Sacred Demon Spirit Coins

The midday wind was quite boisterous.

A quarrel erupted from the windows of the General Affairs Office at Saint Orchid Academy.

"Are you deliberately picking a fight? How could my Demon Spirit Coins be fake? This outfit I'm wearing was bought with this money. If it were fake, why wouldn't the shopkeeper have told me?" Chang Ping was extremely agitated.

He knew he had more than the two thousand-plus Demon Spirit Coins on the table; he had two hundred thousand in his Space Ring! If all of it was fake, wouldn't he be a pauper again?

The staff member picked up the top bill, holding it up to show Chang Ping while pointing to the flame pattern in the lower right corner. "See this symbol? These are Demon Spirit Coins privately issued by the Sacred Family. They can only be used in shops opened by their family."

"Did you buy your clothes in the West District?"

Chang Ping nodded.

"That settles it! Your Sacred Demon Spirit Coins have no legal tender. They can only be used in the West District, not in our North District." The staff member placed the fake bill back onto the pile and took out an almost identical bill from his own pocket.

"Look closely. The real bill has a snowflake pattern in the lower right corner. These are official currency issued by the City Lord's Mansion and are valid throughout the City of Radiance."

Chang Ping took the bill and stared with his bulging, bear-like eyes, turning it over and over for a long time.

"Hey, hey, hey! That's my money, why are you stuffing it in your pocket? If you want money, earn it yourself, don't set your sights on mine!" The staff member hastily intervened. His money wasn't wind-blown either; he couldn't just give it away.

Chang Ping gave an embarrassed laugh and returned the money to the staff member.

"Instructor, since this money can be spent, can I exchange it for your real bills?"

"No!" the staff member refused. "The West District is too far. It takes at least two hours by carriage. I don't want to waste time. Besides, everything sold there is ridiculously expensive. If I exchange with you, I'll lose money."

"I'll give you two for one of yours!" Chang Ping held up two thick fingers, like carrots.

"Not trading!" The staff member still shook his head.

"Three!" Chang Ping really didn't believe it!

"Let me consider it." The staff member seemed tempted.

"Four!" Chang Ping raised the stakes again.

"How much do you want to exchange?" Vice Dean Ye Sheng had already spoken to him, so he couldn't make things too difficult. It was time to accept what was offered. "I have two hundred thousand, and I want to exchange it all."

Chang Ping took out his Space Ring and poured out all the fake bills inside.

He would be living in the North District for a while and wouldn't be going to the West District, so he wouldn't need these fake bills for the time being. Moreover, the Space Ring had limited capacity, and these fake bills took up a lot of space.

Besides, he had captured all this money himself. Even if it was a ten-to-one exchange, he wouldn't feel the pinch.

The staff member rubbed his eyes and asked doubtfully, "Where did you get so many fake bills? You didn't draw them yourself, did you?"

"You think too highly of me. If I had that skill, I wouldn't be at Saint Orchid Academy; I'd be living at home being pampered. Hurry up and exchange them. I still have to go to class after paying tuition. Wasting time is wasting life, you know?" Chang Ping urged.

"It's just the start of the semester, and I haven't received my salary yet. I don't have that much money." The staff member turned out all his pockets, finding only a little over three thousand Demon Spirit Coins, barely enough for Chang Ping's tuition.

"Even if I had my salary, my money wouldn't be enough to exchange for your fake bills." The staff member's eyes darted around, and he suggested with a fawning smile, "If you trust me, I can help you exchange them with other instructors."

"I don't trust you!" Chang Ping crossed his arms and snorted. "You have to give me an IOU, stating that you owe me seventy thousand Demon Spirit Coins."

The staff member paused. "Uh... wasn't it fifty thousand?"

"Fifty thousand is the premise that you can pay me in cash immediately, not make some vague promise. Seventy thousand is already very generous. I believe with your connections and network, you can exchange my two hundred thousand Sacred Demon Spirit Coins for at least that amount. There's profit to be made."

Chang Ping held up a fist. He believed the staff member could exchange them for at least one hundred thousand Demon Spirit Coins, making a profit of at least thirty thousand. No matter how expensive goods were in the West District, their prices couldn't be double those in other districts. Even with a two-to-one exchange, there would surely be plenty of people eager to trade with him.

"Alright." Working in the General Affairs Office of Saint Orchid Academy, the staff member was naturally not a fool. He readily agreed.

Chang Ping seized the opportunity and asked the staff member to help pay his tuition, stipulating that this money should not be included in the IOU.

For the sake of thirty thousand Demon Spirit Coins, the staff member didn't argue with Chang Ping.

"Give me the rest of your money too. I don't have a single cent on me now. I won't have money for lunch," Chang Ping pressed his advantage.

"Saint Orchid Academy provides free meals. You won't starve!" The staff member glared at Chang Ping and said irritably, "It's not even certain if you can exchange those Sacred Demon Spirit Coins. Know when to stop, don't be too greedy!"

Chang Ping chuckled.

The staff member ignored him and buried his head in writing the IOU.

"Instructor, is the free meal portioned? I have a big appetite, and one serving might not be enough."

"It's not portioned! Eat as much as you want. Just don't stuff yourself to death," the staff member said without looking up.

Taking out the ink pad from the drawer and pressing his fingerprint on the name, the staff member handed the IOU to Chang Ping.

"Your handwriting is beautiful." Chang Ping glanced at the IOU. Seeing that the content was unambiguous, he casually put it into his Space Ring.

The staff member snorted, closed the ink pad, and put it back in the drawer. He took out a wooden token.

Holding a sheep horn pen, he dipped it in some silver ink and drew some arcane patterns on both sides of the wooden plaque.

After about fifteen minutes, he finished drawing and handed the wooden牌 to Chang Ping, introducing it. "This is your identity plaque. You'll need it when entering and leaving the school. Keep it safe and don't lose it. The first one is free. I'll charge for the second one."

"Don't worry, I won't lose it! My memory is famously good." Chang Ping put the plaque into his Space Ring. "Instructor, you're busy. Goodbye. Oh, right, I'm in the Beginner Warrior Class. If you manage to exchange the money, come find me in class."

"Find you? No need!" the staff member snorted. "If you still want your money, come find me at the General Affairs Office in a week. No extensions!"

"Alright!" Chang Ping pouted, shook his head, and shrugged.

After leaving the General Affairs Office, Chang Ping headed straight for the Beginner Warrior Class.

"I'm finally going to see Ning'er, I'm so excited!"

At this moment, his heart was pounding like a startled deer, beating "thump-thump."

"The class should have already started, I need to pick up the pace!" Chang Ping strode as fast as he could, like a rutting bear.

"Ning'er, your husband is here!"