Nouveau Riche

"I don't think it was supposed to look like this…" Aotian looked doubtfully at the black ink blot on the paper.

"Was it too much ink? Or did I press too hard? Is it normal to smudge this much?" He questioned himself, frowning as he stared at the shapeless blotch that was supposed to be a character.

It wasn't as if Aotian had never written with ink before. His avatar had used ink to compile a manual before, but since that avatar was a monk at the Foundation Establishment level, he simply used spiritual energy to manipulate the ink, completely skipping the part about handling the brush.

'It'll take me a long time to learn how to use a brush decently... That would mess up my plans to sell the manual today.' Aotian sighed, but then his eyes gleamed mischievously. 'Then, let's cheat.'

Although he had experienced over two hundred different martial arts and consequently developed almost perfect control over his body, Aotian preferred to save time. Learning to write with elegant calligraphy would be easy for him – a few days at most.

But days were too long. He wanted results now.

With a grin, he manipulated his avatars, whose bodies possessed superhuman strength and dexterity, to pick up paper, brushes, and ink. In perfect sync, four bodies began practicing calligraphy, their movements so coordinated that they looked like a dance of brushes over paper.

Minutes later, progress was already visible. And after forty minutes, Aotian's calligraphy was elegant and fluid.

Wasting no time, he quickly copied the manual he had chosen to sell. Fortunately, he knew how to draw, so the posture and energy flow diagrams were drawn with impressive accuracy.

'Perfect. Another twenty minutes for the ink to dry, and it'll be ready,' Aotian thought, his eyes gleaming with dollar signs.

An hour and a half after "borrowing" the money from the man on the street, Aotian left the luxury inn and headed to the Wubao Pavilion.

At the reception, a middle-aged man watched him closely. Noticing Aotian's expensive clothes and elegant demeanor, he quickly perked up, flashing a professional smile.

"Hello, sir! How may I serve you today?"

"Do you only sell, or do you also buy?" Aotian asked directly, sounding neither humble nor arrogant.

The gleam in the receptionist's eyes dimmed slightly when he realized Aotian wanted to sell. Purchase commissions were always smaller. Still, he maintained his professional composure.

"Depending on the product, we do buy." The smile remained firm, although slightly less enthusiastic.

Aotian approached, and the man immediately became alert, though he didn't back away. Aotian spoke in a low voice, only for the receptionist to hear:

"... Skin Refinement Manual." His voice was firm and solemn.

The man's eyes gleamed with excitement, and his initial disappointment vanished as quickly as it came. If he managed to purchase a manual that the Wubao Pavilion didn't already have, the commission would be enough to make his year worthwhile.

"Please, sir, follow me." He spoke in a low tone, leading Aotian to a private room reserved for special clients.

Aotian nodded gracefully and followed him.

Shortly after, the man brought in a young and beautiful servant to prepare tea.

And what a servant. Aotian had to make an effort to look away from her generous cleavage as she leaned over to serve the tea.

Adjusting his pants discreetly, he mentally scolded himself. 'You're a damn reincarnator, control yourself! How can you be so thirsty?'

But his mind began to wander. With the money he would earn, he could buy a few servants... There would be no shortage of opportunities to fully enjoy the "entertainment."

Aotian bit his tongue, trying to focus on why he was there. But the more he thought about the idea, the more his imagination ran wild. And the more uncomfortable his pants became.

'No... I don't want to have regrets.' He looked away, regaining his focus. 'If I buy servants, I'll end up getting attached to them, which would only complicate my cultivation journey.'

He knew himself all too well. If he got involved sexually, he would eventually get emotionally involved, and in the end, he wouldn't be able to leave them behind. And any attachment would be an obstacle to his greater goals.

It was at that moment that Aotian made a decision: if he were to have women by his side, they would have to have the potential to accompany him on his cultivation journey. They would need to be strong and talented, so they wouldn't become burdens and regrets on his path to immortality.

With a firm resolve, Aotian quickly calmed the discomfort in his pants and refocused on business.

The man, during this time, was watching him closely. He noticed Aotian's looks of desire for the servant but wasn't surprised. After all, she was one of the most beautiful women in town.

What really surprised him was the young man's quick self-control. Normally, young masters like him couldn't suppress their desires and ended up showing them on their faces without any shame.

"This boy is no ordinary person..." the man thought, now taking Aotian much more seriously.

"Sir, could you show me the manual you wish to sell?" he asked politely.

Aotian simply nodded calmly, reached into his robes, and pulled out the freshly written manual.

The man took the manuscript and immediately noticed the freshness of the ink, but wasn't surprised. It wasn't common to sell an original manual; copies were the norm.

He examined the drawings and calligraphy, checking if they were clear and understandable. Finding no flaws, his excitement grew.

After all, Red Tiger City wasn't big. Although manuals weren't scarce, they weren't abundant either. Their value, therefore, was considerable.

But what excited him the most was realizing that neither the Wubao Pavilion nor any martial arts family in the city had a manual called Mountain-Crushing Fist.

This meant that those families would certainly buy the manual to enrich their heritage. A considerable profit for the Wubao Pavilion... and a huge commission for him as the attendant.

Additionally, there would be no issues. No family would claim authorship of the manual, avoiding any conflicts.

"Sir, may I take the manual to our specialists? This will allow for a more accurate evaluation and a fair price," the man asked respectfully.

Aotian nodded, allowing him to take the manual.

A few minutes later, the man returned with a gleam in his eyes and sat down before Aotian.

"Sir, may I ask how much you would like to receive for this manual? Our Wubao Pavilion is interested," he said, maintaining his politeness.

Aotian pondered. He knew that a skin refinement manual sold for 20 gold coins. So, asking for 15 coins for this one wouldn't seem unreasonable. But he decided to push the responsibility to the other side.

"How much is your pavilion willing to pay?" he asked with apparent disinterest.

The man hesitated for a moment, analyzing Aotian's impassive expression. Then, cautiously, he offered:

"Our pavilion is willing to pay... 90 gold coins," he said slowly, watching every change in Aotian's expression.

Aotian merely narrowed his eyes slightly, keeping his composure.

Meanwhile, in the ruins of the Tianzhen Sect, the sect leader's avatar stood up with a crash.

"Holy crap! 90 gold coins! I'm filthy rich! Hahaha! I forgot that 20 coins was the price for one manual, but they can sell multiple copies... that's why the price is much higher!" The sect leader shouted excitedly, dancing joyfully and shaking his body uncontrollably.

This was the advantage of having multiple bodies and minds. All the excitement was channeled into the avatar, allowing Aotian to remain calm and composed in his main body

Back at the pavilion, the man began to sweat as he saw Aotian's cold and slightly displeased expression.

"Ahem... of course, since this manual isn't widely known, we can raise the value to 120 gold coins," the man said, discreetly wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Aotian remained silent for a moment, analyzing the man before him. Then he slightly parted his lips and stated his price.

"Just 150 gold coins, and the manual is yours." Well, his lion's mouth was only slightly open.

"..."

A few minutes later, Aotian left the Wubao Pavilion with a heavy pouch of coins on his waist and a slightly smaller bag at his side.