Chapter 137: Chen Qing's Invitation
Wang Hao watched the man endure the crowd's ridicule for a mont longer. The situation was pitiful.
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a small bag of Spirit Stones onto the stall. "The seed. I'll take it."
He didn't wait for a reaction, turning and vanishing into the bustling market streams before the vendor could even blink.
"Oh, just put it down... wait, what? You want it?" The burly man stared dumbfounded at the heavy pouch in his hand. When he looked up, the mysterious custor was gone.
It wasn't charity. Wang Hao had confird the authenticity of the Void Mulberry Divine Tree seed. Whether he planted it back at the family estate or resold it later, the return on investnt would be astronomical. It was simply good business.
A few days later, Wang Hao and Li Derong departed the shop under the envious gazes of the onlookers, heading for the teleportation array to return to the Qingyuan Market.
Before leaving, Wang Hao had entrusted Wang Yanfeng with three Foundation Establishnt Pills. He instructed him to administer them to Wang Wenyan and the others at his discretion, though he explicitly withheld one from Wang Wenxiu for the ti being—loyalty and performance needed to be verified first.
As for the outstanding debt to the Li family, Wang Hao settled it with two Foundation Establishnt Pills and a sum of Spirit Stones. Li Derong was ecstatic. He had scoured the entire city for news of an auction to no avail, and Wang Hao’s arrival had been like tily rain in a drought.
Li Derong was equal parts grateful and bewildered. The gratitude was obvious; the confusion stemd from how Wang Hao had acquired such precious pills. Wang Hao rely waved it off, citing "business dealings" with the Treasure Clarity Pavilion.
Upon arriving at the Qingyuan Market, Wang Hao asked Li Derong to wait a couple of days while he checked on the Wang family’s local storefront.
Wang Yanzhi was on duty when Wang Hao walked in. Seeing his nephew, he hurriedly excused himself from a custor and rushed over, concern etched on his face. "Wenhao? What are you doing here? Is sothing wrong at ho?"
Wang Yanzhi was unaware of the overseas expedition. Seeing the shop bustling with activity, Wang Hao smiled reassuringly. "Nothing is wrong, Tenth Uncle. I'm just here to make so purchases. The business looks thriving."
At the ntion of the shop, Wang Yanzhi bead, his posture straightening with the pride of a man whose pockets were no longer empty. "Thanks to your blessing, we’re doing well. Since you’re here to buy, go rest in the backyard. Tell what you need, and I’ll send soone to fetch it."
Wang Hao raised a hand. "No need, Uncle. The things I need aren't available to ordinary clan mbers. I have to go personally."
"I understand," Yanzhi said, not prying further. "Oh, before I forget—your friends from the Qingyuan Sect ca by a few days ago asking for you. They left a ssage saying if you arrived, you should find them at the Qingyuan Sect’s shop. Here is the ssage talisman."
Wang Hao took the talisman. "Did they leave a na?"
"One was called Chen Qing, I believe. A Foundation Establishnt cultivator. I didn't dare ask too many questions."
"I thought so," Wang Hao nodded. "I’ll pay them a visit."
Since they had co knocking and they shared a history, it was only polite to respond. He bid his uncle farewell and headed toward the Qingyuan Pavilion.
Walking through the streets, he activated the talisman. His brows furrowed as the ssage played in his mind: an invitation to explore a secret ruin.
He shook his head with a wry smile. "Those two... they tasted sweetness last ti, and now they want another bite."
The ssage warned that the exploration would be highly dangerous. Several other disciples would be joining, which gave Wang Hao pause. He was confident in his survival skills, but his cultivation and experience were still limited compared to seasoned veterans. Ruins were unpredictable, and strangers even more so.
With so many people involved, would there even be enough loot to go around?
His current strategy was to 'turtle up'—to stay low, cultivate safely, and avoid unnecessary risks. The prudent choice was to decline.
Having made up his mind, Wang Hao stepped into the Qingyuan Pavilion.
After stating his business to the attendant, he waited only the ti it took to drink a cup of tea before Chen Qing rushed in, looking flustered but pleased.
"Brother Wang! It has been years. Your cultivation has grown even more profound."
"And yours has improved greatly as well, Senior Sister Chen," Wang Hao replied with a polite smile.
"I can hardly compare to you," she sighed, a touch of genuine envy in her voice. "But this isn't the place to talk. Please, co to my cave dwelling."
Chen Qing was stationed at the market, so her residence was nearby. It was a modest but elegantly appointed space.
"It's a bit simple; please don't laugh, Brother Wang," she said as she deactivated the defensive wards and ushered him inside.
"If this is simple, Senior Sister, then my ho is a hole in the ground."
They sat, and Chen Qing brewed a pot of spirit tea. After the requisite small talk, she cut to the chase. "I assu you received the ssage. What are your thoughts on the exploration?"
Wang Hao set down his cup. "Senior Sister Chen, I don't an to be evasive, but if this is a joint operation by Qingyuan Sect disciples, why invite an outsider like ?"
"Because you have exceptional qualities," Chen Qing said frankly. "You advance quickly, but more importantly, you have achieved success in Body Cultivation. The ruin is located in an ancient battlefield surrounded by fierce Astral Winds. Ordinary cultivators can't withstand the pressure, but for you, it would be trivial. Furthermore, we will need brute force to breach certain formations."
"Is that the only reason?" Wang Hao pressed. "Surely the Qingyuan Sect has its own Body Cultivators."
Chen Qing shook her head. "Not many at the Foundation Establishnt level. There are a few, but we aren't close with them. To invite them would require heavy paynts that would eat into our profits. We've already spent a fortune buying the intelligence for this ruin with Senior Sister Du. If we dilute the shares too much, we'll have worked for nothing."
"Senior Sister Du?"
"Du Xiandie. I introduced you to her last ti."
Wang Hao’s interest piqued. "She is going as well?"
"Yes. We bought the information together. My Senior Brother and I don't have high status in the sect, so we rely on Senior Sister Du's network. She is currently refining special artifacts to break the ruin's arrays, while my brother is attempting to break through to the third layer of Foundation Establishnt. Finding the remaining personnel fell to ."
Chen Qing laid it all out with refreshing candor. It sounded like a standard, high-risk, high-reward dungeon dive.
"If you agree, we follow standard rules: individual finds belong to the finder; group finds are split evenly. As initiators, we have first pick, but if loot is scarce, those who receive items must compensate the others with Spirit Stones. You won't go ho empty-handed."
The terms were fair. Wang Hao fell silent, weighing the scales.
Last ti, Chen Qing and Chu He had helped him secure the Mystic Yin Fruit without hesitation, and the introduction to Du Xiandie had been invaluable. He owed them a solid favor. While Chu He claid to owe him, Wang Hao had walked away with the alchemical furnace—the most valuable item from their previous venture. It had been an equal trade, which ant the debt of gratitude for their help remained on his side.
Seeing his hesitation, Chen Qing added, "There is no rush. We need about a year to prepare the artifacts and master the formations. You can take your ti to consider."
Wang Hao nodded slowly. A year was a long ti—enough to solidify his current gains. And repaying a debt was important for his Dao heart.
"Very well. I need to return to my family for a ti regardless. I will return in one year to give you my final answer."
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