THE MARTIAL KING - Season 7 Episode 23

Zen was pleased and impressed at once! He knew he had to adopt some strategies to get his way. He walked back to the counter, but the old guy didn’t want to talk to him at all now. Zen had no choice but to cry out the words that the dragon fed him. “Use the fire generated from the stars as a sacrifice in the lotus lake, praying for prosperity in the next life…”

The old man was deeply absorbed in studying the words inscribed on the ancient jade. It didn’t matter to him whether Zen was there or not. These ancient jades in his hand held high historic and collection value and were very hard to be evaluated.

With that, the texts on the jade only added to its preciousness and original value. It was said that the ancient jade of the phoenix clan had been passed down from the ancient phoenix nationality. If people could decipher the characters, it would benefit the refinement greatly.

However, it was extremely difficult to decipher these words. This old man had been trying to study the words for more than one and a half years. He had even compared them to some ancient books in his collection, and yet had only been able to understand a few words.

When Zed walked to him again, he got very irritated upon being disturbed and immediately frowned at him. He had just opened his mouth to scold him when he was cut off by Zen. His expression changed from annoyed to bewildered the moment he heard Zen reciting the words that matched with the words he had decoded already.

He was tongue-tied, flabbergasted, and shocked! His mouth fell open in surprise as he stared Zen’s moving mouth. Gaining his senses, he got up and started to listen intently.

But at the same time, Zen stopped and shut his mouth, giving a gentle smile to the old man. Steadily and silently, he kept smiling at the old man.

“This..” the old man said as he reached for the jade, lifting it to Zen’s eye level. “Can you… er… Young man, will you translate the remaining for me?” He asked with purity in his eyes. He truly was an honest man, who respected his materials, his trade, and his study.

According to Zen’s translation, the old man understood that these words did not speak of any opportunities. This jade seemed to be buried with an inscription about the memory of a dead person.

Even though he had already been certain of this, he still wanted to know the meaning given that he had invested so much time studying it. Knowing the meaning would only add to his dedication. The translation would also increase the price manifold, if he were to sell it.

Noticing the old man’s piqued interest, Zen smiled and started to walk toward the exit jokingly.

The man who was trying to drive him away just two minutes ago, now ran eagerly to make him stay.

Zen had only translated the text partially. How could he let him leave!

“Young man! Listen to me!” he shouted behind him. “Don’t be so impatient. Come and sit down. Let’s talk some more, shall we?” He clutched his sleeve and pulled at it.

When the owners of the surrounding shops noticed this, they were surprised. They found this utterly strange! They had been doing business in this city beside him for many years and were all very familiar with his unreliable temper. He prided himself because of his reputation in the World Commercial Alliance. Some people even liked to say he dealt with people as if his eyes were located at the top of his head! They had never seen him being so kind and desperate with anyone! How could he forget his pride and plead to a young man, a mere freshman?

Zen kept trying to leave, even though that wasn’t his intention. The materials on the list that the cyan dragon had provided could also be purchased in Cloudy City. But if he could buy everything in the Cloud Hall shopping area, why bother?

He simply wanted the old man to ask him a few more times to come back. The old man courteously brought a cane chair for Zen to sit on, then handed him a cup of warm, fragrant tea.

Seeing that Zen had become less reluctant to stay, he said, “Young man, I was wrong! Would you please translate the second half of the jade text for me?”
It was as if someone had solved a riddle he had been trying to solve all this time! Now, Zen had come and told him the solution, but only half of it. How could that not instill a desperate sense of curiosity in him? Half knowledge would only make him sad. He needed to know the rest to attain balance and peace of mind, or his heart would never stop jumping up and down. Part of him wished Zen hadn’t told him anything at all. At least, that way, he wouldn’t have been on edge like this.

Unlike the old man, Zen was much more composed. He picked up his teacup and sipped from it slowly, pausing before he put forth his cards. “Yes. I do not mind telling you the rest at all, but on one condition,” he said.

“What is it?” The old man asked immediately.

“I want to buy all the materials that are in the list, and I want a 30% discount,” Zen said firmly, smiling innocently.

The old man fell silent, a trace of hesitation appearing on his face. The materials Zen was asking for were not cheap. The old man was only a steward in the World Commercial Alliance and didn’t have the authority to do a bargain like that. If he provided the discount, it would be at a personal loss.

But his wish to know the meaning of the text meant much more than the loss. He thought of all the pros and cons and finally made up his mind. Gritting his teeth, he looked at Zen with a convulsed expression and said, “Okay, that’s a deal!”

He had done a quick calculation in his mind, concluding that he would pay for the loss entailed from his own pocket. Anyway, the sales price after the discount was only slightly lower than the cost. He wouldn’t have to pay a lot to make up for it. Besides, he was convinced that it was worth knowing the meaning of the text.