Chapter 87: Battle Lyrics and Composition, An Alternative Way to Make Money

Dealing with the Xuan Tian Sect is akin to fighting a war, and in warfare, the most dreaded situation is not knowing the enemy's location or strength.

Currently, Chen Shijie and Zhao Xing are discussing the initial preparatory work. He had been confident in his plan, but after talking with Zhao Xing, he realized his preparations were insufficient. As their conversation progressed, he gradually added more details. By nightfall, Chen Shijie found that the amount of preparatory work he needed to do had doubled, yet, ironically, the plan itself had become simpler. A plan doesn't need to be overly complex; sufficient preparation makes execution quite straightforward.

"Alright, let's stop here for today," Chen Shijie rubbed his eyes. "You should also be careful lately. Try not to leave the city. If you absolutely must, notify me or Xue Wenzhong."

"Understood," Zhao Xing nodded. Previously, he hadn't intended to get involved in the Xuan Tian Sect incident, but now that he was, he had to be thoroughly prepared. Although Chen Shijie was the one taking the lead and bearing the main responsibility, Zhao Xing, as a less prominent figure, couldn't solely rely on him. Ultimately, one must be strong enough oneself to fear nothing!

Early the next morning, Zhao Xing took the civet cat to Huai Liu Courtyard to cultivate. "I am now a Ninth-Rank Upper-Grade cultivator. While my realm is restricted, my spells still have room for improvement," Zhao Xing noted, looking at his panel. His intermediate-level Four Heavenly Season Methods—Ethereal Wind and Lightning Summon—had already reached Nine Revolutions but were not yet perfected. Ice Rain was perfected, but it too had room for further mastery. If he could continue to comprehend, he could break through the limits, allowing spells to surpass Nine Revolutions and further enhance their power.

"Among the Four Heavenly Season Methods, I still lack the intermediate-level Cloud Method. As for the Geomancy School's spells, I only have the Earth Vein Primal Convergence. It would be excellent if I could obtain the Cao family's Earth-Rending Method. My self-created intermediate-level Lightning Method also has room for improvement. And the Straw Effigy Method; I should also attempt the intermediate-level Straw Effigy Method."

Making a breakthrough in spells in a short period is exceedingly difficult. Normal cultivation no longer increases progress for perfected intermediate-level spells; this indicates a bottleneck that requires an opportune moment to break through. For those spells not yet perfected to Nine Revolutions, even practicing for a day might not increase progress by a single point.

"To break through in a short time, I'll have to splurge!" Zhao Xing thought to himself.

"Meow?" The civet cat blinked its eyes in confusion. What was "splurge"? Was it edible?

"No, and for now, you can only eat Heavenly Yuan Pears. I need to save money," Zhao Xing said, tucking the civet cat into a bamboo basket before standing up to leave.

He carried the civet cat and knocked on the door of the Zong Manor. The doorman didn't recognize Zhao Xing and scrutinized him, asking, "Who are you looking for, young master?"

"I'm looking for Zong Shichang. Please inform him that Zhao Xing is here to visit."

"Oh? Zhao, the Fourth Scholar! Please come in quickly. Our young master said you don't need an announcement to enter," the doorman immediately ushered Zhao Xing in enthusiastically.

"Thank you."

After entering, the doorman immediately summoned a servant boy to announce his arrival, while another steward led Zhao Xing through the covered walkway. The Zong family's mansion occupied more than half of East Orthodox Street. The covered walkways, pavilions, waterside pavilions, orchid pavilions, rock gardens, and gardens inside were almost dazzling. It took a good seven or eight minutes of walking through the covered walkways to reach Zong Shichang.

When they arrived, Zong Shichang was fishing by his waterside pavilion, and a table laden with food was already prepared beside him.

"Zhao Sijia, welcome, welcome." Zong Shichang put away his fishing rod, called for a towel, and wiped his hands. "Please sit."

"Young Master Zong, is your life truly this simple, unadorned, and boring?" Zhao Xing glanced at the lavish spread. For two people, there were twenty or thirty dishes, even food prepared for the civet cat!

Zong Shichang, however, shook his head, "You are an honored guest, and this is your first visit. Strictly speaking, it should be even more luxurious. But you didn't give advance notice, so for now, you'll have to make do with this. Since you're here, you must stay for dinner today. No! Stay overnight at my place!"

Zhao Xing was a bit surprised. He felt Zong Shichang was overly enthusiastic. This was his first time visiting, and before, they were merely acquaintances. Wasn't he being too polite? However, he didn't say much; he still had something to ask of Zong Shichang. Besides, the civet cat could also enjoy the free food and drink. No reason to refuse.

"Can I pet it?" Zong Shichang looked at the civet cat, very fond of it, wanting to touch it because it was cute.

"Wait until it finishes eating," Zhao Xing smiled. "Once it's comfortable after eating, it'll be easier to pet."

"Right." Zong Shichang poured wine for Zhao Xing. "Come, shall we have a drink?"

"If we're drinking, let's use bigger cups. Otherwise, how can we truly enjoy ourselves?"

Zong Shichang was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Good, you truly are straightforward. Someone, bring out my Water Moon Glazed Cups." With the large cups brought out, Zhao Xing didn't stand on ceremony. Regardless of whether they were Water Moon Glazed Cups or not, he directly picked up a flask and filled his cup, beginning to eat and drink with Young Master Zong. After taking the Giant Whale Pill, his physique had become much stronger. He could easily outdrink ten like Young Master Zong. Before long, Young Master Zong was half-drunk, while Zhao Xing was only slightly tipsy.

Seeing that the time was right, Zhao Xing began to talk business. "Young Master Zong, there's something I'd like to ask if you can help with."

"Do it, you must do it!" Zong Shichang declared magnanimously. "Just tell me, brother, I'll do my best to get it done for you!" He was waiting for Zhao Xing to speak. He wasn't worried if Zhao Xing had needs, only if he had no requests. Otherwise, how could he fulfill his promise to Lu Qian?

"I want to purchase Dao-Imparting Paintings. I'm too lazy to travel to Nanyang Prefecture, so I suppose only your family has connections here in Gucheng," Zhao Xing said.

"Dao-Imparting Paintings?" Zong Shichang waved his hand. "What tier? My residence in Gucheng has some Tier 3 ones. I've collected various types. I'll give you a few scrolls!"

"Tier 3 won't do. I need Tier 4."

Hearing it was a Tier 4 Dao-Imparting Painting, Zong Shichang sobered up a bit: "Tier 4, that's a bit difficult." He had money, but even with money, he couldn't just casually give away Tier 4 Dao-Imparting Paintings. Those things weren't cheap.

Zhao Xing smiled: "Brother, would I take advantage of you? Of course, I'll buy it. As long as Brother Zong can find the connections, that would be a great help." This was true. In terms of trade, Chen Shijie was not as good as the Zong family. He wasn't a local, and his foundation wasn't in Nanyang Prefecture.

Zong Shichang nodded: "It's not that I'm being stingy, brother. Tier 4 Dao-Imparting Paintings rarely circulate on the open market. They're usually collected by major families, waiting for the right price, only circulating within small internal circles. Of course, I can guarantee that whatever price I, Zong Shichang, acquire it for, I'll sell it to you for the same price."

Zhao Xing asked: "What's the typical price for a Tier 4 Dao-Imparting Painting?"

Zong Shichang scratched his head, then called out behind him: "Uncle Tang, call Uncle Tang over!"

Soon, a middle-aged man in a long gown arrived at the waterside pavilion. "Young Master."

"Uncle Tang, what's the usual price for a Tier 4 Dao-Imparting Painting?"

Steward Tang pondered: "Young Master, that depends on the quality and type. Typically, martial arts secret technique paintings are cheaper, while spell-type Dao-Imparting Paintings are more expensive. Among them, those for Ritual Cultivators, Music Cultivators, Engineers, and Alchemists are the most expensive."

Zong Shichang asked: "What about for Agriculturalists?"

Steward Tang replied: "That would depend on the specific requirements."

Zong Shichang turned his head: "Zhao Xing, what are your requirements?"

Zhao Xing said: "If it's related to the Four Heavenly Season Methods, I most want a Cloud Method painting, followed by a Rain Method one. If it's a Geomancy spell, I want the Earth-Rending Method, Earth Treasure Method, Underground Palace Method, or Profound Earth Method. I don't want anything else. Also, auxiliary paintings for defense or trapping enemies are prioritized; offensive ones are secondary."

Zong Shichang looked at Steward Tang: "Did you get all that?"

Steward Tang nodded: "I've noted everything. I'll go make inquiries right away."

Zong Shichang said: "Can you find them?"

Steward Tang thought: "For Geomancy School spells, the Cao family is definitely a good lead. For Heavenly Season School spells, master prepared some for you, but they're in the prefecture city. I can send someone to inquire."

Zong Shichang was delighted: "Excellent, excellent, this is of utmost importance, Uncle Tang, please be very attentive."

Steward Tang didn't leave immediately, adding a question: "Young Master Zhao, do you have any price requirements?" This was asking about Zhao Xing's ability to pay.

Zong Shichang disapproved: "Just go find it, look for top-grade Tier 4, and come back with the price first."

"Right, Young Master is correct. I'll go now." Steward Tang bowed and excused himself.

With the main business settled, Zhao Xing saw that the civet cat had eaten enough, so he planned to leave.

"Why leave so soon? Didn't we agree to go to Wangyue Tower in the East City tonight to admire the moon?"

"Did we?" Zhao Xing was a bit confused. He didn't remember agreeing to that. Zong Shichang must be drunk.

"I've arranged everything," Zong Shichang said. "Admire the moon during the Moon Sacrifice Festival, and in a couple of days, the Harvest Festival, we'll go play for another day..."

Zhao Xing's face darkened. "Big brother, you're just thinking about playing. Are you really not going to do any serious work? During the Harvest Festival, you still need to go to your jurisdiction and check the harvest!"

Unable to decline the warm invitation and having something to ask for, Zhao Xing could only say: "Alright. I forgot to mention earlier, I brought some things this time, all good items obtained from the mountains. I'm not sure of their value, so you can see how much they might sell for."

Zhao Xing had brought banknotes to buy Tier 4 Dao-Imparting Paintings. But fearing it wouldn't be enough, he brought all the treasures he'd acquired previously: the bamboo horse, Tiger Soul Blade, soft armor, and Sparrow Feather Robe, including the Tier 3 Earth Fiend Pill and Five Viscera Purification Pill from the Great Dream Academy. This also included the Tier 4 Ice Orb fished from East Lake. However, he wasn't keen on selling this orb because, after acquiring the Ice Rain spell, the orb proved useful in enhancing the spell's power.

"No problem, no problem, let me see." Zong Shichang saw Zhao Xing sit down and naturally agreed to everything.

"Tier 3 lower-grade bamboo horse." Zhao Xing took out the bamboo horse. In its inactive state, the bamboo horse was only as large as a small stool. The bamboo basket was half a person tall, more than enough to hold it.

"Bamboo horse automaton. Unfortunately, its spirituality is very weak now," Zong Shichang observed for a while. "The fact that a battle spirit once resided within it makes it a rare item. If used for a long time, it's still easier for it to birth a battle spirit than ordinary bamboo horses. If I were to appraise it, it's probably worth three or four hundred taels. Let's take the middle value, three hundred fifty taels."

Zhao Xing nodded. Tier 3 treasures fluctuated in value between one hundred and five hundred taels. Some were very expensive, some relatively cheap, mainly depending on their profession and characteristics. Martial artist items were usually cheaper; the bamboo horse was considered a slightly more expensive Tier 3 treasure among them.

"Tiger Soul Blade, Tier 3 lower-grade, mass-produced. These few blades of yours have minor nicks, which spoil their appearance. The buyback price is about eighty taels per blade," Zong Shichang said.

Zhao Xing nodded; this price was also very reasonable.

"Minglou Soft Armor, Tier 3 middle-grade, produced by the Huo family's smithy. The quality is decent, and there are no defects, just a bit old. It can probably sell for about one hundred sixty taels per piece." Armor was more expensive than blades, so this price was also normal. Four blades, three sets of armor, plus the bamboo horse, totaled one thousand one hundred fifty taels.

Zhao Xing then took out the Sparrow Feather Robe. Seeing the robe, Zong Shichang couldn't help but lose himself in a daze. The jade pendant around his neck flashed, resisting the influence of the robe's eyes.

"A Sparrow Feather Robe made from Peng Sparrow feathers? And it has a Tier 4 feather? A rare item," Zong Shichang's gaze became playful. "This was sold by my family. There are only twelve such items in Nanyang Prefecture."

Zhao Xing didn't notice Zong Shichang's expression, only asking for the price: "How much is it worth?"

Zong Shichang smiled: "It was originally sold for two thousand eight hundred taels."

Zhao Xing was overjoyed: "That expensive? It's comparable to a Tier 4 item!"

Zong Shichang slowly said: "The price, of course, far exceeded the intrinsic value of the treasure itself. But for women's items, making a profit of ten or even dozens of times is quite common."

Zhao Xing was happy: "How much can it sell for secondhand?"

Zong Shichang shook his head: "Such luxury items don't fetch a good price secondhand because they are personal belongings. Of course, you could claim it's new, but without the auction platform my family has, it would probably only sell for about forty percent of the price."

"I'll sell it to you," Zhao Xing said. "I only need seventy percent."

Zong Shichang smiled and shook his head: "Brother, listen to my advice, don't sell it. Even if you sell, I wouldn't dare to take it."

Zhao Xing asked: "Are you saying there will be trouble?"

Zong Shichang blinked: "It's not exactly 'trouble,' but if I took it, she'd beat me half to death."

Zhao Xing realized: "You recognize the owner of this treasure?"

Zong Shichang nodded: "Yes, her name is Lu Qian, the young miss of the Nanyang Lu family. We've known each other since childhood. This Sparrow Feather Robe was bought by her for over two thousand taels, and she'll also be at Wangyue Tower tonight."

Zhao Xing tentatively asked: "Brother Zong, is your warm hospitality today meant to help her get the robe back?"

Zong Shichang chuckled: "How could I be such a villain?"

What did that mean?

"She wants an opportunity to meet you. From what I know of her, she doesn't intend to demand an explanation or fault you." Zong Shichang suddenly winked and lowered his voice: "You are a man of outstanding appearance and extraordinary talent. If you could... what if you return the robe? Do you understand what I mean?"

Zhao Xing understood. The Sparrow Feather Robe was a personal item. Now that it was in his hands, there were only two possibilities. One, Lu Qian was robbed by him, and the robe was taken. Two, Lu Qian was rescued by him, and she gave him the robe. Due to the existence of the Forget-Sorrow Stele, no one remembered what happened. Perhaps that young lady of the Lu family mistakenly assumed the latter scenario. Zong Shichang was acting as a matchmaker here, hinting that he could live off a rich woman!

He had received too much good fortune on the mountain; when luck peaks, it declines. He was bound to face several unlucky moments soon. Could this be where it manifested? A romantic tribulation?

Zhao Xing said lightly: "I'm not interested in this matter. I won't be going to Wangyue Tower." He planned to avoid it to prevent unnecessary trouble. Whatever Lu Qian's purpose, avoiding her was one way to handle it.

Zong Shichang anxiously said: "Don't say that, Brother Zhao, you absolutely must go! If you don't go, how will I see Miss Liu next time?"

Only then did Zhao Xing realize that Zong Shichang also had someone he liked and had made a deal with Lu Qian. They were both strategists for each other and involved parties. After Zong Shichang revealed everything, Zhao Xing suddenly changed his mind. He found that Lu Qian was quite persistent; this wasn't the first time she had approached Zong Shichang about this. He felt that even if he didn't agree this time, she would find some other excuse to meet him next time. Since he couldn't avoid it, he might as well resolve it. Anyway, it was within the city; no matter how unlucky he got, it wouldn't be too bad. There would definitely be no danger to his life, nor any major risks. Coincidentally, he hadn't seen musicians and dancers for a long time. It was said that these two would even perform the "Six Songs." There was no harm in going to watch.

"It's not impossible to go, Brother Zong. Since you admire that Miss Liu, why don't I help you out?" Zhao Xing suddenly thought of something.

Zong Shichang retorted: "How will you help me?"

Zhao Xing said: "I'll sell you a poem. You can use it to express your feelings. You can give it to Miss Liu at tonight's Wangyue Tower banquet."

Zong Shichang was uninterested; he didn't think Zhao Xing could come up with any good poetry. Unexpectedly, after Zhao Xing whispered into his ear, Zong Shichang's eyes lit up: "Eh? This poem actually has something to it..."

Zhao Xing smiled: "When a musician composes music for a new poem, it can greatly increase her cultivation. The wider its popularity, the better the effect. Since the Miss Liu you mentioned is a musician, she's sure to like it. If you don't believe me, you can try it tonight. If it doesn't achieve the effect, I won't charge you. If you think it's good, how about this poem being equivalent to one Tier 4 Dao-Imparting Painting?"

Zong Shichang didn't understand the intricacies, but he also believed Zhao Xing wouldn't lie. Although he didn't understand, there were plenty of people who did, so he nodded: "Okay, I'll buy it!"