"Ten skill books," Wang Xian said calmly, handing the [Healing] skill book back to the young man, "not including this one. Bring me ten more, and the weapon's yours."
The young man's eyes lit up like firecrackers.
"Seriously?!" he gasped, practically vibrating with adrenaline.
Wang Xian shrugged, indifferent. "I don't joke about business."
"Three hours, right? I'll be back—wait for me!"
Without even waiting for confirmation, the youth shoved through the crowd like a man possessed, vanishing into the side alleys of Jecheng with a desperate gleam in his eye.
As soon as he disappeared, someone else stepped forward.
"Can we do the same?" a short woman with two daggers strapped to her thigh asked.
Wang Xian didn't answer directly. Instead, he tapped his new signboard, now scrawled in black ink:
✅ [Green Armor For Trade – 10 Skill Books]❌ No duplicates❌ No Dragon Coin offers❌ No begging❌ No bullsh*t
The surrounding crowd read it in silence. A few whistled. Some cursed quietly. Most turned and left.
But some stayed.
Those were the ones with steel in their eyes. The ones who saw this as an opportunity instead of a setback.
Wang Xian leaned back in his folding chair, shaded under a dusty umbrella. With one boot planted on a wooden crate, he settled in for a long wait.
Two Hours Later
He didn't have to wait long.
The same young man returned, panting and soaked in sweat, holding a bulging cloth bag like a goblin hoarding treasure.
"Fourteen!" he gasped. "I brought fourteen skill books! Three are dupes, but... you said ten, right?!"
He dropped the bag on the mat like it weighed fifty kilos.
Wang Xian raised a brow.
Casually, he opened the bag and rifled through the books.
[Shield Bash][Rapid Shot][Smite][Summon Familiar][Harden Skin][Magic Missile][Slow Fall][War Cry][Nature's Touch][Piercing Arrow](x2) [Quick Heal](x2) [Mana Surge]
Clean, basic, but useful.
Wang Xian nodded with faint approval. "Deal."
He reached into his backpack, pulled out the Giant Mace, and tossed it.
The youth caught it awkwardly—nearly fell from the sheer weight—and then hugged it like a lost lover.
"Thank you! Thank you, bro! You're a legend!"
"We made a trade," Wang Xian said flatly. "That's it."
The youth beamed. "Still—thanks!"
Wang Xian pointed toward the armor still sitting on the mat. "You want the pants?"
"I—I don't have gold. I blew everything I had buying those skill books." He looked crestfallen, eyeing the leather pants like a starving man before a feast.
Wang Xian thought for a second, then said, "Five thousand Dragon Coins. Take it or leave it."
The youth looked up, stunned.
"That's... that's generous."
"It's a discount," Wang Xian said, "and a reward for keeping your word."
The youth didn't hesitate. He whipped out his phone and scanned Wang Xian's QR code.
✔️ Transfer received: 5000 Dragon Coins
Wang Xian nodded and handed the armor over. "Good luck."
"Add me?" the youth asked hopefully.
Wang Xian smiled faintly, shaking his head. "I won't be in Jecheng much longer. No point."
"Oh... right." The smile faded from the youth's face, but he bowed slightly in gratitude and vanished into the crowd.
Not everyone had come for the trade.
In the crowd, a man wearing a brown cloak and dusty boots tapped a tiny Bluetooth headset hidden beneath his shaggy hair.
He didn't look like much—mid-thirties, five-foot-eight, lean build.
But his tone was cool, calm, and precise.
"The target is moving. Departing central square now. Estimated arrival in five minutes."
From behind him, a woman in a hooded white jacket took a bite of a roasted skewer and muttered, "He doesn't look like much. Doesn't feel like much either."
The man didn't respond immediately. He simply watched Wang Xian's retreating figure.
Then he spoke:
"You didn't see what he did to the muzzle flare back at Division Seven. That's not something a 'normal' level 12 can pull off."
"You think he's really... one of them?"
"Prophet or not, reborn or not—it doesn't matter," the man said quietly. "What matters is... we make contact before anyone else does."
His fingers tapped the headset once.
"Activate phase two."