17: Chapter 17 Revealing the Trump Card! A Crushing Victory by a Peak Qi Refining Level 3 Player!

[With a twist of the fan's handle, he points it directly at your brow—]

[“A coolie who hauls rocks dares to talk business with me in the rockery cave of the back garden?”]

[Ling Xiao does not withdraw the folding fan; the handle still presses against your brow.]

[The folding fan is a spiritual tool. A fragment of a spirit stone is embedded at the end of the handle, and a weak fluctuation of spiritual energy conducts through the metal, making your forehead go numb.]

In reality, Shen Ji leaned against the earthen wall, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

In his previous life, when he encountered this routine, he had bowed and scraped, saying a string of pleasantries before Ling Xiao would put away the fan.

In this life?

[You do not retreat.]

[“I didn't come here to be an errand boy.”]

[Ling Xiao's folding fan lingers at your brow for three breaths longer.]

[You remain motionless.]

[He retracts the fan, flicks it open with a snap, and waves it twice. His moon-white cuffs stir up a slight breeze.]

[“Oh? If not running errands, what else can you do?”]

[“There are three sellers in the black market for the barrier-breaking pill ingredients that Second Young Master Ling wants. The bald guy in the dark alley on the west side of the city has the lowest price but adulterates his goods; the lame old man under the bridge hole in the north of the city has genuine goods but in small quantities; and the widow in Ma Family Village, twenty miles outside the city, is hoarding a large amount of stock, though she doesn't do business with strangers.”]

[You reveal all three leads in one breath.]

[Ling Xiao’s hand fanning himself pauses for a beat.]

[“How do you know all this?”]

[“I don't just know this. In the markets of Yunzhou City, I know which alchemy shop has received what goods, the fluctuating black market rates for spirit stone exchange, and the factory cost of spiritual field fertilizer from the eastern farms—I know it all like the back of my hand.”]

[Ling Xiao closes the folding fan and taps the handle against his palm twice.]

[He sizes you up again.]

[From head to toe, and from toe to head.]

[“A coolie speaking like a businessman. Do you take me for a fool?”]

[“Believe it or not, it’s up to you. But the last person you sent to the black market had his legs broken in the west city alley three days ago, and the herbs weren't brought back either.”]

[Ling Xiao’s movement to close the fan suddenly halts.]

[This incident happened yesterday evening. The news hasn't even reached the Ling Family yet.]

Shen Ji leaned against the wall, eyes closed, the curve of his mouth lifting slightly.

In the last simulation, he had personally made eleven trips to the black market, getting a thorough grasp of every route and every seller's temperament.

All this intelligence was etched into his brain, and now it had become excellent leverage.

[Ling Xiao’s smile fades. He looks at you seriously for the first time.]

[“Who exactly are you?”]

[“Shen Ji. A coolie who has hauled ore for ten years.”]

[“An intelligence network built from hauling ore?” Ling Xiao sneers.]

[“I want to do business with Second Young Master Ling, not risk my life for you. I'll handle the herbs for you, and you pay in spirit stones at 70% of the market price. Additionally, I need the name of the Ling Family’s merchant house to take on a batch of spiritual field fertilizer orders in Yunzhou City.”]

[Ling Xiao doesn't speak, tapping the folding fan against his knee rhythmically.]

[“You're just a coolie. What do you have to negotiate with me?”]

Shen Ji was waiting for exactly this sentence.

In his previous life, he suffered from a lack of cultivation. Even Wang Mazi dared to give him attitude.

In this life, it was time to show his trump card.

[You raise your hand.]

[Spiritual energy gushes from your dantian, pouring into your fingertips through your meridians.]

[A speck of light condensed from spiritual energy lights up at the tip of your index finger, deep blue and steady without a single flicker.]

[The glazed lamps in the rockery cave crackle from the vibration of the spiritual energy fluctuations.]

[Ling Xiao stands up abruptly.]

[The folding fan slips from his hand.]

[His right hand has already formed a hand seal, three wisps of spiritual energy darting from between his fingers to weave a thin spiritual energy shield in front of him.]

[The spiritual energy fluctuations of Qi Refining Stage 4 explode from him.]

[You do not retreat.]

[The speck of light at your fingertip moves forward half an inch.]

[The spiritual pressure of the Qi Refining Stage 3 peak crashes down overwhelmingly, colliding head-on with Ling Xiao’s shield.]

[Buzz—]

[Debris is shaken loose from the roof of the rockery cave. One of the two glazed lamps goes out.]

[Ling Xiao takes half a step back.]

Just half a step. But the composure on his face shattered completely.

A coolie who hauls ore.

His calloused hands are harder than stone.

Standing before him, his fingertip glows with the spiritual light of the Qi Refining Stage 3 peak.

[Ling Xiao’s fingers holding the hand seal tighten bit by bit.]

[“You—” Ling Xiao stares at the spiritual light on your fingertip, his throat tightening, “When did this happen?”]

[“That’s not important.”]

[You withdraw your spiritual energy, and the speck of light at your fingertip goes out.]

[“What is important is that I am not errand boy material. Second Young Master Ling wants to find a secret line that doesn't go through the Ling Family to do outside business, and I am the most suitable candidate.”]

The rockery cave fell silent for a long time.

The sound of dripping water fell from the cave roof, splashing into the puddles on the ground.

Ling Xiao stared at you for a full ten breaths. He bent down to pick up the folding fan from the ground and patted the dust off his cuffs.

A smile returned to his face.

[“Qi Refining Stage 3 peak... you’ve hidden it well.”]

[He sits back down on the stone bench and crosses his legs.]

[“Regarding the herbs, fine. 70% is too low, let's say 80%.”]

[“75%.”]

[“75% it is.” Ling Xiao answers decisively, flicking his fan. “But the name of the Ling Family merchant house cannot be borrowed for free. For every deal you make outside, the profits will be split 70-30.”]

[70-30. He takes 70.]

Shen Ji calculated in reality.

Ling Xiao’s greed was indeed unsightly. But with the credit endorsement of a direct descendant of the Ling Family to negotiate business in Yunzhou City, the scale could grow ten times larger.

This deal was a guaranteed profit.

[“40-60. I take 60, you take 40.”]

[Ling Xiao smiles. “Shen Ji, you're just a coolie, and you're haggling with me?”]

[“What you lack is not spirit stones, but a white glove that won't be traced back by the Ling Family.” You take a step forward. “I can help you launder the black market goods through the Ling Family’s official channels into the warehouse, and you won't even need to do the bookkeeping. Isn't that kind of work worth 40%?”]

[Ling Xiao’s fan stops mid-air.]

If Ling Xiao’s private collection of barrier-breaking pills were to see the light of day, he would be grounded at best, or have his status as heir revoked at worst. A white glove who could help him balance his illicit accounts was worth far more than an errand boy.

[Ling Xiao tucks the folding fan back into his waist and slowly taps his fingers on the armrest of the stone bench three times.]

[“50-50.”]

[“Deal.”]

[Ling Xiao fishes out a jade pendant from his sleeve and tosses it over.]

[“This is my personal token. Take it to Yunzhou City and use my name; the market over there will give you face.”]

[The jade pendant is slightly warm. A tiny character for 'Xiao' is carved on the back.]

[You flip it over and tuck it into your robe.]

[“The first batch of herbs will be delivered in five days.”]

[“No rush.” Ling Xiao sits back steadily and begins fanning himself again. “First, tell me how you plan to set up your business in Yunzhou City.”]

[“Spiritual field fertilizer, pill ingredients, and dharma tool components. I’ll set up all three lines simultaneously.”]

[“You have quite an appetite. What about the capital?”]

[You take out fifteen Mid-Grade Spirit Stones from your robe and place them on the stone bench.]

[“Is this enough?”]

[Ling Xiao glances at the pile of spirit stones without asking about their origin.]

[“Barely enough for a start.” He stands up and pats his sleeves. “Remember, if something happens outside, don't involve the Ling Family. If you die, I'll just treat this jade pendant as lost.”]

[“Rest assured.” You take the spirit stones back and turn toward the cave entrance.]

[“Shen Ji.”]

[You stop.]

[“Next time we meet, don't come in the guise of a coolie. It shames me.”]

[You don't look back.]

The simulation text continues to scroll.

[Age 28, Day 5. You deliver the first batch of barrier-breaking pill ingredients to Ling Xiao on time. The goods are verified without error.]

[Age 28, Day 7. The Business Sniffing trait hums. In the bulk market outside the North Gate of Yunzhou City, you purchase a cart of spiritual field base fertilizer ingredients at 40% below market price.]

[Age 28, Day 10. Carrying Ling Xiao’s jade pendant and fifteen Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, you leave the Ling Family mine before dawn.]

[This time, you do not go looking for Ling Feng.]

[You head straight for Yunzhou City.]

[Afternoon. Yunzhou City East Gate.]

[The crowds are like a woven tapestry, the sounds of hawking and the neighing of spirit beasts mingling together.]

[You cross three main streets and turn into the alley in front of Yunlai Inn.]

[You push the door and enter.]

[Behind the counter, a young woman is looking down, clicking an abacus. A silver hairpin is tucked into her bun, and her sleeves are rolled up to her forearms, revealing a pair of fair and clean wrists.]

[Ji Mengxue.]

[She looks up and glances at you, her gaze sweeping over your calloused hands and your coarse miner's clothes.]

[She looks back down and continues clicking the abacus.]

[You place Ling Xiao’s jade pendant on the counter; the crisp sound of the jade hitting the wood makes her fingers pause.]

[She looks up, but this time she isn't looking at you, but at the jade pendant.]

[“Guest, is there something you need?”]

[“To talk business.” You tap the edge of the jade pendant. “And to see if Manager Ji’s tea is as well-informed as your news.”]

[Ji Mengxue’s hand, which was about to reach for the teapot, hangs in mid-air.]

[Her gaze falls on the character 'Xiao' on the back of the jade pendant, and her fingertip lightly scrapes the edge of the counter.]

[“One of Second Young Master Ling’s people?”]

[“A partner.”]

[She pushes the jade pendant back across the table, her chin lifting slightly.]

[“Then, brave warrior, are you here for tea, or to talk business?”]