Returning to the stone table, Zhou Changqing sat down and began to consider what to do with the Ghost-Headed Broadsword.
He had no intention of keeping it for himself.
Although the broadsword was domineering, it clearly didn't suit his temperament. Zhou Changqing could even picture it: there he would be, clad in white robes, looking as ethereal as a worldly immortal, only to suddenly pull out a massive, ghost-headed cleaver in the middle of a battle.
The sheer dissonance of it!
The thought alone was enough to send a shiver down his spine.
But if he wasn't going to use it, his only option was to sell it. Letting it sit around would be a complete waste. This would also be a good opportunity to test the market value of his Iron-Cleaving Mortal Weapons and begin to establish a foothold.
However, selling weapons meant confronting an unavoidable obstacle: Wu Tan City's weapons tycoon, Cherlo.
Having grown up in a family of blacksmiths, Zhou Changqing had heard of Cherlo from a very young age. After all, the tycoon was inextricably linked to his family's source of income. By the same token, he was keenly aware of the consequences of entering the weapons market without Cherlo's permission.
A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resolve.
"I'll do it. As long as I'm in Wu Tan City and want to make money through weapon forging, a confrontation with Cherlo is inevitable."
"Worst case, I'll just run for it."
He needed resources for his cultivation and materials for his forging, both of which required a vast amount of money. Now that he finally had a viable path through weapon forging, there was no way Zhou Changqing would give it up. He couldn't possibly survive on the meager ten gold coins he received each month.
Besides, he wasn't without his own trump cards now.
Thinking of this, Zhou Changqing looked inward at the Dou Qi vortex in his dantian, which had grown considerably larger over the past two months. He hadn't just been forging; he had been diligently cultivating his Dou Qi as well.
Although his cultivation technique halved his efficiency, his progress was still remarkable. Perhaps it was the result of a six-year foundation finally erupting all at once. In just two months, Zhou Changqing's realm had soared, jumping directly from a one-star Dou Zhe to a five-star Dou Zhe.
At the level of a five-star Dou Zhe, coupled with the advantage of his dual attributes, Zhou Changqing was confident he had no equal among ordinary Dou Zhes. If he were armed with one of his own Iron-Cleaving Mortal Weapons, he could even contend with an ordinary Dou Shi, as long as they hadn't mastered a Xuan-rank Dou Technique.
As for Cherlo, while he himself was a Da Dou Shi, he had fewer than a dozen Dou Shi under his command. The rest were just Dou Zhe-level grunts. As long as Cherlo didn't act personally or swarm him with overwhelming numbers, none of his subordinates would stand a chance against Zhou Changqing.
And if Cherlo did decide to take the field himself? Zhou Changqing wasn't an idiot; he knew how to run. The Jia Ma Empire had more than just Wu Tan City.
With his decision made, Zhou Changqing sprang into action. He sheathed the Ghost-Headed Broadsword in its custom-made scabbard and wrapped it in a piece of fine cloth to give it a sense of prestige. Then, carrying his merchandise, he left the house.
After leaving his small courtyard, Zhou Changqing joined the flow of people on the street and headed toward the Xiao Clan's Marketplace.
A quarter of an hour later, after winding through several streets, Zhou Changqing finally reached his destination. A massive stone archway stood before him, with a plaque at the top bearing several large, flamboyantly calligraphed characters:
Xiao Clan Marketplace!
Two Xiao Clan guards flanked the archway. Below, a steady stream of people flowed in and out of the main gate, and a single glance was enough to tell they were not ordinary commoners.
After a brief look, Zhou Changqing walked toward the archway. He entered the marketplace without any trouble.
Inside, his gaze was met by a sea of people and countless stalls lining both sides of the street. This wasn't Zhou Changqing's first time here; he had visited a few times out of curiosity in the past, hoping to stumble upon a cultivation technique that suited him. After all, that was the kind of fortuitous encounter many protagonists had in the novels of his past life.
Unfortunately, he had come up empty-handed every time. It made sense, really. How could such a wonderful thing happen to him? Even if such a treasure did exist, it was likely reserved for the son of fortune, Xiao Yan.
Navigating the dense crowd, Zhou Changqing arrived at the Xiao Clan's administrative office within the marketplace. He painfully handed over ten gold coins as a stall fee and was assigned a spot on the market's periphery.
"As expected, a place like the marketplace isn't for ordinary people," Zhou Changqing couldn't help but sigh on his way to the stall.
If one were to name the most prosperous place in Wu Tan City, it would undoubtedly be the marketplace. Ordinary civilians were practically nonexistent here; the only customers were cultivators. The terrifying spending power of cultivators went without saying. The three great clans could make a fortune just by collecting fees for maintaining order and providing security.
Before long, Zhou Changqing arrived at his designated stall. It wasn't so much a stall as a three-meter-wide patch of empty ground, completely bare. Fortunately, he had anticipated this and come prepared.
He took out a two-meter length of coarse cloth and spread it on the ground. Then, he took out a brush and ink, wrote a few characters on the cloth, and sat down behind it. He placed the wrapped Ghost-Headed Broadsword on the cloth, right next to the writing.
With everything set up, all he had to do was wait for a buyer.
The marketplace was never short on curious people. From the crowd, a burly man in his thirties happened to glance over and notice the newly appeared stall. His curiosity piqued, the man strode over.
"Hey, shopkeeper, what are you selling? Why's it all covered up?" the burly man, Wang Zhi, asked as he drew closer. His interest was hooked when he saw that the only thing on the stall was a long, wrapped bundle.
Other stalls displayed herbs, monster cores, or healing salves—items related to cultivation and combat. This stall, with its single, mysterious item, seemed completely out of place.
Seeing that someone had approached, Zhou Changqing showed no enthusiasm. He simply gestured with his chin toward the writing on the cloth. It wasn't that he was bad at socializing, but if he wanted to sell his wares for a good price, he had to cultivate the right image.
It was like courtship. If you eagerly fawned over someone, you wouldn't necessarily earn their affection; instead, you'd just make yourself look cheap. But if you acted a little distant, others might look at you with more respect, or even become intrigued out of a sense of defiance. After all, people always want what they can't have, and what comes easy is never appreciated.
Seeing Zhou Changqing's gesture, Wang Zhi looked where he was pointing and saw several lines of large characters written next to the long bundle. He subconsciously read the words aloud.
"Iron-Cleaving Treasure Blade. A rarity in this world. Only one in existence. For sale to one with destiny!"