"Th-this Young Lady... what is this?"
Looking at the item she had handed over, the shopkeeper's voice was dry with utter disbelief. "Is this... some kind of new... Soul Tool?"
He simply could not connect this ridiculously beautiful card with the weighty Gold Soul Coins.
Wang Dong'er's hand froze in midair, and the expression on her face instantly stiffened as well.
She blinked, seemingly not having processed it yet.
Lu Jing's heart skipped a beat. Oh no.
He immediately realized the problem—the era gap! Earlier, he had been focused only on bargaining and the Whale Rubber itself, completely overlooking the most fundamental issue: payment! The Soul Guiding Gold Card that circulated widely ten thousand years later was nothing but a useless card in this era!
Gold Cards and Purple Gold Cards did exist at this time, but they were nothing like the one Wang Dong'er had produced.
"Young Lady... are you joking?"
The shopkeeper's expression gradually shifted from confusion to displeasure, his tone taking on a trace of suspicion. "Fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins, and you intend to use this... card?"
He instinctively glanced toward the guards in the shop.
Wang Dong'er finally understood, and her pretty face flushed bright red.
She lowered her head to look at the card in her hand, which represented immense wealth ten thousand years later but now seemed incomparably ridiculous. A huge wave of embarrassment and absurdity washed over her.
She, the dignified Young Master of Clear Sky Sect and a favored daughter of heaven from ten thousand years later, was actually making a fool of herself ten thousand years ago because she had "no money"!
"I..." Wang Dong'er opened her mouth, wanting to say that she had Gold Soul Coins. But apart from this Gold Card, her Space Soul Tool only contained a small amount of emergency Gold Coins and some cultivation resources—far from enough to cover the astronomical sum of fifty thousand.
She did have some Gold Soul Coins in her Space Soul Tool, but they had been minted ten thousand years later. Their design, weight, and markings were entirely different from those of ten thousand years ago. Taking them out would probably make things even harder to explain.
The atmosphere instantly became unbearably awkward.
The shopkeeper's gaze changed from confusion to vigilance, even carrying the scrutiny he would give a swindler.
Some customers nearby who had noticed the commotion also cast curious looks their way.
Lu Jing reacted swiftly. He stepped forward and unobtrusively pressed down Wang Dong'er's hand holding the Gold Card. Then, facing the displeased shopkeeper, he said, "Boss, we're truly sorry. My elder sister was flustered and took out the wrong thing. We really do want this Whale Rubber. Fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins, not one coin less. Please give us a moment—we'll go back and get the money right away."
His voice was calm and firm, his gaze open and honest, instantly suppressing the suspicion that they were frauds.
The shopkeeper looked at the youth before him. Though young, he carried himself with remarkable bearing and spoke with sincerity. Then he looked at the maiden beside him, who was so embarrassed she practically wanted to burrow into the ground, yet whose appearance and temperament were clearly not those of a swindler. His expression eased somewhat, though his suspicion remained.
"You two... don't make a fool of me. This Whale Rubber is exceptionally valuable, and the price we agreed on earlier..."
"Rest assured, Boss. We'll be back very soon," Lu Jing promised again, his tone resolute.
He took hold of Wang Dong'er, who was still flustered and confused, and quickly turned to leave the Myriad Treasure Pavilion.
Behind them, they could faintly hear the shopkeeper quietly instructing a shop assistant to "keep watch over those two pieces of Whale Rubber."
Once outside, the sunlight was somewhat dazzling. Wang Dong'er seemed to finally recover from the enormous blow. Looking at Lu Jing, her powder blue eyes shimmered with moisture, filled with both grievance and frustration. "I... I forgot... they don't recognize this card... I..."
As she spoke, she habitually reached for her Space Soul Tool again. "I still have some Gold Coins, but..."
"It's no use, Sister Dong'er."
Lu Jing gently shook his head, stopping her. "The style and purity of currency from ten thousand years ago and ten thousand years from now may both be different. Taking them out would only cause more trouble. A major store like the Myriad Treasure Pavilion has a well-informed shopkeeper. If you bring out strange-looking Gold Coins, he'll be even more suspicious that they're counterfeit or something else."
He led Wang Dong'er briskly toward the Worship Hall, speaking in a low voice as they walked. "The only solution now is to go back and find Qian Renxue. Only she can immediately produce fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins, and they'll be currency recognized by Spirit Hall."
Wang Dong'er bit her lower lip and nodded. She understood that this was their only option.
But when she thought about the embarrassment just now, as well as having to ask Qian Renxue for a loan, her heart felt stifled.
The two hurried along without sparing another glance at the streets, returning to the Worship Hall as quickly as possible.
When they appeared before Qian Renxue again, she had been preparing to depart. Seeing the two return so soon, their expressions carrying traces of embarrassment and urgency—especially the lingering blush and faint grievance on Wang Dong'er's face—understanding flashed through Qian Renxue's eyes, and a barely perceptible smile curled her lips.
"Why are you back so quickly? Was Spirit City not interesting to stroll around?" she deliberately asked, her tone tinged with amusement.
Lu Jing took a deep breath and got straight to the point without any hesitation. "Sister Xue, I'm really sorry. We ran into some trouble, and I'd like to borrow some money from you."
"Borrow money?" Qian Renxue raised her brows, seemingly surprised by the reason.
Lu Jing briefly explained what had happened, emphasizing that they had found two pieces of Ten Thousand Year Whale Rubber at the Myriad Treasure Pavilion and agreed on a price of fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins, but Wang Dong'er's Gold Card could not be recognized, while the Gold Coins she carried were insufficient and might not match the currency of this era.
"Fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins?" Qian Renxue was slightly moved. That was no small sum.
Her gaze swept over Wang Dong'er. Seeing her nod slightly in confirmation, Qian Renxue's eyes deepened further.
If she was not mistaken, this maiden should have come from an aristocratic family and was not from the same world as Lu Jing. They had merely met due to some circumstance.
She did not ask further. After pondering for a moment, she took out a Purple Gold Card and said with a smile, "This is a money card issued by Spirit Hall's bank. You can use it to buy things from now on."
Although fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins meant nothing to her, she still did not quite understand spending it on Whale Rubber.
"Thank you, Sister Xue." Lu Jing accepted it.
Just as Lu Jing was about to leave with Wang Dong'er, Qian Renxue suddenly spoke. Her tone held a hint of probing as she asked, "Ten Thousand Year Whale Rubber... is indeed good stuff. But Little Jing, what are you buying it for? Could it be to nourish your girlfriend's body in the future, and make that kind of thing more convenient?"
Her meaningful gaze flicked toward Wang Dong'er, whose temperament was beyond compare. Her tone carried a touch of teasing, but also concealed a test.
She did not believe the two of them were merely out shopping. Under normal circumstances, almost no one would be willing to buy Ten Thousand Year Level Whale Rubber, even to brew medicine or improve that aspect of things. So there had to be some other reason—one she simply did not know.
Before you continue