Just Ten Thousand Taels to Activate a Special Ability

Third Young Master Tu looked at the strangely shaped implement, finding it rather unsightly as well. However, at the thought that the person before him might be the ruthless powerhouse who had appeared at Red Cloud Stockade, he asked, "How much... for this?" The young noble was slightly baffled by this, but said nothing, merely staring at Qi Yuan's stall of implements with disdain. They looked battered and shabby—hardly anything worthwhile. "This is a Yellow-rank implement, forged with my blood and sweat. More importantly, such an implement previously existed only in the imagination; this is its very first appearance in reality. You're in luck—it's only a thousand taels." "What? A thousand taels?" Before Third Young Master Tu could speak, a passerby blurted in shock, "Even a Yellow-rank implement made by a master wouldn't cost that much! You're robbing people blind!" "Far too exorbitant! Aside from peak Yellow-rank implements, what could possibly fetch such a price?" Generally speaking, the value of a Yellow-rank implement fluctuated in the range of several hundred taels; rarely did one exceed a thousand taels. The young noble couldn't help sneering, "Why don't you just go rob someone?" Qi Yuan's expression remained placid. "If you make a move against me, I will rob you today." Qi Yuan had always been lawful good, strictly following the rule of not attacking unless attacked. The young noble hadn't actually crossed him yet, so naturally, he couldn't rob him. "You..." The young noble was about to snap back, but Third Young Master Tu hastily held him back. He knew full well what kind of ruthless monster Qi Yuan was. If they truly provoked Qi Yuan and got themselves killed, who would they plead reason to? "One thousand taels of silver. I'll... take it," Third Young Master Tu gritted his teeth and said. The onlookers gasped at the sight. "He bought it?" "He actually bought it!" "Hiss, this guy is loaded!" The surrounding stallholders looked at him as if he were a fat sheep ripe for the shearing. "Little brother, I also have a Yellow-rank implement here, hardly inferior to his! It's only eight hundred taels—interested?" "Mine is only five hundred!" They all treated Third Young Master Tu like a golden goose. Third Young Master Tu ignored them and asked Qi Yuan, "Does this implement possess any unique traits?" "Of course." A smile appeared in Qi Yuan's eyes. "Do you see that button there? When in use, give it a gentle press, and a lightsaber will emerge. This lightsaber is formed by devouring the origin energy of heaven and earth. Indestructible, like the killing intent unleashed from the earth—its power is staggering." A lightsaber, a sword of light—Qi Yuan naturally hadn't refined the actual light of this world into a blade, but rather condensed heaven and earth origin energy into one. The defining characteristics of this lightsaber were simply sharpness and sturdiness. "Hmph, sounds utterly ordinary," the young noble couldn't resist commenting. Others also found Qi Yuan's description thoroughly mundane. Many Yellow-rank implements carried inscriptions granting special properties, such as inflicting burning or frostbite with attacks. Qi Yuan's blade had none of that, yet cost an outrageous sum. "I'll buy it." Third Young Master Tu handed over a one-thousand-tael banknote without hesitation. Qi Yuan accepted the banknote and remarked calmly, "Actually, this implement possesses an additional special ability. However, activating this ability requires ten thousand taels of silver." "Ten thousand taels of silver?" "What are you saying?" The onlookers cried out in disbelief. "That could probably buy the cheapest Earth-rank implement!" "You're... being utterly ridiculous!" "No matter how special the ability, could it possibly be worth ten thousand taels?" Everyone was stunned. Several people looked at Qi Yuan as though he were extortionate beyond belief—plucking the wool off a single sheep until it bled. The young noble was appalled as well. "Ten thousand taels? Do you have any idea what that means?" Even for someone of his standing, coughing up ten thousand taels would severely wound his finances. Third Young Master Tu, on the other hand, hesitated in great turmoil, his mind buzzing in a daze. "May I ask, Senior, what kind of special ability it is?" Third Young Master Tu asked, recalling the overwhelming might of the figure at Red Cloud Stockade. "Once you hear it, you have to buy it—no backing out. Are you sure you want to hear it?" Qi Yuan asked impassively. The customer was wealthy; of course he had to shear him thoroughly. A single sale could feed him for a year. With ten thousand taels, he could buy heaps of crafting materials. When an opportunity arose, one had to seize it. The young noble grabbed Third Young Master Tu. "Brother Tu, why fall for this man's swindle? That's ten thousand taels!" While their noble origins were undeniable, ten thousand taels was still a crippling blow. Third Young Master Tu was torn. On one hand, he knew Qi Yuan was immensely powerful; on the other, he feared it was all a scam. "Fortune favors the bold. If you walk away now, its special ability will never be activated in this lifetime." Qi Yuan's voice was placid, yet laced with hypnotic allure. Third Young Master Tu hesitated immensely. Gazing at Qi Yuan's face, he recalled the reports from Red Cloud Stockade. That day, quite a few people had witnessed the mysterious figure make his move. Afterward, many weapon wielders had traveled to Red Cloud Stockade to investigate the mysterious figure's identity, asking the villagers to describe his appearance so portraits could be drawn. Yet strangely, every villager gave a different description, each wilder than the last. The portraits rendered by the painters differed wildly from one another, as if some mysterious power prevented anyone from discerning the stranger's true identity. However, the pairing of an old man and a youth—one scruffy, one exceptionally handsome—was an undeniable fact. Third Young Master Tu recalled the blood-colored armor on that mysterious man and felt an epiphany. That blood armor looked like a bizarre implement. Could the special ability of this implement be connected to it? At this thought, his heart raced. "I'll... buy it! Senior, please tell me!" Third Young Master Tu gritted his teeth, then turned to the young noble beside him. "I didn't bring enough money. Could you lend me four thousand taels?" "Brother Tu... he's an obvious charlatan!" the young noble urged anxiously. "These implements on his stall have no certification and look utterly bizarre. I'd say they're worth a few dozen taels at best! And you're actually paying ten thousand taels? Don't tell me you think it can rival an Earth-rank implement?" The young noble rattled off words like a machine gun. "Brother Huang, lend it to me! If it's a scam, I'm the only one being fooled; you won't lose a thing!" Third Young Master Tu had clearly lost his head. Watching this, Qi Yuan even felt that had he genuinely run a con on Third Young Master Tu, it would have succeeded without a hitch. But being lawful good, he never engaged in unlawful deeds. "Fine." The young noble's face shifted between dark and pale before he finally lent four thousand taels to Third Young Master Tu. Watching the young noble and Third Young Master Tu, the onlookers began breathing heavily, greed flickering in many pairs of eyes. Holding the ten thousand taels in banknotes, Third Young Master Tu said respectfully, "Please enlighten me, Senior." "Its special ability is called God Summoning. "Within this lightsaber slumbers a deity named Divine Descent. "You need only place a shred of faith in Him. "Whenever you face peril, recite 'God Summoning' in your heart, and an incarnation of the deity will descend to resolve your troubles. "However, this summoning is limited to only three times." This time, Qi Yuan spoke via voice transmission. Hearing this, Third Young Master Tu froze, thoroughly perplexed. Summoning an incarnation of a deity? Why did that sound so absurdly unreliable? One had to know that anything daring to claim divinity was inevitably a divine artifact or a God-rank weapon wielder. For a humble Yellow-rank implement to summon a divine incarnation sounded like a pure fairy tale. "You made a killing, kid. I only have three implements capable of activating special abilities, so you've gotten a bargain this time," Qi Yuan said calmly. Between his words, a proud, smug expression slipped out. Qi Yuan felt he was a genius. Killing two birds with one stone. He sold an implement, made a fortune, and harvested a believer. Furthermore, when he used As My Divine Descent to help a believer, he didn't receive any tangible compensation—at most, it raised his roleplay percentage. Now, he was selling the opportunity through the medium of an implement. This was brilliant to the absolute extreme. He was practically the cleverest person in the Great Ning! "Only three?" Third Young Master Tu swallowed hard, eyeing Qi Yuan with a hint of doubt. After all, the incarnation of a deity sounded far too fantastical. "Once they're used up, they're gone. Use them sparingly, and save them for as long as possible," Qi Yuan advised. Beside them, the young noble's gaze was hostile. "Brother Tu, what ability was activated?" He still believed Qi Yuan was a fraud. "This..." Third Young Master Tu hesitated, unsure how to explain. "Brother Huang, this isn't the place to linger. Let's speak elsewhere." He hastily led the young noble away. "I still have two implements here! Anyone else want to buy? Only a thousand taels, or pay ten thousand taels to activate a special ability!" Qi Yuan seized the chance to hawk his wares. The surrounding crowd watched Qi Yuan and Third Young Master Tu, suspecting that Third Young Master Tu was a shill planted by the seller. After all, handing over ten thousand taels without batting an eye was ridiculous. They grew far more curious about the implements on Qi Yuan's stall. However, the price of one thousand taels—let alone ten thousand—thoroughly deterred them. Money didn't blow in on the wind. In the end... only a few people bought some cheap implements worth a few dozen taels each. As for the expensive ones, not a single one sold. ... Two shichen later, Qi Yuan stretched lazily. "Spending money like water. Over ten thousand taels, and now less than half is left." After Third Young Master Tu left, Qi Yuan packed up his stall and went shopping for crafting materials in the ghost market. The ghost market held a wide variety of crafting materials, including many that Qi Yuan needed. Among them, an implement functioning similarly to a storage bag was an absolute necessity for Qi Yuan, costing him a hefty three thousand taels. Its internal space was tiny—less than ten cubic meters. After purchasing the rest of the materials, he tossed them all into the storage implement, piling them high. "With so many materials, I can forge quite a few powerful drones or even mechanical angels!" Qi Yuan was brimming with ambition. He envisioned forming an electronic army and using it to pose as a deity. After all, the inspiration for these implements came from Blue Star and its movies and television shows. These "ancients" had never seen modern weaponry and would surely regard him as a god. "Young Master, with all that money, you could buy so many buns!" Chen Kangbao piped up from the side. Food was always top of mind for him. "You, all you think about every day is food," Qi Yuan sighed. By now, he and Chen Kangbao had stepped outside the ghost market. Qi Yuan deliberately slowed his pace. "Back in the cultivation world, I never ran into anyone trying to murder me for treasures. Who would've thought I'd encounter it in a game world? Interesting, very interesting," he muttered to himself, before turning toward the shadow-draped woods behind him. "Since you're here, come on out! Why skulk around hiding your faces?" As Qi Yuan's words fell, five figures emerged from the forest. All five wore black robes concealing their forms, each emanating an intimidating aura. "Little brother, leave behind the storage implement and the silver, and we'll let you walk away alive!" the leader rasped in a hoarse voice. When Third Young Master Tu spent ten thousand taels on the stall, numerous eyes had locked onto Qi Yuan. Ten thousand taels was more than enough to tempt Mystic-rank weapon wielders to take drastic risks. Among these five figures were two Mystic-rank weapon wielders and three advanced Yellow-rank weapon wielders. "You're quite bold. Aren't you afraid I've concealed my strength?" Qi Yuan asked calmly. "Heh, little brother, why bother bluffing? When you entered the ghost market, you passed through the gate's inspection. Would we not know what you're made of? A mere Yellow-rank weapon wielder, yet daring to swindle like that? Ruining the ghost market's reputation—the silver you scammed belongs to us now!" a Mystic-rank weapon wielder said, his tone chilling. Anyone entering the ghost market had to pass through the gate. At the entrance sat an Earth-rank implement—a detection-type implement capable of gauging the energy fluctuations of those entering. The five had already questioned the ghost market's staff; Qi Yuan's energy fluctuations were merely Yellow-rank, nothing to fear. They also deduced that Qi Yuan had tricked Third Young Master Tu through some underhanded trick. Before long, Third Young Master Tu would realize the truth, and the Tu family would inevitably move against Qi Yuan. They had to act fast, claiming the ten thousand taels before the Tu family made their move. "Alas, the wickedness of human hearts. Why bully me? I'm merely a humble matrilocal son-in-law," Qi Yuan murmured. As his words fell, the disguise on his body dissolved, revealing an extraordinarily handsome face. "Remember: the man you're bullying is the Shen family's matrilocal son-in-law... Qi Yuan." The moment he was bullied, Matrilocal Son-in-Law Qi Yuan came online. Only then could he grind roleplay percentage. "The... the Shen family's matrilocal son-in-law?" The five black-robed men froze, visibly caught off guard. "You're actually the Shen family's son-in-law?" A Mystic-rank weapon wielder grew guarded. "Shen Lingxuan's husband?" Shen Lingxuan's name was thunderous to the ears. Though she and he were both Mystic-rank weapon wielders, Shen Lingxuan was a Mystic-rank weapon wielder listed on the Prodigy Roll—they were simply not on the same level. "It's actually him? This is troublesome," the other Mystic-rank weapon wielder murmured, somewhat regretting getting involved. If the Shen family flew into a thunderous rage, they couldn't afford the consequences. "Isn't he a useless cripple?" one spoke up, utterly baffled. Everyone knew that the Shen family's son-in-law was a useless good-for-nothing who didn't cultivate. How had he hidden so deeply, proving to be a Yellow-rank weapon wielder? The leader's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally spoke. "Young Master Qi, let this matter drop. We'll pretend we were never here." Thinking that their identities had not been uncovered, he decided to retreat. After all, if they killed Shen Lingxuan's husband, the ghost market wouldn't protect them. Seeing this, the others also wanted to leave. "Hey, I already exposed my identity. If you don't keep bullying me, where does that leave my face?" "Besides, Wang Kanshan, Fang Tai, Lin Hu... did you really think that just because you're wearing clothes, I wouldn't recognize you?" Qi Yuan rattled off their names directly. The expressions of the five black-robed men warped violently. How were they exposed? How did Qi Yuan know their identities? If Qi Yuan returned alive to the Shen family and gave their names, they were as good as dead! No, he couldn't be allowed to return alive! Murderous intent surged! Feeling an acute sense of threat, killing intent flashed in Wang Kanshan's eyes. He looked at the others and gritted his teeth. "Kill him, then flee Jining Prefecture!" No matter what, this seemed to be the only path left to them. Seeing this, the other four charged at Qi Yuan with ferocious gazes. "Die!" Wielding their implements, the five held nothing back, launching a thunderous combined strike against Qi Yuan. Strange as Qi Yuan's appearance was, his strength was genuine—only Yellow-rank. They could slaughter him in an instant. "Time to show off my micro again." "Sigh, I've grown so accustomed to overpowering people with raw strength that I forgot I'm actually a master of technique!" With Qi Yuan's words, his figure flickered sharply. The distance of this dodge: a fraction more would be flawed, a fraction less fatal—it perfectly slipped through the five-man encirclement. Just then, a short sword thrust out in a fluid motion, driving straight toward Wang Kanshan's neck. This thrust was blindingly fast, exquisitely timed, and completely natural. In an instant, Mystic-rank weapon wielder Wang Kanshan clutched his throat, his body collapsing limply to the ground. Even in death, he couldn't comprehend how that sword had materialized at his neck. The remaining four stared at Qi Yuan as though looking at a demon. Qi Yuan's technique was simply too... unbelievable. Or rather, too perfect. He clearly possessed only the power and speed of a Yellow-rank weapon wielder, and their raw strength far surpassed his. Yet they were played like fiddles in the palm of his hand, utterly unable to fight back, unable to brush against even the hem of his robe. "Keep bullying me, come on! I'm just a soft, powerless little matrilocal son-in-law," Qi Yuan smiled. Yet in the eyes of the four, that smile was like the devil's grin. Sword light flashed. Another dozen breaths of time slipped by. In the woods, several more corpses dropped to the ground. Qi Yuan sheathed his sword with a flourish, then looked down with sheer disdain. "So broke, yet you try to copy others and murder people for loot?" All told, he looted less than three hundred taels—shamefully pathetic!