Baiguo City.
Under the blazing sun, the line outside the city stretched like a long dragon.
Daoist Taihua and Su Changyu were standing outside the city, waiting in line.
Only, amid the crowd, Daoist Taihua’s gaze was fixed on a notice, staring without blinking, as though pondering something.
Su Changyu swept a glance over the notice and soon froze.
Because this was an announcement for the “Qingzhou Sword Dao Conference.”
The contents were simple as well.
The Qingzhou Sword Dao Conference would be held in Changyun Ancient City three months later.
Registration requirement: ten low-grade spirit stones must be paid.
Top five hundred reward: Sword Dao robe.
Top one hundred reward: one hundred low-grade spirit stones.
Top fifty reward: five hundred low-grade spirit stones.
Top ten reward: supreme-grade magical artifact flying sword.
Top three reward: one spiritual artifact flying sword.
Qingzhou Sword Dao Champion: one high-grade spiritual artifact flying sword.
This Qingzhou Sword Dao Conference also has a mysterious grand prize waiting for you. Do not miss this opportunity.
Registration location: Available at the sect offices in all major cities of Qingzhou—
The Qingzhou Sword Dao Conference was held once every three years and was considered a fairly famous event within Qingzhou.
Although the rewards did not seem especially generous, people who participated in such conferences generally did not care about the rewards at all. The important thing was fame.
Just ask, who would not want to become a sword dao genius admired by tens of thousands?
Su Changyu looked at the notice and could not help but freeze, but very quickly, he began to recall his own bearing back when he had made it into the top five hundred.
Although the number of applicants that year had been a little small, no matter what, making it into the top five hundred could still be considered bringing glory to one’s ancestors.
Seeing the sect leader staring at the notice in a daze for so long, Su Changyu could not help but speak.
“Sect Leader, stop dreaming. We don’t have the qualifications to participate in the Qingzhou Sword Dao Conference. Uh, Sect Leader, are you thinking of...?”
Su Changyu had originally been somewhat dismissive, but very soon he seemed to guess what Daoist Taihua wanted to do and could not help but freeze.
“Don’t speak nonsense. Let’s handle the proper business first.”
Daoist Taihua told Su Changyu to watch his words. After that, the two fell silent.
A full hour later.
Only then did the two enter Baiguo City.
After entering Baiguo City, Daoist Taihua carried a cloth sack and went straight to a pawnshop.
“Chengjin Pawnshop”
The pawnshop looked extremely high-end. As soon as they walked in, a scent of sandalwood drifted over, making one feel refreshed and at ease.
Daoist Taihua and Su Changyu’s expressions appeared calm.
The shopkeeper of the pawnshop personally came out to receive them as well, a fawning smile on his face.
“Are the two Immortals here to pawn items or sell them outright?”
The shopkeeper looked to be in his forties and seemed somewhat sly.
“Sell outright.”
Daoist Taihua spoke directly.
He understood the rules of pawnshops. Pawning something generally only gave thirty percent of the item’s original price, while selling outright usually meant taking a thirty-percent loss.
But it brought money quickly, and there was no other way.
“Selling outright, is it? Very well. May I ask what the two Immortals wish to sell?”
The shopkeeper asked with a beaming smile.
“Here, these things. Give me a good price, and I’ll come often in the future.”
Daoist Taihua directly tossed the sack onto the ground. These were the things he had spent most of the day scraping together. Basically, all the valuable items in Qingyun Dao Sect were here.
“Good. Please take a seat, Immortals. Someone, serve tea to the Immortals.”
Seeing Daoist Taihua’s carefree manner, the pawnshop shopkeeper’s face lit up with delight. Subconsciously, he thought a big customer had come, and he hurriedly ordered someone to serve tea.
“No need. Just inspect the goods and pay. There’s no need for tea.”
Daoist Taihua said very seriously.
He had to watch the other party inspect the goods, lest any accident occur later.
Hearing what Daoist Taihua said, the shopkeeper did not show the slightest displeasure. On the contrary, he felt even happier, because the more serious someone was, the more it represented that the items inside the sack were valuable. Otherwise, if it were a pile of trash, who would care so much?
“Please wait a moment, Immortals.”
The shopkeeper smiled, then had a servant go invite the pawnshop’s treasure appraiser.
After a short while, an old man hurried over. After seeing Daoist Taihua and Su Changyu, he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.
The two also nodded.
Very quickly, the old man opened the sack, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Not to mention him, even the pawnshop shopkeeper revealed a look of expectation.
After all, Daoist Taihua and Su Changyu had quite an impressive air about them. There was definitely something good.
But after the two opened the hemp sack, their expressions instantly changed.
Inside the sack was a dazzling array of items, but at a glance, they all seemed to be junk.
The treasure appraiser rubbed his eyes, afraid he had misjudged, so he examined them carefully. In the end, he let out a breath of relief.
Indeed, it was a pile of junk.
He had indeed not misjudged.
“Immortal, could there have been some mistake?”
The pawnshop shopkeeper was a little dumbfounded.
“No mistake. It’s these things. Give me a proper price, and I’ll come find you again next time.”
Daoist Taihua did not think much of it. On the contrary, he spoke very seriously.
Once these words were said, the shopkeeper of Chengjin Pawnshop fell completely silent.
Damn it, he had thought they were some treasures.
He had not expected it to actually be a pile of scrap?
Scrap was scrap, so why put on airs?
And they even brought out a pile of scrap to pawn? Were they that poor?
Still asking for a proper price? Still saying they would come again next time? Did he think this was a vegetable market? This was a pawnshop. Did he take Shi Liangjin for a junk collector?
Shopkeeper Shi Liangjin fell silent for a short while.
His stomach was full of complaints, but in the end, he chose not to vent them.
After all, when one opened doors for business, it was impossible to only accept good deals and reject bad ones.
A deal could be refused, but reputation could not be ruined.
Thinking of this, Shi Liangjin could only sigh and begin collecting the junk.
“Unranked demon beast hide, seven taels of silver.”
“Damaged flying sword hilt, twelve taels of silver.”
“One fragment of a magical treasure, nine taels of silver.”
“A foot rag—damn it, Immortal, this is going too far, isn’t it? You’re even taking out a foot rag to sell?”
Inside the pawnshop.
Shi Liangjin squatted on the ground, taking out the items from the sack one by one. Originally, he had not been angry, but when he pulled out a foot rag, he could not help but get a little angry.
This thing was truly a bit too much.
“Oh, I packed in too much of a hurry. That one was a mistake, a mistake.”
Daoist Taihua also felt somewhat embarrassed and hurriedly took back the foot rag.
Shi Liangjin was rather depressed.
But in the end, he endured it.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn.
All the items had been calculated.
It was indeed a pile of junk.
This completely shattered Shi Liangjin’s final shred of fantasy.
Earlier, he had still imagined that these two before him were experts who were merely teasing him and had hidden the good stuff underneath. Now that he looked, he realized he had still been too young.
“In total, one tael of gold and thirty-five taels of silver.”
Shopkeeper Shi Liangjin stood up, patted his hands, and said this while looking at Daoist Taihua.
“One tael of gold and thirty-five taels of silver? Isn’t that a little low? Consider it making a friend—how about two taels of gold?”
Daoist Taihua thought for a moment, then said this.
Shi Liangjin: “”
His expression was somewhat silent. He did not know what to say.
This friend, he expressed that he did not want to make.
“One tael of gold and thirty-five taels of silver. Not a single coin more. If the two Immortals are not satisfied, you may take a look at other pawnshops.”
Shi Liangjin said with an awkward smile.
In his heart, he wished these two fellows would hurry up and leave.
He was the dignified shopkeeper of Chengjin Pawnshop, with dozens of taels of gold passing through his hands every hour. Being delayed by these two fellows for so long was a small loss, but the most important thing was that it was embarrassing.
“Shopkeeper, just consider it making a friend. If there’s a chance in the future, we’ll continue to support your business. One tael of gold and fifty taels of silver. How about that? I’m not taking advantage of you either.”
Daoist Taihua said shamelessly.
The latter shook his head helplessly, then gave a bitter smile.
“To tell the truth, Immortals, the value of all these things of yours added together isn’t even as high as the Xuyang xuan paper of that scroll. Since you can afford Xuyang xuan paper, why be so serious over a few taels of silver?”
Shi Liangjin spoke.
His gaze locked onto the scroll in Su Changyu’s hand.
The reason he had mistaken these two for wealthy patrons was mainly because of that scroll.
With one glance, he could tell that this was Xuyang xuan paper, worth one tael of gold per chi. The scroll itself was probably worth over a dozen taels of gold.
Only those with abundant family wealth would dare use this kind of xuan paper for painting.
Ordinary scholars could not afford such expense.
But the next moment.
Daoist Taihua’s voice rang out.
“This thing can be sold for money too?”