Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

The two of them left the clamor of the central plaza, returning to the outer area with its hodgepodge of stalls.

The atmosphere here was starkly different from that of the central area.

There weren’t as many powerful masters here. Instead, it was mostly Loose Cultivators and small-time vendors.

The wares they sold were a motley collection, their authenticity difficult to discern, filled with the rugged air of the Martial World.

"What are we doing here?" Su Yuan asked curiously.

"Looking for an opportunity," Chen Ye replied concisely.

As he walked, he carefully scanned every stall with his Asura’s Eye.

He was falling back on his old trade: treasure hunting.

Though he had already made a round yesterday with little to show for it, the foot traffic was much heavier today, so there was a chance something new might have appeared.

Unfortunately, he was soon disappointed.

He meticulously inspected dozens of stalls. While he did spot a few items that contained halos of Energy and looked promising, the owners were all as shrewd as monkeys. They held firm on their prices, giving him absolutely no room to haggle.

Besides, even if they were willing to sell for less, he couldn’t afford it right now anyway.

’Sigh...’

Chen Ye sighed to himself, once again feeling the squeeze of being broke.

’To have eyes that can see the true nature of treasures but no capital to buy them... The feeling was just too suffocating.’

"What are you looking for?" Su Yuan couldn’t help but ask, seeing him stare endlessly at a pile of scrap metal.

"Something I can trade for money," Chen Ye answered offhandedly.

"How could you get any money from this junk?" Su Yuan asked, completely baffled.

Just then, Chen Ye stopped in front of a stall that sold all sorts of Demon Beast materials.

The stall was quite large. A massive beast hide was spread on the ground, covered with an array of Demon Beast bones, pelts, fangs, and Inner Cores.

The stall owner was a burly, beefy man who reeked of blood. A single glance told you he was a ruthless character, the kind who battled in the mountains and forests year-round.

Chen Ye’s gaze was drawn to a palm-sized, jet-black scale in the corner of the stall.

Under the Asura’s Eye, a halo of incredibly pure, bone-chilling Energy swirled within the scale. Its quality surpassed that of all the other materials at the stall combined.

"What did this scale come from?" Chen Ye asked, pointing to it.

The burly owner glanced up at him. Seeing he was just a plainly dressed teenager, he answered lazily, "A scale from a Black Water Profound Snake. It’s incredibly tough—great material for Armor. What, you interested, kid?"

"How much is it?" Chen Ye asked, his face unreadable.

"One hundred taels of silver. Non-negotiable," the owner said offhandedly.

Chen Ye frowned.

He didn’t have one hundred taels on him.

He also knew with certainty that the owner had no idea what he was selling. Otherwise, a scale like this would be worth far more than one hundred taels.

He had heard of the Black Water Profound Snake. It was a powerful Demon Beast that lived in frigid waters, and an adult was said to be as strong as a Sea Condensation Realm Cultivator.

The Energy contained within this scale, however, far surpassed that of an ordinary Black Water Profound Snake. It had likely come from a mutated specimen or even a Snake King with a purer bloodline.

Its true value, therefore, had to be at least five hundred taels.

But the problem was, he had no money.

"It’s too expensive." Chen Ye shook his head and prepared to walk away.

"Then don’t ask if you think it’s too expensive," the owner waved a hand dismissively.

Chen Ye turned to leave, but his mind was already racing.

’I have to get my hands on that scale. It’s the only real bargain I’ve seen today.’

"Hey, you took a liking to that old scale?" Su Yuan asked curiously as she caught up to him.

"Yeah."

"Then why didn’t you buy it?"

"No money," Chen Ye answered bluntly.

Su Yuan blinked, then said with a sudden, cheeky grin, "I can lend you the money."

Chen Ye stopped in his tracks and looked back at her, surprised.

"You have money?"

"Of course," Su Yuan said, proudly patting her small coin purse. "My master gave me a ton of money before I left."

Chen Ye looked at her smug expression and was rendered speechless.

’So this is the difference between a Sect disciple and a Loose Cultivator.’

He hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "No, that’s alright."

He didn’t like being indebted to people, especially a Demoness with a quirky personality like Su Yuan. Who knew what strange conditions she might demand in return?

"Why not?" Su Yuan looked at him, confused. "Aren’t we friends? Isn’t that what friends are for, helping each other?"

"Well, I don’t like borrowing money!" With that, Chen Ye resumed his aimless wandering, head down.

Seeing this, Su Yuan pouted but didn’t press the issue.

But Chen Ye couldn’t stop thinking about the Black Water Profound Snake scale.

’Snatching it is out of the question. Putting aside whether I could even beat that burly owner, starting a fight in Qingzhou Prefecture City is a death sentence.’

’Am I really going to just watch a treasure like this slip through my fingers?’

He was deeply unwilling to let it go.

Just as he was at a loss, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He had just remembered the booth he saw on the second floor yesterday. With a new idea, he turned and headed for the second floor of the central plaza.

Not knowing what he was up to, Su Yuan followed behind him.

Once they reached the second floor, Chen Ye stopped in front of a particular booth.

The wooden sign at the entrance still bore the same words: "Seeking to purchase all ancient texts, insights, and secrets related to Saber Techniques. Price negotiable."

What Chen Ye needed most right now was money. And the most valuable thing he possessed, aside from the long saber he was currently nurturing, was likely the knowledge of the Saber Technique stored in his mind.