71: One stone is worth a thousand pieces of gold!
He paused, cautiously observing Li Qing's expression. Seeing that the other party seemed interested, he continued.
"These Spirit Stones are priceless, a rarity with no market price."
"They can only be exchanged for Treasure Artifacts or Medicinal Pills of equal value. They cannot be bought in ordinary markets at all. If one wishes to purchase them with gold or silver, it can only be done through special channels on the black market."
"A single Spirit Stone can be worth ten thousand taels of gold!"
Duan Tianba felt a pang of heartache.
After receiving the news last night, he had gone to the black market overnight to purchase ten Spirit Stones at a high price.
Adding the seven stones he had left in his reserves...
That made a total of seventeen!
One Spirit Stone for ten thousand taels of gold!
Li Qing's heart jolted violently.
Although his face remained calm, a tempestuous wave had surged within him.
Ten thousand taels of gold—what an immense value!
To think such expensive cultivation resources existed in this world.
These Spirit Stones, which contained pure energy, would certainly be of great use to the Earth Spirit Turtle Clone!
The Clone's Breakthrough and evolution required a massive amount of evolution value; he could give the Spirit Stones a try.
If they worked, it would be another method for him to gain evolution value!
Combined with the resources from the City Lord's Manor, his progress would enter a new stage!
Duan Tianba's seventeen Spirit Stones had arrived at just the right time.
Li Qing stepped forward, looked at Duan Tianba's pleading face, and picked up the box directly.
This old fellow sure knows how to play the game of seeking profit and avoiding harm.
It seemed like some of the people he had encountered...
Including the Hall Master of the Fierce Wind Martial Arts Hall.
They were all about seeking profit and avoiding harm.
They wouldn't mindlessly confront you head-on.
In their world...
There are no eternal friends, nor eternal enemies, only eternal interests.
Li Qing opened the box.
Seventeen crystal-clear Spirit Stones lay quietly inside the box, emitting an unusual fluctuation of energy.
So these are Spirit Stones!
Li Qing closed the box, suppressing the impulse in his heart.
Duan Tianba felt a surge of joy, thinking the matter was settled.
He was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard Li Qing's calm voice ring out again.
"I'll take these seventeen Spirit Stones."
Li Qing's tone had no fluctuations whatsoever.
Remaining composed was a standard trait of the strong.
The hope that had just risen in Duan Tianba's heart was instantly suspended high by these words.
He waited tensely for Li Qing's next words.
"However, there are still a few matters you need to handle."
Li Qing's gaze fell on Duan Tianba, his eyes calm.
"First, your Jingtao Martial Arts School must personally visit Xiao Chen of the Iron Bone Martial Arts School to offer an apology."
Duan Tianba's body trembled. Although he felt humiliated, he nodded like a chicken pecking at grain for the sake of survival.
"Yes! I, Duan, will definitely visit in person to apologize to Nephew Xiao Chen!"
"Second," Li Qing's voice continued,
"After Xiao Chen's father died back then, you took the opportunity to seize the Iron Bone Martial Arts School's ultimate technique, the 'Iron Body Art'."
"Now, return it to its original owner."
Duan Tianba's face turned pale instantly, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.
He had been careless in this matter; he hadn't expected Xiao Chen to have such luck...
...as to become acquainted with Li Qing.
"Yes, yes, it is only right."
"It was my fault."
"The Secret Manual... the Secret Manual is in the school's secret chamber. I will send it over as soon as I return!" he answered hurriedly.
"Third."
"The Iron Bone Martial Arts School has suffered heavy losses due to the oppression of your Jingtao Martial Arts School, and for many years, it has been unable to recover its Origin Qi."
"Your Jingtao Martial Arts School shall also bear the responsibility for these losses."
He paused and threw out a number that made Duan Tianba's heart and liver tremble.
"Compensate the Iron Bone Martial Arts School with ten thousand taels of gold."
Ten thousand taels of gold!
Duan Tianba's body swayed violently, and he almost fainted on the spot.
The seventeen Spirit Stones had already forced him to mortgage most of his properties.
Now he had to produce another ten thousand taels of gold; this was practically squeezing the Jingtao Martial Arts School dry!
Fine, fine, fine!
As long as he wasn't killed, everything could be negotiated.
"Yes, yes! I obey your command!"
The surrounding neighbors were dumbfounded by what they heard.
They only knew that Duan Tianba was giving a gift, but they didn't expect Li Qing to have such a "lion's maw," directly stripping a layer of skin off the Jingtao Martial Arts School!
This youth is ruthless!
Li Qing nodded.
Not bad. People who are so practical and recognize the situation...
...are easy to talk to!
Then, he walked straight toward the entrance of the alley.
This was the result he wanted.
He didn't kill Duan Tianba not out of mercy, but because Duan Tianba still had utility value.
Duan Tianba, since you're so practical, there's plenty of hardship waiting for you in the future!
How could one person obtaining resources compare to an entire martial arts school obtaining them together?
Besides, his main body needed training too.
This was similar in nature to having ten great generals for his Clone.
The onlookers watched Duan Tianba's despondent appearance and then looked at Li Qing's receding back, their hearts filled with awe.
The sky over Jinling City is changing!
...Iron Bone Martial Arts School.
Xiao Chen was leading a few children in the courtyard to practice the horse stance.
The broken main gate hadn't been repaired yet; it was only crudely covered with a few wooden planks.
Seeing Li Qing enter, Xiao Chen's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly went to meet him.
"Big Brother Li! You're here!"
He hadn't slept well last night, his mind filled with City Lord Zhuang Bai's earth-shattering invitation.
"Big Brother Li, how have you considered the City Lord's invitation?"
Xiao Chen rubbed his hands, both expectant and nervous.
"I accepted, of course."
Li Qing replied casually.
He took out a bulging money bag and placed it on the stone table.
"What is this?" Xiao Chen asked curiously.
"Gold," Li Qing said in a flat tone.
"Go... Gold?!" Xiao Chen's voice suddenly rose, startling the children.
Seeing the bulging money bag, his eyes went wide.
He hadn't seen gold in a long time.
"Big Brother Li, this is?" Xiao Chen didn't open it.
He didn't know what Li Qing meant right now.
He looked at the money bag on the stone table and asked.
"It's for you."
"This, for me?" Xiao Chen was so shocked he became incoherent.
"Duan Tianba sent it," Li Qing explained simply.
"He just came to offer his formal apologies. From now on, the Jingtao Martial Arts School won't cause trouble for the Iron Bone Martial Arts School anymore."
"Also, he will personally come to apologize to you, return the advanced volume of the 'Iron Body Art' he seized back then, and provide this ten thousand taels of gold as compensation for the school's losses."
Xiao Chen sucked in a breath of cold air.
Duan Tianba of the Jingtao Martial Arts School?
That insufferably arrogant Meridian Opening Realm expert?
He actually gave Li Qing a gift, apologized, returned the manual, and even compensated them with ten thousand taels of gold?
Thinking back to the City Lord's arrival yesterday, Xiao Chen understood instantly.
Duan Tianba was scared!
An indescribable sense of gratification welled up in his heart.
He still vividly remembered how the Jingtao Martial Arts School had oppressed the Iron Bone Martial Arts School.
The decline of the martial arts school after his father's death was inextricably linked to Duan Tianba.
Of course, he also understood that without Duan Tianba, there would have been a Wang Tianba or a Liu Tianba!
A martial arts school without an expert was always a piece of fat meat to others!
The tables have turned. Now, it's Duan Tianba's turn to bow and scrape!
"Cultivating the 'Iron Body Art' requires a large amount of resources." Li Qing picked up the money bag and opened it.
Inside were stacks of thousand-tael gold notes.
These were Currency Notes issued by the Great Xia officials.
Ten thousand taels of gold was extremely heavy and difficult to carry.
Carrying that much gold...
...made the risk of trading for high-value items extremely high.
For this reason, the Great Xia officials issued specialized Currency Notes.
The highest denomination was one thousand taels per note.