Was there a need for them to go so over-the-top with it?
Regardless of whether it was the high-tier martial art or low-tier martial art, each of the manuals was a priceless item. During the later stages of the game, there were people who sold Shadowless Kick for fifty thousand taels of silver, and Stormy Shadowless Kick was valued so highly that it cost 100,000 RMB per book.
Such a supreme high-tier martial art manual had actually been belittled to the point that there were people who actually said that they would only buy it for one hundred thousand taels of silver crumbs. Happy felt that if he were the seller… he would not sell it.
While thinking that, he did not say anything.
Fortunately, the seller was a person with a rather good temper. He used a green foxtail to pick his ears. Judging by the expression on his face, he seemed to have heard the belittling words of the players around him, and they had registered in his mind.
"The market price is only two hundred thousand taels of silver crumbs. Brother, isn't your price a little too extreme? Why don't I buy one of your manuals for two hundred thousand taels of silver crumbs?"
As time passed, more people came to watch. The seller still remained unmoved, and it made the group of people who had been asking for him to lower the price to finally put on slightly uneasy expressions.
They clearly belonged to the group of people who did not have any high-tier martial arts but lacked the courage to bear with the pain of buying one. When they saw that more people had come to fight for the manuals, they naturally began to be anxious about their gains and losses.
"How about two hundred and ten thousand taels of silver crumbs? Brother, I only have so much…"
The seller did not say anything. With a great show of holding firm to his own beliefs, he turned his head to the side, looked at the sky, and very attentively and carefully dug his ear.
Just when the people were about to grit their teeth and come to an agreement with the price, a voice suddenly shot up from behind the crowd. "Excuse me, I would like to buy all the martial art manuals here. I'll buy all of them for seven hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver crumbs."
With a single sentence, the speaker shocked the people who were about to offer a price so much that their faces drained of all color.
The seller's languidly moving hand shuddered slightly, and he winced, as if he was in pain. He swiftly brought out the green foxtail. It seemed like he had used too much strength just then and nearly stabbed his eardrum.
Seven hundred and fifty taels of silver crumbs!
Aside from the rich people on the Rich Rank, there was no one else who could afford it.
The crowd naturally opened a path for the speaker. Happy had changed his attire on the spot, and under the countless burning gazes, he arrived in front of the stall. His blue robes caused pain to the eyes of many.
"It's him!"
A lot of people recognized him at first glance. He was the Blue-robed Noble Swordsman who had made all of Zhengzhou and Mount Song rise up in commotion. He was the famous millionaire who had run into various encounters and was dragged into multiple battles. Instead of dying, however, he had killed hundreds of people and managed to get out with everything on his person.
The seller calmed himself and snapped out of the daze that had come upon him after hearing the unexpected words. "Seven hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver crumbs?" he asked one more time with an uncertain tone.
"Yup." Happy sent a trade request without any hesitation.
The seller s.u.c.k.e.d in a slight breath. He did not dare to be inattentive. He quickly closed shop and placed all his martial art manuals in the trade box. When he saw the stack of silver notes and the numbers that were placed in the box across from him, a fervent look appeared in his eyes.
The numerous players by the side watched the scene in dumbfoundment. Soon, they began to discuss intensely among themselves.
"Why did he buy so many high-tier martial art manuals in one go?"
"That's right!"
"I heard that you need around a month to learn one. Did he buy so many in a go so that the price for those manuals would go down?"
"What would you know? If you have too much money on you, you'll get killed sooner or later! You're not supposed to show your money when you go out, understand? The Rich Rank has only appeared for a day, and a large number of people have already died because of it."
"Ah…"
"But there's no need for him to spend his money this way, right? He could have just spent it somewhere else." Someone still did not understand.
But there was always a Mister Exposition in the crowd. "Again, what would you know? The guy spent seven hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver crumbs in one go and bought three high-tier martial art manuals. This will definitely cause a commotion in Luoyang, and when the news spreads out, everyone will know that Happy had spent his money and that he no longer has it on him. Who will be stupid enough to continue chasing after him then?"
"You're right!"
The crowd nodded to his words.
However, they had no idea about Happy's true thoughts.
Spending his money and getting out of the Rich Rank was naturally his most important task, but he had not reached the point where he needed to spend his money in a wasteful manner!
Even if the value of Stormy Shadowless Kick was not taken into consideration, Happy needed to learn various other martial arts. After all, the quest from the Murong Clan was still on his shoulders.
He bought all the martial art manuals because he needed them and because they were charged at around market price. Also, for the upcoming future the value of the high-tier martial art manuals would not only not fall, but there was even a possibility for them to retain their value or even increase in value.
If worse came to worst, he could give them to his university mates in Beautiful Robes Faction and have the internal members of the faction use up those manuals!
Once the trade was done, Happy learned all of the low-tier martial arts, put away the high-tier martial art manuals, and left the spot where the incident happened.
A few groups of people who had heard of the commotion and rushed over looked at each other at a loss behind the crowd!
There was even one person who had a thin book in his hands. A resigned look appeared on his face.
"That cunning brat!" Everyone in the group gritted their teeth, and one of them said, "What should we do now? We've been chasing after him for so long!"
The man with World of Martial Arts Secret News Log smiled bitterly and said in resignation, "What can we do? That boy has already spent all his money. If we continue to chase after him, we'll suffer even greater losses! Cancel the mission!"
The Rich Rank was something many factions of power and organizations were paying attention to. Each time a name changed in the rank, it would catch a lot of people's attention. Because of that, Happy's act of resolutely getting rid of his name from the Rich Rank was quickly known by everyone, and many people began to use this tactic.
In a short period of time, a change went through the Rich Rank!
Practically all of those who continued to stay on the Rich Rank were leaders of major guilds with powerful backgrounds and great power.
Being rich meant power!
At that moment, the true nature of World of Martial Arts had manifested!
Chapter 162 - Psychological Trauma Caused Him To Act Abnormally
"Whew!"
The moment Chen Kaixin took off the VR helmet, he rubbed his slightly tired eyes and got down from the top bunk. He went to the corridor and s.u.c.k.e.d in fresh air from outside. The burden in his heart was finally released.
In the last couple days, to protect the brocade box he obtained from the thirteen staff-using monks, he had personally brought the box into the temple and hid in it. Then, he shifted places to Punishment Mount. Later on, with a huge amount of money on him, he fought against countless martial artists. It could be said that he
had used up all his mental strength to deal with the many players coming after him.
He hadn't had a lot of time to sleep and rest throughout it all. Only when he fell out of the Rich Rank after arriving in Luoyang did he finally feel as if the world had become quiet.
The sun rose from the east!
The piercing sunlight shone on his face, and it burned him, but he found the warmth very comfortable.
It was time for university students to sit through afternoon lectures, and the Three Lonely Wolves were not in the dorm. There were very few human voices in the boy's dorm. The building was incredibly quiet.
Chen Kaixin rested for a moment before he dressed himself, closed the room door behind him, and headed to the cafeteria.
Ring…
Many of the students in the University of South China loved riding bicycles. The pleasant sound of a bicycle rose continuously behind him. Chen Kaixin had his fingers hooked around the loops of his pants while he walked at a leisurely pace down the university road that he had missed for more than a year in his previous life. Just like usual, he admired the scenery of his university while looking very carefree and comfortable.
"Hey!"
A mountain bike caught up from behind Chen Kaixin and stopped in front of him. When the tyres scratched against the ground, they let out a unique and piercing sound. It was only at that moment that Chen Kaixin realized that the bells had been ringing for him all along.
He turned around in shock, and with slight surprise, he met the girl's puzzled gaze. Could it be that he would actually encounter a romantic prospect early in the morning, as the rumors in the university had promised?
However, the moment the girl's pure and charming face entered his sight, Chen Kaixin was completely stunned to his feet. He felt as if he had been struck by a petrification spell. His face even turned slightly pale under the sun.
"You are… Chen Kaixin?"
The girl did not get down from her bicycle. Her delicate body appeared curvaceous and charming under her black and tight-fitting tracksuit, which was very eye-catching.
There was uncertainty in the girl's gaze
Happy did not say anything. He took control of his surging emotions and rapid breathing before he moved his gaze away from the girl's familiar face. He s.u.c.k.e.d in a few deep breaths and turned his head away.
"I don't seem to know you."
Boys loved running into girls unexpectedly in the university, and they would find their emotions surge at the thought. Hormones would be secreted in their system, and their adrenaline would increase dramatically.
It could not be denied that the girl was very beautiful! The tight-fitting tracksuit made her look healthy, energetic, beautiful, and ethereal. She was the type of girl that boys normally liked.
However, the wound from his previous life made Chen Kaixin unable to feel the emotions he felt in his previous life, and his answer was a little stiff.
The girl was momentarily taken aback.
She instinctively categorized Happy's strange reaction to that of a nerd who was at a loss as to what to do and who resisted the nature in his heart. She smiled faintly and teased him, "We're the only ones on the road to the university, you know? By the way, are you Chen Kaixin?"
Chen Kaixin still said nothing.
By then, he had already recovered a little from the shock and pain of meeting Xu Yao again. When he remembered how she had left him without hesitation, a hint of self-deprecation showed up on his face, and he could not help but snort and nod.
"I'm indeed Chen Kaixin. Who told you that?"
His tone did not sound like the tone a boy should have after he ran into a beautiful girl for the first time! He actually sounded like a rascal.
The girl was stunned speechless for a moment. She felt that there was something strange and baffling in Chen Kaixin's eyes.
However, she still felt it somewhat unacceptable that she would end up in this situation even though it was her first time taking the initiative to strike up a conversation with someone.
"I'd like to get to know you. My name is Xu Yao." She came down from her bicycle and came to stand in front of him. "I'm a member of the university's disciplinary committee. I came to investigate the matter of you taking an extended holiday."
"Investigate?" Happy frowned slightly. "Disciplinary committee? What do you want to investigate? My lecturers and tutors have all approved of my holiday."
"I know." Xu Yao heard pride and animosity that she had never experienced before when facing men who were at the same age as her in Chen Kaixin's tone. This made her, who had always been confident, to feel defeated after suffering a setback from trying to communicate with Happy.
"Don't worry, the disciplinary committee only wants to know what sort of studies you have been conducting in the dorm or whether you have been using the time to do something else."
When she said this, Xu Yao stopped for a moment, and her expression changed slightly under Chen Kaixin's gaze, which had gradually become sharper. "You know as well that there have been plenty of people in the university who have been playing the VR game, World of Martial Arts. You are an excellent student that the university has trained by pouring a lot of its resources into you. We do not wish for you to be involved in this trend to the point that the game affects your studies and your results fall because of it."
"This is my business alone. Besides, I've already completed all the assignments for this semester. The lecturers and tutors are not worried about me at all. To me, that is enough. You are part of the student council, but you are still students. If you have so much time on your hands, why don't you worry a little more about your own results?"
His scornful and mocking words made Xu Yao's expression turn livid. "You—"
"Also, even if I'm playing the game, it has nothing to do with the student council or the disciplinary committee. Don't think that I don't know about you lot playing the game as well. The time you spend in the game is not that shorter than mine." Chen Kaixin did not even look at Xu Yao.
Even though he came to an understanding that going back to the past was a very good opportunity for revenge and had wanted to have things progress as they did in his previous life so that he could verify and destroy the bastard couple's schemes, when he truly came face-to-face with this girl, he could not control the anger boiling in his heart. He could not be entirely calm and relaxed, allowing the woman to act like a pure girl while standing in front of him.
He could not!
"You—"
Xu Yao's eyebrows shot up. Anger boiled in her heart because of Chen Kaixin's harsh and impolite words.
When she saw him turn around without hesitation, she put her bicycle by the side, placed one hand on her hip, and with the other hand pointed at Happy. Yet despite gasping with rage, she did not know what she should do. She felt that their conversation was incredibly baffling.
The whole event was captured by a few boys who were playing soccer on the field on the other side of the road.
"Well, isn't he a hard nut to crack?"
The boys looked at each other at a loss. They had witnessed the entire scene that hadn't followed their expectations.
They had thought that the two knew each other, so they did not expect that things would progress in such a surprising and strange manner.
What was going on?!
"Hmph."
Xu Yao was also a popular student in the university, and she had her own pride. When she was treated so coldly by someone, she let out a loud huff, went straight to her bicycle, got on it, stepped on the pedal, and rushed after the person.
Chen Kaixin had already entered the cafeteria by then. While holding a plate of food, he found a table at a corner and sat down.
Right when he put down his food…
Bang!
Xu Yao's pretty face seemed to be screaming the words "I'm really angry".
She sat down across Chen Kaixin with a cold glare in her eyes.
"Are you even a man?! Do you nee
d to be so angry when I come to interview you as part of the disciplinary committee? You're so weird!"
Clang! Clang!
Happy used his fork to stab his rice, having lost his appetite.
He looked up at Xu Yao's face, which had looked very pure and pretty when he first got to know her. Not long ago, he had loved this girl dearly and used the back of his hand to c.a.r.e.s.s her smooth and delicate skin, but right then, he felt as if he was facing...
He s.u.c.k.e.d in a deep breath and tried his best to suppress his raging emotions.
"One, whether I am a man or not has nothing to do with you. Two, when I eat, I don't want anyone by my side watching me. Three, I don't have the habit of being interviewed, especially by the disciplinary committee. Four, if you don't want to leave, I will."
His words were short, concise, straightforward, and presented in a clear and logical manner. Coupled with Chen Kaixin's calm and firm tone, he did not sound as if he was not in his right mind or that he was insane.
"You…" Xu Yao found herself unable to say anything.
Also, for some reason, Happy's eyes, which were very familiar and seemed to have something hidden in them, made her feel perplexed and slightly worried, though she could not put those emotions into words.
For the first time in her life, Xu Yao felt incredibly powerless and hurt in the face of a man who treated her so coldly.
"Alright, I might have chosen the wrong day to talk to you, so I won't bother you anymore. My phone number is on this paper. When you have time, set an hour and place…"
Perhaps because her pride was hurt by Happy's cold attitude or perhaps because of something else, Xu Yao did not say anything else. She only tore off a piece of paper and wrote down her phone number before she got up and left the cafeteria.
Chapter 163 - Rumors
When Happy left the cafeteria, he took a small path that had a lot of shade from the trees. Sun shone on him in spots, and he could sense a bit of warmth in the cooling shade.
He walked quietly.
Sword Among Us c1-1268 Page 86
