LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 192
Chapter 192: Just Sold a Few Hundred Million Spirit Stones
Ahem~
Qin Zhen coughed awkwardly.
It sounds like… there’s nothing wrong with that…
He realized many members of the royal family are indeed money-hungry.
The most typical example? None other than Emperor Xia.
It seems all the greedy princes have inherited this trait from Emperor Xia.
Of course, Emperor Xia would never admit it; in the hearts of the people, he is still viewed as a very generous ruler.
“Let’s not touch on the money-loving issue for now. How about we talk about how many spirit stones you’ve made? I’m more interested in that.”
“I’m not sure how much we’ve made. But anyway, I’ve collected about fifty to sixty thousand soul beads these past few days. As for the number of soul beads sold, not many—only a few thousand,” Ji Zhuyue replied, internally pleased with the figures, even feeling a bit proud.
But she knew she had to keep up appearances in front of these people.
I’m proud; I won’t say it outright, but I want you to notice!
After hearing this, Qin Zhen’s eyes immediately sparkled.
“Thousands? If each is sold for a hundred thousand, doesn’t that mean Xiaobei has earned a few hundred million spirit stones? This, this, this…”
Upon learning this number, Qin Zhen started to stutter.
He was already in his forties, with his cultivation at the Tribulation Realm.
He had never seen so many spirit stones before.
Before Ji Zhuyue could continue, Qin Xiu, not far away, began to mock.
“Brother, do you really believe her? Don’t you know what Qin Bei is like? How could he be the so-called soul bead merchant? Do you think he has the ability to acquire so many soul beads?”
Qin Xiu did not bother to hide his contempt for Qin Bei.
His haughty demeanor made everyone around him feel that the so-called Prince of Three Seals, Qin Bei, seemed dubious.
But upon reflection, it does seem that Qin Bei’s title might be inflated.
After all, it wasn’t earned by his strength or talent.
It was entirely because of the alliance with Mu Zhaoxue, the first saintess of the Wu Kingdom.
Trying to rise any further to the rank of Prince of Four Seals would likely be very difficult.
“What? Just because you can’t do it doesn’t mean others can’t?”
Qin Zhen retorted without reservation.
Qin Zhen was quite displeased with Qin Xiu for trying to snatch ten soul beads from him, disregarding the royal family’s face.
If he wasn’t concerned about the royal family’s reputation, with his Tribulation Realm cultivation, he could basically strut around this royal tomb where there were no strong immortal beings.
“Oh, I’m just stating facts. My sister-in-law has been led astray by this kid and learned to brag!”
Qin Xiu shook his head and chuckled, putting on an older brother’s act.
Seeing Qin Xiu like this, the surrounding people began to feel less shocked and started to harbor some doubts.
After all, royal family members must know each other better than anyone else.
“Alright, enough of the banter. I have other matters to attend to. I need twenty soul beads right now, and you can keep the spirit stones!”
Qin Xiu didn’t want to waste more time here.
He just felt uncomfortable anywhere near Qin Bei.
Peng Yuan looked at him as if he were an idiot.
Why is this guy so self-righteous?
It was already explained clearly, yet he insisted on his opinion.
If outsiders didn’t know, fair enough, but Peng Yuan knew the truth.
So when he looked at Qin Xiu, it was like he was looking at a fool.
It seemed Qin Xiu noticed something amiss in that glance.
Furrowing his brows, Qin Xiu asked, “You…”
Just as he was about to confront Peng Yuan, he heard Qin Bei’s voice and witnessed a spectacular scene that he would never forget.
“Brother, you’re only two years older than me. Please don’t call me Xiaobei anymore; it could lead others to misunderstand that we have a good relationship.”
Qin Bei’s words were very straightforward, even a bit rude.
Everyone nearby comprehended that the rumors were indeed true; Qin Bei and Qin Xiu did not get along.
However, no one expected Qin Bei to be so direct and domineering.
He openly contradicted his brother in front of so many people!
Yet, everyone understood that having seen Qin Xiu’s earlier attitude, those who knew him would think he was the older brother, while those who didn’t would think he was an elder.
That lecturing tone would make anyone uncomfortable.
“Also, don’t even think about buying the soul beads from him. He won’t dare sell to you without my consent.”
Qin Bei smirked as he looked at Qin Xiu.
“What do you mean?”
Qin Xiu’s frown deepened with concern.
That ominous feeling was becoming more intense.
“That’s exactly what I mean!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the smile vanished from Qin Bei’s face.
He spread his arms and waved them upward.
Swish~
Swish~
Swish~
A subtle sound of the air ripping resonated.
At the moment Qin Bei raised his hands, bluish-white light burst forth behind him.
One…
Ten…
A hundred…
A thousand…
Ten thousand…
All the lights surged into the sky as Qin Bei raised his hands, resembling blooming fireworks, glorious and vibrant.
Seeing this shocking scene, the mouths of everyone present dropped from o to O, and their eyes were wide like copper bells.
“Bluish-white color, sixth-level soul beads?”
“Tens of thousands of sixth-level soul beads appearing simultaneously? Is this… truly something a human can accomplish?”
“So this is how the rumored soul bead merchants acquire them? What an eye-opener.”
“Oh my goodness, is this the Prince Bei who you said couldn’t get a single soul bead in the royal tomb?”
“Tsk tsk, where’s the person who just spoke ill of Prince Bei? Come forward, let’s have a chat.”
…
Qin Bei remained unfazed by the chatter around him, slowly striding toward Qin Xiu.
As he moved, the glowing soul beads behind him seemed to have a consciousness of their own, trailing softly behind him.
Qin Xiu’s pupils widened gradually.
Although Qin Bei’s cultivation was only at the Golden Core Realm at that moment, he felt an oppressive aura radiating from Qin Bei.
Even if he didn’t want to admit it, he had to acknowledge that this scene was remarkably magnificent.
It truly was magnificent.
In that moment, Qin Bei resembled a powerful figure capable of plucking stars, while the soul beads behind him represented entire small worlds.
“Brother, standing before you is the real soul bead merchant. Now, do you have any doubts left?”
Qin Bei grinned, looking directly at Qin Xiu.
While speaking, Qin Bei tossed out a Qiankun bag, and behind him, tens of thousands of soul beads flowed into it.
Everyone was envious of those soul beads, but no one dared to make a move.
Instead, they looked on as if they were watching a theatrical performance.
The rivalry within the royal family was simply too entertaining.
Earlier, Qin Xiu had appeared elder-like, but now, faced with the truth, he found himself utterly speechless.
Staring at the scene before him, Qin Xiu was stunned, comprehending that everything that had just occurred was merely Qin Bei toying with him.
Yet, despite knowing this, Qin Xiu couldn’t dare to make a move at that moment.
Moments ago, the ten soul beads his team could have acquired were now gone.
Thanks to Qin Bei’s action, he had swept them all into his own bag.
In other words, he was now thirty soul beads away from bringing his entire team into the inner circle.
With less than two days left until the inner circle opened, obtaining thirty soul beads would be quite the challenge for his team.
Thus, Qin Xiu wanted to acquire enough soul beads from Qin Bei.
“Heh~ What are you saying, brother? I have no doubts; I just didn’t expect you to be so capable, truly a surprise.”
“But since you’re a soul bead merchant now, buying my soul beads seems pointless. So, how about this: you return the spirit stones you just gave me, and also return my soul beads. Deal?”
Qin Xiu smiled through gritted teeth.
He didn’t seek any sixth-level soul beads now.
Returning his third-level soul beads was enough.
Qin Bei said nothing and simply gazed intently at Qin Xiu.
As Qin Xiu faced that gaze, his expression gradually morphed from a forced smile to a stiff, blank one.
But the animosity in his eyes was evident to everyone.
“Brother, do you think I’m a fool?”
Qin Bei feigned confusion while asking.
“What do you mean?”
Qin Xiu inquired, frowning.
Though he had a rough idea of what Qin Bei was likely to do next, he still asked.
“It’s simple. A businessman doesn’t wake up without profit. I have some history with you, brother; I’m not a particularly generous person, and I hold grudges.”
“Qin Bei, don’t you go too far! I haven’t resolved the issue regarding my mother with you yet, and you still dare to bring up past grudges?”
At last, no matter how much Qin Xiu tried to endure, he could no longer hold it in.
Yes, Qin Xiu admitted there was a grudge between him and Qin Bei.
But in every instance, who was the one ultimately losing?
And it was always significant losses; Qin Bei hardly felt the repercussions.
Now Qin Bei had the gall to bring up their feud in front of him?
“Oh dear~ Don’t feel too wronged; I didn’t feel so wronged when my palace was raided.”
Qin Bei quipped teasingly.
Qin Xiu: …
Great, so apparently, you’re blaming me for the palace raid!
That was the Ministry of Revenue that did that, per my father’s orders! Now you’re holding me responsible? Do you have any shame left?
“Speak, what do you want?”
Qin Xiu forced himself to regain his calm, hoping to resolve this issue swiftly.
He needed to minimize the chances of people around him laughing at him.
“Simple. My palace’s loss is only a few million spirit stones. I’m not asking for much—thirty soul beads for you, three million spirit stones for me, and a little bit of compensation. Just a mere ten million spirit stones, I’m not greedy.”
Qin Bei spoke calmly as if ten million spirit stones were nothing.
What grand expectations!
But when everyone considered Qin Bei’s current stature, ten million spirit stones truly seemed trivial to him.
Yet that didn’t mean it was insignificant for Qin Xiu!
“Are you joking, brother? Ten million spirit stones for thirty soul beads?”
Qin Xiu found it unbelievable. How could Qin Bei even dare to make such a demand?
“If your royal brother thinks that’s expensive, then that’s fine. No worries! I’m not in need right now, so see you next time!”
Qin Bei said little else, clearly presupposing that Qin Xiu wouldn’t waste money on soul beads he possessed.
After saying this, Qin Bei redirected his attention away from Qin Xiu and walked up to Peng Yuan, handing him the Qiankun bag he held.
“Go.”
“Understood.”
Peng Yuan took the Qiankun bag and departed from the gravestone cluster to sell the soul beads elsewhere.
“Not bad! Xiaobei, you’ve been hiding pretty deeply! I used to think you were the weakest in the royal family, but turns out you’re the one hiding the hardest! How did you manage it?”
As Qin Bei approached, Qin Zhen couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.
This situation was just too strange.
It was entirely inconceivable how a cultivator could pull this off.
“Really want to know?”
Qin Bei looked at Qin Zhen and asked with a smile.
“Absolutely! I’m dying to know!”
Qin Zhen replied candidly.
Qin Bei held up two fingers and proclaimed, “Two words!”
At this point, everyone around couldn’t help but be intrigued, leaning in to hear what allowed Qin Bei to achieve this.
But two words? That seemed a bit lacking, didn’t it? What could he possibly say?
“What? Don’t leave us hanging; just tell us!”
Qin Zhen urged impatiently.
“Talent!”
Qin Zhen: …
Everyone: …
“Ah~ Is that it?”
“Nope.”
“Then you’ve finished talking—can I finally make my move?”
…
Faced with the envying, jealous gazes of the crowd, Qin Bei felt he had seen enough of the world.
“Here, this is the spirit stone for your soul beads. How could I take my brother’s spirit stones? Returning them to you!”
Qin Bei handed over a bag of spirit stones to Qin Zhen.
He didn’t require those spirit stones anymore, so there was no need to take Qin Zhen’s.
“Ah… this… indeed. Royal brother, it’s fitting you are the most talented among the princes! Truly exceptional talent!”
Qin Zhen took the spirit stone, casually complimenting Qin Bei.
Who can’t speak sweet words? It depends on whom it’s addressed to and what one can get in return.
Clearly, flattering Qin Bei was quite beneficial.
“What are you staring at? Haven’t you seen a naturally talented person before? Do you really think there’s some trick? Anyone who isn’t buying soul beads, disperse!”
With one remark from Qin Zhen, the envious and jealous individuals all scattered.
The main reason? They simply couldn’t compete.
…
“Prince, what shall we do now? We not only didn’t acquire any soul beads here but also lost twenty soul beads. This…”
Gu Chuan, the prince from the Ancient Beast Kingdom, inquired as he looked at Qin Xiu.
At this point, Gu Chuan felt quite frustrated.
Looking at Qin Xiu before him, he couldn’t help but think he was a fool!
Was he seriously trying to trick his own brother?
Now look at how that turned out!
“What’s the panic? We still have more than a day! Hurry; it’s not impossible to get thirty soul beads!”
“Besides, if push comes to shove, we can always just rob them!”
A ruthless glint appeared in Qin Xiu’s eyes.
Having been embarrassed by Qin Bei this time, he felt that Qin Bei must accept his revenge!
“What? Rob Prince Bei? That… doesn’t seem proper, does it? We’re all royal family members. If His Majesty sees this, punishment will surely follow.”
Gu Chuan was still quite apprehensive towards Qin Bei.
The thought of robbing Qin Bei once made him quite resistant.
“Humph! Who says I have to do it myself?”
Qin Xiu said meaningfully before leading his group away.
He needed to hurry and gather enough soul beads as quickly as possible.
Little did they know that as they left, Qin Bei had sent two people to follow them.
…