A Suspicious Encounter
//Last Updated on June 22, 2024
Taking a pause to stroke his thin beard again, he continued, "But mind you, he's as selective as one can get about his customers. This morning, a couple of people came looking for him and tried to tempt him with money, but to no avail. As any sort of violence is banned here, they had to give up and go away. From the looks of it, they did not seem like ordinary thugs."
"A word of advice from this old man, don't wander deep into these dangerous waters."
"As for the Chen family's secrets, well, that's a whole other story," old Lao said with a shrewd glint in his eye. "Revealing more about that lot comes at a higher price, young friend. If you have got more of these, rubbing his fingers on the shiny silver coins, he continued "I'll be happy to share."
Old Lao leaned back, a knowing smile dancing on his lips. "That's the way of the market, my friend. Nothing comes free in these twisted alleys"
Just as Liu Feng was immersed in the stories of the old man, he heard a familiar voice behind him. Mei Lin, with an excited voice, was calling him. "Boss, come over here! I think I have found something interesting in that stall over there", pointing towards a run-down old stall she told him.
Bidding the old Lao goodbye, he went towards her. Going over to that stall Liu Feng found that the stall was empty as there were no customers present.
Although the market was not crowded, most of the stalls had some customers in them. Looking at the items Liu Feng felt sorry about the shopkeeper. There was not anything notable there, and all the things displayed either looked rusty or very old.
Grabbing an ordinary-looking dagger with some intricate pattern on the handle, Mei Lin told Liu Feng, that she wanted to buy this dagger.
Earlier when she was casually looking at the items displayed in the stalls, Mei Lin's attention was drawn to this ancient-looking dagger. Although its blade was worn and damaged, she felt it was quite sturdy and usable.
Liu Feng's tried to examine the dagger carefully, but to his surprise, he couldn't find anything particularly special about it. There were no visible engravings, nor any traces of powerful qi.
Recently Liu Feng realized that he can check if some item contains qi or not just injecting a small amount of his own qi into that object. Following the same method, he tried to inspect it but it appeared to be just an ordinary, rusty old dagger, and nothing special.
The shopkeeper noticing their interest commented, "Well, Miss, you've got quite the eye for treasures, and this dagger here, is no ordinary item."
The middle-aged shopkeeper remarked with a hint of greed in his eyes. "It has indeed seen better days, but it carries a great history that only a few can appreciate. I'll make a special offer, just for you miss – five silver coins and this great treasure is yours!"
Soon Liu Feng witnessed something unexplainable and incomprehensible. Some words were exchanged between the merchant and Mei Lin, and both of them agreed on 25 copper coins for the item. The scene left Liu Feng utterly speechless, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.
***
Venturing deeper into the bustling market, Liu Feng and Mei Lin eventually saw Zhang Yan in a secluded corner, his eyes glued to something in a rather plain-looking stall.
However, calling it a stall might be wrong, as the peculiar old shopkeeper had displayed his items on a vibrant piece of cloth spread out on the ground.
Approaching Zhang Yan, Liu Feng and Mei Lin received a peculiar welcome from the old shopkeeper.
Liu Feng tapped Zhang Yan's shoulders and asked, "Did you notice something interesting? Perhaps a ring?" He chuckled, still in a good mood from their previous successful transaction.
With Mei Lin's godly bargaining skills, Liu Feng felt confident that with her help, they could buy many items very cheaply. He even thought of having Mei Lin manage their finances in the future if she decides to continue with their journey.
"Oh! Boss. I just looking at this stone here. This stone seems interesting. I was thinking of buying this.", Zhang Yan said, gesturing towards a dark crimson stone among the pile of seemingly ordinary items displayed in the stall.
As Liu Feng extended his hands to reach out to pick the stone with curiosity, the old man quickly intervened, blocking his hand with a wooden stick.
"Not so fast, young man," the shopkeeper said with an enigmatic smile, his gaze seemingly penetrating deep into their souls.
"The items in my collection are not meant to be given away just to anyone, only if they are fated with it you can obtain it," the old man continued a mischievous look in his eyes. "But I suppose I could make an exception for you and give it to you for free. However, I do need some coins to keep my shop running."
Liu Feng remembered old Lao's statement about some strange old man selling interesting items. He couldn't help but feel that this must be the old man he was referring to.
Liu Feng felt a mixture of confusion and amusement at the old man's playful behavior.
'Just say that you need some money, no need to act so dramatic about it. what do you think of me huh? A thief? And I'll run after taking the item….Well, I guess I am and I did, but stealing from bandits does not count. I have always been an upstanding citizen throughout my life.'
Putting an uncomfortable smile on his face, he reached into his pouch and handed over some silver coins to the shopkeeper. The old man's expression changed from playful to grateful as he accepted the money.
"Ah, thank you, young man. Now, as I mentioned earlier, some items in my collection seem to be fated with all three of you."
"First", making a swift gesture, he tossed the dark crimson stone to Zhang Yan.
"For the child of the forgotten blood, with this, may you find your roots back."
"Second," he continued, taking out a dried flower, which seemed like a dried lotus from the corner of his display, and tossed it to Mei Lin. "For the lotus unawakened, may this help you bloom."
"And finally," the old man said, as he looked into Liu Feng's eyes as if peering deep into his soul, and broke into laughter.
"For the fated one," he retrieved a small bead from his pouch and handed it over to Liu Feng.
"With this, may you find the wisdom you need.", the old man said, his voice now tinged with sincerity.
Although the trio was intrigued by the gifts they just received, Liu Feng was especially concerned about it. Liu Feng nodded, showing his sincerity for the items, as he felt a sense of mystery in the item he had received.
He wanted to inquire about how to use the items, especially the bead he received - whether it should be eaten, kept as it is, or planted in a garden - but before he could voice his questions, the old man abruptly told him to stop.
The shopkeeper's energetic eyes became distant, almost as if he was indifferent to worldly matters. "It is the thread of fate that has brought the three of you to me and these items into your possession," he said.
"Their true purpose and mysteries shall be revealed to each of you in due time. Patience, young ones, is the key to unlocking the secrets they hold." the old man said with a smile on his lips.
"My work here is done," the old man said, with a voice carrying the age-old wisdom, started to pack his items into the cloth.
"The threads of destiny have woven my paths again, and I must follow its call. So many live to witness, so many fated ones to meet."
Initially, Zhang Yan and Mei Lin were engrossed in inspecting the items they had received, but hearing this from the old man they each exchanged a glance with Liu Feng.
"Embrace the gifts you have received, for they shall guide you in your journey, and good luck for your upcoming trials.", bidding them farewell, he stepped away from the trio, seemingly vanishing into the crowd.
Soon the trio moved away from the empty stall and started to explore the other shops in the market. However, they did not find anything that piqued their interest.
As they moved through the crowd, Liu Feng's attention was suddenly drawn to a distant shop, where an elegant figure stood amidst the crowd. The girl's face was covered with a thin veil but her expensive dress and the guards following behind her indicated a noble status, making her stand out amongst the crowd.
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If you have any suggestions for any weapon techniques like sword, spear, etc. comment them and let me know, I'll try to use them in the story if possible. I am looking for low level techniques that will mostly be used by others.
Fist Technique
Palm Technique
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