Chapter 137: Fragment of Black Iron

Ye Junze wandered through the shop at his leisure, and before long, he bumped into Lin Xin, who was also busy selecting the items she needed.

After noticing Ye Junze’s approach, Lin Xin paused, though her hands kept moving, continuing to sift through the various materials laid out before her.

"Junior, look here—I didn’t explain this to you earlier," Lin Xin said without looking up once Ye Junze stood beside her. "This shop specializes in selling all sorts of materials required for cultivation."

Ye Junze gave a soft hum to show he was listening.

Lin Xin continued, "For instance, cinnabar and talisman paper for crafting talismans, various medicinal herbs needed for alchemy, or other miscellaneous items—as long as they aren't exceptionally rare, this shop usually carries them."

Ye Junze nodded and said, "Thank you, Senior. I understand."

Lin Xin waved her hand dismissively. "Don't mention it. Also, don't think Sister Zhang was just being polite earlier. She treats those she knows incredibly well, so feel free to pick whatever you like. If you find something you want, she’ll definitely give you a discount."

She added, "I’ve been to this shop many times. I’ve bought almost everything I’ve needed for my cultivation over the past two years here. The quality is good and the prices are fair, so rest assured and take your time looking around."

Hearing this, Ye Junze couldn't help but chuckle. He teased, "Senior, if I didn't know you better, I’d suspect you were a shill hired by the shop to lure me in."

Lin Xin immediately swiped at him with her hand, rolled her eyes, and laughed, "What are you saying? Are you talking nonsense? Do I look like that kind of person to you?"

Ye Junze quickly raised his hands in surrender. "My mistake, my mistake. Of course you’re not, Senior. I was just joking."

"Alright, I know you’re kidding," Lin Xin said with a casual wave of her hand. "You go ahead and browse; I’m going back to picking out the materials I need."

Ye Junze nodded and replied, "Right."

The two then parted ways and went about their business in silence. Lin Xin was occupied with her selections, while Ye Junze naturally returned to his aimless, listless browsing.

As Ye Junze approached a shelf, a sudden ripple stirred within his sea of consciousness.

"Wait, don't move. Look at that small iron stone in front of you."

The voice, naturally, came from the sliver of Meng Yuan’s soul consciousness residing within Ye Junze’s mind.

Hearing Meng Yuan, Ye Junze stopped in his tracks and asked back through his consciousness, "What is it? Is there something special about this?"

As he spoke, he reached out and picked up the small iron stone Meng Yuan had mentioned. No matter how closely he examined it, he couldn’t discern anything mysterious. It looked like an ordinary, unremarkable piece of iron—no different from any other iron scraps he had seen before.

Meng Yuan’s consciousness retorted sharply, "Given your level of insight, of course you wouldn't see its value."

"Yes, yes, Master Meng Yuan is correct," Ye Junze said. Having long grown accustomed to Meng Yuan’s bluntness, he didn't take offense. He stared at the stone and asked in his mind, "Then what is the use of this iron stone? Please enlighten me, since I am clearly lacking in discernment."

Meng Yuan’s consciousness gave a haughty, arrogant huff before saying, "If my perception is correct, the small iron stone in your hand should be a fragment of mysterious profound iron."

Ye Junze asked, puzzled, "Oh? And what use does this so-called fragment of mysterious profound iron have?"

For some reason, it seemed that this sliver of Meng Yuan’s consciousness had become particularly irritable after separating from the main body—or perhaps this was simply Meng Yuan’s true nature.

In any case, Meng Yuan lashed out again, "I keep telling you you're dense, and you never believe me."

Fortunately, after such a long time, Ye Junze had become somewhat accustomed to being scolded; he had almost developed a sense of resignation. He quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, I am dense, I am dense."

"Forget it, I won't bicker with you," the sliver of Meng Yuan continued. "Do you remember the Lingxu Sword you brought back last time?"

Ye Junze nodded. "Of course I remember." Such an important matter was not something he would forget. After all, the small Lingxu Sword had been a great help during that Dream Derivation class.

Meng Yuan continued, "You haven't forgotten that the sword spirit of the Lingxu Sword is still in a deep slumber, have you?"

Ye Junze shook his head. "No."

Receiving his confirmation, Meng Yuan went on, "This fragment of mysterious iron should be highly effective in helping the sword spirit awaken. Even if the spirit doesn't wake up immediately, it can help mend the Lingxu Sword a little."

Ye Junze was taken aback, exclaiming in his mind, "What?! Are you serious?"

Seeing Ye Junze’s overreaction, Meng Yuan replied with a tone full of disdain, "Why are you getting so worked up? I’ve taught you so many times to remain calm and composed. If you get this excited over such a trivial matter, what will you do when you face something bigger?"

Realizing he had lost his composure, Ye Junze quickly steadied his mind and calmed his emotions. "It’s just that hearing you say it could help the sword spirit awaken made me happy," he replied.

He then asked, "Should I buy it now? Is there anything else I need to do?"

Meng Yuan responded, "Just buy this fragment of mysterious iron. Leave the rest to me."

Ye Junze nodded and said nothing more. He kept a firm grip on the fragment, intending to purchase it shortly. Once the matter was settled, Meng Yuan’s consciousness fell silent once more.

Seeing this, Ye Junze continued to wander around the shop, his gaze scanning the dazzling array of treasures and curiosities.

While Ye Junze was busy wandering, Lin Xin’s shopping was nearing its end. She picked one final item off a shelf and nodded in satisfaction. After gathering all her selections, she clapped her hands together and walked toward Sister Zhang.

"Sister Zhang, I’ve finished picking my items. Here they are—could you calculate the total for me?"

Sister Zhang smiled and replied, "Alright, let me see. Don't worry, little Lin, I’ll definitely give you a fair price."

Lin Xin smiled sweetly. "Then I thank you in advance, Sister Zhang."

Sister Zhang waved her hand, saying, "You girl, I’ve told you before—we’re like family, no need to be so formal with me."

She then took the items from Lin Xin and began to tally them up in detail.

When Ye Junze noticed that Lin Xin had finished her shopping and saw nothing else he wanted to buy, he walked over to where they were.

"Senior," he greeted as he approached.

Lin Xin looked up with a smile and asked, "How about it? Did you find anything suitable?"

"Yes, I found one piece." Ye Junze nodded, smiling, and handed over the fragment of mysterious iron for her to look at.

Lin Xin took the fragment and examined it for a long time before saying, "This item looks very mysterious. Even I can't tell what it is. Let’s have Sister Zhang take a look."

Sister Zhang looked up. "What is it that even you can't identify, little Lin? Let me see."

Lin Xin handed the small iron stone to her. After one glance, Sister Zhang nodded with a look of recognition and explained, "Ah, this? This is actually a fragment of mysterious iron. However, over the passage of time, the essence contained within has long since dissipated. Compared to the essence held in a complete piece of mysterious iron, it is naturally much less."

Lin Xin nodded. "I see."

Sister Zhang smiled and added, "Still, it’s quite something that your junior here could spot it. Otherwise, who knows how much longer this little thing would have sat here."

Ye Junze scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. Naturally, he couldn't reveal the truth—that it had been discovered by Meng Yuan.

Sister Zhang continued, "Well, since you’ve taken a liking to it, I’ll sell it to you at a discount, as promised."

"Thank you, Sister Zhang," Ye Junze said with a smile.

Sister Zhang waved her hand. "Little Lin, your items are all tallied up. With the discount, just give me eighteen spirit stones."

Lin Xin was surprised and quickly shook her head. "Oh? Sister Zhang, I know you’re good to me, but this is too cheap."

"Oh, listen to you," Sister Zhang said dismissively. "Don't worry, I’m still making a profit. Like I said, we’re family."

Knowing that further protest would be futile, Lin Xin nodded and said gratefully, "Alright then, thank you so much, Sister Zhang."

"It’s nothing, it’s nothing." Sister Zhang waved her off and looked at Ye Junze. "Now, for this young man’s iron fragment."

Ye Junze felt a bit shy and said, "Sister Zhang, please."

Sister Zhang waved her hand again. "Alright, this fragment isn't worth all that much anymore. Just give me five spirit stones."

Though Sister Zhang made it sound trivial, Ye Junze knew that even if the fragment had lost much of its essence, its intrinsic value was worth more than five spirit stones. This was clearly the best discount she could offer.

"Thank you, Sister Zhang," Ye Junze said gratefully.

"Don't mention it, we’re all family," she replied.

Ye Junze smiled and said no more.

The two then handed over their spirit stones. Sister Zhang had someone wrap up their items and handed them over. Once they had secured their purchases, Lin Xin smiled and said, "We’ll be going now. Goodbye, Sister Zhang."

"Goodbye, Sister Zhang," Ye Junze echoed.

"Alright, alright," Sister Zhang replied with a smile. "Do come back next time. Rest assured, I’ll always give you the best prices."

The two promised they would return, turned, and left the shop.