C20 In the Exchange Hall!
Suddenly, Lin Chen's body emitted an overwhelmingly dense aura of malevolence, transforming him into a beast of prey, fierce and ravenous. The shop assistant's face blanched, as Lin Chen's presence made him feel as though he was surrounded by a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, with death itself fixing its gaze upon him.
His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, being nothing more than an ordinary man devoid of any cultivation.
Lin Chen had been through numerous life-and-death ordeals recently, particularly during the gruesome battle with the Ironback Wolves, where he had faced a carnage akin to hell itself. A heavy murderous aura had unwittingly clung to him, forged from the lives of countless Ironback Wolves.
Under normal circumstances, this would have remained concealed, but the shop assistant's ignorance had provoked Lin Chen, unleashing the hidden, overwhelming aura in a torrent, driving the assistant to the brink of madness.
"Stop."
Out of nowhere, an elderly figure stepped in front of Lin Chen, radiating a potent energy.
"Hmm?"
Lin Chen's brow furrowed. He couldn't discern the old man's level of cultivation, which suggested only one possibility: the man was beyond the realm of a Genuine Cultivator.
"My dear customer, please calm your anger. The shop assistant was out of line and has offended you. I offer my sincerest apologies on his behalf," the old man said, his face etched with wrinkles and his back bent. He smiled and gave Lin Chen a respectful fist salute, then continued, "You possess such remarkable cultivation at such a young age. Clearly, you have a boundless future ahead and are destined to be a person of great importance. Surely, you wouldn't concern yourself with the slight from an ordinary person."
Upon hearing this, Lin Chen's lips quirked into a half-smile. "I'm not one to prey on the weak. It's fortunate he's just an ordinary man; otherwise, you'd be looking at his corpse right now."
Lin Chen wasn't being tyrannical; it wasn't his style to take a life over a mere insult.
Chen Wuji had once advised him that in the martial world, one must avoid making enemies carelessly. Martial artists are quick to draw their swords over the slightest disagreement, leading to either a fight to the death or one party's submission. It's a world where actions are straightforward and brutal.
To the average person, the concept might be hard to grasp, but for a martial artist, when their honor is provoked, they must take action to reclaim their standing. Otherwise, they are unlikely to make significant progress on the martial path.
What defines a martial artist?
Chen Wuji's response is: To battle with the heavens, the earth, other people, and oneself. A martial artist's life is unending, the struggle is relentless. They embody solitude and pride, living fully in the moment. That is the essence of a martial artist!
Martial artists aren't inherently belligerent, but they must possess a fiery spirit!
Had the old man failed to discern right from wrong and driven Lin Chen away, Lin Chen would have left without a second thought, only to return later, saber in hand. However, having been shown respect, Lin Chen wasn't one to dwell on the issue. With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed an object.
The old man caught it deftly, and upon inspection, his eyebrows lifted in surprise. "This is a fang from an Ironback Wolf Demonic Beast. By the looks of it, it's at the peak of the first rank—a top-notch item indeed."
He then turned and bellowed, "Fool! Quickly prepare a fine room for our guest."
The attendant, visibly shaken, stood up and with a trembling voice, bowed to Lin Chen, "Right this way, sir."
The old man watched Lin Chen's retreating figure, a glint of intrigue in his gaze. His discerning eyes had immediately recognized Lin Chen's cultivation level as the Peak of Body Tempering Level 7. Yet, Lin Chen had nonchalantly thrown a fang from a peak Rank 1 Ironback Wolf. This young man's abilities were clearly extraordinary; even a Peak of Body Tempering martial artist would struggle against such a beast.
Moreover, the fleeting glimpse of a murderous aura Lin Chen had inadvertently revealed spoke volumes.
Once in his room, Lin Chen luxuriated in a hot bath and had a fresh set of clothes brought to him. Then, with keen interest, he unpacked his bag to inventory his haul.
The contents spilled out in a jumble—there were medicinal herbs, spirit grasses, and bloodstained pelts of Demonic Beasts.
The Purple Brilliance Bamboo was without a doubt the most valuable item. Lin Chen had nearly met his end at the hands of a Level 2 Demonic Beast to obtain it. The next most valuable was the gallbladder of the Green Spirit Snake, followed by the two fangs of the Ironback Wolf King, which were sharp, white, and gleamed with a jade-like sheen.
Following those were the fangs and pelts of the Peak of Body Tempering Ironback Wolves.
Aside from the Purple Brilliance Bamboo, Lin Chen had found some other medicinal herbs, but they were less impressive.
The most prized possession he had was the Supreme Spirit Pill on his person, an item that would make even a Genuine Cultivator green with envy. Unfortunately, it wasn't something he could trade casually, nor was he willing to part with it.
The goal of trading was to acquire better items to enhance his own strength. Lin Chen had no interest in keeping items that were of no use to him.
...
The following day, Lin Chen made his way to the trading hall in the small town for the first time.
The building was a grand pavilion with two levels, guarded by martial artists who were clearly more powerful than Lin Chen at first glance.
The trading hall was open for anyone to enter or leave. Lin Chen walked straight into the spacious interior, which was filled with bright, clean windows and a steady flow of people, yet it was not overly noisy.
In the center of the hall stood a row of counters, each with warriors queuing up. Lin Chen took a quick look around and realized that all the warriors on this level were at the Body Tempering Stage, which led him to deduce that the second floor must be reserved for those at the Genuine Cultivator Stage.
After a half-hour wait, it was finally Lin Chen's turn.
"Martial artist, please present the items you wish to trade," said a charming girl with a ponytail, dabbing the sweat from her brow.
Lin Chen opened his pack and thumped it down on the counter.
"Just a moment, please."
The girl didn't dally; she opened the pack and began examining each item, making notes in a ledger as she went.
"Wow, Purple Brilliance Bamboo? This is a second-grade Spiritual Material."
She suddenly let out a surprised gasp.
It wasn't that she lacked experience; items like the Purple Brilliance Bamboo were commonplace on the second floor, and the trading hall received a fair number each day. The surprise was that this was the first floor, where it was rare for someone at the Body Tempering Stage to possess such an item.
Lin Chen's face was void of emotion as he inquired, "Is there a problem?"
"No... No," the girl replied.
She was well aware that curiosity had no place in her line of work. The rules of the Trading Company strictly prohibited inquiring into the private affairs of clients. She reassured herself that maybe this was just her stroke of good fortune...
A gall from a Level 2 Demonic Beast, the Green Spirit Snake? That was an item typically found on the second floor.
He's such an odd one, she thought, biting her lip in frustration, yet remaining silent. She hastily noted the details and continued to flip through the records... but she was itching to say something. What a jerk!
The efficiency of the Trading Company took Lin Chen by surprise; the transaction was completed much quicker than he had anticipated.
"Purple Brilliance Bamboo, 60 years in age, valued at 30 Trading Points; the gall of a Level 2 Demonic Beast, the Green Spirit Snake, 20 Trading Points; a pair of King Fangs from an Ironback Wolf, worth 15 Trading Points; eight intact pelts of a Level 1 Peak Demonic Beast, the Ironback Wolf, valued at 16 Trading Points each..."
