Becoming Rich Again

"Fellow Daoist, the inventory has been completed. The total value of these treasures amounts to twenty-seven million nine hundred and twenty thousand jin of spirit stones," Manager Li said, his voice trembling slightly.

In his entire life, he had never seen such an astronomical sum. This was likely the largest transaction he had ever handled. Though the quality of the treasures wasn’t particularly high, the sheer quantity was staggering!

Gu Qingfeng frowned slightly. Only twenty million? That was far too little!

He was dissatisfied. Even if the treasures from the lower realm were of lesser value, given the sheer volume, the total should have easily exceeded a hundred million. Was the Myriad Treasures Pavilion trying to take advantage of him?

"What did you just say?"

Seeing Gu Qingfeng’s frown, Manager Li’s heart skipped a beat.

This man remained utterly unfazed by such an enormous sum—in fact, he seemed displeased! Twenty-seven million jin of spirit stones, and he still thought it was too little? Just what kind of background did this person have?

Could he be from one of the imperial sects?

The more Manager Li thought about it, the more awed he became. With newfound reverence, he repeated, "Young Master, the total is twenty-seven million nine hundred and twenty thousand jin of spirit stones."

Jin!?

Gu Qingfeng suddenly realized—the man had said jin, not liang.

Having spent so long in the Qing Realm, he had grown accustomed to using liang as the unit of measurement—tens of thousands, even millions of liang. But here, they were using jin.

Ten liang equaled one jin!

Which meant these treasures were worth over two hundred million liang of spirit stones!

Spirit stones, after all, were stones, so they were measured by weight rather than counted individually.

Holy shit!

Over two hundred million!

This wasn’t like RMB—the purchasing power of spirit stones was incomparably greater than two hundred million in ordinary currency!

Earlier, he had already learned some basic knowledge from the young man.

When the youth had initially raised a single finger, he had meant one zhu of spirit stones.

Ten zhu equaled one qian, ten qian equaled one liang, and ten liang equaled one jin!

Just imagine how much a single liang of spirit stones could buy!

I’m rich!

This venerable one has finally rejoined the ranks of the wealthy!

Praise the Great Yan Dynasty! Praise the Ten Thousand Demons Kingdom!

Though the Qing Realm was a lower realm, it was like how even rural areas could produce billionaires.

"Young Master, the amount of spirit stones involved is too vast for me to handle alone. I must seek approval from my superiors. Would you be willing to wait...?"

"Fine, go ahead," Gu Qingfeng waved dismissively.

Manager Li hurried off.

A short while later, he returned with an elderly man dressed in purple robes, exuding an immortal aura.

"This old man is Zhao Shilong. Greetings, honored guest. May I ask how you should be addressed?" Zhao Shilong smiled courteously.

Gu Qingfeng observed him discreetly and was inwardly shocked. The man carried an elusive celestial aura—this was a Heaven Origin Realm expert!

Thus, he responded with equal politeness, "This junior is Gu Qingfeng. Greetings, Elder."

Zhao Shilong waved his hand. "Young Friend Gu is too courteous. You are our honored guest—this old man hardly qualifies as an elder."

Respecting elders was a virtue deeply ingrained in Gu Qingfeng’s bones as a man of Huaxia descent.

He replied humbly, "On the path of cultivation, those who achieve more are the seniors. Your cultivation far surpasses mine, so you naturally deserve the title of elder."

Zhao Shilong found the statement slightly odd. Shouldn’t age take precedence? By that logic, if Gu Qingfeng’s cultivation ever surpassed his, what would he call him then?

Of course, as a businessman, Zhao Shilong wouldn’t voice such thoughts aloud.

Had Gu Qingfeng known what Zhao Shilong was thinking, he would have provided the perfect answer.

What else could he call him?

If he liked the man, "old man" would suffice. If not, "old bastard" it was.

Zhao Shilong didn’t waste time on pleasantries and got straight to the point. "Young Friend Gu, the amount of spirit stones involved in this transaction is too large for us to provide immediately. Would you be willing to wait one day?"

"One day?" Gu Qingfeng was slightly puzzled. Could they really gather the funds that quickly?

"To be frank, our Myriad Treasures Trading House is hosting an auction tonight. Once the auction concludes, we will recover a significant sum. Thus, if you can wait just one day, we can settle the payment."

"An auction?" Gu Qingfeng’s interest was piqued. If there was an auction, there might be cultivation manuals or rare techniques. It could be worth attending.

"What are the requirements to participate?"

"An invitation is all that’s needed. Does Young Friend Gu have an interest in the auction?"

"Indeed. I’d like to see what’s on offer."

Zhao Shilong smiled and produced a luminous jade token engraved with the character for "Treasure."

"Young Friend Gu has entrusted us with such a grand transaction—Myriad Treasures Pavilion is deeply honored. This jade token symbolizes our highest regard. Wherever you go, any branch of Myriad Treasures will treat you as a VIP. Please accept it as a token of our appreciation. Additionally, with this token, no invitation is needed to attend the auction."

"My thanks." Gu Qingfeng accepted the SVIP card without hesitation.

"Manager Li, fetch a catalog of the auction items for Young Friend Gu to review."

Manager Li immediately complied and left.

Zhao Shilong then handed Gu Qingfeng a spatial ring.

"Young Friend Gu, this contains fifteen million jin of spirit stones. Please verify the amount."

Gu Qingfeng took the ring, scanned it with his divine sense, and nodded in acknowledgment.

The two then engaged in casual conversation.

After a few exchanges, Zhao Shilong seemed to probe casually, "This old man noticed that while the treasures you’ve brought are numerous, most are of lower grade. Though low-grade items are easier to acquire, I’ve never seen such quantities before. Might Young Friend Gu enlighten me?

Of course, if it’s inconvenient to disclose, you need not answer. This old man is merely curious."

Gu Qingfeng smiled. He was nothing if not straightforward—if asked, he would answer.

"My sect’s elders recently captured a minor realm. I went there to… collect these."

Zhao Shilong couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

His sect elders captured a minor realm? Plundered from another world!?

The Sea of Realms was vast and boundless. Crossing between realms was a feat only Heaven Realm experts could accomplish. And to locate and capture a specific minor realm within that endless expanse? Unless by sheer luck, only a Heavenly Venerate could achieve such a thing!

Could this young man have a Heavenly Venerate backing him!?

In that instant, Zhao Shilong’s gaze toward Gu Qingfeng shifted entirely—now filled with deep reverence.

This man was undoubtedly from an imperial sect! He must not be offended—he must be befriended!

What Zhao Shilong didn’t know was that Gu Qingfeng had absolutely no backing whatsoever. He was simply talking out of his ass.

Moreover, the fact that Patriarch Tianxiang had managed to capture the Qing Realm was indeed sheer luck, combined with the Qing Realm’s own self-destructive tendencies.

Seeing the shock in Zhao Shilong’s eyes, Gu Qingfeng was thoroughly satisfied. When traveling the world, with no one to expose his lies, what better time to boast?

"Might I ask which sect Young Friend Gu belongs to?"

Gu Qingfeng smiled faintly. "A cultivator must rely on himself. Though my cultivation is lacking, I do not flaunt my sect’s name to intimidate others. So, Elder, there’s no need to ask. I deal with you sincerely, regardless of background. Just remember the name Gu Qingfeng."

Upon hearing these words, Zhao Shilong was filled with deep respect.

"What a resolute motto for a cultivator—'unceasing self-improvement'!"