15 "Who Wants a Golden Worm Root Flower?" (1/2)

As the pill dissolved in her mouth, Shin Sumi felt a minted taste appear on her tongue.

It wasn't the first time she had tried one of the pills. During her waiting at the waterfall she had actually tried one, just to ensure it worked.

Shin Sumi knew the sweet taste of mint would linger until the effects of the pill stopped about twelve hours later.

She didn't feel anything else change, just like the previous time. Looking at her reflection in the pond she was almost as surprised as the first time.

”It is so strange! My face is completely different! These Immortal pills sure are something.”

The second pill had the exact same effect as the first one. Her new face was the same both times. Her nose was slightly shorter, her hair shortened significantly, and her eyebrows became thinner.

Her eyes lost their clear blue tone for a black as dark as night. Her lips became a little bit more voluptuous.

Shin Sumi admired herself for a few seconds more. She liked her new appearance. It wasn't as good as her real face according to her, but it looked really convincing.

Shin Sumi was really pretty normally, and although her new face was completely different, she could still be considered a beauty.

Shin Sumi locked the gate of her courtyard behind her and made way for the market area of the lower valley.

As always the place was very busy when she arrived.

Now that she was a bit more familiar with the market, she went directly to where she could make business.

”The spirit plants area! Here I go, time to install my little shop!”

Shin Sumi took out of her bag of holding a white rectangular piece of fabric she had found in her house. She laid it down on the floor between two other similar shops.

Nothing was out of the ordinary and nobody even looked at her from the hundreds of disciples passing by every second.

Shin Sumi grinned mischievously. It wouldn't be long before people noticed her.

And she was right. The moment she took the first evolved Worm Root flower out of her bag, a dazzling brilliance caught the eye of every passerby. It was a strange light that was actually darker than normal. Such a strong Yin type plant would often react this way to the Yang light from the sun, emphasizing the contradiction in their nature.

For a second everybody who saw the plant stopped to look at it. Shin Sumi was smiling openly but it didn't last for long before a voice rang out.

”Umpf. Who cares, it's just a Worm Root flower...”

The man who had spoken was a red robed disciple appearing to be thirty years old. He held a hint of disappointment in his eyes and turned away with a sigh.

Upon realizing that he was right, a handful of disciples turned away as well.

Shin Sumi had her brows furrowed and spoke in a voice that was not her real voice but was even more entrancing ”Just a Worm Root flower ? Oh I'm sorry fellow disciple. Yes I, Yan Yan, am very sorry that your eyes are not good enough!”

She had come up with the name 'Yan Yan' on the spot and it went perfectly with her new face.

Without waiting for the response of the disciple she insulted, 'Yan Yan' kept talking.

”Indeed it's a Worm Root flower. But even a mortal would be able to spot the golden touches on the leaves. How come you didn't notice, fellow disciple? And have you ever felt such a strong Yin Shinsoo energy radiating from a spirit plant? I bet not. Maybe this treasure of mine isn't for you after all. These top grade spirit plants are only for deserving people. Heh.” she punctuated with a snort.

The red disciple that had been insulted over and over stopped in his tracks and turned his head. He opened his mouth angrily to rebuke Shin Sumi but no word came out.

With his face as red as his robes from shame, he turned away once more and left the place.

Everybody else was speechless before Yan Yan's strong words and powerful voice. In fact many people turned their head to look at the commotion.

”Such gall, insulting Brother Ke like that! I bet the Worm Root flower is quite incredible!”

”I've seen many Worm Root flowers before, but never with such Yin Shinsoo.”

Shin Sumi smiled openly to her clients once again, her calm and composed manners contrasting with the scene just a few seconds before. She had lied about the strong Yin Shinsoo before, herself not being able to sense anything, but she was relieved people approved. Her bluff had paid off and now she could hear more and more people being interested.

It only took a few seconds before the first client stepped forward.

”Sister Yan, I would like to purchase this flower please. Name your price!”

Shin Sumi beamed at him and replied: ”Two spirit stones.”

Upon hearing the price, all the conversations stopped. It seemed as if the whole area just became silent, except from the sound of jaws hitting the floor.

The disciple who wanted to buy the flower was the most surprised of all. What were two spirit stones for a plant as rare as it looked? Even normal Worm Root flowers this big would be at least three to four spirit stones!

The disciple hurried to take out the spirit stones and started laughing like it was the luckiest day ever for him.

Behind him, a lot of disciples had regained their senses and started talking.

”Not so fast! I, Bao Huan, offer three spirit stones!”

”Hmpf! I will pay five low grade spirit stones for the Worm Root flower!”

”Sister Yan, I offer ten spirit stones!! This flower will really help my future cultivation of Yin type techniques!”

Before long, a real auction was taking place in front of Shin Sumi's shop. People were starting to get angry at each other, not even paying attention to the ridiculous price they went for.

Shin Sumi sighted openly, but was all smiles inside ”My plan is working perfectly! The next step is to get all these customers hooked!”

Inhaling to fill her lungs to maximum capacity, Shin Sumi shouted: ”EVERYBODY CALM DOWN!!!”

All the disciples stopped arguing for a second and listened to her: ”This disciple here was the first to want to purchase the plant, so it is normal that he will be my first customer. Fellow disciple, here you go, sold for two spirit stones” she said as she handed the flower to the guy in the front. He was holding the flower like a precious treasure, ignoring the look of envy in the eyes of the others. But Shin Sumi wasn't done yet.

”To be fair, I admit that this is Yan Yan's first time selling spirit plants. I don't know the prices well right. But since I asked for two spirit stones, it will remain as it is. Don't try to win a plant by auctioning it right before my eyes, I will not sell it if it turns all of you into animals. Ten low grade spirit stones? That's almost a year's worth of cultivating resources given by the sect! That is ridiculous. Besides I don't want people to spread rumors about me trying to steal your spirit stones.”

All the disciples had calmed down by now and started to realize that what she had said made sense. Besides, Yan Yan's beauty was captivating and who would not listen to the words of such a fairy? One thing still had some disciples perplexed though.

Shin Sumi smiled again after observing a slight pause. Handling her bag at a vertiginous speed, she took out flowers after flowers and laid them out neatly on the white fabric.

”Now who wants a Golden Worm Root flower?”

She had spoken about 'flowers' in plural, meaning that she had more. All the disciples were once again flabbergasted. In an instant she had taken out more than fifty flowers!

All of them had the golden touches on the leaves and they were all perfectly grown, without damage or anything.

During the first hour of Yan Yan's botanical shop being opened, the Worm Roots flowers were sold out. Shin Sumi even took out the second batch of fifty plants that she had kept on reserve.

All the customers were satisfied and word quickly got out in the market. The only disappointed disciples were those that had not been able to purchase a flower. Some of them even asked Shin Sumi when she would open shop again.

Shin Sumi now had more than two hundred low grade spirit stones in her bag of holding! If people knew that in half a day's time she would own that many high grade spirit stones, they wouldn't believe it. Even a patriarch or elder of the sect would turn crazy upon hearing how rich she was going to be.