SPMT : Chapter 180

Xiao Jingting walked out of the jade pendant space and only saw Xu Mu’an staying behind alone.

“Where are the little devils?” Xiao Jingting asked.

“They all ran off to kill demon beasts. Xiaojin went with them too,” Xu Mu’an said with a smile.

“I hope nothing will happen to them.” Xiao Jingting muttered.

Xu Mu’an said carelessly: “Don’t underestimate them. They’ve all basically advanced to Golden Core now. They don’t need your protection – they can even support you.”

Xiao Jingting laughed awkwardly, thinking: All his painstaking efforts supporting these boys wasn’t in vain! Except for the portion they kept for cultivation, all the Spirit Stones these boys earned from selling demon beast materials were given to him. This feeling of being supported by a group of kids was both refreshing and embarrassing.

“Really a group of diligent kids.” It made him, the freeloading father, somewhat ashamed!

“Your sons have made quite a reputation for themselves on the road these years,” Xu Mu’an said.

“What kind of reputation?” Xiao Jingting asked with interest.

“Jade Face Four Heavenly Kings,” Xu Mu’an said.

Xiao Jingting: “Oh, that sounds pretty good…” After his sons grew up, they were indeed quite handsome. Chen Xu and Lei Xuan also looked good.

“That’s the nice-sounding one. There’s also a more descriptive one,” Xu Mu’an said.

Xiao Jingting: “What?”

Xu Mu’an: “Skinning Four Heavenly Kings.”

Xiao Jingting: “…How did they get such a nickname?”

Xu Mu’an shrugged and said: “Supposedly every time they go on missions, the area looks like it’s been scraped clean several times over.”

Xiao Jingting: “…”

…

“By the way, Ye Jinlan came,” Xu Mu’an said.

Xiao Jingting squinted, puzzled: “Ye Jinlan, what did she come for?”

Xu Mu’an shook his head and said: “I don’t know either. She said she came to discuss business with you.”

“Do you know what kind of business?” Xiao Jingting asked.

Xu Mu’an shook his head and said: “I don’t know, but I think it should be related to the Commerce Alliance qualification tournament that’s about to begin.”

Xiao Jingting squinted and said: “Commerce Alliance qualification tournament – this matter shouldn’t involve me, right?” After all, he was only mid-Golden Core! Although Xiao Jingting didn’t think his strength was inferior to late Golden Core cultivators, these types of competitions usually looked for late Golden Core cultivators.

“I’m not sure either, but I heard that apparently a newly risen family, the Hong family, has set their sights on the Ye family’s position. This caused a late Golden Core cultivator that the Ye family had originally won over to switch to the Hong family,” Xu Mu’an said with a smile.

Xiao Jingting blinked and said: “So the Ye family’s original candidate disappeared, so they’re coming to me as a substitute…”

Xu Mu’an hesitated and said: “This is just my guess. We’ll only know the specifics after meeting Miss Ye.”

…

Ye Fang sat in the great hall, her brow tightly furrowed.

“Miss, this Xiao Jingting really puts on airs!” Ye Fang said somewhat irritably.

Ye Fang sighed inwardly, thinking: The Ye family was truly in decline now. In the past, wherever Ye family members went, weren’t they respected?

“He’s a Golden Core cultivator with so many Golden Core subordinates under him. What’s wrong with putting on some airs?” Ye Jinlan said lightly.

Ye Fang said with confusion: “How could so many Golden Core cultivators suddenly appear?”

Although Golden Core cultivators weren’t as rare as Nascent Soul cultivators, cultivating one was still extremely difficult. Yet those cultivators under Xiao Jingting had advanced to Golden Core one after another.

Previously, many people didn’t understand why the mountaintop where Xiao Jingting lived often displayed strange phenomena. Only after Xiao Xiaofan and the others all became Golden Core cultivators did many cultivators finally understand – those phenomena were the signs of cultivators advancing to Golden Core.

By the time everyone understood that there were so many Golden Core cultivators on that mountaintop, ordinary forces couldn’t touch them at all.

“Miss, do you think Xiao Jingting might have a secret formula for advancing to Golden Core?” Ye Fang asked.

Ye Jinlan had originally thought the same – that Xiao Jingting might have mastered some secret technique that could催生金丹 [catalyze Golden Core formation]. Indeed, some secret techniques could produce pseudo-Golden Core cultivators. These pseudo-Golden Core cultivators were much stronger than Foundation Establishment cultivators, but considerably weaker than true Golden Core cultivators, and further advancement was very difficult.

However, Xiao Xiaodong and the others’ combat power was much stronger than ordinary Golden Core cultivators.

“Probably not,” Ye Jinlan clenched her fists. The Ye family was in precarious times. Xiao Jingting had already established himself. Even if he really had such a secret formula, she couldn’t covet it.

…

Xiao Jingting came out.

Seeing Xiao Jingting, Ye Jinlan smiled gently and said: “Fellow Daoist Xiao, truly a heaven-sent genius. At such a young age, you’ve already entered mid-Golden Core stage.”

Xiao Jingting smiled and said: “I’m not that young anymore.” Roughly calculating, Xiao Jingting realized he was already over forty, and suddenly felt time flew by. Being over forty was already considered old on Earth, but in the cultivation world, it really wasn’t much.

“Jinlan came this time with a request,” Ye Jinlan said.

Xiao Jingting looked at Ye Jinlan and said lightly: “Miss Ye, please speak freely.”

“Fellow Daoist Xiao must know about the Commerce Alliance challenge tournament,” Ye Jinlan said.

Xiao Jingting nodded and said: “I’ve heard a little about it.”

“When the challenge tournament begins, if any family covets my Ye family’s position, they can come up to challenge us. Best two out of three matches,” Ye Jinlan said.

Xiao Jingting nodded and said: “Oh, is Miss Ye inviting me to participate?”

Ye Jinlan frowned and said: “Actually, I want to invite Fellow Daoist Xiao to be a backup candidate.”

Xiao Jingting looked at Ye Jinlan with some confusion and said: “I don’t understand what ‘backup candidate’ means.”

After Ye Jinlan gave a tactful explanation, Xiao Jingting’s expression became somewhat strange.

While Xiao Jingting was discussing matters with Ye Jinlan, Xiao Xiaodong and the others happened to return. Hearing there was a guest at home, the group didn’t avoid anything and barged right in. Xiao Jingting had no choice but to arrange with Ye Jinlan to discuss the matter another day.

“Father, what did Ye Jinlan come for?” Xiao Xiaodong asked.

“Do you know about the Commerce Alliance challenge tournament?” Xiao Jingting said.

Xiao Xiaofan nodded and said: “I know, I know! Did Ye Jinlan ask you to participate in the competition? That woman has good judgment – she can tell at a glance that you’re no ordinary person, Father.”

Xiao Jingting shook his head and said: “Yes and no.”

Chen Xu looked at Xiao Jingting puzzledly and said: “What do you mean?”

Xiao Jingting smiled and said: “The challenge tournament requires three participants in total. The Ye family has one Golden Core Great Perfection cultivator and one late Golden Core cultivator. These two positions are fixed. There’s one last position remaining. For this position, I’m a backup candidate, but not the only backup candidate. The Ye family found several people – just to be safe, they sought out several more.”

“I see! I was wondering why the Ye family would approach Uncle Xiao. Of course, I don’t mean to look down on you, Uncle Xiao. It’s just that for competitions involving positions like this, I think the Ye family would be cautious and still look for late Golden Core cultivators.” If they had really only approached Xiao Jingting alone, it would mean the Ye family’s fortune was about exhausted.

Xiao Jingting nodded and said: “I think so too. According to Ye Jinlan, even if I really participate in the challenge tournament, I might not necessarily have to enter the field. The challenge tournament has three matches total. As long as the Ye family wins two matches, I won’t need to participate – I’ll just watch the show.”

Xiao Jingting paused, then said with delight: “According to Ye Jinlan, as long as I agree to become a backup candidate for the competition, she’ll give me one hundred high-grade Spirit Stones. If I’m ultimately chosen and win, I get one thousand high-grade Spirit Stones. Even if I lose, she’ll still give me three hundred high-grade Spirit Stones.”

Xiao Xiaodong: “…”

“Father, did you agree?” Xiao Xiaofan asked with wide eyes.

Xiao Jingting shook his head and said: “Not yet.”

“Father, with so many Spirit Stones, what are you hesitating about?” Xiao Xiaofan asked.

Xiao Jingting glanced at Xiao Xiaofan and said irritably: “Look at your money-grubbing attitude – no dignity at all. Although your old father is only mid-Golden Core, I’m still a Golden Core ancestor! Your father is such a magnificently talented person – if someone mentions a deal and I rashly agree, would that be appropriate? It would damage your father’s reputation.”

Xiao Xiaofan looked at Xiao Jingting, curled his lips, and said: “Father, that’s quite enough. If you keep playing hard to get, they won’t raise the price.”

Xiao Jingting: “…You brat, what are you saying? Is your father the type to deliberately act aloof waiting for people to raise prices?”

Xiao Xiaofan blinked and looked at Xiao Jingting with bright eyes.

Xiao Jingting rolled his eyes and thought helplessly: Fine, he was exactly that type of person.

Xiao Xiaodong squinted, and after a long moment, took a deep breath and said: “Father, I think these Spirit Stones won’t be easy to earn.”

Xiao Xiaofan looked at Xiao Xiaodong dismissively and said: “Big brother, it’s just watching a show. What’s hard about earning it? Nine times out of ten, it won’t be our father’s turn.”

“What if it is his turn?” Xiao Xiaodong asked.

“Aren’t there still two old men from the Ye family holding the line?” Xiao Xiaofan said carelessly.

“Have you heard of the horse racing strategy?” Xiao Xiaodong said with a profound expression.

Xiao Xiaofan shook his head and said honestly: “No.”

Xiao Jingting immediately showed black lines and said: “I’ve told this story many times. Where did your attention go when I was telling it? What were you thinking about? Whether horse meat tastes good?”

Xiao Xiaofan: “…”

Lei Xuan quickly said: “The horse racing strategy means using inferior horses against superior horses, medium horses against inferior horses, and superior horses against medium horses. In other words, if any force challenges the Ye family, the Ye family might have that substitute face the strongest challenger. They only need to win two out of three matches.”

Xiao Xiaofan: “…”

Xiao Jingting hesitated and said: “The Ye family shouldn’t be that underhanded, right…”

Xiao Xiaodong said dismissively: “Why wouldn’t they? The Ye family is a merchant family, not a charity.”

Xiao Jingting stroked his chin and said: “That makes sense!” For the other party to spend so many Spirit Stones, there was no reason to just hire someone to watch a show – that would be too much of a loss.

“Father, do you plan to take this business?” Xiao Xiaodong asked.

Xiao Jingting nodded and said: “Take it! Why wouldn’t I? “

Xiao Xiaodong looked at Xiao Jingting strangely. Xiao Jingting patted Xiao Xiaodong’s shoulder and said: “Son, doing anything in this world requires taking some risks. For such a large sum of money, having some danger is normal. Making money isn’t easy! When there’s an opportunity to make big money, you have to treasure it.”

Xiao Xiaofan looked at Xiao Jingting strangely and said: “Father, you’re being money-grubbing.”

Xiao Jingting glared at Xiao Xiaofan and said: “What are you saying? Your father has thought this through carefully. Look at it this way – most likely it won’t be my turn.”

“A major family like the Ye family, to keep their position, would most likely still hire a late Golden Core cultivator. If that’s the case, then these Spirit Stones would be like picking them up for free.”

“If unfortunately it really becomes my turn to enter the field, and the other party really assigns me an opponent I can’t handle, then I’ll just forfeit. Besides, with your father’s strength, even if I encounter a late Golden Core cultivator, I might not truly be without a fighting chance.”

Xiao Xiaodong and the others looked at each other. Xiao Xiaodong nodded and said: “Since father, you put it that way, then let’s take it.”