Free Web NovelChapter 285.1: Level Three of Qi Refinement
The boss gazed deeply at the Kunqing Grass on the table.
In the end, he said, "Can we meet in person?"
If he didn't meet the other party face-to-face, he couldn't feel at ease. Qi Yuan's life didn't matter much, but losing one hundred million would hurt badly.
Qi Yuan’s response was carefree as always.
「Hurry up, I'm busy.」
Once Qi Yuan’s power greatly increased, he probably wouldn't even care about a mere hundred million.
The boss probed, "How about we meet in two days, at Tianyue City's Hai Xing Ya?"
In two days, the luxury cruise ship Hai Xing Ya would dock at Tianyue City for three days. During that time, it would resupply and host banquets, inviting prominent figures from society.
「Hmm... As long as you'll cover the ticket and transport costs.」
Qi Yuan figured he might as well get a free meal out of it.
The boss arranged everything meticulously. "The invitation will reach you tomorrow. The day after, a private driver will pick you up."
This was also a display of power. He was telling Qi Yuan, “I know your information and address.”
「Alright. Also, bring more Kunqing Grass, I need it. If it's convenient, collect some additional materials for me. Deduct the cost from our transaction. Oh, and the transaction amount should be after tax.」
After listing several required materials, Qi Yuan ended the call.
The boss’ expression shifted unpredictably. The exchange had yielded very little useful information, and the initiative remained entirely in the other party's hands. Though there was a saying that the customer was king, he felt Qi Yuan was the one in control. Such casual ease and confidence weren’t something an ordinary person possessed.
As an arms dealer, he had seen all kinds of people, and even killed before. However, meeting someone like Qi Yuan was a first for him.
The younger man appeared extremely displeased. "What an arrogant guy! He has no respect at all! This is a hundred-million deal!"
"A Zhi, prepare the materials Qi Yuan mentioned," ordered the boss.
A Zhi froze. "Boss, are we really going to gather them?"
"Mhm... If the meeting goes smoothly, this deal is basically going through."
The boss knew himself well. Once he was tempted, he would follow through unless the other party showed a major flaw in character. The video call had been flawless. The chances of a glaring flaw appearing later were slim.
A Zhi swallowed hard. "We're really doing this?"
That was one hundred million Qin Yuan currency, after tax! If he had that kind of money, he'd have quit long ago and lived in luxury.
"Yes," said the boss firmly.
A Zhi seemed to understand something and raised an eyebrow. "Should I arrange some people on the ship and take him out?"
The boss snapped. "What nonsense are you thinking?! This is a legitimate deal! Business requires credibility!"
Deals over cultivation techniques couldn’t possibly involve any double-crossing?! What if it was real? Wouldn't that mean the other party was a cultivator?
***
Qi Yuan thought for a moment, then posted this comment under his video and pinned it.
└Already reserved. Private messages temporarily closed. Don't tip anymore. There will be no refunds.
After that, he exited the short video app.
Following that, Second Senior Brother sent him a link. "Qi Yuan, this is our group chat. I've invited you. Accept it."
"Alright, thanks."
Qi Yuan joined the group named Mingwu Gathering, with over three hundred members.
After joining, he quietly observed the chat.
Xiao Yu: Haa, secret items are too expensive, I can't afford them.
└Sis Yu, your husband's about to die, why care about a few hundred thousand?
Xiao Yu: Most of the inheritance goes to his sons. I'll only get scraps.
└Still not bad. Three years for over a hundred million. I'm jealous!
Xiao Yu: @Master, can secret items be cheaper? We can't afford them!
└Cheaper please!
└We're broke already!
Seeing this, Qi Yuan couldn’t help but ask.
Qi Yuan: What are secret items?
He maintained his habit of asking when he didn't understand.
Someone kindly explained.
└Are you new here? At higher levels, martial artists need secret items to improve. Don't confuse them with gene drugs, they're completely natural.
Qi Yuan: At what stage do you need them?
└Once Mingwu Resonance Fist reaches the seventh level, you must use them to progress. Usually, only long-time practitioners with three or four years of training like us use them.
Qi Yuan: You must be very strong then? Can you catch bullets?
The man on the other end fell silent. "Ahem..."
└You're joking...
So even veterans aren't that strong, Qi Yuan thought without saying it aloud. That was something someone with low EQ would say.
Most of the chat revolved around how expensive secret items were. From what he gathered, a month of normal training required tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, worth of them. That meant millions per year. No wonder only the wealthy practiced martial arts.
He was curious. "I need to reach level seven quickly and see what these secret items are."
Though cultivation was harder than martial arts, Qi Yuan was already at level 3 of Qi Refinement. He could immediately establish his foundation with enough resources. Meanwhile,martial arts required actual training. Every execution of the technique brought real improvement in proficiency and level.
"Ordinary people can only practice a few times a day before exhaustion, but I can keep going."
In the living room, Qi Yuan practiced the fist technique again. Afterward, he resumed cultivating his cultivation techniques.
"I'll probably need to reach the Core Formation realm before I can project the Star Golden Core... Right now, I'm too weak, I need to stay low-key."
He believed he was already keeping a low profile by selling techniques online. If this were the Canglan World, he would have tracked down the commenters and beat them up. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Unfortunately, doing so at his current level was too troublesome. At the very least, he'd consider improving the moral climate after reaching the Core Formation realm. Otherwise, he wouldn't even have the confidence to say, "I don't eat beef."
At ten that night, after showering, Qi Yuan lay on the sofa watching the news.
「Recently, criminals have entered the city. Citizens are advised to stay alert.」
「The beloved sixth princess of Qin Yuan holds her coming-of-age ceremony today.」
「'Brilliant Star' becomes a trending keyword as more citizens seek immigration.」
「Yuelang imposes a 'rain tax,' sparking protests.」
Various world events were reported. freewebnøvel.com
If I remember correctly, in a few days, the sixth Princess will be assassinated and Yuelang will undergo a coup.
He still retained memories of the next year, though only major events.
"With so many rebooters around, the princess probably won't die this time."
Although Qi Yuan had not yet come into contact with the Gongyi family, other rebooters had likely reached out to the Seven Martial Star families. Preventing the death of the sixth princess was such a great merit that someone would definitely step in to accomplish it.
