Translator: AnubisTL
Quick, it all happened in the blink of an eye—from Sima Juncong charging at Gu Feng, to being sent flying, and then being held in Gu Feng's grasp. The entire sequence unfolded in a flash.
So fast that Yan Xixi and the others were still worrying for Gu Feng, so fast that the Innate Realm cultivators were still basking in the might of their young master.
So fast that Chu Youhuan was still pondering what method Gu Feng would use to counter Sima Juncong's attack.
It was over, everything was over.
Sima Juncong had unleashed a full-force strike, only to be utterly defeated with almost no resistance!
This made everyone suspect that the two were putting on an act.
Of course, that was impossible. Given Sima Juncong's status, who could make him act, and even play a supporting role?
The only explanation for this outcome was that Gu Feng was unbelievably powerful.
The scene fell into stunned silence, everyone gaping at Gu Feng standing atop the carriage.
"Fist... Fist Intent, complete Fist Intent!"
"Gu Feng held back at that moment. The young master is fine, just knocked unconscious by a single strike!"
"He was playing the fool, hiding his true strength. With his comprehension of Fist Intent and his special physique, outsiders couldn't discern his true realm... But one thing is certain, he's definitely not at the first level of the Postnatal Realm!"
"Gu Feng is truly unfathomable. That strike just now might not even have been his full power. The young master's defeat isn't unjust!"
"What do we do now? Wait for the young master to wake up?"
"Wait! Everyone knows the young master's temper. Without his orders, who dares to act?"
"..."
Waves of shock surged in everyone's hearts. No one had expected that Gu Feng, who had always seemed unremarkable and had never displayed his strength during the capture of smugglers, was actually this formidable.
That single strike just now was enough to make several peak Postnatal Realm cultivators present feel a sense of crisis, and to send shivers down the spines of the newly advanced Innate Realm guards by Sima Juncong's side.
Chu Youhuan shook her head in silence. This was trouble. If Sima Juncong retaliated in a fit of rage, they would likely have to withdraw in disgrace.
Time passed, and two hours later, Sima Juncong slowly woke up.
"Am I dead?" he asked, his first words eliciting a mix of laughter and tears.
The scene from earlier had made him feel as if he were shrouded in the shadow of death, his body like a small boat tossed in a vast, stormy sea, a sense of insignificance filling his heart.
Gu Feng's fist had been too ferocious, impossible to block.
"Not yet," Gu Feng, sipping Spirit Wine, replied nonchalantly.
"Was that Fist Intent you just used?" Sima Juncong asked, not with the expected fury, but with confusion.
In truth, he had already thought of Fist Intent, but he couldn't help but ask.
"What do you think?"
"Isn't it said that one can't comprehend a complete Martial Intent in the Postnatal Realm?"
"That's just the excuse of the incompetent. You believe that?" Gu Feng glanced at him with a smile.
"True, I lost," Sima Juncong hung his head and said softly.
"Obviously."
"This carriage is yours now. Take good care of it, it's my treasure," Sima Juncong said with a hint of sadness.
"Don't worry, I can't afford such luxury. Find a way to buy it back later," Gu Feng said with a shrug.
In the past two hours, Gu Feng had already taken a preliminary look inside the carriage. According to Zhu Qingyan's evaluation, the 'Hundred Birds Glazed Carriage' had no other merits besides being ostentatious and impractical.
Moreover, driving it consumed a tremendous amount of energy. It was good for showing off, but in critical moments, it was utterly useless, not even comparable to a low-grade Mystic Artifact. Due to the special status of its owner, it couldn't be dismantled or sold, making it a burden to keep.
"Is... is that so? Can I redeem it?" Hearing this, Sima Juncong's eyes lit up, but then quickly dimmed. "But I have no money!"
"Don't joke around. Your mother's family owns a mine. How could you not have money?" Gu Feng looked at him with disbelief.
"You said it yourself, the spirit mine belongs to my mother's family, not her.
My father is an old-fashioned man who refuses to let outsiders interfere with military affairs, including the spirit stone support from my mother's family.
The money I have was secretly given to me by my grandmother out of pity.
I haven't seen my grandmother in recent years, and I've almost used up all the spirit stones I had..." Sima Juncong said weakly.
"Really? No money? That can't be. The grandeur you've displayed along the way, the spectacle, the scene—anyone who saw it would respectfully call you a 'tycoon'!" Gu Feng patted Sima Juncong's shoulder and said with a smile.
Hearing this, a visible trace of embarrassment appeared on Sima Juncong's somewhat handsome face.
"To be honest, putting on such a grand display has completely emptied my already meager savings.
Maintaining fifty to sixty illusions with the 'Hundred Birds Glazed Carriage' is something that these Innate Realm cultivators simply cannot do. For a journey of ten thousand kilometers, it burned over two million mid-grade spirit stones.
After entering the swamp, the ten thousand high-grade spirit stones used to activate the bird illusions were stolen from my father!
Those petals, that flying carpet, that spirit umbrella... they all cost money!"
Gu Feng listened with wide eyes. He thought he had seen it all, but hearing that Sima Juncong had spent a total of four hundred million low-grade spirit stones just for an entrance left him utterly shocked.
The others were completely dumbfounded, each of them screaming internally, "What kind of person is this? Spending hundreds of millions of low-grade spirit stones without batting an eye."
In comparison, the nine top-grade Spirit Artifacts he had previously lost to Gu Feng seemed insignificant.
"So, how much money do you have left now?" Gu Feng asked with a frown.
"About ten to twenty thousand... mid-grade spirit stones!"
"That's nothing compared to the carriage!" Gu Feng sighed.
"I have no choice. That's all I have. How about I write you an IOU and you return the carriage to me first? Otherwise, I'll have a hard time explaining to my father!" Sima Juncong said with a bitter face.
"Of course, you'll write an IOU, but without the ability to earn money, when will I ever get my money?" Gu Feng frowned, clearly unwilling.
"Don't push your luck. My young master is willing to write you an IOU, and you should be grateful!" An Innate Realm guard couldn't stand it anymore and shouted.
"What, are you planning to renege on the debt?" Gu Feng retorted, then stared at Sima Juncong.
"I'm not that kind of person. I lost, and I admit it. I really don't have the money now. What do you suggest?" Sima Juncong's face was grim, as he found himself in an unprecedented predicament.
"Gu Feng, let it go. Have him write an IOU and return the carriage to him," Chu Youhuan approached and gently advised.
Sima Juncong's status was extraordinary, and there was no benefit in making an enemy of him.
"How about this? You can work here to pay off your debt and help me catch smugglers," Gu Feng said leisurely.
Upon hearing this, everyone nearly spat out blood.
Gu Feng was really pushing it, asking the son of the Northern Frontier Marshal to stay and work in the marshlands to pay off his debt!
Please! This was a life-threatening situation. If word got out, the Marshal's subordinates would likely bring troops overnight to sweep this place clean.
Sure enough, upon hearing Gu Feng's words, Sima Juncong's expression turned even uglier.
Meanwhile, Gu Feng, completely oblivious, continued to enthusiastically wrap his arm around Sima Juncong's neck, talking animatedly.
"Since you don't have much to do anyway, why not stay and join me in building a great cause!"
"Your two hundred-plus Innate Realm cultivators are exactly the kind of talent I'm lacking here. With them, plus our unique methods of capturing smugglers, we can definitely crack down hard on smuggling activities."
"..."
Gu Feng spoke with such fervor that everyone rolled their eyes. Not only did this guy want Sima Juncong to stay and work, but he also wanted his two hundred-plus Innate Realm guards to become laborers as well.
"Why hesitate? All you need to do is stay here, command your capable subordinates, and you'll easily pay off your debt, leaving with your 'Hundred Birds Glass Carriage' in style."
"If this gets out, it will surely become a legendary tale. The son of the Northern Frontier Marshal, willing to accept his loss without using his influence, staying to work off his debt through hard work... You'll become your father's pride, your mother's joy, and your grandmother would be over the moon, tears in her eyes, saying: 'My grandson is second to none, a true man of iron will!'"
Gu Feng's words flew like spittle, leaving Sima Juncong momentarily stunned.
In some ways, Gu Feng had indeed touched a soft spot in Sima Juncong's heart. Living in a prestigious family, the pressure on his shoulders was unimaginable to ordinary people.
They wanted to achieve something great, but the results were often disappointing, and over time, they simply stopped striving.
After all, to the world, such a noble status meant that doing well was expected, and failing was seen as incompetence. The praise they received often didn't match their efforts.
They harbored a fire within, and once ignited, it would be unstoppable!
"Based on your estimate, how long would it take to pay off the debt?" Sima Juncong, somewhat tempted, tentatively asked.
"How much is your carriage worth?"
"All in all, the total cost is no less than 10 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!" Sima Juncong pondered for a moment before replying.
Pfft—
Gu Feng spat out a mouthful of Spirit Wine. This thing cost 10 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones? Converted to Low-grade Spirit Stones, that's a billion! My goodness, this was by far the most extravagant thing he had ever seen.
"Even a Mid-Grade Mystic Artifact isn't this expensive!"
"It wasn't originally this expensive. Initially, it was worth about 1 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. Later, I dismantled the core attack and defense Array Formations inside and replaced them with a dazzling Hundred Birds Phantom Array Formation. Once the Array Formation changed, the surface Runes had to be destroyed and re-engraved...
After the modifications, I found that the internal space was too small. Even if it were filled with Innate Realm cultivators, it wouldn't be enough to activate the Hundred Birds."
So, they added an energy core to burn Spirit Stones, which took up space, leading to further dismantling and expansion to achieve the current form!
Even so, there are still flaws, but unfortunately, we ran out of money!"
Sima Juncong rambled on, while Gu Feng clenched his fists. This prodigal son had spent so much money to turn a perfectly good carriage into a tourist vehicle—utterly ridiculous.
"Ahem, since this carriage cost you 10 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, I'll convert it to 15 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones for you!"
"Why?" Sima Juncong immediately protested. The construction cost was only 10 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, and Gu Feng had blatantly added 5 million—clearly trying to swindle him!
"Because you're the son of the Northern Frontier Marshal. Is a carriage you've ridden in just an ordinary carriage? Doesn't the effort you put into it count for something?
This 'Hundred Birds Glazed Carriage' now has collectible value. It's an antique, so of course, it'll be priced higher," Gu Feng shamelessly explained.
"This is such a scam!"
"A scam? Go ask your subordinates. If they had 15 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, would they be willing to buy your carriage?" Gu Feng said with a smile.
"Would you be willing to buy it?"
This question was too difficult to answer. If they said yes, they'd be throwing their master into a pit; if they said no, he'd think they looked down on him and his carriage, landing themselves in trouble.
In comparison, it was safer to throw the master under the bus.
"Your subordinate is willing!"
"Your carriage is unparalleled in the world. I'd also be willing to spend 15 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones to buy it!"
"The carriage you poured your heart and soul into is worth 15 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones—such a bargain, impossible to find even with a lantern."
"..."
Looking at his beaming subordinates, Sima Juncong's face turned ashen. "Fine, let's settle it this way!"
"What are you all standing around for? Go catch those smugglers and get my carriage back!"
Mutual harm it is, then. After all, I don't need to get involved—let you brainless fools exhaust yourselves!
(End of the Chapter)
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