I Can Upgrade Everything Infinitely-Chapter 58 - 57: Axe Gang’s Hall Master Zuo Xin

Xu Qing and Pang Hongfei conducted a transaction in front of the crowd. Xu Qing took out eighty-four Copper Coins, which he had prepared from the very beginning. These were the eighty-four Copper Coins of the highest quality.

Here, ’highest quality’ didn’t refer to the coins’ material or lack of physical damage. After all, the more a coin was used, the more worn its material would become.

However.

The longer a Copper Coin was in circulation, the more aura of the common people it absorbed, and thus the stronger its evil-warding properties naturally became.

Xu Qing had carefully selected these eighty-four Copper Coins from a stock of one hundred thousand. They were the ones that possessed the most potent aura of the common people.

This way.

After these eighty-four Copper Coins were upgraded, the enhancement effect would be at its peak, and the Copper Coin Sword made from them would be the most powerful.

...

[Experience +1]

...

[Experience +1]

...

[Experience +1] 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

...

Instantly.

A fluorescent light flickered from the Encyclopedia of All Things as the corresponding information appeared. With the completion of this transaction, all eighty-four Copper Coins were gaining Experience Points.

Now.

All Xu Qing had to do was get the eighty-four Copper Coins back from Pang Hongfei. In truth, with Xu Qing’s current strength, taking back the coins would be simple.

However.

Xu Qing wanted to establish a long-term business, not a one-time deal. Therefore, he couldn’t use force to coerce people. Otherwise, everyone would become afraid of him in the future, making it impossible to conduct transactions and preventing his Copper Coins from gaining Experience Points.

Generally speaking.

One shouldn’t burn their bridges. It’s better to play the long game.

"Here are one hundred and sixty-eight Copper Coins."

Xu Qing accepted the broken dagger, placed it on his stall, and then took out one hundred and sixty-eight Copper Coins from his cart, holding them out to Pang Hongfei. "Now you can give me the eighty-four Copper Coins in your hand, and I’ll give you double the amount in return."

"Alright."

Pang Hongfei glanced at the coins in his hand. He didn’t feel anything different about them; they looked just like ordinary Copper Coins, so he naturally agreed.

And so.

Xu Qing got his eighty-four Copper Coins back and gave Pang Hongfei the one hundred and sixty-eight Copper Coins. In this simple exchange, Pang Hongfei had earned eighty-four Copper Coins.

This time.

The eighty-four Copper Coins did not gain any Experience Points. Because Xu Qing used one hundred and sixty-eight Copper Coins to get back eighty-four, it didn’t count as a transaction and thus couldn’t generate Experience Points.

’What a pity,’ Xu Qing sighed to himself.

’Otherwise,’

’I could have gotten experience twice from a single exchange.’

[Great Zhou Copper Coins Level 1: 1/10 (...)]

All eighty-four Copper Coins.

Each of them had gained one Experience Point.

’Not bad,’ Xu Qing thought, nodding.

"Me!"

"Let me go!"

"..."

At this, the faces of the surrounding crowd lit up with excitement. At first, they had thought it wasn’t real, that it was all a scam.

But.

Pang Hongfei had completed the transaction right before their very eyes.

Naturally.

They couldn’t possibly pass up an opportunity for free money.

In an instant.

The surrounding crowd swarmed forward.

But this threw the scene into chaos. There was no order at all; no one bothered to form a line, and some even tried to steal Xu Qing’s money amidst the confusion.

"Quiet!"

WHOOSH!

Xu Qing barked the command, and a formidable Power radiated outwards like a strong gust of wind, carrying with it a pressure that seemed to come from a higher plane of existence.

Involuntarily.

Everyone’s breath caught in their throats.

SHINK!

Blood splattered.

With a wave of his right hand, Xu Qing sent a single leaf shooting through the air, severing the arm of a pickpocket who had been trying to steal his money. Blood dripped onto the ground.

"AHHH!!!"

The scream plunged the crowd into total silence.

"Form a line!"

Xu Qing said coldly, his gaze fixed on the pickpocket. "Anyone else who reaches out will lose more than just a hand. They’ll lose their life."

In the blink of an eye.

The crowd had already formed a neat line.

The transactions began. "Each person only gets one chance to trade," Xu Qing announced.

"Yes!"

"Understood, understood..."

"..."

The crowd responded one after another.

...

[Experience +1]

...

[Experience +1]

...

[Experience +1]

...

「Time passed.」

Xu Qing completed one transaction after another. His eighty-four Copper Coins gained Experience Points bit by bit, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Currently.

Xu Qing had one hundred thousand Copper Coins on hand. With this amount, he could conduct five hundred and ninety-five transactions, at which point his entire stock of a hundred thousand Copper Coins would be depleted.

Of course.

The items Xu Qing acquired with his silver were mostly miscellaneous junk and not worth much, but he could still sell them in bulk to shops and recoup some of his losses.

Regardless.

He was bound to lose a considerable amount in the process.

But that didn’t matter.

What Xu Qing truly wanted were the Experience Points for his Great Zhou Copper Coins.

"Hahaha..."

"I got it! I really got it!"

"This is great!"

"..."

After receiving their one hundred and sixty-eight Copper Coins, everyone was overjoyed. Yet, some were insatiably greedy, trying to swap out or hide Xu Qing’s eighty-four Copper Coins during the transaction.

For people like that.

Xu Qing showed no mercy. He executed them on the spot, right in front of everyone. Their heads were lopped off, spilling blood all over the ground, and he took back his eighty-four Copper Coins.

"Th-this..."

"GULP..."

"..."

The others were all startled.

However.

A scene like this wasn’t enough to scare the crowd away.

The reason was simple.

Those people had brought their deaths upon themselves. They were like snakes trying to swallow elephants, insatiably greedy and hoping for more without considering their own capabilities. They deserved to die at Xu Qing’s hands.

"Move! Out of the way!"

"..."

Just then.

A commotion erupted from the back of the crowd.

Everyone looked over.

They saw a burly, middle-aged man carrying a huge, broad Double-Bladed Axe on his shoulder. He was flanked by several Axe Gang underlings.

Clearly.

They were all members of the Axe Gang.

Moreover.

This bustling market and its streets were under the Axe Gang’s jurisdiction.

"The Axe Gang!"

"He... He’s the Axe Gang’s Hall Master, ’Double-Bladed Axe’ Zuo Xin! Th-this..."

"To think it alerted the Left Hall Master."

"..."

The crowd swallowed nervously.

"Kid!"

Zuo Xin strode up to Xu Qing. "Are you the one who killed my Axe Gang men? And you dare to just hand out money here so brazenly? You got a lot of money, do you?"

"Great!"

"I happen to be a little short on cash lately. Why don’t you give some to me?"

"Zuo Xin."

Just then, Pang Hongfei spoke up. "Let me give you a piece of advice. If you don’t want to die, you’d better scram right now. Take a look at that corpse at your feet."

"Hmm?"

Zuo Xin paused, only now noticing Pang Hongfei nearby. "It’s you! Pang Hongfei! What are you doing here? Corpse?"

As he spoke.

Zuo Xin looked down at the corpse on the ground. The body’s head had been severed, and the cut was incredibly smooth, as if sliced off by some kind of Sharp Artifact.

But that wasn’t the most important thing.

"Th-that’s... a... a leaf..."

Zuo Xin’s pupils contracted. He saw a withered yellow leaf next to the corpse, stained with blood. The leaf had sliced through the hard stone slab of the ground and was embedded deep within it.

"Killing with a flying leaf!"

Zuo Xin was terrified. "G-Gang... Gang Qi..."

THUD!

Zuo Xin dropped to his knees.

"S-Senior, spare me!!!"

Zuo Xin’s voice trembled.

At this moment.

The surrounding crowd was also dumbfounded. To most ordinary people, a man like Zuo Xin, a Hall Master of the Axe Gang, was already a lofty and powerful figure.

And yet.

Right here, right now.

This lofty figure was kneeling like a dog before the mysterious young man, kowtowing on the ground.

Shock.

Disbelief.

Utter astonishment.

They were profoundly shaken.

"Are you here to make a transaction?" Xu Qing asked.

"Yes, yes, yes."

Zuo Xin froze for a second, then saw the sign next to Xu Qing and quickly understood. "Right, right, right, Senior! I... I’m here to make a transaction."

"Alright."

Xu Qing nodded.

In any case.

The Axe Gang was the local power here. If Xu Qing wanted to continue farming Experience Points for his Great Zhou Copper Coins, it was best not to make a mortal enemy of this local tyrant. It would help avoid unnecessary trouble. Although Xu Qing wasn’t afraid, dealing with such annoyances would be a waste of time.

Immediately.

Zuo Xin took out a Jade Pendant.

"No."

Xu Qing shook his head. "That Jade Pendant is too valuable. There’s no way eighty-four Copper Coins could buy it. You need to provide an item worth around eighty-four Copper Coins."

"U-Understood..."

Zuo Xin then took a small handkerchief from his robes.

"Acceptable."

Only then did Xu Qing proceed with the transaction.

...

[Experience +1]

...

[Experience +1]

...

The notifications popped up.

"Here are one hundred and sixty-eight Copper Coins. You can give me back those eighty-four now," Xu Qing said.

"N-no need, Senior! I... I don’t want the money! These eighty-four Copper Coins, I... I’ll return them to you right now! Right now!"

Zuo Xin was extremely deferential, his voice still trembling.

"Fine."

Xu Qing accepted them and then asked, "Are those people behind you here to trade as well?"

"Yes, yes, all of them," Zuo Xin said. "Of course we have to patronize your business, Senior."

"Good."

Xu Qing didn’t pursue the matter any further.

「Time flew.」

By evening.

Xu Qing had completed five hundred and ninety-five transactions. Thanks to Zuo Xin bringing the members of the Axe Gang, in less than half a day, each of his eighty-four Copper Coins had acquired six hundred and twenty Experience Points.

Of course.

Xu Qing’s one hundred thousand Copper Coins were almost all spent.

’This is a lot of stuff.’

Xu Qing frowned as he looked at the large pile of miscellaneous items on the ground. It was going to be a hassle to deal with, and it would be difficult for him to sell such a large quantity of goods by himself.

"Senior, is there anything I can help you with?"

Just then, Zuo Xin, who had been standing guard all afternoon helping Xu Qing maintain order, noticed his frown. He immediately took the hint and walked over.