Translator: Anubis Translations
After Gu Feng left, the middle-aged steward casually muttered, "Find someone to take over my shift? I'm done with this."
Passing through the inner hall, he arrived at a courtyard.
"Uncle, are you done with your 'experience life' routine?"
A young girl approached with a smile, her eyes gleaming with mischief. The middle-aged steward glared at her fiercely.
"That kid is too infuriating. He spent over an hour haggling over a lousy deal worth more than thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones, making my head spin."
"Giggle, you can't blame the kid for being tough. Thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones is an astronomical amount for someone at the first level of Body Tempering. If it were me, I'd probably haggle with you for half a day."
The girl's voice was melodious, and as she spoke, she dutifully brought over a cup of tea.
"Haha, you're really mistaken this time. That kid isn't poor—he's actually quite wealthy!" The middle-aged steward took a sip of tea, and a smile crept onto his face as if he remembered something.
"Oh? He's wealthy? But his clothes don't look anything special," the girl said, pursing her lips.
"He has at least two million low-grade spirit stones on him."
At this, the girl's eyes widened, blinking rapidly. "Even so, there's no need to give him a Purple Gold Card."
"I didn't give him the Purple Gold Card because of his wealth, but because he's Gu Feng."
"That name sounds familiar. Is he the Gu Feng who swindled a huge breakup fee from Qu Yanran, leaving her utterly humiliated?" The girl's interest was immediately piqued.
Qu Yanran, hailed by the Sunset Glow Sect as the most talented disciple in a century, possessed both beauty and strength. The disciples of the sect revered her as a goddess, unattainable and lofty.
Unsurprisingly, someone like her was destined to go far in the martial path. Yet, such a promising figure was humiliated in the small Cloud Dwelling City by a mere first-level Body Tempering cultivator, tumbling from her pedestal.
When the news spread some days ago, everyone was shocked.
Some male disciples of the Sunset Glow Sect even planned to head to Cloud Dwelling City to teach Gu Feng a lesson, but for some reason, the matter fizzled out.
"Even if he's Gu Feng, he shouldn't have over two million spirit stones on him!"
"Good question," the middle-aged steward replied, his interest piqued by his niece's query. "That kid somehow managed to loot the entire Gu family's stash of two million spirit stones."
"L...looted?" The girl's face was filled with disbelief. With the news of the broken engagement, everyone knew a bit about Gu Feng's treatment in the Gu family.
In short, the Gu family treated him poorly.
Under such circumstances, not only did Gu Feng take his rightful forty thousand spirit stones, but he also managed to loot the entire Gu family, a feat that bordered on legendary.
"That kid is no ordinary person. Not only did he loot the entire Gu family, but he also killed over a dozen of their elite disciples who were sent to hunt him down.
Even if all of this is somewhat within the realm of comprehension, what's truly baffling is his feat of killing and intimidating two Qi Refining cultivators.
There are few in the entire Sunset Glow Sect who can kill a Qi Refining cultivator while still at the Body Tempering stage, let alone a genuine first-level Body Tempering cultivator."
The middle-aged steward's low voice left the girl dumbfounded, her eyes filled with shock and curiosity.
It was hard to imagine how Gu Feng managed to turn the tables in such a situation.
"He must have some secret. Giving him a Purple Gold Card to establish a good relationship is a worthwhile trade.
Xi Xi, when you go to the Sunset Glow Sect, even if you can't be friends with him, don't make an enemy of him.
That kid may seem harmless on the surface, but he's ruthless—killing his own brothers without hesitation and showing no mercy to elders.
Though these people deserved it, it's not something an ordinary person could do."
Faced with her uncle's warning, the girl named Xi Xi nodded seriously. In her heart, she grew even more curious about this seemingly sunny boy who flashed a bright smile.
A boy with ruthless methods, carrying a fortune in spirit stones, yet penny-pinching and somewhat mischievous, was hard to ignore.
...
Back at the inn, Gu Feng began his cultivation.
Two days later, he hung his head, utterly frustrated.
"D*mn it, what kind of physique do I have? I've spent over two million spirit stones, and I still can't break through to the first level of Body Tempering."
A total of two million four hundred thousand spirit stones, plus the thirty-six thousand from the Myriad Harmony Guild, had all been converted into Divine Fluid.
He had thought that with such a massive amount of spirit stones, he could at least break through to the first level of Body Tempering.
But reality had slapped him hard—his cultivation level seemed locked, showing no change at all.
Apart from the continuous increase in his physical strength, there was no other improvement.
His trip to the Myriad Harmony Guild had taught him how difficult it was to obtain spirit stones.
The combined wealth of Gu Second Uncle and Gu Xing and the others had barely amounted to thirty-six thousand spirit stones.
If he had to rely on his own efforts to earn that much, it would take who knows how long.
Initially, he had been quite confident about his future, but now he felt disheartened.
If breaking through to the first level of Body Tempering was this difficult, there was no point thinking about the later stages.
No matter how strong he became in the Body Tempering Realm, he'd still be at the bottom of the cultivation world.
Gurgle—
His stomach growled in protest. Gu Feng jumped off the bed, left his room, and headed to the main hall.
"Waiter, bring some food!"
As his strength increased, his need for food grew exponentially.
It took dozens of plates of roasted meat before he felt somewhat full.
"My cultivation level hasn't improved, but my appetite has skyrocketed. The cost of living has gone up again."
This left Gu Feng, already short on spirit stones, at a loss for words.
"Bring another twenty plates of roasted meat." Turning his frustration into appetite, Gu Feng began devouring the food again.
"Burp~~"
Gu Feng patted his stomach, nodding in satisfaction. After eating his fill, his mood lifted, and the gloom in his heart dissipated.
Life had to go on. If two million spirit stones couldn't help him break through, then he'd go for four million. If six million didn't work, then eight million.
As long as he was alive, he shouldn't give up. Earning money with all his might was the way to go.
With this thought, Gu Feng felt a surge of ambition. If he weren't in a public place, he might have let out a roar to the heavens.
"Waiter..."
Just as he called out, he froze, as if remembering something. He glanced at the storage pouch at his waist, and his expression changed.
Oh no, he had been too absorbed in his cultivation and had used up all his spirit stones. His storage pouch was emptier than his face—there wasn't a single spirit stone left.
"How may I assist you, young master?"
"Bring me another ten plates of roasted meat."
"Certainly, young master. Please wait a moment."
The waiter, accustomed to all sorts of people, showed no surprise at Gu Feng's enormous appetite and hurried off to fetch the roasted meat.
After the ten plates of roasted meat were served, Gu Feng began eating slowly and elegantly.
For now, he could only stall for time, hoping for a miracle—maybe some fool would walk in and shout, "I'll pay for everything!"
Well, that was wishful thinking. There weren't that many fools around.
Running away and eating without paying was definitely not an option—he'd be beaten to death for sure!
It seemed he'd have to talk to the owner and see if he could work off the meal.
Just as he was about to call the waiter to fetch the owner, two figures at the door caught his attention.
One of them he recognized—it was the middle-aged steward from the Myriad Harmony Guild.
His heart stirred, and he immediately stood up and waved. "Senior, I didn't expect to meet you here. An unplanned meeting is better than a planned one. Let me treat you today."
"Uncle, it's Gu Feng. Let's go over," Xi Xi said without hesitation, tugging at her uncle's sleeve and heading toward Gu Feng.
She was very interested in Gu Feng and was eager to get to know him. With this opportunity, she wasn't about to let it slip.
(End of the Chapter)
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