"I don't know where you came across these remarkable booklets, but they are fake."
"What?"
Ikasa had expected an apology or a reason for his action, but this old coot was directly accusing him of selling fake goods!
"Give me a good explanation or cough up 50 gold!"
"Audacious! Do you know who you are talking to?"
The servant standing nearby butted in at Ikasa's blatant disrespect towards his master. Their raised voices were starting to attract the attention of the other visitors.
The older man was clearly aware of this fact. He didn't want to draw attention to himself. He immediately motioned his servant to be quiet.
"Calm down, Xiao Xi. The lad is clearly distressed. Let me clear his doubts."
Ikasa didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this charade.
'You are the cause of my distress, you hypocritical bastard!'
But he still tried to remain cool.
"Please explain your actions, Mister."
Ikasa repeated his request more politely this time. He was not doing this because he was afraid. He just wanted to present himself in a better light to all the spectators gathered around the stall.
"Young Man, what do you know about the Single-Use Manuals?"
Ikasa was annoyed at being questioned. He wanted to lash out, but a crowd of wealthy people was watching their dialogue. He had to play along.
"I know that their contents disappear after they are used once."
The Old coot smirked with satisfaction as if he expected this answer. This was common knowledge, and a commoner like Ikasa should have access to only this much information.
He began to elaborate and show off his status as one of the higher classes of this Sal City.
"Single-Use Manual is actually a type of spiritual imprint. It imprints knowledge in it into the mind of the user, and then it disappears."
Ikasa was becoming impatient now. He was in no mood to listen to this old coot's nonsense, even though it might be true.
"What does that have to do with you tearing apart my manual?"
"Objects that hold Spiritual imprints are impervious to water and fire and are nigh indestructible. Since I could tear your manual so easily, it obviously didn't hold any spiritual imprint."
Ikasa panicked at the explanation. Was his gold finger really a fraud? But the mysterious way the Printer operated gave him insurmountable faith in it. So he dismissed the older man's argument.
"Impossible!"
He had lost his patience by this point. He threw the thought of being low-key out of his mind. Turning to the public surrounding them, he made a last-ditch effort to prove this Ancient fossil wrong.
"It's your words against mine. You say they are fake; I say they are the real deal. We can easily ascertain who is correct."
Then he turned to the gathered crowd. He put on his best salesman face.
"Who wants a Single Use High-Grade Path Forging Realm Cultivation Manual for free? The only caveat is that you will have to use it right now, right here."
Ikasa's announcement caused a considerable commotion among the onlookers. High-Grade Cultivation Manuals were very rare in these backward tier-3 cities.
'High-Grade Cultivation Manual? Did he say High-Grade Cultivation Manual?'
'Don't be fooled. Do you not recognize Master Jin Ping?'
'But that's a High-Grade Cultivation Manual!'
'Who knows? Master Jin Ping already said it is fake!'
Ikasa might not have recognized this esteemed person, but the affluents gathered did. He was Master Jin Ping, an appraiser of the Lotus Pavilion.
Eyebrows furrowed with worry, he looked at the proceedings. He nodded to Xiao Xi.
This time the servant took action upon receiving the signal. He understood his master's intentions. If some fool volunteered, their reputation would be tarnished. So, he had to dissuade everyone.
He targeted Ikasa, but his words were meant for the spectators.
"Where do you think this is? This is Prosperity Street! Do you think anyone who can shop here wants your free cultivation manuals of dubious origin?"
The servant had a point. Anyone who dared to shop here had a wealthy background. No one would foolishly risk their lives for just a free cultivation manual.
Some people who joined later and were tempted by the High-Grade Cultivation manual also settled down. After all, their authenticity was in question!
His body was weighed down by the silent, judging stares of bystanders. He was nearing a breakdown. In shock, he sat on the ground, clutching his hair.
He had almost given up when he saw City Guards approach the stall.
"Move aside, let us through…."
The imposing voice of the vanguard resounded. Even though the people here had deep pockets, they still had to respect the might of the City Guards.
"What's going on here? Why are you people gathered around a Stall?"
As the guards were busy parting the crowd, Master Jin Ping's servant had reached Ikasa's side.
"My master wants to allow you to repent. Tell us where you found these Manuals, and we will help you plead mercy with the City Guards."
The words rumbled like lightning in his head.
Even though Ikasa hated the Appraiser for ruining his business, he still respected him for his knowledge and character. So, when the servant threatened, it shattered that mask of wisdom and revealed the ugly face underneath.
Ikasa lost it. He no longer cared for his positive image. He was going to punch this arrogant little shit in the face. But then he saw the Guard Captain.
Right now, he still has a chance to get away scot-free. But if he did punch this guy in the face, the guards would have to imprison him.
And depending on Master Jin Ping's influence, he might live as long as 50 years to as short as 1 day in prison.
He decided to shape the narrative in his favor before Master Jin Ping, and his stooge could step in and malign his manuals in the minds of the City guards.
"Captain Yao Han!"
"Ikasa? What are you doing here?"
Captain Yao Han recognized Ikasa as he was the only unaffiliated scribe in the City. Whenever City Lord needed to maintain a guise of neutrality, he would ask a third party like Ikasa to draft the documents.
And these important documents were usually brought to Ikasa by the Guard Captains or the Commander of Guards himself.
Hence, Ikasa was acquainted with Commander Du and every other Guard Captain.
Of them, Guard Captain Yao Han was one of his closest acquaintances.
Ikasa was relieved by his presence. But he instantly became vigilant upon remembering who he was challenging.
'I don't think there is a chance captain Yao Han will stand by me if I go against this Reputed Person. So, I should aim to escape with a slap on my wrist.'
On realizing this, he began to explain his situation such that Master Jin Ping would not find a chance to butt in.
"Captain, I set up a stall here today hoping to sell my recent gains from an ancient ruin."
Ikasa pointed to his stall. Yao Han immediately understood that he was one of the parties who were responsible for the commotion.
"Oh, so you are the one who was selling the High-Grade Path Forging Realm Cultivation Manual?"
"I am not so sure about them, Captain. Ha...Ha…"
Ikasa laughed embarrassedly.
Captain Yao Han had already gotten the full picture from the spectators, but he wanted to let Ikasa shape the narrative. It would let him impose the lowest possible punishment on him.
"You see, Master Jin Ping here taught me a very expensive lesson."
"Oh?"
Captain Yao Han already knew of Master Jin Ping's crime, but he didn't expect Ikasa to report it as a 'very expensive lesson.'
Even Master Jin Ping couldn't help but perk his ears at the mention of his name. His face turned very strange as he heard Ikasa describe his blatant transgression as 'a very expensive lesson.'
Ikasa raised his voice to attract the attention of the increasing number of bystanders. He tried to sound as sincere as possible.
"Yes. You see, I had brought some goods to sell without appraising or studying them further. Even though I knew for sure what they were, and they were benign, I still failed to properly inspect their background."
Although this sounded like an admission of guilt, everyone here knew that this was not the job of temporary stall owners who only get licenses for one day.
Uncountable goods of dubious origins circulated in the market through these stalls every day. Since no one held them accountable, Ikasa was also not to be blamed. And his goods were much safer in comparison.
If Ikasa was a legitimate shop owner or appraiser like Master Jin Ping and he still didn't do his due diligence before selling his manuals, he deserved to be condemned.
As the crowd was leaning towards Ikasa, he continued with his speech.
"I am really grateful to Master Jin Ping for today's teachings. Since he is part of a premier organization like the Lotus Pavilion, his knowledge far surpasses mine. I will definitely remember the lesson today and prepare adequate proofs the next time."
Even though it sickened Ikasa to say such sugary words, he had to use that sugar to trap the Old coot.
'Since you want to leverage your reputation to pressure me into submitting, I am going to use the same to escape unscathed.'
Ikasa thought as he finished his story.
"Well said, Ikasa! But it still doesn't absolve you of the crime you committed today!"
Master Jin Ping took the reins in his hands. He definitely didn't want this fish to slip from his grasp.
'This Shameless Old man! Why don't you die sooner?'
Ikasa groaned in his heart. But on the surface, he still maintained a smile.
"I am really thankful to you, Master! You prevented my foolhardiness from causing any damage! Since I didn't manage to sell a single copy of my books, no damage was done!"
Master Jin Ping was stunned; he never imagined that Ikasa hadn't sold anything throughout the day. The records were there for all to see. Since he himself had 'exposed' Ikasa, there was no way anyone would buy manuals from him.
"As no one was harmed due to your foolish behavior, I will impose a fine of 5 gold upon you, so you don't commit such a mistake again."
Captain Yao Han seized the momentary silence to declare his verdict. He didn't even bother checking the License, or the fine would've ballooned to 100 Gold!
"I am deeply ashamed of my incompetence, Captain Yao Han. I will immediately pack up and pay my fine at the administrative office."
"Hurry up! I will escort you there myself."
Captain Yao Han said, throwing a glance at Xiao Xi.
As Ikasa walked home from the administrative office, he realized how easily he had fallen for the old coot's trap. The moment he had admitted he couldn't cultivate, he had become the prey.
His lack of knowledge about the product he was selling revealed a fatal weakness.
"Thankfully, I didn't fall for their old codger's provocation."
He mumbled as he thought of the consequences of his decision.
When the guards came, if he had complained or tried to malign Master Jin Ping, he would've given Jin Ping the chance to act. After all, he would be defending his reputation by oppressing Ikasa.
On the other hand, by praising Master Jin Ping, he had forced him to remain passive. As someone with status, his reputation was everything to him.
If he had tried to oppress Ikasa using his authority, he would only come off as petty and lower his impression in the minds of the people gathered.
As Ikasa closed the door to his house and rested on his bed, he summed up his experiences today.
"The senile fool forgot that the 'Reputation is a Double-Edged Sword.' But I will never forget it."