Chapter 1041: Chapter 1041: The Handwriting of the Ning Family

“You’re asking Mountain Master Feng to make a move? Someone from the Ning Family scoffed, “Are you kidding me? He’s just at the early stage of Detachment! Can he defeat Hong Zhu?”

“You’re not right to say that,” said the one who made the suggestion, speaking earnestly, “He may not be able to defeat her, but he can invite Master Busheng to act!”

After hearing this, everyone from the Ning Family fell silent, and it took a while before someone nodded, “That might be worth a try!”

Feng Jun stood atop Mount Zhige, frowning at the snow accumulated in a hollow on the mountain.

Spring had arrived, and the snow was melting, but the snow in the hollow remained, which had him anxious–for it to melt quickly.

Once all the snow was gone, he planned to dig up another batch of “Spirit Stones in the process of condensation.”

Then, the seasons on both sides would be more or less in sync, and his obsessive-compulsive disorder would improve too.

Just then, Lang Zhen arrived with news that two more Detachment-stage members of the Ning Family were requesting an audience at the mountain gate.

Feng Jun didn’t invite them in but went out to meet them–he had decided that he would not allow Detachment-stage practitioners into Mount Zhige if he could help it.

However, after meeting the people from the Ning Family, he was still taken aback by their request, “You want me to ask Master Busheng to act?”

“Any other master would do,” spoke an intermediate-level Detachment cultivator from the Ning Family named Ning Zhiyuan, smiling as he spoke, “Mountain Master Feng has extensive connections and friends all over the world, and our Ning Family is really at its wits’ end.”

“Where do I have extensive connections?” Feng Jun said with a helpless smile, “Let’s not talk about others for now, but you’re saying this Hong Zhu, her life-bound Gu isn’t the Giant Millipede Gu… even for a true master, it wouldn’t be easy to make a move.”

Indeed, this was one of the reasons the Ning Family couldn’t invite a Golden Core master; the life-bound Gu of Hong Zhu was a red spider.

The life-bound Gu of a Gu Cultivator is closely related to the cultivator’s cultivation level. Either the Gu advances a stage first or the Gu Cultivator does–it’s one or the other, but the difference in cultivation level between them can be, at most, one stage.

For example, Hao Bin’s life-bound Gu is a Green Rock Centipede, and the branding Gu insect he left on Chu Zhongtian is also a Green Rock Centipede, which plainly indicates his intention to absorb Chu Zhongtian’s cultivation for his own benefit one day.

Absorbing another person’s cultivation to improve one’s own cultivation level is essentially a method used by Evil Cultivators.

Perhaps, as Hong Zhu was of a higher cultivation level, she did not covet the minor cultivation level of Qi Refinement practitioners, and the branding Gu she left was a Giant Millipede Gu, which was not her life-bound Gu.

Even if she absorbed Ning Jianlin’s cultivation, it would only enhance the cultivation level of the Giant Millipede Gu and not benefit her own cultivation level. In this case, if it came to a lawsuit, she could argue her case.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that what she did was right. Enhancing the cultivation of the Giant Millipede Gu also meant bolstering her own capabilities, but anyhow, the reprehensibility of her actions is less severe than the approach of Hao Bin, who enhances his own cultivation level.

If Hong Zhu’s life-bound Gu were the Giant Millipede Gu, perhaps the Ning Family really could have invited a Golden Core master–of course, that’s still just a perhaps.

“Regardless, using people to cultivate Gu is wrong,” said Ning Zhiyuan solemnly, “It’s said that Master Busheng’s disciple suffered at the hands of Gu Cultivators, lying bedridden with illness for seven or eight years, which even hampered the master’s own cultivation… Given Hong Zhu’s wicked actions, we hope Mountain Master Feng can convey this to Master Busheng.”

So this was the Ning Family’s plan–they knew that Ji Buseng had a great resentment towards Gu Cultivators and wanted to request his action.

Of course, their own stature wouldn’t be sufficient, so they needed Feng Jun to speak for them.

Upon hearing this, Feng Jun became somewhat interested. Under these circumstances, if Ji Buseng acted, there might not be any merit points to speak of, but given the cause, he would also not be accused of “bullying the weak.”

However, unfortunately, another Detachment-stage member of the Ning Family spoke, “Mountain Master Feng, Hong Zhu’s actions are truly rampant. While she poses a threat to our Ning Family, her existence is also a hidden danger to Mount Zhige… After all, it was you who saved Jianlin.”

What they said was true, but Feng Jun really didn’t like their tone. He gave the other party a look and asked with a peculiar expression, “Oh dear, in curing your family’s member, was I perhaps mistaken?”

“Mountain Master Feng, that’s not what I meant,” the other person said earnestly, “What I mean is, the conduct of Gu Cultivators is irrational. You were certainly right to heal and save people, but if he doesn’t think so, then it will always be a potential disaster… Why not eliminate it?”

These words sounded slightly better, and Feng Jun’s heart accepted them a bit more–after all, the key issue was indeed the hidden danger.

At that moment, Ning Zhiyuan spoke up again, “Of course, since we are asking for Mountain Master Feng’s help, we will certainly offer something in gratitude, and we have specially brought a small courtyard as a gift… covering a hundred square zhang, we hope Mountain Master Feng can find it useful when traveling.”

This ‘small courtyard’ was not merely a courtyard, but a real, tangible, portable palace.

In actuality, it is a Magic Artifact or Magical Treasure, not limited to that, but also equipped with a defensive formation, Lingzhi Formation, Calming Formation, and others.

Let’s say, if Mountain Master Feng were traveling to Xiqing Mountain and brought along this ‘small courtyard,’ there would be no need to dig out a cave at all. He would simply need to invoke the small courtyard, move in, and that would be it.

Outside there might be raging snowstorms, but inside it would be as warm as spring–the defensive formation is a standard feature, and if there are Lingzhi Formations and others, inside there might be clusters of bamboo or a pond of lotuses, and so on…

In plain terms, it is a tent that a cultivator carries with them–however, only particularly wealthy cultivators can afford it.

Feng Jun had seen a similar product in Tiantong, priced at a starting bid of one hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

Regarding this item, Feng Jun had actually discussed it with Master Xu, a guest elder of Tiantong, who believed that the production cost of the item could be controlled to around thirty thousand Spirit Stones; however, it was absolutely impossible to purchase it at such a price on the market.

This item is a true luxury, something ordinary people don’t need and are reluctant to use–what’s the big deal about carrying it for a couple of days in the wild?

Therefore, it is very normal for Tiantong to sell it for one hundred thousand, and it may even be somewhat undervalued–the profit margin for luxury items is far greater than that for necessities.

Don’t be unconvinced, just look at the Earth Realm; take the same handbag, for instance, how much does one cost from the Jiangnan Leather Factory–the one Old Yellow Crane ran off with his sister-in-law? And how much does one from Prada cost?

Honestly, the small courtyard Feng Jun saw in Tiantong was far inferior to the one the Ning Family offered.

In short, this one hundred square zhang courtyard, which equates to one thousand square meters, even has a small building inside. If sold in Tiantong, it would easily fetch at least one hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones.

If sold to Old Man Su at Qiuchen Fang Market’s Canghai Bookstore, it would go for at least two hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones–that guy even dares to sell a Broken Qingluo for one hundred thousand, utterly ruthless.

But when it really comes to cost, maybe forty to fifty thousand Spirit Stones would suffice.

Of course, we can’t calculate it like that, but no matter how you look at it, the Ning Family’s offer of such an item shows considerable sincerity.

In fact, since Ning Jianlin is currently recuperating at Mount Zhige, the previous treatment bill with the Ning Family has not been settled, so it’s as if Feng Jun bought this small courtyard for twelve thousand Spirit Stones.

Regardless of how you calculate it, he came out on top, and he was also reluctant to reject the other party’s kindness.

Generally speaking, Feng Jun’s principle is not to be greedy for cheap bargains, but the temptation of this small courtyard was too great for him–it would be an ultimate show-off asset in the Earth Realm.

Although he keeps a low profile on Earth, the thought of showing off in front of his disciple and women is quite appealing.

Indeed, cultivators should not develop a habit of indulgence, but when good things are right in front of you, to refuse the enjoyment is somewhat overly righteous–he is not an ascetic after all.

After much hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said, “How about this, I will give you guys an additional fifty thousand Spirit Stones. Coupled with the previous treatment fee, let’s consider the small courtyard mine. I will then try to persuade Master Busheng to take action, but I can’t guarantee success.”

When the Ning Family heard this, they couldn’t help but secretly praise him for his generosity!

He could have accepted it for free, and he really wanted to, but still chose to spend Spirit Stones to purchase it. Who wouldn’t like such a cultivator?

As for the price offered by Feng Jun being on the low side, that’s only too normal. In such a situation, how could one possibly calculate using market prices?

An intermediate-level cultivator from the Ning Family said, “Mountain Master, you are too polite. Such a small courtyard isn’t worth much in Spirit Stones. We, the Ning Family, can manufacture them. If we still take fifty thousand Spirit Stones from you, we would truly be ashamed…”

Guanquan Valley is an alliance of loose cultivators, and it contains many clans with extremely high levels of artifact refining abilities. Recently, Luo Shuchen boasted about Tianxin Platform’s artifact refining level being much higher, mentioning “far higher than Guanquan Valley”.

Regardless of the validity of Luo’s statement, merely being used as a benchmark to compare against attests to the level of artifact-refining in Guanquan Valley.

The Ning Family alone cannot make such luxurious small courtyards, but they have unique technologies at certain irreplaceable stages of production.

This means that several clans collaborate to complete the production of these luxurious small courtyards. Since they are luxury items, production quantities are kept low to avoid disrupting market prices, and when internal settlements among the clans happen, sometimes they use Spirit Stones, and other times they compensate with small courtyards.

By internal welfare pricing, such a courtyard would be estimated to cost just around fifty thousand Spirit Stones or even less. Feng Jun is actually willing to pay sixty-two thousand Spirit Stones for it and also help seek Master Busheng’s intervention, making the Ning Family feel it’s improper.

Of course, the Ning Family could choose not to explain, and Feng Jun would likely remain unaware of this information for some time. However, cultivators have extremely long lifespans, and sooner or later, he would find out.

If it were a reckless cultivator, the Ning Family might have kept silent, but since Feng Jun not only cured Ning Jianlin but also acted so generously, the Ning Family naturally couldn’t take advantage of him on this matter–clans aiming to thrive for generations must act with integrity and cannot rely on deception for long-term survival.

Feng Jun, hearing the clarity of their words, also spoke frankly, “I’m not confident that I can surely persuade Master Busheng. If I accepted the offer from Tianxin Platform now, I might have some assurance, but currently, I have no plans to join Tianxin Platform, so I’m not giving it my all… Being able to purchase it at such a low price already makes me very happy.”

He spoke the truth and from the heart, but the real focus of the two ascendant cultivators from the Ning Family was not there–they were struck by the fact that he didn’t take Tianxin Platform’s Talented Scholars Plaque seriously at all, with his words indicating “currently no plans to join Tianxin Platform”.

Mountain Master Feng is indeed not ordinary in his boldness.

(To be continued, calling for the guaranteed monthly votes of March.)