Buying a Saber and Selling a Saber

After the assessment, Xiao Meng swaggered out of the Xiao Clan and wandered the streets. He had not properly strolled around town in years, so today, he intended to get his fill.

At that moment, a small commotion had broken out within the Xiao Clan. It was not too serious, however, because the assessment elder was absolutely certain that Xiao Meng possessed no Dou Qi. He believed Xiao Meng was merely physically stronger than most.

"Yan'er, where is your third brother? I heard he beat up all the clan members taking part in the assessment today. Is that true? What exactly happened? Tell me quickly," Xiao Zhan said as he hurried into the hall, only to find Xiao Yan there alone.

Xiao Yan stood and poured Xiao Zhan a cup of tea, then recounted everything that had happened during the assessment in detail.

Xiao Zhan frowned deeply.

"Father, do you think Third Brother might really be... born with a divine body?" Xiao Yan asked solemnly.

Born with a divine body?

Xiao Zhan was stunned. Xiao Yan's words reminded him of what Xiao Meng had said at the dinner table that day: "Dad, do you believe I was born with a divine body?"

"It means I was born awesome. I don't even need to cultivate to become invincible under heaven!"

Xiao Zhan muttered to himself, "I've lived for so many years. How come I've never heard of anyone being born with a divine body?"

Xiao Meng, who was wandering around the streets, suddenly stopped. He spotted a large weapon shop, stretched his neck, and stood on tiptoe to peer inside. Seeing several decent items, he decided to go in for a look.

"Young master, handsome as jade and graceful as the wind, welcome to our humble shop! How may this lowly one serve you?" The moment Xiao Meng stepped inside, a shop assistant rushed over with blazing enthusiasm.

"You've got good taste!"

Xiao Meng could not help sighing. So many people in the Xiao Clan had worse judgment than a mere shop assistant, especially that blind Xiao Xun'er.

"Bring those swords and sabers over for me to inspect," Xiao Meng said like a nouveau riche, as though he had ten mountains of gold and silver tucked away on him.

The shop assistant's eyes lit up, and delight spread across his face. Judging by Xiao Meng's clothes, he was clearly rich—and the sort of idiot who would lose all sense of direction after a few flattering words.

"Handsome young master, please wait a moment. I'll fetch them at once," the shop assistant said, bowing obsequiously before quickly heading to the counter and carefully retrieving the weapons Xiao Meng had pointed out.

"Not bad!" Xiao Meng picked up a broad saber and swung it a few times. It fit his hand rather well.

"How much is this saber?" Xiao Meng asked casually.

"Master! I can tell at a glance that you know your weapons. This saber was forged from meteorite iron from beyond the heavens. It can slice hair with a breath and cut iron like mud. It is a rare treasure saber, so as for the price..." After lavishly praising the weapon in Xiao Meng's hand, the shop assistant put on an awkward, reluctant expression.

Xiao Meng said impatiently, "How much is it? Spit it out. I'm not short on money."

A gleam flashed through the shop assistant's eyes, and he hurriedly smiled. "Master! This saber was originally priced at five thousand gold coins, but I can see you're an expert with the saber. In your hands, it will surely shine with earth-shaking brilliance. Therefore, we're happy to sell it to you at a low price—just three thousand gold coins."

"Damn, Sixth is lucky again. He actually found another fat little sheep."

"That Blazing Cloud Saber costs one hundred gold coins, and he dared ask for three thousand. He even called it a low-price sale. That guy is way too black-hearted."

In the distance, a group of shop assistants whispered among themselves.

Yet Xiao Meng heard every word clearly. Still, he remained composed and said, "Three thousand gold coins? That is rather cheap. Mm! This saber is worth that price."

"Exactly, Master! Three thousand gold coins for this saber is absolutely worth every coin," the shop assistant said. Hearing Xiao Meng's words, he nearly exploded with joy on the spot, his organs jumping wildly within him.

"Fine, I'll take this saber. Bring me the scabbard," Xiao Meng said.

"Certainly, Master! Please wait a moment," the shop assistant called out as he hurried around the counter and brought Xiao Meng the scabbard.

"Here's your money. Keep it safe," Xiao Meng said, tossing out three gold coins before turning to leave.

The shop assistant was instantly dumbfounded. "????"

"Master! Did you make a mistake? This saber costs three thousand gold coins, not three. You erased three zeroes in one go. That's no way to do business," the shop assistant said, quickly blocking Xiao Meng's path. His voice was no longer warm, but cold and sharp. He felt that he had been played.

"That's right, I erased three zeroes. I didn't erase the three."

Xiao Meng shrugged. "What, were you hoping I'd erase the three too?"

"Kid, are you here to cause trouble?"

At those words, the shop assistant's face darkened. A vicious glint flashed through his eyes. He lightly clapped his hands, and more than a dozen burly men rushed out from the rooms behind the shop, fierce auras rolling off them.

"You little bastard, you dare cause trouble here? Didn't you bother to ask whose shop this is..." The enraged shop assistant suddenly fell silent, as if someone had grabbed him by the throat.

"Xiao... You're from the Xiao... Xiao Clan?" Seeing the identity token in Xiao Meng's hand, the shop assistant's face filled with shock. Alongside the Mite'er Auction House, the Xiao Clan was one of Wutan City's four great dominant powers. Ordinary clans did not dare provoke them.

"Good grandson, you tried to fleece your Grandpa Xiao? If I don't chop you into eight pieces, you should go home and burn incense in thanks. Now get the hell out of my way," Xiao Meng shouted coldly.

The shop assistant trembled as he moved aside. Today, he had encountered someone he could not afford to offend. He had tried to steal a chicken, only to lose the rice used to bait it.

"Oh, right. Call me 'Master' again," Xiao Meng said with a smile after walking out of the shop and turning back.

"Master..." The pale-faced shop assistant nearly cried.

"Good grandson, see you around!" Xiao Meng waved and strode away.

"See you around my ass!" the shop assistant wailed. This time, he was going to suffer a terrible loss.

Xiao Meng turned and headed straight into a pawnshop.

"Little brother, what would you like to pawn?" The owner behind the counter immediately beamed when he saw Xiao Meng, his gaze intentionally—or perhaps unintentionally—flicking toward the saber in Xiao Meng's hand.

Clang!

Xiao Meng tossed the saber onto the counter. "See how much it's worth."

"A Blazing Cloud Saber. Average quality."

The middle-aged owner drew the saber and inspected it carefully with a serious expression. Then he closed his eyes and shook his head, seemingly weighing the saber's value.

"Little brother, although this is a Blazing Cloud Saber, its quality is only average. Still, I see you have barely used it, and the edge remains fairly sharp, so I'll offer you a high price."

With an expression that said he was being exceedingly generous, the shop owner said, "I'll give you... one gold coin. What do you think?"

Xiao Meng nearly spat blood. His face instantly turned darker than an African chieftain's. Damn it, did Xiao Meng really look that stupid? Or was the word "idiot" written on his face? Why did everyone like treating him as a sucker?

"Boss, don't be so stingy. Add two zeroes to the end," Xiao Meng said with a faint smile as he snatched the saber back.

The shop owner was speechless. "???"

"Little brother, your saber isn't worth that much. One gold coin is already quite high," the shop owner said with a forced smile.

Xiao Meng curled his lips. "Then I'd better check some other pawnshops. Maybe I can get a better price elsewhere."

"Hey, hey! Little brother, wait, wait! Don't be in such a hurry. The price can be negotiated!" The shop owner hurried out from behind the counter, smiling ingratiatingly.

Xiao Meng turned around to look at him without speaking.

"Little brother, don't ask for an outrageous price. This saber truly isn't worth one hundred gold coins. In business, we must be honest."

The shop owner smiled. "Tell me, how much do you really want to sell it for?"

"I think I'd better ask around at some other shops," Xiao Meng said, clutching the saber tightly with an expression that said he feared being cheated.

"Just now, I must have looked at it wrong. Its quality should actually be quite good. One hundred gold coins it is. I'll take it," the shop owner said. He had finally realized that the kid before him was no fool.

"What did you say in your previous sentence?" Xiao Meng narrowed his eyes slightly and asked.

"I said just now..."

"The one before that."

"Tell me, how much do you really want to sell it for?"

"One thousand!"

Pfft!

The shop owner nearly spat blood.

"Is it worth it?"

"I... you..."

"Is it worth it or not?"

"It is! Absolutely worth it, Young Master Xiao. Please wait a moment, I'll go get the money right away."

"Boss, you're so generous. If I get anything good next time, I'll come to you first!"

"Oh, right. I'll reward you with one gold coin. Nine hundred and ninety-nine represents our friendship lasting forever..."

"I... I... Thank you, Young Master Xiao!"

After Xiao Meng left, the shop owner collapsed onto the floor. He had failed to slaughter the sheep and had instead been bitten by a wolf.

Mite'er Auction House?

Looking at the enormous structure before him, Xiao Meng said blankly, "How did I end up here?"