Immortal Mortal

”Shopkeeper Peng, please come in and take a seat. Please, feel free to say whatever you have to.” Mo Wuji extended his hand and invited Peng Zimai into the room.

Chu Qianlou, worried that Mo Wuji would agree to Peng Zimai’s suggestion, followed them into the room. Pang Qi and the others followed suit.

”Dao Friend Mo, I’m sure you have heard of my Star Searching Merchant House. This time, many treasures will be available at the auction. Apart from Tier 8 spiritual herbs, we will also be selling high grade spiritual items and top grade techniques…”

Upon hearing about the top grade techniques, Mo Wuji immediately questioned, ”May I ask if you have top grade magic skills as well?”

Peng Zimai answered, ”Of course! Although we won’t have hammer techniques, we will have quality sword art and blade techniques…”

Peng Zimai had witnessed the battle between Mo Wuji and Yan Yangdong. Naturally, he could guess what Mo Wuji was after - good magic skills. Now, listening to Mo Wuji’s questions, he was surer than before.

Mo Wuji was not in the least bit disappointed upon learning that there would be no hammer techniques available. Instead, he perked up and asked, ”I would also like to know, what kind of top grade magic skills will there be at the auction?”

Peng Zimai acted like he was being put in a spot. ”Although I know some of what might be available at the auction, you know that I’m merely a shopkeeper. I don’t make the decisions for many matters in Star Searching Merchant House.”

Mo Wuji understood what he was trying to say. He straightforwardly asked, ”Shopkeeper Peng, please go ahead and discuss whatever you came for.”

Peng Zimai grinned, ”Dao Friend Mo, you know that other than official challenges, the Universal Hall also organises many underground challenges. Star Searching Battlestage is Star Searching Merchant House‘s battlefield. I would like to invite you to accept the challenges of other cultivators…”

Immediately, Mo Wuji knew what he wanted. This Peng Zimai was so scheming. It was a true waste of talent that he didn’t work as a shrewd businessman on Earth.

Given that he was on the Universal Board, and that he had defeated Yan Yangdong on the Deathmatch Battlestage, the queue to challenge Mo Wuji would surely go from Piercing Wind City to Nine Mo City if he were to fight underground.

One only had to challenge him on the battlestage and emerge victorious to earn both fame and fortune, and even the Yan Clan’s favour and friendship. One would have equated defeating Mo Wuji with having the capabilities to be on the Universal Board, even if his name wasn’t actually on it. This was every cultivator’s dream.

It didn’t even matter if one could not defeat Mo Wuji. The underground battlestage wasn’t the Deathmatch Battlestage; one only had to surrender when he knew that he was going to lose.

Even losing was good for one’s reputation. If word had spread that one challenged someone on the Universal Board, he would have risen to fame very quickly.

”Brother Mo, you must not go,” Rong He quickly warned.

She knew for a fact that the underground battlestages were filled with desperate disciples, who resorted to all sorts of underhand methods to emerge victorious. They were willing to give all they had to ensure their opponent was seriously injured. Some were even willing to give their lives. At first, before they had contribution points, Pang Qi brought them to these battlestages. However, he backed out in the end, as usual.

Behind every contribution point earned on the underground battlestage were blood, sweat and tears.

It wasn’t so bad if that were it. After all, Mo Wuji was no ordinary cultivator. However, there was another type of people who fought on those battlestages. Those people were highly-skilled, and they were well-versed in a profound concealment technique. To fight on the battlestage and earn contribution points, they often concealed their skills.

There were no severe repercussions for doing something like that.

”Brother Mo, you must not go to the underground battlestage. That isn’t a place that normal people go to,” Pang Qi worriedly stood up.

Chu Qianlou more directly said, ”Wuji, regardless of capability, very few people actually walk off the underground battlestage. There are all kinds of people there. Some are low-skilled and only know one hand technique. That sometimes becomes their downfall.”

Mo Wuji nodded. He hadn’t intended to go.

Peng Zimai acted as if Chu Qianlou hadn’t spoken. Still grinning, he said, ”My generation knows that cultivation is hard work. Brother Mo, your achievements today are definitely extraordinary. However, if you don’t intend to improve any further, I will retract my invitation and take my leave.”

Mo Wuji smiled slightly. ”Shopkeeper Peng, be direct. I like to be straightforward. If I feel strongly for something, I will work hard at it once I find out about it. However, if I don’t feel anything for something, I wouldn’t waste any effort on it despite you spending a year or two trying to persuade me. I appreciate the thought, though.”

Peng Zimai understood what Mo Wuji was really trying to say. That was, ”Don’t try to be a smart-ass with me. Whether I need something is not based on what you say, but based on whether it is useful to me.”

Within that short time, Peng Zimai knew the kind of person Mo Wuji was. He was a decisive person who wasn’t easily bought over by pure advertising.

At that, he simply retrieved a piece of paper and handed it to Mo Wuji, saying, ”Dao Friend Mo, these are the magic skills that will be available at the auction. Take a look and see if there’s anything you need.”

He was originally only going to show Mo Wuji this piece of paper under certain conditions. However, this method had not worked on Mo Wuji.

Mo Wuji nodded. This was the right method to use to get to him. You should have done so earlier. What was the purpose of saying so much rubbish?

Mo Wuji unfolded the piece of paper and saw over ten different types of magic skills. And the poorest sword art among those was of premium Earth Grade.

Air Severing Golden Light Saber, Earth Grade treasure. Yuan Dispelling Sword Technique, Earth Grade premium technique. Yuan Returning Water Blade, Earth Grade treasure. Thousand Blade Shadow Radiance, Earth Grade Treasure. Thoughtless Light Radiance, Heaven Grade… this didn’t sound too bad.

Mo Wuji’s gaze landed on the next magic skill, Nirvana Pole Shadow, Heaven Grade….

A pole technique, and a Heaven Grade one at that. Mo Wuji suddenly saw very clearly that what he lacked was a pole technique. Even though the Heaven Grade magic skills were not differentiated by normal, premium or treasure, Heaven Grade things couldn’t be that bad.

That was it. He had to get it.

After a short while, Mo Wuji handed the piece of paper back to Peng Zimai. In a calm tone, he said, ”Not bad, there are a lot of things on it.”

”Has anything suitable caught your eye?” Peng Zimai cheekily asked.

Mo Wuji smiled slightly, ”Shopkeeper Peng, even if I do want something, I have enough space contribution points to purchase it.”

Peng Zimai shook his head, ”Dao Friend Mo, if you were purchasing ordinary items, 90,000 contribution points is indeed enough. However, I’m afraid that if you want to buy anything on that piece of paper, even the poorest one would set you back by more than 100,000 contribution points. This is because the people who will be competing with you are not individuals, but are major clans and sects.”

Mo Wuji shot a puzzled look at Rong He. How did Peng Zimai know about his contribution points?

Rong He quickly explained, ”Brother Mo, Star Searching Merchant House organised the bet this time…”

Without needing Rong He to explain further, Mo Wuji understood. This Star Searching Merchant House was indeed successful – they even controlled a gambling den.

”Brother Peng, may I ask, how many contribution points do I need for the Thoughtless Light Radiance?”

”At least over 500,000 points,” Peng Zimai answered. He wasn’t afraid that Mo Wuji would want what he had to offer. In fact, he was afraid that Mo Wuji wouldn’t be interested in what he had to offer.

”If I agree to get on the Star Searching Battlestage, how many contribution points would I get per battle?” Mo Wuji asked.

”Every battle won would earn you 500 contribution points,” Peng Zimai answered, raising one of his palms.

Mo Wuji laughed coldly in his heart. Was he trying to pacify a beggar? At that rate, he had to fight over a thousand battles in order to accumulate enough contribution points to purchase a Heaven Grade magic skill. Regardless of whether he won or lost, he would be dead beat. He could also forget about cultivating. He would have to spend all his days accepting others’ challenges on the battlestage.

If he had not made it onto the Universal Board, nor fought with Yan Yangdong, 50 contribution points would have been sufficient, much less 500. However, to think that he would agree to fight for 500 contribution points per battle given his current reputation… Peng Zimai must have thought Mo Wuji was a clueless bird.

He was sure that if he went to the Star Searching Battlestage, Star Searching Merchant House would make a windfall. Yet, despite risking his life, he would only be paid 500 contribution points per battle.

”Shopkeeper Peng, I would like to propose something. If your merchant house loans 1,000,000 contribution points to me, we can discuss me fighting on Star Searching Battlestage after the auction. What do you think?”

Mo Wuji asked for 1,000,000 contribution points in an instant. Peng Zimai, along with Chu Qianlou and the rest, were all shocked.

”Dao Friend Mo, I came with every intention to discuss with you…”

Mo Wuji interrupted him, ”Shopkeeper Peng, I am sincere in discussing with you too. Let me ask you, how many people can your Star Searching Battlestage accommodate?”

”10,000 people.”

”Alright. If I participate in the battle, do you think the Star Searching Battlestage will be filled up? You don’t have to answer – I know it will. If we organise two battles per day, and you charge five contribution points per person, you would earn 100,000 contribution points in one day alone. In ten days, you would earn 1,000,000. Now, I am asking for 1,000,000 contribution points on loan. And you still think it’s not worth it?” Mo Wuij was grinning.

Of course, Peng Zimai had thought of all of these already. It was precisely because he had thought of it that he came to look for Mo Wuji. He had actually planned to lend Mo Wuji some contribution points, but he had not expected that Mo Wuji would ask for 1,000,000.

”Since Shopkeeper Peng sees a problem, I can look for other battlestages,” Mo Wuji began to rise to his feet.

There were indeed plenty of underground battlestages in Universal Hall.

”I agree, but surely you have to leave something with me as a form of security?” Upon hearing that Mo Wuji was ready to approach other battlestages, Peng Zimai accepted the offer. He knew that Mo Wuji had purposely said that to test his reaction, but Peng Zimai was unwilling to take the risk and let him go.

Mo Wuji took out his Octagonal Steel Hammer and said, ”This is a top grade spiritual item, which I depended on to survive. I will leave this with you.”

It was clearly a mediocre spiritual item, yet Mo Wuji described it as a top grade spiritual item Peng Zimai did not bother to argue. In any case, Mo Wuji would not be able to default on his debt even if he had not left anything with Peng Zimai as security, unless he never wanted to show his face in Universal Hall again. Since Mo Wuji was on the Universal Board, it was absolutely impossible that he would not want to return to Universal Hall.

”Alright, but after the auction, Dao Friend Mo must fulfil his promise to fight on the Star Searching Battlestage,” Peng Zimai agreed to Mo Wuji’s request.