pertwk Page 84
Page 84
Yun Chuan was alarmed, thinking to himself, "In the Dragon King's territory, who would dare to cause trouble?"
He looked toward the source of the sound and saw that the crowd had automatically parted to make way for him, as if everyone was afraid of him and had taken the initiative to make way.
A tall, young male cultivator, accompanied by several other male cultivators, walked up to his stall.
He was dressed in gorgeous and flamboyant attire, wearing a silver hat adorned with jewels, a sky-blue robe, and a sword at his waist. He looked dignified and extraordinary.
However, this person seemed to completely disregard Yun Chu'an and the group of rogue cultivators around him: "Boss, let's settle the bill. How many low-grade spirit stones would it cost to add up all the Golden Body Talismans here?"
This arrogant attitude made Yun Chuan slightly unhappy, but as the seller, he didn't say anything.
But someone nearby immediately objected: "Fellow Daoist Gongsun, this isn't how business is done. Your family has already swept up all the life-saving items for Qi Refining stage cultivators in this market. Are you going to monopolize these newly released talismans too?"
This sentence immediately resonated with everyone, prompting them to join in the condemnation: "Yes, you swept up all those cheap pills and magic treasures, and now that we finally have these cheap life-saving talismans, why are you buying them all yourself!"
"We also want to go into the mountains to wipe out the snake demons and contribute to the stability of the cultivation world. Does the Gongsun family really want us to risk our lives without any preparation?"
……
Those around him were all expressing their dissatisfaction with his behavior. The Gongsun family cultivator glanced around, sneered, and suddenly shouted, "Quiet!"
This shout, delivered with magical power, immediately silenced everyone around. He was also at the ninth level of Qi Refining, but due to the preferential treatment of his family's resources, his aura was even stronger than the others.
Seeing that everyone had quieted down because of him, his eyes showed even more contempt. However, he didn't speak directly, but instead said, "Everyone wants more life-saving items to reduce risks. Don't we, the Gongsun family, also want some? Everyone wants cheap and effective life-saving talismans. Let's all contribute our prices and purchase them based on our own abilities. How can you say that our Gongsun family is going to sweep everything away and make everyone risk their lives!"
As he spoke, he finally looked at Yun Chu'an and said, "Fellow Daoist, have you settled the accounts? Don't believe the rumors about my family. Just give me a price. I, Gongsun Yong, have always been straightforward in business and always settle accounts on the spot without delay!"
He made such a solemn promise, and Yun Chu'an, looking at his appearance and then at the indignant expressions of the many cultivators around him, immediately understood.
Princess Jin is about to arrive, and the anti-snake demon alliance is about to take shape. It is conceivable that a purge of the snake demons in the mountains and their allies will break out next.
With war approaching, independent cultivators all hope to earn merit in battle in order to advance their careers. As a result, the prices of various pills, talismans, magic weapons, and other items used for attack or survival have skyrocketed.
The man in front of me, who calls himself "Gongsun Yong," is probably up to this idea: he wants to sweep up all the cheap life-saving equipment on the market, artificially create a shortage, then drive up the prices, and finally make back his money many times over!
This tactic, originating from the internet age, is something Yun Chuan, who knows a great deal about history, could not possibly fail to see through.
He carefully observed the newcomer's expression, then said, "I've already calculated it, but the portion is a bit large. I'm afraid Fellow Daoist Gongsun and his family won't be able to finish it all..."
The man scoffed, "You rogue cultivator are utterly ignorant. What, do you think the wealth of the Gongsun family needs your questioning?"
"Just tell me, I want them all. If I don't take these high-quality life-saving talismans with me, my family will think I didn't do a good job of purchasing them!"
He spoke arrogantly, but Yun Chu'an immediately reported his reserves: "Currently, I have 96 top-grade Vajra Talismans, 293 mid-grade Vajra Talismans, and 197 basic Vajra Talismans left."
“If you want to take it all, I’ll save myself the trouble. Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll round it down to zero. The total is…” He calculated for a moment and finally came up with the result: “400,000 spirit stones.”
He took out stacks of talismans, placed them in front of him, and announced a huge number.
In an instant, everyone present fell silent, and three seconds later, they burst into laughter.
"Four hundred thousand spirit stones, Fellow Daoist Gongsun Yong!"
A male rogue cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining laughed loudly, his eyes filled with eagerness as he looked at Yun Chu'an: "Can you afford it? Have you brought enough spirit stones?"
“Yes.” Beside her, a female cultivator who was wearing makeup and trying to look quite young covered her face and chuckled, “Fair competition, each relying on their own abilities. Young Master Gongsun, if you can’t afford it, we’re waiting to buy it!”
They started chanting in unison, and the others chimed in. Gongsun Yong's face turned a deep shade of liver as he looked at Yun Chu'an and blurted out instinctively, "Are you kidding me? How could you have so many!"
Yun Chu'an bowed his head and cupped his hands: "It is absolutely true. These talismans were drawn by me and my family through seclusion and hard work day and night. They are all here. As for their quality, please examine them, fellow Daoist."
Gongsun Yong sneered: "With such a large quantity of goods being shipped out, the quality must be uneven. You unscrupulous merchant, let's see how I expose you!"
Suddenly, a huge accusation was leveled at him. Behind him, Hua Caiyan raised an eyebrow, about to lash out, when a male voice suddenly shouted from the side, "The quality of this Vajra Talisman is beyond question. We just burned seven or eight of their talismans and checked them all. There's absolutely no problem!"
Further away, another female cultivator, whose figure could not be seen, shouted: "That's right, I just tested it myself. The boss is so honest, he even gave a conservative estimate of the effect. My hand still hurts from the shock!"
An elderly cultivator with a white beard stepped forward and said, "Fellow Daoist Gongsun, are you still going to buy? If you don't dare to buy, we're waiting to buy!"
"All this inspection and checks is just wasting their goods. Their boss isn't a wealthy tycoon like you; they can't afford to keep doing this!"
These words were fair, and everyone around immediately agreed. The man from the Gongsun family felt his heart tremble; he had never felt so humiliated since birth.
He squinted, scanned the people around him, and secretly memorized their faces.
However, the matter still needed to be handled, and suppressing his humiliation, he suddenly smiled at Yun Chu'an again: "Boss, look, this price..."
Before he could finish speaking, a voice immediately interrupted, "This price is perfect! Boss, I agree to this price. If he doesn't want to buy, we'll buy!"
A chorus of agreement immediately silenced him. His face flushed red, and he turned and roared at those behind him, "Shut up! Shut up! When did I say the price was inappropriate? I'm negotiating a business deal, so all of you shut up!"
After reprimanding everyone, he turned to Yun Chu'an and said, "Fellow Daoist, I didn't bring enough spirit stones today. I'm short 150,000 spirit stones. I'll pay you 250,000 first and take these. I'll make up the rest for you another day."
"What do you think?"
Yun Chu'an looked troubled but amused. He thought to himself, "You haven't even prepared enough funds, yet you dare to try this artificial scarcity trick. Aren't you a bit too naive?"
Before he could even speak, the crowd behind him immediately protested, shouting, "If you didn't bring enough money, then don't buy so much! You're just bothering us while we're doing business!"
Chapter 200 A woman disguised as a man?
"Does your Gongsun family really need so many things to protect your lives?"
"I can tell you're up to no good! Boss, don't agree to his offer. I'll pay extra for you!"
……
The voices continued incessantly. Yun Chu'an looked at the grim-faced young master Gongsun before him, his own expression troubled: "My lord, you see, everyone is very excited. If I don't sell everything today, I'm afraid I won't be able to leave this lake..."
This was a refusal, and Gongsun Gongzi's face turned ugly, but he had no choice but to force himself to endure it.
Forget it, forget it. At least I still have 250,000 spirit stones, enough to buy up all his high-end goods.
As for those low-end goods, their total value is only 150,000. Even if they enter the market, they won't cause any trouble. Don't worry about them, don't worry about them...
He silently comforted himself, said "It's alright," then took out 250,000 spirit stones to buy the most valuable Vajra Talismans before turning and leaving.
Although he still left with his head held high and swagger, in everyone's eyes, he looked like a rat that had been defeated and was slinking away in disgrace.
The remaining customers, having vented their anger, smiled and stopped haggling, buying the remaining talismans.
Although the highest-end products are gone, the enemies they face will not always attack with all their might: an all-out attack consumes too much energy and has too much momentum. If it hits, that's fine, but if the opponent has some tricks up their sleeve and makes them miss, then things will be awkward and difficult to handle.
Therefore, even the lowest-level Vajra Talisman is more than enough to counter an ordinary attack that cannot be dodged. Many cultivators have practical experience and would not be mistaken about this.
Soon, the remaining Vajra Talismans were all sold out. As a result, his stall was left with only a few hundred unsold explosive talismans. Most of the remaining people had no need for them and turned to leave. Soon, the bustling stall became deserted, and no one was there to pick and choose anymore.
Yun Chu'an had already made a fortune, so he didn't want to waste any more time. He nudged Hua Caiyan next to him with his elbow and said with a smile, "You've seen what happened today, haven't you? There are good and bad people too. Don't always look at things with such prejudice."
Hua Caiyan was staring into the distance, seemingly observing something intently. Upon hearing this, she immediately became somewhat displeased: "So what if I'm racist? If you're so capable, then don't want me."
Yun Chu'an hugged her from behind and smiled, "How could I not want you, my dear fifth sister? I'm just afraid you'll discriminate against me again!"
Hua Caiyan pinched him, but didn't play around with him. She frowned and continued to gaze into the distance.
Yun Chu'an followed his gaze and saw two men, one short and one tall, one old and one young, walking aimlessly on the lake, looking around as if searching for something.
The short, elderly man was dressed in all black, wearing a vest, like a butler; while the tall, young man wore a black round hat, yellow silk robes, carried a folding fan, and had a mustache, looking dignified and otherworldly.
Immediately, he asked curiously, "What are you looking at? What's so interesting about those two people?"
Hua Caiyan frowned and pointed at the tall young man: "That person, he seems to be... um..."
She wanted to say that he might be a woman disguised as a man, but when the words came out, she felt that she had no evidence and it wouldn't be convincing.
Therefore, in the end, she simply shook her head and said, "It's nothing. I just felt that the two people's attire and demeanor were a bit suspicious and out of place with the others around them, so I watched them for a while to see if I could find any flaws."
Yun Chu'an glanced at them with his Qi Observation Technique, only to find that he couldn't discern their cultivation levels at all. Realizing that these two were at least at the late Foundation Establishment stage, his expression immediately turned serious: "I can see it too. These two are not simple. Let's not linger here and hurry home."
Hua Caiyan took one last, reluctant look, wanting to confirm just how many details about the tall man were still there to confirm that he was actually a woman.
After all, she came from a family skilled in illusion and disguise, so seeing similar things always made her itchy to observe, evaluate, and compare them.
Unfortunately, she couldn't figure it out in the end, so she reluctantly turned around and left with him.
Meanwhile, the two men were gazing at the bustling donation site, unwilling to leave. The tall man smiled, his expression quite pleased: "I didn't realize the local aristocratic families were so responsible. Even though it's only low-grade spirit stones, they're still taking the lead in donating generously. Ah, this isn't a small amount for their families, is it?"
Behind him, the old man sighed and said, "Princess, you are unaware of this..."
The tall "man" frowned immediately, then said with displeasure, "Minister Ge, the way you talk makes it easy to expose our true identities."
Hua Caiyan was right; the "man" was indeed a woman disguised as a man. Her true identity was the only daughter of the Duke of Jin and the only princess of Jin.
The person accompanying her was the current prime minister of Jin, surnamed Ge, who was by her side at the moment, helping her solve her problems.
They had actually arrived at this place, but they did not show themselves. Instead, they disguised themselves and hid in the shadows, personally investigating various information.
After analysis, the Jin state's upper echelons believed that the Huang Mang family's affairs were quite complex and might even involve their hostility towards the Zhao state. Therefore, even their prime minister was sent here to assist the princess in investigating the various connections involved.
Hearing the dissatisfaction in his princess's tone, Prime Minister Ge gave a wry smile. In fact, with their cultivation levels, it was impossible for the people around them to hear their conversation, but he did not insist: "Alright, then young master, you may not know, but there are quite a few tricks behind this donation."
"Don't be fooled by the current situation, where the major families are vying to donate more than the others. In reality, after today, all the money they have donated will be returned in full. On the contrary, the money donated by these rogue cultivators will be split three-seven and embezzled by them!"
Princess Jin froze, her brow furrowed as she gazed into the distance: "How could it be so filthy? Ah, this donation ceremony was hosted by local officials; are they also involved in these vested interests?"
Ge Xiang nodded slightly: "That's right. It was probably him who started this farce, which was ostensibly a donation but in reality a scheme to seize the interests of independent cultivators."
He said this, shaking his head slightly and letting out a sigh. The princess frowned, muttering to herself, "This is absurd! If this continues, when will the rogue cultivators of my Jin Kingdom ever rise to prominence? How many talented people will be buried? The strength of my Jin Kingdom will be eroded little by little like this!"
Compared to the state, aristocratic families tend to be more loyal to their own families, while independent cultivators support the Jin state. The dukes of each state know better than anyone who is more useful.
How to weaken the powerful clans and support independent cultivators is a problem that every duke is struggling with. The Jin state did not do this well in the past, and a large part of its territory was divided up by the three families, resulting in the state being split into four major parts.
The state of Jin now seems to be doing just so-so.
Ge Xiang looked at her: "Does the young master intend to stop this farce?"
However, the princess of Jin merely frowned, pondered for a moment, and gently shook her head.
“No,” she said. “Let’s continue and keep observing. There are so many powerful families and Golden Core cultivators here, yet the Yellow Python family has managed to create such a mess, with people from the Qingyun Sect and the Buddhist sects all facing danger one after another.”
"This place is definitely rotten to the core, causing our Jin Kingdom to lose face in front of the two major sects. We must thoroughly investigate the situation here and make full preparations before we can completely transform this place!"
Chapter 201 Divine Firmament Thunder Control True Technique
Princess Jin was ambitious. Beside her, Prime Minister Ge nodded and followed behind her, circling the Wei Lake market to continue observing the chaos there.
A turbulent atmosphere swept through the market, with everyone harboring their own schemes. Some sought to profit immensely from the impending war, while others looked to seize a better opportunity for themselves.
Others, however, are trying to find a way out for themselves in the face of despairing pressure.
Yun Chu'an is just like that.
After returning home, without hesitation, he hid in his small room, immediately opened the system, and looked at the cultivation technique he had selected in the store, feeling excited.
The system store contains thousands of cultivation techniques, supernatural abilities, and methods. However, as Feng Jian once said, most of these techniques and supernatural abilities are merely variations of those basic techniques. They create huge flaws to gain advantages in a certain aspect and form their own characteristics. In fact, in terms of quality, they may not even be as good as the common "Pure Yang Skill" that he cultivates.
With just a few casual words, this outstanding disciple of the Qingyun Sect dispelled Yun Chu'an's pursuit and superstition regarding those unique cultivation techniques. He began to study them more objectively and discovered that many cultivation techniques, which were more expensive than the Pure Yang Technique, might not have the same overall effect. They needed to be combined with other supernatural abilities, magical treasures, and equipment to achieve a roughly 2x effect.
The investment involved is enormous, and he didn't want to go through all that trouble, so he decided that if he was going to buy, he would buy the best!
Legend has it that "lightning-struck wood" is an extremely yang substance that can ward off evil and disaster. He currently has a willow wood body. If he were to cultivate a lightning technique, he could achieve an effect similar to the "Pure Yang Technique" and, in reality, significantly increase his combat power.
After deduction and comprehensive screening within the system, he finally selected this cultivation method.
The True Techniques of Divine Firmament Thunder Control (Volume 1)
The expensive cultivation technique, worth 200,000 spirit stones, is far superior to the Pure Yang Technique. After he learns it, even if he keeps it hidden, his appearance will be no different from when he has mastered the Pure Yang Technique to its peak. Once activated, endless lightning will appear on his body, transforming into lightning armor that combines offense and defense. With this technique alone, he will be invincible during the Qi Refining stage!
With excitement, he lightly tapped the system interface, and the 200,000 spirit stones in his spirit stone bag were drained of their spiritual power like flowing water, leaving it completely empty.
At the same time, lines of small text appeared on the system interface. Although the level of "Divine Firmament Thunder Control True Technique (Volume 1)" was extremely high, its incantation was also more complex and lengthy. Yun Chuan felt dizzy and lightheaded after just a couple of glances, and his mind was buzzing. He simply couldn't learn it.
He suppressed his nausea and vomiting, telling himself a thousand times, ten thousand times, that if he couldn't learn it, there would be no way out in the future, he would always be controlled by You Wensi, and what awaited him was probably only death!
You absolutely must learn this!
Bearing the pressure of death in his heart, he mustered up a fierce determination and secluded himself at home, burying himself in his studies.
Time flies in spiritual practice; several days passed in a row.
On this day, outside Huai Shan's courtyard, Hua Caiyan yawned as she walked to her door.
She has been quite busy these past few days. The family's reserves of medicinal herbs have run out, and some rare herbs cannot be cultivated and can only be found in the wild. So, since returning from Weihu Market, she has been busy in the mountains.
After several busy days, gathering a lot of medicinal herbs and hunting some rare and exotic beasts, she finally replenished her family's reserves. Now, with a rare moment of leisure, she was bored and, without realizing it, walked to the gate of Yun Chuan's house again.
"Chu'an, are you awake? Have you gotten up?"
She called out like that, without any hesitation, and pushed open the door to enter the room.
As soon as she entered, she saw Yun Chuan sitting in a chair, disheveled, with messy hair and red eyes, as if he hadn't slept for seven days and seven nights.
Even so, he seemed extremely excited, his eyes wide open like copper bells. Hua Caiyan couldn't help but wonder if he might suddenly die!