Chapter 75: Market Opportunities

The offline martial arts tournament was small in scale, with a limited number of participants and modest rewards. Most importantly, the official website never promoted it at all, so the vast majority of players in the game were unaware of it. Happy was glad for the quietness—he dreaded the scenario of crowds in Gusu City demanding his autograph.

Arriving on the busiest street in Gusu City, he saw stalls designed by players lining both sides. Simple cloth covers displayed furs, weapons, secret manuals, herbs, and other items, waiting for passersby to take a look.

As time went on and more players came and went, “Black Wind Fort” was no longer just Happy’s exclusive domain. Many players discovered other excellent places to level up, gradually expanding the market and giving it a thriving atmosphere.

However…
Some ordinary trinkets surely wouldn’t catch Happy’s attention.

Happy’s purpose in coming here was to acquire the “Jade Silkworm Hands” set from a weapons shop. Now that he had received a reward of 50,000 silver taels, plus several tens of thousands more accumulated over time, his wealth exceeded 100,000 silver taels—enough to buy that top-quality artifact.

Slowing down in the street, he naturally hoped to find a bargain.

At present, players’ understanding of the game’s development was still limited, and they didn’t know the true value of many things. Jade tablets recording martial arts techniques, items that triggered quests, or even objects with extraordinary effects could become extremely rare treasures later in the game. If he could find one or two of these, 100,000 silver taels might not be enough to cover them.

After looking around…
He found nothing.

As he approached the weapons shop, Happy suddenly saw a crowd gathered not far ahead. From time to time, someone in a gray, fitted fur coat would push their way out of the crowd, wearing a complex expression of regret and satisfaction. Frowning slightly, he felt a strong urge to investigate and drew his sword as he stepped forward.

“Elder Brother, you’re here too?”

Happy’s arrival caught a few people’s attention. Turning around, he saw Xuanfeng Xiao Li and the others among the crowd, waving at him frequently.

“What’s all the excitement about?”

With mild curiosity, Happy walked along the path cleared by the group to the stall. There, he discovered it was a small shop run by three men. The three burly men stood proudly across from the players, haggling with them.

The stall in front of them wasn’t small. The gray fur coats there were exquisitely crafted, fitting well and appearing to offer good protection—very eye-catching indeed.

Besides clothing, there were also wrist guards, leather boots, and shorts. In the early stages of the game, such items already provided a rich and excellent variety, no wonder they attracted players to rush and buy them; unfortunately, they lost interest after just a quick glance. These were merely ordinary basic protective gear…
Giant wolf fur coat! Increases physical defense by 50 points.
Probably made by some tailor shop, it only provided a slight boost to defense, but it could save players some gold medicine and reduce injuries in battles, which was still quite useful for ordinary players.
However, players would soon become dissatisfied with this and demand better equipment. By then, the resale price would drop significantly, or it might not even sell at all.
But…
The players present were extremely enthusiastic, eagerly pursuing equipment that could enhance their defense. Many rushed to ask the vendors about the prices.
“No haggling! Five thousand silver taels per giant wolf fur coat! Wrist guards and leather boots at two thousand silver taels each, pants at three thousand five…”
The three vendors spoke in unison, firmly refusing to budge.
Five thousand silver taels was no small expense for ordinary players—it required saving money for a whole week. Many people’s expressions changed, finding it unaffordable.
“Is this robbery?”
“We don’t have much in stock. Buy if you want, but hurry.”
The three vendors glanced at the speakers, assessed their purchasing power, then said that and turned away to talk to others, concluding deals directly with those who seemed generous.
As more and more people bought the giant wolf fur coats, Xuanfeng Xiao Li and Xi Men Qing, who had been observing quietly, also began to feel tempted and anxious…
They still had considerable savings, so they resolved to buy a set as well.
“Brother, get me a set.”
“Wait.”
Kai Xin raised his eyes and spoke in time to stop their next move: “If you really want to wear them, you don’t need to buy them. Follow me.”
“…”
Xuanfeng Xiao Li, Xi Men Qing, and Cang Lang were stunned, but they usually trusted Kai Xin’s words and didn’t hesitate. They turned and left the crowd.
“…”
The three vendors had originally set their sights on the distinguished-looking Xuanfeng Xiao Li and Xi Men Qing. Seeing their business interrupted, they grew annoyed. But upon seeing Kai Xin’s attire, a name popped into their minds, sending a chill through them, and they turned their gaze elsewhere.
The Blue-Clothed Gentleman Sword was a master who even made the Dragon and Tiger Gate wary, forcing its members to take detours. They only wanted to make a profit from the giant wolf fur coats and weren’t foolish enough to provoke Kai Xin.

Leaving the crowd behind, Happy entered the weapons shop without hesitation and immediately bought the “Jade Silkworm Hand” worth 100,000. Then, under the astonished gazes of the three, he headed outside the city.
“Elder Brother…”
Xuanfeng Xiao Li was shocked for a moment before recovering and rushed after him excitedly, “That’s a top-quality artifact—extremely expensive. How could you afford to buy it?”
“You have to give something to get something!”
Happy smiled slightly.
“Basic equipment ages quickly and loses its value soon, but high-end equipment’s price stays stable for a long time. It’s worth it to buy this.”
Ximen Qing’s eyes lit up. He closed his folding fan and slapped it against his palm. “Are you saying it’s not worth spending 5,000 taels of silver on a giant wolf pelt?”
Happy nodded.
“Rather than spending that money needlessly, it’s better to buy more secret manuals to improve our internal energy levels, or save it to buy high-end equipment.”
“Oh.”
The three looked enlightened.
“So, where are we going?”
Outside the city, Canglang looked around in confusion.
“Weren’t you guys looking for ‘giant wolf pelts’?” Happy turned around and gave them a mysterious smile.
After exchanging glances, their eyes lit up.
“Weren’t you just saying it’s not worth buying such basic equipment?”
“5,000 taels? Of course not. But the equipment itself is still useful.” Happy calmly pointed toward the distant mountains outside the city. “The defense provided by ‘giant wolf pelts’ is quite good—it doesn’t affect movement speed and protects vital areas. Its effectiveness isn’t inferior to ‘Ink Armor’. It would be beneficial for each of you to have one! But there’s no need to buy them… The material comes from the fur of ‘giant wolves’ deep in Hanshan Temple. If you get their fur and commission a tailor to make a set, the labor cost is only 500 taels of silver.”
“…”
The three were stunned again.
500 taels?
The vendor who sold the “giant wolf pelts” earlier charged over 10,000 taels for a set.
They naturally didn’t know that Happy was just estimating—since the labor cost for second-tier equipment was indeed very low. As long as the materials were provided, the tailors could produce it in a short time.