Having spent her entire life in the palace, Hua Ruoxi showed none of the airs of a master of innate cultivation.
He squinted, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on his lips, as he toyed with a Mutton-fat Jade Thumb Ring on his finger.
This thumb ring is antique and delicate, clearly priceless, but it has lost its imposing aura.
However, Lu Li dared not underestimate them.
The old eunuch exuded twice the oppressive aura of Zhenghong, second only to Ito Tairon, sending chills down one's spine.
His half-closed eyes gleamed with a sharp light, clearly indicating that he possessed the Spirit Refinement Realm and was by no means an ordinary "Strongman".
At this moment, the old eunuch was quite enthusiastic and led Lu Li to sit at the main table:
"I've long heard that a young talent has emerged Jinmen Tianjin, and seeing him today, I can confirm his extraordinary abilities. Come, come, please take a seat."
Lu Li politely cupped his hands in greeting and calmly took his seat with Xia Weijun and the three puppets.
Seeing that the three "attendants" were all carrying heavy boxes, Hua Ruoxi's smile widened even more:
"Our family's <Innate Skill> possesses pure and refined true energy. Just three cycles will surely lead you to mastery of Young Master cultivation level. Don't miss this golden opportunity!"
Lu Li nodded and said, "That's exactly why I came."
"Very well, Young Master, you seem to be a generous and open person! Please wait a moment, we will begin shortly."
Hua Ruoxi bowed goodbye and went to another table to socialize.
Xia Weijun, sitting to the side, offered a reminder:
"This eunuch is the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department. Meditative Entry a state of Spirit Refinement and is Martial Arts master of innate talent. He is firmly among the top three experts in the palace."
Lu Li nodded, already understanding the situation.
Xia Weijun then gestured with her chin towards the guests present and introduced them:
"Most of the people here today are rich Young Masters. The sons of the four major compradors, the Young Master of the Provincial Administration Commissioner... even that little bitch Jiang Haiyan is here."
As expected, everyone present was from a wealthy family, dressed in fine clothes and exuding an extraordinary air, all wanting to spend money to buy cultivation.
However, Lu Li had some doubts. "Does the Governor's daughter also need Innate True Qi? Shouldn't her father and master give it to her?"
Upon hearing this, Xia Weijun did not answer directly, but instead asked in return:
"Tea Girl fed you [Internal Breath], how did you feel about the effect?"
Lu Li recalled the sweetness of breastfeeding and nodded involuntarily:
"The effect is excellent, saving countless hours of hard work, and there are absolutely no side effects."
"Look, even the Internal Breath is so good, and true qi... it's Internal Breath condensed into a tangible form, how could anyone complain about having too much!"
Xia Weijun then asked, "Moreover, true qi is far more precious than you imagine. Do you know the principle of the 'water cycle'?"
Lu Li replied, "Is it water on the ground that evaporates into clouds and then falls back down?"
"That's right," Xia Weijun explained carefully.
"If we compare the human body to a world, then [true qi] is like the rain and dew between heaven and earth. Whether it nourishes all things or transforms into rivers, it will eventually return to the body, endlessly regenerating."
But once it's used up, it's truly gone, which will disrupt the internal circulation and lead to disasters like floods and droughts.
Therefore, powerful individuals all pay great attention to their own internal energy. Don't be fooled by Jiang Haiyan being the Governor's legitimate daughter; she may not have experienced internal energy infusion many times.
The words were spoken so clearly that Lu Li immediately understood:
"I see, no wonder they say the key to Martial Arts lies in the word 'cultivation'."
"That's right!" Xia Weiyin said with a smile.
"Your sister has gotten into too many fights, otherwise she would have reached the Xiantian realm long ago..."
As they spoke, Xia Weijun, fearing that Lu Xiaodi might have reservations and lose his courage and determination, quickly added:
"But nothing is absolute. As long as you grasp the right 'degree' and use your internal energy appropriately, your body can adjust itself."
"Uh-huh."
Lu Li nodded repeatedly, feeling the care and love of his older sister.
The care shown by older women... doesn't seem so bad.
Suddenly, the arena fell silent.
Hua Ruoxi then left her seat and walked onto the stage, smiling at everyone. It was time to get down to business!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Everyone sat upright, waiting for the old eunuch to speak.
Hua Ruoxi said in a high-pitched voice:
"Our family is here in Jinmen on the orders of His Majesty to collect the 'gift of gifts.' You are all prominent local families, and we hope you will generously contribute and share His Majesty's burden."
The eunuch spoke platitudes and even bowed slightly in the direction of the Capital City.
Several Young Master of comprador families in the audience whispered mockingly:
"A donation for ceremonial purposes... Even at a time like this, they're still thinking about repairing the tomb."
"Not surprising, the Jiawu Year didn't interfere with the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration."
After delivering her opening remarks in a few words, Hua Ruoxi immediately got straight to the point:
"Jinmen is a land of outstanding people and talents, and those who have come today are all exceptional individuals. As long as they can alleviate His Majesty's worries, we will offer them a breath of Innate True Qi!"
Finally, they got to the point, and immediately a Young Master in brocade robes asked urgently:
"May I ask Manager Hua, how much must one donate as a ritual fee to obtain a single breath of true energy?"
"So it's Young Master Liang from Jardine Matheson."
Hua Ruoxi twirled the mutton-fat thumb ring on her hand and said with a smile:
"Our family naturally wants everyone to benefit, but we're not able to do so, so we've set a limit... Once the limit is paid, you'll receive true energy!"
This number is definitely not cheap; everyone held their breath...
Hua Ruoxi paused, then exclaimed in a shrill voice, "One thousand taels of gold, and a Great Heavenly Cycle of innate Innate True Qi!"
"..."
There was a moment of silence in the room, then an uproar erupted:
"One thousand taels of gold... that's equivalent to 300,000 taels of silver! Are you crazy?"
"Not only that! With the current tense international situation, countries are stockpiling gold, causing gold prices to skyrocket!"
"It seems that Eunuch Hua is trying to raise the reparations for the Treaty of Treaty of Shimonoseki himself!"
Everyone complained that the old eunuch was asking for an exorbitant price, but Lu Li was calculating—
He brought 1 ton of gold with him, equivalent to 20,000 taels... The old eunuch's price didn't seem expensive.
Of course, even if it were 100 times more expensive Lu Li would accept it.
For him, being able to exchange money for power and time was the best deal ever!
In these chaotic times, some people share the same idea.
The Young Master Liang, who was the first to step forward, cupped his hands and said, "I am willing to acknowledge Manager Hua's donation. I wonder if it can be settled in silver?"
Hua Ruoxi twirled the Mutton-fat Jade Thumb Ring on her wrist, shaking her head with a smile:
"I'm sorry, we can only accept gold. This money is for the construction of the imperial mausoleum."
Upon hearing this, the group of Young Master merchants, including Young Master Liang, immediately hesitated and hesitated to approach.
Besides fulfilling its original function, the gold from another world is also a resource for cultivation. This deal is really not worthwhile, especially since my family wouldn't support it.
Lu Li was naturally happy to have fewer competitors.
Just as he was contemplating how he had completely absorbed his inner energy, he suddenly noticed—
The children of officials like Jiang Haiyan remained unmoved, suggesting that things might still be changing?
Sure enough, Hua Ruoxi suddenly said:
"If you all think it's too expensive, we have a workaround: we'll donate antiques!"
"Antique?"
Young Master Liang and the others were greatly puzzled.
Everyone knows the saying, "Antiques are valued in prosperous times, gold in chaotic times," so why is this eunuch doing the opposite? Does he think the world isn't chaotic enough already?
Hua Ruoxi confirmed again:
"That's right, as long as it catches our eye, an antique can be used to refine true qi Great Heavenly Cycle! Pay attention! We're talking about refining true qi throughout the entire Great Heavenly Cycle, guaranteeing it will circulate through all the meridians!"
As soon as they finished speaking, Jiang Haiyan and the others took out a sandalwood box specifically for storing antiques.