Gu Liang quietly waited.

An hour had passed but there was a lack of movement and noise in the inner room. Gu Liang couldn’t help but feel perplexed.

Since the Golden Jade Hall had opened, his father Gu Yanping had already purchased seven items of treasures such as aeth armor, aeth spear and aeth sword...All were aeth tools for combat.

However, the quality of those aeth tools were barely passable. Additionally, they were all common aeth tools on the market and so they still weren’t sold now.

Gu Liang couldn’t help but worry whether his father's approach was feasible.

But what worried him the most was the rent for the store and the money spent on purchasing the seven aeth tools because it had already drained his family’s money.

It wouldn’t be long before the Golden Jade Hall would close down if they didn’t change!

At that time...I'm afraid we would have to pack up and leave, right?

Gu Liang sighed. He had admired and looked up to his father since a young age and so even if he doubted his father’s approach, he had never strongly opposed him.

At worst, we will close up the store. As long as we don’t die from starvation, there will be a chance to bounce back!

Gu Liang drew a deep breath, dispelling the distracting thoughts in his mind. He had inherited many of Gu Yanping’s good points and so he knew that sometimes it was best to do his best and leave the rest to the heavens. If he worried too much it would only make himself stressed and uneasy.

The door to the inner room was suddenly pushed open and Gu Yanping came out.

What surprised Gu Liang was that his father seemed to have become another person. His face was glowing and radiant like he had become years younger.

“Liang’er, the time has come for us to change our fortune!” Gu Yanping laughed heartily.

“Father, what do you mean?” Gu Liang frowned in puzzlement.

“The Explosion Blade from the Young Master just now is extraordinary!”

As Gu Yanping thought about when he verified the blade, his heart fluttered with excitement. “Its power is twenty percent stronger than other Explosion Blades! Twenty percent! A lower human-grade aeth tool actually has the power of a mid human-grade aeth tool. In the entire world, is there another Explosion Flame Blade that can compare to it?”

Gu Liang shuddered in surprise. “It really has twenty percent more power?”

From what he knew, Explosion Flame Blade was a very common kind of aeth tool on the market. It was impossible to increase its power by twenty percent even if the highest quality of materials were used to refine it!

Explosion Flame Blade was created by a rune master and so its materials and rune pattern were fixed and couldn’t be changed.

In other words, the power of an Explosion Flame Blade couldn’t be changed! Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called the Explosion Flame Blade!

This was the reason why Gu Liang was flabbergasted by what Gu Yanping said.

Gu Yanping was also well aware of it, which was why he was astonished by the result and thought he saw it wrong when he tested the blade.

But it turned out that it was all true!

“Liang’er, when I appraised the treasure, I used the Flying Aeth Treasure Inspection Art, you should understand what this means,” Gu Yanping casually explained.

Gu Liang froze. The Flying Aeth Treasure Inspection Art was a secret art handed down from generation to generation and there had never been any mistake in appraising treasures.

“Then it's actually true…”

Gu Liang muttered, “It’s an ordinary Explosion Blade, but its power is twenty percent higher than normal. If this matter spread to other rune masters, it would no doubt create a sensation!”

Gu Yanping sighed emotionally. “I don't know who made this treasure. It’s a pity that the young man left in a hurry, otherwise we could have found out more.”

Gu Liang said with a smile, “Father, the person who made such a treasure is likely an extraordinarily accomplished rune master. How would it be so easy to meet such a remarkable person?”

Gu Yanping pondered for a long moment and shook his head. “Don’t mention this matter to anyone. Go and gather some people to spread the news that the Golden Jade Hall had acquired a peerless blade. Which hero would get their hands on such a treasured blade? Remember to chant this slogan!”

Gu Liang rolled his eyes and then smiled like a little fox. “Peerless blade?”

Gu Yanping laughed. “Isn’t it? The slogan is a tactic commonly used by businesses to draw discussion and attract more attention.”

Gu Liang nodded. “I will take care of this matter.”

Gu Yanping's eyes gleamed with confidence and he felt a sense of pride wash over him. “Whether or not our Golden Jade Hall can establish itself in Donglin City depends on whether this move can start a huge momentum!”

……

The Stone Cauldron Alms.

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

After Lin Xun left, Wang Lin rushed towards the depths of the hall and made many turns and came to a secluded and quiet courtyard.

In the courtyard stood a waterside pavilion and a little bridge over the flowing stream. Dressed in a black dress, Mu Wansu sat lazily in the pavilion flipping through an account book.

Her jet black hair tied up in a bun accentuated her fair neck and her soft, creamy skin, and the warm sunlight highlighted her flawless curves.

Mu Wansun was undoubtedly a rare beauty.

However, Wang Lin dared not glance at Mu Wansu as he walked into the courtyard. He bowed his head low and said respectfully, “Miss Wansu, Lin Xun has left. I think he understood what our Stone Cauldron Alms wanted.”

Mu Wansu closed the account book as a smile curved her plump and red lips. She said leisurely, “I thought he would at least last a few days in Donglin City but it turns out that he has to come here to sell his aeth tools so soon. He seemed to have learnt that it isn’t so easy to gain a foothold in Donglin City!”

Mu Wansu suddenly asked, “What was his reaction to all this?”

In Mu Wansu’s eyes, Lin Xun was a cunning and shameless little bastard. She didn’t believe that he would obediently leave after receiving the cold shoulder.

Wang Lin said in surprise, “He seems to know that it was all your arrangement. He didn't show much of a reaction when he left.”

Mu Wansu strangely felt something was wrong, but she immediately shook off her worry with a toss of her head.

She had been watching Lin Xun’s every movement ever since he came to Donglin City.

She knew that Lin Xun had to live in a filthy, dangerous and orderless place known as the slums due to financial constraints. She also knew that he seemed to be thinking about how to gain a foothold in Donglin City.

Mu Wansu originally thought that Lin Xun was quite impressive despite him being cunning and shameless and that he might really be able to survive in Donglin City with his own means.

However, when she learned that Lin Xun came to the Stone Cauldron Alms with an aeth tool, she knew he was in a desperate situation. Otherwise, how would he, a True Martial Stage cultivator, be willing to sell an aeth tool?

Mu Wansu was not only delighted but she also gloated over his predicament. Is this the person who First Young Master regards highly of? Without the help of the Stone Cauldron Alms, it would be difficult to step anywhere in Donglin City. He’s too useless. If First Young Master hears about this, I wonder what he would think.

“Miss Wansu, the treasure that Lin Xun came to sell seemed pretty good. It likely is remarkable and it would be a pity to pass on the opportunity.”

Wang Lin couldn’t understand what Mu Wansu was thinking. He was a treasure appraisal master, and so what he cared about was also related to his expertise.

“It's just a lower human grade aeth tool, what’s so special about it?” Mu Wansu didn’t think much of the item.

“But from my examination, although the grade of the Explosion Flame Blade seemed ordinary, its appearance is different from other Explosion Flame Blades,” Wang Lin quickly explained.

Mu Wansu frowned, “No matter how different it is, it’s still an Explosion Blade. Why are you so persistent? You’re dismissed now.”

Wang Lin inwardly sighed, shook his head and left.

“Little bastard, I wonder what else you will sell after you sell the aeth tool. I won’t let you take advantage of the Stone Cauldron Alms anymore…”

Mu Wansu grinned and continued to review the accounts.

To her, what happened just now was a trivial matter and didn’t deserve her attention. She was most interested in how long Lin Xun could survive in Donglin City.

……

Lin Xun was unaware of what happened in Stone Cauldron Alms after he left, nor did he know that Gu Yanping and his son were elated and eager to act.

After Lin Xun sold the Explosion Flame Blade and obtained fifty silver coins for it, he browsed the Eight Hundred Street in a joyful mood.

A swallow-winged blade and a dish of scarlet fire rune ink were worth twenty silver coins, but the Explosion Blade that Lin Xun put some effort into to refine had been sold for fifty silver coins. His profit was more than double his cost!

More importantly, he could continuously refine aeth tools in the future!

This was the key reason that Lin Xun was in a good mood. He felt he was setting foot on a dazzling golden path of fortune.

“When I have enough money, maybe I should buy some blood refining pills and prepare to break through to the sixth layer True Martial Stage.”

Lin Xun quickly calculated the cost. He had seen blood refining pills, which was a type of extremely precious aeth medicine, in the Stone Cauldron Alms of the Qingyang Tribe. They were worth around ten silver coins each.

It was extremely expensive but it was normal because as a person’s cultivation increased, the quality of the aeth medicines required also increased and so did the price.

A cultivator at the first-layer True Martial Stage only needed to consume aeth grains and aeth vegetables, but such grains and vegetables wouldn’t be effective once a cultivator broke through to a higher cultivation level.

Moreover, aeth medicines didn’t simply replenish aeth power but had other effects at different cultivation stages.

Huh?

A strange feeling suddenly surfaced in Lin Xun’s heart, snapping him out of his rambling thoughts.

His eyes darted around his surroundings but he only saw pedestrians moving along the street like flowing water. The street was bustling as usual and he didn’t notice anything unusual.

Suddenly, Lin Xun shook his head, turned around and walked into the depths of the alley on the side of the street.

Just shortly after Lin Xun disappeared, two ordinary-looking men in ordinary clothes suddenly walked out of the crowd.

They looked no different from the passers-by on the street, but their gaze simultaneously shifted to the alley that Lin Xun entered.

“Old Blade, the target seems to be aware of us. Should we continue to follow him?” a dark-skinned man asked with a frown.