"Do you need something?" Amalia asked.
"Of course! If you’re short on spirit stones, I have some that I can lend to you," the plump man said with a sly smile while eyeing Amalia like a lamb to be fleeced.
He thought he was hiding his intentions very well, but Amalia saw through him immediately.
"What’s the interest rate?"
The man’s eyes lit up instantly.
This Senior Sister seemed knowledgeable.
He had been observing her for a while.
Although her actions were straightforward and efficient.
The occasional looks of confusion and surprise revealed that this was her first time at the trading area.
Her simple clothing suggested she was not wealthy, prompting him to approach her.
"If you repay within a month, there’s no interest. After a month, I charge an interest of 0.2% per day. For example, if you borrow a thousand low-grade spirit stones and can’t repay after a month, I’d only charge two low-grade spirit stones per day, which totals sixty in a month."
Speaking with a clever person has its advantages, and the plump man wasn’t discouraged.
A thousand low-grade spirit stones equal ten mid-grade spirit stones, and charging only sixty low-grade spirit stones per month isn’t that expensive by comparison.
Many in need, after hearing this, would grit their teeth and borrow the money.
This plump man likely chose his targets based on the belief that they wouldn’t be able to repay within a month.
Apart from inner sect disciples, most who came to the trading area were outer sect disciples.
These people were often less talented individuals with no big family support.
The chances of them repaying within a month were slim.
Even inner sect disciples with good potential needed many cultivation resources but often had empty pockets, which providing a business opportunity for the plump man.
Amalia who is being mistaken as a poor disciple, didn’t get angry because, at the moment, she truly was broke.
"How many spirit stones can you lend me, Junior Brother?" Amalia asked while addressing him politely.
Seeing that she took the bait, the plump man eagerly replied, "I can lend you a hundred mid-grade spirit stones. The minimum loan is a hundred low-grade spirit stones. How much would you like to borrow, Senior Sister?"
Running his business so adeptly showed that he was quite skilled.
Amalia calculated the spirit stones needed for the remaining materials, "I’ll borrow sixty mid-grade spirit stones. What is your name, Junior Brother, and which peak do you belong to? My name is Amalia."
The plump man had a brown tag hanging from his waist, indicating he was an inner sect disciple.
Without being an inner sect disciple, he probably wouldn’t be so wealthy.
"My name is Baolin Jia, but you can just call me Baolin. If you go to Nephrite Pill Peak and ask for me by that name, everyone will know who I am," Baolin Jia said with a broad smile.
"Alright," Amalia replied.
Baolin Jia then handed Amalia the sixty mid-grade spirit stones she needed and had her sign an IOU with her handprint and signature.
After confirming everything, he carefully put it away.
"Count them, just to make sure," Baolin Jia suggested.
"No need. You’re a businessman, and I trust you wouldn’t ruin your reputation," Amalia said, putting the stones away without checking.
Baolin Jia’s smile widened, "Senior Sister, you’re indeed a clever person. I enjoy dealing with smart people. If you need anything else, come find me."
Seeing how smoothly the transaction went, he felt a little guilty about taking advantage of her.
However, when he thought about the sixty mid-grade spirit stones, which would translate to twelve low-grade spirit stones per day after a month, amounting to three hundred sixty in total, his guilt vanished.
Amalia saw his delighted expression and couldn’t help but smile as well.
She returned to the trading area, spent all sixty mid-grade spirit stones on the materials, and then headed back to the Upper Nine Peaks with a large collection of materials.
...
Amalia was in the room, sorting through the materials she had bought from the trading area, as the snow outside fell even more heavily.
Occasionally, accompanied by a whimper, it sounded like a strange wind blowing through.
However, this did not affect her.
While the quality of materials on the Mystic Void Continent varied, even the low-quality ones were more superior to those native materials on Earth.
They contained rich spiritual energy and very few impurities.
The materials that was traded in the market area were generally has average quality and relatively young in age.
Because most disciples didn’t have high cultivation levels, they didn’t venture deep into the secret realms or the devil battlefields.
Others might be disappointed, but Amalia found it just right; she had seen materials of even poorer quality.
During this time, she also took a turn down the mountain and visited the Treasure Pavilion.
While observing others refining artifacts, she also picked up some books.
Back at the Upper Nine Peaks, she began studying these books in seclusion.
At some point, the sound of wind and snow outside gradually lessened, and the falling snow turned into light flakes.
The door creaked open.
Kenny Lin’s figure appeared at the door.
"You’re back so soon?"
Amalia hadn’t noticed the passage of time at all.
"Not soon. It’s been three days. What have you been up to?"
Kenny Lin’s expression betrayed a hint of bitterness upon hearing Amalia’s complaint about returning too quickly.
Amalia raised the books in her hand, "Studying formations. I finally understand now why my spiritual artifacts break so easily after reading the artifact refining technique of Mystic Void Continent and the artifact refining technique in the Soltice Ring."
She had discovered a significant issue.
"Why?"
Kenny Lin asked her when he saw her furrowed brow.
"Soltice Ring is clearly the heirloom of my Vanquez family, but I discovered that its cultivation technique are akin to the immature cultivation system on Earth."
The spiritual artifact’s interior lacked a solid formation reinforcement, which caused it to exceeded its energy load, resulting in cracks on the spiritual artifacts.