The young man in coarse clothes returned.
This surprised Bai Yu a bit, and he couldn't help but ask, "Is there something you need, brother?"
The young man scratched his head and said, "Brother, are you looking for martial arts cultivation techniques?"
Bai Yu took a slight step back, instantly on high alert. Could it be that this young man had been following him from the start?
The young man hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Don't misunderstand, brother. I just happened to want to buy cultivation techniques too. I noticed you were at the same stall for a long time."
"Judging by your appearance, you probably can't afford decent techniques either, just like me."
Bai Yu nodded slightly but still couldn't figure out the young man's intentions.
The young man said, "Here's the thing, I freeloaded half a pack of your Essence-Nourishing Powder, and I have nothing to repay you with, so I can only give you some information as a return."
"I know of a stall that sells fragmented tomes and cultivation techniques of dubious origin. The prices are much lower, but it really tests your eye for value."
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"I'm quite keen to try my luck there. Are you interested?"
Fragmented cultivation techniques? Bai Yu's heart stirred.
For others, these techniques test one's discernment.
But Bai Yu was different; he had the Record of World Burials, and he could tell at a glance whether something was genuine or fake.
Moreover, what if these fragmented techniques could still be useful?
Bai Yu thought for a moment and said, "Thank you for the information, brother. I am indeed a bit interested."
The young man smiled and said, "Glad to be of help, brother. The stall is over there."
"By the way, brother, my name is Bai Chi. May I know your name?"
Bai Yu was taken aback, not expecting to meet someone with the same surname.
And the name, Bai Chi, sounds like 'idiot,' no wonder he freeloaded half a pack of Essence-Nourishing Powder.
Of course, Bai Yu wouldn't reveal his real name, so he said, "My name is Cai Kun."
Bai Chi was quite friendly and said, "Ah, Brother Kun Kun, follow me."
Bai Yu packed up his stall and followed Bai Chi, asking, "By the way, Brother Idiot, do you know who that scar-faced guy was earlier?"
Bai Chi laughed and said, "That's Scarface Liu Si, a well-known rogue around here who specializes in scamming newcomers."
Soon, the two arrived at an inconspicuous stall.
The stall was very secluded, and the stall owner was lazy, barely moving.
On his first wander, Bai Yu hadn't noticed this stall.
On one side of the stall were various porcelain and bronze items, still with dirt on them.
On the other side was a pile of disorganized books.
Bai Yu understood what Bai Chi meant by 'dubious origin.'
It seemed the stall owner was a grave robber.
Bai Chi said, "Brother Kun Kun, I've brought you here."
"I'm short on money and can't even afford a fragmented tome, so I'll be on my way."
Bai Yu didn't mind and bid farewell to Bai Chi with a cupped fist, then turned to the stall owner.
"Old man, how much for these books?"
The stall owner, an old man with a mustache, lazily glanced at Bai Yu and revealed a mouth of missing teeth, "Look for yourself, ask when you've chosen."
Bai Yu didn't mind and picked up the first book, which had "Boundless Heaven and Earth: Eight Trigrams Palm of Chaos and Yin-Yang" written on the cover.
Just the name startled Bai Yu, and upon flipping through it, the contents were complete nonsense.
Clearly a scam, meant to fool the gullible.
Bai Yu flipped through several books, finding them all to be scams.
He was both amused and annoyed, "Boss, is there nothing genuine here?"
The old man with the mustache was displeased, "Young man, don't talk nonsense. These are all ancient items from tombs, at least thousands of years old."
"For example, the Scripture of Feathered Ascension in your hand, it dates back to the creation of the world—"
Bai Yu interrupted the old man impatiently, "Enough, the oldest thing here is probably you."
He flipped through another book, and suddenly his attribute panel changed.
[Fragmented Five Spirit Fist!]
[97% compatibility with Five Elements Fist, can be synthesized.]
Bai Yu kept a straight face as he flipped through it, and indeed, it was a manual for the Five Spirit Fist.
But it was only half complete, with many parts missing at the beginning.
The old man started boasting again, "Young man, you have a good eye. The book in your hand is the famous Five Spirit Fist, a Yellow Rank High Grade technique."
"It is said to have been created five thousand years ago by the True Lord of Five Spirits, capable of entering the path through martial arts and shattering the void."
"How about this, I won't ask for much, a flat price of eighty thousand!"
Bai Yu's face darkened; a complete Five Spirit Fist manual was only fifty taels.
This tattered fragmented tome dared to ask for eighty thousand taels.
He put it down and turned to leave.
The old man hurriedly called after him, "Young man, don't go. You can at least make an offer."
Bai Yu tentatively said, "Three qian of silver?"
"You're cutting the price at the ankles, you're killing me here, deal!!!"
The old man quickly stuffed the fragmented Five Spirit Fist into Bai Yu's arms, along with a copy of "Romantic Chronicles of Li State's Immortals" as a bonus, fearing Bai Yu might change his mind.
This fragmented Five Spirit Fist was genuine, but it lacked the latter half and had missing parts at the beginning.
It was practically worthless.
Martial arts are a matter of life and death; one wrong move could damage the foundation. Who would dare practice with a tattered fragmented tome?
Bai Yu offered three qian, and the old man made a profit of two qian with tears in his eyes.
The old man smugly extended his hand, "Young man, no regrets, pay up."
Bai Yu was speechless, "Damn, old man, you tricked me."
The old man quickly said, "You can't say that, you named the price yourself."
"Now it's a deal, you can't back out."
"If you try, I'll have to call the law enforcement team."
Bai Yu reluctantly pulled out three qian of silver, his hand trembling as he handed it over.
The old man grabbed Bai Yu's hand, "Young man, let go, money is just a worldly possession, why be so attached?"
In the end, he half-snatched, half-took, and swindled Bai Yu out of three qian of silver.
Bai Yu snorted heavily and turned to leave.
But in his heart, he was not angry but delighted.
This fragmented Five Spirit Fist was useless to others, but it was a treasure to him.
The attribute panel indicated that the fragmented Five Spirit Fist could be fused with the Five Elements Fist, which must be of great use.
Buying a fusion-capable technique for three qian of silver, where else could you find such a bargain?
Bai Yu pretended to leave the black market dejectedly.
But in reality, he was so excited that he couldn't wait to return to his small courtyard and learn the fragmented Five Spirit Fist.
However, the more excited he was, the more he controlled his restless thoughts.
"As a Changsheng, one must remain calm in the face of major events, unflinching even if Mount Tai collapses."
In the darkness, Bai Yu quickened his pace.
Suddenly, his ears twitched, sensing someone following him.
Judging by the footsteps, there were two people!
LitRPG / Sci-fi
LitRPG / Sci-fi
Xuanhuan / Supernatural
Wuxia / Martial Arts
Urban / Supernatural
Urban / Sci-fi
Mecha / Sci-fi
Xuanhuan / Romance
LitRPG / Xuanhuan
Mature / Xuanhuan