Chapter 98

The tea flower was a gift from someone else, and it had a certain value, so Qi Xiang naturally remained very calm, not afraid of losing out by keeping it.

Seeing Qi Xiang refuse decisively, the person knew there was no hope and sighed, getting up and leaving the room. As soon as he left, someone else slipped in.

The new person, upon entering, immediately saw the bright and beautiful tea flower on the table. His eyes lit up, and he quickly closed the door again, then walked over and sat down, looking somewhat excited.

"Cough, cough..."

The person remained silent for a while, and Qi Xiang couldn't help but cough to remind him.

"Beautiful flower!"

The person, as if waking from a dream, said with some excitement, "This is the most authentic tea flower from Dali, right? And it was cultivated in the wild, watered with mountain spring water every day, growing naturally, which is why the flowers are so bright and full of vitality."

"Huh?"

Qi Xiang was taken aback, not expecting this person to know so much about tea flowers, speaking so confidently. Since he definitely didn't understand it, he could only vaguely respond, "What about your item?"

"I didn't bring anything..."

The person shook his head and said hopefully, "But I can buy your flower for a high price!"

Qi Xiang didn't say anything, but pointed towards the door, clearly indicating that the person should leave on his own, to avoid him having to ask him to leave.

"Brother, listen to me, I'm really sincere..." The person was not about to give up easily, waving his hand and saying, "Five million, how about that?"

"You don't know, I came to this gathering because I heard that in previous years, very rare and valuable tea flowers had appeared here, so I came to try my luck."

The person rambled on, "Now that I see it, it's indeed true, and it's my luck. Such a perfect tea flower is absolutely very rare and precious, please help me..."

Qi Xiang was somewhat impatient. What kind of luck is this, to run into someone obsessed with tea flowers? He was now wavering, wondering if this was a gathering of cultivators or just a game for rich people.

Qi Xiang thought for a moment and suddenly stood up, "If you won't leave, I will!"

Qi Xiang walked straight towards the door, about to leave the room.

At this moment, the person sprang up, quickly blocking his way and said in a low voice, "Wait..."

"What, are you going to rob me?" Qi Xiang's eyes were full of vigilance.

"Who would dare?" The person smiled bitterly, "Causing trouble here would only invite public anger. A group of people attacking together would have serious consequences, which I can't afford."

The person seemed somewhat helpless, muttering, "Newcomers these days are so sharp. I thought I could trick them and get a good deal..."

"This guy... seems to have ill intentions."

Hearing this, Qi Xiang was suddenly alarmed, naturally taking a step back and assuming a defensive posture.

"Don't be afraid, I wouldn't really attack you."

The person, wearing a mask, couldn't be seen for his expression, but he walked back and sat down, gesturing, "Come back, let's talk properly."

"What do we talk about?" Qi Xiang thought for a moment and complied, sitting opposite the person.

Seeing this, the person's eyes showed some approval, but he said, "I'm most annoyed by you newcomers. Every time someone new comes, they are so cautious, worried about being harmed..."

"Hmm?" Qi Xiang was thoughtful, immediately understanding a few things. He had thought that the staff of the villa might have leaked his identity, but now it seemed not.

Perhaps, when he entered the hall, he was too cautious, not acting naturally. Such behavior, compared to others, was particularly noticeable, like a bright star in the night sky, impossible to hide.

At the same time, Qi Xiang became even more enlightened. The person who recognized him as a newcomer and came to him immediately, even if not harboring ill intentions, probably had the idea of taking advantage.

"Bad luck, meeting a knowledgeable newcomer..."

The person sighed, "It seems you understand the true value of this tea flower, yet you brought it here. This suggests that the tea flower is not very useful to you. So, what do you need?"

Qi Xiang blinked and asked, "No matter what I need, can you get it for me?"

"Hey, it seems you don't know my identity." The person said proudly, "Newcomer, didn't your introducer tell you some basic rules of the gathering?"

"No." Qi Xiang shook his head.

"...I see." The person was relieved, "So, you're just here to test the waters."

Qi Xiang remained silent, hoping the person would misunderstand.

"Alright, I'll take the trouble to explain it to you."

The person pointed to himself, somewhat smug, "I'm known as the 'All-Knowing.' Before you came, I already knew most of the items the participants brought."

Qi Xiang laughed, "So you're a middleman."

"What middleman." The person was unhappy, "I'm... fine, call me a middleman. I can guarantee that I can find what you need as soon as possible."

"Why do I need your help? Everyone is here, I can look around myself, it won't take much time."

"Ha, you're still a newcomer, you really don't understand the rules."

The person rolled his eyes, "The participants are very diverse. Some are just here for the fun and to gain knowledge. Some are in urgent need of money and come to sell things..."

"Of course, more people come with a specific purpose, hoping to find what they need at the gathering. In other words, if you don't have what they need, why would they trade with you?"

The person snorted, "I've attended many gatherings, and very few people leave satisfied. Many prefer to take their items back and wait for the next gathering rather than sell them easily."

"Besides, you're a newcomer, and they don't know you. If you directly ask them what they need, they might not tell you."

The person was confident, "I'm different. If I negotiate on your behalf, they will be willing to give me face. Honestly, if I didn't need this tea flower so much, I wouldn't bother, and I might even owe them a favor."

Qi Xiang could tell the person wasn't lying.

However, he was somewhat disappointed. From the person's words, he realized that this gathering was not the cultivator gathering he had imagined. It sounded more like a black market, just with more valuable items.

The participants or the buyers and sellers behind them were likely people like Chen Biesnow, Gongzi Hai, and Tian Shi, who were still on the threshold of cultivation.

While Qi Xiang was thinking, the person spoke again, "What do you think? Have you made up your mind? If you're willing, just say so. If not, this is Zhu Wuye's territory, and I wouldn't dare to act rashly."

Qi Xiang thought for a moment and nodded, "If you can get what I need, I have no reason to refuse."

"Good, you're straightforward." The person was very happy, "So, what do you need?"

"I need..." Qi Xiang thought for a moment and smiled, "Leizhu!"

"What?" The person was stunned, "Say that again."

"Leizhu..." Qi Xiang repeated, "An old bamboo that has survived for hundreds of years, struck by lightning for many years, and has been reborn in the lightning, sprouting new branches, gradually forming a Leizhu!"

"...Damn!"

The person jumped up, turning angry, "Who would be willing to part with such a treasure? If you want something like that, you might as well just rob it... If you don't want to sell the tea flower, just say so, why play with me..."

The person, clearly upset, stormed out.

"None?" Qi Xiang was somewhat disappointed, then laughed. Why should he worry? The White Lotus had suffered a great loss and would definitely seek revenge, no need for him to meddle.

Qi Xiang shook his head and left the room, still holding the tea flower.

He was also very curious about how many precious items were at this gathering.

Qi Xiang walked out of the room and looked around, gaining a more direct understanding of the gathering. Some people had already made deals in advance, either through secret negotiations or by locking down their targets early.

The remaining people were sitting there, bored, drinking tea.

Others, as if they had never seen the world, were wandering from room to room, admiring others' items. No need to say, these were the people the All-Knowing had mentioned, just here for the fun.

Of course, if they found something interesting, they might be tempted to buy it. This was probably why the gathering allowed their presence.

After analyzing, Qi Xiang, still holding the tea flower, entered a nearby room.

A person was sitting in the room, and on the table in front of him was a pot of something. Qi Xiang went in and saw that it was a withered plant.

Qi Xiang was surprised and couldn't help but look closely. The plant's leaves had all fallen off, leaving only dry, lifeless branches, a stark contrast to the bright and beautiful tea flower he was holding.

"To dare to display a withered plant so boldly, this is too much of a scam, isn't it?"

Qi Xiang was speechless. His first thought was that this person was a fraud, trying to trick inexperienced newcomers. But as he looked more closely, he noticed something.

The seemingly withered plant had thick, gnarled roots, exuding a unique aura...

Tomorrow is the last day of the public period, and the alarm is sounding. Please support and collect.

...

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends