212: Second Master of Yingtong Chamber of Commerce

A Cai felt like she had a very heavy dream.

She woke up in a field of flowers.

She looked up at the handsome man sitting on the stone stool, like a deity, and her pretty face flushed.

He... he’s so handsome and so strong... A Cai’s heart suddenly stirred.

Flashes of her time with the Immortal appeared in her mind.

It seemed she... always had feelings for the “Immortal” that went beyond a “master-disciple” relationship.

“You’re awake?”

Gu Yanqing looked at A Cai and asked gently, “Don’t be so eager for quick success in the future. Cultivation requires a steady, step-by-step approach.

If you have any questions, you can always ask me, alright?”

“I know!”

A Cai nodded.

Gu Yanqing was finding it a bit strenuous to maintain the dream, so he said, “Go back.”

After he spoke, the dream began to gradually become transparent.

Inside the room.

A Cai gasped and woke up.

In reality, she was sprawled on the table.

A Cai looked up at the “Dung Beetle” on the table, which also seemed to be sound asleep, and smiled.

This little Dung Beetle was her companion.

And because of this Dung Beetle, she wasn’t so lonely.

Perhaps others might find her hobby “strange,” but what did it matter? She couldn’t smell it, and she didn’t care about such things.

A Cai stretched.

She walked into the room.

It wasn’t until she reached the inner room that she looked at the empty bed and felt a moment of disorientation.

Why didn't she sleep in this sun-facing room, insisting on sleeping in the side room?

A Cai rubbed her brow.

Perhaps after her father passed away, she always wanted to leave this room empty to remember him.

A Cai walked to the outer room.

Seeing the memorial tablet, she naturally walked over and used a clean cloth to wipe it.

At this point.

Gu Yanqing finally let out a sigh of relief.

Very good, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Next, he would have to persuade A Cai to leave Jiao Yue Mountain and go out for experience.

Staying in the old place would inevitably lead to some unexpected issues.

It would be better to change to a completely new environment... Jubao City.

Yingtong Merchant Guild Headquarters.

Inside the secret chamber.

Lines of magical patterns flickered on and off, an additional layer of security for the secret chamber.

With these magical patterns, even a Nascent Soul at Perfection would not be able to peek into the secrets within.

A gentle-mannered man in white sat behind a tea table, busy with the tea.

Both the teacups and the tea table were custom-made, costing thousands of High-Grade Spirit Stones alone.

The man poured out the first brew of tea and presented the teacup to Jiang Ning.

Then he refilled it with water.

Finally, he poured a cup for Jiang Ning and placed it in front of him.

“Have some tea.”

“Thank you.”

Jiang Ning observed the man.

Jiang Ning didn't know the value of the other party's tea set, only feeling that the other party didn't resemble a merchant at all, but rather a scholar.

This was somewhat different from his imagined Yingtong Merchant Guild’s bejeweled head.

Yes.

The person in front of him was Xie Jingran, the second head of the Yingtong Merchant Guild.

Through Daoist Lingbao’s mediation, he finally met one of the Yingtong Merchant Guild’s spokesmen today.

He first sniffed the tea aroma.

Immediately, he felt refreshed.

The Spiritual Qi in this tea was not enough to significantly advance his Nascent Soul Realm progress bar, but it made him feel the Spiritual Qi was rich, so this tea must be exceptionally good.

What a rich family!

Jiang Ning took a sip.

The tea was slightly bitter upon entry, but immediately followed by a sweet aftertaste.

Xie Jingran, opposite Jiang Ning, smiled and said, “How’s our tea? Is it good?”

Jiang Ning: ... He just opened his mouth!

No wonder he hadn't spoken before.

Jiang Ning nodded.

“Good! Very satisfying!”

Xie Jingran drank all the tea in his cup in one gulp, laughing, “You want to kill the Xuanhuan Grand Marshal? That’s not easy. Is that an old-brand Nascent Soul Mid-stage easy to kill?”

Jiang Ning sighed.

“I have now invited some friends. Before we act, counting myself, we can gather five Nascent Souls. I have a way to kill Marshal Xuan Hu, but what I need is for my friends to help me hold Marshal Xuan Hu back.”

“That’s not enough.”

Xie Jingran said, “Marshal Xuan Hu is among the top Nascent Soul Mid-stages. It is said that he is about to step into the Late Stage Nascent Soul with half a foot.

Besides, why should our Yingtong Merchant Guild help you?”

Jiang Ning smiled and said, “I’ll pay the reward, and you provide the people. When Marshal Xuan Hu is killed, you get the reward I paid, and the Tiance Military Prefecture’s strength will be weakened.

The Yingtong Merchant Guild will also benefit.”

“What if the Tiance Military Prefecture’s Grand Marshal retaliates?”

“Can the Grand Marshal ignore the Patriarch and the Yaoguang Immortal Palace’s Great Palace Master?”

“No, that won’t do.”

Xie Jingran shook his head.

He understood Jiang Ning’s meaning now.

After thinking for a moment, Xie Jingran said, “The Yingtong Merchant Guild will not send people, but the Yingtong Merchant Guild can find someone for you who has a grudge against Grand Marshal Marshal Xuan Hu.

If you want to kill Marshal Xuan Hu, he will certainly be happy to help.

But how much reward do you plan to give the Yingtong Merchant Guild?”

“How much does the Yingtong Merchant Guild want?”

“One hundred million High-Grade Spirit Stones!”

“??”

Jiang Ning was stunned.

No, do all merchants quote prices like this?

Xie Jingran took a sip of tea and laughed loudly, “You told me to name the price, hahahahaha.”

Jiang Ning: ... No merchant is without cunning.

This is like bargaining.

If the merchant asks you how much you want to buy it for, and you say it, you lose.

But if the other party insists you name a price first, then name a price that the other party definitely cannot accept.

Jiang Ning held up one finger.

“One Nascent Soul Tribulation Pill.”

“Too little.”

Xie Jingran’s heart stirred slightly.

In the Xuanhuang Domain, Nascent Soul cultivators are high-end combat power. A force's ability to stand firm depends on the number of Nascent Souls.

The Nascent Soul Tribulation Pill was indeed very tempting to him.

He held up one finger.

“Ten pills.”

“Too many.”

“One pill.”

“Don’t be like that, nine pills...”

...A quarter of an hour later.

The deal was struck for three Nascent Soul Tribulation Pills.

Jiang Ning felt exhausted.

He had previously thought this was a scholar, but what a scholar!

He would never chat with such merchants again.

So tiring.

They just painstakingly want you to raise the price again.

As Xie Jingran walked out, he said with a smile, “Fellow Daoist Jiang, please don’t take offense. Merchants pursue profit. We, the Yingtong Merchant Guild, will invite that person, and once we get a response, we will notify you immediately.

If we fail to invite him, we will invite others.

But they will all comply with the agreement, their strength being at least Early Stage Nascent Soul.”

“Thank you.”

Jiang Ning cupped his hands.

Walking out of the Yingtong Merchant Guild Headquarters.

Jiang Ning looked at the sky.

Well, he owed three more Nascent Soul Tribulation Pills.

This feeling of being heavily in debt was very unpleasant.

He hoped Grand Marshal Marshal Xuan Hu could drop more gold for him.

However, Jiang Ning thought this was unlikely.

After all, when he pushed Grand Marshal Marshal Xuan Hu into the spatial rift, reaching for Grand Marshal Marshal Xuan Hu’s ring would be penny-wise and pound-foolish, rendering the operation a complete failure.