 points!]

[Current Morality Points Balance: 9000 points!]

As the golden light faded, the few lines of text on the screen still trembled slightly, as if they still retained the residual heat from the overload.

Shen Zhaozhao still wore that sincere smile of "serving the family" on her face, but her heart was completely unmoved, and she even wanted to add fuel to the fire - only 5,000?

It seems the system is still too young and hasn't seen any real storms.

The system emitted a sharp, explosive sound: [What? You have a backup plan?!]

Shen Zhaozhao chuckled, her gaze sweeping over the cultivators who had just sold their spirit cores and were happily counting their spirit stones. Her gaze held a hint of the kind of benevolent affection one might show to their own fat pigs.

"Hey, see that? Those rich people's wallets are empty, but these 'family members' are all bulging their pockets right now!"

system:【! ! ! 】

"Could it be... that you're planning to take back the spirit stones you spent before?"

【Huh? No?】

[Can you even be considered a human being? It seems AI can never truly replace humans...]

Shen Zhaozhao scoffed coldly, too lazy to pay attention to this ignorant system.

Her smile, which seemed to convey a sincere desire to serve her family, remained unchanged, but her steps precisely led her to a dark corner on the outskirts of the crowd.

A young man dressed in an indigo-blue outfit with a few inconspicuous bamboo leaves embroidered on his cuffs was squatting by the rock, hugging his knees.

Baicao Men, Mu Xiaotang.

On the ground in front of Mu Xiaotang, several crooked circles were drawn with a twig. She was also holding a handful of pitiful little pebbles in her hand, throwing them into the circles one by one, muttering to herself: "...83, 84... Waaah, just three more! Just three more to squeeze into the top five! My high-grade spirit stones! All gone to waste!"

An intense, overwhelming sense of sorrow, flowing like a river, almost solidified into a tangible form.

Shen Zhaozhao walked over, her skirt sweeping the ground, and squatted down next to him. She didn't say anything, but just quietly watched Mu Xiaotang draw circles and throw pebbles.

Mu Xiaotang noticed someone beside her, looked up through teary eyes, and upon seeing that it was Shen Zhaozhao, she felt even more aggrieved. Her nose twitched, and her voice choked with sobs: "Fellow Daoist Shen..."

"Oh, Xiaotang, seeing you like this really makes me feel terrible."

Shen Zhaozhao's voice was soft and gentle, full of the concern of a caring older sister: "84, normally it would be a sure thing to be in the top four, but it just so happens that Pei Lang is a troublemaker, he just drove the price up to the sky, isn't that bullying an honest person!"

Mu Xiaotang's lips twitched, and her eyes revealed a hint of grievance, as if a sore spot had been touched.

you do not say!

What did he do to deserve this?!

"But then again, this can't be entirely blamed on luck. Xiao Tang, think about it, what was your biggest mistake?"

Shen Zhaozhao changed the subject, revealing a worldly wisdom: "It's because of insufficient reserves."

"Look at Pei Lang, why did he dare to call out for two top-grade items at the end?"

"Because he bought 100 coins at a low price in advance as a base, he had the confidence to go crazy with you guys later."

"And you? You're cramming at the last minute, going all in right away, with no reserves. How can you not be under a lot of psychological pressure? If the price goes up, you'll run out of steam."

Mu Xiaotang's eyes flickered slightly, as if she thought... there was some truth to it?

"Therefore, in critical moments, you need to have some hard currency on hand."

Shen Zhaozhao coaxed her gently: "Look at you now, these 84 spirit cores are burning your hands, aren't they? With no hope of making it into the top four, they're just a pile of space-consuming stones, right?"

Mu Xiaotang nodded subconsciously, looking at her empty storage bag and thinking of the pile of useless spirit cores, she felt even sadder.

But~

Shen Zhaozhao's voice carried a perfectly timed hint of exhilaration, as if saying, "I'm here to save you": "What if you exchange them for real spirit stones now?"

"What are spirit stones? They are the hard currency of the cultivation world, the confidence, and the capital to turn the tables next time."

"Even if this lousy competition fails, isn't it better to have spirit stones in your pocket?"

A faint light finally shone in Mu Xiaotang's eyes.

"cough."

Shen Zhaozhao leaned closer, lowering her voice even further, her tone filled with the allure of "insider information": "Considering how badly you've been tricked, and also considering our shared history, I'll take a loss and help you get rid of this hot potato."

"One high-grade spirit stone and one spirit core, all taken. 84 high-grade spirit stones, payment made immediately."

Mu Xiaotang suddenly looked up, her dim eyes instantly ignited by the light of the spirit stone: "Really?!"

Shen Zhaozhao blinked: "I'm honest with everyone, young and old."

After the two finished their transaction, the number of spirit cores next to Shen Zhaozhao's name on the light screen above Riftwind Valley jumped from 0 to 84, and her ranking instantly soared from the bottom to fifth place.

【？？？】

The system was completely bewildered, the characters on the screen jumping around erratically: [Why did you buy this bunch of cores? You still won't make it to the finals even if you buy them now, isn't this a pure loss for you?]

Shen Zhaozhao weighed the newly acquired spirit core bag in her hand, looked at her glittering "fifth place" on the screen, and a mysterious smile appeared on her lips: "Of course I have a brilliant plan."