Chapter 61 Moving Mountains

Tie Dan doesn’t dislike talking, he just dislikes talking nonsense, but now he’s realized that as long as a person can talk and knows how to talk, they can really make a lot of money.

Look at it, the junk sold to the Treasure Pavilion; they fix it up, polish it, dress it up, embellish it, and with a bit of hype, they sell it for thirty, forty, or even a thousand two hundred times more.

And he killed so many people, risked his life, robbed so much goods, and in the end, he only got a sword.

In these times, blood and sweat are worthless...

To be fair, if he really put Qingshuang up for auction, with the auction house’s skilled operation, it would definitely sell for more than his price of 3.78 million coins and one head.

But the rich are truly wealthy, buying junk, throwing away millions of coins without even blinking.

Treasure Pavilion, "The person has arrived at the entrance."

This shopkeeper is probably doing it on purpose, waiting for the marked Spirit Fruit to appear to speak up.

Without much introduction, Eight Miss and a group of female cultivators rolled up their sleeves, shouting, "This old lady adds a million! Who dares to fight me!", and went to battle for the loot.

But on second thought, how come this pomelo could actually come in a whole basket?

Might it not be some rare, heavenly treasure anyway?

Maybe it’s just your Treasure Pavilion promoting it everywhere as something incredibly good...

Forget it; in any case, fetal stabilization has nothing to do with Tie Dan. He seizes the moment to slip away, pressing the sword to enter the venue, listening to the shopkeeper’s instructions, turning left, right, exiting three streets, and unexpectedly circles back into the market’s secret path, reaching the underground level of the auction house, and sees the Treasure Pavilion shopkeeper peeking out from under the partition.

No wonder he circled three times with the Formless Sword and couldn’t find this guy anywhere. Now he can cut off his head...

The shopkeeper didn’t notice the sword tip at his neck, waved to Tie Dan, and pointed outside to someone cloaked, wearing a gold mask to hide their face.

Although concealing identity with magical talismans, the opponent’s finger ring, inadvertently exposed golden belt and brocade robe, official boots, and treasure sword, clearly showed this person’s noble status, possibly registered on the other side of the Demon Palace, with a proper rank.

"How about it, the Demon Sect killing someone from the Demon Palace, not a problem, right?"

Tie Dan, holding the sword, looked at the shopkeeper,

"Does he owe you money too? Twenty coins?"

The shopkeeper chuckled,

"Not exactly twenty coins, but just a grudge over a bowl of rice.

After the event, if you get rid of him for me, we’re even."

Killing for a bowl of rice?

Though he’s killed for half a fruit before...

Tie Dan was silent for a moment.

The shopkeeper, unhurried, brushed off his robes, sat on the ground, and said,

"Young Hero, I know you’re not feeling good, but in business, we value keeping our word, promises worth a thousand gold.

The price I gave you is fair for young and old alike; how much I can sell for, that’s my skill.

If you want to renege now, it’s okay to negotiate the price again, I’m not short of money to give you more.

But I wouldn’t dare to do future business with someone untrustworthy and jealous, would I.

The choice is yours."

Tie Dan coldly said,

"There’s no need to discuss my promise. Future deals need not be mentioned.

But as you see, there are many government officers outside searching, if I kill someone for you in front of them, what if I get caught.

Don’t forget, this Qingshuang has been hung in your house for twenty years."

"That’s reasonable."

The shopkeeper stroked his chin, rolled his eyes, smiled slightly, took out an iron plate from his chest, and tossed it to Tie Dan.

Tie Dan, holding the sword, stayed on high alert, watching the iron plate fall at his feet with a smack.

It read ’Minister of Justice Right Supervision Tribute’.

"With this waist card, you can come and go freely, no need to account for payment."

The shopkeeper stood up with his hands behind his back, glancing at the auction outside,

"Also, that fetal-stabilizing fruit, consider it my gift to your sister-in-law, as a token of my goodwill, that should be enough."

Tie Dan,

"What the hell does that have to do with me? She’s not my wife, nor my fetus."

The shopkeeper,

"Hiss... Young Hero’s methods and taste are truly admirable... Why aren’t you moving? What else do you want?"

Tie Dan thought for a moment, slowly said,

"You, Treasure Pavilion, have the resources and skills; the Demon Palace’s trash is slaughtered like chickens. Why resort to scheming to make me take action, could it be that you’ve unknowingly suffered a hidden loss at his hands before, and want someone a bit capable, yet unrelated, to probe the way for you, is that it.

It doesn’t matter, since I agreed to act, I’ll kill him. But tell me truthfully what he’s capable of, if you purposely hide anything, ruining a good sword, you’ll profit nothing."

Tie Dan suddenly said so much, the Treasure shopkeeper was stunned, and finally looked seriously at the young man before him, nodding slowly.

"Fine, you might indeed be a good sword, let me tell you."

So the Treasure shopkeeper, in a few words, starting with "I have a friend," told of the personal grudge with that person.

In short, the shopkeeper had a friend, who wasn’t anyone notable before, just used a family skill to earn a living, which was tomb raiding.

Tie Dan, "Oh... so that’s it..."

Treasure shopkeeper, "Cough cough, it’s a friend, a friend."

Don’t look down on tomb raiding; it actually has a long history and inherited skills, supposedly tracing back to the Immortal Venerable era.

Right! Where do you think the Immortal Venerable got the idea of human cultivation from back then! Wasn’t it just digging...

Tie Dan, "Digging? Even demon beasts have tombs?"

Treasure shopkeeper, "Of course, the Demon Clan’s heritage is deep, hey do you want to hear this or stop interrupting!"

Anyway, the founders of various trades all claim the Immortal Venerable’s enlightenment relates to them, whatever you say.

In any case, however the Immortal Venerable got the Human Clan’s cultivation method, he indeed had a special unit under his command, not vanguard fighters, but specialized in moving mountains and continents, excavating and digging named the Yishan Guard, ancestors of today’s tomb-raiding cultivation stream.

Of course, the ancestors didn’t start out aiming to rob graves; they were legitimate military engineers, providing support, mainly tracking demons who excelled in tunneling, also responsible for digging wells, mining, building forts, bridges, Demon Suppression, and tombs, genuinely contributing countless merits to the Immortal Palace, indeed no merit lies in their struggle!

But who could’ve thought! When the world stabilized! Those bastards from the Three Constellations looked down on these dust-covered, dirt-digging soldiers!

Bullied these tech soldiers as lacking combat power! Didn’t distribute land or military rank for them!

A bunch of ingrates even slandered and falsely accused them of grave robbing, weakening the capital’s fortune! Confiscated the Yishan Guard’s assets, imprisoned them, expelled from the Royal Capital, exiled to the border!

Truly vicious! Hateful! Shameful!

Tie Dan, "If you’re starting from the beginning of time, that person will really leave."

But the shopkeeper was lost in memory, couldn’t extricate himself from his merchant’s performance...

"Anyway, by the time the family business passed to me, it had already declined, I remember, that year the Kun Country lord entered the capital to meet the emperor, paying the lowest tribute, angering the celestial face!

Thus Kun Country was exterminated, suffered national drought! Not a drop of rain!

No rice at home, I had no choice, picked up the shovel to raid tombs..."]]>

We’re still talking about your friend’s business, right...

The shopkeeper kneeled on the ground, clenched the dirt tight, eyes bloodshot,

"Yes! Yes, I’m wrong! I remember! I remember it all!

Back then my dad pressed me to kowtow in the ancestral hall, swore to the ancestors not to raid tombs with family skills!

Because we’re soldiers! Not thieves!

People can wrong us! But we must fight for our dignity!

One day! The Immortal Emperor will know our grievances!

One day! The Immortal Palace will need our Yishan Guard again!

Just hold on until then! The Three Constellations will issue a decree! Clear us of grievances and summon us back to the Royal Capital!

Give us, the mountain movers, an outlet for our grievance!

I know! I know! I know!

But!

But, but... my mom starved to death ahhh——!"

Tie Dan, "..."

The shopkeeper lay on the ground, clutching dirt, crying bitterly,

"Wah ah ah! Wah — ah ah ah ah!

You bastard! You bastard ah!

All dead! My mother ah! My father ah! My sister ah! My whole family starved to death ah!

That damn Three Constellations!

That damn heaven ah!

What did we do wrong ah!

This world, these Five Mountains, were built up with our sweat and soil ah!

You’re just watching from the heavens!

Just watching us starve to death ah!

Why!

Why!

Why ahhh!"

...

... In short, the shopkeeper, or the shopkeeper’s friend, to avoid starving, went against the ancestors’ teachings, relying on digging and tunneling skills, started on the never-returning road of fortune.

Outside is someone he met a few days ago in a tomb, a competitor for food. At first glance at methods, he thought he encountered fellow Yishan Guard, overjoyed.

Then after a couple of comparisons, he found out it was an enemy from the Ziwei Constellation, a eunuch on assignment. Turns out, they were using their name to excavate and grave rob, cutting off the Vassal King’s fortunes.

All military integrity, Yishan Guard’s reputation, was all gone long ago.

Instantly the shopkeeper’s new and old hatred all surged together, started a fight, who would have thought he couldn’t beat him?

Now telling all this, starving the family, disgracing the family name, struggling for five hundred years, ultimately a clown, sighing in sorrow, crying uncontrollably.

Tie Dan was really fed up with listening, kicked the shopkeeper hard. Leaving him tear-eyed in confusion.

"Enough! A man cries like this! You’re a real damn coward!

Pick up your sword; let’s go kill the bowl-of-rice debt enemy!"