Chapter 951

Anton found it amusing that Captain Liu had started to doubt his claim that he was a person of power, comparable to their local “Immortals,” simply because his merchant friend had questioned him about the things that were supposed to prove his status.

He couldn’t fault the merchant for doubting his claims. As the merchant had pointed out, Anton didn’t possess the aura that local cultivators apparently emitted when interacting with ordinary people.

Anton did have the ability to produce something similar.

He could activate the visual effects of any of the Paladin Auras available to him, and that would probably be enough to leave the people here in awe.

The fact that Anton hadn’t seen a single person of power also suggested that the townspeople rarely encountered “Immortals.”

He didn’t want to cause chaos or fear among the general populace, so he decided not to show off.

Anton doubted that Captain Liu would do anything that might compromise the safety of his people simply to prove Anton’s claims. Besides, Anton hadn’t asked anything from them. He only wanted to tour the town and, in the process, contribute to the local economy by purchasing things from the townspeople.

Still, if anyone wanted to test him, Anton would simply cast a few harmless spells to demonstrate his abilities.

Since he was currently acting as a member of Traveler’s Haven, he didn’t want to spread rumors that members of the organization were an unruly bunch.

Anton didn’t find anything he wanted to buy in the merchant’s shop. Most of the products were things he could find almost anywhere in the world.

Captain Liu and the merchant, whom the captain had called Wei, eventually approached Anton.

“How many coins are you going to exchange?” the merchant asked.

Even though Anton had overheard their conversation and knew that the merchant doubted his claim that he was a person of power, the merchant still maintained a respectful demeanor.

Anton handed him a gold coin.

“How much local currency can I exchange this for?”

The merchant told him that its value was essentially the same as its original value.

The main reason Captain Liu had recommended exchanging the foreign currency was that using foreign gold coins could potentially cause a disturbance in the local economy.

Anton didn’t particularly care about the details. He was willing to follow the captain’s suggestion.

Anton wanted to exchange five hundred gold coins, but the merchant explained that he didn’t have enough liquid funds to exchange such a large amount.

At most, he could exchange around two hundred gold coins.

Anton handed over the two hundred gold coins.

The merchant exchanged them for a mixture of iron, copper, silver, and gold coins used as local currency.

Anton handed five gold coins to the merchant as payment for the exchange and another five gold coins to Captain Liu as a tip.

At first, the captain repeatedly declined, but Anton kept insisting until he finally accepted.

The moment Captain Liu accepted the coins, Anton felt that he could freely ask him questions about local matters, provided the information wasn’t sensitive.

Anton and Captain Liu returned to the market, but first, Anton asked the captain to take him to a shop that sold local clothing.

He wanted to wear what the more well-to-do citizens of the town wore.

Captain Liu asked whether Anton was willing to wait for customized clothing. They could visit a fabric shop, where Anton could choose the materials he liked, and then take them to a tailor to have his clothes made.

Anton declined.

“I don’t plan to stay in your town for long, so I’d prefer ready-to-wear clothes.”

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a large shop selling all kinds of ready-to-wear clothing.

Anton selected several sets that caught his eye.

He asked both the captain and the salesperson for their opinions on which clothes would give the impression that he had money without making him look like he was trying to show off.

Both Captain Liu and the salesgirl smiled at the request, but they gave him several recommendations that matched what he wanted.

The clothes Anton purchased all had subdued colors.

After changing into one of the outfits, Anton looked himself over and thought that he looked rather handsome.

Captain Liu and the salesgirl were startled when Anton stored the remaining clothes inside his inventory.

When Anton asked Captain Liu about their reaction, the captain smiled thinly.

“Only powerful Immortals possess storage rings,” he admitted.

The salesgirl nodded in agreement.

Anton felt that he no longer needed to prove himself.

Apparently, possessing a storage item was enough evidence to convince Captain Liu that he was also an “Immortal.”

The captain did warn him that traveling in the clothes he was wearing would make him an attractive target for bandits.

“There’s nothing they can do if they try. If they’re powerful enough to fly and reach me, I’ll just defend myself,” Anton said absently.

The fact that Anton intended to simply fly from place to place seemed to surprise the captain greatly.

They eventually arrived at a street filled with vendors selling food, and Anton began buying anything that caught his interest.

He would taste a little of each dish. If he liked it, he would buy a large quantity and store it in his inventory.

If he didn’t like something, he simply gave it to the children who had begun following him and Captain Liu.

When the children first gathered around to stare at Anton, Captain Liu asked whether they were bothering him and whether he should chase them away.

Anton told him to let them stay.

He then gave the children some of the iron coins the merchant had given him in exchange for his two hundred gold coins.

After around three hours of wandering through the market and buying things that caught his interest, the two settled down in a tea shop to rest.

Most of Anton’s purchases had been street food, fruits, and vegetables that he had never encountered in the Gale continent or Izmorta.

He treated Captain Liu to noodles and tea and ordered the same for himself.

Anton found the food delicious, but Captain Liu seemed amazed by how much Anton continued to eat.

While they ate, Anton began asking questions.

He started with mundane matters, such as what kinds of products the town and surrounding farms specialized in, how trade worked in the region, and whether bandit or monster attacks were common.

After a while, Anton finally found an opportunity to ask about the local power system and the supposed Immortals.

Captain Liu admitted that he knew very little.

“I only know about Martial Tempering. After that, one would enter Qi Condensation. Martial Tempering has several stages. There’s Skin Tempering, Muscle Refining, Bone Strengthening, and so on. I only know those three because I’ve only reached Bone Strengthening.”

Apparently, knowledge about cultivation was extremely limited in such a small town.

Anton could find more information in the larger cities, but according to Captain Liu, the nearest city was two months away by horse.

After eating, Anton continued roaming around the small town with Captain Liu.

He bought more things and even gave some of his purchases to the captain to ensure that Captain Liu wouldn’t feel that he had wasted his entire day acting as Anton’s guide.

Once the sun began to set, Anton told the captain that it was time for him to leave.

Captain Liu accompanied him outside the town.

After saying their goodbyes, Anton began flying away.

All in all, his visit to the town had been pleasant.

The presence of Captain Liu had also ensured that the local petty criminals kept their distance from him.