Ning Chuan’s gaze swept over the bustling street before finally settling on a rather elegantly decorated shop at the corner.
The shopfront was not the largest, but the materials used were exquisite, with carved beams and painted rafters, exuding an understated luxury.
On the black signboard with golden characters, three large characters were written in a flowing, vigorous script: “Seven Treasures Pavilion.”
Even more eye-catching was a small flag hanging on one side of the shop entrance, embroidered with the pattern of a delicate, translucent, and brilliantly gleaming seven-story pagoda.
The Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda!
Ning Chuan’s heart stirred.
This was the emblem of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, one of the Upper Three Sects, whose wealth rivaled that of nations!
“Seven Treasures Pavilion…
it seems to be an establishment under the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect,” Ning Chuan instantly concluded.
The Seven Treasures Glazed Sect was renowned across the continent for its appraisal skills and commerce.
Its shops were spread throughout major cities, known for their impeccable reputation, especially in buying and selling all kinds of rare treasures and exotic materials.
The alloy from an unknown technological world in his possession would surely be wasted if sold to an ordinary blacksmith’s shop.
But here, he might actually encounter someone who recognized its value and sell it for a good price!
“Father,” Ning Chuan tugged at his father’s sleeve and pointed toward the shop.
“Let’s take a look at that one.
It looks quite impressive.
Maybe they’ll know what it’s worth.”
Ning Dazhuang followed his son’s direction.
When he saw the flag with the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a trace of awe and hesitation appeared on his face.
Even a country carpenter like him had heard the resounding reputation of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect.
That kind of place was not one ordinary folks like them would normally venture into.
“Xiao Chuan, that place…
isn’t somewhere we should go, is it?” Ning Dazhuang hesitated.
“The things there must be terribly expensive.
Our stone…”
“Let’s just ask, Father,” Ning Chuan insisted, wearing the uniquely youthful curiosity and stubbornness that seemed to disregard propriety.
“Asking doesn’t cost anything.
What if they really take a liking to it?
Maybe we could buy Mother and Xiao He several more feet of good cloth!”
The last sentence clearly struck a chord with Ning Dazhuang.
He glanced at his son, then touched the pouch of Silver Soul Coins he had just earned from selling furniture, still warm from his body heat.
Gritting his teeth, he said, “Alright!
Let’s go ask!
You stay sharp, boy.
Don’t touch anything carelessly.
We’ll leave right after asking.”
“Yes!” Ning Chuan quickly nodded.
The father and son parked their empty cart in an unobtrusive spot by the street.
Ning Dazhuang carefully straightened his best coarse cloth shirt, which was still faded from washing, took a deep breath, and then, somewhat awkwardly, led Ning Chuan toward the entrance of Seven Treasures Pavilion.
As they approached, a faint, calming scent of sandalwood greeted them, forming a stark contrast to the noisy and restless atmosphere of the street.
At the entrance stood a server dressed in a blue robe, with a refined and handsome face.
Noticing the attire of Ning Dazhuang and his son, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, but he showed no trace of disdain.
Instead, he bowed slightly with a professional smile.
“Honored guests, how may I assist you?”
The attendants of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect truly possessed exceptional poise.
Ning Chuan stepped forward, taking the metal wrapped in coarse cloth from his father’s hands, and addressed the attendant: “Brother, we’d like to ask your shop’s master to take a look at this stone and give us an estimate.”
The attendant’s gaze fell on the unremarkable cloth bundle in Ning Chuan’s hands, his smile unchanged: “Appraising and valuing treasures must be handled by the masters in the shop.
Please follow me.”
With that, he turned to lead the way, guiding the father and son into the shop.
The interior was spacious, decorated in an antique style with soft lighting.
Surrounding them were multi-tiered display cabinets filled with a variety of items: sparkling minerals, ancient-looking porcelain, gleaming weapons, and even a few Soul Tools emitting faint energy fluctuations.
The air carried a scent interwoven with wealth and heritage.
There weren’t many customers in the shop—only a handful of elegantly dressed men and women, either conversing softly or carefully examining the goods.
When Ning Chuan and his father entered, they cast curious glances their way.
Ning Dazhuang grew increasingly flustered, instinctively hunching his shoulders as if afraid of breaking something.
Ning Chuan, on the other hand, tried his best to appear composed, his eyes quickly scanning the displayed items as he silently assessed them.
Any single item here was likely worth several years of his family’s labor.
The attendant led the two to a quiet alcove toward the back, invited them to sit, and served them two cups of light tea before going to fetch the appraiser.
Ning Dazhuang held the teacup, his hands trembling slightly, not daring to take a sip.
Ning Chuan sat quietly, observing in silence.
Soon, an elderly man in a dark blue silk robe, sporting a goatee and sharp, intelligent eyes, followed the attendant into the room.
“Are you the ones seeking an appraisal?” The old man’s gaze swept over Ning Dazhuang and Ning Chuan before settling on the coarse cloth bundle Ning Chuan had placed on the table.
His tone was calm, revealing neither joy nor displeasure.
“Yes, yes, Master,” Ning Dazhuang quickly stood up, stammering slightly.
“It’s… it’s a stone my son found.
It looks unusual, so we wanted to ask you to take a look…”
The old man nodded, gesturing for Ning Chuan to unwrap the bundle.
Ning Chuan took a deep breath and carefully untied the cloth, revealing the dark gray metal block.
When the metal block was fully exposed to the air, the old man’s eyes instantly sharpened!
His previously indifferent expression shifted slightly as he stepped forward, almost pressing his face close to the metal block to examine it carefully.
He extended his thin yet steady fingers, gently touching the surface of the metal block, feeling its cold texture and dense quality.
Then, he tapped it with his knuckles, listening to the dull yet distinctive resonance.
Finally, he even took out a monocle embedded with a crystal lens from his pocket, put it on, and scrutinized the fractured surface of the metal block for a long time, occasionally emitting soft clicks of his tongue.
Ning Dazhuang watched the old man’s every move nervously, not daring to breathe too loudly.
Ning Chuan’s heart also tightened.
The old man’s level of expertise far exceeded his expectations—could he truly discern the origin of this alloy?
After a long while, the old man slowly straightened up, removed his monocle, and revealed an expression mixed with astonishment and confusion.
“How strange…” the old man murmured to himself before turning his gaze to Ning Chuan, his eyes filled with curiosity.
“Young man, where did you obtain this ‘stone’?”
Ning Chuan had already prepared his story, wearing a perfectly measured expression of bewilderment mixed with a hint of pride: “I found it on the riverbank behind our village.
It looked pitch black and was unusually heavy, so I picked it up.
Old master, what is this?
Is it valuable?”
“Found on a riverbank?” The old man frowned deeply, clearly skeptical of this answer.
But after carefully observing Ning Chuan’s expression and Ning Dazhuang’s unmistakably genuine nervousness, he felt they weren’t lying.
The old man pondered for a moment before speaking slowly: “This object is definitely not a natural ore, but rather a… peculiar metal I have never seen before.
Its texture is far denser than ordinary steel, with excellent toughness, and it exhibits an extremely faint inert reaction to Spirit Power… Remarkable, truly remarkable.”
He paused again, then looked at Ning Chuan: “Although this is not a treasure urgently needed for Soul Master cultivation, its material is unique and holds significant research value.
My Seven Treasures Pavilion is willing to purchase it.
May I ask what price you two have in mind?”
Ning Chuan’s heart leaped with joy, but he tried to keep his face calm and instead looked at his father.
Ning Dazhuang had no idea about such matters.
Rubbing his hands nervously, he stammered: “Well… you decide, old master.
The old man smiled faintly and extended three fingers: “Thirty Gold Soul Coins, how about that?”
“Th… thirty Gold Soul Coins?!” Ning Dazhuang’s eyes widened abruptly, his voice cracking with disbelief, almost thinking he had misheard!
A single Gold Soul Coin was enough for a family like theirs to live comfortably for a month!
Thirty Gold Soul Coins—this… this was simply a fortune!
That worthless stone was actually so valuable?!
Ning Chuan’s heart also skipped a beat.
This price was even higher than he had anticipated!
The Seven Treasures Glazed Sect truly lived up to its reputation of immense wealth!
Suppressing his excitement, Ning Chuan did not agree immediately.
He knew that the initial offer from such a shop would never be the final price.
He put on a hesitant and slightly reluctant expression: “Only thirty… Old master, my father said this might be star-iron fallen from the sky… Could you… make it a bit more?
My mother wants to use this money to make new clothes for my little sister…”
Timely displaying a child’s attachment to a “treasure” and care for his family.
Looking at Ning Chuan’s “innocent” yet “persistent” gaze, the old man chuckled softly.
He wasn’t angry; instead, he found the boy rather interesting.
Stroking his beard, he pondered and said: “Since that’s the case… Very well, considering your filial piety.
Forty Gold Soul Coins—this is the highest price I can offer.
Although this object is peculiar, its use is unclear, and its research value outweighs its practical value.”
Forty Gold Soul Coins!
Ning Dazhuang was completely stunned, mouth agape, unable to speak.
Seeing that he had pushed far enough, Ning Chuan immediately nodded: “Thank you, old master!”
The old man nodded and instructed an attendant to fetch the money.
Soon, the attendant brought over a small tray holding four gleaming Purple Soul Coins (1 Purple Soul Coin = 10 Gold Soul Coins).
With trembling hands, Ning Dazhuang almost snatched the four heavy Purple Soul Coins, clutching them tightly in his palm as if afraid they would fly away.
Then, he quickly stuffed them into the innermost pocket of his clothing, pressing down on it instinctively.
With the transaction completed, the old man seemed to ask casually: “Little one, have you seen anything similar in that riverbank?”
A warning bell rang in Ning Chuan’s mind, but he showed regret on his face: “No, I only found this one piece.
I searched back and forth several times.”
The old man’s eyes flickered with a hint of imperceptible disappointment, but he didn’t press further, politely seeing the father and son out of the shop.
After leaving Seven Treasures Pavilion and walking to a quiet corner, Ning Dazhuang still felt as if he were dreaming.
He tightly clutched his chest, his face flushed red with excitement.
“Xiao Chuan!
Forty Gold Soul Coins!
A full forty!” he whispered excitedly to his son, his voice trembling.
“You really found a treasure!”
Ning Chuan smiled, feeling a wave of relief wash over him.
The first step had finally been taken.
With this startup capital, many things would become much easier.
“Dad, now we can buy a lot of new cloth for Mom and Xiao He, right?”
“Buy!
The best kind!” Ning Dazhuang waved his hand with unprecedented generosity.
“Let’s go!
First, we’ll get the cloth!
Then we’ll buy you two new sets of clothes!
You really can’t keep wearing these anymore!”