Baiguo City.
The blazing sun hung high overhead, and the line outside the city stretched like a long dragon.
Grand Hua Daoist and Su Changyu stood outside the city, waiting in line.
However, amid the crowd, Grand Hua Daoist's gaze was fixed on a notice, unblinking, as though he were pondering something.
Su Changyu glanced at the notice and could not help but freeze.
Because it was a notice for the Qingzhou Sword Dao Convention.
The contents were simple.
The Qingzhou Sword Dao Convention would be held in Changyun Ancient City three months later.
Registration requirement: ten low-grade spirit stones.
Top 500 reward: Sword Dao Robe.
Top 100 reward: one hundred low-grade spirit stones.
Top 50 reward: five hundred low-grade spirit stones.
Top Ten reward: a top-grade magic artifact flying sword.
Top Three reward: one Spirit Artifact Flying Sword.
Qingzhou Sword Dao Champion: one High-grade Spirit Artifact Flying Sword.
This Qingzhou Sword Dao Convention also featured a mysterious grand prize waiting to be claimed. This opportunity must not be missed.
Registration location: available at sect offices in all major Qingzhou cities.
The Qingzhou Sword Dao Convention was held once every three years and was considered a fairly famous event within Qingzhou.
Though the rewards did not seem particularly lavish, those who attended such conventions generally did not care about the rewards at all. The key was fame.
Who did not want to become a sword dao genius admired by tens of thousands?
As Su Changyu looked at the notice, he could not help but freeze. Soon after, he recalled the glory of when he had made it into the Top 500.
Though there had been rather few registrants that year, making it into the Top 500 was still enough to bring honor to one's ancestors.
Yet seeing the Sect Leader staring blankly at the notice for so long, Su Changyu could not help but speak.
"Sect Leader, stop dreaming. We aren't qualified to participate in the Qingzhou Sword Dao Convention. Uh, Sect Leader, could it be that you want to...?"
Su Changyu had initially been somewhat dismissive, but he soon seemed to realize what Grand Hua Daoist intended to do and froze.
"Stop talking nonsense. Handle the proper business first."
Grand Hua Daoist told Su Changyu to watch his words, and the two then fell silent.
A full hour later.
Only then did the two enter Baiguo City.
After entering Baiguo City, Grand Hua Daoist carried a cloth sack and headed straight for a pawnshop.
"Chengjin Pawnshop."
The pawnshop looked extremely upscale. The moment one entered, the scent of sandalwood wafted over, making one feel refreshed and at ease.
Grand Hua Daoist and Su Changyu both looked calm.
The pawnshop's manager personally came out to greet them, his face full of a fawning smile.
"Are the two immortals here to pawn something, or sell it outright?"
The manager looked to be in his forties and appeared somewhat sly.
"Sell it outright."
Grand Hua Daoist answered directly.
He understood pawnshop rules. Pawning something generally only fetched thirty percent of its original value, while selling it outright usually meant taking a thirty percent loss.
But it brought money quickly. There was nothing to be done about that.
"Selling outright, is it? Very well. May I ask what the two immortals wish to sell?"
The manager asked with a smile.
"Here, these things. Give me a good price, and we'll come again in the future."
Grand Hua Daoist tossed the sack directly onto the floor. He had spent most of the day gathering these things; basically everything valuable from the Qingyun Dao Sect was in there.
"Very well. Please sit, honored immortals. Someone, serve the immortals some tea."
Seeing Grand Hua Daoist's carefree manner, the pawnshop manager's face lit up. He instinctively assumed that a major customer had arrived and hurriedly ordered someone to serve tea.
"No need. Just inspect the goods and pay us. There's no need for tea."
Grand Hua Daoist said seriously.
He had to watch the other party inspect the goods, lest some accident occur later.
Hearing Grand Hua Daoist's words, the manager was not displeased in the slightest. On the contrary, he felt even happier. The more serious they were, the more it meant the things in the sack were valuable. If it were just a pile of trash, who would care so much?
"Please wait a moment, honored immortals."
The manager smiled, then had an attendant invite the pawnshop's appraiser.
After a short while, an elderly man hurried over. Upon seeing Grand Hua Daoist and Su Changyu, he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.
The two nodded in return.
Soon, the old man opened the sack, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Not just him—the pawnshop manager also wore an expectant expression.
After all, Grand Hua Daoist and Su Changyu certainly looked the part. There had to be something good inside.
But when the two opened the burlap sack, their expressions instantly changed.
The sack was filled with a dazzling assortment of things, yet at first glance, they all seemed like junk.
The appraiser rubbed his eyes, afraid that he might have misjudged them. He examined everything carefully before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
It truly was a pile of junk.
He had not misjudged them after all.
"Honored immortals, is there some mistake here?"
The pawnshop manager was a little dumbfounded.
"There's no mistake. It's these things. Give us a fair price, and we'll come to you again next time."
Grand Hua Daoist thought nothing of it. On the contrary, he spoke with complete seriousness.
The moment those words were spoken, the manager of Chengjin Pawnshop fell completely silent.
Damn it, he had thought it was some kind of treasure.
Who would have thought it was a pile of scrap?
Scrap was scrap, but why put on such a damn act?
And they were even bringing a pile of scrap to a pawnshop? Had they gone poor out of their minds?
And they wanted a fair price? Said they would come again next time? Did they think this was a vegetable market? This was a pawnshop! Did they think Ten Taels of Gold collected junk for a living?
Ten Taels of Gold fell silent for a moment.
Though his stomach was full of complaints, he ultimately chose not to vent them.
After all, one could not run a business by only accepting good deals and refusing bad ones.
The deal could be refused, but his reputation could not be ruined.
With that in mind, Ten Taels of Gold could only sigh and begin collecting the junk.
"Unranked Demonic Beast Hide, seven taels of silver."
"Damaged Flying Sword Hilt, twelve taels of silver."
"One Magic Treasure Fragment, nine taels of silver."
"One foot-wiping rag... Damn it, honored immortal, isn't this going too far? You're even trying to sell a foot-wiping rag?"
Inside the pawnshop.
Ten Taels of Gold squatted on the ground and took items out of the sack one by one. He had not been angry at first, but when he pulled out a strip of foot cloth, he could not help but grow angry.
This thing was truly going too far.
"Oh, I was in too much of a hurry when packing. That was a mistake, a mistake."
Grand Hua Daoist was somewhat embarrassed as well and quickly snatched back the foot-wiping rag.
Ten Taels of Gold felt a little depressed.
But in the end, he still endured it.
One incense stick later.
All the items had been counted.
It truly was a pile of junk.
This completely shattered Ten Taels of Gold's last sliver of hope.
He had previously imagined that the two before him were masters merely trying to tease him, with the good items hidden underneath. Looking at things now, he was still too young.
"One gold and thirty-five taels in total."
Manager Ten Taels of Gold stood up, dusted off his hands, and said this to Grand Hua Daoist.
"One gold and thirty-five taels? That's a bit little, isn't it? Consider it making a friend—two taels of gold, how about it?"
Grand Hua Daoist thought for a moment, then said this.
Ten Taels of Gold: ""
His expression turned silent. He did not know what to say.
He did not want to make this friend.
"One gold and thirty-five taels. Not one copper coin more. If the two honored immortals are dissatisfied, you may visit another pawnshop."
Ten Taels of Gold said with an awkward smile.
In his heart, he wished these two fellows would leave as soon as possible.
He was the dignified manager of Chengjin Pawnshop, handling dozens of taels of gold in an hour. Being delayed by these two for so long was one thing, but the important part was how humiliating it was.
"Manager, just consider it making a friend. If there's a chance in the future, we'll continue to bring you business. One gold and fifty taels—will that do? I'm not taking advantage of you."
Grand Hua Daoist shamelessly persisted.
The latter shook his head helplessly, then gave a bitter smile.
"To be honest, honored immortals, the value of all these things put together is not even worth as much as the Xuyang Xuan Paper in that painting scroll. Since you can afford Xuyang Xuan Paper, why haggle over a few taels of silver?"
Ten Taels of Gold said.
His gaze settled on the painting scroll in Su Changyu's hand.
The main reason he had mistaken the two for wealthy patrons was that painting scroll.
At a glance, he could tell it was Xuyang Xuan Paper. A single foot was worth one tael of gold, and the scroll itself was likely worth more than ten taels of gold.
Only those from well-off families would dare use such paper for painting.
Ordinary scholars could not afford such extravagance.
But in the next moment.
Grand Hua Daoist's voice rang out.
"This thing can be sold for money too?"
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