Chapter 497 (3): I Can Also Split Apart the Sky With My Sword

After Chen Ping'an visited all of the shops on the street, he discovered that the situation was largely the same no matter which shop he visited — each shop had a single spirit tool. For example, the shop at the end of the street had a metal pipa of exceptional quality.

However, the remaining antiques and curios displayed in these shops weren't very impressive, and Chen Ping'an was hard-pressed to pick one or two of them even if he was simply thinking about purchasing them for a low price and selling them for more somewhere else. If he were to fathom a guess, the female prime minister examiner had probably purchased all of the truly valuable treasures already and placed them in her palatial complex.

After traveling with Ma Duyi and the old ghost from Bamboo Scroll Lake for so long, Chen Ping'an had somewhat learned some elementary skills regarding how to pick up bargain goods.

After coming across so many valuable treasures, Chen Ping'an was also fairly confident about his ability to appraise treasures and determine whether they were good or bad. Even so, he was ultimately still lacking in this area.

In the end, Chen Ping'an returned to the shop at the start of the street, the one that he had visited first. The two little ghosts were no longer as scared of him, and they only shuffled aside slightly as they sat on the door threshold and basked in the sun.

"Old Esteemed Immortal, did you have any pleasant surprises and unexpected yields at Gold Dust Market?" the female ghost shopkeeper asked with a smile.

Chen Ping'an shook his head and replied, "I didn't come across anything that I was interested in and also had a suitable price."

The female ghost glanced at the large sack on Chen Ping'an's back and asked, "Old Esteemed Immortal, are you planning to reluctantly part with some treasures?"

Chen Ping'an nodded and replied, "I'm just trying out my luck, and I don't know whether you'll take a fancy to any of my wares."

"I'll let Old Esteemed Immortal know after I take a look at them," she replied with a smile. "My shop isn't afraid to spend money if there's genuinely something that catches my eye."

Hearing this, Chen Ping'an grabbed the large sack from his back and lightly placed it on the counter, taking out the items inside one by one.

This large sack contained thirty percent of the items from Lady Bishu's room and the Sea Turning Primordial Lord's underground cave abode.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

This was a clear reflection of Chen Ping'an's ability to scour an area for treasures, and it could be said that he wouldn't allow a single copper coin to escape his notice.

The female ghost shopkeeper initially had a strange expression.

This was because the first few items that Chen Ping'an retrieved were surprisingly all trinkets that belonged to a female's bedroom. There were makeup tins, makeup mirrors, silver containers lightly inscribed with characters and mandarin ducks, headdress, a cluster of hundreds of bright red peonies that was only as large as a fist but exquisitely carved, and so on and so forth...

This old esteemed immortal from the outside world was truly an old and shameless pervert!

The immortal wearing the bamboo hat seemingly noticed the improperness of this as well, so he stopped trying to take out the items as quickly as he could and finally started to rifle through the sack for more appropriate treasures. He gradually retrieved a few relatively normal and valuable items.

It was only at this moment that the female ghost's expression of mild anger and embarrassment took a slight turn for the better.

The look in her eyes changed slightly when Chen Ping'an retrieved a pair of gold chopsticks.

She was even more tempted by this pair of gold chopsticks than the exquisite gold flower headdress that Chen Ping'an had taken out before.

In the end, Chen Ping'an only took out half of the items from his large sack, but this was already enough to fill up the entire counter. "Is there anything that you're interested in?" he asked the shopkeeper.

The female ghost shopkeeper casually looked over the items on the counter, with her gaze only stopping briefly on a porcelain makeup bottle. It appeared like she was only slightly interested in some of the items but largely disappointed in general.

Chen Ping'an sighed in grief and lamented, "Since you and I are both uninterested in each other's treasure, it looks like I can only leave Copper Stench City empty-handed."

Seeing the old immortal start to pack his belongings, the female ghost finally extended a finger and gently placed it on top of the porcelain makeup bottle, asking, "Old Esteemed Immortal, what's the asking price for this small porcelain bottle. It looks small and adorable, so I'm planning to purchase it with my own money."

Chen Ping'an glanced at the small pink porcelain bottle and purposely put on a slight expression of ridicule, chuckling, "This? This is the least valuable item out of all of my treasures, so I'll give it to you as a present."

Chen Ping'an had already made sure that the porcelain makeup bottle genuinely wasn't worth too much. Young maidens and noble women would perhaps take a fancy to it, but it would only sell for dozens or a hundred taels of silver at most. The female ghost shopkeeper had specifically expressed interest in this item as a starting tactic to barter for a better price. Regardless of how bad Chen Ping'an was at buying and selling treasures, he was at least able to notice these kinds of tactics. Moreover, when it came to how shrewd and calculating an individual was, could this female ghost from Copper Stench City truly compare to that scholar from the Esteemed Mystery Department?

As such, Chen Ping'an started to stuff all of the items on the counter back into his large sack, giving off the feeling that he was hellbent on leaving if the shopkeeper was going to be so blind.

Sure enough...

The female ghost shopkeeper was unable to fully conceal the anxiousness in her eyes as she said, "Old Esteemed Immortal, my shop hasn't done business for a long time already, so how about we do this. I'll offer ninety snowflake coins to purchase all of the items in your large sack. What do you say?"

Chen Ping'an shot another sideways glance at the female ghost who had a pained expression from offering so many snowflake coins, and he simply reached over and pushed the pink porcelain makeup bottle toward her without stopping his act of stuffing everything else back into the large sack.

"I'm not a beggar asking for food, so feel free to take this small porcelain bottle. As for the rest of the genuine treasures, however, I'll look elsewhere for a buyer who truly has some money in their pockets. I refuse to believe that there isn't a single sharp-eyed individual in a city as large as Copper Stench City." Chen Ping'an huffed in response.

The female ghost appeared slightly angry and embarrassed, and she didn't take the pink porcelain makeup bottle, nor did she say anything to convince the old geezer to stay. She allowed him to put away all of the items that he had placed on the counter and sling the large sack onto his back. Seeing that she hadn't taken the porcelain makeup bottle, the old geezer didn't hold back either, grabbing it in his hand and deciding to take it back if she didn't want it. Afterward, he was just about to leave the shop and stride away into the distance.

After the slightly bad-tempered old geezer left the shop, the female ghost shopkeeper silently counted to ten before hurriedly gesturing for the little female ghost to come over to the counter. "Go and follow that person, and you don't need to do anything if he turns around and returns to our shop. However, if he keeps walking and shows no signs of wanting to return to Gold Dust Market, then catch up to him and tell him that our shop is willing to sincerely discuss the price with him," the female ghost shopkeeper instructed.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, the little female ghost sprinted back to the shop with a sullen expression, with her entire face scrunched up as she verged on tears. "Big Sister Zhenguan, I secretly followed that grandpa the entire time, and he genuinely didn't notice my presence. I followed him for a very long time, but he suddenly turned into a small alley after arriving near Daughter Market. I didn't dare to follow him too closely, afraid that he would catch sight of me if he turned around. I peeked around the corner and waited for him to leave the alley before running over, but I discovered that he was already nowhere to be seen. Big Sister Zhenguan, that grandpa truly vanished just like that! I ran along the street several times, but I was still unable to find that grandpa no matter what..."

The little female ghost covered her face with her hands, starting to sob as she recounted these saddening events.

The female ghost shopkeeper felt both worried about the situation and heartache for the little female ghost, so she hurriedly walked out from behind the counter and squatted down to pat the little girl's head, saying in a gentle voice, "Don't worry, it's okay. This isn't a big deal, so there's no need to get sad and cry about it."

However, the little boy standing beside them made a face as he took pleasure in the little girl's misfortune and gloated, "Big Sister Zhenguan, the old geezer definitely wouldn't have been able to run off if you had asked me to follow him just then. Little Que is quite slow and stupid, and it's not like Big Sister Zhenguan doesn't know about this."

The little girl had only just stopped crying after a lot of persuasion from Big Sister Zhenguan, but she immediately burst into tears again after hearing the little boy's remark.

The female ghost shopkeeper shot a vicious glare at the little boy, after which she walked back behind the counter and retrieved a silver bell. She tossed the bell to the little boy and said, "I can't leave the shop, so take this token and remember not to lose it. I want you to quickly go to the northern palace gate and notify the guard there, General Chu, that an old esteemed immortal from the outside world visited Gold Dust Market just then. He's in possession of many treasures, so the prime minister examiner definitely can't let slip this opportunity. It's best that she personally meets that old esteemed immortal."

The little boy ghost nodded earnestly and replied, "Not a problem, Big Sister Zhenguan. Rest assured that I'll definitely be more reliable than Little Que!"

The little girl bawled even harder upon hearing this.

The female ghost shopkeeper pointed outside and glared at the little bastard who was continuing to make the situation worse, and she instructed loudly, "Hurry up and disappear from my sight!"

"As you command!"

The little boy immediately sprinted down the street.

A short moment later, the female shopkeeper who was squatting on the ground and consoling the little girl suddenly turned around with a dumbstruck expression.

There was a tall and slender woman standing outside the shop and holding an unmoving little boy in her hand. She smiled as she walked in, and she said with a faint smile, "There's no need to look for me, Zhenguan. Things have been tightened up at Copper Stench City recently, and our city lord has instructed his subordinates to keep a careful eye on any suspicious person entering and exiting the city. Thanks to this, I was immediately notified when that old immortal from the outside world visited Gold Dust Market."

The woman placed the little boy ghost on the ground and sniffed the air in the shop, with a look of intoxication appearing on her face as she clicked her tongue in wonder and chuckled, "Oh my, such a potent aura of treasure. Zhenguan, it looks like you truly let slip a huge business opportunity this time."

There was a look of guilt and shame on Zhenguan's face as she replied, "I simply wanted to bargain with the old immortal to get a better price for Milady, but I didn't expect for the old man to have such a short temper that he would surprisingly leave straight away."

The woman shook her hand and said, "That's no issue. We'll manage to find him as long as he's still in Copper Stench City. I've already instructed someone to invite him over."

This unexpected guest to the shop was none other than Tang Jinxiu, the younger sister of City Lord Tang. She had already lived for many years, yet it was also she who had made changes to the city as if she were a little child playing house. She had set up an imperial court in the city, and she had even assigned herself to the role of prime minister examiner.

City Lord Tang Jingqi was an old Golden Core Tier ghost, yet he had almost never fought with anyone else before. This wasn't strange. Pu Rang's combat power reigned supreme among the dozen or so cities in the south, and if it weren't for him causing trouble for himself, he would have already become a terrifying Unpolished Jade Tier ghost sword cultivator a long time ago.

Apart from the heroic spirit at Imperial Tutor City which was located close to Orchid Scent Town, the remaining city lords in the south were all yet to advance to the Nascent Tier. In fact, they didn't even have the potential to advance to the Nascent Tier. It was only when casting one's gaze further north that one would see another Nascent Tier city lord, the secret backer of the now-deceased Lady Bishu.

The powerful heroic spirit of Unyielding City was once a pillar general who had died on the battlefield while fighting for the Divine Strategy Nation, and one of his three ghost general subordinates was the original owner of the Mountain Shattering Bow and the Mountain Shattering Arrows, one of which was now displayed in Copper Stench City's Gold Dust Market.

In fact, this ghost general had once personally visited Gold Dust Market, yet he had only taken a single glance at the Mountain Shattering Arrow displayed in the shop at the start of the street. Not only did the Golden Core Tier ghost general not snatch the arrow away, but he even turned down the offer to take it back when Copper Stench City voluntarily tried to return the arrow to him.

Tang Jinxiu smiled and said, "When he returns to the shop, just tell him that I'm the owner of Gold Dust Market, the person who controls the finances here and has the final say. Otherwise, that esteemed immortal will definitely raise the prices through the roof if he learns of my true identity."

Shopkeeper Zhenguan smiled and nodded in understanding.

Tang Jinxiu glanced at the two little ghosts and scolded with a smile, "Run along and play somewhere else, two little fools."

The little boy and the little girl hurriedly ran out of the shop.

A tall and slender finger suddenly materialized in the shop, causing the yin energy in the surroundings to ripple.

Tang Jinxiu faltered for a moment before asking with a smile, "Why are you here, Big Brother? If I remember correctly, this is the first time that you've graced my Gold Dust Market with your presence."

Meanwhile, the female ghost shopkeeper whom she had referred to as Zhenguan had already fallen to her knees and said in a quivering voice, "Greetings, City Lord."

"I've come here to tell you that apart from doing business with that person, it's best that you don't have any other thoughts," the middle-aged city lord said.

Tang Jinxiu smiled and replied, "Isn't he just an old geezer? What's wrong? Are you afraid that I'll take a fancy to him? He's not a handsome young man or anything, so I definitely won't have those kinds of thoughts."

"That person has simply used some illusion techniques to disguise himself," Tang Jingqi replied in an exasperated voice. "If the intelligence reports are accurate, then he's very likely the young sword immortal who caused Fan Yunluo and the demons in the mountains to suffer greatly. I just received another piece of news just then, and that mountain-chasing dog has been killed as well. His head was completely penetrated by a flying sword, and the assailant did this silently without ever showing himself."

Tang Jinxiu licked her lips.

"I never say anything when you play around normally, but the matter is critically serious this time," Tang Jingqi said with a stern voice. "If we're not careful, we might suffer the tragic fate of losing half of Copper Stench City. If you dare to mess around, then don't blame me for grounding you for one hundred years!"

"If this is a critically serious matter, then why doesn't Big Brother just deal with it himself?" Tang Jinxiu replied with an aggrieved expression.

Tang Jingqi chuckled in anger and retorted, "Deal with it myself? For what purpose? If word of this gets out, will I be accused of plotting in secret to exterminate the remaining great demons? Or perhaps I'm filled with wild ambition and yearn to conquer the surrounding cities? Or should I sit down in this shop and snack on some roasted seeds, with me making unreasonable offers and him trying to perform a daylight robbery?

"He isn't planning to cause a commotion and is simply here to do business in the city, and even you understand the need to conceal your identity lest he raise the price of his goods otherwise. If I'm here as well, then how can we possibly buy the treasures for a good price? If his treasures are worth one grain rain coin, should I spend one grain rain coin as well to purchase them? Otherwise, will Copper Stench City be refusing to give face to a young sword immortal?"

Tang Jingqi pointed at his younger sister who had an extremely embarrassed expression and continued, "What you need to do now is view this interaction as nothing more than a business transaction. There's no need to gild the lily, and there's no need to purposely ingratiate yourself to him either. However, you don't need to be too afraid either if he's too aggressive and pushy. Our Copper Stench City has an alliance with Green Cottage Town, and the cultivators of the Flax Robe Sect definitely won't sit on their hands and ignore the situation."

"Okay, I know," Tang Jinxiu said with a sulky expression.

Tang Jingqi turned around and glanced at Zhenguan, and he stressed, "Make sure to warn her not to start obsessing over the young sword immortal in a moment. The prime minister examiner of Copper Stench City genuinely isn't worthy of this young sword immortal."

Tang Jinxiu stomped her foot and huffed, "Big Brother, is this any way to talk about your little sister?!"

However, the heroic spirit city lord had already left just as quickly as he had come.