In contrast to the angry curses of the crowd, one scar-faced youth remained silent. But the disbelief in his eyes quickly morphed into jealous hatred, venom, and a barely perceptible trace of greed.
"Why?! Why does that little bastard have such good luck, getting his hands on a treasured blade like that! Why wasn't I the one to get it? That's four thousand gold coins!"
The more he thought about it, the harder it was to accept. The scar-faced youth glanced in the direction the two had left, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.
When Wang Zhi first grabbed him, Zhou Changqing was stunned and instinctively tried to shake his hand off. But after hearing what he said, his mind raced, and he quickly understood the man's intentions. So, Zhou Changqing stopped struggling and let Wang Zhi pull him away.
Soon, the two arrived at a bank in the central area of the marketplace. Most banks in the Jia Ma Empire were established by the imperial family and were thus considered imperial banks. While some other powerful clans also operated their own banks, their scale was nothing compared to the imperial ones. Backed by the imperial family's reputation, the imperial banks had become the core of the empire's financial system. Here, anyone could safely deposit their savings and withdraw them at any time.
Furthermore, powerful individuals could even apply for special gold cards, which served as both proof of savings and a status symbol. Wang Zhi's gold card, for example, with its green and silver wave pattern, was something only cultivators at the Dou Master level or higher could apply for.
After entering the bank, Wang Zhi swiftly transferred four thousand gold coins from his card to a new single-stripe gold card issued to Zhou Changqing. He then left in a great hurry, as if terrified that Zhou Changqing might go back on their deal.
It was no wonder Wang Zhi was so anxious. As someone who frequently ventured into the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts and lived a life of constant battle, a good weapon was of utmost importance. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent a fortune to custom-order a greatblade of hundred-refined steel inlaid with a Monster Core. That blade was tough, extremely durable, and incredibly sharp. Coupled with the Monster Core's ability to amplify his Dou Qi, it could boost his combat power by thirty to forty percent.
But compared to the Ghost Head Blade that Zhou Changqing had sold him, his own saber paled in comparison. Although it didn't amplify Dou Qi, Wang Zhi, with his years of experience with weapons, was certain it could double his strength! After all, the blade's sharpness alone was enough to slice through the protective Dou Qi mantle of a six-star Dou Master.
With this advantage, if Wang Zhi were to fight for his life, even seven or eight-star Dou Masters would have to avoid a direct confrontation. A single moment of carelessness could lead to their immediate demise. Such a massive boost in combat power, even without raising one's cultivation realm, was enough to drive countless Dou Masters into a frenzy. Based on this alone, the blade's value was no less than that of an ordinary Tier 2 medicinal pill.
(Although the Foundation Elixir sold for forty thousand in the original novel, that was because it was a top-tier Tier 2 pill with an irreplaceable effect, not to mention the inflated price from the auction. Other ordinary Tier 2 pills should be priced between five thousand and twenty thousand.)
Having acquired such a formidable weapon for a mere four thousand gold coins, a huge bargain, how could Wang Zhi not be afraid of Zhou Changqing changing his mind?
Watching Wang Zhi's rapidly disappearing back, Zhou Changqing shook his head slightly, then pocketed the gold card and left the bank. He had figured out from Wang Zhi's reaction that the Ghost Head Blade he had spent half a month refining was definitely worth more than four thousand gold coins.
But Zhou Changqing didn't care. It was just an ordinary blade that could cut through iron. If he wanted to, he could refine another one in less than half a month. Compared to his previous income of ten gold coins a month, earning four thousand in half a month was already incredible.
Besides, while the Ghost Head Blade was decent, in his eyes, it couldn't truly be considered a product of artifact refinement—it was more like reprocessing a finished product. The loss was negligible. He would just consider it a special discount for his first customer.
Walking home along the bluestone path, a faint smile remained on Zhou Changqing's lips. He felt a sense of satisfaction as he touched the gold card in his pocket.
"Now that I have some capital, it's time to start my plan to make money breed more money. After all, four thousand gold coins won't be enough to buy what I truly want."
As he walked, Zhou Changqing contemplated his next steps. He now had a cultivation method, but he still lacked Dou Techniques. Without them, he couldn't unleash his full potential—a fatal weakness. Therefore, he had to buy one, and it had to be at least a middle-grade Huang Rank technique. Four thousand gold coins seemed like a lot, but it paled in comparison to the cost of such a skill.
Furthermore, he needed to collect a large number of books on topics like formation arrays. He was not content with merely refining ordinary blades like the Ghost Head Blade and already had a general idea for the weapons he wanted to forge in the future, for which knowledge of formations was indispensable.
And that wasn't all. He couldn't rely on ordinary iron for his refinement forever; its potential was far too limited. This meant he would need special metals, and in large quantities. Although not as expensive as precious medicinal ingredients, they were not cheap. Some rare metals were even as valuable as high-tier medicinal ingredients!
Thinking about all this, did four thousand gold coins still seem like a lot? Everything required money.
"You never realize how little money you have until you need to spend it," he sighed.
"Hm?"
With that thought, Zhou Changqing arrived at the gate to his small courtyard. But just as he was about to open it, his raised hand suddenly froze.
As a transmigrator, his soul was much stronger than an ordinary person's. Even Xiao Yan, another transmigrator, was likely slightly inferior to him in this regard. Therefore, in terms of spiritual perception, he was on par with a Dou Master.
His mind had been wandering earlier, so he hadn't noticed anything. But the moment he refocused to open the gate, he clearly sensed the presence of someone else inside his courtyard.
Zhou Changqing's eyes narrowed. Why would there be someone in his home?
The lock on the gate wasn't broken, which meant they hadn't entered that way. So, it couldn't be Xiao Yan. Given Xiao Yan's current composed personality, even if he came by and found him gone, he would never climb the wall. He would simply leave and return later. That left only one possibility: the visitor had ill intentions.
"Could it be that today's events have attracted someone's covetous eyes?" Thinking about the commotion he had caused at the Xiao Clan Marketplace and the four thousand gold coins now in his possession, it was hard for him not to be suspicious.
However, since he had detected the person so easily and their aura didn't feel particularly strong, it meant their strength couldn't be much greater than his own. They might even be weaker.