Chapter 411 - 314: Master of Ten Thousand Spiders
Liu Xun was overjoyed at the news. After bowing to Fang Qingyuan, he happily and quickly departed.
After he left, Fang Qingyuan paced a few steps inside his Quiet Chamber before calling for Jiang Wanqin.
"In half a month, I’ll be holding a Dharma talk. You’ll join in and give a lecture as well."
Jiang Wanqin’s eyes widened. She found this hard to accept; giving a Dharma talk was a truly daunting task for her.
But seeing Fang Qingyuan’s serious expression, Jiang Wanqin didn’t dare refuse in the end. She left, dejected, her figure casting a desolate silhouette.
After Jiang Wanqin left, Fang Qingyuan watched her retreat and shook his head to himself. ’My junior sister is great in every way, but she’s too much of a homebody and seems to have social anxiety. I hope this lecture will help her overcome that flaw.’
Having arranged these matters, Fang Qingyuan had someone summon Jiang Tianfang to ask about the sale of the insect beasts.
Jiang Tianfang’s explanation was clearly more organized than Mao Cheng’s. From his account, Fang Qingyuan learned that an insect beast from the sect called the Four-winged Cyan Jade Dragonfly had been selling very well recently.
Once this insect beast’s intelligence is awakened, it can understand a Cultivator’s simple commands. It can carry one or two people on its back and is very fast. Critically, its reflexes are extremely sharp. If a Qi Cultivation Cultivator were to ride one of these Four-winged Cyan Jade Dragonflies into battle, they would gain a significant advantage.
It’s also useful for escaping in critical moments or evading pursuit from demonic beasts. As a result, it’s currently selling very well in the Land Realm around the Qingyuan Sect.
A single Four-winged Cyan Jade Dragonfly Beast can live for fifteen years. The Qingyuan Sect prices them at fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones. This isn’t a small price, but demand still outstrips supply. Cultivators outside have already driven the price up to seventy Low-grade Spirit Stones.
After hearing all this, a thought surfaced in Fang Qingyuan’s mind. ’Could these Four-winged Cyan Jade Dragonflies be considered the private cars of the Cultivation Realm?’
Remembering the vast automotive market of his past life and how many giants it had produced, Fang Qingyuan grew intrigued. He instructed Jiang Tianfang:
"Come, take me to see the place where these Four-winged Cyan Jade Dragonflies are produced."
With an order from the Sect Leader, Jiang Tianfang naturally didn’t dare to tarry. He led the way, guiding Fang Qingyuan toward the mountainside.
...
The night was now deep. After his family had gone to sleep, Lou Yuan quietly slipped out of the village. He went alone to the swamp in front of his settlement. Once there, Lou Yuan gazed at the full moon in the sky and waited quietly.
When the moon reached its zenith, a slight ripple spread across the swamp below, slowly approaching Lou Yuan.
Seeing this, Lou Yuan was neither surprised nor afraid. On the contrary, he looked rather excited. He spoke to the hidden thing beneath the water:
"Thank you for the Water Scorpion you gave me. It really worked; I beat those fellow disciples. I got five Low-grade Spirit Stones. I traded one for some pork and money for my family. As for the remaining four, I’ll give you three, as we agreed."
After speaking, Lou Yuan took out three Low-grade Spirit Stones from his robes and tossed them into the water. The Spirit Stones made no sound as they entered the water, because three withered, branch-like spider legs shot out from below and caught them securely.
Accompanied by a CRUNCHING sound as it ate, Lou Yuan waited quietly for it to finish. A dozen or so breaths later, an ancient yet gentle voice sounded in his ear:
"A pleasure doing business with you. Three Low-grade stones is a bit on the low side, but it will do. From now on, you must focus on your cultivation. We will meet again when you break through to Second-Layer Qi Cultivation."
The voice cut off, and the ripples in the water receded. Seeing this, Lou Yuan grew anxious and hurriedly asked:
"What’s your name? I still don’t know what to call you."
A breath later, the gentle voice rose again:
"Just call me the Master of Ten Thousand Spiders, little friend."