"You..."
When the youth saw Aaron agree at once, pay him, and leave, he felt both delighted and reluctant. A sense of loss suddenly welled up in him, as though he had lost something immensely important.
He wanted to give chase, yet did not know why he regretted it. He clenched the silver tightly in his hand and thought, "With this money, I can marry a wife..."
At that thought, the image of a pretty face surfaced in his mind, and all other thoughts vanished at once.
"A transaction both sides agreed to willingly carries scarcely more karma than something picked up off the ground..."
Meanwhile, Aaron was preparing to head to Spring Breeze Tower for a proper celebration.
"And... that fool even thought himself clever by naming such a high price! If I had deliberately haggled him down, I'd owe greater karma. But since I agreed in one breath, money and goods have changed hands, and we have nothing more to do with each other..."
"Today is a joyous day. It deserves a good celebration."
Aaron promptly went to Spring Breeze Tower, summoned several of its most popular courtesans, and spent a few days reveling wildly before returning to the valley where he was staying. He took out that black tortoise shell and examined it closely.
The shell was pitch-black throughout, covered in countless grooves that seemed carved by blades and hewn by axes. It was impossible to tell whether they had been forged after the fact or had existed since birth.
After pondering for a moment, Aaron first summoned the Golden Snake Hook and the Mysterious Female Pearl, securing himself tightly behind their protection before cautiously sending in a thread of mana.
Rumble!
Empowered by mana, the tortoise shell immediately floated into the air. A soft glow