Chapter 5 Preparing to Sell Stones

"No luck, young master."

Uncle Li felt very guilty, always feeling like his broom had offended that Abnormal Person and disrupted the young master's fortune.

"It's okay, never mind." Lu Zheng hadn't found anything either.

However, he didn't blame Uncle Li, for being familiar with all kinds of novels, he knew well enough that they wouldn't care about Uncle Li's broom.

Simply put, just that one meal alone was enough to repay them for their efforts.

Lu Zheng held the wine cup, wondering if its surface still held that divine aura.

"Didn't he accept me as a disciple because my aptitude is lacking, or because he's not interested in taking disciples?"

"Are there many Abnormal People in the Great Jing Dynasty? What abilities do these Abnormal People have, can they cultivate immortality? Can they achieve eternal life?"

"Will I be able to find them? Will they accept me as a disciple?"

"Can I learn it?"

A series of questions haunted Lu Zheng's mind.

If the appearance of the Jade Seal connecting two worlds made him lose his composure for the first time, then this was the second.

"Uncle Li, are there any legends about Abnormal People in Tonglin County?" Lu Zheng suddenly asked.

"Eh?" Uncle Li paused for a moment before responding, "There's a White Cloud Temple on Shaotong Mountain east of the county town. I've heard the Daoist priest there is cultivated. The county's lords often go there to burn incense and make wishes, and they ask for talismans and blessings."

"Daoist Temple..."

Clearly, this Great Jing Dynasty was certainly a parallel world to Huaxia, because this world also had Quanzhen Daoism and monks and nuns, as well as Daoist Temples and Buddhist Temples.

Oh well, the old beggar left, so be it. With his own skills and the Light of Fortune, he knew he could eventually establish a foundation in the Great Jing Dynasty and enter that circle.

Heh...

Ever seen Fifty-degree Erguotou liquor?

Seen alloy steel swords and weapons?

Ever seen a smartphone that displays one world's intelligence?

Seen a four-wheeled car that runs like the wind?

...

"Alright, I know. We've been running around all day, you're tired too. Go rest now, I estimate I'll head out early in the morning. No need to lock the door, no need to leave me meals."

"Okay!"

...

The old beggar was nowhere to be seen, and White Cloud Temple was right by the city's east, so Lu Zheng wasn't in a hurry even though he'd been away from the modern world for two days.

Sure enough, upon returning to the modern world, his phone began chiming with notifications as soon as it connected to Wi-Fi.

There were missed calls and messages from his mom, along with concerns from several roommates.

First, he replied to his mom's message with the standard line about having a dead battery.

Then he responded to his roommates' concerns; they worried that Lu Zheng might be unemployed and asked if he wanted to come hang out with them.

Among the three roommates, one was studying for graduate school, and two were working. They all had pretty good relationships.

Lu Zheng thanked them but kindly declined, appreciating their friendship and suggesting they meet more often in the future.

The next moment, his mom called him directly.

"Don't be sad, my son is very capable, you'll definitely find a job."

Lu Zheng was speechless. His mom also thought he was upset about not finding a job, assuming he was avoiding reality by turning off his phone.

"Do you want to go out traveling for a breath of fresh air? Or come home to rest?"

"Let me tell you, my friend's daughter is really pretty. Although she's two years older than you, I think you should meet her."

"Aren't you a computer science major? My school is missing someone to maintain the website. Why don't you come back and try it out, see how it goes?"

"By the way, I transferred 5,000 yuan to you; spend it freely, eat, drink and have fun, don't skimp on yourself."

Lu Zheng felt warm inside.

"By the way, if you see a girl you like, go for it; mom supports you!"

Lu Zheng felt weak at the knees.

After a full hour, Lu Zheng finally managed to reassure his mom about his ambitions and excitement for the future.

Hearing Lu Zheng's confidence and strength through his words, Mrs. Lu finally relaxed and ended the call.

Lu Zheng's family lived in the inland capital of Qin Province. His father was an attending physician, his mother a middle school music teacher. Though both only held middle-rank titles, their lives were carefree.

Lu Zheng never wanted for anything growing up, taking after his parents' personality. Thus, his nature was described as easy-going or lazy, depending on the perspective.

...

After disconnecting the call, Lu Zheng charged his phone while pondering how to sell this Phoenix Blood Stone seal in his hand.

In the Great Jing Dynasty, this stone was called Phoenix Blood Stone, known only for its beauty. Lu Zheng didn't know its modern name.

So, to determine its value, Lu Zheng needed to visit several physical stores to get assessed by the experts.

Lu Zheng wasn't worried about being deceived; in this day and age, visiting a few more stores would make everything clear, at most fetching a slightly lower price.

Lu Zheng was prepared for this; with a world behind him, he was currently in the phase of initial resource accumulation, caring only about how fast he could sell off.

After searching extensively on his phone and confirming a few top-rated places, Lu Zheng went to bed after washing up.

To his surprise, feeling healthy seemed to improve his sleep quality.

...

With the sea breeze blowing gently, summer heat blazing, Lu Zheng changed into a Semir casual outfit, applied Pechoin sunscreen, wore a Hongxing Erke baseball cap, hooked up his Edifier Bluetooth earphones, and placed the sandalwood box holding the Phoenix Blood Stone seal inside his backpack, then headed out.

"Woo..."

The towering skyscrapers, the unending flow of cars and people, immediately pulled Lu Zheng back into the modern world.

"Summer has arrived!"

The rolling hills and dazzling white thighs left Lu Zheng somewhat dazed.

Thinking of his mom's words and his four years of university marked by an empty social life, Lu Zheng suddenly felt life was wonderful.

Not taking the bus, Lu Zheng rode a shared bicycle leisurefully toward his destination, buying two buns and a bag of soy milk from a breakfast stall along the way.

Arriving before ten o'clock, Lu Zheng reached his first destination.

The Treasure House located in Huangjiang District.

Though called the Treasure House, this area was one of Hai City's old streets, merely represented by the Treasure House. It concentrated nearly half of Hai City's antique shops, appearing unremarkable yet holding high-priced items within.

Lu Zheng couldn't afford nor was interested before, so it was his first visit here.

Being non-weekend, there weren't many people, yet the surrounding antique-styled buildings had already opened up shop.

Lu Zheng strolled casually, his gaze sweeping across various shops.

Antique collecting was a field with scarce online information. Truth was hard to discern, and genuine items were exchanged among insiders, never reaching the general public online, where fraud is almost certain.

Thus, without connections nor relevant knowledge, Lu Zheng had no choice but to learn by trial and error.

First, he eliminated shops with luxurious decor and prime locations, almost certainly targeting ignorant tourists.

Then, he sought stores specializing in Seal Stone tools; even lacking such specialization, shops selling similar items in considerable amounts were preferable.

Hence, Lu Zheng moved quickly, spending over two hours before finding a store that seemed relatively reliable.

Upon Lu Zheng's entrance, the middle-aged shopkeeper glanced up at him, only to resume reading without acknowledging him.

Lu Zheng, "..."