Chapter 138: Chapter 132: Gold-Plated Jadeite Insurance Box
Xiao Chan was puzzled.
Chen Che was counting his money.
After leaving the battlefield, Chen Che rode the Little Chick in a wide circle. They parted ways dozens of miles away, and he returned to his Cave Mansion on foot. The last person who challenged the Primordial Sect was still in hiding, with a string of pursuers on their tail.
He naturally had to be cautious.
"The Pills from the shop really were taken by them!"
Back in his Cave Mansion, Chen Che couldn’t wait to take stock of his haul. He opened the Storage Pouches of Ye Zhihan and the others and immediately found the Pills that had gone missing from his Pill Shop.
Besides those, there were Spirit Stones.
Just over three hundred stones in total, along with several pounds of Spiritual Sand. It wasn’t as extravagant as he had imagined.
’Not many Spirit Stones... but that makes sense. They probably spent them all on Pills for Cultivation. A Sect isn’t a charity, after all. It’s not going to provide everything...’
In addition, there were six Weapons, twelve Talismans, four Magical Artifacts, a large pile of Medicinal Herbs, over ten bottles of unknown Pills, several Secret Technique Manuals, thirteen Identity Tokens, and thirteen Primordial Sect handbooks.
Soon, after tallying up his spoils, Chen Che suddenly realized the haul was just average, not even as good as what he’d gotten from Ji Xianlong. But on second thought, it was normal. Ji Xianlong had been in business for decades, accumulating wealth. These disciples, on the other hand, were the types to constantly be spending money.
However, the biggest prizes from this haul were two other items.
One was Ye Zhihan’s Weapon, which was surprisingly a Tier Two Low Grade sword. The two words "Cyan Nether" were engraved on its blade. He didn’t know if it was the name of the sword or its owner.
The other was a small insurance box.
The box was made of Gold-Plated Jade with filigree patterns, and the button was in the center of the Jade Box.
Judging by its design alone, it was even more exquisite than the box that had held the Little Chick.
"This is some good stuff! It has to be at least a Golden Core Grade item."
Looking at the exquisitely crafted insurance box, Chen Che couldn’t help but marvel. After seeing so many of them, he had now gained some experience in identifying their grade.
"I wonder what’s inside? A Weapon, a Pill, a Demon Beast? And where did Ye Zhihan get all this good stuff...?"
Chen Che’s heart raced with a mix of anticipation and curiosity.
In fact, the good things on Ye Zhihan didn’t stop there; the other four Magical Artifacts all came from him as well.
If he hadn’t launched a surprise attack and caught them completely off guard, he would have likely been drawn into a bitter fight.
"He really had a lot on him. I wonder which tomb or ruin he got it all from."
For Cultivators in this world, the greatest opportunities were found in tombs, ruins, and forbidden lands...
If one could emerge from such places alive and with something to show for it, even if they didn’t soar to the heavens overnight, they were at least guaranteed a smooth path to success.
Of course, Earth Element Star had them too.
But most had already been developed and explored, leaving no opportunities to be found. Some of the more famous ruins had even been converted into museums or "experience centers" where tourists could pay to go inside.
The only things you could bring out were souvenirs...
’I’ll take the box to Wu Neng, keep these Spirit Stones for myself, and put the Pills in my own shop. I can use the Medicinal Herbs for Alchemy right away. As for these Magical Artifacts and Weapons, I’ll need to find a safe way to offload them...’
In a flash, Chen Che had a solid plan for what to do with everything.
The Weapons that were harder to sell were placed in a side hall of his Cave Mansion. The sizable hall was piled high with various weapons and items, including a few Cultivation Techniques. All of it together was enough to support a small faction.
He regulated his breathing, calming his restless heart while reviewing the day’s events.
Although Xiao Chan’s appearance had been unexpected, there shouldn’t be any problems now that he had taken the Forgetfulness Pill.
"Time for Cultivation!"
He lit a stick of Concentration Incense and sat cross-legged on the Lotus Platform.
...
「The next morning」
Chen Che first made a trip to Ou Yazhi’s after-sales service. The repairman was quite enthusiastic to see him, having earned a little extra from a side job Chen Che gave him. The female salesperson, on the other hand, let her eyelids droop the moment she saw him.
Most customers who bought a Pure Jun Sword might not need a single repair for three to five years.
But this guy came in for repairs every other day and never bought any maintenance products. He was incredibly cheap.
Chen Che chatted with the repairman for a bit before leaving with his brand-new Pure Jun Sword.
On his way back, he took the insurance box to Wu Neng’s.
"No school today?"
"Yeah, I took some time off."
Wu Neng asked casually, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he examined the insurance box. Chen Che answered just as casually. He had requested at least a week off from Li Xiaoshuang, originally thinking it would take a long time to deal with his problem, but it had ended in a single night.
"Huh, a friend gave you this box too, right?" Wu Neng asked, looking up after a few moments of inspection.
"Found it at the He City God Temple. Why, is there a problem?"
Chen Che’s expression didn’t change.
It wasn’t good to keep inventing non-existent friends. The last time he went to a competition in He City, he discovered an Immortal Cultivation Antiques Market at the City God Temple. So, he’d bought five boxes in one go and had Wu Neng open them all, but unfortunately, they were all modern forgeries.
"Well, you might have found the real deal this time. And I honestly might not be able to open it."
"Just tell me, how much?"
Chen Che looked directly at Wu "Just-Add-Money" Neng.
"It’s not that. I don’t recognize the Array on this thing. It might take me a while to study it. A week or two at the shortest, maybe even a month. If you’re in a hurry, you can ask someone else, or even try the provincial capital."
"I’ll leave it with you."
After all, they had worked together many times, and Chen Che trusted him.
Once Chen Che agreed, Wu Neng took out his phone and started recording. This was a valuable item, so Chen Che had to take it back with him after the recording was done. Otherwise, if it got damaged or if the box was opened and there was nothing inside, it would lead to a dispute.
No matter how well they knew each other, they had to follow procedure.
Chen Che, with his hands behind his back, looked around the lock shop.
He noticed a photo of Wu Neng and his daughter on the workbench.
’Come to think of it, I’ve never seen his wife...’
The thought flashed through his mind.
Of course, it was best not to pry into such personal matters.
"My daughter, Wu Rui, is starting her first year of high school next semester. I’m going to have her attend First Middle School, so you should look out for her as an upperclassman." Noticing Chen Che looking at the photo, Wu Neng added with a grin, "I’ll give you a twenty percent discount on this lock-picking job."
"If you’re going to use my name as an endorsement, you should give me at least a fifty percent discount."
Chen Che responded with a smile. "Has she had her Spiritual Root tested yet?"
"Not yet, it’s just a temporary plan. If she has a Spiritual Root, she’ll become a Cultivator. If not, she’ll just have to be content as a mortal."
Wu Neng shook his head as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary.
In this world, it was quite common for two Cultivator parents to have a child who was an ordinary person.
"Alright!"
Just as he finished speaking, Wu Neng patted the insurance box. "I’ve recorded the Array. I’ll let you know when I can open it, and you can just bring the box back then."
Chen Che left the lock shop with the insurance box.
This thing would be safer in his Cave Mansion.
But after what Wu Neng said, his anticipation for what was inside the insurance box grew even stronger.
However, before the insurance box could be opened, the Market erupted into chaos.
