Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

Its contents were just as unremarkable as its cover. After a moment’s inspection, however, Chen Ye’s eyes lit up.

First, the contents were simple and straightforward, with nothing profound or mysterious. It just taught one how to cultivate a bond with a sword, establish a connection, and even nurture a trace of Spiritual Energy within it.

Second, using his Asura’s Eye, Chen Ye discovered that threads of Sword Intent were hidden between the book’s lines, likely left behind by the author. Despite the passage of time, they were still sharp enough to make his eyes sting.

This was enough to prove the book was no ordinary object; it had simply been overlooked because its appearance and contents were too plain.

Chen Ye suppressed his excitement, his face remaining impassive.

In these situations, the more interest one showed, the more likely the vendor was to notice something and jack up the price on the spot.

Feigning a lack of interest, Chen Ye put the Sword Nurturing Technique back down. Then, he picked up a dark, lumpy piece of ore next to it and began to inspect it.

"Shopkeeper, how much is this lump of metal?" Chen Ye asked casually, weighing the ore in his hand.

The vendor was a lean, middle-aged man with a goatee. His eyes darted about, betraying a shrewd cunning.

He shot Chen Ye a sideways glance and said lazily, "My young brother, you have a good eye. That’s Celestial Meteorite Iron, a prime material for crafting Magical Artifacts. If you’re serious about buying, I’ll let it go for one hundred taels of silver."

The prices of gold and silver were extremely high in this region. At first, Chen Ye had assumed it was due to a scarcity of mines, but he later discovered that wasn’t the case at all.

There was no lack of mineral resources here. The problem was that most of the gold and silver produced was monopolized by Celestial Sword Manor and other Major Sects. He’d heard they refined the metals to extract their sharp, martial essence for forging swords and aiding in Cultivation.

This directly linked gold and silver to Cultivation Resources, making them a true hard currency.

Upon hearing the vendor’s price, Chen Ye scoffed inwardly.

’Celestial Meteorite Iron? Please. Under my Asura’s Eye, this thing is just a muddled mass of gray energy—worse than a decent piece of Mortal Iron. It’s nothing but a useless rock.’

"One hundred taels? Why don’t you just go rob someone?" Chen Ye tossed the ore back onto the stall and sneered. "Everything you’re selling looks like junk you pulled out of some dusty corner."

"Hey! What kind of talk is that, young brother!" The vendor sat bolt upright, clearly offended. "Everything on this stall is a treasure I’ve risked life and limb to find traveling all over the continent! If you can’t recognize good stuff when you see it, don’t run your mouth!"

"Alright, alright," Chen Ye said, waving his hand impatiently. His gaze fell back on the worn-out copy of the Sword Nurturing Technique, as if there was nothing else to see, and he reluctantly picked it up again.

"And what about this piece of junk? Don’t tell me it’s some ancient, secret manual," he said, flicking the yellowed pages with a disgusted look on his face.

"You’re actually right. This truly is a manual passed down from ancient times. If you don’t believe me, look at the paper, look at the writing." The vendor began spouting nonsense with a completely straight face.

Chen Ye laughed. "Alright, Shopkeeper, no one here is an idiot. Stop making up stories. Just give me a price. If it’s decent, I might just buy it as a novelty."

"Five... Fifty taels of silver!" The vendor started to raise one finger, but as if catching himself, he shot out a full, open palm instead.

Chen Ye didn’t even bother to argue. He just scoffed, dropped the book, and started to walk away.

Su Yuan watched from the side, curious. She was about to say something when Chen Ye grabbed her and shot her a look, warning her to stay quiet. Then he started walking away without a hint of hesitation.

The vendor finally started to panic. Business was slow, and he hadn’t made a single sale all morning. He quickly called out to stop Chen Ye.

"Hey, young brother, wait! Name your price."

Only then did Chen Ye stop. He turned back, held up a single finger toward the vendor, and said, "One tael of silver. Maximum."

The vendor’s face paled. He almost cursed aloud but managed to choke it back. "No! That’s way too low. You’re just messing with me. The paper alone is worth more than one tael of silver! Minimum thirty taels of silver."

"Five taels," Chen Ye countered without batting an eye.

"Twenty-eight taels."

In the end, after some back-and-forth, Chen Ye acquired the Sword Nurturing Technique for a price of twelve taels of silver.

After they had left, a smug smile appeared on the vendor’s face.

He had acquired the Sword Nurturing Technique from a down-and-out man for less than one tael of silver. Now, he’d flipped it for twelve taels, a profit of more than ten times. It was a massive windfall.

What he didn’t know, however, was that Chen Ye was just as satisfied with the transaction.

After all, getting his hands on such a manual for a mere dozen taels of silver was an absolute steal.

Su Yuan, however, watched Chen Ye’s excited face with curiosity, failing to understand why he would spend money on a worthless old book.

She knew that true Cultivation manuals were never recorded on ordinary paper, let alone sold at such a price. This was most likely just some notes jotted down by a bored Cultivator.

’And while a Cultivator’s personal notes could be somewhat useful, they were usually worthless. After all, someone else’s Cultivation experience would never be a perfect fit for you and might even lead you astray. She figured Chen Ye was just inexperienced and had been swindled.’

Still, she couldn’t be bothered to warn him. It wasn’t her silver, so why should she care?