"First-grade, high-level Qingyu Sword, net weight 10 kilograms, price 150 gold coins."
"First-grade, high-level Guigui Blade, net weight 30 kilograms, price 380 gold coins."
"Second-grade, low-level Shigu Spear, net weight 20 kilograms, price 1,200 gold coins."
"Second-grade, low-level Soul-Snatching Hook, net weight 22 kilograms, price 1,800 gold coins."
...
Ling Xiao stared at the weapons, all looking incredibly impressive. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford even a single one, and shook his head.
The old man tensed. Could it be that this young master didn't even care for any of them?
"Young Master, I have the best weapons in Meteorite City. They're forged by Master Li, our city's most renowned weapon refiner. I'm the only authorized dealer. If you can't find a suitable weapon here, you won't find one anywhere else." The old man boasted to Ling Xiao, fearing the loss of such a valuable customer. However, what he said was true. Elder Li was the only low-level third-grade weapon refiner in Meteorite City, and he was the only one in Meteorite City who could refine a high-level second-grade weapon.
"I understand what you're talking about, but... I'm looking for a third-grade Xuan weapon. I wonder if your shop has any," Ling Xiao said with a feigned regret.
Weapons are generally divided into five categories: mortal, Xuan, spiritual, holy, and divine. Mortal weapons generally refer to weapons of rank one and two, while Xuan weapons refer to weapons of rank three to five. Ranks six and seven are called spiritual weapons, while rank eight to nine are holy weapons, and the tenth rank is called divine weapons.
Mortal weapons can be found everywhere on the continent; Xuan weapons are extremely precious, and are even harder to find in a remote and impoverished place like Meteorite City. Even if Xuan weapons exist, they are treasured by the major clans. As for spiritual weapons, they are only found in powerful sects. And holy and divine weapons are ethereal and fleeting. "Xuan Bing... this... we don't have any. You should know that Old Li only forged three Xuan Bing in his lifetime. Two were acquired by the Ling and Li families, and the other was preserved by Old Li as his most prized creation. It's extremely precious. I don't think you can count on it, young master," the old man said with regret.
"In that case, I'll just pick one out there. It's just for chopping wood anyway," Ling Xiao said casually.
This shocked the honest old man. "Whose son is this young master? He actually wants to buy a Xuan Bing to chop wood. I'm afraid the clan leaders would be mad if they heard about it."
Ling Xiao went to the shop outside and selected the first-level intermediate dragon sword.
"Yuxi, please advance the money for me. I'll pay you back soon," Ling Xiao said to Bai Yuxi in a low voice.
Previously, Ling Xiao had asked Li Guangyin for 500 gold coins, which he gave to Bai Yuxi for her mother's funeral. After Bai Yuxi finished her work, she still had 495 gold coins left. She wanted to give them to Ling Xiao, but Ling Xiao couldn't bring himself to ask for her money, so she refused.
Now, in order to buy a weapon, he had to borrow some from Bai Yuxi temporarily, which made Ling Xiao extremely embarrassed.
Bai Yuxi didn't see anything wrong with it. She believed the money had originally belonged to the young master, and it was perfectly normal for him to ask for it.
Bai Yuxi paid, Ling Xiao took the greatsword, and the old man gave Ling Xiao a scabbard as a gift, a buy-one-get-one-free deal.
"Yuxi, thank you for what you did. The young master will return the money soon," Ling Xiao emphasized. He never borrowed money from women; this was his first time, and he felt incredibly embarrassed.
"No, thank you. It's only natural," Bai Yuxi said, waving her hands. She had grown accustomed to Ling Xiao's politeness, feeling that her young master was more polite than anyone else, far superior to those other, meaner men who only wanted to possess her, but her young master wouldn't. Furthermore, he had saved her before, so she was completely devoted to Ling Xiao.
"No, I'll pay you back just as I promised. Come on, I still owe you a gift, and I'll buy it for you right now." Ling Xiao scratched Bai Yuxi's nose and walked away.
Bai Yuxi gazed at Ling Xiao's elegant back, then reached out and touched her own nose, grinning to herself, and quickly caught up with him.
Ling Xiao went to the tailor shop and ordered three sets of clothes for Bai Yuxi, two for his mother, and two each for him and his father. The quality was perfect, costing only five gold coins, and they only took two hours to get back—extremely efficient.
Ling Xiao paid the deposit and took Bai Yuxi to a restaurant for a feast. Eating at home all day wasn't the best idea; occasionally, it was nice to go out and enjoy a local speciality. Weixiangju is the most famous restaurant in Meteorite City. Not only is it the largest restaurant in the city, it's also the most expensive. Anyone admitted here possesses a certain status.
Ling Xiao and Bai Yuxi swaggered in.
Their appearance immediately attracted a great deal of attention.
"Hey, isn't that the Ling family's 'waste of talent'? He's actually here," a young master from a small family said to a nearby friend.
The friend, also a young master from a small family, made a hushed gesture and said, "Keep your voice down. Don't let him hear."
"What's there to be afraid of? He's just another 'waste of talent' from the Ling family. Even if someone offends him, the Ling family won't stand up for him," said the young master who had spoken earlier. His friend lowered his voice and asked, "Don't you know about the beating Ling Xiao gave Young Master Li Guangyin of the Li family two weeks ago?"
"What? Young Master Li may be the youngest of the three evil young masters, but he's certainly quite powerful. Could it be that this 'waste of talent' has been able to rebuild his profound strength?"
"I'm afraid so. Many people saw Ling Xiao beat up Li Guangyin and his group that day."
Ling Xiao ignored the diners' strange looks and took Bai Yuxi upstairs, finding a seat near the side.
Bai Yuxi was visiting such a high-end establishment for the first time, and timidly followed, tugging on Ling Xiao's shirt.
"Relax, we're all human. They can't eat you. It's just that the prices here are a bit higher. It's nothing serious," Ling Xiao soothed Bai Yuxi.
Bai Yuxi looked at Ling Xiao's encouraging eyes and nodded heavily, slowly relaxing herself. Ling Xiao ordered the waiter to serve three small dishes and a jug of wine. Such a simple meal cost Ling Xiao five gold coins, equivalent to a commoner's annual expenses. However, Ling Xiao didn't feel bad about it. After all, he would soon be making a fortune, so these few gold coins were nothing.
Ling Xiao had only taken two sips of wine and a few small dishes when a commotion erupted downstairs.
Soon, footsteps echoed down the stairs.
Only three people came up: two men and one woman.
The most attractive was the girl in the middle. She was about seventeen years old, her dazzling face rivaling Bai Yuxi's, though she lacked some of Bai Yuxi's charming charm and instead possessed a certain aloofness that seemed distant. She wore a dazzling fiery red dress, adorned with a gold edging at the collar, giving her a look of exceptional splendor and nobility. Her slender, white hands, as tender as scallions, grasped a long purple whip. Her steps were graceful and charming, each one akin to a lotus. The man to the girl's right was extremely tall and muscular, giving off an imposing presence. His bare chest revealed two thick arms, their veins bulging like ferocious pythons, a terrifying sight. He clutched a mace, its massive spikes chilling to the touch.
To the girl's left was a man who bore a passing resemblance to Li Guangyin. His appearance wasn't particularly striking, but his elegant attire accentuated his air of nobility. His venomous eyes were terrifying to gaze upon. He clutched a thin sword, gleaming with a shimmering light, clearly an exceptional weapon.
When Ling Xiao first saw the girl, he felt a sense of déjà vu, but the impression wasn't profound, so he simply glanced at her and continued drinking. The girl looked around, as if searching for a seat. Suddenly, she looked in Ling Xiao's direction, pointed at Ling Xiao's seat, and said to the waiter, "I want this seat. Have them leave."
The waiter immediately bowed and said, "Yes, Miss Luo. I'll have them leave right away."
The waiter came to Ling Xiao and said, "Excuse me, both of you. Could you please move to another table? Miss Luo has reserved yours."
Ling Xiao said angrily, "Why should we leave? Is this how you treat your guests?"
"Young Master, please be careful. She's a daughter of the Luo family. You won't get away with provoking her," the waiter explained.
In Meteorite City, everyone gives face to the three great families. The girl before them was none other than Luo Qingshuang, the granddaughter of the Luo family patriarch. She was deeply favored by the old man and, at such a young age, she had already reached the level of a mid-level profound practitioner. Such talent was rare in Meteorite City. "What's wrong with the Luo family? I'm still from the Ling family. Get out of here! Don't get in my way while I eat." Ling Xiao ignored all that. He absolutely wouldn't agree to such an unreasonable and embarrassing request.
"You..." The waiter was about to say something when he was interrupted.
"Isn't this Young Master Ling Xiao from the Ling family? I didn't expect everyone from our three great families to be here today. Why don't we all join in?" the man who resembled Li Guangyin said. He was none other than Li Guangyin's eldest brother, Li Guanghan.
"Who are you? Stop trying to establish connections. I don't know you. Don't bother me with drinks. There's plenty of room here. If you want to eat, go sit at another table," Ling Xiao said impatiently. These flies buzzing around while I eat is so annoying.
As soon as Ling Xiao finished speaking, Li Guanghan's face darkened, and he looked like he was about to explode. At this moment, the girl in red asked, "Are you Ling Xiao?"
"Yes, young master. What's this beautiful lady's name? She looks familiar," Ling Xiao replied flirtatiously, taking a sip of his wine. In his previous life, Ling Xiao had been a vagrant, never once touching a leaf. He couldn't help but slur at the sight of a beautiful woman.
"Hmph, you looked familiar then. We've met before," the girl snorted.
Ling Xiao sized her up and said, "It seems we don't have any grudges, do we? Is there any need to look at me with such a sullen expression?"
"You and I do have a grudge," the young woman replied, shaking the purple whip in her hand and instantly attacking Ling Xiao like a spirited snake.
"Damn it! You're trying to kill me, girl!" Ling Xiao screamed, leaping from his seat.
"Snap!" Ling Xiao's seat was instantly shattered by the purple whip.
"Young Master!" Bai Yuxi cried out worriedly beside him. Ling Xiao landed on the dining table and shouted at the girl, "Hey, you woman, are you sick? Even if I didn't give you a seat, there's no need to be so violent. You have no manners."
"You're so foul-mouthed!" the girl cursed, and the purple whip swept towards Ling Xiao's waist again, even faster than before.
However, the girl was so focused on finding trouble with Ling Xiao that she completely forgot there were others nearby.
But Ling Xiao didn't forget that if he dodged the whip, it would surely fall on Bai Yuxi. If he didn't, it would be difficult to defend against.