Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

One thousand taels!

What is the purchasing power of one thousand taels in Liang?

Lin Chen didn’t know about other places, but in Jiangnan Dao, one thousand taels would be enough to buy a three-courtyard mansion in Poyang County.

Using houses to measure prices is a way of calculating prices that Lin Chen adopted under the influence of his previous life.

Just a book!

Up to now, Lin Chen hasn’t figured out what secret this book holds; it just gives him a strange sense of comfort while reading it.

"It’s too expensive."

Lin Chen put the book down. It’s not that he couldn’t afford one thousand taels. With the rewards from the Military Affairs Hall, Military Affairs Department, and Martial Affairs Office, including what his teacher gave him, he had five thousand taels in Silver Tickets on him.

But having money doesn’t mean he should spend it carelessly.

"In a trade, there’s an asking price and naturally a counteroffer. If you’re sincere about wanting it, name a price." The vendor said with a smile.

"I haven’t seen the back of this book, so it’s hard for me to give a price."

Lin Chen spread his hands and looked at the vendor, "Why not tell me why this book is worth one thousand taels?"

The vendor fell silent.

If he knew why the book was worth one thousand taels, he wouldn’t be here selling it.

"I can only tell you, the material of this book is unusual, impervious to water and fire, and it can’t be torn. If you don’t believe me, you can try."

Hearing the vendor’s words, Lin Chen didn’t reach for it, "What if it tears, won’t you make me pay for it?"

Business is business; Lin Chen had to be cautious. If he actually tore the book, the vendor might hold him accountable.

Although with Senior Brother Qu’s presence, he wasn’t afraid of being extorted, Lin Chen still wanted to confirm.

"If you can tear it, everything else on this stall is yours."

Seeing the vendor’s disdainful look, Lin Chen was convinced that this vendor truly had faith in the book’s material. He picked the book up again, rubbing it, and found that the texture of the paper felt similar to his Thousand Hammer Map.

The value of the Thousand Hammer Map is immeasurable.

Priceless!

Especially for those practicing Horizontal Training.

If you calculate it like this, the book might indeed be worth one thousand taels.

Lin Chen understood that the vendor saw the unusual material and thus set the high price of one thousand taels.

"Nine hundred taels at the minimum, I won’t sell it for less."

The vendor spoke again, "Though I don’t know its use, its water- and fire-resistant and tear-proof material alone is worth a lot. Generally, it’s used for specific things, and you must have an idea about that. If not for needing some silver urgently, I would never sell it."

Lin Chen understood. Though the vendor didn’t know the exact purpose of the book’s contents, he knew that pages made of such water- and fire-resistant material couldn’t be ordinary.

They were used for scrolls that bore the Martial Path Will.

Even a lower-grade Martial Artist’s Martial Path Will scroll could be worth thousands of taels.

Putting himself in the vendor’s shoes, Lin Chen knew the vendor wasn’t lying. If he were the vendor, he wouldn’t sell it for less than three thousand taels unless desperate for silver.

"Okay."

Lin Chen pulled out a Silver Ticket for one thousand taels and handed it to the vendor. The vendor returned a one hundred tael ticket to Lin Chen, "Junior Brother, do you know the origin of this book? Now that it’s yours, why not tell me what it’s for."

"I don’t know." Lin Chen shook his head.

"Junior Brother, if you don’t know, why would you pay nine hundred taels for it?"

The vendor pursed his lips, and Lin Chen smiled and asked, "This book wasn’t passed down in your family, was it? Then how did it end up in your hands?"

If it were a family heirloom, they would know its purpose.

The vendor’s eyes narrowed as he understood Lin Chen’s implication and laughed bitterly, "It seems you’re like me, wanting to take it back and slowly figure it out. Even if you can’t discover its use, you can sell it later. But I initially bought it for one thousand five hundred taels, and in just two years, I’ve lost six hundred taels."

This book won’t have trouble selling, given its material. There will always be someone curious and financially capable who might buy it at a high price.

If he weren’t in financial need, he wouldn’t sell it for just nine hundred taels.

"Would you like to check out other things, Junior Brother?"

Since Lin Chen could spend nine hundred taels on something with an unknown purpose, the vendor guessed he had some financial resources, but Lin Chen declined.

The vendor displayed other goods like medicinal materials, but Lin Chen didn’t lack those.

In the Martial Arts Academy, all his Refining Viscera Realm cultivation expenses were covered. With the Academy’s scale, any medicinal materials Lin Chen needed would be better available there than outside.

Afterward, Lin Chen continued browsing for a while but didn’t purchase anything else.

Half an hour later, everyone had finished browsing, and although Qu Feng didn’t find anything he liked, others had each bought something.

"This pot contains Red Gold Sand. It’s not much, but I only spent one hundred taels on it, so I’ve at least made two hundred taels in profit."

Ye Feng held up a copper pot, and when touched inside, it had a gritty feel.

"The vendor thought this was copper sand, a real oversight."

For Ye Feng, two hundred taels was trivial, but he enjoyed the thrill of a bargain.

Others felt the same, and from their conversations, Lin Chen learned that they had all profited somewhat from their purchases.

But most involved Artifact Refining Materials, accessible to regular Viscera-Refining Martial Artists at slightly cheaper prices in such stalls.