Chapter 23: Is This a Loss or Not?

At the outer sect dining hall, rumors had recently spread of a peach-stealing maniac who specifically targeted the peaches of fellow disciples involved in conflicts. This made many outer sect disciples fear for themselves, never knowing when the peach-stealing maniac would strike them.

And lately, strange occurrences among the outer sect were not few. Overnight, an outer wall was stolen. When at leisure, everyone would ponder: what was this person stealing bricks for?

Some disciples feared they might end up like Fang Han, waking up to find their house gone. So every night before sleep, they set up bells outside their walls, hoping that if the wall-dismantling thief appeared and triggered the trap, they would catch him on the spot.

"Everyone be careful, the peach-stealing maniac is coming."

Just then, outside the usually calm outer sect dining hall, a sudden commotion arose, because a senior disciple had spotted the peach-stealing maniac heading this way.

Many outer sect disciples had fallen victim, lying paralyzed in their rooms for a whole day, unable to move. This suffering was truly not something ordinary people could endure.

Lin Fan approached from a distance carrying a large bundle. He paid no heed to those fellow disciples who avoided him, because Lin Fan believed that soon they would come begging him one by one, treating him like a treasure.

Then Lin Fan arrived at an open space by the entrance of the dining hall, set down the bundle on his back, took a banner from his bosom, and tied it to a pillar by the door.

"Come and take a look, don't miss out! Low-grade weapons on sale!" Lin Fan shouted at the top of his lungs.

The surrounding outer sect fellow disciples, seeing this guy shouting madly again, expressed great disdain. But when they heard "low-grade weapons on sale," they were all captivated as if their souls had been hooked.

At this moment, although the outer sect disciples were attracted by Lin Fan's words, still no one dared to step forward and ask, because they feared that if they were drawn in, they might have their peaches stolen.

Lin Fan shouted vigorously, and seeing that everyone's attention was caught, he nodded with satisfaction. But what left him speechless was: why weren't these guys coming over?

Could it be that low-grade weapons weren't attractive enough?

Lin Fan knew well how cool it would be for an outer sect disciple to own a graded weapon.

At this moment, Lin Fan refused to believe it. He looked around and spotted a disciple relatively close to him.

"You, come here..." Lin Fan beckoned.

That disciple was startled and stepped back in fear, but Lin Fan wouldn't give him the chance. He directly grabbed him.

"Come with me." Lin Fan had to make these guys believe his words.

"No, senior brother! I just joined the outer sect a few days ago. Please don't steal my peaches!" The disciple Lin Fan grabbed turned pale with fright. Though he was new, he was well aware of the reputation of the peach-stealing maniac outside the dining hall.

Lin Fan rolled his eyes. Ignoring the junior's pleas and cries, he dragged him to the stall and took down the sect weapon from his back.

"Everyone, take a look! This is a weapon forged by the outer sect craftsmen." Lin Fan raised the weapon in his hand and shouted. Then he picked up a longsword from the stall.

"Now look at this—this is a low-grade weapon. In a moment, we'll witness a miracle. Don't blink!" Lin Fan, seeing that he had piqued the interest of the outer sect disciples, smiled slightly. He didn't believe they weren't interested.

"Watch closely..." Lin Fan roared, and struck the two swords together.

"Clang!"

The longsword forged by the sect craftsmen instantly snapped into two pieces, clattering to the ground.

"How about that? Only three swords, sold to the highest bidder." Lin Fan threw the broken halves to the ground, then returned to the stall, waiting for the crowd to scramble for them.

"Senior brother, my sword..." The junior who saw his weapon broken in two was about to cry.

"Your sword is my sword..." Lin Fan replied calmly.

Then the surrounding outer sect disciples who had been watching surged forward like mad.

They had all clearly seen what just happened: the weapon forged by the outer sect craftsmen was cut in two by a single strike, and it seemed effortless—truly sharp enough to cut iron like mud.

Moreover, the longsword shimmered with spiritual light, clearly a graded item.

"Junior Brother Lin, how much is this sword?"

"Junior Brother Lin, name your price. I'll buy it."

……

At this moment, Lin Fan watched the outer disciples scrambling eagerly, laughing heartily inside. He had said it long ago—this master would definitely become a hot commodity.

Now that he could no longer rely on them to advance, his only option was to rely on pills. Once he reached the Xiantian realm through pill consumption, he would immediately apply to enter the inner sect. Then the entire world would be his to roam freely.

At the same time, Lin Fan harbored deep resentment toward the rule that forbade disciples who had not broken through to the Xiantian realm from leaving the sect. It was this very rule that had made his early-stage advancement so difficult.

"The Heaven-Slaying Sun-Extinguishing Sword, starting at thirty Nourishing Qi Pills, going to the highest bidder..." Lin Fan raised the longsword in his hand and shouted.

"Heaven-Slaying Sun-Extinguishing Sword—what a name, so domineering! I must have this sword."

"I bid thirty-one."

"Hmph, thinking you can get a low-grade weapon with thirty-one pills? A fool's dream. I bid forty."

"Forty-five."

"Fifty."

Lin Fan watched his fellow disciples bidding fiercely, laughing gleefully inside. A pile of scrap metal, with just a bit of packaging, could be sold—such a profit, such a huge profit.

"I bid one hundred."

When the bid of one hundred was announced, the entire venue fell silent. Outer disciples received thirty Nourishing Qi Pills each month. Although these pills served as common currency in the outer sect, they were also beneficial for cultivation, so most disciples consumed them on the same day, and few managed to accumulate them.

"One hundred and fifty."

Lin Fan glanced at the disciple who had bid one hundred and fifty. He was someone Lin Fan had never seen before, standing there very calmly. But from his eyes, Lin Fan could see his desire for the sword.

Although Lin Fan had been in the sect for over a year, there was still one thing he had not yet understood.

In this world, everyone excels at only one thing.

The path of cultivation has no end; who would divert their attention to cultivate other things?

Cultivators are cultivators, craftsmen are craftsmen, alchemists are alchemists.

If one wishes to become the latter two, then they will surely not achieve great success in cultivation, unless they are great masters whose cultivation has reached a certain realm and they have no breakthrough in sight, only then will they divert their attention to other aspects.

Although the Holy Demon Sect is a major sect, it dare not claim to provide each disciple with a graded weapon.

"Two hundred pieces."

"Two hundred and fifty pieces."

...

At this moment, the bidding was fierce, and Lin Fan also noticed that many disciples were not bidding, quietly watching, seemingly waiting for the weapons to come.

"One thousand pieces..." And at this moment, a man dressed in white robes walked slowly from a distance.

When the surrounding outer disciples saw the newcomer, their expressions suddenly changed, and then they reverently made way, astonished in their hearts.

"It's Senior Brother Yi."

"Yi Zhongyu, one of the top ten outstanding disciples of the outer sect."

"It seems we have no hope. With Senior Brother Yi making a move, how could there be any share for us? If we compete, we will surely be held a grudge by Senior Brother Yi."

Many outer disciples who were determined to win also understood that this low-grade weapon now had an owner.

At this moment, Lin Fan was thinking about one thing: whether he had sold it too cheaply.

But whatever, since it was made from scrap metal, he could make as many as he wanted. Let's make a profit first.