Chapter 193: Whoever Dares to Sell, I’ll Confiscate Their Home
“Why are you following Qin Xiu?”
Qin Zhen looked at Qin Bei, puzzled.
Given the current situation, Qin Zhen had reason to suspect that Qin Bei was plotting something.
“It’s nothing serious. I’m just worried my royal brother might want to buy my soul pearls at any moment, and I need to be able to contact him in time,” Qin Bei said earnestly.
“Hmm~”
Upon hearing this, Qin Zhen nodded.
His royal brother certainly had a broader vision, clearly much better than that Qin Xiu.
However, in Qin Zhen’s impression, Qin Bei didn’t seem like the type to be so tolerant, right?
Could it really be that he was given special treatment just because they were siblings?
Qin Bei didn’t elaborate on that and figured everyone would know his thoughts in due time.
“Brother, I’ll head to another place now.”
With just over a day left, even though Qin Bei had acquired a substantial number of soul pearls, he firmly believed that the more, the merrier.
Moreover, there were still several tombstone clusters with tens of thousands of soul pearls waiting for him.
Thus, Qin Bei couldn’t linger too long.
“Alright, I’ll wait for you in the central area.”
Qin Zhen didn’t say much. He was aware Qin Bei had more significant objectives ahead.
“If anything arises, just crush it. I can’t speak for other places, but in this imperial tomb trial, I still have some influence,” Qin Zhen handed Qin Bei a jade slip as he left.
With his peak Tribulation Stage cultivation, he was among the top cultivators in this imperial tomb trial.
That’s why he could say such bold words to Qin Bei.
“Well… I’ll take it.”
Qin Bei pondered for a moment and decided to accept it.
Although he knew he might not use it, he had to acknowledge his royal brother’s kindness. Otherwise, Qin Zhen would probably be uneasy with those soul pearls in hand.
…
Inside the palace.
Maybe others couldn’t tell what Qin Bei was up to by having someone follow Qin Xiu.
But Emperor Xia immediately figured it out.
For the next day, it seemed Qin Xiu could forget about being at ease.
This rebellious son really wasn’t just all talk when it came to revenge; he would seize every chance for retribution.
Emperor Xia even suspected that if given the chance, Qin Bei might boot Qin Xiu out of the capital.
Fortunately, Qin Bei wasn’t solely filled with vendetta.
At least when it came to Qin Zhen, Emperor Xia could see that Qin Bei still had considerable feelings for his brother.
Emperor Xia felt it might not be quite right to label his son as someone who wouldn’t give up until he had a grudge. It would be more accurate to say he knew clearly whom he loved and hated.
It’s just that he always thought of revenge first, and he wouldn’t let up until he’d pushed others down to where he wanted them—that naturally leads to the idea that he only held enmity in his heart.
…
In the following few hours, Qin Bei continued to abscond with soul pearls along his route.
And those subordinates he had subdued were doing their utmost to sell soul pearls.
Just like that, several hours passed.
By evening, a jade pendant at Qin Bei’s waist lit up.
It instantly captured Qin Bei’s attention.
“Let’s head over there.”
Qin Bei’s original direction was southeast.
But upon receiving the signal, he promptly switched directions and strode eastward.
Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue exchanged glances.
They both understood what Qin Bei planned to do next.
Although they felt it was somewhat bullying, wasn’t that the way of the cultivation world? Where’s the sympathy to be found?
So they were quite supportive of what Qin Bei was about to undertake.
…
About ten miles east of where Qin Bei was, there was a small cluster of tombstones.
In Qin Bei’s original plan, he intended to wait until he plundered several larger tombstone clusters before coming here.
At this moment, in front of this tombstone cluster stood a few hundred people.
Of course, the most eye-catching were none other than Qin Xiu and his crew, who were comprehending martial arts and were about to receive soul pearls.
In the afternoon, after Qin Xiu led his men away, he headed straight for this location.
With less than two days remaining, even Qin Xiu himself needed to join the ranks to acquire soul pearls.
And there truly was no time to waste.
If even one link went awry, it meant the task of securing thirty soul pearls wouldn’t be completed.
That ultimately meant his entire team couldn’t enter.
Nevertheless, despite the tight timeline, Qin Xiu absolutely wouldn’t buy any soul pearls from Qin Bei.
He simply wouldn’t let Qin Bei succeed so easily.
“Look, it’s almost ready! You can see the soul pearls appearing again!”
“It really has to be Prince Xiu; his speed is clearly much faster than the others.”
“I envy this kind of talent.”
The onlookers were all so-called geniuses.
However, they understood that even among geniuses, there were gaps in ability.
Moreover, that gap might be even larger than the difference between ordinary practitioners and genius practitioners.
Thus, while watching Qin Xiu, admiration and envy showed in their eyes.
At this point, Qin Xiu was elated.
He never expected to attain such speed.
‘Looks like cultivators indeed need to apply a bit of pressure! This progress is remarkably evident.’
Qin Xiu mused inwardly.
“Third-stage soul pearl! Come out to me!”
Qin Xiu opened his eyes and spoke to the tombstone before him.
His voice dripped with undeniable joy.
This time, gaining a third-stage soul pearl meant he had surpassed his previous record.
But just then, a figure flitted and appeared in front of the tombstone.
In the next moment, everyone saw a soul pearl slowly emerging from the tombstone.
“This… this radiance? It can’t be right? This bluish-white color seems to indicate a sixth-stage soul pearl! Prince Xiu is supposedly obtaining a sixth-stage pearl in such a short time? Could it be he’s encountered the martial arts he practices?”
“Impossible! If he’d truly stumbled upon the martial arts he was working on, would he still need to meditate for this long? He could just reach out and grab the soul pearl, right?”
“True! That means Prince Xiu must have completely comprehended this martial art in such a brief moment, received recognition, and obtained a sixth-stage soul pearl? That speed… that’s incredible!”
The spectators were left in shock.
They hadn’t expected, in the end, that Qin Xiu wouldn’t get the third-stage soul pearl as everyone imagined, but rather the sixth-stage soul pearl.
Such terrifying comprehension made everyone envious. However, Qin Xiu, deemed to possess a high comprehension level, was currently far from happy.
Or rather, he was quite bewildered and furious.
Staring at the figure that had suddenly appeared before him, he realized what had transpired.
“Qin Bei! Don’t you go too far!”
Qin Xiu glared at Qin Bei, his voice icy.
“What do you mean by that, my royal brother? I’m just picking up some soul pearls. Is that reason enough for you to glare at me like that?”
As he spoke, Qin Bei casually waved.
The sixth-stage soul pearl, which everyone assumed belonged to Qin Xiu, flew before Qin Bei, who successfully collected it.
Throughout the entire scene, Qin Xiu remained motionless.
He simply looked coldly at Qin Bei.
“You’re young and don’t grasp certain matters. Don’t act so rashly, or it’ll be hard to resolve,” Qin Xiu stated coolly.
“Haha, you’re right, brother. It’s just that I don’t take advice very well,” Qin Bei replied without showing anger. He waved his hand, summoning hundreds of beams of light.
The ten people who had originally been comprehending the martial arts to earn soul pearls were forcibly interrupted at that moment.
As they watched all the soul pearls soar toward Qin Bei, eventually being stashed in his Qiankun pouch, Qin Xiu’s expression turned increasingly grim.
Despite how uncomfortable Qin Xiu felt, he ultimately recognized one thing.
What Qin Bei had consumed was simply unregurgitable.
This scene left the surrounding onlookers dumbfounded, leading to a flurry of conversations.
Some could barely grasp what was happening.
“Damn, what’s going on? I can’t make sense of it!”
“Don’t you get it? The soul pearls were snatched!”
“I didn’t expect Prince Bei to also come this way. I thought he would head for those large tombstone clusters. I specifically chose a small area, yet I still ran into Prince Bei. Talk about bad luck!”
“Don’t speak too loudly! If Prince Bei hears you, you might be in trouble. Anyone daring to snatch their brother’s soul pearls, what do you think will happen if they catch your attention?”
…
Listening to the gossiping crowd, Qin Xiu understood.
This time, he had truly embarrassed himself.
Instead of targeting Qin Bei, he had become easy prey instead.
“Good!”
Suddenly, Qin Xiu exclaimed enthusiastically.
Then, speaking loudly so everyone could hear, he said, “Since we’ve fortuitously crossed paths, even if my royal brother is unlucky for not selecting the right tombstone group, I have no objections to him taking these soul pearls. So I’ll just pick another cluster. Please direct me to a side you won’t be visiting.”
Once Qin Xiu said this, the bystanders perked up their ears to listen.
They wanted to know the direction Qin Bei would take next so they could surely avoid it.
After all, several tombstones remained.
They just didn’t believe Qin Bei could inspect them all.
Qin Xiu rarely displayed a smile as he gazed at Qin Bei.
He portrayed it as a chance encounter, yet he was genuinely aiming to offer Qin Bei a way out while also seeking a way out for himself.
As long as Qin Bei descended from his high horse, their relationship wouldn’t seem so dire in front of outsiders, and there’d at least be some wiggle room.
Moreover, he could focus comfortably on obtaining soul pearls moving forward.
Qin Bei observed Qin Xiu’s smile and instantly recognized the other’s intentions.
While conflicts among princes were fair game, they shouldn’t cross the line into deadly hatred. That was an unwritten rule within royal families.
Because Emperor Xia would definitely disapprove of such confrontations.
Qin Xiu believed Qin Bei wouldn’t care about the attention from various sects but would surely mind Emperor Xia’s sentiments.
After all, their power stems from Emperor Xia at the end of the day.
It’s fine not to curry favor with him, but definitely not to incite his wrath, right?
“You had a good plan, but what a shame; I am Qin Bei!”
Qin Bei looked directly at Qin Xiu and definitively proclaimed.
Then he loudly declared, “Brother, you misunderstood. This isn’t an encounter; I sent someone to shadow you, waiting for you to gain the soul pearls, so I could swoop in for the snatch. Frankly, I’m not even that interested in these soul pearls; I just find it delightful to see you displeased.”
“What can I say? I just want to play with you a bit; I’d love to see you flustered and enraged!”
Qin Bei’s tone remained nonchalant, but it struck the surrounding ears like thunder.
The implication of that statement had never been clearer; it was nothing less than a declaration of war.
From this moment on, the two would be completely at odds, and it would be the sort of opposition that left no room for pretense.
As long as it troubled the other party, he would gladly do it.
Such situations were extremely rare within royal families, let alone being said publicly in front of so many.
This matter was essentially settled, leaving no room for negotiation.
“Are you out of your mind?!”
Qin Xiu erupted, entirely taken aback by Qin Bei’s unpredictable behavior.
Did he genuinely not care about their father’s perspective?
Directly antagonizing him like this?
“What’s the problem? After all, in this imperial mausoleum, with your level of cultivation, you won’t be able to handle me. Why not give it a shot and block my palace gate with your guests once we’re out?”
Qin Bei didn’t hide the mockery at all. He
looked down on Qin Xiu to the ultimate degree.
“Fine! Fine! Fine! Qin Bei, you’ve utterly disgraced the royal family! Once we get out of here, even if I choose not to take action against you, our father won’t let you off easily!”
Qin Xiu truly lost his temper.
Now that they had stripped down to the final semblance of face, Qin Xiu stopped pretending and said whatever came to his mind.
“Just wait! Don’t think you can stir chaos in this periphery and emerge as the victor from this mausoleum trial. The real opportunities lie in the inner and core areas. Facing me now isn’t in your best interest! You little trash in the Golden Core realm!”
The last line Qin Xiu nearly spat through clenched teeth.
He had intended to remind those nearby that although he had been bested, it was still uncertain who would dominate once they got into the inner circle!
Because in the inner circle, cultivation rank played a vital role.
It was an entirely different battlefield compared to the outer space.
Indeed, those words proved highly effective.
The onlookers who had initially regarded Qin Bei with envy began to gain a more rational perspective.
Yes, it didn’t matter how talented he was; ultimately, he was just a Golden Core realm cultivator.
How could he possibly measure up to Qin Xiu after entering the inner circle with such power?
Qin Bei, watching the flustered Qin Xiu, felt quite pleased.
This was the effect he wanted; as for matters beyond, he completely disregarded them.
That was an affair for tomorrow, and tomorrow’s concerns could wait!
“I don’t know what the outcome will be once we enter the inner circle, but at least I know I can enter. What I don’t know is whether my brother can bring his people in.”
Qin Bei chuckled slyly.
“You!…”
Qin Xiu desperately wanted to retort but struggled to produce a comeback.
At present, what he lacked most were the soul pearls.
However, recalling his earlier arrangements, Qin Xiu began to calm down.
“Who knows the result before it’s over? Focus on your business!”
Qin Bei dramatically pouted and shrugged, “Actually, I have plenty of soul pearls here. I could part with thirty for two million spirit stones.”
Upon hearing the price hike for the soul pearls again, Qin Xiu fantasized about dealing a few punches to Qin Bei on the spot!
“I’m not interested!”
Qin Xiu shot back coldly.
“Alright, I’ll not force you.”
Qin Bei shrugged, then approached the two who were tailing Qin Xiu. “Remember, keep up! Moreover, if my royal brother wants to purchase soul pearls from others, you inform those folks that if anyone dares to sell, I, Qin Bei, will directly confiscate their homes once I get out!”
Qin Bei spoke with a grin.
Yet not a single person among the crowd questioned the authenticity of his words.
After hearing this, Qin Xiu frowned. He had indeed harbored that idea.
After all, he wasn’t the only one with soul pearls around here.
However, it seemed that idea was now dashed.
Because the talents from smaller sects would obviously shy away from offending Qin Bei, given his infamous reputation.
Conversely, Qin Xiu projected a gentle image outside.
So these individuals would sooner risk angering Qin Xiu than go up against the dangerous Qin Bei.
And those capable geniuses from larger sects would be able to enter the inner circle, indicating they needed soul pearls too.
As for whether there would be surplus soul pearls, that would be determined later when they arranged to meet in the central area.
And concerning members of the royal family—well, that went without saying.
Few would willingly tread through such murky waters.
Thus, the choices before Qin Xiu had dwindled to two options.
One was to procure them from Qin Bei at an inflated price.
The second was to seek out those prominent sect geniuses in the central area to purchase extra soul pearls.
Evidently, neither route appealed to Qin Xiu.
He was internally relieved he had taken action earlier in the afternoon.
This third path was indeed viable!
And Qin Xiu was more than eager to pursue it!
…
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