"Chen San, let ask you sothing," Gao Fei intentionally lowered his voice, "Do you know where to find athyst?"
"Ah?" Chen San was startled, "Athyst... is the highest-level cultivation resource, and it has been monopolized by the major powers a long ti ago... you absolutely can't find it on the market..."
"You've used athyst to cultivate before, right?"
"I have."
"How did it feel?"
"Incredibly good, not hiding anything from you sir, ever since I used athyst, I've looked down on other cultivation resources... I dream about athyst every day."
"I'm the sa," Gao Fei nodded, "Athyst is all I can think about now, cultivating with athyst is just so fast."
"Ah..." Chen San sighed, "To get athyst, you need to perform well and make achievents, then the superiors will reward you with athyst."
Gao Fei shook his head, "Relying on rewards from superiors is just a drop in the bucket, it's nowhere near enough."
"Then what do we do?" Chen San asked with a bitter smile.
"If it cos down to it, just rob!"
"Rob? Where would we rob from?"
"Rob anyone who has athyst."
"Sir, you must be joking with ?"
"Does it look like I'm joking?"
"Sir! We can't do that, it's too dangerous, if anything goes wrong, the consequences are unthinkable."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" countered Gao Fei with a huff.
"I... I don't know..." Chen San said with a bitter smile as he shook his head, "I'm not smart enough to co up with a good idea."
"If you can't think of a better idea, then listen to mine," Gao Fei said, "For the sake of getting athyst, even taking so risks is worth it."
Chen San opened his mouth, wanting to say sothing, but after seeing Gao Fei's serious expression, he swallowed his words back. Gao Fei was too excited now, persuasion would definitely be futile, better to wait a couple of days to talk him out of it.
Just then, Liu Qing ca over from afar, clad in shiny armor with a long saber hanging at his waist, his walk full of vigor and grandeur.
"Sir, when did you finish your closed-door cultivation?" Liu Qing asked.
"Just finished," Gao Fei scanned Liu Qing from top to bottom, "You look quite smart in your armor, kiddo."
"Compared to you, sir, I'm far behind; everyone knows you're the most handso man in the barracks."
"Haven't seen you for a few days, and your bootlicking skills have improved."
"No, I wasn't flattering, I'm speaking from the heart!"
...
"Oh dear, look at my mory, almost forgot the main issue." Liu Qing slapped his forehead, "Ding Runqiu has been here, ca several tis, but the sir was in closed-door cultivation so I sent him away, and today he has co again..."
"Ding Runqiu?" Gao Fei was puzzled, "Who is Ding Runqiu?"
"Ding Dalin's father."
"Oh, it's him. What does he want?"
"He's here to offer you an apology."
"Fine, let him co over then. I'm free anyway, might as well et him."
...
Before long, Ding Runqiu arrived, dressed in extravagant clothing and wearing a hat adorned with gold threads. His figure was corpulent, and his gait swayed, making him resemble a pig.
"Your humble servant pays respects to the official. May you forever enjoy youth and a life of prosperity and wealth," Ding Runqiu bowed to an angle of ninety degrees toward Gao Fei, his attitude extrely respectful.
Gao Fei sized up Ding Runqiu: "Are you Ding Dalin's father?"
"Yes."
"What do you want with ?"
"My son was naive in the past and offended you. I have co especially to apologize. Please, I ask for your forgiveness…" As he spoke, Ding Runqiu took a paper from his bosom and respectfully handed it to Gao Fei: "This is a small token of my sincerity.
I hope you will kindly accept it." Before, Ding Runqiu never took Gao Fei seriously as he had the backing of Ding Dalin, but now that Ding Dalin was dead and Gao Fei had beco a Chiliarch, Ding Runqiu was finally scared. He feared Gao Fei would settle scores with him, so he took the initiative to apologize, hoping to obtain Gao Fei's forgiveness.
"What's this?" Gao Fei looked at the paper he received. It was a list of gifts densely filled with many items, such as fifty thousand taels of gold, one hundred thousand taels of silver, one hundred pearls, ten pieces of agate… all valuable treasures.
With a face full of smiles, Ding Runqiu asked, "Is the official satisfied?" Ding Runqiu had indeed made great efforts to please Gao Fei, bringing out treasures he had stored up for many years.
To lose treasures was certainly painful, but for the sake of one's life, one had to let go. No matter how fine the treasures, they were not as important as life itself.
"The items are not bad," Gao Fei flicked the list of gifts. "It is evident you have spent a great deal."
"As long as the official is pleased…"
"I am a Cultivator. What use do I have for gold and silver? And these pearls, agates, Jade Ware… they look beautiful and valuable but are of no use to ."
"Ah… no…" Ding Runqiu's forehead broke out in a cold sweat: "I also have so Spirit Stones… if the official needs them… I can bring them to you…"
"Spirit Stones?" Gao Fei raised an eyebrow. "How does a re mortal like you co by Spirit Stones?"
"My son gave them to ," Ding Runqiu replied cautiously. "I was keeping them for him… now that my son is gone, those Spirit Stones are no longer needed."
"How many Spirit Stones are there?"
"A few thousand…"
"A few thousand? That's quite a lot!" Gao Fei laughed.
"If the official needs them, I can go back and fetch them right away," Ding Runqiu said, nodding and bowing.
"Do you have any athyst in your possession?" Gao Fei inquired.
Ding Runqiu was startled: "Athyst?"
"Yes," Gao Fei nodded. "Do you have any?"
"Uh… I don't have any… but…" Ding Runqiu's expression was hesitant, as if he had sothing difficult to say.
"But what?" Gao Fei pressed for an answer. "Speak up! Don't hem and haw."
"A few months ago, Dalang ntioned sothing to ..." Ding Runqiu's face took on a reflective look: "Dalang said... Cao Buwei, Lord Cao, inadvertently discovered an abandoned Purple Crystal Mine, and they dug out many athysts from deep within the mine…"
"Is that so?" Gao Fei's eyes lit up. "What happened after that?"
"Cao Buwei hid the athyst he dug up. In order to keep my son quiet, he deliberately gave my son more than a dozen pieces of athyst, which my son later used up."
"Did Ding Dalin tell you how many pieces of athyst Cao Buwei dug up in total?"
"It seems he did ntion it… it's been too long, I can't rember. Let think… was it a few hundred pieces? Or a few thousand? It should have been a few hundred!"
"A few hundred pieces?" Gao Fei's eyes widened: "Are you sure?"
"It should be correct!" Ding Runqiu nodded with certainty.
"Did Ding Dalin tell you where Cao Buwei hid the athyst?" Gao Fei asked eagerly. Damn it, Cao Buwei's luck was too good, wasn't it?
"He did ntion it," Ding Runqiu nodded. "My son said... Cao Buwei hid the athyst in the ancestral house..."
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