Chapter 8

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

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Soon, a merchant who had set up a stall or was wandering around the market noticed the young boy leading a horse-like beast. Unlike the shopkeepers, he believed that this young boy was a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

"Hey, young man, what do you want to buy? I, Li Laosan, have traveled far and wide, and I have plenty of good things. Do you want to take a look?"

A rough-looking man, with a weathered face, called out to Yang Junshan. In front of him was a stall about ten feet long and five feet wide, supported by bamboo and wooden poles. It was filled with various items, like a general store, with a wide variety of uses, looking quite messy.

This man was still vivid in Yang Junshan's memory from his previous life. In his previous life, Yang Junshan had been cheated by this man, who had convinced him that an ordinary green steel short sword was a hundred-refined green light sword, and the jade coin Yang Tian had given him ended up in this man's hands.

But this time...

Yang Junshan glanced at the stall and then shook his head, pretending to leave.

The man quickly said, "Young man, don't go! Whatever you want, I, Li Laosan, probably have something similar!"

Yang Junshan picked up a sheathed short sword from the stall with a smile and asked, "How much for this short sword?"

The man's eyes lit up, "Young man, you have a good eye. This carved snake green light short sword is made by an old craftsman, refined from hundred-refined steel. It may not be the best among magical artifacts, but it is a top-quality item. As the saying goes, a stone coin's worth is a stone coin's worth. This carved snake green light short sword, I, Old Li, would normally sell for a jade coin, but since it's your first time buying from me, I'll give you a discount. Eighty stone coins, and it's yours!"

Yang Junshan weighed the short sword in his hand and then drew it out. The blade was indeed shiny and reflective, and the edge looked sharp.

The man smiled proudly, "Young man, with this short sword, you can pierce through ordinary fierce beasts. If I didn't see your noble demeanor and wanted to make a connection, I wouldn't sell it for eighty stone coins."

Yang Junshan skillfully wielded the short sword, creating a few sword flowers. The man, clearly an expert, immediately recognized that these were not just show. His exaggerated expression faded.

Yang Junshan returned the short sword to its sheath and threw it back onto the stall, saying coldly, "The sword is hard but not resilient. It's not even hundred-refined, at most thirty-six refined! However, the craftsmanship on the blade is quite good, clearly the work of a skilled craftsman. Is this your work, Uncle?"

The man looked at Yang Junshan as if he had seen a ghost. Everything Yang Junshan said matched the true material of the "carved snake green light short sword." This was just a twelve-year-old boy, yet he had such discerning eyes. Could he be the disciple of a master alchemist?

The other merchants, who had been watching, saw Li Laosan's expression and realized that the boy had seen through his deception. They all laughed at Li Laosan, but their looks of disdain towards Yang Junshan diminished.

Seeing Yang Junshan about to leave, the man became anxious. Although the market was bustling, most of the spirit farmers from the nearby five villages knew each other. If he was exposed by a child, the news would spread quickly, and no one would buy from him. He had to salvage the situation and start with this young boy.

"Wait, young man!"

Yang Junshan had already anticipated that the man would stop him. He smiled inwardly but feigned surprise, "What, are you going to force me to buy? I'm a local from Wasteland Town!"

Yang Junshan's words made the man even more anxious. He waved his hands, "Young man, don't misunderstand, I can't afford to ruin my reputation in town."

Yang Junshan said irritably, "Then why did you call me?"

The man smiled broadly, "Seeing your keen eye, I have a few more items. See if there's anything you like."

That's what I wanted! Yang Junshan thought to himself.

After his family was destroyed in his previous life, Yang Junshan became a wandering cultivator. He had also been a merchant, traveling to accumulate cultivation resources, so he was well aware of the ins and outs of the business and the situation of these mostly wandering cultivator merchants.

Yang Junshan smiled, "Oh, let's see what you have!"

For a moment, the man felt as if he was dealing with a 120-year-old fox, not a twelve-year-old boy.

Li Laosan looked around and patted Yang Junshan's shoulder, "Young man, come this way, to a quieter spot!"

He then called out to a familiar merchant to watch his stall.

Yang Junshan nodded and followed Li Laosan to a secluded area, but he never let himself out of the sight of the people in the market.

Seeing Yang Junshan's actions, Li Laosan was even more convinced that the boy was an experienced hand. He could only sigh in frustration, pulled out an old bag from his waist, and shook it. Four items fell out and hovered in front of Yang Junshan. Yang Junshan raised an eyebrow, "Just these four?"

Li Laosan, now aware that Yang Junshan was an "insider," chuckled, "Of course not, but I see you're just starting your cultivation, and your spirit orifices aren't fully awakened. Even if I had better items, you probably couldn't use them!"

Yang Junshan glanced at him and turned to leave.

Li Laosan panicked and quickly pulled Yang Junshan back, "Wait, wait! I have a few more items for you to appraise!"

Yang Junshan stopped, but his gaze was skeptical.

Li Laosan gritted his teeth and pulled out three more items from his pocket, "Here are seven items. If you're still not satisfied, I'll have to leave Wasteland Town, as I can't do business here anymore!"

Yang Junshan paid no attention to Li Laosan's complaints. When Li Laosan pulled out the three more items, Yang Junshan's eyes flickered, and he suppressed his excitement: he had found a treasure!

It wasn't easy for a wandering cultivator to secure a stall in a small town. Li Laosan, despite his complaints, didn't want to give up on the Wasteland Town market. He cautiously asked, "Which item do you like?"

The seven items included two hundred-refined weapons, a shield, three different types of stones, and a heart-protecting mirror with a clear fist mark on its surface.

Yang Junshan didn't believe that Li Laosan had only these useful items, but as Li Laosan had said, he was only at the first level of the Mortal Realm and couldn't use or afford better items.

However, these seven items were somewhat surprising to Yang Junshan.

Yang Junshan pointed to the heart-protecting mirror with the fist mark, "What about this?"

Li Laosan, wary of Yang Junshan's previous insight into the "carved snake green light short sword," had only brought weapons and minerals this time, showing his sincerity. The heart-protecting mirror was one of the three items he had brought out last.

Li Laosan smiled, "This is a treasure, once a magical artifact, ..."

"But it's already destroyed!" Yang Junshan pointed to the fist mark and sneered, "The magical array has been completely destroyed!"

Li Laosan argued, "But it was once a magical artifact, and there are still remnants of the array!"

"Just a low-level magical artifact!" Yang Junshan continued to sneer, "What good are a few remaining magical patterns?"

Li Laosan conceded, "At least the material is still at the magical artifact level!"

Yang Junshan nodded this time, "The material is still decent, but without the array, how much better is this heart-protecting mirror than the hundred-refined shield?"

Li Laosan was deflated by Yang Junshan's words and finally stammered, "Well, it's still a bit better, right?"

Yang Junshan laughed coldly, seeing Li Laosan's confidence wane. "Name your price."

Li Laosan was initially pleased but then frowned, tentatively asking, "Young man, how about 150 copper coins, ..."

"What?" Yang Junshan was immediately angry, shouting, "Just this broken..."

Li Laosan hurriedly bowed and put his finger to his lips, pleading with Yang Junshan not to shout. After calming the boy down, he heard him angrily whisper, "This broken heart-protecting mirror is worth 150 stone coins?"

It was only because Yang Junshan was a child. If it had been an adult, Li Laosan would have left the market without a second thought.

Li Laosan said with difficulty, "But the heart-protecting mirror isn't broken. Although the array is gone, the material is much stronger than a hundred-refined weapon. A hundred-refined long sword costs 120 to 130 stone coins, so this heart-protecting mirror must be 150 stone coins."

Yang Junshan shook his head vigorously, "Don't forget, you tried to cheat me first. If you don't give me a better deal now, you clearly don't have the sincerity."

Li Laosan felt a surge of anger. If it weren't for the child, he would have no reason to tolerate such behavior. With anyone else, he would have walked away long ago.

"Boy, it looks like you're starting to draw in spirit energy. This heart-protecting mirror still has some remnants of the array. Although the array is broken and no longer provides protection, these remnants might be useful to you. 150 stone coins, you're getting a good deal!"

Yang Junshan knew he was getting a good deal, but since he was a child, it was fine to haggle a bit.

"150 stone coins is fine, but let me pick a stone."

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