Chapter 45

In the following days, Zhou Qing rarely left his quarters, fully immersed in comprehending the Silver Dragon Hand and Silver Dragon Step.

Moreover, he once again lucked into a spirit egg; as he absorbed it, a soothing sensation spread through his entire body, and he could clearly sense the black-and-white spirit cores gradually growing stronger.

Hearing that Lu Yaoyao had entered seclusion to break through to Foundation Establishment, Zhou Qing found his life pleasantly carefree without her bothering him.

“Little Four, today’s the last day of the Artifact Exchange Fair—let’s go check it out!”

Early in the morning, Yan Xiaohu rushed over to find Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing didn’t even think—he immediately refused.

Yan Xiaohu seemed to have anticipated this, grinning: “Come on, what’s there to fear? Whether it’s real or fake, everyone in the Five Sects knows our nature—no big deal.”

“Besides, I’ve been wandering around all these days, and no one’s actually called me a rogue to my face—worst they do is point and whisper, spit at my back.”

Zhou Qing: “...”

As the Five Sects’ Artifact Exchange Fair, held only once every twenty years, reached its final day, the crowd didn’t dwindle—it swelled even more.

After all, leaving a day early or late made no difference.

Amid the bustling, packed crowd, Zhou Qing strolled leisurely, leading his chicken, following behind his Third Senior Brother, glancing left and right.

Many behind him pointed and whispered, but Zhou Qing took it in stride—everything was already out in the open, and others’ mouths were their own; what could he do?

“Huh—”

Soon, the Silver Dragon Hand within Zhou Qing spontaneously activated again, followed by a response from the Silver Dragon Step.

“Could something valuable be nearby?” Zhou Qing’s heart leapt with excitement as he quickly scanned the surroundings.

“Little Four, slow down!” Yan Xiaohu called out in confusion.

Soon, Zhou Qing arrived at a stall, his gaze instantly locking onto a small bronze brazier, no larger than a palm.

The brazier showed clear signs of age, its surface pitted with rust in many places.

Zhou Qing was certain it was the source of the response, and immediately activated [Daily Appraisal].

Useless Brazier: An ordinary brazier, but its inner walls have been infused with the blood of a dying Suanni—when refined with elixir fire, it can extract a trace of precious blood.

Upon reading the appraisal, Zhou Qing’s pupils sharply contracted.

A dying beast—the Suanni—was an exceedingly rare spirit beast; the fact that both the Silver Dragon Hand and Silver Dragon Step responded to it meant the dried blood within held great benefits for these two techniques.

“Senior Brother, how much for this item?” Zhou Qing asked, pointing at the brazier.

The vendor, a disciple of Tianji Sect, immediately stood up warmly upon seeing a buyer.

“Senior Brother has excellent taste—this is a rare elixir brazier! Clearly, you’re a noble alchemist. Fixed price: two hundred low-grade spirit stones!” The vendor held up two fingers.

Beside him, Yan Xiaohu couldn’t help interjecting: “This broken pot’s an elixir brazier? First, it’s tiny—where are the three legs? The lid? The furnace mirror?”

The vendor flushed awkwardly under Yan Xiaohu’s three rapid questions.

“Since my junior brother truly wants it, two it is!” Yan Xiaohu began haggling.

The vendor immediately shook his head: “No, no—too low. I won’t even make a profit. Twenty low-grade spirit stones.”

“Fine, twenty it is!” Zhou Qing replied without hesitation, reaching for his money.

Yan Xiaohu panicked, grabbing Zhou Qing’s arm: “This junk isn’t worth that! You agreed too fast—you still lack experience! I could’ve gotten it down to...”

“I’ll offer thirty!” A voice cut in from beside them.

Both turned to see several disciples of Cangyan Dao Palace striding over, heads held high.

The lead man had a steady aura, his strength roughly equal to Yan Xiaohu’s.

At this bid, the Tianji Sect vendor’s eyes lit up.

“Bad luck—it’s Yin Xiao! I heard he’s chasing Cui Yingying—you peeked at her bathing, and this? He’s clearly here to pick a fight.”

Yan Xiaohu quickly whispered to Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing’s expression darkened instantly.

“Is this thing important to you? If not, I can pretend to be a shill and really screw this vendor over!” Yan Xiaohu whispered.

Zhou Qing gave a slight nod.

Yan Xiaohu immediately regretted it.

“You’re the peeping tom Zhou Qing?” Yin Xiao glanced at the old hen tied to Zhou Qing’s side, then scanned him coldly.

Behind him, the other Cangyan Dao Palace disciples crossed their arms, faces hostile.

Clearly, they were here to defend Cui Yingying.

This kind of sneering attitude? Zhou Qing wouldn’t tolerate it.

Seeing Yin Xiao’s scowling face, Zhou Qing suddenly smiled.

“You’ve heard about me? Let me tell you—that night was wild. The pool was thick with mist, girls everywhere—especially a few core disciples—I couldn’t take my eyes off them...”

“Insolent!” Yin Xiao stomped forward, a terrifying aura erupting instantly.

Yan Xiaohu stepped in front of Zhou Qing: “Wanna fight? Come on, let’s go to the square!”

Yin Xiao glared at Zhou Qing, fists clenched until his knuckles cracked—he wanted to devour him alive.

But then he sneered, glancing at Yan Xiaohu.

“Two scumbags, you’ll regret this. Thirty spirit stones—wrap it up!”

Yin Xiao turned to the vendor, speaking like a command.

Yan Xiaohu immediately shouted: “I’ll give fifty!”

“I’ll give a hundred!” Zhou Qing added, both brothers staring at Yin Xiao with Tiaoxin expressions.

The Tianji Sect vendor’s eyes nearly vanished into smiles.

After years of dealing, he loved scenes like this.

“One hundred thirty!” Yin Xiao shot back.

Yan Xiaohu didn’t hesitate: “One hundred eighty!”

“I’ll go three hundred!” Zhou Qing called out.

Yin Xiao frowned—he still didn’t even know what he was bidding on, only seeing these two peeping tombs haggling and shouting.

He’d intended to trick them, but they’d turned the tables, now annoying him instead.

But he was trapped now—if he backed down, he’d lose face.

Fine. You like playing? Let’s play.

“Five hundred!” Yin Xiao locked eyes with them and shouted again.

“Eight hundred!”

“One thousand!”

“One thousand three!”

“I’ll go one thousand eight!”

“Dare you add two thousand?”

“Two thousand it is!”

“Sold!”

Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu spoke in unison.

Yin Xiao froze.

“You’re not raising it?”

Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu exchanged glances, grinning: “Nope, nope. You Cangyan Dao Palace folks really have money—spending so much on a broken brazier. Senior Brother, you owe us dinner.”

Zhou Qing smiled at the vendor.

The Tianji Sect disciple’s face beamed as he nodded eagerly.

“Alright, we’ll be off then!”

Zhou Qing turned and walked away with Yan Xiaohu.

The Tianji Sect vendor hurriedly picked up the brazier and offered it with both hands, beaming.

“Brother, two thousand low-grade spirit stones!”

Yin Xiao stared at the brazier—shaped like a chamber pot—and blinked.

Just moments ago, those two had shouted higher and higher—especially Yan Xiaohu, spitting saliva, face nearly pressed against the vendor’s.

He’d been dragged in by accident—spending two thousand just for this thing?

The other Cangyan Dao Palace disciples quietly stepped back.

They knew Yin Xiao didn’t have this much money—what if he asked them to chip in?

(End of Chapter)