The First Pot of Gold

The clamor of the auction house, muffled by the heavy door, had already faded into a distant and indistinct background hum.

Inside the VIP room, the serene and elegant fragrance that calmed the mind still lingered.

Ya Fei reclined against the soft sofa, her fiery red qipao shimmering with a lustrous sheen under the lamplight.

She did not speak.

Those peach-blossom eyes, capable of turning the world upside down, simply watched Su Chen in silence. As her gaze shifted, appreciation, curiosity, and inquiry intertwined, eventually settling into a deepening sense of intrigue.

This youth had brought her far too many surprises.

First, there was that Rock Fire Seed, its quality so perfect it was beyond reproach.

Then, there was that courage and cunning far beyond his years, daring to use himself as a bargaining chip to strike a high-stakes gamble with her Miteer Auction House.

And just moments ago, in that war without smoke downstairs, he had trampled the arrogant spirit of the Jialie Clan underfoot with an almost savage posture.

One thousand gold coins.

When he shouted that price, she could feel, even through the crystal wall, the rage and killing intent that Jialie Bi was barely containing.

Yet this youth, from beginning to end, had not even lifted an eyelid.

He was not merely bidding.

He was using the face of the Jialie Clan to conduct the grandest, and bloodiest, advertisement for his own Rock Fire Seed.

"It seems our cooperation this time has been a great success."

In the end, it was Ya Fei who spoke first. The deliberate, honeyed charm in her voice had vanished, replaced by the crisp efficiency and equality of a top-tier businessperson.

With a flick of her slender hand, a card crafted entirely from purple gold and engraved with intricate magic patterns appeared between her fingers.

"As agreed, for a final price of one thousand gold coins, our auction house takes a ten percent commission."

She pushed the Purple Gold Card gently across the table toward Su Chen.

"Inside this, there are nine hundred gold coins."

Nine hundred gold coins.

This figure was enough to drive any mercenary group in Wutan City to madness, enough for an ordinary family to live a life of luxury for several lifetimes.

At this moment, it had transformed into a light, thin card, lying quietly there.

Su Chen's gaze fell upon the card.

For a fleeting moment, his breathing hitched.

But he quickly regained his composure.

He did not reach for the card immediately; instead, he looked up at Ya Fei.

"I believe our cooperation has only just begun."

Hearing this, a captivating curve touched the corners of Ya Fei's lips.

"Of course."

She stood up, walked to Su Chen's side, and leaned down, her red lips brushing against his ear as she exhaled like an orchid.

"From now on, my Miteer Auction House will take every single one of your Rock Fire Seeds."

"And..."

Her voice dropped even lower, carrying a hint of allure that only the two of them could hear.

"The price will only ever go up, never down."

With that, she straightened up, winked at Su Chen with those expressive peach-blossom eyes, turned, and swayed away with a breathtaking gait.

The door was pulled shut with a soft click.

Inside the room, silence returned.

Su Chen sat on the sofa, remaining motionless for a long time.

He reached out and took the Purple Gold Card into his hand.

The card felt cool and metallic to the touch, light in weight.

Yet, Su Chen felt as if he were holding up a heavy mountain.

This was the first pot of gold he had pried from this world with his own hands.

It was the cornerstone of his survival, and the foundation for all his future plans.

The night deepened.

When Su Chen returned to his dilapidated little courtyard, the moon was already hanging in the center of the sky.

He locked the creaking wooden door and wedged a broken table firmly against it.

Only after doing all this did he finally let his guard down.

He did not light a lamp.

He walked to the center of the room, guided only by the faint moonlight filtering through the cracks in the window.

He placed the Purple Gold Card, representing nine hundred gold coins, onto the only piece of furniture that remained relatively intact: a dilapidated wooden table.

Then, he simply stood there and watched.

He watched the card, reflecting a faint purple glow in the dim light.

That light was like a bottomless vortex, filled with a deadly allure.

If it were any other fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy who had suddenly obtained a fortune capable of changing his entire life, he would likely be dancing with excitement, already fantasizing about a future of luxury, fine food, and beautiful women.

But Su Chen did not.

There was not a hint of joy on his face.

There was only a calm that bordered on cold.

He knew very well that gold coins were merely numbers.

In this cruel world where battle qi reigned supreme, if one could not convert these numbers into tangible strength as quickly as possible, they were not wealth, but a death warrant.

He had learned the lesson of "the innocent man who harbors a treasure is guilty of a crime" long ago, through a painful experience that had been etched into his bones.

Su Chen slowly crouched down.

He fished a piece of leftover charcoal from the corner of the stove.

Then, he tore a corner off his tattered coat and spread it flat on the table.

Without the slightest hesitation, he gripped the charcoal and began to write on the rough fabric.

His handwriting was crooked, yet it possessed an unquestionable clarity and logic.

First line: Cultivation Method.

A battle qi cultivation method was the foundation of all power in this world.

He currently lacked even the most basic Yellow-tier low-grade method; despite having mental energy, he could not cultivate a single shred of battle qi.

This would not do.

He had to possess a method of at least Yellow-tier high-grade, or even Profound-tier low-grade, to truly step onto the path of cultivation.

Second line: Battle Skills.

Having battle qi without knowing how to use it still left one as a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

He did not need those powerful offensive battle skills.

What he needed was... speed.

A movement-type battle skill that would allow him to run faster than others when danger arrived.

And, a defensive battle skill.

Running away was always the first choice for the weak.

Third line: Protective Gear.

No matter how fast one was, they could not outrun a hidden arrow.

A set of defensive soft armor that could be worn close to the body without hindering movement was a necessity.

It might not block a full-force strike from a Battle Master, but it could save his life at a critical moment.

Fourth line: Means of Production.

This was the most important of all.

Purifying and replicating the Rock Fire Seed required consuming a massive amount of mental energy, as well as specific containers.

He needed to procure a large batch of specialized jade bottles of higher quality than before, along with materials that could assist in stabilizing energy.

This was the foundation for expanding his production and growing his business.

Fifth line: Medicinal Pills.

On the path of cultivation, one needs wealth, companions, methods, and land.

Medicinal pills were the fastest shortcut to increasing one's speed.

Some Grade One pills that could assist in cultivation and restore battle qi were essential consumables.

Sixth line: Liquid Capital.

Finally, he drew a horizontal line.

Below the line, he wrote the last two words.

Reserve.

One must always leave oneself a way out.

After finishing all this, Su Chen looked at the six clear plans on the cloth and let out a long, heavy breath.

This was the manifesto for all his actions in the coming period.

He would squeeze every last bit of value out of those nine hundred gold coins, converting them entirely into his own strength and foundation!

He carefully folded the piece of cloth and tucked it close to his body before picking up the Purple Gold Card, walking to the bedside, and falling into a deep sleep.

That night, he slept more soundly than he ever had before.

The next day, early morning.

Su Chen rose very early.

He did not rush out, but instead stayed in the courtyard to undergo a bit of a disguise.

He smeared pot ash over his face to make it darker, then changed into the most inconspicuous gray short-sleeved shirt he had swiped from the auction house, which made his frame appear even thinner and frailer.

Finally, he used a tattered bamboo hat to cover most of his face.

Once he finished, he looked like a completely different person from before.

Caution could never be overdone.

He walked out of the small courtyard and headed straight toward the most bustling central market in Wutan City.

His first stop was the Thousand Herb Workshop.

Aside from the Miteer Auction House, this was the largest medicinal herb shop in Wutan City.

"Customer, what would you like to buy?"

A shrewd shop assistant immediately hurried over to greet him.

Su Chen lowered his voice, making it sound somewhat raspy.

"Do you have any Grade One medicinal pills that assist in cultivation?"

"Yes, yes, we do!" The assistant's eyes lit up. "We just received some 'Qi Gathering Powder'. It's fifty gold coins a bottle, and I guarantee that after using it, your cultivation speed will double!"

Su Chen did not speak; he simply reached into his robe, pulled out a gold coin, and tossed it over.

"Let me see the goods first."

The assistant caught the gold coin, his smile widening, and he hurriedly retrieved a jade bottle from the counter.

Su Chen took it, pulled out the stopper, and gave it a light sniff before capping it again.

A surge of pure medicinal power rushed toward him; it was genuine.

"Ten bottles."

Su Chen said indifferently.

The assistant's movements froze abruptly, unable to believe his own ears.

"C-customer, how many did you say?"

"Ten bottles."

Su Chen repeated himself, then placed the Purple Gold Card onto the counter.

The assistant's gaze fell upon the card, and the Purple Gold emblem—representing the highest level of VIP status at Miteer—caused his pupils to constrict violently!

The smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a sense of genuine respect and trepidation.

He no longer dared to show the slightest bit of negligence, packing the ten bottles of Qi Gathering Powder with the utmost speed and presenting them with both hands.

Su Chen collected the pills and the card, then turned and left without a single word of unnecessary chatter.

After he left, the entire Thousand Herb Workshop fell into a state of hushed, stifled discussion.

Next.

Su Chen went to the city's largest weapon shop, the Hundred Refinement Pavilion, and in the same manner, purchased a valuable low-tier Profound Grade defensive soft armor.

He also visited the Secret Technique Studio, a shop specializing in cultivation techniques and battle skills, where he hunted down a high-tier Yellow Grade Qi cultivation technique, the Boiling Blood Art, as well as a high-tier Yellow Grade movement skill, the Wind-Following Step.

Finally, he swept through several inconspicuous material shops, clearing out all the jade bottles and materials on his list needed to contain the "Fire Seed."

By the time he finished all of this and returned to his dilapidated little courtyard, night had fallen once again.

He barred the door tightly.

Then, he laid out all of today's spoils on the floor, one by one.

The jade bottles of pills emitting a medicinal fragrance.

The black soft armor shimmering with a faint, dark light.

The two scrolls of cultivation techniques and battle skills exuding an ancient aura.

And the small mountain of specialized jade bottles and materials.

Looking at all of this before him, Su Chen felt, for the first time in this strange world, a sense of unprecedented... confidence.

He was no longer that penniless ant who could die silently and unnoticed in some dark corner at any moment.

He now had the capital to establish himself.

He had a clear, visible path leading toward strength.

His gaze finally settled on the scroll titled Boiling Blood Art.

He reached out his hand and slowly unfurled it.

A new beginning would start tonight.