Chapter 25 – World Peace is My Duty
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After Lin Xiaodong arrived at the Hundred Treasures Hall, Lin Ming was already waiting there. “Brother Lin, what sort of thing did you want to buy? Did you manage to sell those three symbol papers?”
Lin Ming smiled and said, “I ran into some good luck and sold out.”
“Nooooooo!” Lin Xiaodong cried out exaggeratedly. What fool was taken advantage of? This could also be an omen! He was a bit worried and said, “Brother Lin, you sold so many, if people come to look for us in the future they might beat up us brothers…”
Lin Ming snapped, “Humph! You actually think I created some fake inscriptions to trick people?”
“I’m not saying you intentionally tricked people, I am just thinking what happens if your inscription symbols don’t work. If we spent a hundred gold taels today, when the time comes we may not be able to repay the money…”
Lin Ming smiled and shook his head, “Don’t worry, there is absolutely no problem. Let’s just go shopping.”
Lin Ming was saying this as soon as he stepped directly into the entrance of the Hundred Treasure Hall. Lin Xiaodong gave him a silly look. He thought that they would only meet here, and then perhaps go somewhere else like the city square or some other small place to go shopping. He did not expect they would go straight to the Hundred Treasure Hall. This place frequently sold items at several hundred or thousands of gold; it was one of the most luxurious shops in all of Sky Fortune City.
“My brother, my own dearest big brother, are we really going shopping here?”
“Mm. It’s here.” Lin Ming said as he entered the store. The shopkeeper somewhat recognized Lin Ming as he was also in ordinary clothing, and was young and small of stature. This was a very conspicuous look, and after a little thought, the shopkeeper remembered that Lin Ming was the youth who had tried to sell him inscription symbols a few days ago.
The storekeeper was immediately impatient and said, “You again, I told you that I will not take your inscription symbols.”
Lin Ming also naturally remembered this Hundred Treasure Hall’s storekeeper. Initially when he visited the private shops none of the storekeepers had treated him with respect. These storekeepers were in truth not the owners. The bosses were usually some rich character and would not often be in the store. They would hire some clerk or shopkeeper to take charge of the store’s business. Of course, their salaries were also tied to performance, so these shopkeepers would naturally treat the juniors of wealthy families with respect in order to earn some percentage of profits. Lin Ming still remained salty from the experience.
Lin Ming said, “My inscription symbols sold. I’m here today to do some shopping.”
Sold? The shopkeeper’s eyes showed a faint touch of contempt. With his experience this inscription symbols were not worth any money. With their cost, at most it would be a few dozen gold taels. This country bumpkin was truly a hillbilly. If he thought that a few dozen tales of gold made him a rich man then that really was funny.
What a ridiculous boy. The storekeeper did not throw him out though. Hundred Treasure Hall had not listed a rule that said only those with money were permitted to come.
Lin Ming look at the dazzling pavilion’s shelves that were stacked high with precious materials and rare goods; it really was amazing to see. The hundred year ginseng that Lin Xiaodong had purchased for him could only be considered inferior goods here.
There were also rare and precious medicines, materials, master class inscription symbols, even treasures that were several thousand gold taels.
Lin Ming casually said, “Xiaodong, is there anything you want to buy?”
Lin Xiaodong forced a smiled and said, “Brother Lin, what crazy song are you singing today, ah. Although it doesn’t cost anything to take a peek, did you not see the look the storekeeper gave us like we were some bumpkins? It really made my whole body uncomfortable.”
Ling Mind said, “He’s just a small minded idiot, there’s no need to care about what he thinks. If you aren’t going to choose something then I’ll help you. Or you buy a flexible armor.
Lin Xiaodong shook his head like a rattle. “Brother Lin, let’s not waste our time, if I choose something in the Hundred Treasure Hall then we won’t have the money to pay and they’ll come after us. Think about it. When that time comes, you will run faster, but I’m a bit fatter than you so I’ll fall behind and get beat up.”
Lin Ming couldn’t find the words to respond, so he said, “When have I wasted your time?”
“What time have you not thought of these evil plans? Ah, look at me I am an honest and good natured person, pity me…”
Lin Ming laughed and opened his clothes a little. Near his chest pocket there were the edges of golden banknotes. He said, “Well, is this not money?”
Lin Xiaodong saw those numerous golden banknotes in a red envelope and froze for a moment. He felt his mind go blank and his eyes were sluggish.
“They are banknotes worth 1000 gold taels each.”
It actually turned out to be 1000 gold tael banknotes! Moreover, he could see from the thickness that there was more than one, perhaps up to 10,000 gold taels!
Up to 10,000 gold taels! What was this?
Lin Xiaodong short-circuited and he swayed on his feet. “Brother Lin, you robbed people? It’s not right, even with your martial arts you should not steal so much…”
Hearing this Lin Xiaodong mutter, Lin Ming’s forehead was full of black lines. My god, this guy…he reluctantly said, “I got the money for selling inscriptions, you just do not believe me.”
“Inscription symbol? You said those three toilet papers were inscription symbols? You sold…how much did they sell for?”
“3000 gold taels.”
“3…………3000!?!?!?!?” Lin Xiaodong’s chubby face began to tremble. He was shocked, but still managed to lower his voice in fear that others would hear him. “You sold them for 3000 gold taels? You said you had practiced for one month and you could somehow create an inscription symbol that could sell for 3000 gold taels?”
Lin Ming nodded. Lin Xiaodong was his best friend and good brother. He did not want to hide anything from him, and furthermore could not hide. If he wanted help Lin Xiaodong with some money, then he would also need him to understand what happened. Moreover in the future he would most likely be contacted by Qin Xingxuan, Muyi, or other high-level persons, and it would be impossible to hide the truth from Lin Xiaodong.
“You are simply insulting my intelligence!” Lin Xiaodong exclaimed. “You’ve only practiced one month and you can create an inscription symbol like that? You think I am some little three year old that you can trick into thinking cabbage leaves are rare medicines or something?”
Lin Ming shrugged, “The facts are facts. If you do not believe me then there is nothing I can do.”
“Big bro, oh brother Lin, don’t play with me, just tell me what happened.”
Lin Ming sighed and said, “Good, I’ll tell you but you have to promise you won’t say anything.”
“This is a promise!” Lin Xiaodong immediately announced.
“Mm…well, the truth is I have a secret mater….When I was twelve years old, that year my master appeared and said that my talent was good, and I had good intelligence and a grand destiny. He wanted me to maintain world peace so he gave me the duty to do so and compelled me to work as his apprentice. Finally, I began to study inscription technique with him….”
“As if!” Lin Xiaodong felt like he had eaten a fly. “Brother Lin, can you be serious about it?”
Lin Ming said, “I’m not lying to you, I really do have a master.”
“Knock it off, if you have a master and studied inscription for many years then why did you ask me what inscription technique was?
Lin Ming said, “My master only taught me the skills and did not give me any money. As for the inscription technique, although I studied it I did not know if it was of any use until you told me, then I knew that I could use it to make money…”
“Damnit!” Lin Xiaodong felt as if the world had gone crazy. This is like casually picking up a little kitten to raises and feeding and petting it for several years and then finding it turn into the most beautiful woman, and then having her be the overthrown demon emperor’s legendary clan princess who just happened to fall in love with you! It was the exact same chance!
“Good. Well, uh…you understand now. Let’s go shopping.” Lin Ming pulled soulless Lin Xiaodong, and continued to select flexible armors.
Lin Xiaodong was not an ambitious person and he did not like to practice martial arts. He was just diligent enough to be able to preserve his status as a direct descendent in the Lin Family. Lin Ming thought a flexible armor would be good as a life insurance.
“What material is this flexible armor?” Lin Ming asked. The storekeeper impatiently looked at Lin Ming and said, “It is a high-quality treasure of the shop, the description is in the notes on display behind the table. Look yourself.”
His words contained a jeer that taunted Lin Ming for coming into a high-quality shop.
The shopkeeper had done enough business that he developed an innate ability to recognize who would purchase items and who wouldn’t. When some rich and powerful figure came to the store he would greet them and assist them, but those with no money he would ignore, not to mention Lin Ming would not only looked ordinary but had come in a few days ago trying to sell him some toilet paper. This kind of boy was impossible to be any sort of good character, so the storekeeper was impatient.
Lin Ming went to where the flexible armor was and read the description. This soft armor was made with 10,000 six foot long day ruler hemp. It had also been mixed with several thousand strings of Golden Wood Root silkworm silk and been made from combining over twenty advanced crafting techniques. The price was 392 gold taels.
This sort of excellent flexible armor was treasure. It could withstand attacks up to the fourth layer of body transformation. But after the fourth layer then it would be easily broken, so Lin Ming did not need it. It was something that much better suited Lin Xiaodong.
He continued to look until something caught his eye – it was a Golden Deer pill and Soul Gathering pellet.
Before now, Lin Ming had not taken any pills because the cost was simply too high.
Pills and pellets were made from combining medicinal herbs and raw materials from vicious beasts and then refining them. It was many times better than simply using medicinal herbs or vicious beast materials. Moreover, because of the formulas, it was possible to achieve effects which the medicinal herbs or vicious beast materials could not achieve by themselves.
Golden Deer pills were very rare; they were made from a hundred year old golden deer’s deer embryo as the main ingredient and supplemented with a variety of herbs. Golden deer were rare and moreover mostly found in remote mountain forests. It was not easy for them to be difficult, and to take a golden deer’s embryo was as difficult as it sounded.
Because the Golden Deer pills were refined from the deer embryo, they contained a rich and fragrant vitality. In addition they had not been contaminated by the houtian phase of air outside the womb. Thus it was possible to remove the impurities of the body and promote an increase in soul force and physical cultivation.
This kind of pill was a yellow rice sized grain valued at 200 gold.
The Soul Gathering Pellet also required precious raw materials to refine. Its main ingredient was hundred year old blood fungus and the main effect of the pellet was to increase the absorption of soul force and speed up a martial artist’s cultivation.
This kind of pellet was at 200 gold also. Even aristocratic families’ juniors had to use their savings to buy it.
Lin Ming stopped looking as he decided what he wanted to purchase.
He turned to the storekeeper and said, “I’ll take this Golden Wood Root Silkworm Armor. Wrap it up for me. I’ll also take six Golden Deer Pills and ten Soul Gathering Pills, as well at the materials on this list. Don’t miss a single one.
Lin Ming said this and pulled out a list which had a variety of materials written on it. They were all used for inscriptions. He had taken a look a moment ago and saw that they were all sold here.