Chapter Twenty-One: I’ll Open My Own Shop!

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“Hahaha, fellow cultivator, please don’t joke about such things.”

“I’m not joking. This artifact truly bears my inscription.”

Tu Lu was momentarily stunned, a trace of anxiety flickering across his face. Seeing that Xu Lei still didn’t believe him, wearing a knowing look as if he could see right through him, Tu Lu felt underestimated. Gritting his teeth, he simply took out several more artifacts.

“Look, this one, this one, and this one—all inscribed by me.”

As each inscribed artifact was revealed, Xu Lei’s expression froze. His eyes widened further and further, especially after inspecting a few of them and discovering they all bore gravity runes. The style of inscription was shockingly close to perfection. He couldn’t help but swallow hard.

Yet the shock in his heart was like a raging storm, never subsiding.

After some time, when he lifted his head again, his posture straightened and his expression gradually turned solemn.

“Let’s do this. I think there’s no need to issue a certificate. I’ll buy all these inscribed artifacts for three thousand Thunder Stones. What do you say?”

Seeing so many artifacts of similar style, Xu Lei was certain these weren’t scavenged from the battlefield. There was undoubtedly a master inscriber hidden here in Divine Wind City!

But since the other party didn’t wish to reveal their identity, Xu Lei formed his own plan.

In his view, perhaps this person was only passing through Divine Wind City, indifferent to fame, and had been trapped here due to City Lord Gongsun’s lockdown order. Thus, Tu Lu brought out a few inscribed artifacts to ease his finances, for inscribing was an incredibly costly profession!

If financial relief was all he needed, Xu Lei could buy everything in one go.

As for fame, even if the other didn’t need it, Xu Lei did. With so many inscribed artifacts, his reputation as an appraiser would soar!

For an inscriber, reputation was of utmost importance!

As for Tu Lu… he was merely a beginner in the Moving Mountains stage, a minor figure.

Xu Lei’s disbelief was understandable—Tu Lu simply didn’t carry the telltale scent of medicinal herbs!

With his level of mastery, one sniff was enough to gauge another’s depth. In his view, Tu Lu couldn’t have been in this craft for more than a month!

To possess such skill in under a month?

He’d never believe it, not in a lifetime! No inscriber would, for such a claim wasn’t just extraordinary—it was utterly absurd!

So he was convinced the real inscriber was hiding behind the scenes, and Tu Lu was merely a front.

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But Tu Lu was a little displeased. He didn’t know exactly what Xu Lei was thinking, but could guess from his expression that he still didn’t believe him.

While Tu Lu wasn’t desperate for validation, since Xu Lei was willing to buy his artifacts for three thousand Thunder Stones, he could just as easily sell them for five thousand, or even higher!

Normally, he wouldn’t mind letting Xu Lei handle the sale, saving himself some trouble.

But this was different. With the battle raging ahead and the threat of beasts possibly appearing in the east of the city at any moment, now wasn’t the time to haggle over profits.

Even if these cultivators were willing to spend, not everyone could fork out three or five thousand Thunder Stones. This meant his artifacts would be monopolized by a select few, which defeated the purpose of coming to the trading market. He might as well simply sell them to Heavenly Dragon Pavilion!

“No need, Master Xu. Since you’ve already appraised them, just issue me a certificate. You needn’t worry about the sale—I have my own methods.” He spoke decisively.

In truth, his situation was unique. Even accounting for the consumption of the white light sphere, the cost to inscribe a weapon never exceeded three hundred Thunder Stones. In the current climate, pricing them lower would make selling them easy.

So he had no worries about selling.

What he didn’t expect was that as soon as he spoke, Xu Lei’s expression suddenly shifted, turning cold and resolute.

“Impossible. I’ll tell you plainly—not just me, but no one in the entire trading market will issue you a certificate. If you won’t sell, let them rot in your hands!”

“What?!”

The abrupt change in attitude left Tu Lu completely stunned.

But once he processed it, anger flared.

“Are you threatening me?”

“Never,” Xu Lei replied with a smile.

As for the young attendant in the shop, he focused intently on his own business, pretending to hear nothing.

“Fine, fine!”

Tu Lu glanced around, his rage turning into a cold laugh as he walked out.

A certificate was troublesome, but there were at least seven or eight inscribers in Divine Wind City—surely not all would act like this.

If worst came to worst… he could disguise himself and seek Zhao Yu Yang. Why should Xu Lei act as if he had him cornered?

With this thought, he strode away.

After leaving Xu Lei’s shop, he visited several other inscribers’ stalls, but didn’t even glimpse their faces before being chased out.

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What made him even more furious was that even those ordinary martial artists dared to treat him rudely. If not for his patience, he’d have taught them a lesson with a slap.

Only at the last inscriber’s stall did he finally learn what was happening.

The inscriber happened to be present, and after Tu Lu explained his purpose, the man grudgingly agreed, charging him five hundred Thunder Stones.

Tu Lu was relieved, but before the appraisal could begin, the inscriber suddenly received a message, his face darkening. He demanded to know if Tu Lu had offended someone, and without further explanation, threw him out, keeping the five hundred Thunder Stones.

“It must be Xu Lei!”

Tu Lu clenched his teeth, truly enraged now. The difficulty of selling even a single artifact made him feel as if he might cough up blood.

There were only seven recognized inscribers in Divine Wind City—aside from Zhao Yu Yang, he’d visited all six. None would help!

As for visiting Zhao Yu Yang… he could only imagine it. Remembering Zhao Yu Yang’s attitude in Heavenly Dragon Pavilion, Tu Lu would rather die than beg such a person.

“Must I sell to Heavenly Dragon Pavilion?”

He was unwilling, but no matter what, he refused to sell to Xu Lei!

Not just Xu Lei—he disliked all five of the other trading market masters, thoroughly irritated.

Wait!

Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind.

But before acting, he first took the materials for spirit liquid he’d purchased and returned south of the city to fetch the little girl.

Having spent so much time at the trading market, it was already afternoon. He worried the little girl might be in danger.

After bringing her out, he purchased three adjacent shops opposite the trading market for five hundred Thunder Stones, all of which were previously selling ordinary medicinal herbs. He merged them and erected a massive sign as tall as a house—

On it was written: Inscribed Artifacts for Sale!

Satisfied, he dusted off his hands, entered the shop, and arranged all eleven inscribed artifacts. Except for the damaged one priced at one hundred Thunder Stones, the others were uniformly priced at one thousand Thunder Stones each.

“Hmph! If you won’t let me do business, then I’ll make sure you can’t either! Won’t give me a stall? Fine, I’ll open my own shop!”

“I’ll only charge a thousand Thunder Stones. Let’s see how you sell your artifacts starting at three thousand!”