Making Money

"Xiao Wu, it's time for us to make some money!" After upgrading his Soul Ring to the Hundred-Year Level, Hu Jiu began thinking about how to make money.

Because they hadn't registered Xiao Wu with Spirit Hall, the two of them had been living rather frugally lately.

If not for being Work-Study Students, which had always provided them with a salary, they might have already run out of food.

The two of them were both rather generous with money. Even now, they owed Tang San several Silver Soul Coins.

"Xiao Jiu, just tell me if you're short on money! I still have some here. Take it and use it first." Tang San pulled out a handful of coins from his belt as he spoke.

Of the three, Tang San was currently the richest. Besides receiving one Gold Soul Coin from Spirit Hall every month, he also used his spare time to work at the Blacksmith Shop and earn money. His finances were fairly comfortable.

"Haha, no need, no need. What use would that little bit of money be? It wouldn't last you more than a few days." Hu Jiu refused without a second thought. "I have an idea for making big money."

"Xiao Wu, do you know much about the family backgrounds of Xiao Chenyu and the others?"

"Hmm!" Xiao Wu touched a finger to her lips and lowered her head in thought. "Xiao Chenyu is the son of Nuoding City's City Lord. Liu Long is the son of the City Guard commander. And then there's Ling Feng. He's the son of a Mercenary Group leader."

Hu Jiu had mentioned buying Carrots before, but at that time, his Soul Ring hadn't been upgraded, so he couldn't sell many for much money.

Things were different now. They increased cultivation speed by ten percent. As long as the price wasn't too high, he believed there would be plenty of people willing to buy them.

After all, who wouldn't want to increase their Soul Power a little faster and get into a good academy in the future?

"Hmm. Find some time and bring them over. I'll talk to them." After thinking it over, Hu Jiu nodded.

"Xiao Jiu, are they reliable? Be careful. Your Martial Soul's effect is excellent. Unless you're certain they can be trusted, it's best not to trade with them." Tang San thought things through more carefully and liked to keep a card up his sleeve. Thus, when he heard that Hu Jiu wanted to sell Carrots, he became a little worried.

"It's fine!" Hu Jiu waved his hand. "I'm confident those boys won't cause any trouble. Besides, even if they really leak the effects of my Martial Soul, it won't be a major problem. It's only a ten-percent effect—not enough to make people cast aside their dignity and covet it."

Only then did Tang San relax after hearing Hu Jiu's explanation. "It's good that you understand that."

"Hehe, then I'll go find them tomorrow." A strange smile appeared on Xiao Wu's face. Hu Jiu knew her well enough to realize that she was preparing to fleece them.

For a moment, Hu Jiu began to mourn Xiao Chenyu and the others in advance.

The next day, Xiao Wu indeed brought them over. They were Xiao Chenyu, Liu Long, and Ling Feng.

"Ninth Brother, you wanted to see us?" Xiao Chenyu asked after seeing Hu Jiu.

Ever since they had acknowledged Xiao Wu as their boss, they had also developed a faint sense of awe toward Hu Jiu. After all, during that battle, Hu Jiu had been overwhelmingly impressive. He had defeated Liu Long with a single hammer strike, and he was also a Support Soul Master, which made them respect him even more.

"Hmm!" Hu Jiu nodded and said to the three of them, "I have an opportunity here that can help with your cultivation. It just depends on whether you have the guts to take it."

"Haha, Ninth Brother, stop keeping us in suspense. I, Xiao Chenyu, am not afraid of trouble. Just tell us what the opportunity is!" Xiao Chenyu puffed out his chest and spoke with great boldness.

"Fine. However, this concerns one of my secrets. You need to swear that you won't tell anyone what you see or hear today, including your parents." Hu Jiu tapped on the table, his eyes fixed directly on the three of them.

"Right. Think it over before deciding whether you want to know. If Sister Xiao Wu finds out that someone can't keep their mouth shut, don't blame me for showing no mercy." Beside him, Xiao Wu also wore a resolute expression. This concerned Hu Jiu's safety, so she put on the dignity of a gang leader and sternly warned the three of them.

Xiao Wu's warning was not in vain. At the very least, the expressions of Xiao Chenyu and the other two became serious.

After exchanging glances, Xiao Chenyu nodded first, followed by Liu Long and Ling Feng.

"Swear it." Hu Jiu looked at the three of them indifferently.

"Fine. I, Xiao Chenyu..."

"I, Liu Long..."

"Ling Feng..."

"Swear here and now that I will not reveal a single thing I see or hear here today. Otherwise, may I be struck by lightning and Die a Horrible Death."

Seeing the three of them swear their oaths, a smile appeared on Hu Jiu's face. He said to them, "Haha, actually, it's good for you if no one else knows. You'll understand that soon enough."

After saying this, Hu Jiu stopped keeping them in suspense. He directly summoned his Carrot Spirit and made several Accelerated Cultivation Carrots on the spot.

"Here, try them!" Hu Jiu handed the Carrots to the three of them with complete confidence, also giving one to the drooling Xiao Wu.

He had chosen Xiao Chenyu and the other two only after careful consideration.

First was their character. Based on his real-life investigations and the information in the Original Work, the three of them were fairly reliable when it came to keeping their word. Once they promised something, they would definitely do it. Hu Jiu trusted them in that regard.

The other point was their wealth. Their families were all well-off, placing them among the Rich Person class. Once they confirmed the effects of his Carrots, he believed no one would refuse to spend money to increase their cultivation speed.

Sure enough, after eating Hu Jiu's Carrots with some hesitation and cultivating for a while, their eyes lit up one after another, as if they wanted to pounce on him.

"Don't!" Hu Jiu raised his hand to block them. "Let's make this clear first. I have no interest in men."

"Haha, we know." Xiao Chenyu grinned and glanced at Xiao Wu beside Hu Jiu, waggling his eyebrows at him.

"Why are you looking at me? Xiao Jiu is discussing business with you!" Xiao Wu scolded them fiercely, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Right, discussing business, discussing business. Ninth Brother, name your price. Whatever you say, goes." He was, after all, the City Lord's son. He spoke with great generosity, waving his hand as though he would let Hu Jiu set any price he wanted.

Liu Long and Ling Feng also nodded beside him. They had already experienced the effects of Hu Jiu's Martial Soul. Although a ten-percent increase didn't seem very high, they only realized how much it helped them after actually trying it.

Hearing this, Hu Jiu and Xiao Wu exchanged smiles. He gave Xiao Wu a look, and she raised her head and said to them, "You should all know that Xiao Jiu's Carrots consume Soul Power. The loss of Soul Power delays Xiao Jiu's cultivation speed, so I've decided to sell each Carrot to you for one Gold Soul Coin."

"One Gold Soul Coin. That's a very reasonable price." Xiao Chenyu nodded, accepting the price without the slightest hesitation.

"Ugh..." Xiao Wu instantly realized that she had asked for too little. Damn Rich Person.

"Ninth Brother, give me another one." Xiao Chenyu handed over two Gold Soul Coins, even paying for the one he had eaten earlier.

"Ninth Brother, I'll have another one too."

"I want one as well!"

In just a short while, Hu Jiu had earned six Gold Soul Coins—far more than Tang San made from working.