Rebirth with a Space to Counterattack and Abuse the Scumbag

The entrance to the antique market is right in front of me, as if leading to another world.

Under the dim streetlights, all kinds of stalls were filled with a dazzling array of antiques: jade, porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, bronzes... It was so overwhelming.

I took a deep breath and tried to keep myself calm.

Where are the key items for space upgrades hidden?

"How am I supposed to find all this stuff?" I murmured to myself, my mind filled with doubt.

Gong Lin gently took my hand and gave me a reassuring look. "Don't rush, take your time. There will always be clues."

His words reassured me a bit.

We walked slowly along the narrow passage, carefully observing the items on each stall.

The various antiques exude an ancient and mysterious aura, as if telling their own stories.

After walking for a while, I noticed a small stall in a corner. The stall owner was a thin man who was talking loudly with several customers.

I vaguely heard them talking about some strange and unusual things, and on a whim, I pulled Gong Lin over.

"Boss, I've heard you're quite knowledgeable about antiques. I'd like to ask you something," I said bluntly.

This vendor, Zhou, sized us up, his eyes darting around shrewdly.

"Young lady, what do you want to know? I, Zhou Xiaofan, am the most well-informed. As long as you can afford the price, there's nothing I don't know."

I inwardly groaned. This vendor looked like a seasoned veteran; it wouldn't be easy to get any useful information out of him.

I briefly described what I was looking for, and Zhou Xiaofan smiled mysteriously after listening.

"Young lady, this thing you're talking about is no ordinary artifact! It's an ancient divine weapon; possessing it grants boundless power! However, it's not something that's easy to find..."

He began to recount various legends about this "divine artifact" in an exaggerated tone, with the content being even more fantastical.

I frowned as I listened, feeling that most of what he said was made up.

Gong Lin noticed my impatience and interrupted him. "Boss, we just want to know some practical information. Just get to the point."

Zhou, the peddler, curled his lip in displeasure. "Young man, don't be in such a hurry! This information is very valuable! Why would I tell you without a sufficient reward?"

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress my agitation. It seemed that getting useful information from him would come at a price.

“What do you want?” I asked.

Zhou, the peddler, held up five fingers and rubbed them together greedily. "This number."

I cursed the unscrupulous merchant in my heart, but I still forced myself to agree.

Zhou Xiaofan smiled with satisfaction and began to tell some clues about key items for space upgrades, but they were still a mix of truth and falsehood, making it difficult to distinguish between them.

As I listened, I carefully observed his expression and tone, trying to find some clues in his words.

Gong Lin listened quietly the whole time, occasionally asking questions.

Suddenly, Zhou, the peddler, mentioned a place name—"Luoxia Valley." He said that similar items to what I described had appeared there before.

A thought struck me: Sunset Valley... Where have I heard that name before?

“Luoxia Valley…” I repeated the name of the place in a low voice, then suddenly remembered something and looked up at Gong Lin.

“Luoxia Valley… I remember an ancient book mentioning this place,” I said excitedly. “The book said that the terrain there is complicated and few people go in.”

A hint of surprise flashed in Gong Lin's eyes. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I remember it very clearly. Ancient books record that many secrets are hidden in Luoxia Valley." Perhaps there is a clue to the truth hidden in Zhou Xiaofan's ramblings.

This Sunset Valley is a must-visit.

Gong Lin pondered for a moment, then decisively said, "Okay, let's find out more about the situation. If there's still no news, we'll go to Luoxia Valley." The determination in his eyes gave me immense confidence.

I understand that even if the road ahead is full of unknown dangers, he will always be by my side.

He quietly noted down the key information that the vendor Zhou had given him, and paid the money without making a sound.

He secretly admired my keen insight, which allowed me to unravel the key clues from a pile of useless information.

After leaving Zhou's stall, we followed the information we had gathered and arrived at an antique shop called "Treasure Pavilion".

It is said that the owner of this shop, Mr. Ma, has a large collection of rare antiques.

Upon entering the store, a rustic atmosphere immediately greets you.

The shop is filled with all kinds of antiques, a dazzling array that is hard to look away from.

A fat, greasy-faced man was sitting behind the counter, twirling a string of jade beads in his hand. When he saw us come in, he just lazily raised his eyelids.

"What would you two like to see?" Boss Ma asked dismissively, a hint of disdain in his eyes, as if we were just two clueless laymen who couldn't afford anything in his shop.

I told Mr. Ma what the key items for the space upgrade looked like, and added some of my own speculations.

Upon hearing this, Boss Ma's eyes lit up, but he then sighed with feigned seriousness, "Young lady, what you're talking about is a priceless treasure! How could my little shop possibly have such a gem?"

Although his tone was regretful, a sly glint flashed in his eyes, as if he were plotting something.

"Boss, you're so knowledgeable, maybe you know where to find it?" I asked tentatively.

Boss Ma chuckled. "I have indeed heard of this thing, but..." He deliberately drawled, "getting it won't be so easy. First of all..." He rubbed two fingers together, "you need to have enough sincerity."

I sneered inwardly. This Boss Ma and Zhou the peddler were both trying to extort money from me.

He took out a crudely made, unremarkable-looking jade pendant. "This is somewhat similar to what you're looking for. Five thousand yuan, take it."

Five thousand yuan? Just for this jade pendant? I was secretly shocked. This Mr. Ma is really asking for an exorbitant price!

Gong Lin's face also darkened. "Mr. Ma, isn't your price a bit too outrageous?"

Mr. Ma's eyes widened. "Outrageous? This is top-quality antique jade! Five thousand yuan is already a friendly price! If you can't afford it, get out of here and don't block my business!"

His tone was arrogant and domineering, showing no regard for us whatsoever.

I clenched my fists, trying hard to control the anger in my heart.

My gaze swept over the dazzling array of antiques in the shop, and suddenly, an inconspicuous little object caught my attention... a dusty wooden box placed in a corner.

I pointed to the wooden box and asked, "Boss, what's that?"

Mr. Ma glanced at it dismissively, "That's just junk, worthless."

I approached the wooden box and gently blew away the dust.

The wooden box was made of ordinary material and the carving was rough, but for some reason, I always felt that it exuded a peculiar aura, as if it was silently calling to me.

“Boss, I’d like to see this wooden box,” I said again.

Boss Ma scoffed, "Young lady, I advise you not to waste your time. I don't even know when I acquired this thing; it's probably some worthless junk from some destitute family."

His tone was full of contempt, as if I were an ignorant fool.

I sneered inwardly. The more Mr. Ma looked down on this wooden box, the more I felt that it was something special.

I noticed a small, oddly shaped groove on the wooden box, like some kind of symbol.

I've seen this symbol in some book before!

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Boss, no matter what, can't I at least take a look?"

Mr. Ma waved his hand impatiently, "Look around as you like, just don't break it."

I carefully opened the wooden box.

Inside the wooden box lay a black stone, its surface rough and seemingly unremarkable.

But the moment I touched it, my jade pendant suddenly emitted a warm glow, echoing the stone.

I was overjoyed. Sure enough, this was the key item I had been searching for to upgrade my space!

I calmly closed the wooden box, trying to suppress my excitement. "Boss, I want to buy this wooden box."

When Boss Ma heard that I wanted to buy it, he immediately perked up. His eyes darted around, and he instantly changed his tune, plastering a fake smile on his face. "Young lady, you have good taste! This is a treasure! Here's the deal, one thousand yuan!"

A thousand dollars? He just said it was junk, and now it's a treasure? The speed at which he changed his tune is truly astonishing.

I suppressed my disgust and said, "Boss, isn't a thousand yuan too much? This thing doesn't even look very good."

Mr. Ma's eyes widened. "You think it's too expensive? Take it or leave it! This is an antique! You won't find another one like it!"

He thought I was young and easy to fool. I sneered inwardly; this Mr. Ma was truly insatiably greedy.

At that moment, Gong Lin grasped my hand. His hand was warm and strong, giving me immense strength.

He looked at me with eyes full of trust, as if to say: I believe in you.

His gaze solidified my judgment.

“Boss,” I smiled slightly, “a thousand yuan is indeed too much. How about this, I’ll trade you something.” I took out a small jade bottle from my pocket.

This is a spiritual spring water that I took out from my space. Although it's only a small bottle, it's still a rare treasure for ordinary people.

When Mr. Ma saw the bottle, his eyes lit up. He stared at the jade bottle greedily, as if he were seeing mountains of gold and silver.

He snatched the jade bottle, opened the cap, smelled it, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"Deal!" he agreed eagerly, as if afraid I would change my mind.

He had no idea that what he thought was a "treasure" was actually just an ordinary thing in my space.

I picked up the wooden box and turned to leave.

“Wait a minute,” Boss Ma suddenly called out to me, “Young lady, do you have any more of this…good stuff? I’m willing to pay a high price for it!” His eyes gleamed with greed, like a hungry wolf spotting its prey.

I stopped in my tracks, a meaningful smile playing on my lips...

"Of course there are, but..." I deliberately dragged out the last syllable, observing Mr. Ma's expression.

He pressed on eagerly, "But what?"

I leaned closer to him, feigning mystery, and whispered, "This kind of thing is rare and hard to come by. Besides, I don't have much left." I took out a small bottle containing diluted spiritual spring water, waved it in front of Boss Ma, and then quickly put it away.

"If you really want it, I can consider parting with it, but the price..."

Mr. Ma's eyes were fixed on the jade bottle in my hand, and his breathing became rapid.

"How much? Just tell me! If I have it, I'll definitely buy it!" He rubbed his hands together excitedly, his face full of greed.

I sneered inwardly. This Mr. Ma really was a money-grubbing bastard. I held up one finger and waved it in front of him. "This amount."

"One thousand?" Boss Ma asked tentatively.

I shook my head and chuckled softly. "Ten thousand."

Mr. Ma gasped, but the greed in his eyes remained undiminished. "Ten thousand it is! As long as what you have is truly worth that price!"

I handed him the small jade bottle, and he eagerly opened the cap, smelled it, and a look of rapture appeared on his face.

"What a treasure! It's truly a treasure!" He carefully put the jade bottle away, as if afraid of breaking it.

I took the wooden box, exchanged a smile with Gong Lin, and turned to leave the antique shop.

Stepping out of the shop, I couldn't wait to open the wooden box and take out the black stone.

It felt warm and smooth to the touch, and a strange energy fluctuation emanated from the stone, resonating with my spatial jade pendant.

Indeed it is!

I was overjoyed; this stone was the key item for upgrading the space!

However, when I examined the stone closely, I found a clear crack on its edge, as if it had been peeled off from a larger object.

My heart sank. Could it be that this stone is not whole?

I examined the stone from all angles; the fracture marks were very smooth, as if it had been cut by a sharp tool.

This made me even more convinced that this stone was only one part, and that other parts were scattered somewhere else.

"What's wrong?" Gong Lin noticed my unusual behavior and asked with concern.

I handed him the stone and pointed to the broken marks, saying, "Look, this stone doesn't seem to be whole."

Gong Lin examined it carefully, his brows furrowing slightly. "Indeed, it looks like a piece is missing."

My heart is heavy; I don't know if I can find the missing piece. My space can sense the stones but can't upgrade; if I can't find them, my plans will be affected.

“Don’t worry,” Gong Lin held my hand, giving me strength, “we will find it.”

His words reassured me a lot. I took a deep breath and carefully put the stone away. "Let's go."

After leaving the antique market, based on fragmentary records in ancient books and documents about strange people and events, I deduced clues about the possible existence of another stone.

The clues also point to Sunset Valley, where there is said to be an ancient cave containing many unknown secrets.

Miyazaki and I decided to set off immediately.

On the evening of the third day, we finally arrived at our destination.

Standing at the foot of the mountain, looking into the distance, one can see a majestic peak standing tall in front of them, shrouded in clouds and mist, appearing mysterious and unpredictable.

Halfway up the mountain, a dark cave entrance looms in the distance, resembling the mouth of a giant beast, exuding an eerie aura...

“Let’s go,” Gong Lin’s voice broke the silence, “Let’s go in and take a look.” He took the lead and walked towards the cave, and I followed closely behind.

At the entrance of the cave, a cold wind blew in my face, and I couldn't help but shiver... I gripped Gong Lin's hand tightly and felt the warmth emanating from his palm.

The cave was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face... Gong Lin took a flashlight out of his backpack, turned it on, and a bright beam of light illuminated the path ahead...