Chapter 383 - 147: Mortal World (2)

"What a fine saber. A shame I'm too poor to buy it."

"Look, Cao Meng is here!" someone suddenly shouted.

"Who's Cao Meng?"

"You don't even know Cao Meng? He's the son of our County Captain, famous for his chivalry and for making friends easily. If I'm not mistaken, he's about to make an offer."

"Well, I'll be. Cao Meng really did make an offer—three hundred taels of silver!"

"He's not lowballing him at all with that price. It's actually much higher than the market rate. A very sincere offer," remarked someone who knew its worth.

"That's right. Anyone else in this situation would probably try to take advantage of him... Cao Meng is a true gentleman!"

...

From the crowd's chatter, Fang Rui pieced together what was happening.

It turned out the man in the center of the crowd was named Guan Zhi. He was selling his family's heirloom, a Treasure Saber, because his mother was gravely ill. Cao Meng, a man known throughout the county for his chivalry, was the one buying it.

'This Guan Zhi...'

Fang Rui looked over. The man was of great stature, with a grim face, a long beard, and a dignified air.

Using his Divine Technique, Emperor's Gaze, he observed...

His Natal Qi Fortune was golden-yellow, taking the shape of a saber. His Internal Qi Fortune was red and white. His External Qi Fortune was gray-white, threaded with wisps of black qi.

'A golden Natal Qi Fortune shaped like a saber is the destiny of a General Star. Red and white Internal Qi Fortune means his strength is at the Seventh Grade Peak, not far from the Middle Grade. The scattered External Qi Fortune with threads of black qi represents his current hardship.'

Fang Rui thought to himself.

The Qi Fortune Levels, from lowest to highest, are: gray, white, red, orange, gold, cyan, and purple.

Natal Qi Fortune refers to one's innate capacity and talent, something one is born with. It represents the general limit of one's Acquired potential, and it is extremely difficult to change without a great stroke of luck.

Commoners have gray-white; talents at the county or prefecture level have red or orange; gold reaches the provincial level; cyan and purple are reserved for Cabinet Ministers and Grand Counselors.

For special talents, like kings or emperors, their Natal Qi Fortune can also manifest as a special phenomenon, just like Guan Zhi's.

Internal Qi Fortune is a manifestation of one's Realm.

Low Grade is gray or white; Middle Grade is red or orange; Upper Grade is gold.

Only the Super Grade can manifest a hint of cyan.

External Qi Fortune refers to one's temporary luck, such as official position, influence, and so on.

Take Fang Rui himself, for example. As a Source Master and a Primordial Sea Martial Saint, his Natal Qi Fortune is not visible because he has passed through the Immortal and Mortal Gate. His Internal Qi Fortune is cyan, and his External Qi Fortune is also cyan.

'This Guan Zhi... a born General Star, a talent destined to serve a dragon? Interesting!'

Fang Rui mused, turning his gaze back to Cao Meng.

His External Qi Fortune was red, a result of his status as the County Captain's son.

His Internal Qi Fortune was reddish-orange, indicating Middle Grade strength—specifically, Fifth Grade Dark Force.

But his Natal Qi Fortune was...

ROAR!

His Qi Fortune was hidden deep within, taking the form of a four-clawed Flood Dragon.

'Found you!'

A thought stirred in Fang Rui's mind. 'This must be Yuanzhou's Celestial Determined Flood Dragon!'

'Truly, he has immense Qi Fortune. If I don't intervene, the story will go like this: Guan Zhi sells his saber to save his mother; Cao Meng generously buys it, only to return it to him; they become sworn brothers, and the tale is passed down as a legend.'

'However, now that I've seen through it, I must interfere and make my move here!'

Fang Rui knew that ordinary methods wouldn't work at this point, such as getting into a bidding war with Cao Meng.

Guan Zhi and Cao Meng had already struck a deal. To show his sincerity, Cao Meng had offered a price well above the market rate. Guan Zhi would never break his promise. If Fang Rui were to act rashly, he would only become the villain in their legendary tale.

'Then I'll just have to do the opposite.'

A glint in his eye, Fang Rui suddenly stepped forward, laughing boisterously. "HAHAHAHAHA!"

As expected, the crowd turned toward the sound.

Cao Meng and Guan Zhi, who had already struck their deal and were about to complete the transaction, also paused.

Someone asked Fang Rui, "Daoist, what are you laughing about?"

"I laugh at Guan Zhi's faithlessness and Cao Meng's foolishness! How could this saber ever be worthy of the name 'Treasure Saber'?" Fang Rui laughed, pointing at the two of them.

It was a textbook case of shock and awe, seizing the upper hand from the very start!

As soon as he spoke, the entire crowd erupted in an uproar, just as he'd expected.

"Daoist, how am I faithless? And how is this saber unworthy of the title Treasure Saber? If you do not explain yourself today, I will not let this matter rest!"

Guan Zhi stroked his beard and frowned, his expression radiating authority without a hint of anger.

Called 'foolish,' a grim look flashed across Cao Meng's face. However, upon noticing Fang Rui's extraordinary bearing, his expression shifted from surprise to a more relaxed one. With a hearty smile, he said, "Please, Daoist, do enlighten me!"

The others, however, were not so polite.

"You're spouting nonsense, you Daoist! This saber is sharp enough to split a hair that falls on its blade. We all saw it! How is that not a Treasure Saber?" someone shouted.

"Exactly! Then you tell us, what makes a Treasure Saber?" another person demanded.

"If you don't make yourself clear today, I, Lin, won't let you off the hook either!"

"This Daoist is out of his mind. He must be trying to sabotage the deal so he can come back later and buy the saber himself. I've seen his kind before."

...

The accusations were endless, with some people even pointing and cursing right in Fang Rui's face. The situation was starting to spin out of control.

"Shut your mouths! A pack of scoundrels, the lot of you! Who dares disrespect my benefactor?!"

Just then, a burly, broad-shouldered man pushed through the crowd and stood protectively in front of Fang Rui.

"It's Lu the Butcher!"

"That killer is not someone you want to mess with!"

"He's an unreasonable oaf! You can't reason with the likes of him!"

...

In an instant, the crowd actually quieted down.

This Lu the Butcher, whose real name was Lu Fei, practiced a certain Saber Technique. He had butchered countless pigs, thus earning his nickname.

But it would be a grave mistake to think of him as a mere butcher. His family controlled the meat supply for half of Nanzhuo County.

He had a connection with Fang Rui because Lu Fei had been infertile due to his Yang Qi being blocked by his Cultivation Technique, a condition Fang Rui had cured just the day before.

"Don't you worry, Benefactor! Let me take care of this rabble!" Lu Fei's voice was immense, booming like a clap of thunder that left everyone's ears ringing.

"Huh?!"

When Guan Zhi saw Lu Fei, he felt an inexplicable, instinctual sense of affinity.

"What a hero!"

Cao Meng's eyes lit up even more, his admiration overflowing. He felt as if he were looking at a brother he was destined to have!