Browsing the Entire Old Goods Street and Finding Nothing, Finally Picking Up a Bargain on a Gambler Ancestral Old Shoe

Liu Yunche focused his mind and sensed the consumption of internal breath, a mere single finger consumed about one-tenth of my internal breath.

Just as the books say, a martial artist's internal breath is mostly used to temper the physique, and rarely brought out for combat.

This is not only because martial artists have little internal breath within their bodies, but replenishing it after consumption requires nourishing flesh and blood, and relying solely on a martial artist's physical conversion speed is far too slow.

Liu Yunche shook his head, when all is said and done, it is still far too expensive in silver. It is not even enough for cultivation, let alone combat.

He rejoiced inwardly, fortunately, I was not born into a bad family in this lifetime, and for now I do not need to fret over mere worldly possessions.

He clenched his five fingers into a fist, his tight skin radiating a faint bronze sheen under the sunlight.

His fingertips stroked the scabbard, his brows and eyes revealing a rare carefree spirit for a youth, the bronze sheen faintly circulating around his entire body.

Afterwards, Liu Yunche retrieved the long saber he used for martial practice, and the blade gently grazed his skin. It did not sound like it was cutting flesh and blood; it sounded like bronze and iron touching.

He lowered his weapon and looked closely. Not even a white mark was left on his arm.

Then he drew Concealed Edge, its dark blade sharp and chilling:

Truly a prized saber, pity... it cannot be embedded into the slot.

Liu Yunche shook his head, carrying Concealed Edge as he came to stand beside the ancient tree, assuming the starting stance of the Gale Swift Saber and practicing it form by form.

Liu Yunche did not consider his talent all that outstanding; everything was simply supported by his golden finger.

However, he remembered a saying: If you have no talent, then repeat!

Early the next morning, Liu Yunche finished practicing Nurturing Origin Stance as unfailingly as clockwork.

Sensing the growing internal breath within his body, he frowned. This speed was within his expectations, but it did not satisfy him.

Perhaps I should think of other methods...

Liu Yunche had not forgotten how he awakened his past-life memories. The person who had poisoned him still had yet to be found, hiding so deeply that he dared not slack off in the slightest.

The sense of crisis in his heart constantly spurred him on: practice martial arts, search for items that resonated with his golden finger, and let no opportunity to grow stronger slip by.

He walked out of Cloud Perch Courtyard and came to the alley by the side gate of the Liu household estate, where a carriage was currently parked at this moment.

Sitting on the carriage was a middle-aged man with a sorrowful expression and a scratch across his left eyebrow, looking much like an honest, hardworking farmer. C "Uncle Wei," Liu Yunche stepped forward to greet him.

Wei Cong jumped down from the carriage, waved his hand, and immediately said:

"You flatter me, young master. If the young master doesn't mind, just call me 'Old Wei' like everyone else does."

Seeing that a hint of bitterness had been added to his sorrowful face, Liu Yunche nodded, "Old Wei, let's go out for a walk today."

"Very well, I wonder where the young master is heading?" Wei Cong pulled the carriage out of the alley.

After Liu Yunche stepped onto the carriage, his clear and smooth voice drifted out from inside the car compartment:

"Go to Changqing Old Street. I heard from the estate servants these past few days that there are some weird and bizarre trinket items over there, so I'm going to take a look."

"Yes, young master." Wei Cong raised his horse whip and lashed it against the horse's rump. The horse bolted forward in pain, and under his control, it headed in the direction of Changqing Old Street.

Changqing Old Street.

It was currently around morning time, and there was not much foot traffic on the street.

On the old road paved with grey flagstones, many stones had already developed cracks. The shops here stretched along the street, and shop assistants had already begun hawking their wares along the way to solicit customers.

Wei Cong drove the horse toward the area in the old street specifically designated for parking carriages. Only after parking properly did he follow Liu Yunche into the old street.

He walked behind Liu Yunche with his hands tucked into his sleeves and his back slightly hunched, maintaining the appearance of a servant. One could not tell at all that this was a martial artist who had already forged his tendons.

Today, Liu Yunche was dressed in a white martial robe, with Concealed Edge cinched at his waist. His upright posture fully displayed the bearing of a martial artist.

He had long since calculated in his heart that this trip was meant to find objects capable of triggering his golden finger.

In his view, old objects that had weathered the passage of time and embodied the emotions of their original owners were far more likely to provide the opportunity to match his golden finger than brand-new items.

Half the shops on this street sold all sorts of old and antiquated items. Their wooden signboards were mottled and faded, exuding the earthy bustle of everyday life accumulated over the years, completely distinct from the bustling shops outside the street—which fit Liu Yunche's intentions precisely.

Liu Yunche's gaze swept across the shops lining the street, his pace unhurried as he walked straight toward the first shop by the roadside.

The shop was small. When he pushed the door open, the wooden door emitted a muffled creaking sound.

The interior of the shop was permeated with a mixed scent of aged timber, dust, and cheap incense.

All sorts of old objects were arranged in a manner that was both messy and orderly on the shelves.

Old antiquities racks stood against the wall, the upper tiers displaying quite a few incomplete celadon bowls and pottery jars with mottled glazes. Many of the vessels were covered in cracks, clearly old items from ordinary commoner households.

Most of these objects were the old belongings of lower-class commoners, sold wholesale by them to supplement their household expenses.

An elderly man with white hair and beard sat behind the counter. Seeing that Liu Yunche was dressed impeccably, he knew he was an aristocratic clan scion.

A flash of surprise crossed the old man's eyes; having run his old shop for decades, this was the first time he was dealing with an aristocratic clan scion.

"Your honored presence brings great light to my humble shop," the old man first offered a flattery before asking:

"However, the things I have here are all mere earthen trash; I'm afraid they won't catch an honored guest's eye."

Liu Yunche waved his hand, signaling the old man not to mind him, "I'll just look around on my own."

He did not say much more, merely pacing slowly inside the shop with his gaze sweeping across the various items one by one, his fingertips unassumingly and gently touching each old object.

Yet his fingertips remained entirely unremarkable, and the slot of the golden finger within his body did not stir the slightest resonance. Clearly, these were all ordinary old items with nothing special about them.

He shook his head slightly, nodded faintly to the old man in acknowledgment, and without lingering much longer, turned and walked out.

Leaving the shop, Liu Yunche walked a few dozen paces forward along the fragmented flagstones and spotted another, more obscure shop.

The shop plaque was ancient, its edges grown over with faint green marks, inscribed with the three characters "Miscellany Pavilion".

Compared to the neatness of the first shop, this one appeared even more cluttered. Half a stack of old ancient books and damaged bamboo slips were piled by the door, and the items inside the shop were also more niche and obscure.

Pushing the door open, a rich aroma of ink blended and tangled with the scent of vegetation and wood.

The shopkeeper was a young man, leisurely lying on a rocking chair reading a book at the moment.

The book blocked his face, and Liu Yunche could not see him clearly.

Hearing someone enter, the young man poked his head out for a look, his gaze pausing briefly on the long saber at Liu Yunche's waist.

Afterwards, the young man uttered, "Please make yourself at home, guest," and once again immersed himself in the world of books.

Liu Yunche was not annoyed either; this person's aura was restrained and steady, by no means an ordinary book vendor.

He walked over to the bookshelf. Upon it were old books, torn pages, and even more folk storybooks. g Various styles were present: martial artist anecdotes, geographical investigations, and even romantic affairs.

The occasional martial arts booklet consisted only of dime-a-dozen, superficial techniques not worth paying much attention to.

However, Liu Yunche did not look down on them. He still investigated them book by book; perhaps among them was one that could trigger his golden finger.

After a long while, Liu Yunche put down the storybook in his hand, a flash of disappointment crossing the depths of his eyes. He called out to Wei Cong and walked out.

For the time being, Liu Yunche led Wei Cong through every shop on the entire street, but unfortunately found nothing.

During this time, Wei Cong did not ask questions either, simply following quietly behind Liu Yunche.

The disappointment in Liu Yunche's heart was inevitable, but he quickly adjusted his state of mind.

Leading Wei Cong, he prepared to head back when a shouting voice suddenly traveled over from the street.

"Come walk, come look. All you fathers and elders, come take a look."

Liu Yunche traced the sound and saw a thin, pale middle-aged man with severe bodily depletion holding up a pair of old, yet exquisitely crafted shoes as he hawked them.

"These shoes are prized treasures passed down from my ancestors, worn by a High Person, and they are terribly precious."

"You are all blessed today; whoever buys these shoes can get a close-up veneration of the High Person's aura."

When the surrounding commoners caught sight of the person, they cast disgusted glances and began to discuss animatedly:

"Isn't this Gambler Zhang?" A matron recognized the man.

"This Gambler Zhang is hopelessly addicted to gambling. He must be out of money again and is thinking of selling things."

"He has sold this pair of shoes more than once; only a sucker would fall for it."

An old man by the roadside also recalled: "Still, the Zhang household's ancestors were indeed wealthy back in the day. Could this shoe..."

Another person took up the conversation: "Even if it's real, what use is it? Could it be, you're buying it back to smell a High Person's foot odor?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone burst into laughter, and for a time, the street was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Hearing this, Gambler Zhang hurriedly shouted, "How can you people speak like that! If you aren't buying, fine, but you won't even let someone else buy?"

Finding it amusing, Liu Yunche walked up to investigate.

Seeing an impeccably dressed young gentleman approach, Gambler Zhang's eyes lit up. He bent his waist and walked quickly toward Liu Yunche, stumbling halfway and almost taking a fall.

He presented the shoes with both hands, a flattering smile on his face:

"Young master, please look. These are the treasured shoes passed down from my ancestors. Perhaps you might forge a connection with some High Person."

"If that's truly the case, why don't you go yourself?" Liu Yunche smiled.

Gambler Zhang wore a sheepish expression. Knowing that the young gentleman before him was the only one likely to buy his shoes, he spoke up again:

"Young master, please look. These shoes are exquisitely crafted; even ignoring the story behind them, the craftsmanship alone is worth quite a bit of silver."

Liu Yunche took the shoes in his hands, his gaze shifting slightly and joy flashing between his brows. After examining them carefully, he unassumingly put them back down:

"The pattern and style are indeed not bad. Bringing them back has some slight value."

Hearing this, Gambler Zhang was overjoyed, his fingertips involuntarily rubbing together: "The young master truly possesses discerning eyes. This pair of shoes only costs ten taels of silver."

Before his voice had even faded, fearing that Liu Yunche would be scared off by the price, Gambler Zhang quickly changed his tune:

"No... five taels of silver will do."

Hearing this, Liu Yunche stared at Gambler Zhang and let out a cold snort, "Five taels of silver? You certainly dare to dream."

Gambler Zhang's expression stiffened, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He only felt that the young gentleman before him had gaze as sharp as a sword tip, making him dare not look him in the eye.

He lowered his head and stammered, "I wonder... what price will the young master offer?"

Liu Yunche unhurriedly stated, "Three taels of silver."

The moment the words fell, Gambler Zhang thrust the shoes forward, terrified that if he was a second too late, Liu Yunche would not want them.

Then he rubbed his hands together, hope in his gaze as he looked up at Liu Yunche.

"Old Wei, give it to him." Liu Yunche carried the shoes and turned back to instruct Wei Cong.

Only then did Wei Cong step forward, extending his hands out from his sleeves to retrieve three taels of broken silver and toss them to Gambler Zhang.

Then the two turned around and left, without sparing Gambler Zhang another look.

After walking a few paces, Liu Yunche faintly heard Gambler Zhang rejoicing, "With these three taels of silver, this lord here can definitely break even..."

Liu Yunche shook his head, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes. Having lived two lives, the kind of person he despised the most was this sort of hopeless gambler.

Such people were lazy and idle, always dreaming of reaching the heavens in a single bound—pitiful and ridiculous.

Sitting back down in the carriage, Liu Yunche moved his mind, and the shoes in his hand vanished, leaving an extra pair of shoes inside the second slot of the golden finger.