Chapter 27

【Library Points: 1242】

Jiang Ding glanced at his phone.

After adding the animal specimen option, specimen collection accelerated again; he received hundreds or even thousands of specimens daily, with unknown flora and fauna accounting for roughly one-tenth to one-fifth.

‘At this rate, I’ll accumulate ten thousand points in two to three months,’ Jiang Ding thought, slightly pleased.

Ten thousand library points could allow the Central Array Spirit Computer to tailor a cultivation technique, greatly enhancing a cultivator’s compatibility with a specific technique and boosting cultivation speed.

Of course, ten thousand points only applied to Foundation Establishment and below, with restrictions on technique rank.

‘In at most three months—should I refine the ‘Chu Ying Takeoff Sword Art’ or the ‘Great Sun Seed Sword Refinement Method’?’ Jiang Ding hesitated.

The ‘Chu Ying Takeoff Sword Art’ was already partially perfected, improving daily; spending ten thousand points on it would be a waste.

But the ‘Great Sun Seed Sword Refinement Method,’ though excellent, required exceedingly rare materials; whether the ‘Celestial Sound Stone’ seized by the Golden Knife Sect was truly the legendary ‘Taiqing Divine Iron’ remained uncertain.

‘We’ll decide later.’

Jiang Ding sighed, placing his hand on the sword hilt.

‘Master!’

‘Master!’

The courtyard, long unseen, buzzed with activity; clerks and shopkeepers rose to bow, but Jiang Ding waved them off and sat casually in a corner.

The shop had been open for over half a month; its reputation was spreading. Many nearby knew a strange owner had arrived on Broken Plank Street, buying anything—flowers, birds, insects—but never accepting the same item twice.

Including Huang Deyou and Han Lin, the shop had four people total, serving passing herbal collectors, mountain folk, and occasional children or women from the city who’d heard rumors.

‘Yesterday you wanted snake vine and toad grass—why refuse them now? All my hard work wasted?! Ah!’

A weather-beaten herbal collector slammed the counter, furious.

Han Lin’s young face shrunk in fear.

‘Old Li, our shop has a clear rule: first come, first served,’ Huang Deyou hurried over, speaking with mild arrogance, defusing the man’s anger with smooth words until he left, smiling apologetically.

Soon another mountain man stormed in, enraged after being refused for a tiny insect missing a single hair-thin leg; he rushed off to handle it again.

Jiang Ding observed closely and noticed Huang Deyou wasn’t always aloof.

When encountering relatives of minor Wolf Gang leaders or distant kin of constables, his tone softened; even if the goods were substandard, he’d pay a few copper coins from ‘special funds,’ speaking kindly.

No matter who came, he always guided them to follow his terms, ensuring business ran smoothly.

‘Remarkable…’

Jiang Ding silently marveled.

‘If you placed me and Huang Deyou in a world without spiritual energy, he’d live far better than I ever could.’

…

Four Seas Trading Association.

A maid led Jiang Ding to a second-floor private room; tea steamed gently, fragrant, filtered by a thin membrane of true qi around his nostrils.

It wasn’t any technique or martial art—the ‘Chu Ying Takeoff Sword Art,’ compared to mundane internal arts, naturally possessed extraordinarily refined control, almost instinctive, a kind of innate ‘immunity to poisons.’

‘Young Master Jiang’s visit brings honor to my humble establishment!’ Long San hurried over, grinning from afar.

‘Master Long is too kind.’

Jiang Ding bowed slightly.

After routine pleasantries, Jiang Ding cut straight to the point, producing a box containing seven artificial luminescent pearls, each thumb-sized, glowing for over a hundred years.

In a low-tech realm, they held immense luxury value.

‘Master Long, what’s the price?’

Long San was startled.

Again, pearls?

Was this gentleman plundering the nest of some river clam spirit? How else could he have so many glowing pearls?

‘This…’

Long San hesitated.

‘Does the Four Seas Trading Association not buy them?’ Jiang Ding smiled.

‘Of course not. Your goods are too precious—I was merely stunned,’ Long San steadied himself. ‘We’ve shared hardship; I’ll speak plainly. Will you sell more of these in the future? You may not know—too many will lower the price.’

This wasn’t typical merchant talk—too honest.

Yet Long San was certain this man wouldn’t deceive him—at least not for silver.

After a moment’s thought, Jiang Ding replied.

After a moment of thought, Jiang Ding gave his answer.

As a viable exchange medium, he had no desire to change it, but wouldn’t flood any single market and devalue it excessively.

‘Then seven hundred taels per pearl?’

Long San considered.

‘Agreed. Try to exchange for old ginseng.’

…

Leaving Four Seas Trading Association, Jiang Ding weighed the bundle of ginseng boxes tied together, wrapped in black cloth.

One ninety-year ginseng root, three seventy-year roots, seven fifty-year roots, and twelve roots of twenty- to thirty-year age—totaling two thousand two hundred taels of silver; two thousand seven hundred taels in banknotes remained in his pocket.

He’d cleared out nearly all of Four Seas’ old ginseng; they wouldn’t restock for at least half a year.

‘Enough to sustain a month of intense training…’

Jiang Ding mused, walking back to Broken Plank Street, ignoring occasional martial arts matchmaking, monkey shows, temple fairs.

He was content with his current life.

For nearly a month, he’d left home only twice, never wandered aimlessly, avoided all trouble, and cultivated in quiet.

He wasn’t without ways to obtain better herbs—even century-old ginseng, traded only among major factions, was obtainable.

He could simply forage in Dongling Mountain; even with guardian beasts, drone surveillance of the surrounding areas made it possible.

But it was dangerous—and he didn’t want to go.

Jiang Ding halted, frowning.

‘No wonder the books say outer realms are chaotic.’

‘This is a city governed by capable ministers holding military power—and it’s broad daylight. What are they planning?’

From the drone’s perspective,

Three figures—beggar, merchant, peddler—had trailed him all day, pretending to beg or sell goods, but constantly glancing sideways with professional precision.

Without the drone, he’d never have noticed.

‘This is what they call martial world experience.’

Jiang Ding’s expression grew cold; he memorized the three men’s movements, planning to review the footage later, studying and learning.

Drones weren’t infallible—if he faced a Foundation Establishment cultivator or a Qi Refining cultivator trained in eye techniques, they could spot the drone a thousand meters overhead.

If he couldn’t acquire more advanced drones in the future, everything would depend on himself.

He sneered, walked normally into Broken Plank Street, and returned to his shop alone.

The three men made no move to stop him; after confirming his address, they exchanged glances, turned down winding alleys, and entered the back courtyard of a grand, opulent mansion in the eastern quarter.

The three did not stop them; after confirming the address multiple times, they exchanged glances, wound through narrow alleys, and entered the back courtyard of a grand, opulent mansion in eastern town.