Chronicles of Daoist Fan - Chapter 95

”For this? 2,000 golds?” I looked incredulously at Xoxo. She must be joking, I thought but she wasn’t.

”It’s a Meridian Opening technique. If it weren’t for its record of killing practitioners, I wouldn’t have sold it for even 5,000 gold. Nobody wants this, so I am selling it cheap. This is the last of the two copies left, all others have been burned.”

Now that made sense. Still, it seemed expensive for me. I wanted to haggle here but Xoxo had a cultivation way higher than mine, Also, this was a black market, who would even haggle here?

”2,000 it is then.” I took out two more gold notes and handed them to her.

Her irritated mood immediately changed after getting the money. She even made us sit and asked if I wanted to buy more. However, I wanted to look at other shops as well.

With the scroll in hand, I politely declined her and remained unfazed by her act of ”seduction.” I really couldn’t stand that eye blinking of this fat hag. Maybe she wasn’t old enough to be called a ‘hag’ but whatever.

Before leaving, Xoxo pulled Bina. ”Bring this boy tomorrow. I have something to show him.”

Then we left. Bina neither nodded nor did she shake her head. Nevertheless, Xoxo took it as a yes. I was a little interested in what she was going to show but I didn’t even know if I would come to this place tomorrow. I valued my safety and this stupa was basically Qin Mao’s den.

”Anything else?” Bina turned to me. If the things would be delivered to the CangGong courtyard, then I wanted to buy a few more things. Heck, a lot more things.

We then went inside another tent and I bought copper birch woods, true black grasses, and other two things needed to make the medicinal bath. I had those as well but the amount was limited.

Ten batches would be enough for a month. These weren’t as expensive, only costing about 1,100 golds in total.

I also wanted to check out the weapons here. The inscribed sword given by the Martial House was better than my previous weapons but this was the black market, there had to be some hidden treasure in such a place.

I didn’t have high hopes but checking out didn’t hurt.

We went to a cave house this time. From the inside, sounds of hammering could be heard. It was also hotter here. We had entered a blacksmith’s shop. Here, different weapons were on display but none of them were inscribed.

I looked confusedly at Bina and she led me deeper inside. There was a separate display hidden behind the left cave wall. We just had to push it.

The sounds of hammering stopped. The old man with a long white beard stood up. He had a refined body at the 7th stage Viscera Purifying. His large body boasted muscles bigger than both of us. We looked skinny compared to him.

”How many times do I have to tell you to call me after coming?” The old man grunted and put the hammer beside the hot anvil.

”You were busy so…” Bina kept looking at the weapons on display.

”Hah, now what do you want? Another sword for one of your lackeys? The inscriptor hasn’t visited these days so only those old ones are left.” The old man said and sat, beginning to hammer again.

It seemed he had only started shaping the metal after quenching. That didn’t look like steel though… but seemed tougher.

‘Maybe a rare material,’ I thought.

”Choose whatever you want, if you have the budget for it.” Bina voiced and I turned around.

Now, these weapons were finely inscribed. I could recognize those inscriptions. They seemed basic and crude to me. Improving strength or agility. Then there was also a set of armors. That gave an overall boost to a practitioner’s physique and stamina.

These uses weren’t written but I could read the inscriptions. All followed the same principle of using worldly energy and transferring it to a practitioner’s body. To those who hadn’t reached Qi gathering, all this would seem like magic but it was the most basic application of energy which wasn’t pure enough to form into Qi yet.

I didn’t want to think about the details yet. As long as I found something good for my stage, I was content. Among the twenty weapons on display, only the heavy sword and a pair of dagger’s caught my attention. The former could give me the strength of a rank 8th Viscera Purifying practitioner while the latter gave me reflexes and of Tier 2 mid-rank beast.

Honestly, I was about to choose the heavy sword but remembered the limits of my rank 4th body. I would be straining my muscles and bones by wielding such strength. It would have been nice if there was something that would passively help improve my cultivation instead.

”Are these everything you have?” I asked.

”Young man, you stared at those weapons for nearly half an hour. Are those not to your liking or are you loaded with money? If it’s so, then I do have something else.” He placed the item he had been hammering on a bucket. A sizzling sound came as the hot metal submerged in cold water.

The old man stood up again and hit the wooden plank beside him. I looked curiously and saw that there was space dug underground which was occupied by five large boxes. The old man easily carried three boxes out and kept the rest there.

A loud sound echoed inside the cave as he put the heavy boxes down.

Bina also appeared interested as she came beside me. I had already walked over to the old man to see what he had. Those boxes were all made of tough iron and had locks.

The blacksmith took out a bunch of keys and tried each one on a smaller box.

”You don’t even know which key is for which box?” Bina crouched down and looked at him sorting out the keys.

”It has been years since I took these out. I had forgotten that these boxes were locked.” He grumbled, scratching his beard.

With a click one of the locks opened.

”Aha, so it was this!” He looked excited now. I couldn’t keep my curiosity and peeked, expecting some kind of treasure but there was only one weapon inside, a dark red sword.

It wasn’t even inscribed, only some words carved on its hilt… no wait, advanced inscription! I took my words back. This sword had been inscribed by an advanced inscriptor at the very least.

Judging by how subtly those few words hid all of the inscription done, I could bet that it was the work of an expert or even a master!

”This is,” the old man put some effort and lifted the sword. ”This is The Piercer. That’s the name given by the elder who inscribed it.”

”What do you think, lad? Can you hold it?” He handed the sword to me.

”Of course, I ca- whoa there!” I nearly dropped the sword by taking it with only one hand. This sword was heavy. So heavy that I felt the weight of Mount Tai, no that’s bullshit – I mean, heavy enough to make me hold it with two hands.

I was a Viscera Purifying practitioner and if I couldn’t hold it with one hand, then this weapon was something else.

Tong!

I placed the sword vertically on the ground. It was a long, symmetrical, and sharp beauty. Looking at the words on its hilt, I found that those weren’t mere carvings but sophisticated inscriptions.

‘So minute but so many details.’ I squinted my eyes. I read those and was fascinated by what I learned. This was exactly what I was looking for!

Putting an overall restriction on the user’s body but boosting one’s senses. It would improve my body for the duration I wielded or just equipped this sword. There were other effects as well, such as a passive increase in strength, a sudden burst of power. It also had a sword move unique to it.

These inscriptions hadn’t activated yet, I just had to stroke the edges and let it taste my blood. Only then would the sword become heavier and more powerful.

Could this be my lucky day? Isn’t this too-

”10,000 gold kins.”

Yeah, this was too much. I frowned, I really wanted this sword.

”Why so expensive?” I asked, keeping the sword standing straight on the floor.

”I paid 5,000 to have it inscribed. The horn of a low tier 3 beast is what it’s made of. I’m giving you a discounted price, young man.”

‘Is it now…?’ I glanced at the sword. It wasn’t every day I got to see a weapon such as this. However, ten thousand was a large number. I thought deeply for a moment. Was it worth that much? The answer I reached was, ‘yes absolutely!’

Anything that helped me advance in ranks was worth it. Money comes and goes but cultivation remains.

”I’ll buy it..” I touched The Piercer’s edge and made a small cut on my middle finger.