Jiang Zuo walked up to the middle-aged Daoist's stall and began to examine the Magical Treasures.
"Young friend, everything we sell here is reputable and guaranteed authentic! If you're lucky, you might even stumble upon a peerless inheritance. Take this spear in my hand, for example. Its simple, ancient look gives you a real sense of the passage of time.
This is, without a doubt, the ancient Magical Treasure, the Heaven-Breaking Spear! I don't usually put a treasure like this up for sale. I only bring it out for someone with fate, like yourself, Fellow Daoist." The spear the middle-aged Daoist was holding was the very same one he had just been hawking. There were at least four or five identical ones at the stall.
They were mass-produced Magical Treasures—no, just mass-produced old iron spears.
That's what Chi Xue Child and the others all thought. Only a fool would buy one.
Jiang Zuo took the spear from him and tossed out a Spirit Stone. "Since you've put it that way, Senior, I'll buy it."
The middle-aged Daoist froze for a second as he took the Spirit Stone, then he grinned. "Is there anything else that catches your eye, Fellow Daoist? Feel free to look, take your pick."
Jiang Zuo tossed the spear to Chi Xue Child, who looked utterly dumbfounded.
Demon Cultivator Mo Yan said, "I'm starting to think we brought an idiot with us."
Liuyue Xue said, "Remember to pay me back."
Chi Xue Child: "….."
Jiang Zuo paid them no mind. He paced in front of the stall, looking over the items again before finally asking Chi Xue Child, "What kind of weapon do you prefer to use?"
Chi Xue Child was taken aback. "Me? We mostly use Immortal Swords, I suppose."
Jiang Zuo nodded and looked to the middle-aged Daoist. "Any recommendations, Senior?"
The middle-aged Daoist casually picked up a crimson sword and said with a solemn expression, "The Red Sword. 'A flash of red light to shake heaven and earth; a bloody gleam to illuminate the nine provinces.' This is the Eternal Divine Sword. This humble Daoist found it in a sea of blood.
Fellow Daoist, to tell you the truth, this sword doesn't come with an inheritance, because the sword itself is priceless."
Chi Xue Child looked on with contempt. 'This "priceless" sword seems to have six brothers. He's got the whole rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple.'
Demon Cultivator Mo Yan chuckled. "Chi Xue Child, this one's perfect for you."
Liuyue Xue nodded as well, gloating. By the looks of it, Jiang Zuo was about to buy again.
Jiang Zuo took the Red Sword. "Alright, I'll take it."
This time, the middle-aged Daoist's hand trembled as he took the Spirit Stone. The corner of his mouth even twitched, but he still managed a smile. "Fellow Daoist, you have a discerning eye. I'm impressed."
Jiang Zuo tossed the sword to Chi Xue Child. "This sword is good enough to be your Lifebound Magical Treasure."
Chi Xue Child looked astonished. Jiang Zuo sounded completely serious—or rather, he always sounded like this.
It was just like back at the Chen Family's home. He had spoken with the same tone, and everything he'd said had turned out to be true.
But he still found it unbelievable. 'This has to be a fake.'
Jiang Zuo didn't waste any more time. He picked up a saber, a dagger, and a shield, then paid another three Spirit Stones.
Just as Jiang Zuo reached for another item, the middle-aged Daoist's hand shot out and grabbed his.
Jiang Zuo looked at the middle-aged Daoist. Chi Xue Child and the others also stared at the man, curious.
'Is he actually turning down business from a fool?'
Then they heard the middle-aged Daoist say with a miserable look on his face, "Fellow Daoist, that's five items. Isn't that enough? We're running a small business here."
Jiang Zuo pulled his hand back. "A small business? The Red Sword was the personal sword of the ancient Blood Venerable. When it was forged, a single strike shook the nine heavens, its bloody light shining over fourteen provinces.
Selling the genuine article of a sword like that... I'd say your business is absurdly large."
The middle-aged Daoist was shocked. "You actually know all that? No wonder you have such a sharp eye."
With that, the middle-aged Daoist began packing up his stall. "If I can't afford to provoke you, surely I can hide from you?"
Jiang Zuo didn't stop him. Five items were indeed enough. But the man was truly strange. 'Just now, I thought I'd seen a shadow of the Dao itself.'
'This guy must be some Great Power who came down to mess with people,' Jiang Zuo thought. 'And why does he look so familiar? He seems like that one guy who said he wouldn't start a harem unless the gender ratio reached 1:1.'
Jiang Zuo shook his head, not dwelling on the thought.
Just then, Chi Xue Child asked, "Fellow Daoist Po Xiao, you weren't joking just now, were you? Are these really powerful Magical Treasures?"
Jiang Zuo put the items away, pocketing the remaining Spirit Stones as well.
Then he said, "They can't compare to their former glory, but for you, they're perfect. Want to find out what this sword can really do?"
Chi Xue Child hesitated for a moment before asking, "Will it cause a big scene?"
Jiang Zuo thought for a moment. "It won't shake the nine heavens when you draw it, but it can still stir the four cardinal directions."
"Then I'd better wait until I get back to try it."
Jiang Zuo nodded. "Give them to me."
After taking the Red Sword and the Heaven-Breaking Spear, Jiang Zuo drew an incredibly complex Rune on each. The Runes had the correct form, but they lacked any spiritual life.
"My Cultivation is too weak, so I can't inscribe a complete Unsealing Talisman. However, I've laid out the structure. Just find a Tier Four Cultivator to charge it with energy, and that should be enough to break the Seal."
Demon Cultivator Mo Yan was unconvinced. "Stop acting so mysterious. You're probably just planning to run off later. Besides, you pocketed the Spirit Stones. Give them back, now."
Jiang Zuo looked at Demon Cultivator Mo Yan and took out the dagger. "This one would actually suit you quite well. It's not on the level of the Red Sword, but it'll last you a long time.
I'll sell it to you for a single Fifth-Grade Spirit Stone."
Mo Yan was furious. 'Is he taking me for a fool?'
But before Demon Cultivator Mo Yan could say a word, Jiang Zuo inscribed a Rune on the dagger and pressed all five Third-Grade Spirit Stones into it.
The Rune flared, and the rust-covered dagger underwent a dramatic transformation.
The rust receded, revealing a crystal-clear blade. In an instant, the rust vanished completely, and an elegant, spiritually alive dagger appeared in Jiang Zuo's hand.
"The Shadowless Dagger. Tangible, yet it casts no shadow. Silent and imperceptible. It exists, yet it is difficult to sense. It kills without a trace."
Jiang Zuo then channeled Spiritual Qi into the dagger, and just like that, it vanished from both their sight and their senses.
When Jiang Zuo stopped channeling his energy, the dagger reappeared.
They were utterly stunned. 'So he wasn't the fool... we were.'
Demon Cultivator Mo Yan's eyes lit up. This dagger was perfect for her.
She was a Dream Nightmare Cultivator. She moved through the shadows and thrived within nightmares. An invisible dagger would be the perfect reaping blade for her.
"One Fifth-Grade Spirit Stone. I'll take it."
Even with her limited knowledge, she knew this dagger was worth far more than a single Fifth-Grade Spirit Stone, so she agreed without a moment's hesitation.
"Give me the dagger first. I'll call my master to bring the money right away." She was terrified Jiang Zuo would go back on his word.
But Jiang Zuo didn't seem to mind, simply tossing the dagger to Demon Cultivator Mo Yan.
The Shadowless Dagger was a decent item, but it wasn't suitable for Jiang Zuo. As for selling it for a single Fifth-Grade Spirit Stone, that was because, in his eyes, the dagger simply wasn't worth much more than that.
So he didn't give it a second thought.
At that moment, Chi Xue Child clutched the weapons in his hands tightly and said to Liuyue Xue, "Fairy, I'll pay you back double for the Spirit Stones."
Liuyue Xue said, "One Fifth-Grade Spirit Stone for your spear."
Chi Xue Child yelled in protest, "Why don't you just rob me instead!"