Immortality Begins With The Alchemical Master Chapter 26: Unscrupulous Merchants, All of Them - Novel Cool

Chapter 26: Unscrupulous Merchants, All of Them

Chapter 26: Unscrupulous Merchants, All of Them

This time, Luo Chen didn’t head to the Loose Cultivator Market.

He had just made a major purchase yesterday, and going back today would raise too many suspicions.

Moreover, that place was crowded and full of people from the Outer City. A little digging by the wrong person could uncover his recent changes.

So, Luo Chen gritted his teeth and went to the Hundred Herbs Hall for his shopping.

In the end, he paid ten more spirit stones than before to gather all the materials needed for refining the elixirs, leaving him with only twenty-nine spirit stones.

If he bought various daily necessities and firewood, he would need to spend another four spirit stones.

Twenty-five spirit stones!

Just last night, he had nearly a hundred and fifty spirit stones, a substantial amount.

"Those spirit stones really don’t last long."

"This amount isn’t enough to buy the Guidance Technique."

Standing at a crossroads, Luo Chen looked at the ancient and elegant Ten Thousand Treasures Tower and steeled himself to walk in.

As a business of one of the six Great Sects, it had the best reputation and strength in the Dahan Market.

Consuming here made it much harder for other Loose Cultivators to gather information.

"Sir, are you looking to purchase a magical artifact?"

As soon as he entered, a maid approached him.

This was his first time in such a high-end place, and Luo Chen felt a bit uneasy.

He said he wanted to look around first, and the maid left without much enthusiasm.

She didn’t push him to buy anything, likely because he was only at the Fourth Stage of Qi Refinement, his robes were somewhat worn, and they were a bit tight on him.

Clearly, he didn’t look like a big spender.

After wandering around the spacious first floor for a while, Luo Chen’s unease gradually subsided.

Especially after checking out the racks of high-quality magical artifacts, he felt more confident.

Summoning the maid, Luo Chen said directly, "I want to sell a magical artifact. Do you buy them here?"

The maid nodded, "Yes, but it needs to be appraised by a master first. The price will be determined based on the appraisal, and you can decide whether to sell it or not."

"Do you charge for the appraisal?"

"Ha ha, Sir, you’re joking. Since you’re selling to us, there’s no appraisal fee."

Luo Chen was still shaken by Sun Shou’s tactics from yesterday.

All kinds of fees had popped up, one after another.

Sun Shou was from the Jade Tripod Sword Sect, while the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower was a property of Tianfan City. He feared these wealthy and unscrupulous major sects were all the same.

On the second floor, an old man was sipping tea and playing with two red walnuts in his hands.

"Master Chu, this guest wants to sell a magical artifact."

"Hmm, you can go now!" Master Chu continued playing with the walnuts while extending his hand, "Let me see it."

Luo Chen handed him a short sword with a swallow-shaped hilt.

Master Chu nodded, "This is a standard-issue Swallow Sword from Tianfan City, a high-quality magical artifact."

He weighed it in his hand and shook his head, "It’s a bit lighter, about a couple of ounces, and the blade is heavily damaged. It needs to be remade."

He infused it with his mana, which flowed through the blade, emitting light from the tip, the blade, and the hilt.

"Sharp Metal Array is damaged."

"Air Release Array has about eighty percent of its original power."

"Sturdy Array is unstable and needs to be reconstructed."

"Oh, the owner was a fool and carved words on it."

With that, Master Chu casually tossed the Swallow Sword onto the table.

"A thousand. If you want to sell it, the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower will buy it for a thousand spirit stones."

Hearing this large number, Luo Chen’s eyes widened!

Not because it was too high.

But because it was too low!

As everyone knew, the price of magical artifacts fluctuated with the market, and cultivators were very sensitive to it.

Low-quality magical artifacts ranged from one hundred to five hundred spirit stones.

Medium-quality magical artifacts ranged from five hundred to one thousand spirit stones.

High-quality magical artifacts started at one thousand spirit stones.

Among them, offensive magical artifacts were generally cheaper, with the most common being swords and knives.

Defensive magical artifacts were the most expensive.

As for some unusual magical artifacts, their prices varied based on their effects, but they were always high.

In this world, there's no saying that the more peculiar a magical artifact, the faster its wielder dies. On the contrary, the more peculiar the artifact, the more unexpected its effects can be. In battles or when exploring mystical realms, such artifacts can turn the tide at crucial moments.

Luo Chen was prepared for the low price of the flying sword, but this low? He couldn't accept it.

"Your Swallow Sword is priced at two thousand five hundred lower-grade spirit stones!"

Zhu Lao said with a dismissive wave, "Don't you know that for second-hand magical artifacts, we at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion usually buy them back at half price?"

"But this isn't even half price!" Luo Chen argued.

For those from prestigious sects, the difference of a few hundred spirit stones might not matter much, but for him, that was the fruits of years of hard work.

"Do you know how much effort it takes for us to recycle these artifacts and put them back on the shelves?" Zhu Lao counted on his fingers, "First, we have to send them back to the sect, which is a significant expense."

"Then, we have to select suitable materials to repair them, which is another expense."

"Inviting array masters to restore the array formations costs even more."

"To ensure quality standards and avoid complaints about selling inferior goods in Tianfan City, we have to invite high-level cultivators to carefully inspect them."

"Finally, we have to go through great lengths to transport them to all the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilions across the land."

"As for other miscellaneous expenses, I haven't even mentioned those."

Luo Chen's teeth ached.

This old man lacked the grandeur of a Foundation Establishment cultivator and was as petty as Chen Lao Dao.

"Speaking of which, I have to say something about you young people."

Zhu Lao shook his head, his voice tinged with disappointment, "All you think about is fighting and killing. Are magical artifacts meant for showing off and bullying others? They are tools to protect the way, and they should be cherished."

"After a battle, you should at least clean and polish them!"

"When you have free time, you should nourish them with your mana. That's what you should do!"

"Every second-hand artifact that comes to me is battered and broken."

"The old man's heart aches to see them like this!"

By the end, he was genuinely moved, looking at the Swallow Sword as if it were a beloved possession that had been defiled and discarded.

Luo Chen couldn't take it anymore.

But for the sake of cultivation resources, he gritted his teeth and said, "It's too low. I can't accept this price. If I take it to the independent cultivator market, I can definitely get one thousand five hundred spirit stones."

With that, he picked up the sword and turned to leave.

"Hey, young man, wait a moment."

Zhu Lao quickly called out, "One thousand and one hundred spirit stones. That's the highest price I can offer within my authority."

"It's still too low."

"It's not low, really. I haven't offered this much for flying swords in better condition."

Zhu Lao said seriously, "Besides, a flying sword with inscriptions on it is something most independent cultivators wouldn't dare to buy, right?"

"One thousand and one hundred spirit stones, take it or leave it. If you're sincere about selling, the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion will buy it. And we promise not to disclose any information about your sale of the artifact!"

Luo Chen stood there, his face fluctuating with indecision.

Finally, he let out a long sigh.

"Alright, deal."

A short while later, Luo Chen walked out of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

Bathing in the bright sunlight, he spit on the ground, lacking any decorum.

"Damn, what a swindler!"

A female cultivator passing by glanced at him with disdain.

What a lack of manners!

Inside the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

Zhu Lao handed the Swallow Sword to a muscular, shirtless man with a smile.

"Remove the inscriptions, add some metallic energy, and then put it on the first-floor shelf."

The man took the flying sword and scratched his head.

"The condition is quite good, barely any damage. How much did you buy it for, Old Zhu?"

"Reasonable, one thousand and one hundred spirit stones. It's a good deal."

Zhu Lao smiled, then paused and sighed.

"These young people nowadays, they're becoming more and more frugal. They haggle over a hundred spirit stones with the old man. Such meanness, how can they ever achieve the great path of cultivation!"

(End of Chapter)

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