Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain - Book 2: Chapter 5: Found the protagonist Xiao Dong

The transaction was swift, with money and the item changing hands simultaneously. The cost of the detailed report from the hotel uncle was substantial, enough to purchase one piece of spiritual equipment of lower Sky grade for Murong Lin. This high price point was precisely why he had refrained from discussing it with Ling Yu and the others, as it was unlikely they could afford it.

However, Murong Lin remained unperturbed by the exorbitant cost. To him, this item could lead him to a protagonist. With deliberate slowness, he brought the jade tablet to his forehead, allowing the contained information to flow into his mind.

Instantly, Murong Lin absorbed a wealth of knowledge. Heaven Martial City, one of the top three most extravagant cities on the continent, had always been under the jurisdiction of the ten great sects. Their heightened attention to the upcoming tournament had infused the entire city with an atmosphere of heightened intensity.

The city was host to auctions held nearly every hour, with thousands of participants in each event. In the next two days, a day before the tournament’s commencement, there would be a mega-auction expected to draw more than a million participants.

As the analysis of various influential forces unfolded, the promising participants of the upcoming tournament slowly emerged. These were individuals capable of contending for the top ten ranks, and there were already close to ten participants at the Abhijñā realm before the tournament even began. Among them were numerous experts at the pinnacle of the Cognizance realm who had intentionally suppressed their ascension in order to awaken their Abhijñās.

Murong Lin scrutinized the names on the list, but despite his anticipation, he received no notification of having found a protagonist.

Among the Abhijñā realm experts were notable names such as Yue Long Teng of Dayue, who had unlocked the Ice Abhijñā, Zhou Xuan Tong of Beihai with the Thunder Abhijñā, and Nan Nan Nan of Que, possessing the Swiftness Abhijñā, among six other enigmatic Abhijñā realm experts.

Murong Lin quickly glanced through the information of these famous individuals before shifting his focus toward beautiful and formidable female cultivators, hoping to identify potential main characters who might be associated with them.

He then explored the dark horse rankings at the very end of the list. Here, commoners with humble backgrounds who had rapidly advanced in their cultivations or individuals with extraordinary talents were showcased. Unexpectedly, he found Bai Xiao Mo’s name in this section.

Murong Lin was intrigued, reading a brief description that mentioned Bai Xiao Mo’s fame in the country of Wuyang.

“Of unknown origins, he possesses a gentle personality that avoids conflicts with others. However, his exceptionally good luck has earned him public respect.”

In simpler terms, it meant that nobody dared to provoke him, and anyone who had done so had met a grim fate.

Murong Lin couldn’t help but conclude that Bai Xiao Mo appeared to be an ominous character.

At the very end of the list, Murong Lin spotted his own name. However, it was a simple entry that merely included his name and an estimated cultivation level in the Cognizance realm, lacking any additional intriguing details. This was unsurprising, as Murong Lin was not Nie Wu Sheng.

He took a moment to digest this information before making his way to the marketplace. As the ‘Great Nanyue Wan Guo Tournament’ drew near, most people began importing items that might attract the attention of the tournament’s participants.

As he walked the streets, Murong Lin couldn’t help but notice the peculiar expressions on the faces of those passing by. Occasionally, groups of merchants entered the city with looks of shock or helplessness.

Murong Lin entered a sizable marketplace unaffiliated with the ten great sects and immersed himself in the bustling crowd.

“Come and see! The finest spiritual medicines and pills! Come and see! Products from the Hundred Cultivation Mountain!”

“Top-notch spiritual arrays and talismans! Infuse them with your spiritual power for immediate use! Don’t miss out! We even have Sky and Earth grade items!”

“Powerful spirit familiars and beasts! Utterly obedient! If they’re weak, we offer full refunds!”

The shouts from these vendors reminded Murong Lin of his previous life, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the familiarity. However, these were only the merchants selling goods on the ground outside, while the renowned shops and influential forces conducted their business within the towering skyscrapers.

Naturally, Murong Lin couldn’t resist the allure of fortuitous encounters. He followed the memories he had absorbed from Sheng Yi, swiftly reaching the closest one.

“Boss! How much for these ‘Miao Flower Seeds’?”

The stall owner, brimming with enthusiasm, eagerly introduced the product, “Miao Flower Seeds are exceptionally rare spiritual seeds at the higher Earth grade, and they can be used immediately. Each bag contains fifty seeds, and it comes to a total of a thousand spiritual stones!”

Without haggling, Murong Lin simply surveyed the merchandise before nodding, “I’ll take them all, five bags, right? Here, five thousand spiritual stones.”

The stall owner examined the token and bag of holding Murong Lin handed over, then promptly completed the transaction, beaming with delight.

After securing the five bags, Murong Lin’s outward calm concealed the excitement he felt within.

Among these Miao Flower Seeds, there was one of higher Sky grade, capable of significantly expediting the awakening process for the Intent realm, a highly advantageous asset for someone at the Cognizance realm.

It came at the exact same price as the Dao Crystal Fruits in the system shop, costing 10 villain value.

He continued his journey towards other fortuitous encounters that could either enhance his strength or be sold at high prices, seizing each opportunity for himself.

In this brief excursion, he acquired a higher Barren grade Primordial Spirit crystal from a demonic beast, a tome of a dark-attributed spiritual technique at the higher Barren grade, a fragment of a lower Vast grade spiritual equipment, and six other spiritual items at the higher Sky grade.

Only at the very end of his journey did he encounter someone.

It was a venue for stone betting, and just like every other novel, a fortuitous encounter was hidden here in an ordinary-looking little stone.

Upon his arrival, he spotted a person who had already obtained the stone and was in the process of negotiating with the seller. The individual, dressed in white, was accompanied by a small entourage who eagerly observed as he acquired the inconspicuous stone.

Murong Lin took a step closer, inquiring somewhat petulantly to the person next to him, “En? What’s going on? Why is everyone so excited?”

Had they all realized that this person might be the main character?

As he examined the notification from the system, his brow furrowed.

“Ding! Master has found a protagonist!”

Name: UnknownProtagonist value: 200

Age: 20

Cultivation: Third layer of the Cognizance realm

Innate talent: Little protagonist halo, Devourment

Having glimpsed the innate talent of his newly discovered protagonist, Murong Lin began to piece together the individual’s background. It was clear that this person had a penchant for devouring and face-slapping everything in his path, just as he was doing at this very moment.

The man, whose shoulder Murong Lin had struck, turned around in anger. However, upon sensing the Cognizance realm aura emanating from Murong Lin, he quickly altered his expression into a friendly smile.

“Senior, are you not aware? That purple-haired young man is Zhou Xuan Zi, the younger brother of the ‘Purple Lightning God’, Zhou Xuan Tong. He’s at the fifth layer of the Cognizance realm and is known for his irritable temperament.

On the other side is the treasure hunter Xiao Dong, who has recently gained some fame. Despite being only in the third layer of the Cognizance realm, he possesses a remarkable talent for discovering hidden treasures.

The two of them had placed a bet in front of the ‘Descending Dawn Fairy’. Their challenge was to find a valuable item among these stones.”

With this information, Murong Lin learned the name of his protagonist, Xiao Dong. He believed that with the innate talent of Devourment, Xiao Dong could indeed discover numerous valuable items. The key to Devourment was understanding what one was consuming, and while most stones used in betting could block out divine senses and even Abhijñās, they couldn’t withstand the devouring ability of a protagonist.

The ‘Descending Dawn Fairy’ referred to a female cultivator named Luo Miao Miao, who was in the fifth layer of the Cognizance realm. She was a figure mentioned in the information provided by the hotel owner, known as a well-connected socialite¹.

At this moment, the protagonist Xiao Dong had already reached the exciting face-slapping scene.

1. Hello, this word used in Chinese, ‘交际花’, can be referred to people who are socialites, or courtesans.It is not clear which she is being referred to, but her title of fairy is similar to the courtesans that were referred to during the earliest chapters. 

   For now, I will leave it as socialite with the context that I have

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Translator’s note:

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