Chapter 80: Fated Opportunity

However, Su Yuanshan only spat out two words: "Not for sale!"

That person looked regretful upon hearing this and turned to leave; the other onlookers also gradually dispersed.

On both sides of the street, there were many small, pocket-sized stalls, but unfortunately, very few people stopped, as it was clear that most people did not think much of them.

Other stall owners couldn't help but call out when they saw those cultivators passing by.

"Come take a look! My goods here are complete, high-quality, and inexpensive!"

"Pills, freshly baked top-grade pills, want to buy some?"

"Does anyone want Liushan Crystal? It's cheap!"

However, some stall owners were closing their eyes and feigning sleep, not participating in the shouting. They didn't know if it was because they lacked confidence in the goods they were selling, or if they felt their goods didn't need to be touted.

Or perhaps they considered themselves too noble and disdained to shout. No one knew what they were thinking, but it was certain that everyone had their own calculations.

Regarding these small stalls, Su Yuanshan only glanced at them and did not linger, because the things displayed on those small stalls were of little value to him, so he quickly lost interest and only wanted to go to the auction house to take a look.

However, suddenly, upon reaching a street corner, he stopped in his tracks and turned his head to look at an inconspicuous little stall in the corner of the wall. The stall owner appeared to be an old cultivator with white hair and beard; he was holding his sleeves, leaning against the corner of the wall, and squinting his eyes, seemingly dozing off.

However, Su Yuanshan's attention did not seem to be on him, but on an ancient book placed in front of him. From that ancient book,

Su Yuanshan could feel a special energy; this energy seemed as if it did not come from this world! This made him feel somewhat surprised. Although that ancient book looked ordinary, tattered, and in some places seemed to be missing pages.

Su Yuanshan walked straight over, deliberately pointed to another book nearby, and asked.

"Fellow Daoist, how much for this book?"

The old man finally opened his eyes, glanced at him, and answered unhurriedly.

"If you want it, one thousand spirit stones!"

Hearing the demand for one thousand spirit stones, he couldn't help but smile.

"Fellow Daoist, you really are opening your mouth like a lion. This tattered book, I'm afraid no one would want it even for ten spirit stones, right?"

Although Su Yuanshan's tone was not very friendly, the old cultivator did not seem to argue with him and just said indifferently.

"What I, this old man, sell is merely a fated opportunity; the price is just an accessory!

If someone thinks the price is appropriate, they buy it; if someone thinks the price is inappropriate, they can leave!"

His tone was very much like a swindler, which made many passersby laugh, and Su Yuanshan also smiled faintly and said.

"It seems I don't have this fated opportunity!"

Saying this, he pointed to another book and asked.

"How much for this book?"

Seeming to feel that Su Yuanshan had no sincerity, the old man closed his eyes again and said slowly.

"This one is even more expensive than that one; I think you have no affinity with it either!"

Su Yuanshan said.

"Let's hear it? If the price is right, why wouldn't I buy it?"

This time the old cultivator didn't speak, just held up a finger, that finger as thin as a twig.

Su Yuanshan raised his eyebrows and said.

"Is it also one thousand spirit stones?"

However, the old cultivator shook his head, seemingly opening his mouth like a lion again.

"No, it's ten thousand!"

"Ten thousand?"

The people around exclaimed, and many couldn't help but laugh.

"I think he's gone crazy with poverty!"

"Yeah, a piece of trash book, actually selling for ten thousand spirit stones? Do you think people are stupid?"

"What kind of book is this? Why is it scribbled all over? Some places are so worn out that you can't even see clearly!"

"What is this book? A cultivation technique? Even if it is, that's too expensive!"

"No, look at the characters on it, they look like ancient script, it doesn't seem to be any cultivation technique!"

"Sigh, it's worthless, otherwise he would have sold it long ago!"

The crowd discussed and pointed, but the old cultivator seemed too lazy to bother, just closing his eyes. In his view, these people had no affinity with this book. He had been selling this book for ten years, but there had not been a single person with affinity, which made him feel somewhat frustrated.

He even thought to himself, have the cultivators of this world actually fallen to this point? There is not a single talent worth molding; their focus is only on the surface, and no one can see the truth and connotation within.

Just as he was closing his eyes and sighing, he heard Su Yuanshan say.

"Alright, ten thousand it is!"

At that moment, the old cultivator suddenly opened his eyes, a ray of strange light bursting from his pupils. He stared at Su Yuanshan and asked in surprise.

"Eh? Young man, you really want to buy it? Aren't you afraid that I, this old man, am cheating you? This thing looks like it's only worth one or two spirit stones, yet I'm asking for ten thousand?"

Su Yuanshan could feel that this old cultivator looked very ordinary on the surface, but was actually not simple at all.

He looked curious, but Su Yuanshan knew in his heart that he was actually testing him.

However, Su Yuanshan feigned ignorance, smiled, and said.

"Old people often say you get what you pay for, so I want to take a gamble and see if I'm betting correctly."

Seeming to find these words very interesting, the old cultivator couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You are indeed an interesting person!"

The onlookers who were watching the fun also laughed along, not knowing if they were laughing at Su Yuanshan for being too stupid, or laughing at what he said for being interesting.

Su Yuanshan took out ten thousand spirit stones and was about to hand them to the old cultivator when he heard an urgent voice say.

"Wait, I am willing to pay one hundred thousand spirit stones to buy this book!"

"What? One hundred thousand spirit stones?"

The cultivators around who were watching the fun thought they had misheard and couldn't help but gasp, turning to look at the speaker one after another.

The speaker was a middle-aged man, roughly forty-some years of age; his attire was magnificent, clearly indicating he was either wealthy or noble.

Everyone looked at him in surprise, but he was staring at that book, his eyes filled with burning intensity.

At that moment, many people began to envy the old cultivator selling the book.

I fear that if it were most people, they would have sold it to whoever offered the highest price.

After all, that middle-aged man was offering one hundred thousand, a figure many lower-level cultivators dream of; some people probably couldn't earn these one hundred thousand spirit stones even in ten years.

Yet, unexpectedly, the old cultivator shook his head and, with a finger as thin as a withered branch, pointed at Su Yuanshan.

"As I, this old man, just said, what I am selling is merely a fated opportunity. This young man has already bought this book, which shows that this book has a fated connection with him, and no fated connection with you! Whether there is a fated connection or not cannot be forced; otherwise, it will only invite disaster and create trouble for nothing."

That gorgeously dressed middle-aged cultivator, upon hearing this, looked full of disappointment and could not help but turn to Su Yuanshan, bow deeply, and say.

"I hope fellow Daoist will yield this book to me; I am willing to add another ten thousand!"

His words immediately drew a burst of exclamations.

"What? Add another ten thousand? Is he crazy? Is this book really worth that much?"

"Yeah, what kind of book is this? It's simply ridiculously expensive! I have never heard of any ancient book that could be worth so much money!"

"Tsk tsk, this young man is about to strike it rich; a book bought for ten thousand spirit stones is actually being resold for one hundred and ten thousand, a net profit of one hundred thousand! Where else in the world can you find such a good deal?"

"Sigh, what I can't figure out is, why doesn't this old man selling the book earn this money himself? Why does he keep talking about fated opportunities? Is a fated opportunity really that important?"