Chapter 8: The Black Merchant's Fear
Three hours later, Su Xiao left his stall, having sold all the equipment on display.
Selling the Knight King was an unexpected bonus; Su Xiao had been prepared for the possibility that this item might not sell for several derivative worlds.
After selling all the equipment, Su Xiao now had a fortune of 65,357 Paradise Coins.
This amount of Paradise Coins seemed like a lot, but it wasn't nearly enough—in fact, it fell far short.
Su Xiao began searching the Trade Market, looking to buy a blue-quality blade-type weapon.
Blue-quality weapons were already extremely rare, let alone a specific type.
After making a round through the Trade Market, Su Xiao sighed. Forget blue weapons, even blue-quality materials or items were hard to find.
"Looks like I'll have to go to those guys."
Su Xiao frowned. He knew a way to buy a blue blade-type weapon, but he would be severely overcharged.
After wandering the Trade Market for a while longer, Su Xiao gave up. Unless he got extremely lucky, he wouldn't find a blue blade-type weapon here.
He took an old-fashioned phone from his storage space and dialed directly without entering a number.
Beep, beep…
"This is the Black Sail Merchant Guild. If you can think it, we can do it."
A deep male voice came through the phone. Su Xiao got straight to the point about what he needed.
"A blue blade-type weapon."
"What rating do you require?"
"Above 50."
"One moment."
Su Xiao lit a cigarette and waited silently.
"We have stock. When does the customer need it?"
"Now."
"Alright, wait at stall 666 in the Trade Market. I'll be there within five minutes."
The call ended, and Su Xiao walked toward stall 666, prepared to be ripped off.
That was how the Black Sail Merchant Guild operated. You could find any equipment you needed through them, but the prices were a bit shady.
In less than five minutes, a figure in a black hood hurried over.
"Are you the customer from the phone call?"
The black merchant was heavily concealed, even using a voice changer.
"That's me. Let me see the item."
The black merchant nodded and produced a sheathed longsword. The blade was about a meter in total length, with an ornate scabbard and hilt.
Su Xiao took the longsword, and its attributes appeared.
**TC·Jack**
- **Origin:** Reincarnation Paradise, Blade Walker
- **Quality:** Blue
- **Category:** Weapon
- **Durability:** 56/56
- **Attack Power:** 12～39
- **Equipment Requirements:** Strength 15, Agility 20
- **Equipment Effect:** Blood Sacrifice (Passive) – After injuring an enemy, inflicts a bleeding effect that lasts for 4 seconds.
- **Note:** Bleeding effect can stack.
- **Note:** Blood Sacrifice (Passive) is ineffective against machines, undead, etc.
- **Rating:** 57 (Note: Blue equipment rating ranges from 31 to 70.)
- **Description:** How beautiful the sight of blood splattering is.
- **Price:** 11,400 Paradise Coins
…
Su Xiao focused on two main points: the rating and the equipment's additional effect.
From these two aspects, this blade was good. Su Xiao was already prepared to be overcharged; indeed, what goes around comes around.
"Name your price."
The black merchant didn't quote a price immediately.
"Mr. White Night, I heard the Phantom Troupe extended an invitation to you?"
The black merchant's question caught Su Xiao off guard. He hadn't expected to be recognized.
"So what?"
"Did Mr. White Night join?"
"Not decided yet."
Su Xiao didn't give a clear answer.
"Well, Mr. White Night, for members of the Troupe, the Black Sail Merchant Guild has recently been selling equipment at cost price."
Su Xiao was taken aback. Since when did these black merchants turn over a new leaf?
"Oh? May I ask the reason?"
"Ahem, not to embarrass ourselves before Mr. White Night, but the Black Sail Merchant Guild isn't afraid of over 90% of adventure groups at the first rank. The remaining 10%... like the Troupe, a gathering of freaks and madmen, or the fanatical followers of the Divine Emperor."
The black merchant's words surprised Su Xiao. He didn't realize the Phantom Troupe was so famous.
But that made sense. The Troupe only invited the strong to join—a bunch of unbound individuals fighting for themselves. In derivative worlds, they could do anything.
"Mr. White Night, how about this: I'll sell you this weapon for 35,000 Paradise Coins. If you join the Troupe in the future, please put in a good word for us, so 'Karl' and 'Revolver Cowboy' stop targeting us."
The black merchant's attitude was very humble.
"Deal."
Su Xiao naturally agreed to such a good deal. Whether he would actually join the Troupe was uncertain.
The transaction went surprisingly smoothly. In Su Xiao's estimation, the black merchant would have sold this blade for at least 40,000 to 50,000 Paradise Coins. Getting it for just over 30,000 was a steal.
In high spirits, Su Xiao returned to his Exclusive Room, ready to "feed" a certain item.
"One day, you'll bankrupt me with your 'eating.'"
Activating the Supreme Blade skill, a mass of iron-black, swirling light appeared in Su Xiao's hand, churning like a vortex.
He brought the iron-black light close to the blue-quality longsword. The light seemed to come alive, enveloping the blue blade.
"Crack, crack, crack~."
The blue longsword, wrapped in the iron-black light, emitted a series of grinding sounds as it was being crushed.
After a few dozen seconds, faint blue crystalline fragments drifted out of the light, gradually floating toward Dragon-Slaying Flash.
Dragon-Slaying Flash absorbed those crystalline fragments directly, its surface emitting a cold gleam, the blue light at the blade's edge deepening.
35,000 Paradise Coins were gone just like that. A notification from Reincarnation Paradise appeared.
[Supreme Blade Effect 2 triggered. Please choose which additional ability to retain.]
[Rc Cell Rhythm (Passive) / Blood Sacrifice (Passive)]
Su Xiao hesitated. Rc Cell Rhythm (Passive) increased stamina, while Blood Sacrifice (Passive) enhanced bleeding effects.
After a long hesitation, Su Xiao didn't choose to replace. Before obtaining [Mikasa's Heart], he would have definitely replaced it, but things were different now; the stamina attribute had become valuable.
Su Xiao checked Dragon-Slaying Flash's attributes.
**Dragon-Slaying Flash (Blade Edge Value 48%)**
- **Origin:** Shadow of Law Destruction
- **Quality:** Blue
- **Durability:** 67/67 (Increased by 7)
- **Attack Power:** 20～48 (Increased by 3～8)
- **Equipment Requirements:** Inheritor of the Shadow of Law Destruction.
- **Rating:** 60 (Increased by 8)
- **Supreme Blade Effect 1:** Sharpness +4
- **Supreme Blade Effect 2:** Rc Cell Rhythm (Passive): Stamina +2. (Additional attribute from 'Unnamed Koukaku').
- **Description:** Loss, meeting, fighting together, rebirth, growth.
- **Price:** Untradeable.
…
Dragon-Slashing Flash's various performances had improved. This level of enhancement wasn't worth 35,000 Paradise Coins, but it was an investment.
If Su Xiao had any equipment that could surpass blue quality, Dragon-Slashing Flash was the most likely candidate.
At most, two more blue weapons with a rating above 50 were needed for Dragon-Slashing Flash's Blade Edge Value to max out. By then, Dragon-Slashing Flash would be incomparable to its current state.
Su Xiao still had about 30,000 Paradise Coins left. After pondering for a moment, he didn't choose to go to the Trial Grounds. Instead, he left and headed toward a direction he had never been before.
After learning about the Arena's function, Su Xiao began to take other facilities in Reincarnation Paradise seriously. He planned to visit a place he had never been.
Twenty minutes later, Su Xiao arrived in front of a building. Buildings in Reincarnation Paradise were generally grand.
"I *******!"
From a distance, Su Xiao heard a heart-wrenching roar from inside the building.
"I'll smash you!"
Bang, bang…
Su Xiao felt that the building he was about to enter was very unfriendly. He saw lines of messages written on the building's door.
'Enhancement ruins a life; enter with caution.'
'Once you enter the Enhancement Hall, equipment becomes a stranger.'
'Don't stop me; I'm going for +7 today.'
That's right, Su Xiao had arrived at the Equipment Enhancement Hall.