Chapter 57: A Backbone of Steel

Chu Xiangzi’s heart skipped a beat. Wasn’t it just a matter of strong-arming some useless menial disciples for their Grade-1 corn? Isn’t Master usually protective of his own? Although I was a bit heavy-handed, the price I gave was still fair. What’s gotten into him today?

Though puzzled, Chu Xiangzi bowed respectfully. “Yes, Master. Those menial disciples saw that I was sincere in my purchase and, out of the goodness of their hearts, refused to take a price that was double the market rate. They sold it to me at the standard price.”

Master Guyun nearly fainted from anger. Have all my teachings gone to the dogs? Although I have wronged Qin Haoxuan myself, that was for the sake of the entire Ancient Cloud Hall! I have always tried to teach my disciples that we are one family in Taichu!

“Master… are you angry?” Chu Xiangzi asked cautiously.

Master Guyun’s chest heaved for a long moment before he roared, “At least you’re not blind! And stop spouting nonsense! Who would ever complain that the price they’re getting is too high? The truth is you bullied them, and they didn’t dare to defy you, right?”

Seeing the veins throbbing on his master’s forehead, Chu Xiangzi knew it was best to keep quiet and take the scolding. He figured his master was still stressed from the recent incident with his nephew and was just using him as a punching bag.

But Master Guyun only grew angrier. “When you decided to extort them, did you even bother to find out who they were? Do you think those menial disciples could grow Grade-1 corn in their worthless plots? And even if they could, would they be stupid enough to plant corn? It was obviously planted by new disciples. And who among the new disciples could possibly grow Grade-1 corn, other than the Purple Seeds?”

After his tirade, his anger subsided slightly. “That corn was grown by the female Purple Seed disciple, Xu Yu. I am trying my best to recruit these Purple Seeds into our hall, and you… you go and do this. Go to the Spirit Field Valley at once, pay them the difference, and you’d better make it double! Don’t let people think that my Ancient Cloud Hall is full of thugs who frighten away new talent.”

A Purple Seed again!

Chu Xiangzi’s heart soured. He was supposed to be the one being nurtured. His master had rarely spoken a harsh word to him. But then came that damned Zhang Yang, who had stolen much of his master’s favor, and now this Purple Seed. If it’s your crop, why don’t you sell it yourself? You’re just setting me up!

Though he was a hundred times unwilling, he knew he could not disobey a direct order from his master. He packed his things and headed for the Spirit Field Valley, preparing to suffer the humiliation of paying the difference.

As Qin Haoxuan and Murong Chao stepped out of Xu Yu’s room, they saw Chu Xiangzi being blocked outside by one of the Hundred Flowers Hall disciples. “Are you Senior Brother Chu Xiangzi of the Ancient Cloud Hall?” Qin Haoxuan asked, sizing him up.

“I am,” Chu Xiangzi said, clasping his hands and putting on a humble expression. “Junior Brother, could you please inform Junior Sister Xu that Chu Xiangzi has come to offer his apologies?”

“Senior Brother Chu… you just strong-armed us for our corn. I don’t think Junior Sister Xu is very eager to see you right now,” Qin Haoxuan said, politely but firmly trying to turn him away.

He didn’t believe for a second that this man had come out of a guilty conscience. There had to be another reason. Xu Yu needed to focus on her cultivation, not be distracted by such matters.

Chu Xiangzi’s brow twitched in annoyance. He had come to apologize to a Purple Seed. Who was this little gatekeeper to make decisions for her? He secretly reminded himself that he was here on his master’s orders, and it was best to deal with this minor obstacle quickly.

He took a low-grade spirit stone from his robes and held it in his palm. “Junior Brother,” he said with a smile, “here are ten taels of silver. If you feel that what I paid yesterday was not enough, please accept this as compensation.”

He bowed slightly, but his eyes darted towards Murong Chao. As expected, just as Qin Haoxuan was about to take the spirit stone, Murong Chao stopped him.

A faint smile touched Chu Xiangzi’s lips. He could tell that this Murong Chao was from a noble family and knew how the world worked. His coming here was a gesture. The spirit stone was just a prop. It was all about giving each other face.

“Senior Brother Qin, what are you doing? Are you really going to take it?” Murong Chao whispered urgently in his ear. “He’s obviously not sincere. This is just a test to see if we dare to accept it. We should refuse and try to win him over. If you take it, we’ll make a powerful enemy. It’s just ten taels, no big deal. Let’s just take the loss.”

Qin Haoxuan shook his head. “Junior Brother Murong, that spirit stone is rightfully ours. If we refuse, he will only think we are easy to bully. And what’s to stop him from doing it again? The books say, ‘If one is in the right, one’s spirit is strong.’ We are in the right. Why should we be so timid?”

“But if we take it, he will surely cause trouble for us later!” Murong Chao said, growing anxious.

Qin Haoxuan sighed softly. “I know you come from a noble background and understand the ways of the world. But if we don’t even have the courage to take back what is ours, he will only look down on us more, thinking we are spineless cowards. We cultivators defy the heavens themselves to seize our destiny. Why should we be afraid of a mere Chu Xiangzi?”

Watching them whisper, Chu Xiangzi sneered. He had only offered the spirit stone as a gesture. A Purple Seed would surely need allies in the future, and he, a nearly-full Uncolored Seed, would be far more useful than these newcomers.

“If refusing the spirit stone would prevent any grudge, then I would refuse it. But if he will resent us either way, why shouldn’t we take it?” Qin Haoxuan said to Murong Chao. “Besides, I still don’t sense a trace of sincerity from him.”

“I have a way to win him over to our side,” Murong Chao said. “If we can do that, it will be a great help to Junior Sister Xu in the future. Offending him gains us nothing.”

“Then go ahead. If you can win him over, that would be for the best,” Qin Haoxuan said. He didn’t think it would work, but he had nothing to lose.

Murong Chao, meanwhile, was thinking that if he could bring a powerful expert like Chu Xiangzi into their faction, he could do more to help Xu Yu, win her favor, and diminish Qin Haoxuan’s influence.

He put on a smiling face and walked up to Chu Xiangzi. “Senior Brother Chu, a single spirit stone, and you came all this way to deliver it yourself. Besides, the price you paid was the market rate. A deal is a deal. How could we trouble you to come and make up the difference? If you don’t mind, we could become sworn friends and advance together in the future.”

Chu Xiangzi was slightly annoyed. Although the boy was giving him an out, his tone was that of a superior recruiting a subordinate. An upstart like him, trying to act like a boss?

“Junior Brother speaks wisely. Since you will not accept it, I will not insist,” he said, casually putting the spirit stone away. “Since you know how to conduct yourself, if you have any trouble in the future, you can come to me. As for the corn, please tell Junior Sister Xu that I would like to purchase it from her on a long-term basis, at a price 30% above the market rate.”

Murong Chao’s nose nearly crooked with anger. 30% above? Now that the news of Grade-1 corn is out, the price could be several times higher! He now understood that Qin Haoxuan had been right all along.

Qin Haoxuan sighed. This Chu Xiangzi had no intention of apologizing. And Murong Chao, for all his good qualities, thought too much.

“Senior Brother Chu,” he said, stepping forward. “It seems you didn’t come here to compensate us, but to extort us for our hard-earned corn. Please understand, we are new disciples, and life is difficult for us. This grain is extremely important to us. If you wish to continue buying it, we can discuss the price, but we will absolutely not sell it so cheaply.”

Chu Xiangzi’s dislike for Qin Haoxuan intensified. Who is this little foot soldier to be pointing fingers?

Not only him, but Murong Chao was also furious at Qin Haoxuan for ruining his negotiation.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Chu Xiangzi snarled, his face turning cold. “Did I give you permission to speak? When did it become your place to make decisions here? Do you know the rules?”

Qin Haoxuan just gave him a cold, defiant smile. “Who I am, you will find out soon enough. You can talk to Murong Chao, but in the end, it won’t count. I’m the one who calls the shots here.”