Destiny in Cinders

Assuming a piece of souljade went for ten thousand in Void Embrace, a well-to-do family could buy one after working hard for a few months. It wasn't exactly bank-breaking money. In Skysource, a single merit was worth a hundred credits. While that was barely enough to live comfortably for a day, it could at least keep one fed and clothed.

An Jing was only making a rough guess. Without any local benchmarks, he had to rely on fragmented memories from his past life to piece together a likely inaccurate assessment.

"In Skysource, a single liang of void spirit stone goes for 1500 merits. If we value one merit at roughly 100 yuan, that puts an empty stone at 150,000 yuan. And that's just an empty one. It wouldn't be surprising if a filled spirit stone was worth twice as much. The price difference is roughly thirty-fold... That's a 3000 percent profit margin."

An Jing paused, struck by the thirty-fold disparity. The actual numbers would surely fluctuate, but even this rough, error-prone calculation was enough to illustrate the staggering price gap between the two worlds.

"I'm interested in an exchange." Appearing lost in contemplation, An Jing looked up and produced a souljade. He held it out for her to see and said in a low voice, "Trade it for jadeslice steel."

"Alright." The manager gave a small nod, though her voice betrayed a flicker of excitement. "Including your void spirit stone, I can give you five liang of jadeslice steel."

"Eight liang." An Jing pressed. "A spirit stone weighing two liang, and another void one weighing two liang for eight liang of jadeslice steel. You're still coming out ahead on this deal."

"You don't have a chip, and there's a difference in trade-in rates and retail prices." The manager's first instinct was to shake her head, but sensing someone approaching, she dropped the argument. "Six and a half liang. Five for the spirit stone. Take the deal and go, so I can close out the accounts quickly."

It appeared that spirit stones commanded a much higher premium than their void counterparts. Is the cost of untainted spirit qi truly that exorbitant in this world? After all, this was the polluted world of Skysource.

After confirming the going rate for spirit stones, An Jing put on a show of unwillingness to negotiate and said, "Deal."

The manager retrieved five ingots of jadeslice steel from a hidden compartment beneath the counter, placed them in a jade case, and handed it to him.

"Jade is the soul of ores, capable of containing the yang energy of mystic metals. Please keep it properly sealed when not in use. If the jade case happens to break, treated glass is an acceptable substitute, but keep in mind that we aren't liable for any damage resulting from improper storage."

An Jing carefully tucked it away and handed the spirit stone to the manager. Despite the mosaic mask, the woman's trembling fingers betrayed her joy. It wasn't until the arbitrator and shopkeeper appeared that her excitement subsided.

An Jing traded two liang of void spirit stone for a single liang of jadeslice steel before the arbitrator, a guard dressed in black. For the remaining half liang, he opted to convert it into five hundred merits in bills.

Ocher Hill was still able to produce the necessary merit bills. An Jing received five red talisman jades, each worth a hundred merits. At the center of each jade was a glowing, blood-red pattern that radiated a sturdy, dense aura.

Ultimately, this was the standard fast-trade rate, half the normal price at the black market. It was a perfectly fair and reasonable deal for anyone who needed a quick sale. An Jing stood to make a modest gain by trading his spirit stone for five pieces of jadeslice steel, as he was getting an above-average rate. Even so, the manager wouldn't be taking a loss either.

An Jing's fortune took a sudden leap. Though he only started with just 630 merits, he now sat on 1130 merits and 6 pieces of jadeslice steel.

"Is there anything else you need?" the manager asked before An Jing could make his exit.

"Is there any safe accommodation nearby? Somewhere suitable for cultivating?" An Jing stopped in his tracks and turned around. "We... I'm looking for a reliable place to settle down. We can talk about further business later."

"I understand."

An Jing didn't know exactly what the manager had concluded, but he played up his character as a badlander tribesman and let her draw her imagination fill in the gaps.

With a knowing look, she said, "The black market offers private cultivation rooms. The arbitrator here can escort you to one."

"It's ten merits a day, with food and water provided." The arbitrator who was dressed in black and hidden behind a bronze Pixiu mask said, "But we'll need the name of your guarantor."[1]

"Metalhand," An Jing replied without hesitation. "I'm staying for three days."

He had only been in Skysource for about six hours, leaving him with over two days remaining. A three-day stay was perfect. With the jadeslice steel in hand, he could cultivate Evenstar Ivory Divine Seal and rapidly grow stronger, while still leaving a two-day buffer to acquire new weapons. Only by increasing his strength would he gain the stamina to handle more weapons and boost the number of flying swords he could launch.

"It's on us," the manager added. "Put it on our tab."

An Jing glanced at the manager, noting that the nearby shopkeeper seemed unfazed. Looks like they made quite the profit... But at least it spared me a lot of trouble.

"Please come again." The manager even waved goodbye as he left.

"Please come with me." The arbitrator led An Jing out of the shop and onto a levitating platform. They reached a secluded area of dark rooms twelve floors down. At the center stood a small fountain, its shimmering waters casting a soft glow. It was an underground spirit spring.

At a depth of a hundred meters, a sudden, crisp vitality permeated the air. The realization struck An Jing instantly. This was likely the site of a spirit vein.

"Here's your room."

The arbitrator guided An Jing to a secluded room positioned a fair distance from the spirit spring. Surprisingly, the invigorating atmosphere was barely diminished. It was evident that the room's layout was intentionally constructed according to a geomantic array to facilitate the flow of spirit qi.

"Ocher Hill has paid for your stay. This room is yours for the next three days. If you need anything, you can call for the maids or servants, but it'll cost you additional merits. Good luck with your cultivation."

An Jing stepped into the room. Apart from the centerpiece which was a silvery, translucent glass platform clearly intended for cultivation, the layout felt strangely familiar, echoing the hotel rooms he vaguely remembered from his past life.

Next to the platform was a wooden training dummy. Though it appeared light, it was remarkably durable. An Jing immediately put it to the test. As a River Aura martialist, a single punch from him should have delivered hundreds of jins of force, yet, the wooden dummy didn't budge an inch. His strength, which could have toppled heavy livestock, vanished upon contact like a drop of water in the ocean.

"It's a metalwood puppet," Yvelbane said, "It's used to test cultivators in the early to mid-stages of Qi Refinement, or Fortification. It's an artifact with formidable defensive power. You must condense your inner qi essence to manifest a trace of spirit energy while attacking to have any significant impact on it."

"It seems I still have a long way to go." An Jing let out a deep breath and sat on the glass platform.

"Yvelbane," he said, "Will this amount of jadeslice steel be enough for me to manifest a trace of spirit energy?"

"More than enough," Yvelbane said enthusiastically. "Even half would suffice to manifest your first seal."

1. A Pixiu is a mythological beast that looks like a winged lion. See more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixiu ☜