Chapter 450: Grave Robbing

Gold coins were generally accepted throughout the Alliance of Nations, but as the kingdom's rank increased, their usefulness diminished.

A single spirit stone could not be bought for a million gold coins, yet you want to buy something worth fifty spirit stones for just fifty gold coins? What kind of joke is that?

Zhao Feiwu, standing to the side, rolled his eyes and nearly fainted from vomiting blood.

He had painstakingly bargained from 100 spirit stones down to 15, thinking it was a big breakthrough, but this guy opened his mouth and said 50 gold coins?

Just now he said the other party was robbing... now, how come it felt like the stall owner was honest, while this Master Zhang was like a robber?

Trying to buy someone's stuff with that little money, no matter what it was, was no different from outright robbery.

"50... gold coins?"

Liu Chang, the appraiser, had thought this guy would offer a high price, but upon hearing this, he almost laughed out loud.

Where did this country bumpkin come from?

Spirit stones and gold coins were two completely different currencies, incomparable. I offered 50 spirit stones, but you offer 50 gold coins? Why not just say, 'Give it to you for free'...

You've got some nerve!

He glanced over, his face full of contempt.

Saying fifty gold coins with such confidence—you're the only one in the entire trading company.

"Sorry, I'm not selling to you anymore..."

Recovering, the stall owner quickly waved his hand.

He thought this was some young master, but after all that, it turned out he was just a pauper.

What a waste of time.

"Do you think the price I offered is too low?" Zhang Xuan was not angry; instead, he smiled slightly.

The stall owner was speechless.

It wasn't a matter of being too low; it was equivalent to offering no price at all!

Have you ever seen someone use toilet paper to buy things?

Toilet paper might be worth something, but compared to real currency, the difference was enormous.

"Appraiser Liu Chang, I'll sell this to you. Is there anything else you fancy? I'll give you a package deal..."

Too lazy to bother with this guy, the stall owner turned around.

"So you're saying you won't sell to me?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head, showing a hint of regret: "Ah, I was thinking that if you sold to me, I'd casually solve your problem of sleepless nights and nightmares, but since you don't need it, forget it!"

With that, he casually threw the item in his hand and turned to leave.

"What did you say?"

The stall owner, who had been indifferent, stiffened at these words, then turned pale: "Young master, please wait?"

Cultivators, who struggle against heaven and absorb spiritual energy to nourish their bodies, rarely suffer from sleeplessness and nightmares under normal circumstances. But for some reason, for the past six months, he had hardly slept a night, and even when he did fall asleep, he would wake with a start.

A day or two might be bearable, but after six consecutive months, even though he was not weak, he felt his nerves fraying, on the verge of collapse.

He had secretly consulted many physicians, but none could help. How could he not be excited when this person suddenly mentioned it?

"Have you been waking up with night sweats, sleeping like a dead person, and twitching slightly?" Knowing the other would call him, Zhang Xuan smiled and turned around.

"You... how do you know?" The stall owner was shocked again.

His sleeplessness, even if he cultivated day and night to make up for the deficit, made his complexion abnormal, slightly pale.

Many physicians could see that at a glance, but... the night sweats, sleeping like a dead person, and twitching—only he knew, and he had never told anyone, not even his wife.

How did the other know and say it outright?

"I can help you solve it," Zhang Xuan said calmly.

"Solve it for me?"

The stall owner staggered, unable to believe it.

"You can believe it or not, but... it's an opportunity for you. If not resolved, your life will be in danger, and you won't live long!" Zhang Xuan clasped his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent.

Although he really wanted this dragon scale talisman, the other had to believe him; if not, no amount of talk would help.

"I..." The stall owner hesitated.

After a moment, he gritted his teeth and looked up at the middle-aged man before him: "Appraiser Liu Chang, I'm really sorry, but it seems I can't sell this to you..."

Money was important, but compared to health and life, it meant nothing.

Over the past six months, plagued by this condition, he had spent no less than 50 spirit stones on physicians, but to no avail.

If this person could solve it, giving him the item would be nothing.

As for whether to believe... the other could see the crux at a glance, which already surpassed the insight of many physicians. Perhaps, as he said, he could really solve it.

"Hmph, there are many charlatans here. You'd better be careful!"

Unexpectedly, spending 50 spirit stones was no match for the other's 50 gold coins. Appraiser Liu Chang snorted, turned to Zhang Xuan, and narrowed his eyes.

"Whether I'm a charlatan or not, I won't trouble Appraiser Liu with that concern!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"Hmph, very well..."

His face dark, Appraiser Liu Chang flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.

As a dignified appraiser, respected by many, if he couldn't buy it and kept pestering, that would be truly embarrassing.

Of course, the main reason was that he didn't know the item's value.

He had seen it earlier, found it strange, but hadn't recognized what it was. He wanted to buy it out of curiosity.

Not being able to buy it didn't bother him.

But being slapped in the face by a country bumpkin from nowhere, spending so much money and not getting the item, still made him somewhat angry.

"Young master..."

Seeing Appraiser Liu leave with displeasure, the stall owner looked at Zhang Xuan.

If this guy was just talking nonsense and couldn't solve his problem, he would really cry.

Offending a two-star appraiser while setting up a stall in the trading company was definitely unwise.

"Don't worry. Since I can see it, I can solve it. Come, throw a punch for me to see!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Yes!" Without much hesitation, the stall owner threw a punch, the wind whistling.

Unexpectedly, this ordinary stall owner's true strength had reached half-step Grandmaster, only a step away from true Grandmaster.

As expected of the Alliance of Nations, with abundant resources and teachers, the overall strength was many times higher than that of the Tianxuan Kingdom.

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

The other's strength was inferior to his, and his Insight Eye could already see many problems. However, to completely cure him, he needed to use the Library to find the root cause.

"Many of the valuable items you have were not purchased but are ill-gotten gains. The objects have an antique look, covered with patina, which comes from poor air circulation. Coupled with the aura of death you emit... if I'm not mistaken, you are skilled in digging graves and robbing tombs!"

Approaching the stall owner, Zhang Xuan looked around and said calmly.

"You, you..." His face pale, the stall owner was so frightened he nearly collapsed.

'Digging graves and robbing tombs' was a polite term; to be honest, he was a grave robber.

No matter how powerful the cultivator, even a Sovereign or Mortal Transcender, none could escape the punishment of time, eventually disappearing into the river of history. After death, they left behind relics and tombs, buried with valuable items.

And he, by excavating these places, had started from scratch and built his current business by selling dead people's belongings.

However, this experience was well hidden; even many acquaintances didn't know. Being exposed by this person in one sentence nearly made him faint from shock.

"Don't be nervous. What you do has nothing to do with me."

Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and continued: "Let's just talk about the origin of your illness."

"If you had only dug ordinary tombs, there would be no problem. But eight months ago, you excavated the tomb of a Mortal Transcender, am I right?" Zhang Xuan looked at him.

"That... yes!" The stall owner gritted his teeth.

"If that Mortal Transcender had died of old age, it would be fine. But he was betrayed by his wife and killed by his close friend, leaving a lingering resentment... If I'm not mistaken, you kept an item he carried with him and now wear it close to your body." Zhang Xuan continued to look at him.

"...Yes!" The stall owner nodded again, looking at this guy as if he had seen a ghost.

The tomb was very simple, with nothing valuable except a personal jade talisman of considerable worth, which he had taken... How did this guy know such a secret?

And it was as if he had seen it with his own eyes?

"It is the resentment contained in this item that causes your sleeplessness. Once you fall asleep, you twitch like a dead person... To solve it, simply return the jade talisman to its original place, find the tomb owner's descendants, treat them well, and offer proper sacrifices. Then the hidden trouble will disappear!"

Zhang Xuan said.

In fact, this situation was somewhat similar to that of Alchemist Chen Xiao he encountered during the pill debate.

The latter had forcibly taken an alchemist's furnace without avenging him, and was cursed.

This man had been invaded by the Mortal Transcender's resentment for a long time; it would be strange if no symptoms appeared!

If left unresolved, his lifespan would be greatly damaged, and he probably wouldn't last a few years, following in Alchemist Chen Xiao's footsteps, with a dense aura of death and a short life.

Therefore, saying he wouldn't live long was not an exaggeration.

"Thank you for your guidance, young master..."

Many of the things the other said were correct. The stall owner now believed about seventy to eighty percent and was full of gratitude.

He had thought it was a physical problem, never imagining the cause was this.

"This item... young master, please take it!"

Knowing the solution, the stall owner handed over the dragon scale talisman.

He didn't know what this item was, but even if it was priceless, it was worth it to exchange for his life.

Zhang Xuan nodded, put the item away, and with a flick of his wrist, produced a pile of gold coins, exactly fifty: "This is your payment."

"No need..."

The stall owner quickly waved his hand.

It was better to give it away; at least it would be a favor.

"How can it be unnecessary? I said I would buy it, so I must buy it. If I don't pay, wouldn't that be like robbery?" Zhang Xuan said righteously.

"Well... alright!" The stall owner had no choice but to accept.

"That actually worked?"

Having witnessed the whole scene, Zhao Feiwu felt all his knowledge was overturned.

With 50 gold coins, he bought a treasure worth 50 spirit stones, and the other was grateful, almost treating him like a god...

Too amazing!

As the daughter of the Alliance of Nations' leader, a princess... she had seen countless skilled physicians, but one glance and he could tell someone was sick, even knowing their profession as a grave robber...

You're not a physician...

You're a fortune-teller, aren't you...