Chen Cheng went to the market and bought a Conical Hat, which he wore to obscure most of his face, leaving only his chin visible.
Combined with his plain black clothes, he looked no different from an ordinary member of the Jianghu and didn't stand out.
After leaving the market, he arrived at a shop located in the market of Ruyi District: Luo's Shop.
He had made inquiries. The Luo Family was a major family from the Inner City and was quite influential even there, far beyond what the families in the Outer City could match.
Luo's Shop had branches in the various districts of both the Inner City and the four major urban areas of the Outer City. They placed great importance on their reputation.
This branch of Luo's Shop was the largest in Ruyi District and was not far from the City Guard Department's Ruyi Square Sub-Department, so he didn't have to worry about security.
"Sir, what can I help you with today?"
As soon as he walked into the shop, a clerk enthusiastically came forward to greet him.
"Does your shop purchase Cultivation Technique Manuals?" Chen Cheng asked, keeping his voice low.
"Of course. Our shop has a dedicated counter for Cultivation Technique Manuals, for both buying and selling. This way, sir." The clerk, looking completely unfazed, smiled and led Chen Cheng through the main hall to a counter near the back of the room.
Behind the counter, a portly, middle-aged Steward in his forties was introducing a Secret Manual to a man in Jianghu attire with a saber at his waist.
"Sir, if you would please wait a moment."
The clerk gestured for Chen Cheng to sit to the side and poured him some tea.
Chen Cheng was in no hurry, so he waited off to the side.
The man wanted to buy a Saber Technique Manual. After the middle-aged Steward finished his introduction, he stated the price.
"Twenty taels of silver is too expensive! Can't you lower the price?" the man asked after a long hesitation.
The middle-aged Steward chuckled. "Sir, we at Luo's Shop have always been known for our fair prices. We don't cheat anyone, young or old."
"This Fierce Tiger Saber Technique Manual is a complete Saber Technique of considerable power. If you cultivate it to the Perfection realm, you'll even be able to hold your own against a Martial Artist at the Skin Grinding Realm."
"Twenty taels of silver is our lowest price."
"It's still too expensive! Do you have anything cheaper?" The man was dressed plainly and seemed short on funds, so he asked for a lesser alternative.
"We do have something cheaper. This Mountain Opening Saber Technique. It's incomplete, so you can only cultivate it to the Great Success realm. It's worth ten taels of silver." The middle-aged Steward produced another Saber Technique Manual.
"Ten taels of silver for an incomplete Saber Technique? A Secret Manual like this would only sell for five or six taels of silver elsewhere." The man rolled his eyes, still finding the price too high.
The middle-aged Steward didn't get angry, remaining perfectly pleasant. "We at Luo's Shop value our reputation above all else. We sell only authentic Secret Manuals, all of which have been verified by Martial Dao experts to ensure they are free of errors and omissions. Other places can't make that kind of guarantee."
"You should know that if a Secret Manual has errors and something goes wrong during Cultivation, the consequences can be dire."
"Fine, I'll buy it." The man mulled it over for a long while and was finally convinced by the Steward's words. He gritted his teeth, paid for the Secret Manual, and left.
Listening from the side, Chen Cheng thought the middle-aged Steward had a point, but he was also secretly shocked. He had already heard that Saber Technique Manuals were expensive, but he never imagined they would be *this* expensive.
With his current net worth, he couldn't even afford an incomplete Saber Technique Manual.
"Sir, what Secret Manual are you looking to buy?" After seeing the man off, the Steward came forward, clasped his hands in a polite gesture, and asked with a smile.
Chen Cheng decided to inquire first.
"What's the price of your cheapest Saber Technique Manual? An incomplete one is fine."
Chen Cheng's clothes were plain, and his build was rather slender. He looked even poorer than the man who had just left. Yet, the Steward didn't show any impatience and still answered politely.
"The cheapest is the Mountain Opening Saber Technique Manual we just sold to that customer. Ten taels of silver."
Chen Cheng couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. He couldn't afford it by a long shot; he felt guilty even looking at it.
'Forget it. I'll try selling the Secret Manual first, then I'll look elsewhere for a cheaper, incomplete Saber Technique Manual to practice with. After all, I have the panel to make corrections. Even if the Saber Technique Manual is incomplete or flawed, I can still practice its Cultivation.'
With this in mind, Chen Cheng took the prepared Cultivation Technique Manual from his robes and placed it on the table.
"I'm not buying right now. Take a look at this and tell me how much this Secret Manual is worth."
The middle-aged Steward unhurriedly picked up the Secret Manual. The moment he flipped to the first page, his face twitched, and he exclaimed in astonishment, "The Red Sun Root Technique... an Inner Breath Technique?"
"What's wrong? You don't accept Inner Breath Techniques?" Chen Cheng was a bit baffled by his sudden reaction.
"This shop is open for business, so of course we accept all types of Cultivation Techniques, but..."
The Steward slammed the Secret Manual shut, his expression suddenly darkening. "The one thing we don't accept is fake Secret Manuals!"
"Though Luo's Shop is primarily a merchant business, we have considerable influence in Linji City. Every one of our shops has a Martial Dao expert in residence. We're not a place that just anyone can fool with a fake Secret Manual!"
Though he had prepared himself for some scrutiny, Chen Cheng hadn't expected the middle-aged Steward to declare it a fake without even a proper look. He stated firmly, "You barely glanced at it. How can you know it's fake?"
The middle-aged Steward said impatiently, "Do I even need to? Do you know that Martial Arts Cultivation is divided into External Skills and Inner Cultivation Techniques, and that Inner Cultivation Techniques are further split into Body Tempering Techniques and Inner Breath Techniques?"
"External Skills and Body Tempering Techniques are the most common, and our shop has plenty of those. But an Inner Breath Technique? Even the great families of the Inner City don't possess one."
"So you bring an Inner Breath Technique Manual here... are you not trying to swindle me?"
"You're saying that even the great families in the Inner City don't have Inner Breath Techniques?" Chen Cheng suddenly realized how naive he had been. The middle-aged Steward's words completely changed his perspective.
He had learned about External Skills and Inner Cultivation Techniques from Master Xiu Chen.
He had assumed that an Inner Breath Technique, which even a death row inmate at the Skin Grinding Realm could casually produce, wasn't some rare Cultivation Technique, so he hadn't given it much thought.
Who would have thought that Inner Breath Techniques were so rare that not a single one could be found in the entire Lijing Prefecture City!
Seeing Chen Cheng looking pensive and genuinely uninformed, and considering his youth, the middle-aged Steward's expression softened slightly. He said coolly, "Kid, next time you want to pull a scam, you'd best do your homework first."
"It's only because you're at Luo's Shop that I'm willing to overlook your youthful ignorance. At any other shop, you'd be looking at a harsh beating, at the very least!"
"Consider this a warning."
"You should still examine the Secret Manual before making a final judgment," Chen Cheng said calmly, already calculating in his mind what would be an appropriate price for this Cultivation Technique Manual.
'Even if it's a neutered version, a half-baked, incomplete Inner Breath Method that only cultivates the 'Root,' it's still an Inner Breath Method, isn't it?'
"Hmph. Since you insist, then I'll take a look!"
The middle-aged Steward reopened the Secret Manual. After scanning just a few lines, his gaze was frozen to the page.
This so-called Red Sun Root Technique, an Inner Breath Technique Manual, was written in a remarkably detailed and structured way. Crucially, it included simple diagrams and described a unique cultivation method to go along with the incantations.
After a long time, his face was flushed, yet it held a faint trace of excitement.
'It really is an Inner Breath Technique,' he thought. 'Although it follows a rather unorthodox path and is somewhat incomplete, it should still be possible to practice its Cultivation.'
The middle-aged Steward closed the Secret Manual, then looked at Chen Cheng and said gravely, "This is only the first half of the Cultivation Technique Manual. Since you're willing to sell it, honored guest, you must have the second half as well."
Unconsciously, Chen Cheng's form of address from the Steward had gone through three transformations: from "sir," to "kid," and now to "honored guest."
It meant the Steward had finally acknowledged him.
"Of course I have the second half of the Cultivation Technique Manual."
Chen Cheng gave a slight nod. "You've seen the first half of the Secret Manual," he said slowly. "First, tell me what you're willing to offer. Then I'll consider whether to sell the complete Cultivation Technique Manual to you."
"Well... allow me to have our expert take a look before we make an appraisal. Honored guest, if you would please wait in the back room for a moment."
The middle-aged Steward politely led Chen Cheng to the back room, had the clerk serve him more tea, then hastily took the Secret Manual and hurried up to the second floor.