Longevity starts with choosing Hextech enhancement

Chapter 347 An Unexpected Encounter with Hong Xingfeng (4K)

Spirit stones were certainly not a problem for Xiao Chen.

At the same time, he still has quite a few fourth-tier water-type spiritual items.

Although marine spirits are more common in the Compassionate Sea, they are relatively rare in Guiyun Market.

Moreover, Xiao Chen lacked spiritual items of the other four elements, but he did not lack water-type spiritual items.

Therefore, he readily agreed to Zhang Cunfu's proposal.

He was given another two million low-grade spirit stones plus a fourth-tier water-type spirit item.

This was used to bribe the disciples of the Guiyun Sect and steal the high-level intelligence they had accumulated over the years.

At the same time, Xiao Chen also specially added a secret mark for the meeting.

If you see a mark at the base of the wall or receive a coded message, come to this alley as soon as possible to meet me.

In this way, even if other True Lords are nearby in the future, they can still communicate safely and discreetly.

Xiao Chen assigned Zhang Cunfu two new tasks and then sent him back.

Then he went alone to Haoweizhai, the only restaurant in the market that sold spirit fish, and ordered all the wine and dishes.

While watching the bustling crowd below through the window, he began to do preliminary analysis.

Based on the information Xiao Chen currently has, directly participating in the auction would be tantamount to exposing himself.

Considering that the overall level of the new cultivation world is significantly higher than that of the Compassionate Sea, and that there are many Nascent Soul True Monarchs and Divine Transformation Venerables, it would be best for him to conceal his identity somewhat.

In case anything goes wrong, it'll be good to get rid of trouble.

There was nothing he could do; no matter where Xiao Chen went in the old cultivation world, he could always find wanted posters for himself.

From the moment a bounty was placed on their heads by the Divine Fire Cult, they were relentlessly pursued in the inner sea of ​​the Storm Sea and blocked at the entrance to the secret realm in the outer sea.

Even after reaching the Sea of ​​Compassion, he was still on the sea creatures' wanted list.

Now that he has finally arrived in a new cultivation world, Xiao Chen wants to be cautious and keep a low profile, hoping to live peacefully here.

So that one day when he's walking down the street, a Nascent Soul cultivator suddenly appears with a knife, ready to chop him up.

Even if they manage to escape in the end, it's still quite frustrating.

However, on the other hand, being low-key does not mean doing nothing.

Since he had just happened to be there for the Double Jade Gathering, he, Xiao, definitely had to join in the fun and try to get his hands on those rare spiritual items.

When opportunities arise, you have to seize them.

Otherwise, who knows when the next opportunity will come.

So, if you need to conceal your identity but also get things done, you basically only have two choices.

Alternatively, you could adopt a fake identity and try to fool the rest of the people.

Alternatively, one could simply find a local monk to collaborate with, have him compete on one's behalf, and attract outside attention.

Xiao Chen himself hid in the back, quietly making a fortune.

In terms of operational difficulty, the former is definitely simple and straightforward, while the latter is complex and varied.

However, there is a problem: the levels of cultivation in the two cultivation communities are significantly different.

Xiao Chen's current mastery of the "Silent and Shadowless Spell" is very useful within the Compassionate Sea, or for dealing with Golden Core cultivators like Zhang Cunfu.

However, it might not work well against multiple local True Lords.

What if one of them possesses a special secret technique, or is carrying some kind of detection artifact?

His act of deliberately disguising his identity would likely be directly interpreted as having malicious intent.

If that were the case, he would likely be identified as a member of the Rebellious Immortal Alliance and appear on a wanted poster at the entrance of the market.

"So, should we find another partner? Who would be a better choice?"

Xiao Chen now has three potential partners to choose from.

They are the Three Dragons True Lord who came from a side sect, and the two large families where the lineage of True Lords has ended.

The former can be considered a semi-rogue cultivator, and his connection with Guiyun Sect is certainly not that close. He probably wouldn't mind earning more cultivation resources for himself.

If you're willing to offer a reasonable price to buy it, there's a good chance you'll succeed.

However, such cooperation is very risky, as the other party, being a cultivator of the same level, may not necessarily cooperate honestly.

The latter is now much easier to control as there are no Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the clan.

The cost of bribing them should be very low.

If a cooperation can be reached, it can also provide me with a lot of intelligence.

The problem is that they may have close ties with the Guiyun Sect and might not agree to Xiao Chen's cooperation. Instead, they might leak his movements.

How to choose?

Xiao Chen currently lacks reliable information channels and cannot rely on Zhang Cunfu for the time being.

Is it all just a matter of luck?
"Please come upstairs, esteemed gentlemen. Would you like something to drink?"

Suddenly, a waiter's voice came from the side.

Xiao Chen glanced to the side and saw a somewhat familiar face—Hong Xingfeng.

At this moment, the other party was all smiles, and as he sat down, he warmly greeted another Golden Core cultivator who was with him.

Taking a moment to shout to the waiter, "Bring up your three best spirit wines, all the cold dishes, a large plate of braised beef, and two servings of fried spirit fish."

"Also, bring up three large cups."

After giving his instructions, he looked at his companion and continued chatting with him enthusiastically.

Two people, but they wanted three wine glasses.

It's obvious that he's busy connecting cultivators in need, thereby earning spirit stones for himself.

Xiao Chen had a sudden inspiration: Hong Xingfeng, as a middleman, must be very familiar with the local situation.

Perhaps he can obtain some information from the other party?
In particular, the information about the current situation of the Cai family in Pingyi and the Shang family in Hongqiu might be more accurate if obtained from them.

Thinking of this, Xiao Chen extended his divine sense and immediately heard the contents of their conversation clearly.

Coincidentally, the two were talking about something related to the Cai family of Pingyi.

Fourteen years ago, due to a shortage of manpower in the Cai family, they rented out a spiritual field within the family to a Golden Core cultivator surnamed Wang.

Both parties agreed that the lease would last for thirty years, and that the rent for the following year would be paid in advance before December each year.

However, according to Hong Xingfeng, this cultivator surnamed Wang had a sudden inspiration while cultivating the spiritual field.

He urgently needs to go into seclusion to cultivate, and will not be able to take care of the spirit fields for the next few years.

So he thought of subletting the remaining sixteen years to avoid wasting the rent.

That's why Hong Xingfeng found this cultivator surnamed Yang and said that this opportunity was rare.

That spirit field is so fertile, and the location is so excellent. Once you get it, you can earn tens of thousands of spirit stones a year. It's really not an opportunity to miss.

In other words, he didn't have enough capital himself, otherwise he would have wanted to rent it himself.

In short, it's all about continuous hype to close the deal and earn a commission.

Before long, the cultivator surnamed Wang arrived.

He immediately apologized, saying that he had been busy with seclusion recently and had accidentally arrived a little late.

His body was surging with true energy, indicating that he had just finished cultivating and was indeed on the verge of a breakthrough.

This was followed by a coordinated explanation, reiterating the details of the subletting.

The cultivator surnamed Yang was quite interested upon hearing this and considered signing a spirit contract to complete the transaction. Hong Xingfeng, of course, had already made preparations for this and immediately took out the spirit contract he had prepared in advance from his storage ring.

This means that the transaction can be signed and completed on-site, which is convenient for the seller to return to cultivation and for the buyer to replant this year's spiritual plants in a timely manner.

Upon hearing this, the cultivator surnamed Yang was slightly taken aback.

He then asked with a hint of doubt, "Wait a minute, isn't this a bit off?"

"In the end, this is, after all, the Cai family's sacred land."

"Is it appropriate for us to transfer this privately like this? Why didn't we invite a cultivator from the Cai family to witness it?"

Upon hearing this, Hong Xingfeng immediately replied, "Well, I had already arranged with the head steward of the Cai family's seventh branch the day before yesterday to come over together."

"But just this morning, I received news that the Cai family is preparing for the Shuangyu Conference, and he has many things to do today and can't leave."

"This is because I've already made arrangements with both of you."

"Especially since Fellow Daoist Wang is currently busy with cultivation,"

"So let's sign the spirit contract today, in triplicate. I'll personally deliver the third copy to Steward Cai later."

Upon hearing this, the cultivator surnamed Yang sensed that something was amiss.

He hesitated immediately: "This isn't quite right. How about we reschedule for another day and make it more formal?"

Upon hearing this, the cultivator surnamed Wang immediately became displeased.

He immediately refused, saying, "I am also a straightforward person, so I will speak my mind."

"Fellow Daoist Hong, what you did was not very ethical!"

"You know I'm at a critical juncture right now and need to seize the time to go into seclusion and cultivate."

"It is precisely because I simply don't have the time to deal with these matters repeatedly that I've asked you to help me contact other fellow Daoists for a talk."

"Since you couldn't reach an agreement, why bring him here to see me?"

After rebuking Hong Xingfeng twice.

The cultivator surnamed Wang pointed at the spirit contract again: "And what you told me before was that as long as the price is lowered, it can be processed quickly."

"I listened to you and got a 10% discount on the rent, but I still have to pay an extra 10% out of my own pocket."

"As a result, this matter has been dragging on for more than half a month, and there is still no definite news."

"Since it's already like this, next time you prepare a spirit contract, change the price back. I'll rent it out for the same price I paid."

"We can't afford to lose both time and money."

Hong Xingfeng maintained a smile throughout, revealing a perfectly measured awkwardness, but he did not utter a word in rebuttal.

After venting his anger, the cultivator surnamed Wang also suppressed his rage.

He turned to the cultivator surnamed Yang and said, "I'm really sorry, I was just angry for a moment."

"What I just said was absolutely not meant to blame Fellow Daoist Yang in the slightest. It was all Fellow Daoist Hong's fault for making such a good promise before, but then he turned out to be glib and talkative."

"How about this, let's have a drink and trade again another time. I need to hurry back to continue my seclusion."

As he spoke, he raised his glass to clink glasses, seemingly preparing to leave.

Upon seeing this, the cultivator surnamed Yang was taken aback.

Then he felt Hong Xingfeng next to him nudge him with his foot under the table.

He turned his head and saw that the other person was giving him a wink.

They had said before the cultivator surnamed Wang arrived that such a good opportunity was rare.

Not to be missed!
The cultivator surnamed Yang thought about the spirit field. He had personally inspected it and found it to be indeed fertile.

Then he thought about the 10% discount on rent. If he could successfully rent it at that price, he could save several thousand spirit stones every year just on rent alone.

Since that's the case, why not sign the spiritual contract first?

After all, this fellow Daoist Wang doesn't seem to have a good temper. If he really changes his mind, or if someone else rents it first, then he will lose out.

So he immediately said, "Fellow Daoist Wang, please wait a moment. Now that you've come out, please sit for a while longer."

"Let me check the spirit contract. If there are no problems, let's sign it today."

"In this way, fellow Daoist can return to seclusion with peace of mind."

He then picked up the spirit contract and began to examine its contents word by word.

Upon hearing this, the cultivator surnamed Wang naturally put down his wine cup as well: "Yes, that's good. I'll feel at ease if these things are arranged as soon as possible."

"As long as it doesn't affect my breakthrough, it doesn't matter if I lose a little money."

Hong Xingfeng quickly chimed in, "Of course, once Fellow Daoist Wang successfully breaks through, he'll easily earn back these spirit stones."

"Let me first raise a toast to you, fellow Daoist, and wish you a smooth breakthrough."

There was nothing wrong with that spirit contract; its contents were all very common spirit contract transfers.

Therefore, after checking it over and confirming that there were no problems, the cultivator surnamed Yang successfully signed the spirit contract and subleased the spirit field that belonged to the Cai family.

Just to be on the safe side, he made a special explanation.

He will pay 50% of the rent upfront, and then he will go there to try planting.

After the spirit seed sprouts, the remaining rent will be paid to the cultivator surnamed Wang.

There were naturally no problems with this, and the three of them happily reached a deal, raising their glasses to drink together.

However, Xiao Chen sensed that something was amiss.

Putting aside the fact that this deal seems problematic from an outsider's perspective.

The key point is that none of the three of them seem to respect the Cai family.

Xiao Chen was quite familiar with the style of such large families.

Normally, such a transfer would require smoothing things over with connections, otherwise it would be absolutely impossible.

They dared to directly sublet the Cai family's spiritual fields to other cultivators.

This indicates that either the transaction is problematic or it's a scam to defraud people.

Either the Cai family still holds the title of one of the four great families, but its actual prestige has been greatly diminished.

It has become ineffective in deterring some of the bolder independent cultivators.

Generally speaking, someone like Hong Xingfeng would care about his reputation to some extent, since he gets things done based on his name.

So it's unlikely to be a scam, which means the Cai family is probably not doing well.

In that case, they might be a very good business partner for Xiao Chen.

For the Cai family, they need the support of Nascent Soul cultivators to achieve the revival of their family.

For Xiao Chen, he wanted to use the other party's name to help him obtain intelligence, trade spiritual items, and find out some secret information.

No matter what, the Cai family used to be wealthy, so they must know many secrets that even Zhang Cunfu had never heard of.

When both sides get what they need and benefit from each other, a reliable bond can be formed.

However, such a small matter alone is not enough to confirm the whole story.

Xiao Chen planned to ask Hong Xingfeng in person to hear his views on the current situation of the Cai and Shang families in recent years.

They even used him to directly arrange meetings with the Cai family monks.

Therefore, Xiao Chen deliberately sat for a while longer.

After the three exchanged pleasantries and parted ways, they left the market with Hong Xingfeng.

(End of this chapter)