zhì yú dì èr zhǒng ， zé shì pǔ tōng de xiū xiān zhě ， shèn zhì shì yī xiē xiū wèi bù chū zhòng ， yě hùn dé bìng bù rú yì de jiā huo 。
至于第二种，则是普通的修仙者，甚至是一些修为不出众，也混得并不如意的家伙。
As for the second type, they were ordinary cultivators, even some with mediocre cultivation and an unsatisfactory life.
zhè xiē rén ， xiāng duì lái shuō ， dōu shì bǐ jiào qióng de ， shǒu zhōng méi yǒu zú gòu de dān yào yǔ jīng shí ， zhī chí xiū xíng xià qù ， rán ér tā men yǒu kě néng jī yuán qiǎo hé ， dé dào yī xiē tè shū de cái huò 。
这些人，相对来说，都是比较穷的，手中没有足够的丹药与晶石，支持修行下去，然而他们有可能机缘巧合，得到一些特殊的财货。
These people, relatively speaking, were quite poor. They lacked sufficient pills and crystal stones to support their cultivation, but they might stumble upon special goods due to good fortune or luck during adventures outside.
zhè xiē dōng xī ， yǒu kě néng shì zǔ shàng chuán xià lái dì ， yě yǒu kě néng shì wài chū mào xiǎn de shí hòu ， mò míng qí miào jiù dé dào le ， zhī suǒ yǐ chēng zhī wèi tè shū ， shì yīn wèi zhè bù fèn cái huò de jià zhí ， hěn nán biàn shí 。
这些东西，有可能是祖上传下来地，也有可能是外出冒险的时候，莫名其妙就得到了，之所以称之为特殊，是因为这部分财货的价值，很难辨识。
Such items could be passed down from ancestors or obtained mysteriously while venturing out. The reason why they are considered special is because the value of these goods is hard to determine.
duō bàn dōu shì yī xiē bù cháng jiàn ， xī yǒu de dōng xī 。
多半都是一些不常见，稀有的东西。
They were mostly uncommon and rare things.
rán ér xī yǒu cái liào ， yě bù yí dìng jiù shì zhí qián de huò sè ， bì xū néng pài shàng yòng tú ， cái huì yǒu rén zhuī pěng ， xī yǒu cái liào zhōng hěn dà yī bù fèn ， yě yǒu kě néng shì wú yòng de lā jī 。
然而稀有材料，也不一定就是值钱的货色，必须能派上用途，才会有人追捧，稀有材料中很大一部分，也有可能是无用的垃圾。
However, rare materials aren't necessarily valuable; they must have practical uses before anyone would take an interest in them. A large portion of such rare materials could be useless trash.
yú shì hū ， zhè xiē xiū shì shǒu zhōng de cái huò ， jiù chǔ yú yí gè hěn gān gà de dì wèi le ， yīn wèi biàn shí kùn nán de yuán gù ， zhí bù zhí qián hěn nán shuō ， ná dào fāng shì qù mài ， gēn běn jiù shǔ yú wú rén wèn jīn zhī wù ， bì jìng lián yòng tú yě gǎo bù qīng chǔ ， xiū shì men yòu bú shì chī bǎo le chēng de ， shuí yuàn yì qù huā nà yuān wǎng qián ne ？
于是乎，这些修士手中的财货，就处于一个很尴尬的地位了，因为辨识困难的缘故，值不值钱很难说，拿到坊市去卖，根本就属于无人问津之物，毕竟连用途也搞不清楚，修士们又不是吃饱了撑的，谁愿意去huā那冤枉钱呢？
Thus, these cultivators' assets were in a rather awkward position. Due to the difficulty in identifying their value, it was hard to say whether they were worth anything. Selling them at marketplaces would likely go unnoticed since their purpose remained unclear. Cultivators weren't exactly in the business of spending money unnecessarily.
ěr bù mài de huà ， liú zài shǒu zhōng gèng méi yǒu yòng chǔ ， bì jìng nà xiē xiū xiān zhě ， hěn duō dōu shǔ yú qióng kùn liáo dǎo yī zú ， pò qiè xū yào dān yào jīng shí lái xiū liàn de 。
耳不卖的话，留在手中更没有用处，毕竟那些修仙者，很多都属于穷困潦倒一族，迫切需要丹药晶石来修炼的。
If not sold, these items would be useless as well, given that many cultivators belonged to a poor and destitute group who desperately needed pills and crystal stones for cultivation.
fāng shì zhōng mài bù diào ， dàng pù jiù chéng le wéi yī de xuǎn zé 。
坊市中卖不掉，当铺就成了唯一的选择。
With no buyers at the marketplace, pawnshops became their only option.
duì yú zhè xiē xī yǒu zhī wù ， dàng pù yì bān dōu shì lái zhě bù jù de ， shōu yì bǎi jiàn cái huò ， nǎ pà qí zhōng jiǔ shí jiǔ jiàn dōu shì lā jī ， dàn zhǐ yào yī jiàn yǒu yòng ， tōng cháng dōu néng gòu fǎn péi wèi zhuàn de 。
对于这些稀有之物，当铺一般都是来者不拒的，收一百件财货，哪怕其中九十九件都是垃圾，但只要一件有用，通常都能够反赔为赚的。
Pawnshops generally accepted any goods without discrimination. Even if ninety-nine out of one hundred pieces were trash, as long as one item was useful, they could turn losses into profits.
dàng pù ， lín xuān yǐ qián suī rán wèi céng qù guò ， dàn jī běn qíng kuàng ， hái zǒu liǎo jiě dé fēi cháng qīng chǔ ， hěn kuài ， yī dòng qì shì huī hóng de jiàn zhù jiù chū xiàn yú yǎn pīn le 。
当铺，林轩以前虽然未曾去过，但基本情况，还走了解得非常清楚，很快，一栋气势恢宏的建筑就出现于眼拼了。
Although Lin Xuan had never been to a pawnshop before, he knew its basic situation very well. Soon enough, an imposing building appeared in front of his eyes.
zhī suǒ yǐ shuō huī hóng ， shì yīn wèi cǐ jiàn zhù jū rán quán bù shì yóu hòu zhòng de jù shí duī qì ér chéng de ， hěn gāo ” zú yǒu shí yú zhàng ， chéng xiàn yī zuò bǎo tǎ de xíng zhuàng 。
之所以说恢宏，是因为此建筑居然全部是由厚重的巨石堆砌而成的，很高”足有十余丈，呈现一座宝塔的形状。
The grandeur of the structure lay in the fact that it was entirely made from heavy stones, towering over ten zhang high and shaped like a tower.
lín xuān liǎn shàng yě lù chū jǐ fēn gǔ guài zhī sè ” jiāng diàn pù xiū chéng zhè bān mō yàng hái zhēn shì lìng rén yí huò ， rán ér bù jiě guī bù jiě ， lín xuān zì rán bú huì shēn jiū ， shēn xíng yī shǎn ， yǐ piāo rán zǒu le jìn lái 。
林轩脸上也露出几分古怪之色”将店铺修成这般摸样还真是令人疑惑，然而不解归不解，林轩自然不会深究，身形一闪，已飘然走了进来。
Lin Xuan's face showed some bewilderment; such a shop design was indeed puzzling. However, he didn't delve into why. With a flash of his figure, he entered the building.
yìng rù yǎn lián de shì yī pái yòng míng guì mù cái suǒ zhì chéng de guì tái ” zhěng gè dà tīng ， bù jǐn míng liàng ， ér qiě zhuāng huáng dé shí fēn yōu yǎ 。
映入眼帘的是一排用名贵木材所制成的柜台”整个大厅，不仅明亮，而且装潢得十分优雅。
Before him were counters crafted from expensive wood, making the entire hall bright and elegantly decorated.
“ zhè wèi dào yǒu qǐng liú pīng ， bù zhī dào yú mǒu yǒu shén me kě yǐ bāng dào nǐ de 。”
“这位道友请留乒，不知道余某有什么可以帮到你的。”
"Esteemed friend, please stay. What can I do for you?"
yī lüè dài cí xìng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， lín xuān tái qǐ tóu lú ， jiù kàn jiàn le yī shēn chuān rú shān de xiū xiān zhě ， sān lǚ zhǎng xū ， xiàng mào qīng qí ” shǒu zhōng hái ná zhe yī juàn shī shū ， kàn shàng qù ， jiù xiàng yī bǎo xué hóng rú ， yì diǎn shāng rén de shì kuài zhī qì yě wú 。
一略带磁性的声音传入耳朵，林轩抬起头颅，就看见了一身穿儒衫的修仙者，三缕长须，相貌清奇”手中还拿着一卷诗书，看上去，就像一饱学鸿儒，一点商人的市侩之气也无。
A magnetic voice reached his ears as Lin Xuan looked up to see a cultivator in scholar robes with three long strands of beard. His appearance was peculiar, holding a scroll of poetry. He seemed like an erudite scholar without any mercantile greed.
xiū wèi tóng yàng bù ruò ， yuán yīng zhōng qī de xiū xiān zhě ， zhè zhǒng shí lì lái dāng zhǎng guì nà shì míng xiǎn de qū cái le 。
修为同样不弱，元婴中期的修仙者，这种实力来当掌柜那是明显的屈才了。
His cultivation wasn't weak either; he was at the middle stage of元婴期 (Yànyīnqí). Such strength to be a shopkeeper was clearly a waste of talent.
“ lái dàng pù néng zuò shén me ， dāng rán shì lái dāng dōng xī de 。” lín xuān dàn dàn de shuō 。
“来当铺能做什么，当然是来当东西的。”林轩淡淡的说。
"Coming here, what can you do? Of course, it's for pawning things," Lin Xuan said indifferently.
“ qián bèi yǒu shén me bǎo wù ， kě ná chū lái yǔ yú mǒu yī guān me ？”
“前辈有什么宝物，可拿出来与余某一观么？”
"What precious items do you have that I might take a look at?" the man asked, speaking in a refined manner but being straightforward. Lin Xuan nodded and waved his sleeves to reveal several storage pouches flying out.
cǐ rén shuō huà suī rán wén zhòu zhòu de ， dàn què shì hěn shuǎng kuài de rén wù ， lín xuān mǎn yì de diǎn diǎn ， tóu ， suí hòu xiù páo yī fú ， jǐ gè chǔ wù dài fēi lüè ér chū 。
此人说话虽然文绉绉的，但却是很爽快的人物，林轩满意的点点，头，随后袖袍一拂，几个储物袋飞掠而出。
He understood the principle of not showing off wealth, so he didn't pull out too many goods at once. The materials and treasures inside these pouches were more than enough to fetch many crystal stones.
cái bù lù bái de dào lǐ lín xuān qīng chǔ ， suǒ yǐ dāng rán bú huì yì kǒu qì ná chū tài duō de cái huò ， zhè jǐ gè chǔ wù dài zhōng suǒ shèng fàng de cái liào bǎo wù ， yǐ jīng zú gòu huàn qǔ hěn duō jīng shí le 。
财不露白的道理林轩清楚，所以当然不会一口气拿出太多的财货，这几个储物袋中所盛放的材料宝物，已经足够换取很多晶石了。
The transaction proceeded smoothly as expected. The valuation of this batch of goods was naturally a bit lower than market prices, but that was the pawnshop's rule, and Lin Xuan had no objections.
jiē xià lái de qíng kuàng bù yòng duō shuō ， jiāo yì shùn lì yǐ jí ， zhè pī cái huò de gū jià ， dāng rán yào bǐ shì miàn shàng lüè dī yī xiē ， dàn zhè shì dàng pù de guī jǔ ， lín xuān zì rán bú huì yǒu yì yì 。
接下来的情况不用多说，交易顺利以极，这批财货的估价，当然要比市面上略低一些，但这是当铺的规矩，林轩自然不会有异议。
After completing the transaction, everyone was pleased.
jiāo yì wán bì ” jiē dà huān xǐ 。
交易完毕”皆大欢喜。
Staying any longer would be meaningless. Lin Xuan walked out.
dòu liú xià qù méi yǒu yì yì ， lín xuān xiàng wài miàn zǒu qù 。
逗留下去没有意义，林轩像外面走去。
Earlier, he had conducted a large business in a private room, so when he returned to the hall, he heard an argument.
gāng cái shì dà shēng yì ， suǒ yǐ jiāo yì de shí hòu shì zài bāo fáng lǐ ” děng chóng xīn lái dào dà tīng de shí hòu ， què tīng jiàn yī zhèn zhēng zhí chuán rù ěr lǐ 。
刚才是大生意，所以交易的时候是在包房里”等重新来到大厅的时候，却听见一阵争执传入耳里。
No, it wasn't an argument; it sounded more like desperate pleading.
bù ，“ bìng fēi zhēng zhí ” shuō chéng kǔ kǔ āi qiú huò xǔ yào gèng jiā shì hé yī xiē 。
不，“并非争执”说成苦苦哀求或许要更加适合一些。
"Esteemed senior, have mercy. This item in my possession cannot be identified, but my ancestor was a late-stage 离合期 (Líhéqí) cultivator back then. He obtained this treasure from an ancient tomb, so it's not just any ordinary thing. You should value it at one thousand pieces of lower-grade crystal stones; that is too meager," the young cultivator said, his face full of anxiety as he pleaded.
“ qián bèi ， nín xíng xíng hǎo ， wǎn shēng shǒu zhōng de zhè kuài dōng xī ， suī rán wú fǎ biàn shí ， dàn jiā zǔ dāng nián ， kě shì lí hé hòu qī de xiū shì ， zhè dōng xī ， nǎi shì tā zài yī shàng gǔ jù mù suǒ de ， jué fēi pǔ tōng zhī wù ， nín chū jià jiù yī qiān kuài xià pǐn jīng shí ， zhè yě tài hán chěn rén le 。” shuō huà de shì yī míng èr shí chū tóu de xiū xiān zhě ， mǎn liǎn de tǎn tè ， zhèng kǔ kǔ āi qiú zhe 。
“前辈，您行行好，晚生手中的这块东西，虽然无法辨识，但家祖当年，可是离合后期的修士，这东西，乃是他在一上古巨墓所得，绝非普通之物，您出价就一千块下品晶石，这也太寒碜人了。”说话的是一名二十出头的修仙者，满脸的忐忑，正苦苦哀求着。
"Go away! A mere Foundation Establishment period cultivator dares to claim your ancestor was a late-stage 离合期 (Líhéqí) cultivator and that this item came from an ancient tomb. You think I'm easily fooled?" the clerk's face showed disdain, though he himself was only at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.
“ qù ， yī qū qū zhù jī qī de xiū xiān zhě ， yě gǎn shuō zì jǐ de xiān zǔ shì lí hé hòu qī de rén wù ， hái shén me shàng gǔ jù mù suǒ de de bǎo wù ， nǐ dāng běn dà yé ， shì nà me hǎo piàn de ？” huǒ jì de liǎn shàng ， mǎn shì bù xiè zhī sè ， suī rán tā zì jǐ yě cái zhù jī zhōng qī ， dàn dà shù dǐ xià hǎo chéng liáng ， gēn běn jiù kàn bù qǐ zhè xiē lái diǎn dàng xī yǒu cái liào de xiū xiān zhě 。
“去，一区区筑基期的修仙者，也敢说自己的先祖是离合后期的人物，还什么上古巨墓所得的宝物，你当本大爷，是那么好骗的？”伙计的脸上，满是不屑之色，虽然他自己也才筑基中期，但大树底下好乘凉，根本就看不起这些来典当稀有材料的修仙者。
Scattered cultivators had no future; they were always the lowest rung in the cultivation world.
sàn xiū néng yǒu shén me qián tú ， yǒng yuǎn dōu shì xiū xiān jiè zuì dǐ céng de rén wù 。
散修能有什么前途，永远都是修仙界最底层的人物。
The young man continued to beg, but the clerk remained unmoved: "Whether you pawn or not, one thousand pieces of lower-grade crystal stones is all I will offer."
nà qīng rén yī jiù āi qiú gè bù tíng ， kě huǒ jì què háo bù dòng xīn ：“ ài dāng bù dàng ， yī qiān kuài xià pǐn jīng shí ， běn dà yé shì yí gè zi ér yě bú huì jiā de 。”
那轻人依旧哀求个不停，可伙计却毫不动心：“爱当不当，一千块下品晶石，本大爷是一个子儿也不会加的。”
Lin Xuan frowned. The clerk's face was genuinely unpleasant. He understood their hardships as he had risen from a lowly cultivator and could easily tell if this young man was in trouble.
lín xuān méi tou yí zhòu ， cǐ rén de zuǐ liǎn zhe shí ràng rén yǒu xiē yàn wù ， tā yě shì cóng dī jiē xiū shì yí bù bù shàng lái ， zì rán míng bái tā men de kǔ chǔ ， kàn zhè nián qīng rén de biǎo qíng ， nà shì míng xiǎn yǒu nán chǔ 。
林轩眉头一皱，此人的嘴脸着实让人有些厌恶，他也是从低阶修士一步步上来，自然明白他们的苦楚，看这年轻人的表情，那是明显有难处。
Taking advantage of someone's misfortune was despicable!
chéng huǒ dǎ jié de rén tài kě wù ！
乘火打劫的人太可恶！
"I won't pawn it then," the young man said.
“ nà wǒ bù dàng le 。”
“那我不当了。”
The clerk was taken aback, his expression filled with surprise. Such situations were common; even without customers, pawning shops would try to press down prices, and most would eventually give in.
nián qīng rén de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， huǒ jì yī è ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì yì wài zhī sè ， zhè yàng de qíng kuàng tā yǐ yù jiàn guò hěn duō ， kāi dàng pù de nǎ pà méi yǒu gù kè ， shǐ jìn yā jià ， duì fāng dào zuì hòu ， yì bān dū huì qū fú 。
年轻人的声音传入耳朵，伙计一愕，脸上满是意外之色，这样的情况他已遇见过很多，开当铺的哪怕没有顾客，使劲压价，对方到最后，一般都会屈服。
He didn't expect the other party to abandon the idea of pawning. Feeling a bit humiliated, he coldly said: "If you don’t pawn it, find another shop. The price will be lower elsewhere."
méi xiǎng dào duì fāng jū rán fàng qì bù dàng le ， huǒ jì mò míng qí miào de gǎn jué dào jǐ fēn xiū rǔ ， lěng lěng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ：“ bù dàng ， zhǎo qí tā diàn pù ， jià gé zhǐ huì gèng dī de 。”
没想到对方居然放弃不当了，伙计莫名其妙的感觉到几分羞辱，冷冷的声音传入耳朵：“不当，找其他店铺，价格只会更低的。”
"Humph, that may not be true," Lin Xuan said with a smile.
“ hēng ， zhè kě wèi bì 。”
“哼，这可未必。”
"Who are you to speak out here?"
“ shuí zài zhè lǐ duō zuǐ duō shé ？”
“谁在这里多嘴多舌？”
The clerk was furious but quickly became fearful when he saw Lin Xuan's face: "It’s you, esteemed senior. I’m sorry for my rudeness just now."
huǒ jì dà nù ， dàn huí guò tóu ， kàn qīng chǔ lín xuān de miàn róng yǐ hòu ， biǎo qíng mǎ shàng biàn dé huáng kǒng ：“ yuán lái shì qián bèi ， duì bù qǐ ， xiǎo de gāng gāng tài guò fàng sì 。”
伙计大怒，但回过头，看清楚林轩的面容以后，表情马上变得惶恐：“原来是前辈，对不起，小的刚刚太过放肆。”
Lin Xuan ignored him; such behavior among cultivators wasn't uncommon.
lín xuān lǐ dōu méi lǐ ， xiū xiān zhě zhōng duō qī ruǎn pà è zhī tú ， zhè yàng de shì qíng yì diǎn dōu méi yǒu xī qí zhī chù 。
林轩理都没理，修仙者中多欺软怕恶之徒，这样的事情一点都没有稀奇之处。
"I'll take that material. Fifteen pieces of middle-grade crystal stones will suffice," Lin Xuan said.
“ jiāng nà cái liào gěi wǒ ， lín mǒu mǎi le 。
“将那材料给我，林某买了。
"Thank you, esteemed senior," the young man was overjoyed but still showed some fear: "But this item requires ten thousand pieces of lower-grade crystal stones for me to sell."
“ duō xiè qián bèi 。” nián qīng rén dà xǐ ， dàn liǎn shàng yī jiù dài zhe jǐ fēn huáng kǒng zhī yì ：“ bù guò zhè dōng xī ， xū yào yī wàn kuài xià pǐn jīng shí ， wǒ cái mài de 。”
“多谢前辈。”年轻人大喜，但脸上依旧带着几分惶恐之意：“不过这东西，需要一万块下品晶石，我才卖的。”
As he spoke, he glanced at Lin Xuan's face and stammered an explanation: "It’s not that I’m greedy. My younger sister was poisoned by a monster and needs something to detoxify her; various expenses..."
yī biān shuō ， tā yī biān kàn le kàn lín xuān de liǎn sè ， niè rú zhe jiě shì qǐ lái le ：“ bú shì wǎn bèi tān xīn ， shě mèi zhōng le yāo shòu zhī dú ， xū yào gòu mǎi jiě dú zhī wù ， gè zhǒng huā fèi “……
一边说，他一边看了看林轩的脸色，嗫嚅着解释起来了：“不是晚辈贪心，舍妹中了妖兽之毒，需要购买解毒之物，各种huā费“……
"It doesn’t matter," Lin Xuan said with a smile.
“ méi guān xì 。”
“没关系。”
Who didn't have their troubles? He trusted his ability to discern the truth, even if this person hadn't been lying.
lín xuān wēi xiào de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr lǐ ， shéi dōu yǒu nán chǔ ， hé kuàng cǐ rén yǒu méi yǒu shuō huǎng tā zì xìn hái shì néng gòu biàn shí chū 。
林轩微笑的声音传入耳里，谁都有难处，何况此人有没有说谎他自信还是能够辨识出。
Without hesitation, he took out fifteen pieces of middle-grade crystal stones and handed them over.
èr huà bù shuō de qǔ chū shí wǔ kuài zhōng pǐn jīng shí ， dì dào le duì fāng de shǒu lǐ 。
二话不说的取出十五块中品晶石，递到了对方的手里。
"Esteemed senior, that’s more than enough."
“ qián bèi ， bù xū yào zhè me duō 。”
“前辈，不需要这么多。”
"It doesn’t matter. The extra is a gift from me. Detoxifying can be more expensive than expected," Lin Xuan said indifferently. Saving someone was rewarding; such small favors made him feel good.
“ méi guān xì ， duō yú de ， suàn lín mǒu sòng gěi nǐ ， jiě dú ，huā fèi yě xǔ bǐ xiǎng xiàng de gèng duō 。”
“没关系，多余的，算林某送给你，解毒，huā费也许比想象的更多。”
The clerk felt resentful but dared not say anything. The young man thanked him profusely, but Lin Xuan didn't care; he simply helped out of kindness. Lowering his head, he glanced at the item in his hand.
As for the second type, they were ordinary cultivators, even some with mediocre cultivation and an unsatisfactory life.
These people, relatively speaking, were quite poor. They lacked sufficient pills and crystal stones to support their cultivation, but they might stumble upon special goods due to good fortune or luck during adventures outside.
Such items could be passed down from ancestors or obtained mysteriously while venturing out. The reason why they are considered special is because the value of these goods is hard to determine.
They were mostly uncommon and rare things.
However, rare materials aren't necessarily valuable; they must have practical uses before anyone would take an interest in them. A large portion of such rare materials could be useless trash.
Thus, these cultivators' assets were in a rather awkward position. Due to the difficulty in identifying their value, it was hard to say whether they were worth anything. Selling them at marketplaces would likely go unnoticed since their purpose remained unclear. Cultivators weren't exactly in the business of spending money unnecessarily.
If not sold, these items would be useless as well, given that many cultivators belonged to a poor and destitute group who desperately needed pills and crystal stones for cultivation.
With no buyers at the marketplace, pawnshops became their only option.
Pawnshops generally accepted any goods without discrimination. Even if ninety-nine out of one hundred pieces were trash, as long as one item was useful, they could turn losses into profits.
Although Lin Xuan had never been to a pawnshop before, he knew its basic situation very well. Soon enough, an imposing building appeared in front of his eyes.
The grandeur of the structure lay in the fact that it was entirely made from heavy stones, towering over ten zhang high and shaped like a tower.
Lin Xuan's face showed some bewilderment; such a shop design was indeed puzzling. However, he didn't delve into why. With a flash of his figure, he entered the building.
Before him were counters crafted from expensive wood, making the entire hall bright and elegantly decorated.
"Esteemed friend, please stay. What can I do for you?"
A magnetic voice reached his ears as Lin Xuan looked up to see a cultivator in scholar robes with three long strands of beard. His appearance was peculiar, holding a scroll of poetry. He seemed like an erudite scholar without any mercantile greed.
His cultivation wasn't weak either; he was at the middle stage of元婴期 (Yànyīnqí). Such strength to be a shopkeeper was clearly a waste of talent.
"Coming here, what can you do? Of course, it's for pawning things," Lin Xuan said indifferently.
"What precious items do you have that I might take a look at?" the man asked, speaking in a refined manner but being straightforward. Lin Xuan nodded and waved his sleeves to reveal several storage pouches flying out.
He understood the principle of not showing off wealth, so he didn't pull out too many goods at once. The materials and treasures inside these pouches were more than enough to fetch many crystal stones.
The transaction proceeded smoothly as expected. The valuation of this batch of goods was naturally a bit lower than market prices, but that was the pawnshop's rule, and Lin Xuan had no objections.
After completing the transaction, everyone was pleased.
Staying any longer would be meaningless. Lin Xuan walked out.
Earlier, he had conducted a large business in a private room, so when he returned to the hall, he heard an argument.
No, it wasn't an argument; it sounded more like desperate pleading.
"Esteemed senior, have mercy. This item in my possession cannot be identified, but my ancestor was a late-stage 离合期 (Líhéqí) cultivator back then. He obtained this treasure from an ancient tomb, so it's not just any ordinary thing. You should value it at one thousand pieces of lower-grade crystal stones; that is too meager," the young cultivator said, his face full of anxiety as he pleaded.
"Go away! A mere Foundation Establishment period cultivator dares to claim your ancestor was a late-stage 离合期 (Líhéqí) cultivator and that this item came from an ancient tomb. You think I'm easily fooled?" the clerk's face showed disdain, though he himself was only at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.
Scattered cultivators had no future; they were always the lowest rung in the cultivation world.
The young man continued to beg, but the clerk remained unmoved: "Whether you pawn or not, one thousand pieces of lower-grade crystal stones is all I will offer."
Lin Xuan frowned. The clerk's face was genuinely unpleasant. He understood their hardships as he had risen from a lowly cultivator and could easily tell if this young man was in trouble.
Taking advantage of someone's misfortune was despicable!
"I won't pawn it then," the young man said.
The clerk was taken aback, his expression filled with surprise. Such situations were common; even without customers, pawning shops would try to press down prices, and most would eventually give in.
He didn't expect the other party to abandon the idea of pawning. Feeling a bit humiliated, he coldly said: "If you don’t pawn it, find another shop. The price will be lower elsewhere."
"Humph, that may not be true," Lin Xuan said with a smile.
"Who are you to speak out here?"
The clerk was furious but quickly became fearful when he saw Lin Xuan's face: "It’s you, esteemed senior. I’m sorry for my rudeness just now."
Lin Xuan ignored him; such behavior among cultivators wasn't uncommon.
"I'll take that material. Fifteen pieces of middle-grade crystal stones will suffice," Lin Xuan said.
"Thank you, esteemed senior," the young man was overjoyed but still showed some fear: "But this item requires ten thousand pieces of lower-grade crystal stones for me to sell."
As he spoke, he glanced at Lin Xuan's face and stammered an explanation: "It’s not that I’m greedy. My younger sister was poisoned by a monster and needs something to detoxify her; various expenses..."
"It doesn’t matter," Lin Xuan said with a smile.
Who didn't have their troubles? He trusted his ability to discern the truth, even if this person hadn't been lying.
Without hesitation, he took out fifteen pieces of middle-grade crystal stones and handed them over.
"Esteemed senior, that’s more than enough."
"It doesn’t matter. The extra is a gift from me. Detoxifying can be more expensive than expected," Lin Xuan said indifferently. Saving someone was rewarding; such small favors made him feel good.
The clerk felt resentful but dared not say anything. The young man thanked him profusely, but Lin Xuan didn't care; he simply helped out of kindness. Lowering his head, he glanced at the item in his hand.