Chapter 128 - 120: Fleeting Shadows

Song Changsheng wasn’t old to begin with. He had only been in his early twenties when he broke through to Foundation Establishment, and by deliberately concealing his cultivation, he managed to look even younger than Song Qingluo.

Seeing Song Changsheng’s inexperienced expression, the old man was inwardly delighted. ’This kind of rookie is the easiest to fool.’ He cleared his throat and said in a deliberately mysterious tone, "You should know, my young friend, the items at my stall have quite the story behind them."

"Oh? Isn’t this just a pile of junk? What kind of story could it have?" Song Changsheng channeled his inner award-winning actor, perfectly playing the part of a wet-behind-the-ears rookie.

The old man glanced around, then leaned in and whispered, "These are treasures from the ruins of an Ancient Battlefield. You know of the Ancient Battlefield, don’t you, young friend? We’re talking treasures from the Ancient Era."

"The ruins of an Ancient Battlefield?" Song Changsheng’s eyes lit up, as if his interest had been piqued.

Seeing his chance, the old man quickly struck while the iron was hot. "Of course! Look at this Magical Artifact. Though its Spiritual Light has dimmed, it was once a Spiritual Artifact! And it’s made from the finest materials."

"And this ancient manual. It may be tattered and decaying, but it records a Cultivation Technique inheritance of Tier Two or higher. Even if you can’t use it yourself, young friend, it can add to your clan’s heritage! Since it’s your first time here, I’ll let you have one for a hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Song Changsheng looked at the two items the old man presented and sneered inwardly. ’It’s true these things are old, but all that hype about Spiritual Artifacts and Tier Two inheritances is pure bullshit. A hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones? I wouldn’t take them even if they were free.’

A broken clay bowl is still a broken clay bowl, no matter how long it’s been buried.

Though he saw right through the ruse, his face showed the perfect amount of hesitation, making it seem like he was struggling to make a decision.

The old man saw an opening and covertly shot a glance at a burly man nearby. The man understood immediately, got up, and walked over to Song Changsheng’s side. With an eager expression, he said, "Fellow cultivator, you’ve got new stock again! I heard another cultivator bought a damaged, ancient Spiritual Artifact from you. I’ve come to try my luck as well."

"Ancient Spiritual Artifacts may be precious, but they’re nothing special in the ruins of the Ancient Battlefield. It’s just that my old eyes are failing me, and I can’t pick out the real treasures, so I have to sell them all off cheap. Whether you can find one depends on your own discerning eye, fellow cultivator," the old man said, beaming.

"Exactly, exactly." The burly man made a show of picking up a Jade Token from the stall. After paying with Spirit Stones, he snapped it in half right in front of Song Changsheng. Inside, there was a small piece of beast hide with something vaguely written on it.

A look of delighted surprise spread across the burly man’s face. He quickly tucked it away, shot a wary glance around as if afraid someone might try to snatch it, and then hurried off.

The old man then said with feigned envy, "That fellow cultivator has a remarkable eye, finding a hidden treasure like that. Alas, I’ve let another prize slip through my fingers."

Song Changsheng coolly observed the performance between the two. ’This clumsy little act might fool a simple-minded rookie, but they’re nowhere near good enough to fool me.’

"So, young friend, would you like to give it a try?" the old man asked, complimenting him without batting an eye. "I can see that for one so young, your cultivation is impressive. You must be a chosen one from a great clan, yes? Your eye for these things must be far superior to that Loose Cultivator’s. I’m sure you’ll pick something extraordinary."

Song Changsheng looked quite pleased with the compliment, but then he sighed theatrically. "Sir, one hundred Spirit Stones an item is a bit steep. I’m a bit short on funds and can only afford one. How about this? My uncle is nearby. Why don’t I go get some more Spirit Stones from him?"

The old man’s brow furrowed. ’This kid is naive, which is why my trick is working,’ he thought. ’If he brings an elder over, the whole scam will be exposed. No, I have to find a way to make him stay.’

Seeing Song Changsheng about to leave with Song Qingluo, the old man hurriedly stood up to block their path. "Why the rush, young friend?" he said with a smile. "I can see your talent is extraordinary. You’re destined to become a great and renowned figure in the future. Let’s just call this building some goodwill. How about you pick two items for one hundred Spirit Stones?"

A look of joy instantly appeared on Song Changsheng’s face. He said, feigning embarrassment, "This... well, thank you very much, Senior."

With that, he squatted in front of the stall and started to pick through the items.

Seeing that he had finally convinced him, the old man was overjoyed. He thought smugly, ’A rookie’s a rookie. I sell him two items worth five Spirit Stones for a hundred, and he’s this thrilled about it.’

Just as the old man was gloating, a smile also appeared on Song Changsheng’s face, which was bowed toward the stall. He picked through the pile and finally selected a fragment of a Bronze Artifact and a tattered piece of beast hide.

When he saw which two items Song Changsheng had chosen, a flicker of mockery appeared in the old man’s eyes. ’He picked the two most worthless pieces out of a pile of junk,’ he thought. ’If he’d chosen two Magical Artifacts, he might have at least recouped some of his loss. What a fool.’

"Senior, I’ll take these two," Song Changsheng said, handing one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones to the old man.

The old man hastily accepted the payment, heaped more compliments on him, and then saw Song Changsheng and his companion off.

The moment they left, the burly man from before returned. The old man and his young accomplice then brazenly began to split the loot.

They weren’t afraid of Song Changsheng realizing he’d bought two pieces of junk and coming back to cause trouble. Private fights were forbidden within Luoxia City, and their stall was under the protection of the City Lord’s Mansion. As long as a transaction was consensual, anyone who dared to return and stir up trouble would be taught a lesson.

And if their target chose to confront them outside the city, they were even less concerned. Their Independent Cultivator Alliance hadn’t survived in Luoxia City for so many years by being pushovers!

The old man and the burly man were inwardly mocking Song Changsheng for his foolishness, little knowing that Song Changsheng, now a good distance away, was having the exact same thought about them.

’That old man is unbelievably foolish,’ Song Changsheng thought with an inward smile, rubbing the beast hide in his hand.

"Young Clan Leader, did you find something valuable?" Song Qingluo had been holding his tongue the entire time, afraid he might ruin Song Changsheng’s plan. Now that they were a safe distance away, he couldn’t hold back any longer.

"Hahaha, I sure did," Song Changsheng said, beaming. "It’s getting late. Let’s head back for now." It was more than just a find; he had made out like a bandit!

The moment he returned to the sundries shop, Song Changsheng locked himself in his room and took out his prize for the day.

After cultivating the Insight Skill, most fakes were completely transparent to him. The reason he’d stopped at the old man’s stall was that, amidst the pile of counterfeits, he had spotted something genuine—and the kind that practically glowed gold!

He first took out the Bronze Artifact fragment and tossed it directly into a large cauldron to refine. As the outer shell gradually melted away, the fragment condensed into a fava bean-sized drop of verdant liquid. After cooling, it emitted a soft, metallic luster.

"Just as I thought. Tier Two Profound Nether Crystal Essence." A smile spread across Song Changsheng’s face. When ground into a powder and added during Artifact Refining, this substance could improve the quality of a Magical Artifact. This small piece alone was worth no less than three hundred Spirit Stones.

However, that wasn’t the main prize of the day. The real treasure was the beast hide.

The beast hide was about a foot square and slightly damaged. The passage of time had left indelible traces on its surface, to the point that even the Cinnabar characters written on it had become faint and blurred.

But the characters weren’t the reason he had bought it. He gently rubbed his fingers together, and a small flame flickered into existence.

As he held the hide over the flame, the yellowish-brown surface began to reveal a crimson hue that slowly spread.

In moments, the hide in his hands had transformed into a vibrant crimson, covered in a dense script. The characters were vastly different from modern writing, resembling the shapes of birds and beasts.

"Ancient Beast Runes. It really is an antique from the Ancient Era." A fervent glow lit up Song Changsheng’s eyes. He had studied this script in his clan’s academy. It was the earliest form of writing used by the Human Race, created by imitating the forms of birds and beasts, and was no longer in use.

However, in any faction with a decent heritage, disciples were required to learn it.

The reason was simple: if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be able to read Cultivation Technique Manuals from the Ancient Era even if they were right in front of you. And wouldn’t that be a joke?

"Recorded on the hide of a Celestial Fire Red Lizard and specially treated, no less. I can’t wait to see what’s written on it."

Song Changsheng focused his gaze on the hide. Written at the very top was a title in large script: "Fleeting Shadows."

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