Chapter 77: The Spiritual Treasure Pearl of the Southern Sea

Ling Chi hurriedly returned the greeting, lest anyone accuse Zhao Qing of having taught an ill-mannered disciple.

“The Sixth Young Master’s reputation for martial prowess is known far and wide throughout Crane County, and after last night’s battle, your name echoes in all directions. My congratulations to Master Zhao, and to the Sixth Young Master as well.”

“Indeed, as merchants, so long as we bear the banner of the Seven Stars Martial Hall, our goods pass freely through these lands—no petty thieves dare trouble us here.”

The merchants vied with one another in their flattery.

Outwardly, Ling Chi responded with polite smiles, but inwardly he was sizing these sly traders up, wondering just how much their glittering jewelry was worth. Should he perhaps relieve them of it someday?

After a round of feigned pleasantries, Ling Chi made an excuse about needing to treat his injuries and tried to slip away, but Zhao Qing’s sharp glance kept him rooted in place.

Cui Zhongsheng and the other merchants, not fools, realized there was serious business to be discussed and promptly took their leave.

Once only three remained, Zhao Qing turned to the young woman. “Miss Wei, please speak freely. There is no one else here.”

“Young Master Ling, I am Wei Xuan of the Wei family of Shengzhou.”

The girl in green placed her hands at her waist and bowed.

Her manner was unmistakably that of someone raised in a great family—no nouveau riche clan like the He family could ever produce such refined bearing.

“Greetings, Miss Wei. May I ask what brings you here today?”

The Wei family of Shengzhou? Weren’t they the ones who bought the Water Fiend? So they’ve come knocking? Ling Chi covertly studied her.

“Young Master Ling is indeed forthright. As I told Master Zhao, I have come to propose a transaction with you and your master.”

Wei Xuan’s lips formed a practiced 45-degree smile as she revealed her intentions.

A transaction? As Brother Pheasant would put it, more like a mating arrangement.

Ling Chi had little fondness for this family. He hadn’t taken action against them only because he was still growing in strength, and had no wish to get entangled with them yet.

But his master had kept her here for a reason.

“Go on, my master and I will consider it,” Ling Chi replied nonchalantly.

“I know that, because of the incident at Qianshan Town, you do not look kindly on my family. But this proposal is truly a win-win situation.”

Ling Chi idly traced the rim of his teacup, giving no hint of assent, signaling for her to continue.

“My family has a three-hundred-year history, divided into main and branch lines. In recent years, the main branch has waned in strength. Ever since my father disappeared a month ago, my grandfather has borne the burden alone.”

“As for the branch line, they have risen swiftly thanks to a mysterious corpse-controlling technique. I even suspect my father fell victim to their schemes. I only began to suspect them after I discovered, by chance, that my elder brother could control corpses.”

At the mention of corpse control, Ling Chi’s eyes flickered, but he exchanged only a subtle look with Zhao Qing, letting Wei Xuan continue.

“Master Zhao’s fame resounds in every quarter, and Young Master Ling’s reputation has soared, especially after last night’s battle. I hope to enlist your aid at a crucial moment to help my grandfather rid our house of traitors.” Wei Xuan looked pitiful as she spoke.

Ling Chi believed perhaps half her words, if that. In the end, it was just a power struggle between the main and branch lines of a wealthy clan—dressing it up as ‘eliminating traitors’ was just a nice way of saying ‘seizing power’. He hardly thought Wei Xuan was some innocent bystander.

Hadn’t the main branch ever suppressed the branch before their rise?

But such thoughts couldn’t be voiced. Ling Chi glanced at Zhao Qing, waiting for his master to speak first.

After a brief silence, Zhao Qing asked, “Can you truly represent the main branch? And why travel so far for help, instead of seeking it closer to home?”

This interested Ling Chi as well, though not as much as some other details.

Wei Xuan replied at once, “I speak for my grandfather—the family head’s token is in my hands. As for seeking aid from afar, you may not know, but my brother Wei Ming has established a vast network of spies throughout Shengzhou. I had no choice but to flee to Crane County for outside help, as my grandfather advised.”

Zhao Qing nodded, accepting the answer, then gestured for Ling Chi to ask his own questions.

“With your brother’s web of informants, how did you manage to come here unnoticed?” Ling Chi went straight to the heart of it—he wanted to know what skill she possessed to evade so many eyes.

“I have my methods. To my brother, I am still at home, never having left. The one who left was a mere maidservant of no account,” Wei Xuan replied, her chin tilted with pride.

A substitute, no doubt trained in secret since childhood—otherwise, her brother would never have been fooled.

This woman had her own cunning, as expected from a true scion of a great family.

And this was only one of the clans of Weizhou, one of the thirteen states of the Northwest. Who knew what monsters lurked in those lineages that had endured a thousand years?

“What strength does your brother possess?” Ling Chi continued.

“Wei Ming is only at the fifth stage of Qi Sea, but he controls at least one corpse of the same level. My grandfather suspects a master is teaching him the art of corpse control, which is why he dares not act rashly.”

“What do we get in return?” This was what Ling Chi cared about most—the core question.

Wei Xuan let out a breath of relief. That question meant they were interested; she was confident what her grandfather offered would tempt any practitioner at this level.

“Southern Sea Spirit Pearl.”

“Two of them!”

Wei Xuan parted her red lips and named her price. Whether the deal succeeded now depended on their counteroffer.

Zhao Qing’s brow twitched, his heart skipping a beat.

Southern Sea Spirit Pearls.

They sounded unimpressive, but their effect was enough to make many late-stage Qi Sea practitioners risk everything.

According to the Chronicles of Mountains and Rivers, these pearls served a single purpose: to increase the chance of forming a Spirit Pearl at the peak of Qi Sea, and to heal the body.

For a martial artist like Zhao Qing, trapped in the Qi Sea stage for years, their allure was great.

He had searched for them over the years, but always in vain—even Cao Hubao had been seeking them in secret.

Yet Zhao Qing betrayed no emotion, knowing that would be fatal in a negotiation. He was no novice, after all.

Ling Chi, hearing the offer, instantly knew his master was tempted. The terms fit Zhao Qing perfectly.

“Not to belittle your family, but if you truly had such treasures, wouldn’t your grandfather use them himself? Why send you to offer them to outsiders?”

“And frankly, your family can’t hold on to such items,” Ling Chi said, the corners of his mouth lifting as if he saw through her.

“These two pearls were obtained by my great-grandfather, who never reached the ninth stage of Qi Sea and left them to my grandfather, who is only at the seventh stage. Only my grandfather and I know of them. He meant to pass them to my father before his death, but…” Wei Xuan trailed off.

Zhao Qing gave Ling Chi a look, signaling him to accept. Ling Chi understood.

“Four,” Ling Chi said boldly, naming an exorbitant price.

Zhao Qing’s heart skipped a beat—was this rascal trying to scare her off?

Only two? Ling Chi didn’t believe that. He figured three was fair—after all, his senior brother deserved one too.

It was said these pearls grew inside celestial spirit shells, but not every shell produced them. Thus, they formed a rare commodity, even used as currency in some parts of the Southern Sea.

Ling Chi suspected Wei Xuan’s great-grandfather had found a spirit shell and harvested several pearls—certainly more than two.

“Done,” she agreed.