https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-152-Reappearance-of-the-Purple-Light-a-Slap/12619136/
Chapter 151: The Recluse's Essays, A Scam
As Lu Qing activated his ability, the books on the shelves began to glow with their respective ability lights.
Most of the books emitted a faint white light.
Whenever a book shone with a brighter light, Lu Qing would take it down, flip through its pages, and assess if it was what he needed.
If he found a suitable one, he would hold onto it, intending to buy it and study it thoroughly later.
After browsing through the shelves, Lu Qing now had a thick stack of books in his hands.
Most of them were about the local customs and cultures from various parts of the world, which could help him better understand this new world.
At the innermost part of a shelf, Lu Qing reached for a book emitting a particularly bright white light, intending to leave after taking it. Suddenly, a flash of red caught his eye, and he paused.
Following that hint of red, he rummaged through the pile of somewhat disorderly books at the bottom of the shelf.
He uncovered a book emitting a faint red glow.
Lu Qing was surprised. This was the only red-level book he had come across in this bookstore.
He picked up the dusty book, wiped it clean, and noticed that there was no title or author's name on the cover.
However, it didn't matter, as his ability soon revealed information about the book.
"The Recluse's Essays: A collection of essays written by a pitiful man seeking the truth behind the demise of the cultivation era."
"This book contains some information about the cultivation era."
"It includes intriguing speculations about the cause of the cultivation era's end."
"Would you like to download and study it?"
It turned out to be a book related to the cultivation era!
Lu Qing was delighted.
He opened the book and browsed through a few pages, his excitement growing.
After a moment's thought, he brought the book to the bookstore owner.
"Where did you get this book, and do you have any others like it?" Lu Qing asked.
The bookstore owner, already beaming at the thick stack of books in Lu Qing's hands, took the book from him and examined it.
However, after flipping through the essays, his brows furrowed.
"Young Master, please forgive my ignorance, but I'm not sure about the origin of this book."
"Not even you, Boss?" Lu Qing asked, surprised.
From his earlier observations, the owner seemed to have a thorough knowledge of the bookstore's collection.
"To be honest, young master, my family has been running this bookstore for three generations, and many of the books here were collected by my grandfather.
So, it's not surprising if I can't identify the origin of every book, especially this one without a title. It would be challenging to trace its source, and I wonder how you came across it, young master?"
"I found it at the bottom of the innermost shelf."
"Ah, those books there mostly have unknown authors and obscure origins. They are rarely browsed, and I'm not sure where my grandfather obtained them. Some have been gathering dust for almost a hundred years.
If I didn't occasionally air and tidy them up, they would have decayed by now. It might be difficult for you to find more works by the same English author, young master.
After hearing the bookstore owner's explanation, Lu Qing understood that finding more of the Recluse's essays would likely be impossible.
He felt a twinge of disappointment but also knew that some things were beyond his control. So, he placed the books he was holding on the counter.
"Never mind, Boss. I'll take all these books. Xiao Yan, Xiao Li, have you two finished choosing the books you want?"
"Yes, brother!" Xiao Yan hurried over, her arms full of a small stack of books. "These are the ones Xiao Li and I want to buy."
"Okay, Boss, please calculate the total cost for all of them."
"Certainly, young master. Please give me a moment."
The bookstore owner's smile widened.
He began counting the books and using an abacus to tally the cost.
Soon enough, he looked up and said, "I've calculated the total, young master. It comes to..."
Upon hearing the amount, Lu Qing nodded, unsurprised.
Books were generally expensive in this world, and those with rich content and exquisite bindings could cost over ten taels of silver each.
Compared to that, the price the owner quoted was quite reasonable.
"I don't have that much silver on me, Boss. Do you accept gold?"
"Yes, yes, of course!" the owner replied hastily.
Gold was less commonly used in transactions, but it was always more welcome than silver.
"Good, then. Here you go, Boss."
Lu Qing took out two small gold ingots from the purse Lady Wei had given him and handed them over.
The bookstore owner received the ingots and carefully examined them. When he spotted the small 'Wei' character at the bottom, he was even more astonished.
He realized that these two must be esteemed guests of the Wei family.
His expression became even more respectful as he weighed the gold ingots and then took out a few taels of silver to return to Lu Qing.
Chapter: A Chance Encounter
"Young Master, here's your change. I'll wrap up the books for you now."
"Alright, do as you see fit. We're in no rush."
By the time Lu Qing left the bookstore, he realized it was still early, so he decided to wander around a bit longer before heading back.
This time, he strolled more casually.
With Xiao Yan and Xiao Li in tow, he followed their curiosity, wandering wherever the crowds were thickest.
The people in the marketplace, noticing Lu Qing and Xiao Yan's elegant attire and the exotic little beast perched on his shoulder, instinctively stepped aside, not daring to jostle them.
Only the wealthy or nobility dressed like that, and they were certainly not people to be trifled with.
Thus, despite the bustling marketplace, Lu Qing and Xiao Yan strolled comfortably.
As they wandered, they eventually reached an unknown location, where they came upon a crowd gathered around something. Loud voices could be heard from within.
Seeing that there was some commotion, Lu Qing casually strolled over with Xiao Yan in his arms.
As he drew closer, he noticed that the stalls on either side of the street displayed all sorts of bottles, jars, and antique items, and he realized this must be similar to the antique street from his previous life.
The argument continued, and Lu Qing, with Xiao Yan in his arms, easily pushed his way through the crowd with his enhanced physical strength.
As he reached the front, he saw a skinny man with a pointed mouth, a monkey-like face, and a thin goatee. This man was grabbing the arm of an old man and shouting at him.
"Old man, you broke my antique vase! If you don't compensate me today, don't even think about leaving!"
The old man, dressed in patched clothes, had a dark and fearful look on his face.
"It wasn't me," he stammered. "I didn't touch the vase. It fell on its own."
"Nonsense! My vase was perfectly fine. It wasn't windy, nor was it raining. It was standing there just fine, and it fell only when you walked by! It must've been you who knocked it over!" The goateed man tightened his grip on the old man's arm and shouted.
"I really didn't touch it," the old man whispered. "When I walked past your stall, I was several feet away. How could I have possibly knocked it over?"
"I don't care! The fact is, I saw you walking by, and then my vase fell. It must've been you, and no one else! So, either you compensate me today, or we go to the county magistrate together!"
At the mention of going to see the magistrate, the old man became even more frightened. He had heard that commoners who entered that place would lose a layer of skin, regardless of whether they were in the right or wrong.
He looked around helplessly, hoping someone would testify that he truly hadn't touched the vase. It had just suddenly fallen, and he was being wrongfully accused.
However, when he looked around, he saw that the bystanders were merely watching with amusement, and no one was willing to stand up for him.
Then he glanced at the aggressive goateed man and his two burly companions behind him, and he knew that he would likely have to pay for the vase.
"Fine, I'll compensate you," the old man reluctantly agreed. "How much is the vase worth?"
"This is an antique vase, so even at a discounted price, it's worth twenty taels of silver," the goateed man said, a triumphant smile spreading across his face as he saw the old man concede.
"Tw... twenty taels?" The old man asked, his voice shaking in disbelief.
"Yes, twenty taels, not a single copper coin more or less!" The goateed man, Chen Wencai, glared at the old man. "What? You don't want to pay? Then let's go see the magistrate!"
His two companions stepped forward, their eyes narrowing menacingly at the old man.
The old man's body trembled, and he whispered, "But I don't have that much money."
"Then how much do you have?"
The old man began to search his body.
After a while, he took out an old purse and said, "I only have three taels of silver."
Lu Qing had been observing the situation, and he had already guessed that the old man was being scammed.
However, as he didn't know the full story, and the bystanders were also just watching with interest, he didn't immediately step in.
Instead, he activated his ability to gather more information before making a decision.
First, he looked at the shattered vase on the ground.
A faint gray light appeared.
[Broken Vase: A brand-new porcelain vase that has been shattered.]
No wonder.
Lu Qing's eyes narrowed as he turned his attention to the goateed man.
A faint white light appeared.
[Chen Wencai: Nicknamed "Jackal," he is notorious in the marketplace for his unscrupulous business dealings.]
[He has a keen eye for people and is especially skilled at swindling farmers from the outskirts of town and merchants from other regions.]
By now, Lu Qing understood the situation perfectly well.
Just as he was about to retract his ability, his gaze fell on the purse in the old man's hand.
Suddenly, he stiffened, and his eyes widened in surprise.
(End of Chapter)
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