Painting of the Nine Immortals

Chapter 35: The Fat Sheep Before the Door

Translator: /Tatienne Editor: Rundi

Qin Guang Zhi has been very content with his life.

He was nearly 60 years old, and because he was not born with strong natural abilities, he had given up on trying to achieve greatness within the Taoism community. With no higher goal in his life, he focused his energy on enjoying his life by going out to sing every day and picking up women every night. He teased those who were less trained than he was, and he taunted those who were not in as high of a societal position as him.

That was pretty much all to his life.

As the General Manager of the Qi Zhen Pavilion, Qin had some power in his hands. Though of course, the primary source of income that sustained his lavish lifestyle was mostly through fraud and cheating.

For example, two days ago, he encountered a really fat sheep and stole as much as 20,000 spiritual stones. Even to him, it was an insanely large amount, and the person with that money was someone very dumb with very little training and no notable background. Therefore, without any hesitation, he took the money.

He never even thought about what might happen afterward. What kind of drama could a young cultivator with a Qi level of three cause?

Now that he thinks about it, those 20,000 spiritual stones did not deserve to be possessed by that little cultivator. That amount of stones could only be well-spent if they were in his hands.

One must admit that this type of thinking deserved to be punished.

Right now, he was sitting in a chair, relaxingly drinking his afternoon tea. Beside him were two thinly dressed, stunning women. Both of whom were massaging his shoulders.

“That dumbass didn’t come again today, did he?” Qin Guang Zhi put down his teacup and grabbed onto the chest of the woman beside him.

“That little boy didn’t seem to have any background, why would he try to stir up conflicts with you?” The woman was a little out of breath.

“Haha, at least he knows his place. With those ant-like beings, I have killed, if not 1,000, at least 800 of them.” Qin Guang Zhi smiled at the woman and tightened his grasp on her chest. Then he saw a thin young man walking towards him in a green robe.

“Mister, a Fifth-Leveled Qi cultivator is here at the Qi Zhen Pavilion looking to sell three Dans. He said he’s in possession of some rare and expensive Dans, but he will only show everyone what it is if a manager is around.” The thin man clasped his hands together and laughed. “I was thinking, this type of exciting stuff should be handled by you, sir. So I am here to report it.”

“Oh?”

Qin Guang Zhi was very interested, and a grin flashed across his face. He threw ten spiritual stones to the man and said, “You did the right thing. This is your reward.”

The man in the green robe accepted the stones with a huge smile.

It was obvious that he knew the type of stuff Qin Guang Zhi does.

“Hehe, baby, let me go check out what kind of rare Dan this fat sheep has. When I come back, I will continue taking care of you,” Qin Guang Zhi patted the woman’s cheek and walked out of the garden towards the Qi Zhen Pavilion’s greeting room.

The Qi Zhen Pavilion was very powerful within the Qin Dynasty. It was an organization that sold rare treasures but also acted as a simple shop front for ordinary sellers. Often times, the pavilion would also hold auctions for cultivators who were looking to sell rare treasures they have found.

During these times, he had the opportunity to scam.

When cultivators with no strong background nor high skills come to auction off items, Qin Guang Zhi would first use words to calm the other person and get his hands on the spiritual stones or the treasure itself. Then, he would use methods that are highly unethical to threaten the person and stop him from ever announcing what happened to the public.

Then, he would take what were theirs as his own.

He has been the general manager for more than ten years, and he has forcefully taken over 50 items and over 100,000 stones. To accumulate this wealth, he has gotten his hands dirty with hundreds of human lives. Those who were in a weaker position in the Taoism community were too terrified to reveal his crimes. With nobody there to defy him, his life became easier and easier, and he became more and more gutsy with a bigger and bigger appetite.

To complement his doings, he also bought off a few maids and paid some workers in the pavilion to send him a signal when lowly trained cultivators came by.

“I wonder if this sheep before my door is fat enough. I also wonder which rare Dan he’s talking about?” Qin Guang Zhi was full of anticipation. His steps fastened.

Before long, he arrived at the gracefully decorated greeting room.

After entering the room, he saw a guy in a black cloak and a black hat with a veil covering his face. He held a cup of tea in his hand, which he moved close to his mouth and took a sip from it.

This cultivator was Ling Xian.

After he had thought of a way to deal with this rotten man, he came to Qi Zhen Pavilion and used the three Qing Hua Dans as bait to lure Qin Guang Zhi in. He was sure that if he made a big deal out of the mysterious Dans he had, someone was going to report it to the manager of the pavilion.

“The fish bit.”

Ling Xian smiled slightly and checked out the man before him.

He was around 60 years old and was wearing a blue robe. He was short and tiny with a slight beard. His eyes shone cunningly, and his expression was almost hateful. Anyone who saw his face would get instantly annoyed.

“He’s hiding his head and tail, which means he is terrified of others knowing his real identity. I guess the Dans he possesses are not acquired in righteous ways. This is good. Even if I do steal his treasures, he wouldn’t have the guts to tell anyone about me,” Qin Guang Zhi was also checking out Ling Xian. Seeing that he covered himself up from head to toe, he was pretty pleased.

“Hello, friend. My name is Qin Guang Zhi. I am the manager here at Qi Zhen Pavilion.” Qin Guang Zhi went up to show respect with the kindest smile he could muster.

“So it is Manager Qin. I have heard great things about you,” Ling Xian replied respectfully. If he didn’t know his true character, he really would’ve been fooled by that smile and would've thought highly of this man.

“Friend, you are too kind. I have heard that you have three mysterious and powerful Dans but are only willing to show them if the manager is here. Now that I am here, would you mind letting me see them?” Qin Guang Zhi’s words were kind and proper. If a young cultivator were here, he would definitely be flattered by how nicely he was being treated.

“About that…” Ling Xian pretended that he was hesitant and nervous.

“Could it be that you are facing some difficulties?” Qin Guang Zhi, seeing his hesitation and nervousness, was sure that these Dans were inappropriately acquired. He laughed lightly. “There is no need to be scared. The Qi Zhen Pavilion only look at the objects themselves, we never ask how these objects were acquired. There is no reason to be worried.”

“If that’s the case then I will no longer worry.” Ling Xian sighed in relief. He waved his hand, and three Qing Hua Dans floated into mid-air. Instantly, the aromatic medicinal Dan smell filled the room.

Qin Guang Zhi was a little confused. Under the spiritual energy waves of the Qing Hua Dan, he felt anger building up in his heart. This guy here calls a ninth-realm medicinal Dan a mysterious Dan? This little cultivator obviously has no experience if he is treating this trash as a treasure.

However, he was not willing to risk being wrong and miss something really valuable. He asked patiently, “Please forgive my ignorance. Can you inform me what the name of this Dan is? What are its uses?”

“Qing Hua Dan. Have you heard of it, Manager Qin?” Ling Xian smiled.

“What?!”

Qin Guang Zhi shrieked. As the manager for Qi Zhen Pavilion, he has been in constant contact with mysterious Dans. He has seen a lot and naturally, he has heard of the famous, lost Qing Hua Dan. His eyes were filled with disbelief, and he quivered, “Is it… Is it the long lost Qing Hua Dan?”

“That’s correct. What I have is a simplified version of Qing Hua Dan. Even though it is only from the ninth realm, its ability to cure damaged blood and spirits remain just as powerful,” Ling Xian explained. He knew that there was no way Qing Guang Zhi would not take the bait now that the Qing Hua Dan was right in front of him.

As predicted, greed was all Qin Guang Zhi could feel. He stared at Ling Xian with a heated gaze and asked, “No wonder I felt that this Dan was moving like a ninth-realm one. However, if what you have said is true and its curing abilities have not at all decreased as a result, then the price of the Dan is going to be shockingly high.”

In reality, Qin Guang Zhi was a little suspicious. It wasn’t that he was scared Ling Xian would cheat him, but he was worried about the original owner of these Qing Hua Dans. He did not consider for even a second that Ling Xian would have personally brewed them. He was sure that they were stolen. Therefore, he was scared that the original owner would come find him. However, he then remembered how renowned and powerful the Qi Zhen Pavilion was and all of a sudden he was fearless again. All he could think about was how to personally own the Qing Hua Dans.

“How many spiritual stones do you think these Dans are worth?” Ling Xian asked.

Qin Guang Zhi’s gaze got even hotter, and he could no longer contain his emotions, “Such rare Dans can for sure be sold here at the pavilion, but for exactly how much… that is hard to say. If you can run into someone who is in need of such a Dan, then you can sell it for a really good price. How about this. I will talk to the other managers about this and come up with an exact price. You should return home today and come back tomorrow. I will give you your spiritual stones then.”

“I’m not sure…” Ling Xian hesitated.

“Do you not trust me? Do you not trust Qi Zhen Pavilion’s brand?” Qin Guang Zhi’s face darkened.

“No… That is not what I meant,” Ling Xian waved his hand impatiently and pretended that he was flustered. He had perfected the act of being an unworthy young cultivator who was nervous and scared of those in power.

Seeing Ling Xian’s panicky attitude, Qin Guang Zhi was not at all worried or at all suspicious anymore. His expression softened, and he whispered, “Don’t worry. Qi Zhen Pavilions are established all over the Qin Dynasty. We have seen all kinds of strange and rare treasures. Would we really destroy our brand for your Qing Hua Dan?”

Ling Xian stayed silent for a while, then he gritted his teeth and said, “Alright then, I will come back tomorrow for the spiritual stones.”

“Alright, then we have a deal. Don’t worry. The Qi Zhen Pavilion will not disappoint you. Even if those in charge of me want to rip you off, I will not let them. You can ask around, and you will realize that in the City of Qing, everyone knows what a straightforward and reliable guy I am,” Qin Guang Zhi promised. His eyes were as sincere as one could get.

Ling Xian knew that he was lying with his eyes open and what he was doing was beyond shameless. In his mind, Ling Xian was cursing him for being the only one in the pavilion who uses his power for personal gains and to hurt others. Yet he had the audacity to stand there and swear that he was trustworthy.

Pressing down his anger and his desire of wanting to kill him. Ling Xian smiled, nodded, and walked out of the greeting room.

Looking at the silhouette of the man leaving, Qin Guang Zhi’s face blossomed into an arrogant and cunning smile. He teased, “Another dumbass! This time I am going to be ultra-rich! These are Qing Hua Dans, and there are three of them! These are worth at least 500,000 spiritual stones!”

What he didn’t know was that when Ling Xian left the pavilion, Lian Xian had the same arrogant and cunning smile on his face.

Though of course, what he was doing was not exactly a scheme. It was rather a method he was using to punish those who were not worthy of being alive.

Looking back at the grand Qi Zhen Pavilion. The corners of Ling Xian’s lips curved up again. His eyes were shining with his intense desire to kill. He said calmly, “The show has just begun. Qin Guang Zhi, I hope you enjoy the last few moments of your life.”