Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

In a corner of the main hall, there was a pile of "legacy" left by Mo Yuan. Rather than a legacy, it was more like a garbage dump.

Several rusty iron swords devoid of any spiritual energy, several talisman pens with almost all their bristles fallen out, a large pile of blank talisman paper, and some bottles and jars containing some low-quality pills that had long since expired and clumped together.

"Sect Leader, that's...that's all." Su Xiao pointed somewhat embarrassedly at the pile of junk. "When the former sect leader was here, he didn't like any of this, saying it took up space. We couldn't bear to throw it away, so we just piled it up here."

Shi Tie carried over two patched burlap sacks, while A Yuan carefully brought over a faded wooden box with some broken edges. It looked quite old, like it was used to store jewelry, but it was already empty.

Shen Mo walked to the pile of "trash," squatted down, and carefully began to rummage through it.

Su Xiao and Shi Tie stood aside, looking puzzled. What use could these junks possibly have? Nobody would even want them as scrap metal.

But Shen Mo valued not their current worth, but their "past" and "potential".

The rusty sword had an antique-looking hilt; the broken talisman pens seemed to be made of some kind of low-grade spirit wood; the blank talisman papers, though of somewhat poor quality, were still talisman papers after all… Most importantly, the wooden box looked like an old object.

"System, scan these items, assess their history, materials, and... whether there's a 'story' to uncover," Shen Mo commanded in his mind. Creating a story also requires materials (evidence), and these junk items were his materials.

[Command received. Scanning...]

[Rusty Iron Sword: Made of ordinary iron, crudely forged, approximately fifty years old, with no special value. However, the decoration on the hilt bears a one percent resemblance to the standard sword of the now-extinct 'Flowing Cloud Sword Sect'.]

[Damaged Talisman Brush (x3): The brush handle is made of ten-year-old 'Green Bamboo Wood,' and the bristles are made of inferior wolf hair. It is a failed crafting product with no spiritual energy conduction. However, Green Bamboo Wood itself has a slight calming effect.]

[Blank Talisman Paper (One Stack): Inferior 'Yellow Hemp Paper', extremely low affinity with spiritual energy, easily damaged.]

[Old wooden box: Made from scraps of agarwood, with ordinary craftsmanship, approximately eighty years old, and a faded "ink" character mark on the bottom.]

[Summary: The item's intrinsic value is close to zero. However, it can be subtly packaged with elements such as the 'Flowing Cloud Sword Sect,' 'Green Bamboo Wood Serenity,' and 'Ink Abyss Mark.']

Shen Mo narrowed his eyes slightly. Excellent! This is exactly the fragmented information I wanted!

The Flowing Cloud Sword Sect? Just the name sounds like it has a story to tell!

Green bamboo wood calms the mind? That's a selling point!

Mo Yuan's mark? Perfect for linking it to the ancestors of the Qingyun Sect!

A plan quickly took shape in his mind.

"Junior Brother Tie, go find some clean water and coarse cloth. Junior Sister Xiao, you're meticulous, sort through these talismans and pick out the relatively intact ones. A-Yuan, go and clean the box inside and out." Shen Mo began to give orders, like a general about to go to the battlefield.

Although they didn't understand what the sect leader was going to do, the three of them still did as he said.

Shen Mo personally picked up the rusty sword, dampened a coarse cloth, and carefully wiped away the rust and dirt from the blade and hilt. He cleaned very meticulously, especially the faint patterns on the guard.

"Sect Leader, what are you doing...?" Shi Tie asked, unable to resist, as he helped fetch water.

"Selling things." Shen Mo didn't even look up. "However, not selling the junk itself, but the 'stories' behind it."

"A story?" Su Xiao paused in her work of arranging talismans, her beautiful eyes filled with curiosity.

"That's right." Shen Mo raised his head, a sly smile on his face, and explained, "Think about it, if an ordinary rusty sword were to be said to be a relic of a destroyed sword sect, broken but containing a trace of Daoist wisdom that people could study, wouldn't anyone be interested?"

"If a broken talisman pen is emphasized to have a handle made of bamboo wood that can calm the mind and focus the spirit, and although it can no longer be used to draw talismans, it can still help with spiritual practice when placed on a desk, wouldn't someone be willing to spend a few dollars to buy it?"

"If a stack of inferior talisman paper were placed in an old wooden box bearing the mark of the Qingyun Sect's leader, and claimed to be 'ancient talisman paper' used by the founder when he practiced making talismans, even though the effect would be poor, it would still have some spiritual energy, and as a memento, wouldn't some nostalgic seniors be willing to collect it?"

Shen Mo's series of "ifs" left Shi Tie and Su Xiao stunned. Even A Yuan stopped wiping the box, her mouth slightly agape.

You can... play like this?

Isn't this just... a lie? The thought popped into Shi Tie's mind, but he didn't dare say it aloud.

Su Xiao, quick-witted, immediately understood Shen Mo's meaning. She hesitated and said, "Sect Leader, this... the people in the market aren't stupid. Can they really believe it?"

"Of course, it's not about empty talk or deception," Shen Mo said with a smile. "What we need to do is 'packaging.' Seven parts truth, three parts falsehood."

"The patterns on this iron sword do resemble the style of a certain school, the writing brush is indeed made of green bamboo, and the box is indeed an old artifact. We are simply... highlighting these advantages and giving them a touch of legend."

He picked up the iron sword, which had been polished to reveal part of its original color. Although it was still rusty, the flowing cloud pattern on the hilt seemed to become a little clearer under the light.

"Let's say it's a relic of the 'Flowing Cloud Sword Sect.' We won't say it's genuine or fake, just 'suspected' or 'possibly based on research.' Let the buyer guess and imagine for themselves. That's called... suspense marketing."

He picked up another talisman pen: "The Green Bamboo Wood Mind-Calming Pen is real. We'll polish it smooth to make it look authentic, and say it's an old item used by a 'senior cultivator.' Although it can't be used to draw talismans anymore, it can still be kept as a collectible."

"If the price is set low, there will always be beginners and those who are short on money who are willing to buy it for peace of mind."

Finally, he picked up the wooden box that A Yuan had cleaned quite a bit. Although it was still old, the sense of decay had lessened, and it had gained a more rustic feel.

"This box is the best packaging. Put the talisman inside, and the price will increase several times over. Because the story of buying the box and returning the pearl applies everywhere."

Shen Mo's words were like opening a door to a new world for the three of them. So this is how things can be sold!

"But... Sect Leader, won't this... damage the reputation of our Qingyun Sect?" Su Xiao still had some concerns.

"Reputation?" Shen Mo glanced at her, his tone calm yet powerful, and said, "When we can't even afford to eat, talking about reputation is the most luxurious thing."

"We don't steal or rob; we rely on insight and eloquence to profit from information asymmetry. Once we have the strength, we will naturally earn a genuine reputation. Right now, survival is the most important thing."

He paused, then added, "Besides, we weren't completely lying. These things do have some connection to the history of the Qingyun Sect, we just exaggerated it. That's called... the added value of excavating cultural relics."

Although Shi Tie was confused, he felt that what the sect leader said made a lot of sense, especially the sentence "survival is the most important thing", which resonated with him.

He immediately patted his chest and loudly echoed, "Sect Leader, I may not understand all that, but I have plenty of strength! Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it!"

Su Xiao nodded slowly, her eyes becoming much more determined.

Yes, we're starving, why worry about so much? Senior Brother Sect Leader seems very methodical, maybe he really can pull it off!

Ah Yuan whispered, "I...I'll polish the box until it's really, really shiny!"