Translator: AnubisTL
"Making money?" Gu Feng looked at Chu Youhuan with suspicion. This woman wasn't wealthy herself, so why would she think of him when there was an opportunity to make money?
"Don't doubt my intentions. Not everyone is as scheming as you," Chu Youhuan said with a hint of slyness in her eyes, speaking in a serious tone.
"There's a secret realm with some treasures inside..."
Before Gu Feng could ask, Chu Youhuan began to spill the details like pouring beans.
In short, there was a dilapidated secret realm of unknown age, but it was certain that treasures lay within.
There were two keys to the realm. Recently, someone else had contacted her to discuss opening it. From the tone, it seemed that person didn't get along with Chu Youhuan, and there would likely be competition once inside.
This realm was special in that it suppressed cultivators' strength to the third level of the Postnatal Realm. According to Chu Youhuan's speculation, such realms were often used by ancient sects to test their disciples.
The reason she approached Gu Feng was that she valued his formidable combat strength and extraordinary physique, which might prove unexpectedly useful in the realm.
"How much are you paying me to enter the realm?" Gu Feng was naturally tempted by the treasures inside.
"Not a single coin!" Chu Youhuan smiled brightly.
"Goodbye!"
Seeing Gu Feng's dismissal, she not only didn't leave but instead sat down at the stone table in the courtyard, crossing her legs and saying leisurely, "There are many ancient treasures in the realm. With your abilities, I believe you could gain quite a lot."
Hearing this, Gu Feng's heart stirred, and he sat down beside Chu Youhuan. "Whoever finds the treasures inside gets to keep them?"
"Of course!" Chu Youhuan nodded firmly, her smile growing wider.
"I feel like you're trying to scam me," Gu Feng said, squinting at her with a frown.
"Are you afraid of being scammed?" Chu Youhuan asked with interest.
"Haha, only I scam others; no one can scam me. What other restrictions are there? Spit them all out." Gu Feng laughed boldly, certain that her conditions didn't end there.
Sure enough, after Gu Feng said this, Chu Youhuan laid out a series of restrictions.
The two most important ones were: First, Gu Feng was not allowed to rob treasures belonging to Chu Youhuan's side, but the other side was fair game.
Second, if any of Chu Youhuan's side were in mortal danger, Gu Feng would be paid an additional 500,000 low-grade spirit stones for each person he saved, provided he had the ability to do so.
After listing the conditions, Chu Youhuan crossed her arms and looked at Gu Feng with a smug expression.
"What if I don't find any treasures? Wouldn't that be a wasted trip?"
"You should believe in yourself. With your strength, how could you not find any treasures? Even if you don't, there are still fat sheep for you to rob!" As she spoke, a fleeting smile crossed Chu Youhuan's face.
"The person you're competing with, the team they lead—they're no ordinary bunch. Do you think it'll be that easy to rob them?" Gu Feng curled his lip, looking exasperated.
"So, are you going or not?" Chu Youhuan didn't believe Gu Feng's words. Even if everyone's cultivation was suppressed to the third level of the Postnatal Realm, or even the fourth level, Gu Feng's nature was such that he would still rob them. This guy valued money over his life.
"I'll go!" Gu Feng responded decisively. "But I want to bring someone with me!"
"Who?" It was rare for Gu Feng to invite someone, so Chu Youhuan had to be cautious.
"A Fei!"
"You can get him to come?" Chu Youhuan had witnessed A Fei's combat strength, but unfortunately, she wasn't familiar with him, or she would have invited him herself.
"I'm his creditor. Of course, I can get him to come!"
A few hours later, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed outside the courtyard. A Fei, covered in fat, had run all the way from Carp Mountain.
Having owed Gu Feng so much money, he had been under a lot of pressure recently and had lost some weight. The most noticeable change was his belly, which had shrunk from looking like an eight-month pregnant woman to a six-month one.
"Heard there's money to be made?" A Fei's boorish voice rang out as he plopped down on the stone bench. Under his weight, the bench cracked and collapsed, drawing a displeased frown from Gu Feng.
Seeing Gu Feng's grim expression, A Fei scratched his head sheepishly and stood there awkwardly.
"Third level of the Postnatal Realm?" Gu Feng only now noticed that A Fei had broken through to the third level of the Postnatal Realm in just a month.
Barbarian cultivators are indeed formidable, Gu Feng couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
"You'll enter the realm with me. No payment, but any treasures we find will be split fifty-fifty," Gu Feng said with a faint smile.
Upon hearing this, A Fei didn't react much, but Chu Youhuan was visibly stunned.
Fifty-fifty? Since when had Gu Feng become so generous? This didn't seem like his usual style.
Of course, this wasn't her concern. Although A Fei had undergone a significant change in temperament after being beaten up by Gu Feng, he was still an extremely dangerous individual.
Gu Feng's proposal to team up with A Fei actually removed her worries, making it a win-win situation.
"Alright! With you around, I'm sure I won't be treated unfairly," A Fei said. Ever since that day, he had developed a strange sense of closeness to Gu Feng, feeling that Gu Feng wouldn't harm him.
Gu Feng nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Chu Youhuan.
She frowned slightly, as if assessing the risks of the two teaming up, but soon smiled. "I've been waiting for this realm to open for years, hoping to strike it rich.
To ensure stability and mutual benefit, let's make a Heavenly Oath!"
Gu Feng gave her a look but didn't refuse, only adding one condition: "After leaving the realm, no matter the outcome, Chu Youhuan must not, under any circumstances, seize his treasures or seek revenge."
"Senior Sister Chu, I've always felt that I have good luck. What if all the valuable treasures in the realm end up in our hands..."
Chu Youhuan listened expressionlessly, but inside she was laughing. How could she not know anything about the realm when she held one of its keys?
To put it bluntly, she knew every possible location of treasures in the realm like the back of her hand—she just hadn't told Gu Feng.
Her only purpose in inviting Gu Feng was to use him as a free bodyguard, just in case. As for treasure hunting, she didn't even consider it.
Both had their own thoughts but kept them to themselves. After making the Heavenly Oath, they became seemingly inseparable partners.
"Senior Sister Chu, there's something I'd like to ask you!"
"Go ahead."
"Aside from thunder-attribute martial artists and spirit beasts, is there any item that possesses both thunder and life-growth attributes?"
The reason he had agreed so readily to the realm expedition wasn't just for treasure hunting. More importantly, he wanted Chu Youhuan to act as a bodyguard, escorting him to find a suitable item for Zhu Qingyan's body.
After all, the Qiu family and Qiu Tian were like a sword hanging over his head, preventing him from moving freely outside the Sunset Glow Sect.
"Of course, the cheaper the better! Preferably free." Seeing Chu Youhuan deep in thought, Gu Feng quickly added.
"Thunder represents destruction, and rebirth from destruction is inherently rare. Any item that satisfies both attributes couldn't possibly be cheap..." Chu Youhuan murmured, frowning.
After a while, her eyes lit up. "Over a decade ago, the capital of Chu Kingdom was obsessed with an item called 'Thunder Spirit Herb.' It was once sold for astronomical prices, and people of status and wealth flocked to it... It even replaced spirit stones as currency for a time..."
Gu Feng listened intently, his expression turning strange. He couldn't help but feel that the story of the 'Thunder Spirit Herb' Chu Youhuan was telling resembled the 'Tulip Mania' he had heard about before his transmigration.
"Was the capital of Chu Kingdom exploited by opportunists?"
"Yes, within just three years, a massive amount of spirit stones and rare resources flowed out of Chu Kingdom, further weakening its national power. Eventually, people discovered that the 'Thunder Spirit Herb,' while a rare thunder-attribute herb, was practically useless. It wasn't even rare—it grew abundantly in a mountain range outside Chu Kingdom, so much so that even demon beasts wouldn't bother eating it." Chu Youhuan's mood soured as she spoke, showing how much this event had affected her.
"Is there any 'Thunder Spirit Herb' left in Chu Kingdom now?" Gu Feng's heart stirred, and he immediately asked.
"None. After this incident, the Chu royal family ordered all 'Thunder Spirit Herb' to be eradicated overnight!" Chu Youhuan seemed still affected by the 'Thunder Spirit Herb' incident, her enthusiasm waning.
"Not a single one left?" Gu Feng asked, unwilling to give up.
"Well, not exactly. A few people kept it as a symbol of Chu Kingdom's shame."
"Can you get me one? I'll pay for it!" Gu Feng's eyes lit up. This useless 'Thunder Spirit Herb' was exactly what he needed!
"Let me think about it. It shouldn't be a problem. Buying it is unnecessary—this thing is so worthless, people wouldn't even bother picking it up off the ground!" Chu Youhuan waved her hand dismissively.
Gu Feng shot to his feet, grabbing Chu Youhuan's hand and thanking her profusely. This would save him a significant amount of money!
The two agreed to set off in three days.
After Chu Youhuan left, A Fei, who had been standing the whole time, cautiously sat half of his butt on the stone bench and handed a storage ring to Gu Feng.
"This has about three million. It's to pay off part of my debt."
Gu Feng glanced at the storage ring, somewhat surprised. This guy wasn't bad at making money!
"Hehe, I robbed the entire Carp Mountain.
My debt repayment might slow down from now on, though. I've been banished from Carp Mountain by Old Man Shi."
Looking at the simple-minded A Fei, Gu Feng couldn't help but chuckle. Silently accepting the storage ring, he patted A Fei's shoulder. "No rush on the debt. Take your time. These three million will count as three months' interest—you still owe me two hundred million!"
"You're doing well, kid. In just one month, you've earned three months' interest. After deducting the past month, you can rest easy for the next two months without worrying about interest.
Keep it up. I have high hopes for you!"
A Fei looked bewildered, feeling that something wasn't right. He opened his mouth but couldn't find the words to say.
"Alright, big brother. This time, I'll definitely find more treasures in the realm and pay off my debt."
A Fei, being thick-headed—or to put it bluntly, lacking in intelligence—didn't dwell on Gu Feng's trap. His narrow eyes sparkled with anticipation for the realm expedition.
Gu Feng curled his lip, feeling exasperated. A Fei was too naive. What treasures? With Chu Youhuan's cunning, finding any would be a miracle. It would be better to just rob them directly.
"I hope the other team is strong enough to rob Chu Youhuan's team completely, leaving me to reap the rewards... Best of all, I might even earn the 500,000 per head fee."
Thinking this, Gu Feng couldn't help but let out a 'hehe' laugh, which sent shivers down A Fei's spine. He had a feeling Gu Feng was up to something.
But this wasn't his concern. After all, he and Gu Feng were on the same team, and any gains would be split fifty-fifty. He just needed to follow the leader.
After settling A Fei in, Gu Feng headed straight to the alchemy room.
"Senior Zhu, I have good news. We've made progress on the body. This time, I've invested heavily..."
Hearing that her body was within reach, Zhu Qingyan was also excited, looking at Gu Feng with appreciation and relief.
This kid was usually unreliable, but when he got serious, he could be counted on. She had thought it would take a long time to get a body, but now it seemed she had underestimated his abilities.
In her joy, Zhu Qingyan personally guided Gu Feng in the two martial skills she had previously taught him.
"The way of speed is formless and shapeless, the mind follows the will, the will precedes the action..."
Randomly, she began to explain.
(End of the Chapter)
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