Last night, the prompt sound from the Ruyi Jingu Bang gaining experience rang in his mind all night, causing Qin Mu to not sleep at all.
Still, he headed out to the street early in the morning, wandering around to see if he could spot any new business opportunities.
All his assets combined amounted to only sixty silver, and with that amount, forget about stocking goods—he couldn't even afford to hire an Escort from an Escort Agency.
As for the idea of leaving the city alone, Qin Mu hadn't even considered it.
He had no desire to be killed by bandits halfway down the road, right after leaving Guanhai City.
But after wandering around for a while, he discovered that soap, perfume, cement, firearms, and ice-making with saltpeter—all the ventures that could make a transmigrator rich—had already been developed by skilled craftsmen within the Great Yu Dynasty Court.
Qin Mu shook his head, feeling a bit depressed.
In his previous life he'd just been an ordinary person who didn't know much—things like cigarettes and perfume were only things he'd casually picked up while scrolling through short videos.
Aside from these methods, he really couldn't think of any other way to make money for the moment.
"I'll have to go home and think it over properly..."
Just as he was thinking this, preparing to head home, a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears.
"Yo, isn't this Brother Qin?"
Qin Mu turned his head at the words and saw a young man standing before him.
The man was tall, dressed in gorgeous silk robes, holding a folding fan, with a playful smile on his face as he looked at him.
Qin Mu stared straight at him and softly spoke his name.
"Zhao Yuanjing!"
At the same time, a memory concerning the man surfaced in his mind.
The Qin and Zhao families were both in the bookstore business.
As the saying goes, rivals in the same trade are natural enemies.
Both families ran bookstores, so their relationship had never been particularly good.
After the original body's parents had gone to Baizhou City to stock up on goods and were unfortunately killed along the way, the Zhao family had grown increasingly unscrupulous.
Not long ago, while the original body lay sick in bed, the Zhao family had not only poached several employees from Zhuangyuan Bookstore with high wages, but had also lured away three of the Qin family's four servants.
As he thought about these things, Zhao Yuanjing circled around him a few times with an exaggerated expression, clicking his tongue.
"Brother Qin really is blessed with great fortune, managing to pull through from that serious illness."
"They say surviving a great calamity brings good fortune afterward—why hasn't Brother Qin used this so-called 'later fortune' to attend the Ascension Ceremony? Maybe you'd pass the test this year?"
Before Qin Mu could even open his mouth, he had already closed his folding fan and tapped it lightly against his forehead, feigning a look of regret.
"Ah, my memory—I actually forgot that Brother Qin doesn't even have a Spiritual Root. You were eliminated at the very first stage of the assessment last year."
Qin Mu let out a cold laugh and retorted without courtesy, "Since Brother Zhao's memory is so good, do you still remember being eliminated yourself just yesterday?"
He grinned as he spoke, "I happened to pass by the Towering Ship and saw it myself."
After these words were spoken, Zhao Yuanjing didn't fly into a rage from embarrassment—instead, he wore a look of smug satisfaction.
"Almost forgot to tell Brother Qin—I have a distant cousin who has already become an Inner Sect Disciple of the Misty Sect. Not only did he take an Elder as his master, but because of a great achievement, he also earned me a Vermilion Fruit."
"Brother Qin has probably never heard of this kind of Immortal Fruit, right?"
He snapped his folding fan open with a flourish, fanning himself gently, explaining with an air of delight, "This kind of Immortal Fruit—just one is enough to reshape a Spiritual Root!"
"This afternoon, my distant cousin will arrive in Guanhai City to bring me the Vermilion Fruit."
Hearing him finish this, Qin Mu suddenly came to a realization.
No wonder Zhao Yuanjing was dressed today like a strutting rooster, flamboyantly carrying a folding fan—it was because he would soon be entering the Misty Sect.
At the same time, a thought struck him.
The Zhao Yuanjing standing before him had actually just solved a problem for him.
Last night, when he saw that the feedback from the Ruyi Jingu Bang's upgrade was a Gold Element Spiritual Root, a question had surfaced in Qin Mu's mind.
He would definitely need to cultivate in the future, but the fact that the original body had participated in last year's Ascension Ceremony and been eliminated in the very first round was known to many people.
Although there were many sects on the East Sea, only the Misty Sect came to Guanhai City.
Without the ability to protect himself, he had no intention of going to other cities either.
This meant he had no choice but to go with the Misty Sect.
So he hadn't known how to explain to others why he had suddenly gained a Spiritual Root.
Zhao Yuanjing's showing off just now had actually solved this problem for him.
"Vermilion Fruit..."
Qin Mu carefully committed the name of this Immortal Fruit to memory.
As Zhao Yuanjing spoke these words, his eyes stayed fixed unblinkingly on Qin Mu, hoping to catch on his face expressions like disbelief, dejection, or humiliated fury.
If so, it would have justified him having someone keep tabs on Qin Mu's movements all this time and coming specially to intercept him.
But because of the matter of the Vermilion Fruit, Qin Mu's mood had suddenly brightened, and he didn't bother arguing—instead, he cupped his hands and said, "In that case, congratulations are in order, Brother Zhao."
Hearing this, Zhao Yuanjing's expression instantly froze.
Qin Mu didn't notice his expression, and after finishing his sentence, took his leave.
……
On the deck of the Towering Ship, Zhang Qianren's calm face showed none of the ferocity from the night before.
"Although the sect's people will arrive this afternoon, that Exotic Treasure still must be sought. If we can find it before the sect's people arrive, whether it's this old man or all of you, everyone will receive rewards beyond imagination."
"Whoever among you runs out of Water Repelling Talismans will automatically stay behind to help arrange the ceremony. The rest will continue into the sea with this old man."
After he finished speaking, two young men's expressions turned unpleasant.
Standing between them, Zhao Qian noticed this and quickly cupped his hands, saying, "Reporting to the Deacon, since a Senior Brother will be arranging the ceremony today, may this disciple please accompany him instead?"
Zhang Qianren glanced at him but said nothing, only nodding slightly.
This filled Zhao Qian's heart with sudden joy.
Noticing the smile the man could barely suppress, Zhang Qianren felt a slight pang of emotion.
Zhao Qian reminded him a lot of himself when he was young, which was why he had specifically kept Zhao Qian behind yesterday—this way, it would also save him a few Water Repelling Talismans.
For disciples at the Qi Refining Stage like them, wasting Water Repelling Talismans on treasure hunting was truly unwise.
Still, he wouldn't say anything to point it out.
Now, with the two disciples voluntarily stepping out of the group, Zhang Qianren took the lead, riding his sword away, with five disciples following behind him.
Besides Zhao Qian, the cool and aloof Lin Yun had also come along this time.
……
It was now afternoon, and the Misty Sect, having received the message, finally sent people to Guanhai City.
As over a hundred beams of Sword Light cut across the sky and landed on the Towering Ship at the center of Guanhai City, the two Outer Sect Disciples who had been left behind by Zhang Qianren—having run out of Water Repelling Talismans—hurried forward to greet them.
The two of them had been part of the Sect for several years now, and they had long since memorized the faces of the Sect's higher-ups.
As the hundred-some figures dispersed their Sword Light and their forms appeared on the deck, the two Outer Sect Disciples were suddenly struck with alarm.
The reason: the Misty Sect's Vice Sect Master was actually among the group.
Behind him were, apart from Zhang Qianren, the remaining nine Outer Sect Deacons, ten Inner Sect Deacons, and several dozen Inner Sect Disciples.
"This disciple respectfully welcomes the Vice Sect Master, the Deacons, and the Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters."
As the two of them bowed in greeting, one of the Outer Sect Deacons had already spoken.
"Is what you reported true? When that world-shaking Exotic Treasure emerged, was there truly a scene of a Sea Surging Golden Lotus and Nine-Colored Divine Light Connecting Heaven and Earth?"
Not daring to hide anything, the two of them hurriedly recounted the scene from yesterday once more.
（PS: Thanks to 【Cangmiao Daoist】 for the ten thousand reward! ）
A newcomer's new book—asking for everything!
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