Chapter 88

Uesugi Toru pressed down the violently reacting Kaga Kiyomitsu, asking in as calm a tone as possible: "May I ask the price of this sword tip?"

Katsumi snapped open his folding fan with a slap, raising five fingers.

500 points of Soul Ash?

Uesugi Toru's eyes brightened — could such a good thing really fall to him?

The two ingots beside the God of Wealth Hat on Katsumi's head swayed; he smiled and said: "It requires Soul Ash of your purity, Adult — five thousand portions."

"Five thousand?"

"Adult, this is an extremely reasonable price." Katsumi said leisurely, "During that Ikedaya battle, I risked my life to steal this sword tip from under the Shinsengumi's noses, and nearly got beheaded by that brat Kondo for it!"

Put that way, were all these strange goods from different eras personally sourced by this Katsumi?

Then how long had he lived?

Katsumi sighed: "Moreover, this is already a fifty percent discount given your identity, Adult, and your status as the first customer in this Region."

"If not for me, this sword tip would still be buried in some patch of dirt who knows where."

The logic was indeed that logic.

Rarity determines value, and Kaga Kiyomitsu's sword tip exists as a single piece in the entire world.

Uesugi Toru fully agreed with Katsumi's asking price.

But unaffordable was unaffordable.

He shook his head: "I can't afford this sword tip for now; would you mind keeping it for me, Boss Katsumi?"

"My pleasure."

Katsumi bowed slightly, put away the sword tip, then waved his hand to place three vivid Noh Masks on the Counter.

They were respectively a white White Lady Mask, a red Red Demon Mask, and a black Black Wrath God Mask.

"I will only remain in this special Region for three more days, so please accept these three masks, Adult." Katsumi explained, "If Adult wishes to summon me to purchase Miscellaneous Goods, simply don the mask."

"Naturally, the three masks also correspond to different spending prices: two thousand, ten thousand, and fifty thousand portions of Soul Ash respectively."

Katsumi stacked the masks and pushed them before Uesugi Toru: "The higher the spending price, the faster I will arrive, and I will also additionally answer some past secrets and doubts for Adult."

Uesugi Toru thought to himself: as expected of a merchant who knows not how long he has lived — he has even figured out a VIP tier system.

He accepted the masks, thanked him, then fell into contemplation.

Although Katsumi's goods were generally outrageously expensive, since he hung a sign claiming to carry everything, there would naturally be things cheap enough for him to use.

— Then, what Props, Skills, or Weapons did he currently still need?

Uesugi Toru contemplated for a long time; Katsumi did not disturb him, merely humming a classic Noh tune, faintly recognizable as a passage from the Tale of the Heike.

"— Boss Katsumi, what do you think I still need?"

Giving up on the fruitless thinking, Uesugi Toru decided to directly ask Katsumi — this Four-Star Ghost God, a Ghost God Level perspective was absolutely broader than his own, and a merchant would never turn away business delivered to his door.

This way, wasn't he essentially getting a Free Ride on Katsumi's advice?

"Adult, you really are…"

Katsumi laughed cheerfully twice: "I see Adult cultivates the Corona Breathing Technique and Tennen Rishin-ryu; your potential seems world-rare even within Prajna."

Uesugi Toru said nothing, tacitly acknowledging it.

Uesugi Toru, his entire background laid bare in an instant, was not startled — from prior Knowledge, Katsumi had lived at least several hundred years; who knows, he might have even sat down for tea with the creators of those two arts.

Katsumi pondered briefly, then placed two identical arm guards gleaming with cold light on the table:

"Two Cold Steel Arm Guards, one offense one defense, should be extremely suited to Adult's combat style."

Uesugi Toru picked them up respectively to examine —

【Cold Steel Arm Guard·Defend (Left Hand)】

【Quality: Superior Quality】

【Effect: Extraordinary defense, capable of blocking most slashes.】

【— Hard! Hard! Hard!】

【Cold Steel Arm Guard·Power (Right Hand)】

【Quality: Superior Quality】

【Effect: When wielding a sword single-handed, grants the sword hand a continuous strength boost.】

【— Both hands naturally more wonderful, single hand not necessarily impossible!】

Indeed, Katsumi's discernment Far Exceeded his own.

Because of his powerful Physique Attribute, the left arm guard could serve as a shield without occupying the left hand slot, while still allowing the Berserk effect to function normally.

And the right arm guard could, in the opening created by freeing the left hand as a shield, keep single-handed sword swings from losing too much speed and power.

Though the attributes were simple and crude, the effect produced by their complementarity was undoubtedly the most suitable Equipment for him!

"Five hundred Soul Ash each." Katsumi said, "This is roughly the cost price of these two custom arm guards."

Still couldn't afford it.

Still, couldn't afford it!

Uesugi Toru gazed at the Soul Ash Reserve he had originally thought wealthy and fell silent.

— Looks like he'd have to push back the Gacha Pull days; these two days he needed to quickly save enough Soul Ash and make another trip to Katsumi's shop.

"Ara, so Adult is actually this poor."

Watching Uesugi Toru holding the two arm guards yet not paying, Katsumi appeared quite startled.

A moment later, his God of Wealth Hat twitched, and he unexpectedly bowed again to Uesugi Toru with emotion: "Long Time since I've encountered a Walker like Adult who doesn't exploit identity for profit."

Before Uesugi Toru could understand the Meaning of those words, Katsumi solemnly set down his folding fan, and with both hands took out a Crystal, slightly flawed Green Jade Slip:

"Adult, the ancient art sealed within will undoubtedly further improve your strength."

Uesugi Toru froze.

What kind of development is this? Could it be that being poor to a certain degree triggers hidden plotlines?

He took the jade slip, his pupils involuntarily shrinking.

【Jade Record·Remnant (Special Prop)】

【Effect: Can perfectly seal techniques below four stars within it; whoever opens it can immediately learn it.】

【——Jade Shatter Gravel, hard to find once in ten years.】

No way, he couldn't even afford two standard arm guards, yet he could afford this?

Uesugi Toru hesitated: "This thing..."

Katsumi interrupted him for the first time: "This thing only costs Soul Ash, three hundred."

"Three hundred!?"

Uesugi Toru did not agree outright, but instead vigilantly put down the jade slip and asked: "Boss Katsumi, what do you need my help with?"

"What you say, Adult, I just want to form a good karmic bond with you."

Katsumi rarely spoke without his usual joking tone, he sighed slowly,

"Not to mention that Walkers in Chang Shi have mostly vanished without a trace; even when that one was still around, conscientious Walkers like you, Adult, were few and far between."

This blocked back the question Uesugi Toru had originally planned to ask later: "What are a Walker's duties?"

Although he didn't know what the other had imagined, it was ultimately something very beneficial to himself.

Uesugi Toru nodded calmly, and took out two hundred Soul Ash to hand to Katsumi: "Then I'll take this Jade Record·Remnant."

End of Chapter