Chapter 378 - 342: Fencing Loot in Beicang, Pots Overflowing

In fact, besides the Treasure Pavilion Workshops, Beicang Town also had plenty of other establishments. There were shops specializing in Great Medicine and Earth Treasures, Elegant Pavilion Music Squares for leisure and relaxation, and even the more clandestine brothels.

Furthermore, many unorthodox businesses filled the various economic niches. Numerous Loose Cultivators mingled within, hoping to make a name for themselves and carve out their own place in the world.

Of course, the Loose Cultivators qualified to be here were hardly ordinary; each possessed at least one unique skill.

With the auction imminent, Beicang Town was exceptionally lively. After putting some distance between himself and Qingyou Garden, Chen Ping’an revealed himself openly. He blended into the crowd, walking and pausing intermittently.

「An hour later.」

Chen Ping’an appeared before a Treasure Pavilion. The establishment was quite large and was said to be an enterprise of the Wang Family from Canglong State City. The Wang Family’s core business wasn’t trade, but given their sheer scale, even their peripheral ventures were not to be underestimated.

"How may I help you, esteemed guest?"

Someone approached him the moment he entered. Chen Ping’an, his expression neutral, stated his purpose.

Appraising items for purchase was a different beast from simply selling them. It required an extremely sharp eye, as a moment of carelessness could lead to a misjudgment.

Upon learning that Chen Ping’an was there to sell Treasure Artifacts, the attendant led him to a private room behind the main hall.

He didn’t have to wait long before the shopkeeper of the Treasure Pavilion appeared—a middle-aged man with a short mustache and a square-jawed face.

A man in his position wouldn’t let his shrewdness show on his face. He beamed at Chen Ping’an. "My surname is Wang, and I’m the shopkeeper here. Might I ask what Treasure Artifacts you wish to sell, esteemed guest?"

As he spoke, he openly sized up Chen Ping’an. Having dealt with all sorts of people over the years, his judgment was extraordinary. With a single glance, he could usually get a rough idea of a customer’s background and Martial Arts Realm.

This time, however, his glance failed to penetrate Chen Ping’an’s Martial Arts Realm.

’I can’t see through him!?’

Shopkeeper Wang’s heart jolted, and his attitude grew several degrees more serious.

"Shopkeeper Wang," Chen Ping’an said with a smile, retrieving several weapons from the Hundred Treasures Pouch on his person. "I have a few weapons here I don’t really need. Take a look!"

’A Hundred Treasures Pouch!’

Shopkeeper Wang was startled.

Having been stationed here for a long time, he was worldly and knowledgeable. Of course he recognized the item on Chen Ping’an as a Hundred Treasures Pouch!

In that instant, his level of respect for Chen Ping’an soared to its absolute limit.

As a special type of Treasure Artifact, a Hundred Treasures Pouch was exceedingly valuable, far more so than any ordinary Treasure Artifact!

Moreover, the primary function of a Hundred Treasures Pouch was storage; it offered no combat enhancement whatsoever. This, combined with its exorbitant price, made it a very poor value proposition for the average Martial Arts Master.

It was the kind of treasure that not even every Absolute Master was guaranteed to possess!

Generally speaking, only the top-tier Absolute Masters who often ventured out would bother to carry a Hundred Treasures Pouch!

’In other words...’

Shopkeeper Wang’s gaze toward Chen Ping’an was now filled with solemnity. He carefully took the offered weapons and inspected them one by one.

"Esteemed guest, we have one Middle-grade Treasure Artifact, one Low-grade Treasure Artifact, and one Fine Blade. The quality on all of them is quite good. Now..." After appraising the items, Shopkeeper Wang momentarily set aside his apprehension and, getting down to business, began to negotiate the price.

Here in Beicang Town, he wasn’t overly nervous even if he was facing a top-tier Absolute Master. His speech, however, did become a degree more polite and cautious.

"That’s too low. It has to be at least this much!" Chen Ping’an made a hand gesture.

"Esteemed guest, our shop has an excellent reputation, and this offer isn’t low. How about this? If you sell all three weapons together, I can give you a bulk price..."

Chen Ping’an haggled for a bit, going back and forth with Shopkeeper Wang a few times before they finally settled on a satisfactory price.

The transaction was complete!

"Take care, esteemed guest!"

Beaming, Shopkeeper Wang personally escorted Chen Ping’an out from the back room.

Chen Ping’an gave a slight nod and walked openly out of the Treasure Pavilion.

He had quite a few Treasure Artifacts and blades in his possession, but he had no intention of selling them all at once. His plan was to offload them in several batches at different shops. This first transaction had gone exceptionally smoothly, both in terms of the process and the final price.

Chen Ping’an went with the flow of the crowd, continuing down the street. Before long, he entered another Treasure Pavilion. This one was a bit smaller than the Wang Family’s establishment, but still decent enough.

Fifteen minutes later, Chen Ping’an walked out of the shop, personally seen off by its shopkeeper.

This time, he successfully sold the Pitch-Black Longsword he had taken from the Celestial Net Church Master, Yin Tribulation Sword. He also sold two ordinary blades along with it.

The price he received was within his expectations.

’A few more Treasure Artifacts to go.’ A glint flashed in Chen Ping’an’s eyes as he melted back into the crowd. A flicker of Profound Light emanated from between his brows, a subtle ward against anyone who might try to follow him.

He walked farther this time, finding a medium-sized Treasure Pavilion to conduct his next transaction.

The process went smoothly once again, without any incidents.

After repeating this process a few more times, Chen Ping’an had successfully sold off the rest of the Treasure Artifacts and blades on his person.

Items like Guan Yu Ping’s Mandarin Duck Dual Sabers, Fang Qixian’s Cyan Rainbow Sword, Yin Tribulation Sword’s Pitch-Black Longsword, the Yellow-Faced Elder’s long, thin Soft Sword and Flower-Patterned Small Sword, and the Serrated Short Blade from the gray-robed elder of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect... among all these Treasure Artifacts, Chen Ping’an had only kept one: the Fine Treasure Saber he had taken from Li Pingjiang.

Soul-Severing Saber Li Pingjiang had operated in the Earth Fire County region for years, building a fearsome reputation. His Treasure Saber was equally infamous and quite recognizable. If Chen Ping’an were to sell it rashly, it would almost certainly cause trouble.

If someone with an agenda were to investigate, he might expose himself.

Rather than risk it, he decided it was better to keep it for the time being. After the auction, when the time was right, he would turn it over to the Weishui Garrison Commandant’s Office in exchange for the corresponding Merit.

Besides, doing so would definitively prove that Soul-Severing Saber Li Pingjiang had died at his hands!

He had already brought back Li Pingjiang’s head, but some people still harbored doubts. They suspected the real killer was someone else and that Chen Ping’an had simply been in the right place at the right time.

By hanging Li Pingjiang’s head on the walls of Five Peaks Mountain City, Chen Ping’an had already offended the Seven Extremes Elder. Since he was already on the man’s bad side, he might as well go all the way and leverage the situation for fame and Merit.

When the time was right, he could also use the opportunity to reveal power close to that of an Absolute Master!

Merit, fame, talent, and strength—all these factors were intertwined. With them, it was entirely possible for him to advance to the next step in his career.

While selling his wares, Chen Ping’an had also spotted a Ruyi Treasure Pavilion. As the most powerful Treasure Pavilion faction in all of Canglong Province, its presence in Beicang Town didn’t surprise him in the slightest.

However, he deliberately avoided the Ruyi Treasure Pavilion, choosing to break up his collection and sell the pieces at various smaller shops. Compared to other places, the Ruyi Treasure Pavilion had a much stricter registration process, which meant a higher potential for future risks.

Of course, even that "higher risk" was still quite manageable. After all, Beicang Town was currently a hotbed of activity, and the daily volume of transactions was astronomical, including a huge number of Treasure Artifacts.

As long as an item didn’t come from a particularly significant background, the risk of fencing it in Beicang Town was extremely low.

With all the Treasure Artifacts sold, Chen Ping’an was in high spirits. The prices he got were even a little higher than he had anticipated. Now, the number of Yuan Crystals in his possession had reached 921!

With this kind of fortune, his plan to bid on one of the auction’s major items was no longer just an extravagant fantasy.

’I really have to thank the three Profound Light Elders from the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, Cao Yingxiong, and Li Pingjiang. They went through so much trouble just to deliver this financial backing right to my doorstep!’

’Thank you all!’

After mingling with the crowd, Chen Ping’an didn’t head straight back to Qingyou Garden. Instead, he followed the street toward the edge of Beicang Town.

Unlike entering the town, leaving required no registration whatsoever. Mingling with the departing crowd, Chen Ping’an casually strolled right out of Beicang Town without drawing the slightest bit of attention.