Happy cooperation!
Let's get rich together!
Clink—
Two teacups bumped together, producing a crisp sound.
Chen Dengming drained the fragrant tea in his cup in one gulp, looking at the smiling Xu Ning opposite him. He felt temporarily at ease, knowing that his preliminary cooperation with Xu Ning was now established.
The content of their cooperation was naturally the sale of Gu poison and even Gu worms within the Gathering Place.
Such items were precious due to their rarity, possessed extremely high practicality in combat, and posed a threat even to low-tier cultivators.
Presumably, quite a few Xiantian mortals would be interested for this very reason.
Even a sinking ship had three pounds of nails; poor though the Xiantians were, their sheer numbers were overwhelming, and this demographic would make up a massive customer base.
Naturally, vending Gu poison and Gu worms to mortals might conversely pose a threat to cultivators.
Yet clearly, Chen Dengming the vendor did not fear this, and Xu Ning, a cultivator of the Qi Cultivation Sixth Level, feared it even less.
Next, as long as the Luo Family successfully lent their momentum and someone came looking for Chen Dengming after receiving Xu Wei's message, this cooperative relationship between him and Xu Ning would be considered thoroughly solidified, and his scheme would be a complete success.
With this layer of cooperation, he would be able to firmly establish himself in the Gathering Place for the foreseeable future, stand tall to make money, and have no need to worry about any trouble arising.
He would also be able to move to a better dwelling to cultivate in peace and swiftly elevate his strength.
As for Hutong Street over there.
That Qian Yuan was also hanging around with a certain cultivator from the Luo Family, serving as one of the gloves supported by the Luo Family in the Gathering Place, just like Xu Ning.
Once Eldest Miss Lüo intended to ask him to refine a Golden Silkworm Gu, the other party would inevitably catch wind of the news and naturally know how to behave.
Conversely, if no one from the Luo Family came looking and something went wrong, he would have to make a prompt exit from the Gathering Place while Xu Ning still dared not act rashly.
Yet at this moment, he had not forgotten the female named Xu Wei.
In the ruthlessly devoid-of-human-warmth Cultivation World, this woman was considered the first to show him absolute sincerity.
By relaying this message, Xu Wei had also performed a meritorious service.
Chen Dengming immediately brought up the matter of Xu Wei.
He figured that with his current relationship as Xu Ning's business partner, even if Xu Wei had genuinely stirred up some trouble, Xu Ning stepping in to grant him a favor would make it easy to resolve.
Unexpectedly, Xu Ning's expression suddenly darkened, and he said coldly.
"Brother Chen, logically speaking, since our initial cooperation has succeeded, your big brother here ought to grant you this tiny favor. Unfortunately, however, this mortal called Xu Wei—you cannot take her away."
As he spoke, he suddenly chuckled. "How about this, you pick another girl in Zanhua Tower, pick whoever you like!"
Chen Dengming furrowed his brow slightly, then broke into a smile and said, "It seems this Xu Wei has stirred up quite a massive trouble?"
"No!"
Xu Ning shook his head. "She hasn't stirred up any trouble. There's no need for you to fish for information either. What kind of massive trouble could a mere mortal stir up? If she had, she'd already be dead. She's simply been chosen by someone—and that person is someone neither you nor I can afford to provoke."
"Oh? With such a great figure, they'd still take a fancy to a mortal?" Chen Dengming wore a smile, but his heart sank.
Xu Ning gave a cold, dry chuckle. "What do you take your big brother's Zanhua Tower for? Don't look down on mortals; mortal women like Xu Wei also hold immense value, which is why she has always been a qingguan."
"Oh?"
Chen Dengming's stalwart body gave a slight jolt, feeling a mild sense of bewilderment.
Xu Ning let out a light hum. "She possesses a Low-grade Spiritual Root. After we select mortals like her from the mortal realm, cultivate them into cultivators, we then send them to wait upon some great figures, or sell them off at a high price. Only this time is different; before she even became a cultivator—"
He abruptly cut off his topic, glanced at Chen Dengming, and shook his head with a smile. "Brother Chen, whether or not you had some lingering affection with this Xu Wei back when you were still a mortal, this big brother of yours advises you to nip those thoughts in the bud early on. You cannot save Xu Wei."
The fist Chen Dengming had resting on his thighs clenched tightly, then slowly relaxed. A relaxed smile bloomed on his face as he said.
"I know."
"Smart!"
Xu Ning gave a thumbs-up with a smile on his face, while inwardly issuing a cold hmph.
In truth, it wasn't that he couldn't gift Xu Wei to Chen Dengming; to him, that was merely a trivial matter, and finding another female with a Low-grade Spiritual Root to replace Xu Wei, while troublesome, was nothing major.
Yet deep down, he always felt aggrieved that Chen Dengming could sit down and negotiate business and cooperation on equal footing with him simply by borrowing the Luo Family's tiger skin.
Of course, in the face of profits and his ties to the Luo Family, he had to acknowledge the reality and was willing to negotiate.
Even so, he could still use this minor matter of Xu Wei to rap the other man over the knuckles and make Chen Dengming feel uncomfortable. In any case, the inner workings of this matter were things Chen Dengming would never figure out.
Xu Ning strolled leisurely to his feet, walked over to the window, and just as he was about to stretch, he suddenly froze, immediately turning around with the intent to hurry downstairs.
Chen Dengming, who was lost in thought, also realized something was amiss and immediately caught the sound of Xu Ning's voice.
"People from the Luo Family have arrived! You let that mortal transmit a message, and she really delivered it fast!"
The visitor from the Luo Family had descended riding the spiritual radiance of a Flying Artifact, and accompanying them down was none other than Xu Wei.
This spectacle had already attracted the attention of quite a few cultivators in the Gathering Place, who successively and apprehensively drew closer, casting reverent gazes at the Luo Family cultivator piloting the Flying Artifact while exchanging hushed, whispered discussions via voice transmission.
"Immortal... Immortal Master Chen!"
The very instant Xu Wei landed on the ground, before she had even steadied herself, she clutched at the hem of her skirt and bolted toward Chen Dengming as he stepped out of the art pavilion. Nervous yet elated, she said, "Immortal Master, this humble concubine has not failed your trust—the Immortal Master adult of the Luo Family has arrived."
Chen Dengming gazed at Xu Wei: her smooth forehead was stained with sweat, her hair was disheveled, and her embroidered shoes were already caked in mud, yet her expression brimmed with eager earnestness.
His brows twitched slightly, though ultimately he refrained from frowning, and he smiled, nodding to convey his affirmation.
"You're the one who claimed to be able to help my Eldest Miss refine the Golden Silkworm Gu?"
At that moment, a cold voice abruptly chimed in.
The surrounding crowd erupted into a hubbub upon hearing this.
"Qi Cultivation Fifth Level."
Xu Ning's heart also skipped a beat as he immediately looked toward Chen Dengming.
Chen Dengming shifted his gaze to the female clad in Luo Family attire who had spoken.
He saw a young girl of around fifteen or sixteen with delicate brows and eyes, her face still bearing a childish innocence yet stubbornly tensing up to put on an air of seasoned maturity.
"Precisely this humble self, my name is Chen Dengming, greetings, Milady!"
Chen Dengming smiled, cupped his fists, and offered a courteous greeting, not daring to underestimate her. The girl's spiritual might was formidable; she looked like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old, but who knew what special cultivation technique she might have practiced—she might well be over a hundred years old.
"Chen Dengming..."
Suspicion marked the girl's expression as she furrowed her brow and sized Chen Dengming up. "My Eldest Miss said you were a mortal, yet I didn't expect you to have already become a cultivator?"
Chen Dengming offered a smiling, deferential bow. "It is entirely thanks to Eldest Miss's guidance back then, which also allowed me to acquire a cultivation technique, enabling me to break through by a stroke of luck. Eldest Miss showed me the grace of a discerning patron, and little Chen ought to repay it."
"The grace of a discerning patron? This brat actually managed to win such favor from Eldest Miss Lüo?"
Xu Ning furrowed his brow slightly, struck by a trace of astonishment.
Hearing this fall upon their ears, several rogue cultivators in the vicinity were likewise not a little startled, letting out a mild commotion.
The Luo Family maiden stated coldly, "Very well! Eldest Miss possesses a kind heart and has helped many people in the past—you're hardly the only one. Since you claim you wish to repay this, why didn't you ever show your face after my Luo Family issued the bounty?"
Chen Dengming cupped his fists and said, "It is not that this humble self was unwilling to show up, but rather that prior to the bounty being issued, I had already offended certain individuals and was forced to leave the Gathering Place."
"Damn it, you little brat..."
Far off in the crowd, Qian Yuan—who had already caught wind of the news and was nervously observing the situation—felt his heart leap. His complexion turned unsightly, and the swarm of underlings by his side all wore shifting expressions as well.
To the rogue cultivators of the rogue cultivator Gathering Place, the Luo Family could be said to be one of the two local tyrants. Everyone relied on picking up scraps dropped from the Luo Family's table to make a living; how could anyone dare offend people of the Luo Family?
"Enough! I know."
At that exact moment, however, the Luo Family maiden cut the topic short, staring coldly at Chen Dengming as she said, "Let's hope you are truly capable of helping my Eldest Miss refine the Golden Silkworm Gu. Otherwise—"
She left the remainder of her sentence unsaid, instead raising a hand as a lotus-leaf-shaped Flying Artifact flashed with spiritual radiance and swept outward.
"That was close!"
Qian Yuan let out a breath of relief, yet his brows immediately knitted together again as he coldly glared at Chen Dengming.
From afar, Chen Dengming glanced at Qian Yuan amidst the crowd. His expression remained calm, as he knew this Luo Family maiden was no fool and had no intention of helping him resolve any trouble.
Everything would still depend on his subsequent performance; even if he performed well, it would amount to nothing more than a transaction, far from anything else.
He could not afford to make his desire to leverage the Luo Family's momentum too obvious. Matters were already at a perfectly balanced juncture, so he immediately gestured toward Xu Wei and said, "Milady, I wish to bring along an assistant. Refining the Golden Silkworm Gu is no simple task and requires someone to keep a constant vigil by the side. I trust this woman more, and she can also lend a hand and offer some support when the time comes."
Xu Ning's face collapsed, and the procuress on the other side could not help but want to step forward to halt it, only to be instantly intercepted by the falcon-like gaze of the escort.
The Luo Family maiden cast a indifferent glance at Xu Wei and gave a slight nod. "Very well. This mortal went so far as to risk her life to guarantee that her words were true just to deliver your message earlier, which is why I made this trip personally—no wonder you trust her. But let me make things ugly beforehand: once you fail to refine the Golden Silkworm Gu, whether it be you or her, both of you will inevitably face severe punishment from my Luo Family."
"Many thanks for your trust, Milady!"
Chen Dengming cupped his fists.
Beside him, Xu Wei had long since stood frozen on the spot, never imagining that Chen Dengming would actually take her along into the Luo Family as well.
Yet the madam she feared most, along with the falcon-eyed escort, dared not raise a hand to stop him.
She had always wanted to escape the clutches of Zanhua Tower; even escaping for a single day was nothing more than an extravagant pipe dream.
During her last escape, before she had even cleared the Gathering Place, she had been caught and beaten black and blue.
This time, solely because of a single sentence from Chen Dengming, she was actually able to leave. Even if she were truly severely punished by the Luo Family in the future, she felt no fear—at this very moment, she felt nothing but a blend of astonishment and ecstasy.
(To be continued, there will be another update in the daytime morning!)
Before you continue