Chapter 71

The next morning.

Wang Lin hurried out of the Stone Cauldron Studio and headed west along the Eight Hundred Street.

He was somewhat absent-minded, constantly pondering the origins of the Golden Jade Hall. How could they dare to claim they would sell an unparalleled treasure sword?

Why had he never heard before that a shop called the Golden Jade Hall had opened on the Eight Hundred Street?

Just yesterday, Wang Lin had also heard the news that was causing a stir. At first, he thought it was just a gimmick by some unscrupulous merchant to attract attention.

But upon closer reflection, Wang Lin felt that the Golden Jade Hall had some extraordinary means.

A shop that was previously unknown had, in just one day, made a piece of news known throughout the city, causing a huge sensation. This was not normal.

In Wang Lin's view, even if the so-called "unparalleled treasure sword" was a gimmick, the marketing tactics alone were far beyond what an ordinary merchant could achieve!

Therefore, Wang Lin could not resist coming to investigate.

At noon today, the Golden Jade Hall would reveal the true face of the "unparalleled treasure sword." Wang Lin wanted to see who the owner of the Golden Jade Hall was and whether the "unparalleled treasure sword" was as remarkable as rumored.

A magnificent carriage pulled by four golden-maned white deer drove down the street and suddenly stopped beside Wang Lin.

The curtain of the carriage was pulled back, revealing the kind face of a middle-aged man, who smiled and said, "Isn't this Brother Wang Lin from the Stone Cauldron Studio?"

Wang Lin coldly and politely replied, "It's the manager of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, Xiao Yuanzhong."

This kind-faced middle-aged man, Xiao Yuanzhong, was the owner of the top-tier merchant house in Donglin City, the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. He was known for his shrewdness and sharp business acumen.

However, the Treasure Gathering Pavilion and the Stone Cauldron Studio were competitors, and Wang Lin had little good will toward Xiao Yuanzhong.

"Haha, Brother Wang Lin, are you also going to the Golden Jade Hall to see what it's all about?" Xiao Yuanzhong asked with a smile.

"Indeed," Wang Lin nodded frankly. "The Golden Jade Hall caused such a stir yesterday that I couldn't help but become curious."

Xiao Yuanzhong nodded in agreement. "That's right. I heard that the Golden Jade Hall only emerged a few months ago. I thought it was just a small shop, but it turns out that the owner of the Golden Jade Hall is quite extraordinary."

He then added with a deeper meaning, "Now, all the merchants in Donglin City have been alarmed. Brother Wang Lin should understand that having a powerful competitor is like adding a hungry wolf to the pack. In this situation, I wonder what Miss Wan Su thinks about it?"

Wang Lin shook his head. "Miss Wan Su's thoughts are beyond my ability to guess."

Xiao Yuanzhong nodded and said no more, smiling and bidding farewell.

"It seems that the commotion caused by the Golden Jade Hall has already raised the警惕 of other merchant houses. It won't be easy for the Golden Jade Hall to firmly establish itself in the future."

Wang Lin thought to himself.

Today, the Eight Hundred Street was particularly lively. Not only ordinary people, but also a large number of cultivators were flocking to the location of the Golden Jade Hall.

All along the way, Wang Lin heard discussions about the "unparalleled treasure sword" of the Golden Jade Hall. Not everyone believed the rumor, and there were many skeptical voices, but this only made people more curious.

Along the way, besides Xiao Yuanzhong of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, Wang Lin also saw many other big figures from other merchant houses, all of whom were well-known powerful figures in Donglin City.

Like Wu Yongtai of the Wu Family Merchant House, Shi Wenfeng, the owner of the Sinking Gold Record, who seemed to be just merchant house owners but had powerful clan backgrounds supporting them.

In addition to these people, Wang Lin also saw the figures of many Spirit Qi Realm cultivators, some of whom were prominent figures in Donglin City, such as Lei Qidong, a senior instructor at the Donglin Academy, and Sun Zhan, the chief instructor of the Purple Gold Martial Hall...

All of this made Wang Lin secretly marvel at the owner of the Golden Jade Hall, who had managed to attract so much attention with a highly sensational rumor, clearly a master of commercial hype.

However, Wang Lin also knew that if the "unparalleled treasure sword" of the Golden Jade Hall turned out to be a fraud today, the consequences would be dire...

Business is built on trust. Under the watchful eyes of so many people, if the Golden Jade Hall dared to deceive the public, it would be impossible for them to establish themselves on the Eight Hundred Street!

Before long, Wang Lin arrived at the Golden Jade Hall.

The place was already packed, with people crowding in layers, and the noise was deafening.

"Unparalleled treasure sword? What level of spirit weapon is it? Is it Human Rank, Earth Rank, or Heaven Rank? It can't possibly be a Pure Yang Spirit Weapon, which is a supreme treasure that only Wheel Realm experts can wield!"

"I think the 'unparalleled treasure sword' is not classified by rank. It might have extremely unique functions and power."

"Hmph, don't jump to conclusions too quickly. The Golden Jade Hall is a small shop with a big mouth. I think this 'unparalleled treasure sword' is just a scam!"

"How can that be? Which merchant house would dare to joke about such a matter? If it's fake, they would offend everyone present, and the consequences would be more than the Golden Jade Hall could bear."

Wang Lin stood at the edge of the crowd, listening to these discussions, and became even more curious. How would the owner of the Golden Jade Hall handle this situation?

Would the Golden Jade Hall become famous today and firmly establish itself in Donglin City, or would it end up in a fiasco and leave in disgrace?

...

At the same time, Lin Xun left his home, passing through winding and dark alleys, and walked out of the chaotic and turbulent civilian area.

Today, he was going to buy some ordinary weapons and spirit ink to stock up for his continued weapon refinement.

The profit from weapon refinement was extremely high, and through refinement, he could also practice spirit patterns, which would greatly benefit his future as a true spirit pattern master. It was a win-win situation.

According to Lin Xun's knowledge, some spirit pattern masters would choose to join a major power, with the purpose of refining spirit weapons for these powers to gain wealth while also practicing their spirit pattern skills.

Along the way, Lin Xun also heard some news about the Golden Jade Hall selling an "unparalleled treasure sword" today, which made him somewhat puzzled.

He knew very well that the Golden Jade Hall was currently like an empty shell, financially strained and shallow-rooted. How could they possibly have an unparalleled treasure sword to sell?

Lin Xun was at a loss. Although he had sold a Burst Flame Sword to the Golden Jade Hall yesterday, it was only a low-rank Human Rank spirit weapon, the most common type of spirit weapon, and could not be associated with an "unparalleled treasure."

Lin Xun shook his head. He had no interest in wasting time on such a spectacle.

Moreover, even if the Golden Jade Hall really had an unparalleled treasure sword to sell, with his current financial situation, he could hardly afford it.

Soon, Lin Xun entered a shop that specialized in selling ordinary weapons at a street corner.

...

At the same time, inside the Golden Jade Hall.

Gu Liang was restless, not out of fear, but out of excitement. The street outside the shop was already packed with people, and the noise was constantly flooding into the shop, making Gu Liang's blood almost boil.

He clenched his fists tightly. Whether the Golden Jade Hall could make a name for itself today would depend on this!

"Is this scene worth getting excited about?" Gu Yanping, holding a beautifully crafted jade box, walked out from the inner room and saw his son's appearance, shaking his head with a smile.

"Uh." Gu Liang scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed.

"After you experience more things, you won't be so easily flustered. As the saying goes, 'In times of great events, one must remain calm.' This is a quality that a qualified merchant cultivator must possess."

Gu Yanping's expression was calm, and his ordinary face exuded a composed and relaxed demeanor.

Merchant cultivator!

A title for cultivators who enter the path of cultivation through business and wealth!

This title, filled with the stench of copper, was often despised and scorned by true cultivators, but in the heart of the young Gu Liang, a merchant cultivator was the most sacred path!

His father was a merchant cultivator, and he was the person he admired the most.

Even in Gu Liang's heart, the only person in the entire empire who could be compared to his father was the owner of the Stone Cauldron Studio, known as the "Stone God of Wealth"!

"Let's go. Don't keep our guests waiting too long." Gu Yanping turned and walked out of the shop.

Gu Liang hurriedly followed.

"They're coming out!"

"That's the owner of the Golden Jade Hall? I thought he would have some extraordinary features, but he's just an ordinary-looking middle-aged man."

"Look at the jade box he's holding. Could the unparalleled treasure sword be inside?"

When Gu Yanping and his son appeared and stood on the high steps in front of the Golden Jade Hall, the crowd that had been waiting outside for a long time immediately erupted, the noise deafening.

Wang Lin squinted his eyes and carefully examined Gu Yanping, but found his face too unfamiliar to recognize who he was.

However, the composed and relaxed demeanor of the man was indeed not that of an ordinary person.

This made Wang Lin somewhat expectant. Could the owner of the Golden Jade Hall really have a sword that could be called "unparalleled"?

Not only Wang Lin, but also the big figures from the major merchant houses in Donglin City, like Xiao Yuanzhong, were secretly observing everything.

Gu Yanping waved his hand, and the noisy atmosphere immediately calmed down.

Without any opening remarks, Gu Yanping was straightforward and opened the jade box, taking out a spirit sword that glowed with a faint red light.

The sword was three feet and four inches long, about three fingers wide, with a blade that curved like a swallow's wing, reflecting a cold, dazzling light in the sunlight.

Swish!

All eyes focused on the sword. When they saw the sword and the aura emanating from its blade, the atmosphere in the crowd suddenly became dead silent, filled with surprise and disbelief. Many people's expressions became strange and stunned, as if they couldn't believe their eyes.

At this moment, before Gu Yanping could introduce the sword, someone angrily shouted, "What a swindler! Is this what you call an unparalleled treasure sword? It's just a common Burst Flame Sword!"

---

PS: There's a reason for the detailed description of the Golden Jade Hall, as our book club is called "Goldfish Pond"... Finally, there are only a few days left until the end of the month, and I strongly call for votes!