Chapter 103: Chapter 102: Xing Kanzi
The Magic World.
Yidu.
Two flawless white horses, moving at a steady, unhurried pace, entered the crowded street.
The view pulled back.
A luxurious carriage came into view.
The carriage was draped in silk on all four sides, its gold-inlaid, gem-encrusted windows veiled by a light blue crepe-gauze curtain, forming a stark contrast with the plain carriages all around.
Opulent!
Extravagant!
...
"That’s the young master from the Zhu Family."
Someone who recognized the carriage immediately whispered:
"They say this Young Master Zhu is originally from the Capital City. He’s fabulously wealthy and only came to Yidu to visit family."
"Even though it’s a short stay, he’s already bought a large courtyard estate and is now recruiting a steward and cooks."
"I heard that if your cooking suits Young Master Zhu’s tastes, the monthly salary is two to three times what other households pay. Lots of cooks are scrambling to go for a tryout."
"Whoa..." someone exclaimed.
"So extravagant!"
"Hmph!" someone else snorted coldly.
"As the saying goes: don’t flash your wealth, don’t show off your fortune, and don’t travel alone if you’re noble. This man has broken all three taboos. Isn’t he afraid of being targeted?"
"Watch your words, Brother Jia," one person said.
"This Young Master Zhu is no ordinary person. I hear he knows Magic and is acquainted with the master of the Jile Spirit House. He’s not someone you can afford to cross."
The Jile Spirit House?
The name seemed to be some kind of taboo. Upon hearing it, the faces of everyone present instantly turned pale.
Inside the carriage.
Zhu Ju slowly lowered the curtain.
He didn’t want to be so high-profile and attract so much attention, but it was the fastest way to make contact with the Cultivation World.
Besides...
’Now that my Earth Evil Mysterious Skill has reached the Entry Level and my Magic Cultivation has reached Profound Light Like Candle Perfection, I don’t need to be overly cautious.’
The methods of Cultivators in the Magic World were unfathomable, but ultimately, they could be traced.
They used their Divine Soul to channel the Power of Heaven and Earth and cast various kinds of Magic, similar to the methods of an Innate Qi Refiner.
But,
from what he had seen so far,
the Cultivators of this world were most likely not as strong as Innate Qi Refiners. In fact, the techniques of Innate Qi Refiners seemed to have a strong suppressive effect on this world’s Magicians and Mages.
Although the current Zhu Ju had not yet reached the Innate realm, his strength was not much weaker than someone who had just entered it.
If he had to sneak around even with this level of strength, then what was the point of all his hard Cultivation?
"Young Master!"
Yangg Qiu’s voice came from outside:
"We’ve arrived."
Yangg Qiu, nicknamed the "Yidu Omniscient," was vigilant and discreet in his actions. Zhu Ju had hired him as the household Steward early on.
He had gone from being a guide and messenger for a horse caravan to the Steward of a wealthy family, a change he was naturally happy with.
As he stepped out of the carriage, someone was already hurrying forward to greet him.
"Young Master Zhu!"
"It is a great honor to have you grace us with your presence!"
Today, the Qingfeng Escort Agency was hosting a banquet. Firstly, it was to celebrate their Chief of the Escort, Tang Qing, having a son late in life. Secondly, they had hunted two Golden Snakes during an escort mission.
The Golden Snake was a type of Treasure Snake. Its flesh and blood contained no Evil Qi from the Demon Race. Consuming it could prolong one’s life and greatly increase the Power of one’s Physical Body.
By sending out invitations for this event, they had gathered all the prominent figures in the city, which would also allow them to sell the Golden Snakes for a good price.
"Chief Tang."
Zhu Ju clasped his fist in a salute.
"I’ve heard much about you!"
"You’re too kind." "Thunderbolt Palm" Tang Qing was over fifty, yet his imposing aura had not diminished. He gestured with his hand.
"This way, Young Master Zhu."
"Yinn Chun, show Young Master Zhu to his seat."
"Yes."
The man named Yinn Chun came over at the call. His face looked somewhat familiar, and after a moment’s thought, Zhu Ju had a flash of realization.
About a year ago, when he first arrived in Yidu, he had seen this man get into a big fight at a Tavern.
It seemed he had been cuckolded.
Tsk, tsk...
As the thought crossed his mind, Zhu Ju followed the man into the Escort Agency’s main hall.
As the recently famous "Noble Young Master," he was arranged a private room on the second floor.
The other guests in the room were all from the city’s wealthy families.
"Young Master Zhu."
He had just sat down when someone approached.
It was another acquaintance.
It was Feng Hongda, the one who had taught Zhu Ju the Soul Control Technique.
"Mage Xing Kanzi requests your presence."
*
*
*
Xing Kanzi.
The master of the Jile Spirit House.
A Mage!
A true Cultivator who had opened his Forehead Ancestral Acupoint and generated Magical Power within.
Though Yidu was large, there were still fewer than ten known Mages, and Xing Kanzi was one of them.
In order to establish a connection with him, Zhu Ju had catered to his tastes, spending a great deal of money on high-quality stationery to give as gifts.
He had spent several hundred taels of silver back and forth just to get to the point of being a familiar face.
"Young Master Zhu."
Xing Kanzi had a lean face and his eyes were bright and full of spirit. Outwardly, he looked to be about thirty or forty years old.
In reality, he was much older!
The man had been famous for over thirty years, making his age at least sixty, if not older, though his appearance didn’t show it at all.
"We meet again."
"Greetings, Senior." Zhu Ju cupped his fist and sat down opposite him.
"I never imagined a transcendent master such as yourself would attend today’s banquet. It must be fate that we meet here."
"Haha..." Xing Kanzi laughed heartily and wrapped his arms around the two women on his left and right.
"There’s something you don’t know, Young Master Zhu. Tang Qing’s father was an old friend of mine when he was alive. Now that my friend’s bloodline continues, how could I not come?"
Zhu Ju understood.
His gaze paused for a moment on the two women beside Xing Kanzi, a subtle flicker of surprise crossing his face.
Stunning!
Zhu Ju had seen many women of extraordinary beauty.
There was Ning Ruxue and Weii Fei close by, and Zhou Yuantong farther away, among others. Each was exceptional in her own way, yet none could compare to the two women before him now.
Even that Demoness from the Joyful Sect, in terms of delicate features, was somewhat inferior.
The two women before him were like beauties from a painting, their faces without a single flaw, perfect to the extreme.
Every time Zhu Ju met Xing Kanzi, the man was accompanied by beautiful women, each with a different figure and appearance.
But without exception,
they were all breathtakingly beautiful!
However, if one looked closely, one would find their eyes somewhat vacant, and their auras were distinctly unlike that of a normal person.
"Is Young Master Zhu interested in these two maids of mine?"
Xing Kanzi said with a smile.
"I’ll give them to you!"
"Senior jests," Zhu Ju said, shaking his head.
"I wouldn’t dare."
Inwardly, however, he was slightly alarmed. He had only taken one extra glance, yet the man had been able to perceive his emotional shift.
Such sharp perception!
Worthy of a Mage.
"What is there to not dare?" Xing Kanzi laughed.
"I can have as many like them as I want. If Young Master Zhu is interested, feel free to take them."
"If you have a preferred appearance in mind, you can place a custom order."
As he spoke,
he pointed to a painting tube behind him.
People from paintings!
How could there be so many flawless women in the world? They were all "Puppets" that Xing Kanzi had painted.
Xing Kanzi,
was originally another name for a painted scroll.
"Senior."
Zhu Ju sighed.
"Last time we spoke, we mentioned a Method that can conceal one’s own aura and Divine Soul fluctuations. I was wondering if you had found it?"
"Young Master Zhu, you truly are impatient." Xing Kanzi shook his head and pursed his lips.
"The Hidden Element Technique!"
"This is a Secret Technique from the Celestial Capital Sect’s collection. It is easy to learn but difficult to master. Cultivated to the stage of Great Success, it allows one to hide between heaven and earth, completely undetected. If you and I were not such close friends, I would never have offered to teach it to an outsider."
"However..."
He gave a light chuckle.
"As you know, I had to pull a few strings to obtain this. The price, naturally, won’t be cheap."
A smile also appeared on Zhu Ju’s face.
This was precisely why he was willing to deal with the man. He was greedy for both money and women, especially money.
For him, any problem that could be solved with money was not a problem at all.
"Brother Feng."
Zhu Ju looked at Feng Hongda, who was standing to the side.
"You’ve seen the two Golden Snakes. What do they look like?"
"They’re not much different from ordinary snakes, just that they are golden all over and quite beautiful. They are also longer and thicker," Feng Hongda replied.
"How much do they weigh?"
"They must weigh three to four hundred jin."
"Three to four hundred jin?"
Zhu Ju nodded.
"Please go and tell Chief Tang that I am willing to trade one jin of Gold for one jin of Golden Snake. There’s no need for an auction."
"I’m gifting them to the Senior!"
Feng Hongda’s eyelids twitched. He immediately cupped his fist in acknowledgment, then turned and left.
Trading snake meat for an equal weight in Gold was an offer that required no consideration. Tang Qing would absolutely agree.
"Haha..."
Xing Kanzi roared with laughter.
"Young Master Zhu, you are truly generous! I just love the way you treat money like dirt."
"Come!"
He raised his cup.
"Let me toast you!"
"You’re too kind, Senior." Zhu Ju raised his cup.
"About the matter of the Magic’s inheritance..."
"There’s no rush for that," Xing Kanzi said, suddenly changing the subject.
"We’ll take it slow."
The corner of Zhu Ju’s mouth twitched.
This was the trouble with greedy people. They wouldn’t lift a finger without seeing a reward, and their appetites would only grow larger the more you fed them.
"This is bad!"
Suddenly,
an uproar came from downstairs:
"The Chief of the Escort’s daughter killed her own brother!"
