Earth-Treading Tiger

After seeing off the Four Seas Merchant Guild,

Jiang Ding sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and nurtured branches sixty through one hundred of the twelfth meridian, the Foot Lesser Yin Kidney Meridian. Inner qi surged from the qi vortex in his dantian, circulated throughout his body, then seeped into them bit by bit.

A faint sting was smoothed away by a wave of warmth, cycling without end.

He estimated that within a day, he would complete the tempering and nurturing of his twelve-hundredth meridian branch and reach the Lesser Celestial Circuit realm.

As for the Four Seas Merchant Guild's severe losses, he could only express regret.

In business, there had to be losses and gains. Risks and profits were theirs to bear.

He did not think much of the likes of the Fierce Tiger Stronghold, but that was unimportant. Business was business; nothing else needed to be mixed into it.

As long as they delivered the goods to his door, he would pay. There would be no discrimination whatsoever.

Knock, knock!

"Master, Lord Ding Feng of the Brocade Dragon Merchant Guild has brought guests to call," Huang Deyou said from outside the door.

"Bring them in."

Huang Deyou froze. After waiting for quite some time, he left with a stiffened scalp.

He could not understand this master's standards for receiving guests. The likes of Long Shi and Liu Qi from the Wild Wolf Gang were one thing, and the Four Seas Merchant Guild had been personally received upon their visit—but why was the president of the Brocade Dragon Merchant Guild, which was even larger than the Four Seas Merchant Guild, being ignored?

Huang Deyou explained the matter with trepidation.

"It seems Young Master Jiang harbors some dissatisfaction," a burly man in a cloak said with a smile.

"No matter."

A genial smile hung on Ding Feng's face as he stepped inside.

The moment they entered the courtyard, the masked burly man froze, his expression turning faintly cold.

Jiang Ding's gaze swept over him and lingered for a moment.

This was an old acquaintance: the bandit leader who had previously led people in besieging Long San's caravan. He had not expected this man to come forward for the negotiations again.

"Young Master Jiang, I, Ding, possess a modest reputation in this stretch of East Spirit Prefecture. Friends from all corners of the land give Ding a measure of face when passing through."

Ding Feng stroked his beard and smiled.

"This is the Fierce Tiger Stronghold's Seventh Chief, one of the Seven Tigers, 'Earth-Treading Tiger' Lu Hou. Entrusted by the stronghold chief, Elder Lu Jingtian, the 'East Mountain Flying Tiger,' he has come to negotiate with you."

"As for how the outcome turns out, I am merely an intermediary. It has nothing to do with me."

Though he said so, he did not leave, merely stepping aside.

Jiang Ding smiled faintly.

"The original price no longer counts. You must add another Minor Void Breaking Pill!"

Lu Hou threw back his cloak, revealing a face crisscrossed with scars. He snarled, "Young Master Jiang, long time no see. Have you been well these days since killing my nephew?"

Jiang Ding glanced at him.

Ding Feng stood there calmly, as though his spirit had wandered beyond the clouds.

"See the guests out."

Jiang Ding lifted his teacup.

Lu Hou and Ding Feng both froze. Had they not said that the Blue Fluorescent Butterflies were of extreme importance to him, so important that he would not hesitate to offer a Pill for Breaking Stages?

"What? Do you need me to see you out personally?"

Jiang Ding placed his hand on his sword hilt. A trace of killing intent leaked out as he asked.

The savage expression on Lu Hou's face changed. Recalling the scene of Jiang Ding killing people as easily as slaughtering chickens, he immediately grew frightened.

This deal had been jointly arranged by the stronghold chief and the heads of other major forces. If he caused them to gain not even a single hair from it...

At that thought, his face went pale as he looked toward Ding Feng beside him.

"Haha!"

Ding Feng laughed loudly, breaking the deathly silence in the courtyard. "Why must Young Master be like this? In business, there is always one party naming a price and the other bargaining. There is no reason to reject people from a thousand miles away at the very start."

Jiang Ding sneered. "But neither is there any reason for every random cat or dog to come here and extort me. Who knows how many nephews he has? If one nephew can be exchanged for a Minor Void Breaking Pill, I fear everyone in the Fierce Tiger Stronghold is his nephew."

"You..."

Veins bulged across Lu Hou's forehead, but beneath Ding Feng's cold, stern gaze, he had no choice but to restrain himself.

Jiang Ding did not even spare him a glance. "Do you know the price I agreed upon with the Four Seas Merchant Guild?"

"Four Minor Void Breaking Pills capable of helping one break through to Minor Accomplishment of Inner Qi, and one Void Breaking Pill capable of helping one break through to Inner Qi Great Accomplishment." Ding Feng recited it like treasured family knowledge. "Three have already been paid. For every remaining one hundred fifty thousand pairs of Blue Fluorescent Butterflies, one Minor Void Breaking Pill will be exchanged. The final one hundred fifty thousand pairs will be exchanged for the Void Breaking Pill."

Lu Hou could not help swallowing.

With a Minor Void Breaking Pill, within a few days he could become an Inner Qi Great Accomplishment expert. In this region of East Spirit Prefecture, he would count as someone of consequence.

So long as the stronghold chief and other Inner Qi Perfection experts did not emerge, he could run rampant in one corner.

"Then what is there left to say?" Jiang Ding said flatly. "Deliver the Blue Fluorescent Butterflies, and I will give you the pills. Money and goods settled cleanly."

"Why ask when you already know, Young Master Jiang?"

Ding Feng smiled. "This deal was arranged jointly by several great lords. How could one Minor Void Breaking Pill and one Void Breaking Pill be enough to divide among them?"

"Oh?"

Jiang Ding tilted his head as though listening intently.

"The lords mean..." Ding Feng paused, staring at the youth before him. "At least three Void Breaking Pills capable of breaking through to Inner Qi Great Accomplishment!"

"I understand."

Jiang Ding nodded, his voice calm. "You have taken me for a Buddha who grants wishes. With three Void Breaking Pills, I could raise the price on the martial world's market high enough to buy the heads of five Inner Qi Perfection martial artists."

Ding Feng's expression did not change. "Young Master Jiang, Inner Qi Perfection martial artists are all leaders of forces. I fear they are not so easy to hire. Besides..."

His words carried an implicit threat.

"The Blue Fluorescent Butterflies on East Spirit Mountain are limited in number. If anything happens to this batch, even waiting another ten years may not see them grow again."

"Good. Very good."

Jiang Ding smiled, while killing intent grew wildly within his heart.

A chill ran down Lu Hou's spine, as though some savage beast had fixed its gaze upon him.

"Please consider it carefully, Young Master."

Ding Feng remained utterly unafraid, seemingly certain that Jiang Ding would yield.

"Leave. Deliver the Blue Fluorescent Butterflies within three days, or this transaction is void." Jiang Ding lifted his teacup and threw it onto the ground, letting it shatter as scalding tea splashed everywhere.

Yield? He would not yield an inch.

He had already revealed enough wealth. If a little pressure made him produce several times more Pills for Breaking Stages, what would the true ruler of East Spirit Prefecture, Marquis Zhen Dong's Estate, think?

Putting himself in their shoes, Jiang Ding imagined the mindset of the leader of a major force who had not yet broken through to the innate realm. Once he inserted himself into that position, even he could not resist sending troops to seize everything.

No matter how powerful his backing was, could it surpass the imperial family?

When the time came, most of the treasures would be presented as tribute. Who could do anything about it?

"Young Master, this..."

Ding Feng's expression changed. He repeatedly tried to persuade him with all manner of reasons, but Jiang Ding remained silent from beginning to end, as though his spirit had already wandered beyond the clouds.

Yet yielding was impossible.

There were great figures behind this matter, each with their own interests. None of them could possibly accept a loss, so how could he dare make the decision for them?

"No matter what, according to the Four Seas Merchant Guild's old precedent, it is absolutely impossible."

Left with no other choice, Ding Feng could only take his leave and report to the great figures behind him, letting them make the decision.

"In three days, we will visit again."

Watching the two men's retreating backs, cold light flickered in Jiang Ding's eyes. He then calmed his mind, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing as he nurtured the tiny branch meridians of the Foot Lesser Yin Kidney Meridian.

At a certain moment, Jiang Ding's aura suddenly surged by a notch before gradually settling.

"The Lesser Celestial Circuit is complete."

Jiang Ding used Internal View to examine himself. His inner qi rushed like a stream through the large and small meridians and minute branch meridians of the Twelve Meridians, flowing without end before returning to the qi vortex in his dantian, endlessly cycling.

His daily speed of tempering tiny branch meridians surged once more, doubling from forty to eighty.

The next realm was the Greater Celestial Circuit.

Each of the Twelve Meridians had to nurture one thousand tiny branch meridians. Then, with the force of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, one had to smash through the barriers of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians—such as the Conception and Governing Vessels—and nurture the Eight Extraordinary Meridians until they stood equal to the Twelve Meridians. This was the Young Eagle Great Heavenly Cycle.

Even among cultivators of the Immortal Sect, more than ninety-five percent of mortals never reached this realm in their entire lives.

Whoosh!

The nearly Minor Accomplishment Minor Breath Concealment Technique activated at full power, and Jiang Ding's figure vanished.