Chapter 242: An Opportune Coincidence

Would it be wasted for a whole year?

Cheng Shuili followed the guide's gaze and glanced over, but it was too far away; she couldn't see that stall at all.

But the reason for wasting a whole year surely isn't just because the totem is too expensive, right?

This stall owner's goods... probably aren't bought by many people, huh?

Cheng Shuili shook her head, considering this matter over.

The guide asked, "Are you looking to buy something this time, or just browsing,"

He winked at Cheng Shuili; it was a bit strange for an old man to do that, but she understood his meaning: see if we can pick up another bargain?

Cheng Shuili felt somewhat helpless; you can't just pick up something like that whenever you want.

You need to talk about fate and coincidence, about timing and location, right?

Cheng Shuili sighed and had the guide lead her to the place where servants are sold.

Slaves are far more expensive than servants, but for Cheng Shuili, the effect of a servant is about the same as that of a slave.

Moreover, servants are more like people, while slaves are like machines lacking independent thought; in terms of work, servants are clearly better.

As they passed the stalls on both sides, Cheng Shuili and Su Rui were both quite interested.

Cheng Shuili had only come here once at most, so her curiosity was normal.

Although Su Rui had lived here for a while, if we're talking about shopping, it's still the stretch of road they walked together when leaving.

That wouldn't really count as shopping...

Su Rui was about to ask what these people were selling when she noticed the person beside her had stopped.

She followed Cheng Shuili's gaze and looked over.

It was a weapon stall, but in reality it was just a black cloth with items laid out on it; the stall owner hadn't tidied up, making it look messy.

But among these items, there was one that was especially familiar to Cheng Shuili.

Fate and coincidence... timing and location...

Here it is, isn't it?

Cheng Shuili glanced at the two beside her, then took the lead and walked straight over to that stall.

By the time the guide came to his senses, he and Su Rui were standing left and right behind Cheng Shuili, listening as she picked and chose at this person's stall.

"This dagger is so rusted, are you selling weapons or antiques? At least polish it a bit!"

"As for this pistol... I won't even mention the risk of it exploding, but can you still pull the trigger?"

"This spear is also..."

Cheng Shuili picked it up with one hand, lightly shaking the spear; the deep crimson tassel swayed lightly with her motion.

This is the very spear she had seen in Hu Ge's shop, also the treasure of Hu Ge's weapon store...

The heirloom spear, Deep Wave Spear.

Cheng Shuili shook her head, genuinely disgusted: "How did it get this dirty? There's such a thick layer of rust..."

Having said that, she casually tossed the spear back onto the stall, looked at the stall owner's eyes, and sincerely asked: "Do you give a whetstone with weapons bought here? Why is everything just rotten junk?"

Hearing this, the stall owner's eyes, peeking from under his worn headscarf, narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of displeasure and contempt.

He leisurely reached out, straightened the spear that Cheng Shuili had carelessly dropped, and his rough fingers lightly stroked the shaft, as if caressing a treasure.

"Little lady, you have good eyesight, but your knowledge is lacking."

His hoarse voice carried a hint of mockery: "This rust isn't ordinary rust; it's blood rust, something only weapons that have drunk blood possess."

"You dislike these things as dirty?" he scoffed, "That's because you haven't seen real dirt."

Just as Cheng Shuili lifted her lip, the stall owner suddenly reached out and snatched up the dagger she had disliked; its mottled, rusty blade flickered with a strange dark red spot in the dim light.

The stall owner seemed to have expected such a sight; he lifted his hand and lightly brushed the blade, then laughed sinisterly: "These things aren't for amateurs to play with. If you can't afford them, don't touch."

So that's how it is.

Cheng Shuili originally didn't understand how this spear had become like this, and she worried whether it could still be used...

After hearing the stall owner say that, she understood.

This rust was deliberately created by the stall owner, all to put on a mysterious front and jack up the price.

He definitely doesn't know the origin of this spear.

Cheng Shuili concluded in her mind that if the stall owner knew the spear's origin, he would certainly not treat it with the same method he uses for other weapons.

Seeing the stall owner's pretentiously profound demeanor, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Blood rust?"

Cheng Shuili tilted her head, her tone teasing: "Uncle, your talent for deceiving people is quite fresh."

She reached out, lightly tapping the spear's tip with her fingertip: "I've seen plenty of weapons that have drunk blood, but I've never seen one so neglected in maintenance."

The stall owner's gaze darkened; evidently he hadn't expected her to be so calm. He snorted coldly, already wanting to shoo her away: "If you don't know the goods, don't waste my business here."

Just a bunch of nonsense—do they really think she's easy to fool?

Cheng Shuili ignored him, instead turning to the guide and raising her voice deliberately: "Old sir, I recall you saying that in the black market some people like to sell junk as treasure, specifically to swindle clueless suckers, right?"

The guide suppressed a laugh and nodded in agreement: "Yeah, especially those who can't even explain where their own stuff comes from—they love to act mysterious."

The stall owner's face grew even uglier, his fingers gripping the dagger tightening slightly.

Only then did Cheng Shuili slowly turn back, her eyes falling on the spear, her tone turning a bit more serious: "Well... this spear is actually kind of interesting."

She reached out, lightly scratching the shaft; her fingertip picked up a layer of dark red rust powder. She brought it to her nose, sniffed, then raised an eyebrow: "Is that cinnabar? Uncle, your forgery costs are pretty high."

The stall owner's pupils contracted sharply; evidently he hadn't expected her to see through it at a glance.

Cheng Shuili clapped her hands, shaking off the rust powder from her fingertips, and gave him a half‑smile: "Alright, drop the act. I'll take this spear—give me a fair price. Don't feed me that blood‑rust, blood‑drinking nonsense."

The stall owner's face wavered between gloom and brightness; after a moment he gritted his teeth and said: "... Five hundred Game Coins."

Cheng Shuili snorted, then swung her knife and chopped off a zero: "Fifty."

"You!" the stall owner shouted, his beard trembling with anger, "This is a top-quality weapon! You won't find even a few like this in the whole black market!"

His tone was so sure that Su Rui was taken aback, and she couldn't help taking a few careful looks.

That spear...

The black iron stood still, the red tassel swayed; looking at it, it truly had an air of a peerless divine weapon.

Cheng Shuili beside him crossed her arms, her tone cool: "Would a top-quality weapon really end up here with you?"

Feeling that one sentence wasn't enough to sting, she immediately added: "Besides, if it were truly a treasure, would you be willing to lay it out on this ragged cloth?"