Chapter 170: The Four "Dong" Coins
"So that Snow Empress has indeed run off?"
Within the Pope's bedchamber, Qian Xunji opened his eyes. As a Limit Douluo, he possessed tremendous stamina; going a full month without sleep posed no real problem. He could distinctly sense a supremely holy energy fluctuation moving away from Spirit City at a neither-fast-nor-slow pace. Apart from the Snow Empress—who'd been infused with Angel God power—no one else could have that sort of energy aura and travel with such speed.
"Husband, from what you said, the Snow Empress is a being formed entirely of the purest ice-attribute energy born of heaven and earth. She isn't truly human, soul beast, or a transformed beast. She doesn't need to eat or drink."
"If she just avoids contact with people all the way back to the Extreme North, won't your plan fail completely?"
Beneath the blankets, Ah Yin's long, azure hair spread over the gauzy nightgown she wore. The gown was lacy and sleeveless; under it, she wore nothing else. Her fair, supple figure was pressing down one of her arms and a leg.
"That's impossible. Even if she has the mental strength of a Limit Douluo to keep her bearings and avoid getting lost, her energy isn't endless. She'll still need to find somewhere safe to rest and deal with the dirt on her. Then she's bound to search out a human village, where she'll run into bandits or single men."
"And if by some chance she has extraordinary luck and encounters only goodhearted folks, there's still one barrier she'll never cross."
"Which one?"
"The town of Slaughter, the gateway to the Slaughter City."
That settlement also lay in the north, though not as far as the northern edge of the Douluo Star like the Extreme North. A place known as paradise for criminals on the continent, the Slaughter City was promoted for countless years by Spirit Hall—and by villains themselves. If you couldn't survive anywhere else, yet desired total freedom, you went to the Slaughter City. Its law-enforcement squads, around a hundred or so, were all Soul Sages, Soul Contras, and even Title Douluo-level experts—which showed the lure of that place.
All Soul Sages, excluding those from Spirit Hall or major sects and the two empires combined, numbered fewer than two hundred. If the Snow Empress wanted to travel to the Extreme North, she'd inevitably pass through the town of Slaughter. There, she'd face an onslaught of hundreds, and that would be precisely when Qian Xunji would "come to her rescue."
In any event, he wouldn't let the Snow Empress return to the Extreme North. If she did, whom would he find for his experiment in yin-yang complementary twin soul cores? Doing it by himself—compressing soul power into a solid core stabilized within his body—carried the risk of death if it failed. With a ready-made subject right there, who would choose to attempt it personally?
A month later.
Spirit Hall.
Upon receiving Qian Xunji's letter agreeing to the transaction, Ning Fengzhi promptly set out with Sword Douluo for Spirit City. Both men held Honorary Elder titles in Spirit Hall, so they were ushered into the discussion hall, served the finest tea, and told to wait patiently.
Before long, the hall doors opened, and Qian Xunji walked in, dressed as he always did—in platinum robes, long hair flowing down his back, exuding a gentle aura that put no pressure on anyone.
"Ning Clan Chief, Sword Douluo, it's been a while."
"Greetings to Your Holiness, the Pope."
Almost a decade had passed since the gathering of the three upper sects at the Clear Sky Clan, when Qian Xunji had brought his family there. Over these ten years, Ning Fengzhi had grown ever more composed, exuding the poise of a mature man. As for Qian Xunji, his appearance was unchanged, still young-looking despite being well over seventy, appearing only in his early twenties. Sword Douluo's appearance hadn't altered either, but he felt Qian Xunji had become utterly unfathomable. Though the Pope radiated no pressure, Sword Douluo sensed a gulf like heaven and earth—like facing a dying father about to depart.
After an exchange of pleasantries, Ning Fengzhi cut to the matter at hand. With concern in his voice, he asked, "Your Holiness, can that immortal herb, the Qiluo Tulip, really enable our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's spirit to evolve into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?"
"The Qiluo Tulip is dignified and magnificent. Consuming it allows one to absorb the essence of heaven and earth and the glow of sun and moon. Since the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is itself a treasure-type spirit, with the help of the Qiluo Tulip, the two should enhance each other. There is indeed hope it can break through its limitations and evolve into the legendary Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. However…"
Ning Fengzhi immediately pressed, "Your Holiness, however what?"
"In the later stages, the Qiluo Tulip lost a portion of its medicinal potency due to poor storage. Whether it can evolve the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to the Nine Treasure level, I can't guarantee."
Ning Fengzhi looked distressed, though inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief. Good—his daughter had an Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, not the Seven Treasure Pagoda. His covert arrangement with Bibi Dong remained, indeed, the wisest decision he ever made! But he refrained from telling Qian Xunji, hoping to use it as a bargaining chip.
Qian Xunji saw the cunning old fox's vexed expression and guessed he likely didn't know the Shrek Seven were reincarnators, or about the incident at the Soto Great Spirit Arena where Qianrenchuan beat them. Still, that speculation scarcely mattered. He'd long since dispatched two Title Douluo to guard against any assassination attempt by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan or the Clear Sky Clan.
Ning Fengzhi sighed. "Your Holiness, what's the price for the Qiluo Tulip? Whether or not it lets our clan's pagoda evolve, we'll have to trust our luck."
Qian Xunji held up four fingers. "Clan Chief Ning is an old customer, and Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan have always been on good terms. I'll give you a twenty-percent discount. The Qiluo Tulip will be priced at four 'Dong.'"
Ning Fengzhi blinked. "Your Holiness, what do you mean by four 'Dong'?"
"One 'Dong' is what I received back then from your clan's previous sect master as the price for Bibi Dong. Simply put, one 'Dong' is one Bibi Dong's value. Four 'Dong' means four times that. As for the four copies of Distraction Control, let's replace them with fifty million gold spirit coins."
Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitched at hearing this new "currency." Long ago, one Bibi Dong meant five hundred million gold spirit coins, plus three major luxurious commercial streets in Heaven Dou City, plus one copy of Distraction Control. Four 'Dong' would thus be a total of two billion fifty million gold spirit coins plus twelve luxury commercial streets. But where could one even find twelve such streets? Outside Heaven Dou City and Star Luo City, no other place was that developed.
Even for the fabulously wealthy Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, that sum represented generations of the Ning Family's hard-earned business across the continent. It would be nearly impossible to pay unless they emptied everything, even at a discount.
"Your Holiness, that price is really too steep. If this Qiluo Tulip only manages to evolve our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda into an Eight Treasure Pagoda, then our clan will have no extra assets left to try purchasing a second Qiluo Tulip."
Qian Xunji rubbed his chin as though thinking it over. "All right. If the Qiluo Tulip can't upgrade your clan's Pagoda beyond Eight Treasures, then next time you purchase one, I'll sell it at one 'Dong'."
"Remember, Clan Chief Ning: don't swallow the Qiluo Tulip directly. Instead, lightly inhale its flower stamen, gradually absorbing its essence into your body, then cultivate soul power step by step, letting the medicinal effect spread throughout your limbs and bones. That way, you'll get the greatest benefit from this immortal herb."
Ning Fengzhi found himself at a loss to keep haggling. Qian Xunji had even told him how to use the Qiluo Tulip for maximum effect—how could he push the price any lower?
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