I Pick up a Lost Godhood-Chapter 46 - 44: Bargain Senior Brother

Wang Meng laughed. ’Damn, name a sky-high price and bargain on the spot. If I don’t fleece a sucker like this, even Zhang Xiaopang would be ashamed of me.’

"No problem! I was wondering what it was about. I have plenty of questions!" Zhou Feng had thought it was some major issue. He had also heard that the junior disciples had a difficult time with their cultivation, and he felt he had been too discourteous.

The moment Wang Meng saw the other man’s expression, he knew he’d gotten the short end of the stick. ’Damn it,’ he thought, ’the first rule of business is to let the other party make the first offer. Zhang Xiaopang is going to look down on me for this.’ But what’s said is said, and backing out now would reflect poorly on his character.

"Because only the combination of Fish Scale Grass and Snow Ginseng can both preserve the efficacy of the Inner Core and expel the Demon Qi. Unless you’re a Demon Cultivator, Demon Qi is harmful to Alchemy."

Wang Meng said. Beside him, Zhou Feng nodded furiously. ’Knowing this much already makes him an expert!’

"Then why one Fish Scale Grass and three slices of Snow Ginseng?"

"It’s for balance, of course! A perfect balance!" Wang Meng held up two fingers, suddenly thinking that the more questions this fellow had, the better.

"How did you know I was performing Alchemy?"

"Were you planning to eat them raw? Not afraid of bursting?" Wang Meng held up three fingers.

"Do you know what kind of Pill I’m refining?" The moment the words left his mouth, Zhou Feng felt the question was a bit redundant. While he didn’t have a great concept of the value of Spirit Stones, he wasn’t one to just throw them around.

"A Spirit Void Pill or something similar, I’d guess. Besides expelling things like Demon Flame or Heart Flame, I can’t imagine why else you’d need such a sinister, yin-aspected item. However..."

Wang Meng held up four fingers.

"However? What else is there?" This time, Zhou Feng was completely stunned. Very few people could even name the Spirit Void Pill.

Wang Meng yawned and held up another finger. "That stuff has side effects. It’s best to avoid using it if you can."

"...That counts as an answer, too?" Zhou Feng was dumbfounded. Even someone with no concept of their value knew how precious Middle-Grade Spirit Stones were.

Seeing that Wang Meng was about to speak again, a frightened Zhou Feng quickly waved his hands. "Don’t! Don’t answer! That wasn’t a question."

Wang Meng smiled. "Thirty Middle-Grade Spirit Stones and fifteen hundred contribution points. Please have them delivered as soon as possible, Elder Zhou."

Zhou Feng wiped the sweat from his brow. That was a close call. Only then did it register that thirty Spirit Stones wasn’t an amount that would trouble him. Still, no matter how wealthy he was, he couldn’t afford to keep paying Wang Meng’s price of one stone per answer.

After seeing Zhou Feng off, Wang Meng couldn’t help but smile. ’To think the Holy Hall has a Pill Zealot like him.’ He had actually encountered people like that during the long years of cultivation in his past life. However, that type of person could only survive among Saint Cultivators. Had they been Demon Cultivators or Evil Cultivators, they would have been devoured, leaving not even a scrap behind.

With thirty Middle-Grade Spirit Stones, even with his troublesome constitution, he had a great chance of breaking through to the tenth layer. When it came to Spirit Stones, the higher one’s level, the more one needed. You could never have too many.

The completion of the seventh-most difficult mission caused a small stir in the Holy Hall’s Wind Cloud Pavilion. After all, few people would dare to challenge such a mission. But when they saw it was Thunderlight Hall that had completed it, everyone found it amusing. They guessed that the Elders must have intervened to save face, so no one took it seriously.

For a mission like this, the one who completed it could request to have their name posted as a show of glory, but that didn’t happen this time. What did that imply?

’A guilty conscience, of course.’ Thunderlight Hall didn’t have anyone capable of such a feat.

"Tianyi, someone from Thunderlight Hall completed the Wind Thunder Roaring Python mission," Mingren said, a hint of worry in his voice. They had considered that mission themselves, but the Snake Demon was cunning and sinister, and with its Wind Thunder Attribute, it was too much trouble to provoke, so they had given up. He never expected someone would actually complete it.

"It had to be him," Li Tianyi said calmly.

"How can you be so sure? Dealing with a monster like that requires a team, and Thunderlight Hall doesn’t have one that good."

"Perhaps he doesn’t need one."

"Senior Brother, do you think this is his way of issuing another challenge?" Li Tianyi licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Ever since he began his cultivation, he had never looked forward to each day of training as much as he did now.

"It’s hard to say. But since when has our Lingyin Hall ever feared anyone?" Mingren was incredibly protective of his junior brother. He considered Lingyin Hall his home, and anyone who dared to challenge its honor was his personal enemy.

"Senior Brother, what’s the sixth-ranked mission?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Li Tianyi and Mingren shared a smile. They would show him that no matter the form, no matter the method, Lingyin Hall was never afraid!

Although Zhou Feng didn’t seem very reliable, he was prompt with his actions. Soon enough, Ma Tian’Er arrived with the payment.

"Senior Brother, you’re incredible! I’ve never seen Elder Zhou praise someone so much," Ma Tian’Er said, sitting primly on a chair, paying no mind to the shabby and messy state of the thatched hut.

Wang Meng smiled. "Junior Sister, my apologies. I don’t have much to offer a guest. Please, have some water." He poured Ma Tian’Er a cup of water. "That’s just Elder Zhou’s way of supporting the younger generation."

Ma Tian’Er shook her head like a rattle. "Elder Zhou is the most direct of all the Elders in the Main Hall. Even though he’s a good person, he can be terrifying when he scolds people."

He was getting used to being called Senior Brother. Even though Ma Tian’Er was technically his senior, Wang Meng accepted the title calmly. The feeling of being a "Senior Brother" wasn’t half bad.

"You seem to know a lot about the Main Hall, Junior Sister," Wang Meng said with a smile.

Ma Tian’Er blushed slightly. "It’s nothing, really. Your skills are what’s truly admirable, Senior Brother!"

"Me? I have skills? Haha! Well, since you say so, Junior Sister, then I must be skilled! Here, this is for you."

Wang Meng separated out two Middle-Grade Spirit Stones. These were the extra ones. Combined with Zhou Feng’s generosity, he had now gathered enough Spirit Stones for the Hall Battle.

Ma Tian’Er quickly shook her head. "I... I can’t accept these."

"Silly girl, I can’t let you call me Senior Brother for nothing. Take them. Besides, the Hall Battle is almost here. You should use the time to cultivate as well. We can’t let that bunch from Hengshan Hall look down on us."

Without another word, Wang Meng pressed the stones into Ma Tian’Er’s hand. She stared blankly at the Spirit Stones, imagining she could still feel the faint warmth of his hand on them.

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

"Haha, there’s no need for such formalities between us. If anything, I should be the one thanking you. You think I didn’t know you can’t buy things on credit at the Thunderlight Pavilion?"

Ma Tian’Er bit her lip gently. "But didn’t you just say there was no need for formalities between us, Senior Brother?"

"That’s true. Haha, my mistake."

After Ma Tian’Er left, Wang Meng was in a good mood. In the world of Cultivators, someone so pure and simple was truly a rare sight. Here in the Holy Hall, Wang Meng was experiencing an atmosphere unlike any other place. Both the competition and the mutual support had a unique feel to them—indescribable, but deeply enjoyable.

There was still plenty of time before the Hall Battle. He had done all he could; how far Zhang Xiaojiang and Hu Jing could go now depended on their own willpower.

"Xiaoben, be a good boy and watch the house. I’m going to get us something tasty to eat," Wang Meng said, patting the Spirit Rhinoceros’s head.

Hearing the word "tasty," the Fifth-Transformation Spirit Rhinoceros’s eyes immediately went wide and round, and it let out a few cries at Wang Meng.

"Alright, alright, I’ll buy something good this time. You little rascal. You never learn the important things, but you sure picked up being a picky eater quickly enough."