You Be the Buddha-son

Xiaoqiu found it strange too. Chi Yu was so knowledgeable and well-read, and had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage at sixteen. Even if he was not an unparalleled genius, he could hardly be far off.

Their Highness had reached the golden core at eighteen only because of the Great Xia Imperial Clan's special cultivation method.

The Great Xia Imperial Clan's greatest secret was that they had no spiritual roots at all.

Naturally, Xiaoqiu had none either, though outwardly, they all appeared to have them.

With such a special cultivation method, rapid progress was perfectly normal.

His older brothers had all reached the Foundation Establishment Stage at eighteen or nineteen too.

Xiaoqiu gathered his wandering thoughts and pleaded on Chi Yu's behalf. "Your Highness, please teach him."

Xie Xiyi countered, "Do I look like I have that much time on my hands?"

Xiaoqiu dropped to his knees with a thud and hugged Xie Xiyi's lower leg, his eyes brimming with tears. "Cousin, please. Just teach him."

Xie Xiyi: "..."

Xie Xiyi laughed. "Taking an outsider's side? A few meals were enough to buy you off so thoroughly. If you're so fond of food, why come to Zizai Continent with me?"

Xiaoqiu said, "Cousin, he's been so good to me. He hardly ever asks me for help, and I want to help him."

Xie Xiyi said coldly, "Using me to do someone a favor. You certainly have some nerve."

"..." Xiaoqiu fell unhappily silent.

After a brief stalemate, Xie Xiyi relented after all. "The floor is cold. Get up."

Xiaoqiu lifted his eyelids to peek at him.

Xie Xiyi said irritably, "I've agreed. Go fetch him."

Only then did Xiaoqiu happily scramble up from the floor. He was about to leave when familial affection welled up in his heart, prompting him to say to Xie Xiyi with concern, "Cousin, you should replace that zither. It really is broken. It's not a spiritual treasure, just an ordinary object. Things breaking is part of the natural order. Don't cling to it."

Xie Xiyi glanced at him. "Enough chatter. Go about your business."

Xiaoqiu darted off.

He told Chi Yu that Xie Xiyi had agreed, without mentioning how long he had spent pleading. Seeing Chi Yu head over so happily made him happy too.

At some point, he had grown so fond of him.

Coming to Zizai Continent was the right choice, Xiaoqiu thought to himself.

Chi Yu arrived at Xie Xiyi's palace. Although it was lavish and imposing, he did not make a fuss. He had at least seen enough of the world for that.

Once inside, he did not look around, heading straight to where Xie Xiyi was.

"Senior brother, it's wonderful that you're willing to explain it to me." Chi Yu behaved as someone asking a favor ought to. He greeted him with a smile, his eyelids lowered slightly and his eyes gently narrowed, the picture of docility. "I've read this mental cultivation method several times, but I really couldn't understand it. That's why I thought I'd trouble you to teach me."

Since he was paying a visit, Chi Yu could hardly come empty-handed. He carried a basket of spirit fruit, observing all the proper courtesies.

This earned him another glance from Xie Xiyi.

He simply felt that this person was full of contradictions.

But he had no interest in other people's secrets, so he merely told him to sit down in an indifferent tone and began teaching.

Chi Yu listened attentively, occasionally taking notes on paper with a mechanical pencil.

Xie Xiyi's explanations were quite clear, and Chi Yu learned a great deal. After two hours, he finally made sense of the mental cultivation method.

Chi Yu let out a breath and said happily, "Thanks, senior brother. You explained it very clearly. I've got the general idea now."

With his current store of knowledge, he could tell that the mental cultivation method Xie Xiyi had given him was a very good one.

Though he had said that Xie Xiyi would gain his gratitude and friendship, that was only a joke. Naturally, Chi Yu could not truly take the other man's kindness for granted.

But if Chi Yu wanted to return the favor, he needed something he could return it with.

Right now, aside from money, he had nothing (not).

And money was hardly something the crown prince lacked.

So Chi Yu kept the matter in mind for now. Just as he was smiling and preparing to take his leave, his gaze fell on the ancient zither beside Xie Xiyi, and he said in some surprise, "Senior brother, you can play the zither?"

Xie Xiyi said indifferently, "Music is a required subject too."

"Oh." Inspiration struck Chi Yu. "Then do you like music?"

Xie Xiyi: "No."

Chi Yu: "Oh."

He said regretfully, "I happen to have many ancient musical pieces that haven't been passed down. If you were interested, senior brother, I would gladly offer up these borrowed treasures with both hands. What a pity."

Not passed down... ancient musical pieces?

Xie Xiyi: "..."

That strange feeling returned, like an itch in his throat that he could neither swallow nor cough out.

The corners of his mouth twitched. "A pity indeed."

Author's note:

When he goes to bed that night, Little 1 tosses and turns: not passed down... ancient musical pieces... not passed down... ancient musical pieces...

Enough to make him get up and slap himself.

[1] Quoted from classical poetry.

Chapter 26: You Be the Buddha-son

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time for class again.

On his way to the Dao Lodge, Chi Yu ran into Suoluo and Qiye.

Qiye told Chi Yu excitedly, "We wanted to come see you yesterday, but Suoluo said you were probably cultivating and told me not to disturb you. So we came to intercept you on the road today."

Suoluo coughed. "Intercept" sounded so unpleasant!

Qiye remained completely oblivious. He took two palm-sized Jade Tokens out of his storage pouch and spoke to Chi Yu as they walked. "Look, these are the two Jade Tokens we refined using the method you suggested. Your idea really is incredible. Neither of us ever imagined we could make something like this. But there's one problem: the cost is a bit high. Communication Jade Tokens need adamantine gold. Only when adamantine gold is activated with spiritual energy can it allow simultaneous communication. And adamantine gold is expensive. One tael costs a middle-grade spirit stone, and refining a single Jade Token takes at least two taels. That means the adamantine gold alone costs two middle-grade spirit stones. Even if we make lots of them, it'll be difficult to sell them cheaply."

Chi Yu asked, "Isn't there a substitute?"

Qiye sighed. "No. Communication Jade Tokens have to use adamantine gold."

Chi Yu clapped his hands. "Look at it another way. This is actually a good thing."

Suoluo and Qiye were puzzled. "How is this a good thing?"

Chi Yu said with a smile, "Honestly, you're in the early stages of starting a business. Setbacks are perfectly normal when you're starting out. As for this adamantine gold problem, I believe there must be an inexpensive substitute. You need to learn to think in reverse. Since it costs too much, don't use it. Use a substitute instead, and you'll end up with your own secret formula-after all, you two aren't the only artifact refiners in the world.

"And ideas are extremely easy to imitate and copy. Even if you make it, can you stop others from borrowing the idea and copying it? You can't. It's like how alchemists make money and have social standing, so the number of cultivators applying to study alchemy only keeps growing. Cultivators are people too. People have emotions and desires, and they gravitate toward profit. That's a natural law. We can't stop it, so all we can do is keep something that others can't copy."

"And what others can't copy is the deeper idea-the product formula! If you have the confidence to make these seemingly far-fetched Jade Token functions a reality, then you need to be prepared to put in even more effort.

"Go find a cheaper substitute that works just as well. Communication Jade Tokens must be inexpensive, cheap enough that a Qi Refining cultivator can afford one after gritting their teeth and scrimping for a month or six. With your price set there, even if other artifact refiners copy the idea, their prices will only be higher because of their costs, and only wealthier cultivators will be able to afford them. Of course, they'll still have customers, but you'll always be the winners, because the size of a product's customer base determines its lifespan."

Suoluo and Qiye listened in a daze. Qiye could not help exclaiming, "Heavens, how... how are you so clever?"

Though there were still some things they did not quite understand, both felt their spirits surge. They understood very clearly that Chi Yu was talking about something terrifying and extremely incisive.

They were cultivators, after all. Though they did not understand everything, their memories were more than up to the task. Qiye quickly took notes on a jade slip, recording everything Chi Yu said without missing a single sentence.

Suoluo said solemnly, "We'll look for a cheaper substitute. We'll definitely keep the price down."

Chi Yu thought for a moment and said, "Take Qi Refining and labor costs into account too. You need to keep the final cost down to 100 low-grade spirit stones and sell it for 200 low-grade spirit stones. A Qi Refining cultivator could afford one after gathering spiritual plants for a month or two."

"100 low-grade spirit stones?!" Qiye sucked in a breath. "That's far too..."

Chi Yu said firmly, "That's your advantage!"

"I understand! We'll get it down to 100 low-grade spirit stones," Suoluo said.

"Wait." Chi Yu remembered something and took five Top-Grade Spirit Stones out of his Sumeru Ring. He said to Suoluo, "Aren't you short of money? Consider these spirit stones my investment. You need research and development funds, after all. But even brothers should keep their accounts straight. I want a stake in this business. If it fails, I'll consider my investment money down the drain. If it succeeds, I want one-third of the shares-that means dividing the money you earn into three portions, with one portion going to me."

Suoluo and Qiye stared at the Top-Grade Spirit Stones, their eyes transfixed. Qiye grinned from ear to ear. "Of course. Absolutely! But one-third is far too little. You should get at least half."

Chi Yu smiled. "Never mind half. One-third is in keeping with the natural order. After all, you brothers will be doing the research and putting in the work. I'm only responsible for providing the funds and throwing money at it. Aside from that, I don't have to do anything. If I took half, over time, someone would eventually feel unhappy about it-don't deny that. It's human nature too."

Suoluo and Qiye nodded respectfully, accepting the spirit stones without daring to raise any further objections.

Though they were both quite talented, they came from humble backgrounds, and reaching the golden core had taken them over a hundred and eighty years. They were over a hundred years old. A year ago, if someone had told them they would bow in submission to a teenage brat, neither would have believed it, not even under pain of death.

Yet something so bizarre had happened all the same.