Mei and Lian noticed us having a little chat and pretended as if nothing was happening.
As we gradually approached the market, we started hearing the noise of sellers pushing their goods at inflated prices, and buyers bargaining just as fiercely back.
"Come , we have all kinds of medicines and pills for cultivation — from healing pills to ones that promote Yin and Yang communion," a man shouted eagerly from in front of an
We ignored him and kept walking. That didn't mean everyone else would ignore us, though.
"Honored Daoist, we have artifacts dug up from the Forbidden Grounds in the Western Region — ancient, genuinely old stuff. Come take a look, you might find something worthwhile," another called out eagerly.
*I remember this trope. Classic setup — I've got a System, which means I'm obviously the protagonist here.*
*Don't be fooled, host,* it sighed, as if it had already given up on me.
"Mei. Why don't we give it a try."
"Fellow Daoist, come try your luck — you might just be the chosen one," the seller pressed.
"Don't listen to him, fellow Daoist, his artifacts aren't genuine — mine are," another seller cut in, clearly seeing us as an easy mark.
"Esteemed Daoist, don't mind him. His stuff is fake, mine's the real deal," the first one said, lying through his teeth — though I caught a flash of fear and anger cross his eyes for just a second.
*Time to make some profit.*
"Old man. You said your artifacts are genuine." I asked the first seller, playing it dumb.
"That's right. Though it depends on your luck whether you find something good," he said carefully, hedging his bets.
"Luck, you say. If your goods depend on luck, doesn't that mean they're not really worth selling in the first place?"
He bristled. "If you don't want to buy, just leave. I don't deal with people who talk big and carry no coin to back it up."
Lian chuckled quietly, like she was watching this all for fun.
"Fine, I'll buy. Take me to your shop," I said, after making a show of mulling it over.
The merchant lit up. "Young people need wit, Daoist — without it, you won't get far," he said happily, already leading the way.
I couldn't see Xue's expression from where I stood, but I'd bet she was laughing. Mei stayed quiet, clearly trying to figure out what I was actually up to.
His shop wasn't far from where we'd been. Not shabby, but not extravagant either — plain, modest.
"This is my humble shop," he said, smiling.
*Is this his whole act — playing detached from worldly things?*
*So how are you planning to handle him, host?* A little curious.
*Just watch. At least my clan and my fiancée will get to see exactly how capable this young master really is.*
"Bring out your best. Let me pick from it," I said, playing the spoiled rich brat to the hilt.
"Excellent, excellent — that's the spirit, Young Master. Would your friends like to pick as well? I've got good stock for them too."
"Just bring all of it," I said, arrogant.
He disappeared briefly, then returned with a chest full of artifacts, opening it and lifting each piece out with the kind of care you'd give a fragile egg.
"Here you are, Young Master," he said, cheerful.
I ignored him and studied the artifacts one by one, eventually picking one up.
"What's this bracelet called?" Eagerness, carefully performed.
He smiled. "You've got a sharp eye, Young Master. Is this for a crush, perhaps? A Dao companion?"
I stayed quiet for a moment, then said, "Old man, you don't need to poke your nose into young people's business."
"Fair enough. It's called the Soul Calming Bead Bracelet. As the name suggests, it calms the soul and offers defense — though the defensive function is one-time use only," he explained gently, still smiling.
"That sounds genuinely powerful." A little longing crept into my voice.
"You're quite inquisitive. Good — that means you won't get scammed easily by con men."
"Hmm..." Playing naive.
Mei, Lian, and Xue stood off to one side, each wearing a different expression entirely.
"According to the expert who appraised it, this piece dates back to the 58th epoch. That's quite old, isn't it."
"Very ancient. I must be pretty lucky today," I said, letting a little excitement show.
*System. Analyze this artifact for me.*
***Status***
Name: Soul Calming Bead Bracelet (replica)
Grade: Mortal grade
Technique: Star-valvet
Artifact Refiner: An unknown refiner of the Ironwood Elves
Age: A few months old
*This merchant's actually pretty good,* I thought, snickering to myself.
"Did that esteemed expert happen to mention the technique used? According to my clan's teachings, every artifact carries a particular signature technique," I said, still playing reluctant.
"Well..." He hesitated.
"Young Master, I don't think that detail's really important," he added, trying to steer away from it.
"But I really want to know. How else am I supposed to understand my own artifact's strengths and weaknesses?" I said, letting a little sadness show.
He studied me for a moment, then relented. "Don't say that, esteemed Daoist. The technique's name doesn't matter much, but I'll tell you — you strike me as someone chosen for something," he said, smiling.
"Old man, I'll be sure to come back and support your shop after this, okay?" I said, forcing the words out.
"Don't say that — it pains me to see you sad. The technique's called Star-Velvet. Do come by more often," he said, still smiling.
"Guards. Arrest him." Cold, immediate.
A few city guards rushed in and pinned him down, locking him in qi-restraining chains — necessary, given he was Spirit Severing realm and could otherwise have fled easily.
"What are you doing? I'm an honest merchant!" Fury in his voice, though panic bled through underneath it.
A small crowd gathered, murmuring among themselves, fingers pointing his way with every kind of expression. The other con artists in the area quietly slipped away.
"Mei. What's the standard punishment for this, under the clan's rules?"
Mei looked at me with a flicker of recognition — she'd clearly just pieced together what I'd been doing this whole time. "By the rules, he'll be banned from selling in the city, all his goods confiscated, and he'll owe a thousand mid-tier spirit stones."
"You can't do this to me! I have a family to support. Please, let me go!!"
"Young Master." The captain among the guards bowed slightly. "The payment will reach you shortly — it won't take long," he said, respectful.
"I curse you. I curse your whole bloodline—" Before he could finish, his mouth was sealed, followed by a beating he'd more than earned.
I turned to the crowd. "Show's over. Scram."
Everyone scattered in a hurry, back to whatever they'd been doing. *No matter the race, everyone loves gossip and other people's business.* I chuckled.
"So, how'd I do? Pretty impressive, right?" I said, more than a little smug as we headed out.
"You're amazing. I honestly thought you were being foolish, Young Master," Lian said, beaming.
"Ouch. You thought I was a fool?" I said, doing a terrible job of sounding wounded, which earned me a round of giggles.
"Not bad, Young Master Zaitian. Though I think I need to start watching every word you say, in case you're plotting something against me too," Xue said, her expression giving nothing away.
*You see that, System? I'm getting ready for this world. Endless scheming and manipulation — that's the road ahead for all of them.*
*That's the spirit, host. Just know others are planning for you too.*