Chapter 162: Fifty Thousand Pounds

“Haven't thought of anything yet.”

Li Weiyi took out the talisman robe that Zuoqiu Mending had given him when he entered Thirty-Three Mile Mountain and handed it back.

“Keep it. It has defensive runes left by my clan's ancestor, capable of blocking one fatal blow.”

Zuoqiu Ting then said, “What you want will be delivered tomorrow. What about what I want?”

“Young Master Zuoqiu should understand that Immortal Soil is extremely precious and difficult to excavate, but I've dug up quite a lot of Spirit Earth. I wonder if Zuoqiu Mending would be interested in acquiring it?” Li Weiyi asked.

Zuoqiu Ting's mind raced, and he scrutinized Li Weiyi. “We'll take it! But let me be clear, you were only able to enter Thirty-Three Mile Mountain thanks to Zuoqiu Mending's talisman robe. Whether it's Immortal Soil or Spirit Earth, I can only offer you thirty percent of the market price.”

“Of course, you could sell to other factions, but how much can their financial power absorb? If they can buy large quantities, aren't you afraid they might simply take you out and seize it?”

“Besides helping you maintain secrecy, Zuoqiu Mending can also procure cultivation resources that others can't. For example, thousand-year-old elixirs, or some of the rare medicinal ingredients on your list.”

Li Weiyi had mentally prepared to make concessions when he decided to reveal himself to Zuoqiu Mending.

He said, “I am a man of integrity; what I promised before entering the mountain, I will not renege on. Besides, although Zuoqiu Mending buys at thirty percent of the price, you also said you would owe a favor. A favor from a major faction is not something that can be bought with money.”

“Good, so you understand the accounting!”

Zuoqiu Ting said, “The market price for Spirit Earth is one thousand silver coins per jin, but Zuoqiu Mending can only offer you three hundred silver coins. How much can you provide?”

Li Weiyi said, “One liang of Immortal Soil is a million silver, while one jin of Spirit Earth is only a thousand silver? That's a ten thousand-fold difference in price!”

“What else did you expect? Immortal Soil is the main ingredient for refining the Elixir of Immortality, while Spirit Earth can only be used to cultivate medicinal herbs. Naturally, their prices are vastly different. The former is a treasure; the latter is merely a byproduct that accompanies treasures.” Zuoqiu Ting's words were direct and straightforward.

Li Weiyi feigned an expression of pain, helplessness, and struggle, but in reality, he was overjoyed.

By the Blood Moon Lake, he had dug up untold tens of thousands of jins of Spirit Earth. Who knew the price would be so exorbitant? However, only major factions could afford to purchase it on such a large scale to create Spirit Earth medicinal fields.

Other powers would hardly be willing to spend so much money buying it; they would likely prefer to engage in illicit trade, directly robbing and killing.

Aside from Zuoqiu Ting, he could also try Canglei.

“What price do you offer for a thousand-year-old elixir?” Li Weiyi asked.

Zuoqiu Ting secretly pondered how much leverage this man truly had. He said, “Let's be fair. Your initiative to approach Zuoqiu Mending and fulfill your promise from Thirty-Three Mile Mountain demonstrates sincerity. For a thousand-year-old elixir, I'll give you a twenty percent discount. If you exchange it for Spirit Earth, it will require twenty-six thousand jins.”

“If you also want an alchemy furnace and the massive quantity of rare medicinal ingredients on this list, I'll give you everything if you can provide fifty thousand jins of Spirit Earth!”

Zuoqiu Ting simply didn't believe Li Weiyi could produce so much Spirit Earth. Even if he had truly robbed all four major sects, he still wouldn't have enough. After all, he had only been in the mountain for three days; how much could he have possibly dug up in that time? Zuoqiu Ting's primary objective was still Immortal Soil.

After all, Spirit Earth was a byproduct of Immortal Soil.

By assessing the quantity of Spirit Earth, he could infer the amount of Immortal Soil Li Weiyi possessed.

“Alright, it's settled then! We'll exchange goods tomorrow, again at the Heavenly Pavilion.” Li Weiyi secretly considered whether he should buy an additional thousand-year-old elixir.

Ultimately, he refrained.

The quantity was too large; it might prompt Zuoqiu Mending to consider taking it without payment.

Zuoqiu Ting froze, then confirmed again, “You can produce fifty thousand jins of Spirit Earth?”

“Please, don't tell anyone about this. I can offer a favorable price, but confidentiality is crucial,” Li Weiyi said.

Zuoqiu Ting understood, but he didn't immediately mention Immortal Soil. He opened his folding fan and gently fanned himself, standing proudly with narrowed eyes. “At the entrance of the Mirror Moon Chamber, I saved you, so Zuoqiu Mending no longer owes you a favor!”

What Li Weiyi valued most was the favor owed by Zuoqiu Mending. “Young Master Zuoqiu, aren't you underestimating my capabilities too much? Do you really think I couldn't have escaped? Besides, I didn't ask for your intervention. A favor isn't repaid like that.”

Zuoqiu Ting smiled. “Aren't you overestimating yourself? Yes, your cultivation and combat strength surprised me; you already possess the initial ability to contend with ordinary Fifth Sea Realm cultivators, which is remarkable! However, not to mention the master of the Mirror Moon Chamber, either of the two attendants could have stopped you.”

“Not necessarily,” Li Weiyi said.

Zuoqiu Ting replied, “Alright, just for those three words you just spoke, I'll remember you. I hope you can continue to surprise me next time.”

Li Weiyi truly liked Zuoqiu Ting's open, straightforward, and unpretentious nature. He seemed less like the inheritor of a major faction and more like an old friend, possessing great personal charm. Li Weiyi asked, “Who exactly are they, acting so secretively, and what is their objective?”

Zuoqiu Ting's expression turned serious. “To be precise, they are not human. At a time when Zuoqiu Mending and Due'e Temple are gathering young cultivators from across the land to celebrate the Lantern Festival, they have killed countless people, concealed their skins, and infiltrated Qiu Prefecture. They are certainly not here for the festivities.”

Li Weiyi said, “They want to disrupt the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival. So, are they trying to hunt down the young prodigies of the Soaring Cloud Realm, or are they targeting Zuoqiu Mending and Due'e Temple?”

Zuoqiu Ting looked at Li Weiyi with new respect. “You have some insight! It seems you are well-informed, not just a reckless martial artist.”

“Do you think my action of seizing that black metal box was reckless?” Li Weiyi asked.

Zuoqiu Ting smiled without answering, then asked, “Who exactly was inside that black metal box?”

Li Weiyi didn't hide anything from him, explaining Zhuang Yue's situation, wanting to gauge Zuoqiu Mending's attitude on the matter.

Currently, Zuoqiu Mending hadn't openly opposed them, but they were already building momentum, and their relationship with the Soaring Cloud Palace was extremely delicate.

Zuoqiu Ting fell into contemplation. After a while, he said, “If Jiang Ning dies in Qiu Prefecture, it won't be a simple death; it will be a tragic one. At that point, the relationship between Zuoqiu Mending and Soaring Cloud Palace will instantly become extremely tense. They want to use this to lure the Second Palace Master of Soaring Cloud Palace to Qiu Prefecture. Then, the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival will be difficult to hold!”

Li Weiyi said, “Zuoqiu Mending wants to build momentum, but if it all falls apart before it's established, it will be a mess. Will Due'e Temple still favor you so much? Or will they turn to support the formidable Dragon Gate? That Dragon Gate inheritor is very close to them and is certainly a beneficiary of these events.”

Zuoqiu Ting stared deeply at Li Weiyi. “Resolving this crisis and dealing with those Ash Spirits and instigators of chaos is also an opportunity to prove our capabilities. Through this, we can show everyone in the world that anyone who dares to oppose Zuoqiu Mending will suffer a terrible fate.”

Li Weiyi nodded and said, “Actually, I'm very curious why a group of young juniors dare to run rampant in Qiu Prefecture. Aren't they afraid of being dealt with by the older generation of Zuoqiu Mending? Or, at this stage, is it strictly a battle of peer against peer, general against general?”

Zuoqiu Ting said, “In the struggle for dominance, there are certain unspoken rules tacitly agreed upon by all sides; lines have been drawn, and circles outlined. Those who first break the rules will surely face consequences.”

“It's like when major powers clash, beings beyond the Longevity Realm cannot easily rampage at will. Acting outside the established rules could lead to a collective attack.”

Li Weiyi began to understand. It was like on Earth, even in wars between nations, the most fearsome weapons were kept restrained.

Before an actual war breaks out, there are many underlying rules at play. It's as if everyone only wants to fight a localized proxy war; they would never personally enter the fray unless absolutely necessary, or if they had an absolute guarantee of victory.

The current confrontation among the younger generation in Qiu Prefecture is, without a doubt, such a localized proxy war.

Everyone tests each other, keeping the conflict controllable. However, it's also entirely possible that at some critical point, it could escalate into a full-scale war.

Behind it all, there must be unseen top-level maneuvering.

Li Weiyi realized something. “You tracked me, which led you to discover the young venerate hidden in the Mirror Moon Chamber. So, it's actually you who owes me a favor?”

“...” Zuoqiu Ting replied.

Li Weiyi continued, “You've already fought that young venerate, haven't you? How strong is it?”

Zuoqiu Ting didn't want to discuss it. His gaze shifted to the gates of Yunque, and seeing Li Ling emerge, he whispered, “Help me contact the hidden figure of your Nine Li Hidden Gate. Also, have Li Ling find her brother. Before the New Year, I want to have a showdown with this group!”

Li Weiyi looked at Li Ling under the lamp and asked, “So, regarding Jiang Ning, will you intervene or not? Your Zuoqiu Mending and Soaring Cloud Palace are now...”

Li Weiyi turned his head to look, but Zuoqiu Ting had already vanished without a sound.

“Am I annoying?”

He shook his head with a sigh and walked towards the Yunque gates.

Li Ling asked, “Was that Zuoqiu Ting just now?”

Li Weiyi nodded. “You should know him well, right? I remember, in the Immortal Realm space in Burial Immortal Town, the two of you were inseparable, very close. Is he really very ugly? Really with big ears, a flat nose, protruding teeth, and a crooked mouth?”

“Anyway, you'd best not see his true face, or your impression of him will be completely subverted.”

Li Ling then asked, “Are you hiding something from me tonight?”

“Why would I hide anything from you?” Li Weiyi chuckled.

Li Ling said, “Then what about Miss Qin Li?”

“You're becoming increasingly nosy. If it's really unbearable, just go into the Blood Mud Space to cultivate and draw a few more runes for self-protection.”

Li Weiyi felt Li Ling's gaze was fierce, like a little hen. She had finally become normal, unlike before, when she always wore a very feigned, false smile.