An Encounter with Hong Xingfeng (4K)

Spirit Stone were certainly not a problem for Xiao Chen.

He also currently possesses a considerable number of Water-element Fourth-Order Spiritual Item.

Although Water-element Spirit Item are more common in the Compassion Sea, they are relatively rare in Gui Yun Market.

Moreover, Xiao Chen lacked spiritual items of the other four elements, but he did not Water-element Spirit Item.

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

He was given another two million Low-grade Spirit Stone plus a Water-element Fourth-Order Spiritual Item.

This was used to bribe disciples of the Gui Yun Sect and steal the High-level Intelligence they had accumulated over the years.

At the same time, Xiao Chen also specially added Secret Mark for the meeting.

Once you see a mark at the base of the wall or receive Secret Message Transmission, come to this alley as soon as possible to meet me.

In this way, even if other True Lord 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 Hao Wei Zhai in the market that sold Spirit Fish, and ordered wine and dishes.

While leaning against the window watching the bustling crowd below, I began to do some 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 Compassion Sea, and that there are many Nascent Soul True Lord and Spirit Transformation Venerable, 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 Notice 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 Compassion Sea, he was placed on the Sea Race ' Arrest List.

Now that he had finally arrived in a New Cultivation World, Xiao Chen wanted to be cautious and keep a low profile, hoping to live peacefully here.

He didn't want to be walking down the street one day when a Spirit Transformation Venerable suddenly appeared with a knife, ready to chop him up.

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

However, keeping a low profile doesn't mean doing nothing.

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

fortuitous opportunity are things you have to seize when they come along.

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 False Identity and try to fool the rest of the people.

Alternatively, one could simply find a local cultivator 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 World are significantly different.

Xiao Chen's current mastery of the <Breathless Shadowless Curse> is very useful within the Compassion Sea, or for dealing with Golden Core cultivator like Zhang Cunfu.

However, it might not be effective against multiple local True Lord.

What if one of them possesses a special Secret Method, or is carrying some kind of Detection Spirit Tool?

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

If that were the case, he would likely be identified as Rebellious Immortal Alliance Member and appear on Wanted Notice 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 Dragon True Lord who came from a side sect, and the two large Lineage where the lineage of True Lord has ended.

The former can be considered a semi-rogue cultivator, and his connection with the Gui Yun 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 willingly.

The latter is now much easier to control as there are no Nascent Soul True Lord within its clan.

The cost of bribing them should be very low.

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

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

How should I 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 called out 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 the other Golden Core True Person who was with him.

Taking a moment to shout to the waiter, "Bring up your three best Spirit Wine, 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 enthusiastically with him.

Two people, but they wanted three wine glasses.

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

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

Perhaps he could obtain some information from the other party?

In particular, the information about the current situation of the Pingyi Cai Family and the Hongqiu Shang Family 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 discussing something that happened to be related to the Pingyi Cai Family.

Fourteen years ago, due to a shortage of manpower in the Cai Family, they rented out a Spirit Field within the Lineage 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 Wang-family cultivator had a sudden inspiration while cultivating the Spirit Field.

He urgently needs to Closed-door cultivation, and will be unable to tend to the Spirit Field for the next few years.

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

That's why Hong Xingfeng approached this cultivator surnamed Yang, indicating that this was a rare opportunity.

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

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

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

Before long, the Wang-family cultivator 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 indeed just finished cultivating and was truly 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 Spirit Contract to complete the transaction.

Hong Xingfeng was naturally prepared 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 completed on-site, which is convenient for the seller to return to cultivation and for the buyer to replant this year's Spirit Plant 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 Spirit Field."

"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 Seventh Branch the day before yesterday to come together."

"But just this morning, I received news that the Cai Family is preparing for the Double Jade Assembly, 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 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, something more formal?"

Upon hearing this, the Wang-family cultivator immediately became displeased.

He immediately refused, saying, "I'm a straightforward person, so I'll just say what I mean."

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

"You know perfectly well that I've reached a critical juncture and need to seize the time to Closed-door cultivation."

"It's 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 reprimanding Hong Xingfeng twice.

The Wang-family cultivator 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 only agreed to a 10% discount on the rent because I listened to you, and I still have to pay an extra 10% out of my own pocket."

"As a result, this matter has dragged on for more than half a month, and there's still no definite news."

"Since it's already like this, next time you prepare 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 Wang-family cultivator 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 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."

He raised his glass to clink glasses, seemingly preparing to leave.

Upon seeing this, the cultivator surnamed Yang was immediately 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 meaningful look.

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

This is a golden opportunity, don't miss it!

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 Spirit Stone in rent every year.

Since that's the case, why don't we sign the Spirit Contract first?

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

"Now you can go back to your seclusion with peace of mind, fellow cultivator."

He then picked up the Spirit Contract and began to examine its contents word by word.

Upon hearing this, the Wang-family cultivator 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 Daoist Wang successfully breaks through, he'll easily earn back these Spirit Stone."

"Let me first offer you a toast, fellow Daoist, wishing 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'll pay 50% of the rent upfront, and then he'll go there to try planting.

After the Spirit Seed sprouts, the remaining rent will be paid to the Wang-family cultivator.

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

However, Xiao Chen sensed that something was amiss.

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

The key issue is that none of the three of them seemed to respect the Cai Family.

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

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 Spirit Field to other cultivators.

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

Either the Cai Family still carries the title of 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.

If that's the case, then they might be a very good business partner for Xiao Chen.

For the Cai Family, they need the support of Nascent Soul Cultivator to achieve the Lineage's revival.

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 Family and Shang Family in recent years.

They even used him to directly arrange meetings with the Cai Family cultivators.

Therefore, Xiao Chen deliberately sat for a while longer.

After the three exchanged pleasantries and parted ways, they followed Hong Xingfeng out of the market.