Chapter 22: The Audacious Gambit of Quan Haoqing

The burly man, who was evidently the bandit leader, furrowed his brow, turning his gaze to Quan Haoqing, clearly expecting him to settle the bill.

Quan Haoqing, with an air of grandiosity, produced… four low-grade spirit stones.

The black market innkeeper merely glanced at them before stating, “Not enough. Fifteen low-grade spirit stones.”

Quan Haoqing froze, aware that the inn was a den of extortion, but he had never imagined it to be quite so brazen; the dishes and wine on the table were certainly not worth such an exorbitant sum.

Even the Yuelai Winehouse, renowned for its costly fare, offered value commensurate with its price.

Yet, the bandit leader and his cohorts seemed entirely unfazed, their gazes remaining fixed on Quan Haoqing, evidently intent on fleecing this ‘fat sheep’ for all he was worth.

A mere fifteen low-grade spirit stones was hardly a fortune, and Quan Haoqing certainly possessed them, though he yearned for a more entertaining spectacle.

“I only brought six low-grade spirit stones with me,” he declared.

He then tipped out two more low-grade spirit stones from his storage bag, displaying the now-empty pouch to everyone present.

The expressions of the bandit leader and his gang, who had previously been as brazen as ‘pigs unafraid of boiling water,’ instantly soured.

‘So, you spoke with such bravado just now, lad?’ their faces seemed to scream.

The patrons of the inn turned their attention to the unfolding drama, their eyes gleaming with schadenfreude.

The bandit leader subtly gestured to a lean young man at his side, who immediately understood the unspoken command.

With practiced ease, the lean young man snatched the six spirit stones from Quan Haoqing’s hand, then instructed a companion behind him, “You An, go pay for it.”

You An paused, complaining with clear displeasure, “Always me, isn’t it?”

The lean young man’s expression hardened as he retorted, “This paltry sum will be divided amongst us and returned to you later. What, do you expect our boss to open his purse for such trifles?”

The six low-grade spirit stones that the lean young man had snatched from Quan Haoqing showed no sign of being handed over to You An.

You An cast a surreptitious glance at his boss before lowering his head and turning to settle the bill.

Quan Haoqing, meanwhile, silently observed their reactions, a peculiar glint flickering in his eyes.

Following this, Quan Haoqing was hoisted up like a scrawny chicken by the bandit leader and paraded through the black market, a humiliating spectacle for all to witness.

Along the way, cultivators who saw this scene offered varying reactions: some sneered, some pitied, others gloated, but not a single soul stepped forward to speak on Quan Haoqing’s behalf.

Quan Haoqing, however, remained utterly unperturbed, offering no resistance throughout and even meeting the gazes of the black market denizens head-on, completely devoid of any concern for his reputation.

Perceiving that such tactics were utterly wasted on someone like Quan Haoqing, whose skin was surely thicker than a city wall, the bandit leader did not linger.

He soon arrived at a desolate, uninhabited wilderness, where he unceremoniously tossed Quan Haoqing to the ground.

The burly man finally spoke, “Lad, do you find the geomancy of this place to your liking?”

Quan Haoqing surveyed his surroundings, noting the proliferation of grave mounds and scattered rocks, with only a few withered old trees and tenacious weeds clinging to life amidst the crevices.

Quan Haoqing immediately adopted an expression of profound trepidation, stammering subserviently, “Esteemed Boss, this humble one merely came to introduce a business proposition. Even if a deal doesn’t materialize, friendship can still endure, can’t it?”

The lean young man sneered, “Friendship? We are, of course, men of great camaraderie. Others might simply toss a body into the dirt after a kill, denying them even a proper burial. But we, at the very least, will erect a gravestone for you. Wouldn’t you say we abide by the rules?”

The burly man and the lean young man’s intentions were clear: to exert pressure on Quan Haoqing.

Even if a collaboration were to proceed, they fully intended to maintain absolute dominance.

Wiping away a bead of cold sweat, Quan Haoqing inquired, “That… indeed, you abide by the rules, truly. But I have one question.”

The burly man’s voice boomed like thunder.

“Speak.”

So Quan Haoqing asked, “Does it include an epitaph?”

Everyone present was struck speechless.

‘We kill without batting an eyelid, and you ask if our eyes are sore, is that it?’ their collective silence seemed to convey.

A chill descended upon the burly man’s face as he coldly demanded, “Are you here to mock us? You want an epitaph, do you? We’ll send you to your grave right now!”

“Wait!”

Seeing that they were about to strike, Quan Haoqing hastily called out to stop them.

The lean young man sneered, “Scared?”

“Of course I’m scared; two fists are no match for four hands,” Quan Haoqing responded.

“Besides, I didn’t come here to die. I told you, I’m here to make a deal.”

Quan Haoqing stated with a solemn expression, “A massive deal, in fact. You brought me out here because you were tempted by it, weren’t you? If that’s the case, why resort to such a display of intimidation?”

“Though the valiant heroes within these ten li and eight villages may only be you gentlemen, venturing further afield, I might yet find other collaborators.”

“When a grand opportunity presents itself, one should focus on seizing it, not on flaunting one’s heroism before a sincere negotiator. I’m now uncertain whether you are qualified partners.”

Quan Haoqing had shed all traces of his earlier subservience, now exuding an unyielding and resolute demeanor, as if he were an entirely different person.

“Killing me would be simple enough. As you can all see, I am merely a Bone Cleansing Realm cultivator, currently penniless, with nothing but the clothes on my back.”

“If you believe that my death will enhance your prestige, then by all means, proceed. I’m certain the excellent geomancy of this place will ensure your heroic deeds are widely spread.”

The lean young man, detecting Quan Haoqing’s sarcasm, was already itching to leave a few marks on his body.

It was at this moment, however, that the burly man interjected.

“I had assumed you were merely a rat from the gutter, but it seems you possess a certain degree of courage after all.”

Quan Haoqing cupped his hands and bowed, saying, “Without some courage, I wouldn’t dare approach you esteemed heroes for such a grand endeavor. My earlier concealment was merely to ascertain whether you possessed the qualifications for cooperation. Without a certain depth of cunning, one cannot hope to go far.”

The burly man caught on to something deeper. “It sounds like you’re seeking more than just collaboration with us.”

“As the saying goes, ‘An birds grow plump in flocks’ (TL Note: ‘An’ refers to a type of bird in this world that prefers to live in groups; those in a flock are often robust and powerful, while those without a flock are weak and short-lived). I now understand that you are truly heroes worthy of reliance. Might I, your humble junior, be granted an opportunity? Let this cooperation serve as my stepping stone.”

“You want to join us?”

The burly man grinned, revealing a fearsome maw. “My bowl of rice isn’t something just anyone can hold.”

A surge of potent killing intent emanated from the burly man’s form.

‘Oh, alright, alright, I’ll give you face, I’ll give you face,’ Quan Haoqing thought to himself.

To express his feigned submission to such overbearing power, Quan Haoqing secretly clasped his hands behind his back and viciously pinched the flesh of his lower back, causing his face to contort into a twisted, ferocious mask, as if truly terrified.

Yet, he managed to stammer, “Without a Buddha’s statue, how could one establish a Buddha hall? A rogue Origin Reversion Realm cultivator, a bounty of two hundred high-grade spirit stones, and the entire fortune of your recently targeted individual… I wonder if this humble junior can indeed handle such a meal?”

Everyone’s gaze instantly shifted, their expressions transforming.

Such a bountiful gift package, presented as a mere ‘stepping stone,’ would make them willing to endure a concussion from being ‘knocked’ over.

However, being practitioners of illicit trade, they were not so easily swayed into trusting Quan Haoqing.

“I, too, am a rogue cultivator, and I understand the hardships involved. After hearing tales of your heroic deeds, I pondered how to find an opportunity to join your ranks and temper my own heroic spirit.”

As Quan Haoqing spoke, he observed their expressions.

Although they surely knew he was merely flattering them, who could resist hearing pleasant words?

Moreover, Quan Haoqing consistently addressed them as ‘heroic figures.’

Some things, when told by others and then believed by oneself, transform from falsehoods into truths.

“Recently, I heard that you heroes had set your sights on a ‘wealth-scattering child’ (TL Note: A person who spends money lavishly or is easily parted with their wealth), so I stealthily approached her.”

“After some interaction, I managed to gain a measure of her trust. She is on the verge of a breakthrough and intends to purchase a realm-breaking pill at an upcoming auction. Thus, she set her sights on a bounty mission.”

“Initially, I didn’t believe she would achieve much, but she informed me that if I were willing to cooperate, she would share one-third of the bounty reward with me.”

“She also claimed to possess some undisclosed weaknesses of the bounty target, asserting that with proper handling, the bounty would be effortlessly secured.”

The burly man narrowed his eyes, inquiring, “She’s so generous, offering you a third, and you betray her so readily?”

Quan Haoqing replied as a matter of course, “A single full meal versus a lifetime of full meals—am I truly unable to distinguish between the two?”

“Furthermore, that person has always held herself in high regard.”

“She’s willing to give me a third now because she needs me, but once she breaks through to the Origin Reversion Realm, who would I be to her?”

“I fear she would simply forget me.”

“And that person is prone to grand schemes without decisiveness, forgetting loyalty at the sight of profit; she had already planned to dispose of me once the deed was done.”

“You—”

The burly man attempted to speak further, but Quan Haoqing directly cut him off. “Brother, say no more! I understand the rules. Bring out the medicine!”

The burly man gazed at Quan Haoqing with a peculiar expression.

The ‘medicine’ he referred to was, of course, no benevolent substance; it was their means of controlling people.

Those who ingested their specially concocted drug would succumb to its poison if they failed to take the antidote on schedule.

It was through this very method that he had expanded his influence.

While there had been others willing to take the medicine to join their ranks, such enthusiastic eagerness was truly unprecedented.

The burly man paused, then retrieved a pill from his storage bag. “Don’t blame your big brother for not trusting you; the world these days…”

Before the burly man could finish speaking, Quan Haoqing, seemingly impatient with his dawdling, snatched the pill, shoved it directly into his mouth, and swallowed it right before his eyes.

He then bowed deeply, his voice imbued with utmost sincerity. “Your junior, Quan Haoqing, greets Big Brother! May Big Brother enjoy boundless fortune and divine protection!”