With the other day's talisman paper neatly locked away in a thick drawer— just in case —Reed spent the next several days sleeping or daydreaming in his room. It seemed the 4 weeks of sleeping on rotten wood had made him even drowsier and lazier than before.

  Seeing as he hadn’t been chased down or kicked out yet for counterfeit, Reed decided it was time to experiment with the coinage he could turn that energy into. He didn’t have anything to take notes with yet, but he was forced to have some faith in himself.

  A trace of chaotic energy became 5 silver. The first day of waiting, he tried to get 10 silver coins but instead he got 10 half formed silver lumps. Reed sighed heavily and stuffed the waste into a drawer.

  Reed knew he could give himself knowledge— at a steep cost of chaotic energy.

  On his first day in the world, he remembered he was able to vaguely understand some words after using a single trace.

  Yet trying to understand the art of talisman with the second day’s trace of chaotic energy told him only one thing. He needed special ink, paper and a brush. Compared to being able to understand tens of words of an unknown language, it was worth less.

  Disappointing, but it made Reed think. He felt there was an implication. The knowledge of talisman was more valuable— or, because he was listening to the language before using a trace, he was ‘more knowledgeable’ about the language. He really needed some note taking equipment.

  The third day’s trace of chaotic energy was used to bring a ‘spatial pouch’ into existence. However, the day’s trace was wasted. Reed paced around the room. The 10 silver coins came out as half formed lumps. He was at least expecting an ordinary cloth bag. Yet he didn’t even get that. He had expected failure, but not this badly.

  Could it be that it was so far beyond his knowledge and comprehension that the chaotic energy couldn’t fill in all the gaps? Or were the materials so valuable the trace of chaotic energy failed to make more than a few tiny pieces of it, invisible to the naked eye.

  Even after mulling it over, there was no point. Without more knowledge, it was a dead end. To get knowledge he would need a higher status. To get a higher status he needed to increase both his actual and apparent wealth.

  The fourth day’s trace was used to restock Reed’s dwindling money to cover the inn’s cost and the following day was used for ‘ordinary silver coins’ instead of the coins he saw everyone else using.

  The result was hundreds of silver coins scattered on the floor.

  Reed turned an ordinary coin over in his hand, carefully scrutinising it. A moment later, he placed one beside a ‘real’ coin. The two were identical. Yet according to the chaotic energy that brought them into existence, they were completely different.

  Imperial qi. Reed remembered, stroking his chin as he stared at the two coins before hiding the hundreds of ordinary silver coins in a drawer— separated from the real coins.

  The next morning.

  Reed stared at the desk.

  About twenty ordinary, but high quality Mirrors, were laid out on the desk.

  “...Interesting…” Reed thought aloud. “Veeeery interesting.”

  He compared it to the amount of ordinary silver coins he was able to make. He eyeballed the volume and it seemed about the same.

  So… As far as the chaotic energy was concerned, mirrors and ordinary silver are the same thing. But imperial qi is something completely different. Reed thought. When he had used a single trace for bread on his second day in this world, it had also become a small mountain, one which had lasted him just under 4 weeks.

  Picking up one of the mirrors, Reed turned it over. It was just polished silver behind some glass, with extra silver decorations that also served to hold the glass in place.

  Bread, silver, glass… And on the other hand. Imperial coinage and a spatial pouch…

  Reed exhaled deeply. He had some guesses, but was at a dead end. No amount of philosophy and thinking would bring much more than his current results…

  Slowly, Reed realised he could use the knowledge acquisition of chaotic energy, lazing away until he understood everything.

  “...” Reed considered it. Preferred it even.

  365 days in a year. He could stay still. Do nothing. Yet come out more knowledgeable.

  The question was— How knowledgeable. When would he stop? After a year? Ten years? If magic really existed, could he use the chaotic energy to extend his lifespan? Then come out a thousand year monster with all the knowledge in the world?

  Reed took deep breaths, falling into the bed's embrace. He hadn’t taken a step outside of the inn in six days, eating at the restaurant on the first floor. Yet— thinking alone was proving to be a draining task.

  I need to get outside…

  Reed realised. If he didn’t, he felt he’d really try it and waste away his life with 5 silver a day.

  It was one thing when he couldn’t even understand the language and was dealing with shock. But now that he has a foothold… It would be foolish to lose it…

  ??????????????

  The next day, with a trace of chaotic energy as backup, Reed worked himself up to test his theory about exchanging products for coins instead of getting them through chaotic energy. If it worked, he needed to get new clothes. He had worn the same thing for over a week. Even though he had mostly just slept and there was no smell— yet. Other people might notice.

  Using part of his previous lower class clothes, Reed bagged up the mirrors, keeping one in his robes inner pocket.

  The restaurant was quiet like usual, only a few laughs here and there as people exchanged stories. A few glanced at Reed, but didn’t dwell on him for long.

  Reed let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. It seemed, so far, he hadn’t done anything to stand out. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to stand out, but that he didn’t want to stand out for the wrong thing.

  The sea of people on the town's main road seemed to never cease. It brought up the question if this was really a town and not a city. Yet even the lord’s estate was called the ‘Town Lord’s Estate.’

  Reed surveyed the crowd. Looking for someone he could follow. There were numerous people in rough clothes, hauling massive packs of tied up plants, following massive wooden carts stacked high with presumably grain, kept in place by a tarp holding everything down.

  There were people with bulging muscles, covered in dust and carrying picks and shovels. People in fine, colourful robes, followed by teams of dull robed men carrying large chests or heavy packs. A few rough people in fine clothes and light armour, carrying sabers, while better dressed and finer looking people carried sword and spear, with full metal chestplates, helmet and greaves.

  Finally though, among the crowd, Reed spotted a main in plain coloured, but finely made clothes. They didn’t have a crowd of servants following them, nor did they have any weapons or massive physique. In their arms they held a box of small metal tools.

  Reed followed the man he’d spotted through the town.

  His luck must have been good today, because following them proved effective.

  Red man’s Workshop. Lead, glass and pottery. A picture of a sword and axe…

  The street he had found himself on was filled with apparent workshops and craftsmen. Moreover, he spotted another paper workshop.

  As seemed to be culture though, the end of the street was occupied by a massive whitewashed wooden building. The walls outside were accented with intricate dark coloured wood and roofed with glazed yellow tiles that almost appeared golden.

  Jade Merchant Guild… Reed read the massive sign on the store front. He recalled how the waiter had previously directed him to the blue Quilin Paper Shop. This time, he planned to scout the area more. At the very least, a lot of similarly dressed people to him were going in and out of the building.

  There were also lines of stalls, selling various items, down the middle of the wide street.

  Reed began mingling in the various groups and crowds around the stalls.

  “45 bronze for this? Are you out of your mind?” a rough fellow shouted, holding up an, admittedly worn looking shoe.

  “It's a bit worn but those shoes are genuine leather! All the way through.” The shop keeper shouted back.

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  Reed watched the two quickly fall into a shouting match and moved on.

  “Couldn’t you lower the price a little? The stall over there was selling a similar pot for only 10 bronze?” A woman holding a baby asked.

  “Then go buy over there. 12 bronze for that one.” An old lady in the stall responded, shaping a mound of clay as she spoke.

  The next stall wasn’t so much selling anything as advertising.

  A man placed a thick block of wood on a large stone. Then, he swung a large saber down with one hand, splitting the wood in two and burying the blade in the stone.

  “As you can see! It easily pierces wood and stone alike! Fit for even beginner cultivators! Only 14 silver coins!” The man praised loudly.

  “Is such a blade really only worth 14 silver! It should be at least 20!” A man in the crowd shouted, in the most obvious marketing ploy Reed had seen— so far.

  There were all kinds of stalls. One was selling decorative wooden ornaments, another sold simple jewelry made of common, polished stones like quartz. Another was just filled with barrels of arrows, a craftsman hunched over a table with a bunch of sticks, feathers, string and metal tips.

  Yet the arrows sold well, with a massive crowd of bow holding men and women lining up neatly without haggling.

  So, around 10 bronze for daily use items. 45 for second hand luxury items like worn leather shoes. 8 silver for a set of fine, colourful robes like mine… 14 silver for a basic weapon… Reed felt something off. The man claimed the saber was suitable for beginner cultivators. What did that entail? Reed wondered.

  Reed stopped at the end of the street, in front of the Jade Merchant Guild. The people entering and leaving were in similarly fine and colourful robes to himself, with a few more wealthy looking individuals here and there. There were also large groups of people in gray robes, carrying large chests, boxes and other items in large groups.

  Reed paused in front of the stairs. A part of him wanted to go back and just continue saving 5 silver coins a day.

  Warry of the eyes occasionally coming his way, Reed took some deep breaths before ascending the stairs, entering the large building.

  Inside, the walls were painted a smooth white, with dark, polished wood flooring and furniture. Several clerks manned a long counter that curved around 3 walls of the room.

  In one place, groups of grey robed men dropped off their cargo which was collected by a group of clerks who moved it somewhere else out of sight. Meanwhile a well dressed man and a clerk with gold trims on his clothes spoke over the counter watching the process, a small chest filled with silver coins left open between them.

  At another station, a person in green robes was discussing something with a clerk, who quickly left and brought out a small ornate box, opening it to reveal a piece of intricate jewelry, made of some kind of jade.

  Which one do I go to? Reed wondered, sweat building up as he glanced between a few free clerks. There were several guards in thick clothes, wearing multiple pieces of well made metal armour and donning swords at their hips, standing around the room's edges.

  Reed became increasingly nervous in the guards presence until one clerk, who sported golden trims, met his eyes and he forced himself forward calmly. It just had to be one with gold trimming on their clothes. He cursed internally.

  “Welcome to the Jade Merchantry. Would you like to sell or buy today?” The clerk asked with a smile.

  “I’m looking to sell.” Reed responded, pulling out the mirror inside his robes.

  The clerk seemed slightly startled as Reed placed the mirror on the counter, before slipping on some cloth gloves under the counter and picking up the mirror and brushing it off slightly.

  “This… Excellent craftsmanship…” The clerk admired, pulling out a small, crystal clear orb from under the counter and placing it against the silver part of the mirror. ”No qi… a peak mortal grade item then.” The clerk concluded, returning the orb under the counter and seeming to fall into thought.

  The clerk smiled for a moment, then cleared his throat, ”May I ask how much sir wants this?” he asked, his eyes seeming to become predatory as they focused on Reed.

  “...” Reed didn’t answer for a moment, maintaining a strong gaze. Yet his trembling mind was blitzing through calculations. There were no stalls selling mirrors, so it's a more valuable item. These clothes cost 8 silver but are closer to a necessity than a luxury item so their price should be on the lower end of luxury items. The entry level cultivators sword was worth about 15 silver and the clerk called the mirror peak mortal grade. Since there's a difference between mortal items and cultivator ones, it should be worth between 8 and 15 silver.

  “...12 silver…” Reed said after a moment. The clerks' smile widened imperceptibly.

  “Is it just one mirror today sir?” The clerk asked.

  “...How many would you buy if someone wasted time making more?” Reed asked. He could immediately tell by the merchant's smile that he was being short changed. But he couldn’t back out now. There was always next time. What was more important was how many of these mirrors the clerk was willing to take.

  “We have plenty of customers looking for quality mirrors. Qi won’t change the reflection after all.” The clerk responded, annoyingly dodging the question.

  Reed kept his eyes from twitching and wished he’d ignored this clerk and went for one without the golden trimmings on their uniform.

  “I see. My friend made several which he considered passable. I have five with me today.” Reed responded. He could have pushed for an answer, but he didn’t want to risk any complication when so many well armed guards stood so close, so he yielded.

  “Incredible. We’ll purchase all five, and the several others which match this quality if possible.” The clerk answered, gesturing to the table.

  Reed was hesitant, but under the clerk's increasingly stern gaze, he pulled out 4 more mirrors from his makeshift sack and placed them on the table.

  “One moment please.” The clerk left the items on the table, before returning a few moments later with a small wooden box. “Please check the amount.” he said, opening the box to reveal several stacks of silver coins.

  Reed pulled one of the stacks out. 12 silver per mirror for 5 mirrors meant 60 silver coins. Each stack had 10 coins Reed counted and the small box contained 6 stacks.

  “Thank you.” Reed responded, noting the clerk’s mouth twitching from when he started counting.

  “Yes. Have a good day, customer. The Jade Merchantry prides itself on trustworthy business.” The clerk responded, bowing slightly with an unusual emphasis on the word trustworthy.

  Reed nodded, before beginning to leave. The clerk for some reason became even more displeased. His smile almost faltering.

  “Excuse me, sir.” A man in dark blue robes, with silver dragons embroidered across them, called out.

  Reed froze for a moment, but reined in his emotions and turned. “Can I help you, sir?” Reed asked.

  “I saw the mirrors you were selling.” The man walked up beside the counter, where the clerk suddenly became attentive, his focus shifting to the gold embroidered dragons.

  “You may call me, Halberd Moon. If you have more of those mirrors. I’ll buy all of them, as many as you have. A friend needs a large amount of mirrors for a formation they're working on.” The man, Halberd Moon, introduced with a smile, his silver hair contrasting his dark robes.

  Reed thought through his options. He had just said he didn’t have any more right now.

  “50 silver per mirror.”

  “...I have 15 more with me.” Reed responded, laying his makeshift bag back on the counter, and setting the mirrors upright.

  The clerk’s eye twitched violently as Halberd Moon picked up a mirror to inspect it more closely.

  “Perfect.” Halberd Moon smiled, almost maniacally, as he brushed his hand across all the mirrors, including the ones Reed had given to the clerk, causing them to turn into a silver light that flew to a blue pouch on Halberd Moon's waist.

  Both Read and the clerk looked at the spot where the mirrors had just been, specifically the 5 mirrors Reed had given the clerk.

  For a moment, Reed was afraid the man would walk off without paying, but a moment later he reached into the same blue pouch and pulled out a stack of 10 silver coins, then another. He pulled out six stacks and then pushed them towards the clerk.

  “...” The clerk's smile looked like it could shatter any moment as he watched.

  Then, Halberd Moon, pulled out a stack of ten gold coins, holding them in front of Reed.

  Reed accepted the coins blankly. Attempting to process the whole situation.

  “May I ask what to call you?” Halberd Moon asked gently.

  “... Red Heaven—Haven.” Reed responded blankly, before snapping back to reality at the last moment and correcting himself.

  “Red Heaven?” Both Halberd Moon and the clerk looked at him strangely, almost aggressively.

  So Heaven is a no go. I didn’t need to think about that one too hard. Reed cursed his momentary slip. He could only do his best to deny it.

  “Did I say heaven?” Reed asked, carefully controlling his voice to remain the same as before.

  “...The person who gave you your false name must have hated you…” Halberd Moon gave a reassuring smile. Ignoring Reed’s denial.

  Reed smiled in return, but he caught onto the most important part of the sentence. False name…. Moreover, it's something given, not chosen… But why are people given false names? Reed thought.

  “Well then. Red Haven. If you have more mirrors. Ask for me at the Cloud Feather Inn.” Halberd Moon continued. “Specificly. If you have any mirrors that are… Like this…” Halberd Moon produced a scroll from his blue pouch, handing it to Reed.

  Reed took the scroll and laid it on the counter. It was a design, not for a full mirror, but specifically JUST the mirror part, a kind of partial sphere that would focus light to a point exactly six thousand six hundred and sixty six meters ahead. An odd specification, Reed thought.

  “...It… May… Be doable…” Reed responded slowly.

  “If it's possible. I’ll pay 2 gold per mirror. I preferably need a hundred of them for my friend's formation.”

  “It's possible. It may take some time though.” Reed responded instantly.

  Halberd Moon nodded. “If it's possible, look for me at Cloud Feather Inn. I'll be around for a while.” He spoke, before turning to leave.

  “...”

  “...”

  Reed and the clerk looked at each other for a moment.

  The whole interaction felt… Surreal…

  “Well… I’ll be off…” The clerk spoke uncomfortably, taking the piles of silver coins and retreating somewhere out of sight from the counter.

  Reed took to the exit as well, holding a box of silver coins in one hand and a stack of gold ones in his other.

  It was at that moment he realised he had just been paid twice.

  How rich was Halberd Moon that 40 silver meant nothing to him? What status did he have? Reed thought frantically, but the person in question had offered few clues apart from that they needed the mirrors for a formation.

  Reed grit his teeth as he returned to Middle Bridge Inn.

  He had made over 200 days worth of money in an instant. Yet his mind was far from satisfied.

  Money could be made. His only real gains were a guess at what a spatial pouch referred to and a vague understanding of item prices. Valuable, but lacking.

  It all came back to knowledge. Formations, talisman, body-tempering, cultivators, peak mortal grade, spatial pouches, imperial qi, chaotic energy… There was no magical answer to it all.

  He wanted to hide in his room in ignorant comfort. Yet there was a desire— a dangerous one— that wanted to make sense of it all. To not have to bluff and act all the time.