Sword Among Us Chapter 161 - Getting Down from the Ranking Board

Chapter 161: Getting Down from the Ranking Board

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
There were plenty of people who sold martial art manuals on the market, but few of them sold high-tier martial art manuals. They were, in fact, as rare as a thousand-year-old ginseng.
When a high-tier martial art appeared in the world, it was bound to attract countless skilled players.
It was the case for the stall Happy had noticed too. The stall owner had put up three high-tier martial art manuals in one go, so it was only natural that he became the center of attention!
However, the high price of two hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver still shot over the purchase limit for many people.
Not everyone could have tens of thousands of taels of silver crumbs in their account; it was difficult enough for it to be five digits. Only a few people lived such a good life that they had one hundred thousand taels of silver crumbs in their savings account. Only guilds that were rather powerful could gather up the money from their members or use other methods to come in possession of a large number of silver crumbs.
However, based on the fluctuating exchange rate, two hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver crumbs were equivalent to around ten thousand three hundred RMB. Even guilds of average standard would not be able to get that sort of money without blinking an eye.
But if the sellers increased the price as they pleased, it was up to the buyers to cut the price down!
This was a law that existed since ancient times.
Many people had surrounded the stall and began to engage in a violent verbal war. Their arguments were all centered around the weaknesses of the high-tier martial arts!
Some of them said that staff techniques were not easy to learn, some said that axe techniques were not in great demand, and some even claimed that the damage of Stormy Shadowless Kick was quite low, that at Grandmaster Realm it was only as powerful as a normal high-tier saber technique at the third realm. It simply did not fit into the category of a high-tier martial art. They would still be able to accept it, however, if the price was lowered to one hundred thousand taels of silver.
Happy felt his heart race when he listened to it from outside the group and had to suppress his amusement.
Was there a need for them to go so over-the-top with it?
Shadowless Kick and Stormy Shadowless Kick were very popular martial arts during the later stages of the game in his previous life. They were especially good for level-grinding and fighting against monsters because of their incredible speed! When used in battle, it did not lose either. It could suppress many of the slow and moderate speed high-tier martial arts!
Regardless of whether it was the high-tier martial art or low-tier martial art, each of the manuals was a priceless item. During the later stages of the game, there were people who sold Shadowless Kick for fifty thousand taels of silver, and Stormy Shadowless Kick was valued so highly that it cost 100,000 RMB per book.
Such a supreme high-tier martial art manual had actually been belittled to the point that there were people who actually said that they would only buy it for one hundred thousand taels of silver crumbs. Happy felt that if he were the seller… he would not sell it.
While thinking that, he did not say anything.
Fortunately, the seller was a person with a rather good temper. He used a green foxtail to pick his ears. Judging by the expression on his face, he seemed to have heard the belittling words of the players around him, and they had registered in his mind.
“The market price is only two hundred thousand taels of silver crumbs. Brother, isn’t your price a little too extreme? Why don’t I buy one of your manuals for two hundred thousand taels of silver crumbs?”
As time passed, more people came to watch. The seller still remained unmoved, and it made the group of people who had been asking for him to lower the price to finally put on slightly uneasy expressions.
They clearly belonged to the group of people who did not have any high-tier martial arts but lacked the courage to bear with the pain of buying one. When they saw that more people had come to fight for the manuals, they naturally began to be anxious about their gains and losses.
“How about two hundred and ten thousand taels of silver crumbs? Brother, I only have so much…”
The seller did not say anything. With a great show of holding firm to his own beliefs, he turned his head to the side, looked at the sky, and very attentively and carefully dug his ear.
After a long time, the people in the area relented, and the price naturally shot up to nearly two hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver crumbs!
Just when the people were about to grit their teeth and come to an agreement with the price, a voice suddenly shot up from behind the crowd. “Excuse me, I would like to buy all the martial art manuals here. I’ll buy all of them for seven hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver crumbs.”
With a single sentence, the speaker shocked the people who were about to offer a price so much that their faces drained of all color.
The seller’s languidly moving hand shuddered slightly, and he winced, as if he was in pain. He swiftly brought out the green foxtail. It seemed like he had used too much strength just then and nearly stabbed his eardrum.
Seven hundred and fifty taels of silver crumbs!
Aside from the rich people on the Rich Rank, there was no one else who could afford it.
The crowd naturally opened a path for the speaker. Happy had changed his attire on the spot, and under the countless burning gazes, he arrived in front of the stall. His blue robes caused pain to the eyes of many.
“It’s him!”
A lot of people recognized him at first glance. He was the Blue-robed Noble Swordsman who had made all of Zhengzhou and Mount Song rise up in commotion. He was the famous millionaire who had run into various encounters and was dragged into multiple battles. Instead of dying, however, he had killed hundreds of people and managed to get out with everything on his person.
The seller calmed himself and snapped out of the daze that had come upon him after hearing the unexpected words. “Seven hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver crumbs?” he asked one more time with an uncertain tone.
“Yup.” Happy sent a trade request without any hesitation.
The seller sucked in a slight breath. He did not dare to be inattentive. He quickly closed shop and placed all his martial art manuals in the trade box. When he saw the stack of silver notes and the numbers that were placed in the box across from him, a fervent look appeared in his eyes.
The numerous players by the side watched the scene in dumbfoundment. Soon, they began to discuss intensely among themselves.
“Why did he buy so many high-tier martial art manuals in one go?”
“That’s right!”
“I heard that you need around a month to learn one. Did he buy so many in a go so that the price for those manuals would go down?”
“What would you know? If you have too much money on you, you’ll get killed sooner or later! You’re not supposed to show your money when you go out, understand? The Rich Rank has only appeared for a day, and a large number of people have already died because of it.”
“Ah…”
“But there’s no need for him to spend his money this way, right? He could have just spent it somewhere else.” Someone still did not understand.
But there was always a Mister Exposition in the crowd. “Again, what would you know? The guy spent seven hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver crumbs in one go and bought three high-tier martial art manuals. This will definitely cause a commotion in Luoyang, and when the news spreads out, everyone will know that Happy had spent his money and that he no longer has it on him. Who will be stupid enough to continue chasing after him then?”
“You’re right!”
The crowd nodded to his words.
However, they had no idea about Happy’s true thoughts.
Spending his money and getting out of the Rich Rank was naturally his most important task, but he had not reached the point where he needed to spend his money in a wasteful manner!
Even if the value of Stormy Shadowless Kick was not taken into consideration, Happy needed to learn various other martial arts. After all, the quest from the Murong Clan was still on his shoulders.
He bought all the martial art manuals because he needed them and because they were charged at around market price. Also, for the upcoming future the value of the high-tier martial art manuals would not only not fall, but there was even a possibility for them to retain their value or even increase in value.
If worse came to worst, he could give them to his university mates in Beautiful Robes Faction and have the internal members of the faction use up those manuals!
Once the trade was done, Happy learned all of the low-tier martial arts, put away the high-tier martial art manuals, and left the spot where the incident happened.
A few groups of people who had heard of the commotion and rushed over looked at each other at a loss behind the crowd!
There was even one person who had a thin book in his hands. A resigned look appeared on his face.
Even though Happy had increased one rank on the Famous Person Rank, he completely fell out of the Rich Rank. He had gotten rid of half of his one million and two hundred thousand taels of silver crumbs, so he was no longer qualified to be ranked among the rich.
“That cunning brat!” Everyone in the group gritted their teeth, and one of them said, “What should we do now? We’ve been chasing after him for so long!”
The man with World of Martial Arts Secret News Log smiled bitterly and said in resignation, “What can we do? That boy has already spent all his money. If we continue to chase after him, we’ll suffer even greater losses! Cancel the mission!”
The Rich Rank was something many factions of power and organizations were paying attention to. Each time a name changed in the rank, it would catch a lot of people’s attention. Because of that, Happy’s act of resolutely getting rid of his name from the Rich Rank was quickly known by everyone, and many people began to use this tactic.
In a short period of time, a change went through the Rich Rank!
Practically all of those who continued to stay on the Rich Rank were leaders of major guilds with powerful backgrounds and great power.
Being rich meant power!
At that moment, the true nature of World of Martial Arts had manifested!