"It's truly a treasure that shocks the world. Such an item is far from ordinary—it's the stuff of immortals!"
"Even typical immortal items aren't this miraculous!"
"What an eye-opening experience today has been!"
The local onlookers gasped in amazement.
In this world, the practice of cultivation wasn't widespread, but the power of cultivation still existed. For instance, the Mount Maoshan sect was quite renowned here.
Immortal items were exceedingly rare, yet the elite might catch a glimpse of them, and the common folk might hear tales.
Chen Guo's spiel, coupled with the light's seemingly magical properties, led the natives to believe it was an immortal tool used by celestial beings.
In truth, though this light was finely crafted, on Blue Star, it would barely fetch a few dozen yuan—a mere inexpensive household good.
"What a marvelous find, indeed a treasure of rare beauty!" the head shopkeeper inquired with fervent interest.
A merchant of his caliber would typically remain stoic, but the light's enchantment was so profound that it stirred him deeply, betraying his usual composure.
It was akin to Earth's wealthiest and most worldly tycoon beholding an extraterrestrial spacecraft—utterly dumbfounded and unable to maintain his poise.
Extraordinary immortal items of this world were much like Earth's UFOs—often spoken of, but seldom witnessed. To actually behold one would leave anyone utterly captivated, struggling to maintain composure.
Chen Guo stated, "Since I've brought this item to the pawnshop, I intend to pawn it, of course."
The shopkeeper inquired, "Are you looking for a redeemable loan or a non-redeemable one?"
"I'm in urgent need of cash, so let's make it non-redeemable," Chen Guo replied.
"How much are you looking to get for it?" the shopkeeper pressed.
Chen Guo responded coolly, "That depends on how much you're willing to offer."
"Please give me a moment; I need to confer with the other shopkeepers," the head shopkeeper said. "This isn't a decision I can make on my own."
Chen Guo nodded, showing no sign of impatience. Despite the World Channel being abuzz and some individuals suddenly surpassing him in fighting capacity, he wasn't concerned.
Possessing several Heaven Level and numerous Earth Level talents, Chen Guo was unaware of the full extent of his potential but was confident he could outpace and outclass them.
A temporary setback was inconsequential.
The head shopkeeper and his two associates huddled together, whispering and deliberating for a solid five minutes. When the time had passed, the head shopkeeper approached with a beaming smile and announced, "We are willing to offer 100,000 taels of silver!"
Indeed, 100,000 taels of silver was no trivial sum. Chen Guo had done his homework on the city's prices before arriving. In this shattered world, where resource extraction had nearly ground to a halt, silver was exceedingly rare. The buying power of 1,000 taels of silver here was on par with about 2.08 million on Blue Star—a considerable amount. Therefore, 100,000 taels amounted to a staggering 100 times that value, equivalent to two hundred million on Blue Star. Even a famous actress would have to work a hundred days to earn such a fortune.
Solar lights, mere trinkets valued at a few dozen yuan on Blue Star, fetched the astronomical price of a hundred days' worth of filming here. Chen Guo had no complaints; a hundred days' earnings were more than satisfying.
The generous offer from the head shopkeeper was likely influenced by the extraordinary air and demeanor of Chen Guo and Lee Xiaoyao, who seemed like young heroes not to be trifled with. Hence, the high bid. An average person would never have commanded such a price. After all, business is about sizing up the customer.
"A hundred thousand taels of silver sounds good. The price is fair, so let's close the deal," Chen Guo proposed. "Cash in hand, goods on the other—any objections?"
"Please bear with us for a moment," the shopkeeper replied. "Gathering such a significant sum takes time."
Chen Guo was well aware that in the real world, 100,000 taels of silver weren't as easily accessible as they were in ancient tales. In reality, such an amount wasn't just a mountain of metal; it was more than one person could physically manage. And historically, in the early years of many dynasties, that much silver could sustain an army of thousands.
But Chen Guo was in no rush. He was confident of reaping handsome rewards in Acomb City and saw no harm in a little delay. The tempests outside were, for now, nothing but a sideshow to him.
Moments later, several attendants arrived, carrying the silver.
The head shopkeeper gestured towards a chest brimming with gold and silver, remarking, "Silver is scarce, so we've managed to gather only 40,000 taels of silver; the remainder is in gold. Will that suffice?"
The silver in the chest amounted to 40,000 taels, a considerable sum, piled high. The rest consisted of various forms of gold—ingots, melon seeds, leaves, and the like. It took two attendants to lift the fully laden chest, as it was too heavy for just one.
"It's fine by me," Chen Guo nodded. The payment was all that mattered. After all, both gold and silver were universally accepted hard currencies in this world.
Chen Guo harbored no particular attachment to silver; gold suited him just as well. Besides, gold was a required material for upgrading his house, and this amount should more than meet the upgrade criteria.
"Please, take a moment to count it," the head shopkeeper offered, bowing slightly. "We have a scale for your convenience."
Dealing with gold and silver was often cumbersome due to the need for precise weighing to ascertain their value. Silver, with its strong purchasing power, was rarely used in everyday transactions. When it was, merchants would not use entire ingots but would instead clip off a small piece, given the excessively large denominations.
"There's no need; I trust your establishment," Chen Guo replied. "Now that our transaction is settled, and both money and goods are accounted for, I shall take my leave."
With those words, Chen Guo swept his arm, effortlessly stowing the gold and silver into his Cosmos Bag.
This display startled the onlookers.
"A Sleeve Dimension?"
"Sorcery!"
"Is this a mage? A cultivator?!"
The crowd watched Chen Guo with astonishment. In the aftermath of the world's great calamity, cultivators had become exceedingly rare. Yet, here stood a young man who was clearly one of them.
The head shopkeeper's gaze sharpened with intrigue as he inquired, "It turns out our esteemed guest is a cultivator. Forgive my earlier ignorance! Might I inquire which sect you belong to?"
Chen Guo replied coolly, "Mount Maoshan, Lee Xiaoyao."
With that, he strode away confidently, and no one dared to hinder his departure.
Chen Guo resorted to this tactic because, ultimately, 100,000 taels of silver was an enormous sum. Once people knew he possessed such wealth, it was inevitable that some would be consumed by greed and act irrationally.
For a mere hundred taels, there were those who would commit murder, so the temptation of 100,000 taels was unimaginable. On Blue Star, the value of most people's lives didn't even reach a hundred taels.
By demonstrating his magical prowess, Chen Guo could curb the avarice of those around him. It's akin to how, on Earth, even the greediest individuals wouldn't dare rob a military base. In this world, the presence of a cultivator held a deterrent power comparable to an army.
Furthermore, his actions were meant to catch the eye of Acomb City's elite, to ensure they took notice of him. He was certain that behind every major business transaction, there were influential figures involved, and he was convinced that the pawnshop was no exception in its ties to the city's upper echelons.