The Healer Demands Payment!

“It’s okay.” The old man smiled and handed her a bamboo slip, “This is the introductory book about array formation that you need.”

“Thank you, Senior.” Meng Qi hurriedly saluted him and respectfully took the bamboo slip with both hands. “How much is this?”

“I don’t accept spirit stones here.” The old man replied cheerfully. “I only accept barter. Young Daoist needs to exchange with a book of equivalent value that I don’t have.”

“Eh?” Meng Qi was a little surprised, “But anything I can barter, Senior should already have them here.” She hesitated, and didn’t immediately read the content of the bamboo slip in her hand.

Meng Qi still had the medical notes given by Elder Yan Mingfeng. But that was the elder’s personal notes. Without the Elder’s approval, Meng Qi definitely couldn’t use it for barter.

“Senior.” Meng Qi glanced at the bamboo slip in her hands reluctantly before holding it back respectfully to the old man. She really wanted it. But Meng Qi knew that she couldn’t come up with a book to exchange with the old man. “I don’t have books of equivalent value that I can exchange now. I’ve bothered Senior.”

“Young Daoist doesn’t have to worry. The value of the books is not measured by spirit stones. I don’t actually sell books here. But you can exchange anything I don’t have for a number of spirit points.”

“Huh?” This was Meng Qi’s first time hearing about spirit points. “Excuse me, Senior, what is spirit point?”

“You can regard it the currency you can use here.” The old man smiled slightly, “Young Daoist is new in Beyond The Heaven, correct? In fact, besides my little shop, there are many places in Beyond The Heaven where you can exchange spirit points for various things.”

“Is that so?” Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully.

“With spirit points, Young Daoist can come here to read books, although you cannot take them out.” The old man said again, “As for the value of the things that Young Daoist use to exchange for spirit points, Beyond The Heaven has its own set of criteria. You may as well give it a try.”

“I understand.” Meng Qi was tempted. She thought for a while. Personal notes should fit the criteria. Whenever she had nothing to do, Meng Qi usually would sit down to write her own experience in medical cultivation, so she had her own collection of personal notes.

Meng Qi took out a bamboo slip and handed it to the old man. It was the same copy of the bamboo slip she gave Xue Chengxuan before, which recorded the method to treat people injured by the immortal devouring vine.

The old man took the bamboo slip. A faint light flashed from his other hand, and the bamboo slip also lit up slightly.

Meng Qi watched calmly. She had noticed that this ‘Heaven And Earth Book Hall’ seemed a little different than other places in Beyond The Heaven. This mysterious shopkeeper could even skip the law of Beyond The Heaven and directly took the content recorded in the bamboo slip.

Meng Qi turned her gaze around the entire hall. There were so many bamboo and jade slips piled up into the seemingly endless high ceiling.

How long did it take to accumulate so many books?

Meng Qi turned back at the old man. There was admiration in her gaze. At the same time, the old man returned the bamboo slip to her. “The content of this bamboo slip is indeed new.” He spread his other hand, and there was an extra bamboo slip on it, which he put into his sleeves. “For this, I can give you 30 spirit points.”

“Thank you, Senior.” Meng Qi’s tone became more respectful, “May I ask how many spirit points are needed to read the book you just recommended?”

“You can borrow it with ten spirit points.” The old man answered.

“Huh?” Meng Qi was surprised. So cheap?

As if guessing her mind, the old man stroked his beard again, smiling: “Do you think it is too cheap?” He looked around, still smiling: “I said before that the value of the books should not be measured by spirit stones. It should be measured by how many people read or need them. The more a book is read, the higher is its value.”

“Thank you, Senior,” Meng Qi respectfully cupped her hands in salute.

“In addition, if someone pays to borrow a book Young Daoist provided, this old man will give you three spirit points in share.” The old man said. “If Young Daoist has any other books, you can send it here anytime.”

“I understand.” Meng Qi responded. She took the bamboo slip from the old man, poured her spiritual aura, and began to read the contents inside.

Meng Qi had never learned arrays systematically and was eager for new knowledge. But Li Che and the others were still waiting for her outside, and she couldn’t stay for too long. She spent only one incense stick of time to skim over the introductory-level book hastily.

Meng Qi returned the bamboo slip and was about to say goodbye, but the old man handed her another bamboo slip and said with a smile: “I think Young Daoist needs another book.”

“Thank you, Senior.” Meng Qi took the bamboo slip without hesitation. She looked at the bamboo slip carefully. Compared with the slightly old and yellowed bamboo slip just now, this one looked much newer. She almost could see the fresh greenness of bamboo branches and smell its subtle fragrance.

“Eh?” Meng Qi poured her aura into the bamboo slips. But when she began to read its content, she couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. “This…” She gripped the bamboo slip tightly and raised her eyes towards the old man.