CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36: UNEXPECTED PRIZE, PURCHASING A SHOP

The Spirit Stone in hand is noticeably smaller than the ones usually seen, and its luster is more radiant, with spiritual power that can’t be compared to a low-grade Spirit Stone.

Fu Changsheng was both surprised and delighted:

"It’s actually a Middle-Grade Spirit Stone!"

A Middle-Grade Spirit Stone can be exchanged for one hundred low-grade Spirit Stones at the marketplace, but since Middle-Grade Spirit Stones are rare, they often can be exchanged for ten more low-grade ones above the market price.

That is to say.

This time in the lottery.

He suddenly obtained two thousand two hundred low-grade Spirit Stones!

This, to him, was undoubtedly a considerable sum.

Fu Changsheng was initially worried that he might not have enough Spirit Stones to purchase a store, but now it seemed almost manageable:

"Today is quite lucky, perhaps I should exchange for more intelligence."

Thinking this way.

He exchanged all the remaining clan contribution points for intelligence.

However.

The eight pieces of intelligence were all inconsequential information, and he warned himself silently: "In the future, I should seize the opportunity when it’s good enough, and not be too greedy."

Putting the Spirit Stones into the storage bag.

Clad in the Invisibility Cloak, he immediately left Luofeng Mountain and headed for Nanyang Marketplace.

...

Celestial Dragon Tribe.

Inside the camp.

Chief Rong was discussing important matters with the elders:

"Chieftain, the Niuteng Tribe, relying on having one more Foundation Establishment cultivator than us, is increasingly dismissive of us. They’ve even hunted in Mount Qicang, and killed Yakui, who was the most talented in cultivation among our tribe. This feud cannot go unaddressed, or in a few years, won’t they be defecating on our heads....."

While speaking.

Suddenly, there was the sound of urgent footsteps outside.

A man dressed as a wizard lifted the curtain and walked in:

"Chieftain, something terrible has happened, Yasang’s Life Soul Lamp has gone out!"

"What?!"

Chief Rong was momentarily stunned.

The wizard responsible for the Life Soul Lamp repeated himself.

Chief Rong looked incredulous:

"Yasang was clearly at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, and Fu Changsheng is only at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer. It’s one thing to slip up, but how could Fu Changsheng, that bastard, kill him in return?! How could this happen!"

Chief Rong could hardly accept this fact.

The elders, realizing the situation, were one by one filled with indignation, slamming their hands on the table:

"Chieftain, first Fu Changsheng killed the third brother, and now he’s killed the third brother’s only heir. This little bastard cannot be allowed to remain, I’ll personally step out this time. I don’t believe it; with my Peak Qi Cultivation achievement, he can still escape from my grasp!"

Everyone agreed.

Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer being killed by a Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer.

The Celestial Dragon Tribe had never suffered such humiliation.

After calming down, Chief Rong knocked on the table:

"This grudge against the Fu Family must be avenged, but it’s not the time yet. The immediate concern is to demand justice for Yakui from the Niuteng Tribe."

...

Fu Changsheng went into Nanyang Marketplace and went straight to Hundred Treasures Pavilion. As expected, he saw a large sign with "Thriving Shop for Sale" hanging outside.

The shelves inside the shop were already cleared.

When Fu Changsheng entered, there was only a servant at the counter, who waved his hand upon seeing Fu Changsheng, saying: "Customer, everything from our Hundred Treasures Pavilion has been sold out, I apologize."

Because it was no longer in operation.

The servant’s attitude was quite indifferent.

Fu Changsheng said:

"Call out your shopkeeper."

What business does he have with the shopkeeper?!

The servant was about to say something, considering that Fu Changsheng looked younger than him, but upon sensing it, realized Fu Changsheng had a higher cultivation, already at the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation. Immediately, he did not dare to be slow, quickly coming out from behind the counter:

"Customer, I apologize, but our shopkeeper has instructed that the shop is no longer in business."

Fu Changsheng pointed at the signboard hanging at the entrance.

The servant was stunned for a moment, then looked at Fu Changsheng in disbelief, thinking how the young man in front of him wanted to purchase a shop. Oh my, it’s truly a case of different destinies, making the servant feel quite envious in his heart, but his attitude became even more humble:

"Please have a seat, I’ll go and get the shopkeeper for you right away."

After a while.

The curtain swayed.

A middle-aged man came out, none other than Shopkeeper Liu.

Shopkeeper Liu smiled cheerfully, cupped his fists and said to Fu Changsheng: "The servant mentioned a young man was looking for me, I was guessing who it could be, turns out it’s Fu Clan Leader, please, let’s talk in the backyard."

Although the backyard was not large.

It had two main rooms, and three side rooms on each side, as well as ear rooms for the servants to live in. There was a Silver Mulberry Tree planted in the courtyard, which concentrated the scattered spiritual qi from the surrounding air, making one feel revitalized upon sitting beneath it.

Shopkeeper Liu poured a cup of Five-pointed Tea and handed it to Fu Changsheng:

"This is a new tea from the Southern Border, please try it, Fu Clan Leader. I particularly enjoy its taste, mellow as it enters the mouth, leaving a lingering fragrance in the palate for a long time."

Five-pointed Tea is a Tier One Middle-Grade Spirit Tea.

Fu Changsheng had never tasted it at home.

It seemed running a shop really was profitable.

He took a sip immediately:

The tea entered his mouth.

A warm spiritual qi instantly spread throughout his limbs, comparable to cultivating for several days in the Spiritual Spring Well. Truly deserving of being called a Tier One Middle-Grade Spirit Tea, Fu Changsheng took another sip before speaking:

"Shopkeeper Liu, how are you planning to sell this shop?"

Shopkeeper Liu directly showed a number with his fingers.

Fu Changsheng was taken aback, because the other person only showed a two, and two thousand Spirit Stones were certainly impossible, it dawned on him that it was actually twenty thousand Spirit Stones:

"Shopkeeper Liu, are you kidding?!"

Twenty thousand Spirit Stones is an astronomical number.

Shopkeeper Liu knew the Fu Family had been looted before and most likely couldn’t come up with such a sum, so he didn’t beat around the bush: "Fu Clan Leader, you know my shop is in this location. If you were to lease it, how many Spirit Stones would it cost per year?"

Fu Changsheng really didn’t know.

Because before the Fu Family had been living off a few dozen acres of Spirit Field, they never considered engaging in business, nor did they have the capital.

Shopkeeper Liu smiled and said:

"Three thousand six hundred Spirit Stones a year, meaning, if the shop were rented out for a few years, you’d earn back the capital without doing anything else, and afterward, collecting rent could generate nearly four thousand Spirit Stones annually."

"To be honest, if it weren’t for my urgent need for capital to purchase a shop at Qingyun Marketplace, I’d never part with this shop. The twenty thousand Spirit Stones, I’m being upfront, it’s a fair price, and it’s first come, first served."

Twenty thousand Spirit Stones.

He couldn’t gather that amount no matter what.

Not only for his Fu Family, but it would also be exceedingly difficult for the other three big families to come up with such a large amount of Spirit Stones.

Shopkeeper Liu, holding onto a sliver of hope, said:

"Fu Clan Leader, this Nanyang Marketplace was founded by the Shangguan family’s ancestors, and the shops in the marketplace are almost all owned by the Shangguan family. To do business here, you’d need to pay steep rent. This shop was bestowed to my ancestor by the Shangguan ancestor for saving them, making it unique in this marketplace. If you miss this opportunity, you won’t find it again."

Fu Changsheng was still young.

Before his clan’s misfortune, he never paid attention to such trivial matters, focusing solely on cultivation.

If the shop’s price is as Shopkeeper Liu claims, it would be a good deal, making it worthwhile to buy considering it could pay for itself in a few years.