Chapter 30: Hand It Over

In the Qingyang Market, on the main thoroughfare.

The moment Qin Ming received the sound-transmission talisman from Shopkeeper Liao,

he dropped his current task and rushed without pause to the Juxuan Pavilion.

During this period, the market had been overcrowded, with strangers making up more than half the crowd.

Just as Qin Ming prepared to continue forward,

a large crowd ahead blocked the middle of the main road,

obstructing his path.

The street was filled with cultivating onlookers.

He frowned slightly and raised his eyes to look ahead.

There, an old man and his grandson were kneeling on the ground, bitterly pleading with several young cultivators standing before them.

"My lord, this Azure Water Gold Crystal is a treasure passed down from my ancestors."

"If you offer only one hundred spirit stones, I would rather not make this deal!"

"Please return the gold crystal to me! I beg you!"

The grandson followed suit, sobbing with tears and snot, pleading desperately.

At first glance, Qin Ming found one of those young cultivators extremely familiar.

The person wore a blue robe with golden threads, the mark of a core disciple of the Spirit Feather Sect.

He suddenly remembered.

'Isn't this one of the core disciples who disembarked from the Spirit Feather Sect's Crossing-Abyss Dharma Boat back then?'

Among these people, he seemed to be the leader, yet he had hardly spoken from start to finish.

Instead, a short young cultivator beside him shouted abusively:

"Who told you this is Azure Water Gold Crystal?"

"This is ordinary cold iron; do you think we don't know our goods, old man?"

"Giving you one hundred spirit stones is already generous enough."

"Scram quickly, don't block the way."

Having said this, the short young cultivator, caring not at all how many people were watching,

directly kicked the old man flying far away, rendering him instantly unconscious.

The child's cries immediately became even more piercing.

The short young cultivator paid no heed.

With a grin, he secretly slipped that spiritual ginseng into the hand of the Spirit Feather Sect core disciple.

The surrounding crowd watched this scene

but dared not step forward to intervene, after all, the other party was a core disciple of the Spirit Feather Sect.

Watching this, Qin Ming couldn't help but think to himself:

'Forced buying and selling?'

Having accomplished all this, those young cultivators walked away as if nothing had happened.

"Sigh, how did they provoke this master?"

"Who were those people just now? Why so arrogant and domineering?"

"Jiang Kun, core disciple of the Spirit Feather Sect and son of the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall."

"Simply running amok! No one can control him; this is already the third time this month."

"Within the market, anything they fancy is inevitably snatched."

"Alas, we can't afford to offend them; better to stay far away."

Some people nearby, filled with indignation, hurried over to check on and help up the old man.

Qin Ming shook his head and sighed.

He did not linger.

At the Juxuan Pavilion,

Shopkeeper Liao spotted Qin Ming from afar and greeted him warmly with a beaming smile.

He detected the fluctuation of magic power on Qin Ming's person

and immediately brightened, saying, "Congratulations, Daoist Qin, on breaking through to the middle stage of Qi Condensation; may your immortal path advance further."

Truly a shrewd veteran of the business world.

His smooth talk and flattering rhetoric flowed with perfect ease.

"I heard Gu Gezhu Gu wishes to see me?" Qin Ming asked directly.

Leading Qin Ming upstairs, Shopkeeper Liao replied, "Indeed! The quota for renting a courtyard in the Ruan family compound has been secured by the Gu Gezhu."

"However, whether Daoist Qin can obtain this quota will likely depend on how the negotiations with the Gu Gezhu proceed."

Qin Ming remained silent and nodded.

The Juxuan Pavilion had nine stories in total.

Shopkeeper Liao brought him to the seventh floor.

The door to the innermost private room stood open.

Shopkeeper Liao bowed toward the interior and reported, "Reporting to the Gu Gezhu, Daoist Qin has arrived."

"Let him in," a clear, cold voice sounded from within the room. Qin Ming then stepped inside.

Upon entering the room,

Gu Qingzhao, dressed in plain clothes, was holding a scripture book and reading, showing no intention of rising to greet him.

On the tea table beside him, a stick of spiritual incense burned, its fragrant mist swirling densely.

The scent drifted into Qin Ming's nose, instantly refreshing his spirit and making him feel extremely comfortable.

"Fellow Daoist Gu," Qin Ming took the initiative to greet her.

Only then did Gu Qingzhao set down her book and invite him indifferently, "Please sit, Fellow Daoist Qin."

Hearing this, Qin Ming sat in the chair opposite her.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, I wonder how you came to know Alchemist Su?" Gu Qingzhao did not look at Qin Ming; instead, she picked up her teacup lid and gently stirred the tea as she asked.

Qin Ming was momentarily stunned, unable to figure out what game she was playing.

He had nothing to hide, so he immediately recounted the entire sequence of events regarding how he had met Su Yuqing.

Gu Qingzhao discerned from his words that his friendship with Su Yuqing was merely average.

A trace of disappointment flashed across her brows, so faint it was barely perceptible.

Only then did she speak indifferently, "I heard you want a rental quota for the Ruan Family Courtyard?"

"That's correct. I heard from Shopkeeper Liao that this quota is now in Fellow Daoist Gu's hands; I wonder what price is required to obtain it?" Qin Ming stated directly.

Gu Qingzhao did not answer Qin Ming's question directly but countered, "What kind of price can Fellow Daoist Qin offer?"

"Let's hear it."

"You also know that quotas are currently hard to come by."

Qin Ming pondered for a long while.

Judging from the moment he entered the room to Gu Qingzhao's current reaction,

the other party had originally intended to use Qin Ming's connection to curry favor with Su Yuqing, that young premium-grade alchemist.

But she hadn't expected that Qin Ming and Su Yuqing were merely ordinary friends.

This caused her to lose interest instantly.

As Qin Ming's thoughts turned to this, his heart became clear.

Without offering something genuine, achieving his goal this time would likely be difficult.

"How about premium grade Beast Tooth Rice?"

The moment these words left Qin Ming's mouth,

Gu Qingzhao, sitting opposite him, showed a trace of surprise in her expression.

She set down the scripture in her hand and asked seriously, "Are you saying premium grade Beast Tooth Rice?"

"That's correct. In one year, the Beast Tooth Rice in my spiritual field will be of premium quality," Qin Ming stated with absolute certainty.

She sized Qin Ming up and said, "If that is the case, then it is not impossible."

"If Fellow Daoist Qin adds a clause to the agreement signed previously, increasing the amount of Beast Tooth Rice sold to our pavilion by another twenty percent,"

"then I will sell this quota to you."

Hearing this, Qin Ming furrowed his brows.

He pondered for a long while.

Since he now possessed Xue Huang Mi, this premium grade Beast Tooth Rice would have to be sold sooner or later anyway.

Thus, without further ado, he nodded in agreement: "Deal."

Immediately, both parties signed a supplementary agreement.

Gu Qingzhao took out a jade token and handed it to Qin Ming, saying, "This object is a restriction token representing our pavilion's quota."

"Take this token to the Lingyu Sect's Duty Hall to register and pay the supplementary rent."

"In addition, you must pay an extra three hundred spirit stones, which are not included in the rent."

Qin Ming: "."

The transaction ended.

He left the shop.

Qin Ming examined the jade token Gu Qingzhao had given him; inscribed upon it was the character 'Mirror'.

He made his way all the way to the Lingyu Sect's Duty Hall.

Just as he found someone from the Duty Hall and began to register,

a lazy voice came from behind him: "Hold on!"

Qin Ming turned to look.

It was actually those few Lingyu Sect disciples led by Jiang Kun.

Qin Ming swept his gaze over the several opponents; instantly, an aura of magic power as thick and heavy as a mountain range

blocked his spiritual sense from penetrating.

Without exception, every one of the opponents possessed a cultivation at the late stage of Qi Condensation.

That Jiang Kun was likely even at the peak of the Qi Condensation stage, on the verge of breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

Jiang Kun glanced at Qin Ming: "Qi Condensation level four? Hand over the quota."

PS: Thanks to 'Jiu J' for casting a monthly vote.

(End of Chapter)