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"I wonder, Young Master Lu, what kind of battle blade would you like?"
Lu Qing thought for a mont and asked, "Elder Ma, how much does a battle blade cost?"
"It's hard to say," Ma Gu replied, sowhat embarrassed.
"A regular battle blade might be purchased for a few silvers, while a better-quality Hundred-refined Battle Blade would likely start at several tens to a few dozen silver."
"As for blades with other requirents, like those mixed with special tals, those could well cost upwards of a hundred silver."
"Then there are the luxury aficionados who prefer to inlay their hilts and scabbards with pearls and jade—their prices are even harder to gauge, with so costing thousands or even tens of thousands of silver for a single blade."
Upon hearing this, Lu Qing imdiately said, "I don't need any luxurious adornnts. Please, Elder Ma, help purchase a simple, unadorned Hundred-refined Battle Blade. As long as it's durable and sharp, there's no need for anything excessive."
"As for the price, I can accept anything up to fifty silver."
After he spoke, Lu Qing pulled out a silver ingot, "Here are ten silver, consider it a deposit I'm putting down in advance."
Elder Ma looked at the snow-white silver ingot, thinking to himself that the elder doctor really did dote on Lu Qing, casually giving him so much silver to carry.
Even when he was young and the clan provided for his food and clothing, he seldom had ten silver on him.
But then he thought about it and deed it only natural.
Given Lu Qing's displayed martial arts talent, he would surely receive full support if he were in any major clan.
It would be abnormal for the elder doctor not to be attentive to such an outstanding disciple.
"Fifty silver can already get you a very decent Hundred-refined Battle Blade. Rest assured, I, Ma, will carefully select one for you. You can co to collect it on the next big market day," Elder Ma said without declining, accepting the silver.
"Then I thank you, Elder Ma," Lu Qing replied earnestly.
Although he knew that Ma Gu had his own motives for helping him,
He too was using the other party for his own benefit.
In these tis, what kind of stranger would help another without reason?
On the contrary, people like his master, who were as generous as they were rare, were truly hard to co by.
"Young Master Lu, since you've made the trip to the big market, why not co over to my place for a small gathering? It would be my pleasure to show you so hospitality."
Having accepted the silver, and seeing the pleasant nature of their conversation, Ma Gu seized the opportunity to invite him over.
"This..." Lu Qing hesitated for a mont, "I would very much like to keep company with Elder Ma, but don't you need to attend to that noble young master from earlier? He seed to be of quite high status."
Damn!
Reminded by Lu Qing, Ma Gu suddenly rembered that he had a little ancestor back at his house.
And since he had been out for so long, he didn't know what demands the young master might have now.
It would be troubling if the young master threw a temper tantrum because he couldn't be found at the mont.
With this thought, Ma Gu could no longer afford to extend his invitation to Lu Qing.
He could only say, "Let's make it another ti then. When Young Master Lu cos to pick up the blade next ti, you must have a few drinks with ."
"As long as Elder Ma doesn't disdain, I will respectfully comply."
"Let's agree to that then!"
Seeing that Lu Qing had agreed, Ma Gu felt joy in his heart. He then called over a subordinate, gave a few instructions, and hurried back to his residence.
Lu Qing watched as Ma Gu, a formidable Martial Artist of the Muscle Bone Realm, hurriedly left, obviously fearful of the richly dressed young man, and shook his head.
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It seed that the status of the city nobility was indeed alarmingly prominent.
Upon Ma Gu's departure and having settled the matter of the war saber, Lu Qing felt quite pleased and continued to wander the bustling market.
It wasn't long before he had purchased everything he needed.
Not only was the bamboo basket on his back filled to the brim, but he also carried quite a lot in both hands.
After shopping, Lu Qing had no intention of lingering any longer; he slung his goods over his back, ready to leave the marketplace.
However, before leaving, he noticed Ma Gu's n urging so of the villagers selling chickens, ducks, and pork to pack up their goods.
Recalling the earlier behavior of the young man in luxurious clothes, it was apparent that Ma Gu was also keen on preventing these villagers from further offending the noble son.
Shaking his head, Lu Qing once again realized the class disparity between the city nobility and the village folk on the outskirts, and he slowly made his way out.
Just after Lu Qing had left, two figures suddenly erged in the marketplace.
They eyed the direction in which Lu Qing had departed, looking puzzled.
"Old Seven, don't you think that kid looked a bit familiar?" said one of the n with a sullen face.
"I thought so too, it's like I've seen him sowhere before."
The other man, with a large black mole on his face, also found it strange.
"Don't you think he looks a bit like Lu Ming's son?" suggested the man with a sullen face.
"Lu Ming?" The mole-faced man was initially stunned, then suddenly realized, "He does, he looks a lot like him, but wasn't that little bastard frail before? Now he seems much stronger."
"Probably from eating and drinking well," the sullen-faced man sneered coldly, "The old folks from Jiuli Village claid that the Lu Family's fields were all sold, and they had no money left to pay us, but now it seems we've been deceived."
"Those old n must have pocketed a good sum of money and deliberately not paid off Lu Ming's debt in full."
"Big Brother Five, are you saying the villagers of Jiuli Village deceived us?" The mole-faced man's eyes widened in shock.
"Of course, otherwise where do you think this little bastard gets the money to buy so much from the market?"
"Do those old fools from Jiuli Village have a death wish, to dare deceive even us?" The mole-faced man felt a surge of anger, "I'm going to grab that little bastard right now!"
He was about to head in the direction Lu Qing left.
"Hold on," the man with sullen eyes stopped him, "What's the point in just seizing this brat? If we're to do this, we need to make a big move, to show that deceiving us cos with a price, otherwise, how are we supposed to carry on around here?"
"Big Brother Five, what do you an?" The eyes of the mole-faced man lit up.
"Let's go, head back first. There are too many people here and too many prying ears, and this is Ma Gu's territory, not a place for loose talk." Explore stories on empire
They glanced at the marketplace one more ti, a trace of wariness in their eyes.
Ma Gu of the market wasn't soone to be trifled with; even their boss had said to avoid provoking him if possible.
Otherwise, if Ma Gu were to truly get angry, even their boss might not be able to withstand his fury.
After all, their own boss was a high and mighty martial artist.
If he held such apprehension towards Ma Gu, then Ma Gu was certainly not soone they could afford to offend.
The two n hurriedly left the marketplace.
anwhile, Lu Qing had no idea that he was being secretly targeted.
At that mont, he was being stopped by another group of people.
"So, you were saying you wanted to rob ?"
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