Chapter 232 - 22: Enough Said, Let’s Make Money

Chapter 232: Chapter 22: Enough Said, Let’s Make Money

The saber had yet to arrive, but his brow already ached sharply from the piercing pressure. He even felt as if his entire being, Divine Spirit and all, was about to be cleaved in two.

Yet, facing this astonishing strike, Chen Ye was startled but not panicked. The Asura’s Eye activated in an instant as he retreated three steps, drew his saber, and thrust forward!

A flash of cold light glinted in the room. In the next moment, the Mad Swordsman’s vast, surging Sword Intent deflated like a balloon pierced by a needle.

Not only that, but several bristles from the brush were severed, clearly sliced by the flash of his saber.

The Mad Swordsman’s eyes lit up, and the way he looked at Chen Ye completely changed.

He had been immersed in the way of the saber for decades and believed he had reached the pinnacle of his craft. But he had recently hit a bottleneck, which was why he set up a stall here. He hoped to observe the strengths of the world’s various Saber Techniques to finally break through and enter a whole new level of understanding.

As it turned out, the Swordsmen he had encountered over the past few days were mostly mediocre. Some couldn’t even withstand his aura, let alone parry a blow.

This left him greatly disappointed. He began to think that the way of the saber had truly fallen into decline, lagging far behind not only the flourishing Sword Cultivators but other schools of martial arts as well.

That was until he met Chen Ye. First, Chen Ye’s Saber Technique was refreshingly unique. Saber Techniques had always been characterized by broad, sweeping motions—chopping and slashing—while the thrust was rarely used. That was more akin to the style of a Sword Cultivator.

That was why his interest had been piqued, and he’d wanted to test whether Chen Ye’s skills were genuine or if he was all talk.

The result was quite unexpected. Although Chen Ye hadn’t injured him, severing the bristles of his brush was tantamount to admitting defeat.

After all, he was in the Sea Condensation Realm, while his opponent was merely in the Unobstructed Realm. The gap between their Realms was immense.

Yet under such circumstances, his opponent had not only stood his ground but had successfully countered. This was more than enough to prove that his Saber Technique was truly remarkable.

"Excellent! An excellent Saber Technique!" the Mad Swordsman couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

Chen Ye, however, remained impassive. Holding his long saber, he said coldly, "You attacked without any provocation. Is that how a Swordsman is supposed to act?"

The Mad Swordsman’s weathered face flushed, and he finally said, somewhat sheepishly, "My apologies. I’m just too obsessed with Saber Techniques. When I heard you speak with such expertise, I couldn’t resist testing your skills. I was in the wrong. As a token of my apology, I’m willing to give you another five hundred taels as compensation, for a total of one thousand taels. What do you say?"

Truth be told, Chen Ye had been furious. Even though he hadn’t sensed any killing intent from the Mad Swordsman, the man’s indiscriminate attack felt deeply disrespectful.

But upon hearing the offer of an extra five hundred taels, that anger quickly evaporated.

’If I’d known one strike was worth five hundred taels, I would have let him have a few more shots at me.’

Seeing Chen Ye’s silence, the Mad Swordsman didn’t hesitate. He handed over a money pouch. "Silver is too heavy. This is the equivalent amount in Gold—if anything, it’s a bit more. Is that satisfactory?"

Chen Ye lifted the money pouch, testing its weight. Only then did his expression soften. He cupped his fist and said, "Many thanks."

"Haha, no need to thank me! You earned it. After all, I got to witness such an admirable Saber Technique today. This will be a great help for my future breakthrough. If anything, I should be the one thanking you," the Mad Swordsman said, his voice full of excitement.

’Looking at the man’s sincere, fanatical expression, his nickname really isn’t wrong,’ Chen Ye thought. ’He truly is obsessed with the saber to his core.’

’But dealing with someone like this is also reassuring, because they tend not to have ulterior motives.’

"You are too kind, Senior."

"Ah, none of that ’Senior’ business. Just call me Old Xue." The Mad Swordsman clearly held Chen Ye in high regard.

"Then I thank you, Brother Xue."

"Hahahaha, excellent!" the Mad Swordsman said, beaming.

’He wasn’t just putting on a generous act; he truly valued Chen Ye. To have created such a Saber Technique at his age, and to hold his own in a clash against me... as long as he doesn’t meet an untimely end, his future achievements will be limitless.’

’Building a good relationship now, for the mere price of a little silver, is an investment that will surely pay off tenfold. An excellent deal.’

Meanwhile, Su Yuan was waiting anxiously outside the private room. The room was screened to prevent prying eyes, so she had no idea what was happening inside, which made her increasingly uneasy.

Just then, the door to the room opened. She saw a rugged, scarred man chatting warmly with Chen Ye as he escorted him out.

"Brother Xue, you don’t have to see me out," Chen Ye said.

"Alright. In the future, Younger Brother Chen, if you ever need anything, feel free to come find me. My name, Old Xue, still carries some weight here in Qingzhou," the Mad Swordsman said with a laugh.

"I will!"

After bidding farewell to the Mad Swordsman, Chen Ye took a bewildered Su Yuan by the hand and left the second floor. Once they were outside, Su Yuan couldn’t help but ask, "What was that all about?"

Chen Ye briefly recounted what had happened.

Su Yuan’s eyes widened in disbelief. "So you just earned one thousand taels of silver, just like that?"

Chen Ye nodded.

"Is money really that easy to make?" Su Yuan murmured to herself.

Chen Ye: "..."

’Earning one thousand taels this time was the result of several factors coming together,’ Chen Ye thought. ’First, the Mad Swordsman was clearly wealthy. Second, he was obsessed with the way of the saber. And finally, he wasn’t a schemer. Only that combination could have resulted in such a huge payout.’

It was a rare, serendipitous opportunity, and Chen Ye couldn’t be bothered to explain all that to Su Yuan. He just led her directly to the stall selling Demon Beast materials they had visited earlier.

The beefy stall owner was sprawled out on his chair, dozing.

"Boss." Chen Ye knocked on his table.

The burly man opened his eyes, annoyed. "What? I told you, the price is firm. If you don’t have the silver, then don’t—"

Before he could finish, Chen Ye tossed a Money Bag onto his stall.

"That thing from before. I’ll take it!"