Chapter 189: My Brother Wants to Give Me Spirit Stones? How Embarrassing!
“I don’t even know where these people came from, but they’re running amok in the imperial mausoleum.”
Qin Zhen found himself quite intrigued by this force of soul bead merchants.
The abilities of these folks made one naturally want to get acquainted.
However, Qin Bei could tell that Qin Zhen had some grievances against these soul bead merchants.
After all, he had pocketed a large number of soul beads, making it significantly harder for Qin Zhen and the others to obtain them.
This meant that their original plans had all been thrown out the window, and some people might even find themselves unable to enter the inner circle because of it.
So, having a few complaints was perfectly normal.
Nevertheless, Qin Bei believed that once their elder brother learned that the mastermind behind the soul bead merchants was none other than him, he would surely have no complaints at all.
“What’s wrong? Does Elder Brother not like these soul bead merchants?”
Qin Bei asked with a smile.
“What do I have to like or dislike? Other people have the ability to snatch our opportunities away; what can we do? But this soul bead merchant runs all over the place, and he can’t even provide us with a fixed spot to find him. That’s just excessive! I want to buy some soul beads, but there’s nowhere to go—it’s all down to luck!”
Qin Bei: …
He never expected that just a few days in, the title of soul bead merchant would become so popular in the imperial mausoleum.
But this was a good thing; it meant he wouldn’t have to worry about running out of spirit stones anytime soon.
“Maybe I’ll get lucky and run into him soon.”
Qin Bei didn’t directly say that he was the mysterious boss behind the soul bead merchants.
For Qin Bei, not wanting to practice diligently didn’t mean he disliked showing off.
A little bragging could really boost one’s mood.
And showing off at the right moment was essential.
However, bragging wasn’t something you should do directly—it loses all its charm that way!
“Heh, you’re lucky if you meet him, but our luck isn’t so great. It’s been days since anyone has come across him. If we could just meet him, I wouldn’t have to fret about how to bring everyone into the inner circle. Even if it means spending a few spirit stones, it wouldn’t be too much.”
Qin Zhen said with a wry smile, shaking his head.
It was clear that Qin Zhen desperately wanted to meet someone who sold soul beads.
“What’s wrong? Is Elder Brother still short on soul beads?”
Qin Bei inquired.
When he first arrived, Qin Bei sensed that something about the atmosphere was off.
Now, looking at Qin Zhen’s appearance, it didn’t seem like a trivial matter.
Sure enough, Qin Zhen shook his head and helplessly stated, “There are eleven of us here, and we currently have ninety third-order soul beads. We just need twenty more to take everyone into the inner circle. Originally, we could have obtained about ten soul beads here, but someone intercepted us.”
Qin Bei was stunned, “Is there anyone bold enough to intercept the royal family’s goods in this mausoleum?”
But soon, he realized that Qin Xiu across from him was also a prince.
It made sense that he would be daring enough to act.
Sure enough, Qin Zhen recounted what had just happened.
Qin Bei thought Qin Xiu’s actions were utterly shameless.
It turned out that when Qin Zhen’s team was collecting soul beads, Qin Xiu just so happened to show up with his crew.
The monument they both went to explore was highly overlapping.
There was nothing particularly odd about it—after all, everyone had the chance to make a move; it was just a matter of who did it first.
Qin Zhen’s team was quite confident.
But they never imagined that Qin Xiu would actually make trouble—not by obtaining third-order soul beads, but by snatching first-order ones directly.
This left Qin Zhen’s team high and dry.
Everyone could see that Qin Xiu was being underhanded.
However, Qin Zhen didn’t take direct action.
He understood that Qin Xiu was just retaliating against him.
It all stemmed from the fact that when they first entered the mausoleum, Qin Zhen’s group had used their strong member, Qin Zhen himself, to seize a number of tombstones before Qin Xiu could.
This resulted in Qin Xiu’s team not getting many soul beads on their first day.
After hearing Qin Zhen’s explanation, Qin Bei finally understood.
It turned out their paths had crossed like bitter rivals.
As Qin Bei and Qin Zhen were discussing these matters, Peng Yuan had already started his sales pitch.
His first target was Qin Xiu standing in front of the monument.
Seeing Peng Yuan’s arrival, Qin Xiu didn’t pay much attention, his gaze lingering on Qin Bei instead.
Qin Xiu had never been able to see through this royal brother of his. He always gave off an unsettling vibe.
Even though Qin Bei appeared calm while looking his way, Qin Xiu felt like something was brewing.
And he suspected he might be in for trouble.
“Prince, interested in some soul beads? Special royal discounts—ten percent off! One soul bead for just ninety thousand spirit stones!”
Peng Yuan wove through the crowd, coming to stand right in front of Qin Xiu, beaming as he spoke.
Peng Yuan didn’t raise his voice much, but in the blink of an eye, everyone around heard him.
“What? You sell soul beads? You’re the soul bead merchant? Oh my! Am I really this lucky? I just heard about the soul bead merchant, and now here you are!”
“Seriously, look at those soul beads in his hand—they’re all sixth-tier!”
“Bro, we want to buy! Just sell me one! I’ll take just one!”
“The prince can still give discounts? I’ll take five then! That way I can get into the inner circle! Hahaha!”
At first, only a few people close to Peng Yuan knew who he was.
But when those around realized the soul bead merchant was standing right before them, the excitement skyrocketed.
Loud cheers erupted, quickly alerting everyone nearby to the appearance of a soul bead merchant.
People rushed to gather around.
Peng Yuan just stood firm on the spot.
Waiting for the crowd to encircle him.
That feeling of being the center of attention made Peng Yuan feel quite comfortable and excited.
Once he leaves this imperial mausoleum, he doubted he’d ever enjoy being surrounded by so many geniuses who were clamoring for his goods again.
“Wow, my brother, you really have a way with words! Whatever you say just comes true—it’s incredible!”
Qin Zhen noticed the situation over there and instantly felt better.
He was different from other buyers; his goal in purchasing soul beads was to bring every member of his team into the inner circle.
He had few demands for the soul beads themselves—just that they be above third-tier.
The soul beads sold by the merchants were all top-notch sixth-tier.
So the moment Peng Yuan appeared, Qin Zhen knew securing entry for his entire team had become a certainty.
“Go get twenty soul beads.”
Qin Zhen instructed someone by his side.
“Elder Brother, no need to be in such a hurry. Soul beads can’t sell out that quickly. We can wait until these folks have dispersed to buy.”
Qin Bei chuckled.
“True, let’s just enjoy the spectacle for a while. This scene is quite a sight to behold.”
Qin Zhen nodded, watching Peng Yuan who was busily handing out soul beads in the distance.
“Line up! One at a time! If you gang up on me, there’s no way I’m selling to you!”
After enjoying his moment in the limelight, Peng Yuan finally began selling soul beads for real.
One by one.
In less than a minute, a long line of hundreds had formed.
They were all in perfect sync.
Some even came prepared with spirit stones or IOUs—everyone was exceptionally cooperative.
All just to speed up the sales process.
Watching as piles of spirit stones disappeared into Peng Yuan’s Qiankun pouch, Qin Zhen couldn’t help but feel envious.
He was already at the tribulation crossing level, but he had never handled such vast quantities of spirit stones before.
Meanwhile, that young man over there, not even twenty yet, was reining in all that wealth on his own.
It was enough to make anyone green with envy.
“How can someone who looks so ordinary possess such a unique talent?”
Qin Zhen asked, staring at the distant Peng Yuan.
He simply wanted to chat a bit.
But Qin Bei’s response left him puzzled.
“Of course it’s because he has a good leader.”
Qin Bei’s response made Qin Zhen raise an eyebrow.
“What? What’s a leader?”
“Someone who makes them get things done.”
“Oh~ I see. He doesn’t seem like someone who actually gets soul beads himself. He’s probably just a gofer.”
“Definitely, the guy who truly gets the soul beads must be handsome—at least the most dapper guy in Cangzhou!”
Qin Bei said earnestly.
“Really? I don’t think so. Someone with that much talent is probably from some special race or unique cultivation body—bet they look quite unusual.”
Qin Zhen retorted.
Qin Bei: …
Why does that sound so strange?
I have a special cultivation body and unique talents myself—do I look weird?
No way! I’ve always thought I was the most handsome guy in Cangzhou!
While the two chatted, Peng Yuan completed his sales.
The person sent out by Qin Zhen returned with twenty soul beads in tow.
“That soul bead seller really knows how to play his cards right. He knows these items belong to our royal family and still gives us a discount.”
Qin Zhen was satisfied to have snagged a ten percent discount.
“Tsk tsk~ It’s great being surrounded by royal family members—they’re all so loaded. They don’t even need to borrow money!”
Peng Yuan marveled at the bulging Qiankun pouch.
Most geniuses from other sects couldn’t cough up a hundred thousand spirit stones.
But the royal family was a whole different ball game. They could not only cough up spirit stones, but they could also buy multiples.
For instance, Qin Zhen brought out 1.8 million spirit stones at once to purchase twenty soul beads.
Talk about a wealthy individual!
“Elder Brother, I’m heading over.”
Qin Bei smiled, addressing Qin Zhen.
“Why are you going over there? Didn’t you already buy soul beads? Are you looking to get more?”
Qin Zhen asked, confused.
Qin Bei just chuckled, not answering his question.
As he navigated through the crowd, people around him began to chatter again.
“Didn’t expect this soul bead merchant would end up benefiting these royal family members so much. Originally, not many could enter the inner circle, but this time it seems like hundreds will.”
“Who could blame the royal family for being rich? Prince Bei is the perfect example. Though only in the Golden Core realm, he’s still loaded.”
“But so what? Even if they get into the inner circle, they still won’t be able to obtain what they want, let alone access the core area.”
“What do you know? Opportunities in the inner circle are light-years ahead of what’s available on the outer edge. Even without enough talent, if you follow the right crowd, you can gain plenty.”
“I’m just a bit clueless—didn’t know that.”
…
Qin Bei paid no mind to the gossip as he crossed through the crowd, approaching Peng Yuan.
“Brother, don’t you want to buy some soul beads?”
Noticing Qin Bei wasn’t speaking to him, Peng Yuan retracted the Qiankun pouch he’d been ready to hand over.
He just stood there, watching Qin Bei, waiting for further instructions.
Qin Xiu cast a cold glance at Qin Bei.
Among all the princes, Qin Xiu had the utmost disdain for Qin Bei.
Thanks to Qin Bei, his mother was still trapped in the cold palace, and her power was all but gone.
If it weren’t for the competition over the crown prince title, Qin Xiu would have taken action against Qin Bei long ago.
His prince’s residence was filled with strong guests; as soon as Qin Bei dared to step outside the capital, they could crush his cultivation and turn him into a waste!
Unfortunately, Qin Xiu felt quite confident about his competition for the throne and didn’t want to slip up and get caught by Emperor Xia.
So he endured again and again.
But now that Qin Bei stood before him, he figured a few verbal jabs wouldn’t hurt.
“Hmph! I’m not like some people who only boast about their talents. I really have what it takes and am not short on soul beads. But you, dear brother, I’ve heard you didn’t manage to get too many soul beads, but you wasted a bunch. Now you’re spending all these spirit stones to buy soul beads? Tsk~ Twenty is getting old; you shouldn’t act this foolish!”
Qin Xiu spoke in a patronizing tone.
“But if you want to bring your two wives into the inner circle, you’ll have to shell out this money to buy soul beads. I know you value spirit stones, but you’ve got to spend them. Don’t let outsiders ridicule our royal family’s third prince for not even being able to enter the inner circle.”
Qin Xiu made no effort to lower his voice.
Everyone nearby could hear him clearly.
Peng Yuan was furious listening to the blatant disrespect and condescension in his words.
Was it not obvious that age was being used to oppress others?
Still, they were both princes of the same rank. Why did Qin Xiu believe he could look down his nose at Prince Bei?
On the other hand, Qin Bei maintained a calm demeanor as he regarded Qin Xiu.
As for the onlookers, they tended to side with Qin Xiu, since everyone recognized his talent.
Additionally, Qin Xiu was still Qin Bei’s older brother; it was natural for him to “educate” his younger sibling in the eyes of those present.
After all, this younger brother really was a bit lackluster.
“Is it that Elder Brother means there’s no shortage of soul beads?”
Qin Bei asked with a grin.
“Of course, there’s plenty to spare! We might even have extras when the inner circle opens up. How about I sell you each for eighty-eight thousand spirit stones? It’ll save you from paying a premium to others, right?”
Qin Xiu proclaimed proudly.
In truth, this was all intended to irritate and humiliate Qin Bei.
It was a clear message to everyone present: your face in front of me isn’t worth more than twelve hundred spirit stones.
What’s more, the best he was offering were merely third-order soul beads!
Qin Xiu could hardly believe Qin Bei would be stupid enough to buy from him.
Yet facts took an unexpected turn.
“Oh? Really? Older Brother, are you truly willing to sell me?”
Qin Bei’s expression of genuine surprise was quite evident.
This time it wasn’t an act; he was honestly taken aback.
He hadn’t anticipated this twist of fate.
…
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