Chapter 2766 — It Cannot Be Traded!
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
"Oh—I am an inspection and surveillance officer of Snow Valley, whose particular duty is to look into unfair dealings that occur within the valley..." Tang's mother was taken aback for a moment, but quickly realized that Wei Zhao surely did not know her. Ever since he had taken the potion brewed from the herb of forgetfulness, anything and anyone that appeared together with Tang Zhi was erased from his memory. Apart from through Tang Zhi, Tang's mother had no dealings with Wei Zhao whatsoever, and so naturally he did not recognize her. She promptly made up a title on the spot.
"Inspection and surveillance officer?" Wei Zhao was startled, wondering what sort of post that was—it sounded like a spy. Still, there was no need for him to study Snow Valley's personnel arrangements, so he merely said, "Er... then do you think this transaction is unfair?"
"Of course it's unfair—unfair in the extreme!" Tang's mother declared, quivering with righteous indignation.
"Er... how is it unfair...?" Wei Zhao was somewhat at a loss for words. He had gone to no small trouble to settle the terms of trade with the Supreme Elder, and now out had popped some inspection and surveillance officer. Was he fated to trade a Heaven-rank divine weapon for a single spirit herb and nothing more?
"Young man, you're losing out terribly!" Tang's mother picked up the mist-attribute Heaven-rank divine weapon from the tea table and said, "This is a treasure! To trade it for nothing but a single stalk of orchid-mustard jade-bell grass and a water-attribute Heaven-rank divine weapon—why, you're being fleeced!"
"Ah?" Wei Zhao was dumbfounded. He had assumed Tang's mother thought Snow Valley was the one losing out and meant to put a stop to the deal, but to his surprise she declared that he was the loser! This left Wei Zhao thoroughly confused. Was the woman speaking in earnest, or making a joke at his expense?
"A single stalk of common herb, and that's the trade? Far too little!" Tang's mother shook her head. "From what I know, the orchid-mustard jade-bell grass ripened a batch not long ago—four stalks in all. To trade for only one, how can that be right? In my view, if you are to make the exchange at all, it should be four stalks of orchid-mustard jade-bell grass at the very least, plus a water-attribute Heaven-rank divine weapon—only then is it a fair trade!"
"Er..." Wei Zhao was somewhat stupefied, and turned to look at the Supreme Elder.
The Supreme Elder was furious to hear this. Did the woman think orchid-mustard jade-bell grass was cheap goods off a street stall? The stuff took decades to ripen a batch, and this time only four stalks had ripened. There were older stocks still in reserve, to be sure, but to hand over four stalks at once—she was most unwilling!
"Supreme Elder, am I not right? Is this not the bare minimum for a fair trade?" Tang's mother turned to the Supreme Elder as well, asking with a smile.
"The bare minimum for fairness, yes, naturally the bare minimum for fairness..." The Supreme Elder was so angry that smoke all but rose from the top of her head. She dearly wanted to kick Tang's mother out the door, but that was only a fantasy—she did not dare do a thing to her!
Should any harm come to Tang's mother, Tang Zhi might well give up cultivating altogether, and that little冰糖 girl might come storming into Snow Valley. So everyone in Snow Valley, from top to bottom, must not only refrain from touching Tang's mother but must protect her besides!
If she were to trip and break her leg through some carelessness of her own, then Snow Valley would be like mud dropped into a pair of trousers—call it dung or not, it would be dung all the same! Snow Valley would have no way to clear its name! So the Supreme Elder, for all her helplessness, could only say "fair" against her own conscience.