Chapter 89: Business Tactics Based on Billions

“Fellow Daoist, are you joking?” Cheng Zhen’s tone carried surprise and a bit of suppressed anger. He could not believe Chen Xiyi had just offered to buy his family’s inheritance. How could he possibly be willing to sell it?

Chen Xiyi also sensed trouble; the other party’s dislike for his proposal exceeded his expectations.

[You conversed with the Feng Shui Master, Cheng Zhen, but the conversation didn’t go well. The Feng Shui Master, Cheng Zhen, believes you are talking nonsense. Hostility Level toward you +5.]

“…”

Wow, right from the start, he gained 5 points of Hostility Level. If he didn’t have some Favorability as a foundation, this situation might have turned the NPC’s name red immediately.

“I am very sincere, Fellow Daoist Cheng. Please think it over carefully,” Chen Xiyi said as he opened the package.

Inside the package, ten large gold ingots nearly blinded Cheng Zhen.

“Fellow Daoist, you practice Qi Refinement and Spirit Cultivation to become a Qi Refiner, but with your current livelihood, you can’t even gather the items needed for one session of Qi Refinement in a year. With this amount of funding, not only could you cultivate your Primordial Spirit, but even your brother Lusheng might be able to become a Qi Refiner alongside you.”

Chen Xiyi appealed to reason and emotion, even mentioning Cheng Lusheng.

He had inquired earlier: in this era, the purchasing power of gold and silver was extremely high, especially since Chen Xiyi had produced so much at once.

Cheng Zhen looked at the neatly arranged gold ingots and thought about what Chen Xiyi had said.

He fell silent, his previous anger gradually subsiding.

It wasn’t that Cheng Zhen agreed with Chen Xiyi’s words—it was mainly because Chen Xiyi had offered so much, an amount so generous it left him without any temper.

“Why do you want the inheritance of my lineage?” Cheng Zhen asked hoarsely, his heart conflicted.

“I have no sect or school; I’m just a Rogue Cultivator from the wilds. Relying on the commonly circulated Art of I Ching Divination, I’ll never have a chance to become a Qi Refiner in this lifetime. Only with a systematic inheritance would I have the slightest opportunity.” Chen Xiyi didn’t hesitate to spin his tale. There might be no inheritance available, but if he really searched for it, Chen Xiyi could probably find one.

Cheng Zhen found Chen Xiyi’s words quite reasonable. Even with a complete inheritance, he himself hadn’t managed to become a Qi Refiner. In fact, apart from the Ancestral Master who originally passed down the inheritance, no one in his lineage had ever become a Qi Refiner. This showed just how difficult it was.

The reasons were quite complex: first, aptitude; second, money.

Aptitude was innate and couldn’t be changed—it all depended on fate. The resources required for Qi Refinement and Spirit Cultivation were extremely expensive. The area around the Manor was only a small place, with little wealth to be gained, so money was also a constant frustration.

To get money, he would either have to leave his hometown or resort to crooked means.

If he left his hometown, who would manage the Manor?

For Cheng Zhen’s lineage, aside from the inheritance, this Manor was the core—so much so that ordinary people weren’t even allowed inside.

As for crooked means, that wasn’t an option either. The surrounding towns had little wealth; most people were poor and couldn’t offer much money. As for the rich families and Noble Families, they weren’t easy to provoke either.

Moreover, the people in Cheng Zhen’s lineage had principles; they wouldn’t stoop to such lowly deeds.

This created the contradictory situation where, despite having such a large Manor, they lived in poverty.

“This matter… I need to think about it,” Cheng Zhen said, tempted but still hesitant.

“The allure of riches is no empty saying.”

Chen Xiyi looked at him, then took five more gold ingots from his robe and stacked them on top of the previous ten.

“If the price isn’t enough, I’ll add five more,” Chen Xiyi said.

Cheng Zhen stared at Chen Xiyi in shock. This offer was far too generous.

“This isn’t about the money; it’s…” Before Cheng Zhen could finish, he saw Chen Xiyi add another five gold ingots.

At this point, his breathing became rapid, and he even subconsciously ignored the question of how Chen Xiyi could possibly carry so many gold ingots on his person.

“If it’s still not enough, you can say so. My limit is thirty gold ingots,” Chen Xiyi stated.

If thirty gold ingots could make him willing to sell, Chen Xiyi would buy it. If he still refused, then Chen Xiyi would have to give up.

Although thirty gold ingots were nothing to him, if the other party’s attitude clearly showed unwillingness to sell, there was no other choice.

Cheng Zhen’s breathing grew even quicker. He hadn’t expected Chen Xiyi to offer such a high price—tripling the original offer from ten to thirty. He had never seen such a way of negotiating, but he had to admit, this method made his heart waver.

For a Qi Refiner, money might be an external concern, but the problem was—he wasn’t a Qi Refiner.

“Meet me at the crooked neck tree a hundred meters outside the Manor at one quarter past midnight,” Cheng Zhen said, his voice strained, after taking a deep breath.

Hearing this, Chen Xiyi found it a bit odd why they had to meet at night and outside the Manor, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he smiled and replied, “That works. Consider this the deposit; we’ll exchange the rest of the money for the goods afterward.”

He knew—the deal was done.

After saying this, he turned and left the study.

Chen Xiyi knew that any friendship between them was now over, but he didn’t regret it.

What use was a friendship with Cheng Zhen?

How much benefit could it bring him?

None. In fact, it might even become a burden to Chen Xiyi now.

Moreover, the other party didn’t consider him a friend either. If Cheng Zhen had regarded him as a friend, he wouldn’t be a white-name NPC now—he’d be a green-name NPC.

For Chen Xiyi, green names were friends, white names were tools, and red names were enemies.

In his eyes, everyone had a clear and simple alignment.

Cheng Zhen silently stared at the twenty gold ingots on the table. The turn of events today was so drastic that he still hadn’t fully processed it.

He had actually sold his family’s inheritance.

An hour ago, he would never have imagined this happening.

‘I’ve failed the Ancestral Master,’ Cheng Zhen couldn’t help but think.

But he had to admit, Chen Xiyi’s earlier words had struck a chord with him.

Especially the part concerning Cheng Lusheng. Over the years, he had come to understand Cheng Lusheng’s nature. He wasn’t bad or evil; he worked hard at farming and all kinds of labor, was diligent, and willing to do anything.

But with his naive nature, without Cheng Zhen’s protection, he might not survive long in these turbulent times.

If Cheng Lusheng had good aptitude and ability in Feng Shui, Cheng Zhen could rest easy. But up to now, he couldn’t even recite the Book of Changes completely, let alone other classics.

This made Cheng Zhen worry. With thirty gold ingots, if he could cultivate his Primordial Spirit and become a Qi Refiner, many problems would be solved.

Even if Cheng Lusheng’s aptitude was too poor to become a Qi Refiner, Cheng Zhen could use his status as a Qi Refiner to ensure Cheng Lusheng lived comfortably, free from want—unlike now, toiling every day and eating coarse food.

That was why he was tempted.

With ten gold ingots, he could consider it, but he wasn’t confident.

With twenty gold ingots, he had about a fifty percent chance. But with thirty gold ingots, the financial power gave him full confidence to cultivate his Primordial Spirit and become a Qi Refiner using various resources.

After sighing with emotion, Cheng Zhen also turned and left the study.