Chapter 189: Chapter 44: The Qu Family
Qu Qizhong paused here and glanced at Zhang Deming. Seeing no reaction, he continued,
"So, I took one of them and, for the price of an ordinary Tier Two Spirit Nurturing Bead, half-sold, half-gifted it to the Patriarch. I was hoping to seek his protection.
But the strange thing is, after I gave him the bead, the Patriarch went into seclusion for a few days.
I thought he would summon me for questioning as soon as he came out.
But now, more than a month has passed. Not only has the Patriarch made no move, but it’s as if I no longer exist within the family.
No one shows up to freeload anymore, and no one even comes to loiter around the Blue Sky Branch."
Zhang Deming smiled. ’After seeing the name "Blue Sky Branch," how could Qu Qingxian dare to act rashly before confirming the full background of the Blue Sky Alliance?’
Zhang Deming nodded and said, "So you’re saying there are two left?"
Zhang Deming didn’t press the matter. When he had given them to Qu Qizhong, he had said to handle them as he saw fit.
Qu Qizhong nodded. "Yes, there are two remaining."
Zhang Deming continued to ask, "How many Tier One Spirit Nurturing Beads are left in the shop?"
Qu Qizhong paused, thought for a moment, and then said, "Twenty-three."
Zhang Deming said, "Then after you go back, spread the word far and wide. We’ll hold a small auction for one high-quality Tier Two Spirit Nurturing Bead and twenty Tier One Spirit Nurturing Beads."
Hearing this, Qu Qizhong hesitated. "Steward Zhang, how far should I spread this news?"
Zhang Deming smiled. "Just do your best."
Qu Qizhong said, "If we do that, the Blue Sky Branch won’t be able to keep a low profile anymore."
Zhang Deming nodded. "We can’t keep a low profile anymore, so let’s just be loud about it!
After the auction, depending on the situation, we’ll start by controlling sales to a rate of one Spirit Nurturing Bead per day for a few days.
Once we do that, any attempts to control the market will become a joke."
Qu Qizhong said, "But..."
Zhang Deming cut him off. "I know what you’re going to say. Doing this will break their control.
But you’re worried that many major powers will find out about the shop, and the situation won’t necessarily improve, right?"
Qu Qizhong nodded, and Zhang Deming replied, "Just go and do it. I will handle these matters; you don’t need to worry about them.
Besides, how many of the noteworthy powers in Celestial Spirit City don’t know about us already?"
Hearing this, Qu Qizhong nodded.
Zhang Deming asked, "Is there anything else?"
Qu Qizhong said, "No, nothing."
"If not, that’s all for today." Zhang Deming suddenly remembered something and added, "Oh, right. Memorize this."
As he spoke, he waved his hand, and a mass of glowing characters forming a spell slowly materialized in front of Qu Qizhong.
Before Qu Qizhong could ask, Zhang Deming continued, "If you encounter an emergency, you can use this Spell Order to contact me."
Hearing this, Qu Qizhong nodded. He had wanted a way to contact him for a long time.
It was only because Zhang Deming hadn’t mentioned it and he had no way of seeing him that the matter had been delayed.
"Alright, that’s all for today."
With that, Zhang Deming waved his hand, sending Qu Qizhong back, tossing the cluster of text along with him.
Then, with a beckoning gesture, Zhang Deming summoned the starlight speck representing Qu Qingxian.
But just as he was about to tap the speck of light, he paused, thought for a moment, and tossed it back. He then directly exited the Spirit Nurturing Space.
Sitting in his private chamber, a Spirit Nurturing Rune appeared between his brows.
’Rune Summoning: Spirit Nurturing Summoning Technique!’
Zhang Deming opened his palm, and a unique ball of light from the Spirit Nurturing Summoning Technique slowly materialized there.
Zhang Deming contemplated for a moment before activating another Technique.
’Technique: Enhancement Skill!’
From his Dantian, the ’ ’ sign Rune Ball of the Enhancement Skill merged directly into the Rune Ball of the Spirit Nurturing Summoning Technique.
The ball of light in his hand pulsed, its aura strengthening considerably.
Inside the ball of light, there were now two virtual scenes.
One showed an elegant figure quietly sipping tea in a small courtyard.
The other showed a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged in a private chamber, a Water Dragon swimming between his brows, with three Rune Light Balls spinning above his head.
Zhang Deming tapped on the virtual image of the middle-aged man in the chamber, and the ball of light began to surge.
Instead of absorbing the ball of light into his body, Zhang Deming initiated the summoning of a physical Mirror Image for the first time.
When manifesting a physical body, there were usually only two choices for its appearance: his own, or that of the Mirror Image’s main body.
However...
Zhang Deming’s current main body could freely change its true appearance.
Therefore, as the ball of light slowly coalesced, it eventually formed the figure of a middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man’s expression was wooden, completely lacking any spark of life.
At that moment, the Spirit Nurturing Summoning Technique transmitted a piece of profound information, which, translated into plain terms, was:
"Please select: 1. Simulate Mirror Image consciousness (simpler);
2. Call upon the original consciousness of the Mirror Image Replicator;
3. Invest main body’s consciousness."
Without hesitation, Zhang Deming chose the third option.
His vision blurred and shifted. When Zhang Deming’s consciousness entered the body, it became completely solid.
An identical figure appeared in the private chamber.
However, one was sitting with its eyes closed, while the other was standing.
Zhang Deming looked back at his main body, then surveyed himself.
’This Mirror Image Body can switch between a physical form and an Energy Body. In its physical form, without special means, no one would be able to tell that this body is a Summoning Object.’
He sensed it for a moment. This Summoning Object was based on Qu Qingxian.
With the addition of the Enhancement Skill, its strength had already surpassed that of an ordinary Tai Chi Three Lives cultivator, reaching the level of a Peak Tai Chi cultivator.
After sensing for a little longer, he discovered a difference. ’When the Summoning Object is materialized, it can’t use the main body’s other Skills like it can during Fusion.’
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