…
A bright green meteor fell and landed inside Fushan. The green meteor spun and became Du Lengning. "Old Luo, Old Luo…" he yelled as he entered Luo Qian's cave abode.
Luo Qian greeted him with a chuckle. "Young Master Du, did you run out of battery again?"
Du Lengning shook his head. "No, there is a little trouble with things this time. That fellow, Thunder, has already designed the treasure that you want, but he cannot build it. We need an expert craftsman."
"So fast?" In less than three month's time, Thunder was done tinkering. Luo Qian was really quite surprised by his efficiency.
"Crafting expert, Young Master Du. Do you know anyone?" asked Luo Qian.
Du Lengning had been unwilling to get involved in Luo Qian's affairs from the very start. Thus, he replied with a look of reluctance upon hearing him, "I do know a few people, but you also know that expert craftsmen are all respectable people of the Immortal Realm. How is it possible that they would refine something only at the level of a treasure for you?"
With a roll of his eyes, Luo Qian changed the topic. "Do you know what I've been doing in the Human Realm of late?"
"…"
Moments later, Luo Qian and Du Lengning reached a consensus after communicating. Du Lengning patted his chest and guaranteed that he would find a suitable expert craftsman for Luo Qian. Luo Qian did not pledge anything, but if he were to screw up Du Lengning's task in the Human Realm, the young master of Faraway Hall certainly would not let him off.
In the Human Realm, Luo Qian opened up the magazine in his hand and flipped to the page of the rankings. The number 35 beauty sat at the top of the list, already having a gap of nearly 10,000 votes between them and second place. With two more weeks to the final moment, the champion had essentially been decided. There was no longer any suspense.
However, Luo Qian still did not dare neglect it. He gave a call to Chen Baozi—who was in City D—and told him to continue purchasing 50,000 magazine issues every week and continue to flood the votes.
A typical magazine in the country would usually only circulate hundreds of thousands of issues, but this game magazine was no fool. The print volume of the recent issues had been above 30,000, yet the supply was still falling short of demand. Chen Baozi had only gotten his hands on so many magazines because he went through the province's chief distributor.
Back in the Immortal Realm, before Luo Qian's bottom had even warmed the seat, Du Lengning had rushed into the cave in a flurry. "Old Luo, quick. I've already found the guy; come take a look with me."
An expert craftsman that met Luo Qian's requirements was not easy to find. The expert craftsman had to have a certain standard yet not be too famous. The craftsman must also be able to keep secrets. Of these three conditions, fulfilling one was simple, but fulfilling two simultaneously was tough, not to mention all three.
Originally, Du Lengning did not expect to find someone this quickly either. Coincidentally, someone had spent 30 pieces of Superior Immortal Jade for an area of land on Mountain Ning Yao yesterday. Mountain Ning Yao was also a prime location of the Immortal Realm. Thus, buying land here was not cheap. Thirty pieces of Superior Immortal Jade was equivalent to 30 million Standard Immortal Jade. On Mountain Ning Yao, such a huge sum could only buy an area the size of a mat.
Before Luo Qian could get to the bottom of it, he was grabbed by Du Lengning. They suavely headed to Mountain Ning Yao with the Third-Order immortal art, 'Drifting Steps.' Poor Luo Qian wasn't too proficient in his First-Order immortal art, Sky Leap. Upon seeing Du Lengning—who hadn't been an Immortal a lot longer than him, but had attained the standards of a Third-Order Immortal—Luo Qian was extremely envious.
Less than a moment later, Mountain Ning Yao was already within sight. A Third-Order immortal art was indeed something that his pitiful Sky Leap could not compare to. They'd arrived so quickly.
On Mountain Ning Yao—a wonderful location—banners and pennons waved in the breeze. Numerous striking flags danced to the breeze, creating a sea of bright colors. All kinds of texts were printed on them, unafraid of not being eye-catching, but afraid of not attracting people.
Luo Qian naturally recognized that this was a popular area on Mountain Ning Yao. Every narrow flag represented a shop. The flags were signboards and also portals. If one was interested in a shop's products, they just had to stand beneath the flag, and they would naturally be transported to the shop's interior. As for where the shop was, it was hard to say.
Every inch of land on Mountain Ning Yao was an inch of gold. It was not that there weren't wealthy people who could open a store here, but to the great majority of Immortals, planting a narrow flag and opening a store elsewhere, using the portal to attract customers was the way to go for thrifty operations.
"Do you see it? It's right there." Du Lengning pointed with his hand.
Luo Qian looked over, following it, and a jet-black narrow flag entered his sight. Like a chicken among the cranes, a chopstick among the flag posts, it stood on a palm-sized area of land. Two words were written on the narrow flag: Ghost Refinery.
Luo Qian shook his head. "This fellow's business must be pretty average."
Du Lengning chuckled and said, "Old Luo, you don't know about this? This is known as a gimmick. The more low-profiled one's flag is, the more one would appear to be different on this noisy Mountain Ning Yao. I went to take a look yesterday; this fellow's business is really good. The ingenious part is in the word 'ghost.'"
"Oh, is he a Soul Immortal?"
"How could it be that simple?" Du Lengning went on, "It's true that he is a Soul Immortal. However, more importantly, the word 'ghost' has reassured all those who have something to hide. Of all who come to Mountain Ning Yao, it is unavoidable that some people's requests can't be exposed. Hence, this Ghost Refinery has nicely corresponded with their needs…"
Luo Qian wore a small smile and said softly, "Just like us?"
Du Lengning nodded with a smile, not noticing that Luo Qian had successfully changed 'me' to 'us.'
"Come, I'll bring you there for a look." Standing under the narrow black flag, a gleam of light flashed across their eyes. In the next moment, the two were already at a place with a beautiful landscape.
Luo Qian took a glance and commented, "This is the 'Silk Cliff' beside Mountain Ning Yao. Although it's nothing compared to those excellent locations like Three Heavens and Six Springs, it is much better than my Fushan."
Above a thatched cottage, dark smoke curled upwards. A simple and crude wooden door, fences made of withered bamboo… The owner of this place clearly had an attitude of standing aloof from worldly affairs.
Du Lengning let out a cold laugh. "Don't underestimate these furnishings. The thatch on top of the cottage is the acutely toxic Heart Penetrating Grass. A 'Nine Spirit Beheading Array' has been set up behind the wooden door, and the venomous 'Phosphorescent Dark Thunder' is buried beneath the fences…"
Luo Qian's eyeballs almost bulged out. "Honey, I thought I was sinister enough. To think there is actually someone more vicious than I am!"
"Brother Xiao, Brother Xiao!" Du Lengning shouted loudly.
A shadow floated out from behind the wooden door. The shadow wore black robes and had a white face—a ghastly look. "It's Brother Du. The young master of Mountain Ning Yao has come to my humble abode. What can I do for you?" His words were polite, but when said using that icy cold voice of his, it made one feel like it was some kind of provocation.
Du Lengning had already grasped his temper, so he only grinned and said, "Of course, we would never visit unless we need something."
"Come on in."
The two people walked into the Soul Immortal's thatched cottage. The interior furnishings were just as simple as the outside. The Soul Immortal pointed one finger, and three soft cushions floated down from above. The Soul Immortal 'sat' on one himself and gestured for Du Lengning and Luo Qian to take their seats.
"Old Luo, this is the Master of Ghost Refinery, Xiao Xiangzi. Brother Xiao, this is my good friend, Luo Qian. He has to speak to you about business." After introducing the two to each other, Du Lengning sat to one side and stopped talking.
Luo Qian had no choice and could only reveal all his intentions.
Xiao Xiangzi took one glance at him and said, "No problem. Since Brother Du introduced you, I shall give you a special offer. Five pieces of Superior Immortal Jade for each finished product."
Luo Qian leaped up from the cushion and yelled, "What! Five pieces of Superior Immortal Jade? It's not like I'm asking you to refine Immortal Artifacts!"
Xiao Xiangzi said with a cold smile, "This doesn't only include the crafting costs, but it also the fee to keep this secret…"
Luo Qian turned and left. "Goodbye."
Du Lengning hurriedly chased after Luo Qian. "Old Luo, Old Luo, why are you so impulsive? Do you not know the market prices for crafting these days? This price is not high!"
"Five pieces of Superior Immortal Jade is not expensive? I'm helping you with a shady deal in the Human Realm. I've created such a huge stir and took on great risks, yet I'm getting paid the same…"
Du Lengning explained, "A 100% success rate isn't guaranteed in crafting. The consumption of materials, together with labor cost and shut-up fees… This price isn't considered high."
Luo Qian sighed helplessly. "Alright then. In any case, you've yet to pay the money you owe me. This debt shall be transferred to him. I shan't go in. You go speak to him."
Du Lengning agreed and went back again.
Luo Qian flew back to his Fushan cave abode alone. It suddenly struck him that if the Treasure refined according to the design Thunder had provided could not meet his demands, his five million Standard Immortal Jade would have been spent in vain!
Thump!
He smashed a fist into his cave abode and swore ruthlessly, "Damn it. If it really fails, you can dream about eating bird food from the Human Realm for the rest of your life, Thunder!"
Calculating the time, that pageant going on in the Human Realm would more or less be coming to an end. Luo Qian abruptly inhaled a breath of Immortal air, preparing to head down. However, the strange situation from the previous time happened again. Immortal air entered his body but leaked from an unknown spot and vanished inconspicuously. With experience from the first time, though Luo Qian was a little flustered in his heart, he wasn't too bewildered.
Sitting cross-legged in his cave abode, his five centres faced the
He finally filled that hole. Luo Qian dusted off his clothes and stood up. He wasn't the slightest bit worried about his own body. What could be worse than the current situation? As a Tribulation Immortal, regardless of what he did within 500 years of his ascension, he would still remain a First-Order Immortal. Whether he would be able to survive the tribulation that came after 500 years was still an uncertainty…
He bought a copy of the game magazine after finding a newsstand. On its cover was a striking headline—Phoenix Cup Cosplay Competition, Annual Champion: Pei Sefei. The girl's name was in an extra-large, explosive font. It was even more eye-catching than those narrow flags on Mountain Ning Yao.
Contestant number 35, Pei Sefei—dressed in an all-white warrior costume—appeared on the magazine's cover with an aloof and elegant expression.
Luo Qian revealed a smile and put the magazine away. He still needed to hand this to Du Lengning to account to him. He did not go to see Chen Baozi. Whenever that fellow completed his tasks, he would automatically disappear.
…
Immortal Realm.
Thud.
Luo Qian tossed the magazine before Du Lengning as he languidly sprawled against one of Rock View House's comfortable chairs. "Young Master Du, I've made good my word."
Du Lengning saw the girl on the cover at one glance. He agitatedly grabbed it and stared for a long while before desperately flipping through it. "Old Luo, presentation ceremony. There's still the presentation ceremony! I want to watch…"
Luo Qian quickly waved his hand. "That's out of the question. It's alright for me to go down alone, but if you're asking me to bring another person along, I can't do that."
"Brother Luo, I don't mean it that way. I want you to go down, record the ceremony for me, and bring it back up. Won't I be able to watch it then?"
Luo Qian frowned. "Alright then, but…"
Du Lengning had been dealing with him for a long time, so how could he not get Luo Qian's meaning. He quickly added, "Don't worry. I will give an additional one million Standard Immortal Jade."
Luo Qian nodded with 'reluctance.' "Fine then…"
-
"Damn it; I'm losing money!" When Luo Qian saw that it cost 3,000 yuan for a ticket to the presentation ceremony on the poster, he felt that he'd been duped. An
The competition this time was a grand occasion for the local games scene. When Luo Qian made it to the presentation ceremony venue in City S, countless game enthusiasts were already gathered outside. Fanatics dressed in game costumes could be seen everywhere. Magnesium lights flashed away with clicks, aimed at the stars getting off the luxurious sedans. There were bosses of game companies, female celebrities with scandals, and also many contestants from the pageant.
Luo Qian was inconspicuous as he stood at a side with his ticket in hand.
The venue was fully decorated with game characteristics. It was said this was one of the major scenes of a new online game that a main sponsor was about to launch. Grayish blue skies, a ruby-like setting sun, elven woods painted on the walls… There were even scaled-down models of monstrous cliffs standing in the center of the venue.
In order to please his client, Luo Qian had bought a ticket for the 'VIP seats' in the front row to get a better filming angle. It cost him an extra 2,000 yuan.
He settled down and adjusted the video camera. Luo Qian did not care how star-studded the ceremony's red carpet was. He only had one target—the champion of this pageant, contestant number 35, Pei Sefei.
The tediously long ceremony finally ended. The scale and influence of this pageant had greatly exceeded the estimations of the organizer. The original plan to award the top three places was expanded to include all top ten winners. The ceremony naturally started from awarding the tenth place.
Towards the end of the pageant, everyone could tell that one wouldn't be able to get into the top ranks without vote-flooding. However, which person who had the capability to vote-flood doesn't have a backer? The magazine was shrewd to expand the awarding scope since they could not afford to offend those people. Thus, everyone would get a consolation prize.
After a clamorous period of applause, flowers, and flashing lights, the ultimate champion of this pageant—contestant number 35—Pei Sefei finally went up the stage to accept her award. Luo Qian quickly raised the video camera. From the moment Pei Sefei walked out from the backstage and stepped onto the red carpet, he closely followed her movements with the camera.
The girl had washed away the superficialities of makeup today, appearing with a clear face. A fitting faint-gold evening gown outlined her graceful figure. She walked on light steps, like a fairy walking down from the clouds. Although this pageant had been exposed to be full of shady deals, even though this champion had been highly disputed, at this moment, Pei Sefei had used her beauty and elegance to conquer the whole venue completely. The warm applause did not cease for a long time…
Since this was Luo Qian's first time seeing the girl's true appearance, he could not help but falter for a moment too. Despite having seen countless dazzling beauties in the Immortal Realm, he was still slightly shocked by this girl's striking beauty. Luo Qian sighed inwardly. After ascending to become an Immortal, it is, no doubt, possible to alter one's appearance according to one's wishes. However, how can an altered appearance compare to a completely natural beauty of divine creation?
Luo Qian carried out his task dutifully. Although Pei Sefei's beauty had exceeded his expectations, it had nothing to do with him. He no longer belonged to this word. Thus, the people of this world didn't have any relation to him.
From going on-stage to receive her award to the final speech, Pei Sefei behaved with decorum. She did not have 'agitated tears welling up in her eyes,' nor did she intentionally appear to be 'indifferent to both favor and disgrace.' Her poised and dignified mannerisms won the praises of everyone present.
When Pei Sefei walked off, Luo Qian also switched off the camera and left the ceremony. There were still lots of performances coming up, but Luo Qian wasn't interested.
Luo Qian did not immediately return to the Immortal Realm after leaving the presentation ceremony venue. Instead, he made a trip to his stronghold. A long time had passed since the previous assault incident. Thus, the police no longer concerned themselves with it. When Luo Qian returned, he paid a year's worth of utility fees in one go. The aunty's gaze had also changed, going from a look of scrutinizing a criminal on the run to that of admiring a promising young man.