Chapter 239: Chapter 239: Secrets of the Hundred Flowers (Third Update, Asking for Monthly Pass)
Feng Jun’s words were not surprising, for he was absolutely certain that the current Young Master Yu was not the same as the one before.
The resemblance between the two was uncannily close, both exceptionally handsome and graceful in their movements, yet they were not the same person.
The latter’s actions lacked the easygoing nature of the former. In terms of aura, although the former had a carefree demeanor and lacked the latter’s domineering presence, when it came to bearing, the latter fell far short.
Feng Jun’s six senses had always been sharper than average, and after he advanced to a high-rank martial master, his perceptiveness became even more acute.
Most crucially, he had used the technique of “those nearby” to check, and this Young Master Yu… was a fake product, a young girl!
Seeing the young girl stubbornly deny it, he didn’t bother to say much more. “You can go ask Brother Bao about the related conditions. Once the specifications are set, I will tell you the price.”
Yu Zhengqing originally planned to discuss family strategies with him, but seeing Feng Jun’s dismissive attitude, he felt a bit displeased and nodded imperceptibly, “That works.”
The Yu family members then went out again to negotiate with Brother Bao. However, before leaving, Young Master Yu gave Feng Jun a fierce glare, clearly unhappy with being exposed.
Feng Jun didn’t mind; he didn’t even bother going out in the farm vehicle again, instead waiting in the hall for the other party’s news.
The attitude of the Yu family wasn’t particularly good, especially that young girl Young Master Yu, who was quite sharp-tongued. But Feng Jun didn’t really care. Although he was rather arrogant in business dealings, that was because he didn’t want to invest too much energy. When it came to buyers, he still had a lot of patience.
How does that saying go? Only those who pick at the goods are the real buyers.
But he wasn’t just idly waiting; simultaneously, he took the opportunity to practice the Thousand Faces Technique.
The technique of the Thousand Faces Technique was quite magical, changing one’s appearance through the twisting of facial muscles and had to be practiced in conjunction with acupuncture.
And that was just the beginning. As one advanced in the Thousand Faces Technique, one had to apply medicinal ointments and take pills, allowing one’s own bones to twist freely to achieve changes in physique.
Feng Jun was very interested in this technique—in fact, he was also very interested in the Soaring Dragon Dominating Phoenix Union Technique. The two sets of techniques given by Brother Bao were both quite good, but unfortunately, he could not find a partner to practice the latter technique at the moment.
The acupuncture needles he used, which were made of silver, could be found in this realm, but Feng Jun was using silver needles bought from the Earth Realm; there wasn’t much to say about them, they were industrial products, yet quite exquisite nonetheless.
He practiced for an unknown amount of time before he suddenly heard a knock on the door: it was Deng Lao Er, informing him that the Yu family had finished negotiating.
The practice of any cultivation technique could not be halted immediately, and although the Thousand Faces Technique he was practicing was manageable, it still took him over ten minutes to conclude his practice.
After finishing, he removed the silver needles from the area around his head and neck, walked to the door to open it, and the Yu family members stepped inside.
Feng Jun seldom invited people into his room, but the other party had come for business and had walked in quite unceremoniously, so he had no choice but to ask them to sit down, although he skipped the typical offer of tea and other refreshments.
This time, it was not Young Master Yu who spoke, but the master himself, Yu Zhengqing, who began by courteously remarking, “Mr. Feng’s exquisite items are indeed eye-opening.”
“You flatter me,” Feng Jun responded with a smile, but did not ask what they intended to purchase— they could speak up whenever they were ready.
After a pause, it was Yu Zhengqing who broke the silence, gesturing toward the silver needles on the table and speaking with a smile, “Does the master specialize in the art of acupuncture? These silver needles are quite… distinctive.”
In his view, the silver needles were really quite ordinary, evidently not ancient artifacts nor inscribed by a craftsman; their only noteworthy aspect was that the needles were quite delicate.
Feng Jun didn’t find anything inappropriate either, and casually replied, “They are just common goods. If you like them, I could arrange several sets for you.”
“Thank you,” Yu Zhengqing replied with a pleasant demeanor, “The acupuncture skills of my Yu family are handed down from our ancestors, and our silver needles are specially made. Although your silver needles are fine, they aren’t of much use to my family.”
This idle chat was actually a prelude to business negotiations, meant to relax the atmosphere. However, at that moment, Young Master Yu let out a slight gasp.
He looked at the silver needles and then took a careful glance at Feng Jun’s head and neck area, “Are you… practicing the Thousand Faces Technique with these silver needles?”
Feng Jun looked back at him, nodded slightly, thinking to himself that this technique was given to him by Brother Bao, so why did Yu seem to be acting as if he was just discovering this?
Yet, Young Master Yu had never actually heard Brother Bao mention this. Surprised once more, he questioned, “Where did you get this technique from? Many people are still looking for the whereabouts of the Hundred Flowers Tower; how dare you so casually practice it?”
Feng Jun glanced at him curiously, replying calmly, “Then let them look. Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with practicing a technique from the Hundred Flowers Tower.”
Young Master Yu looked at him irritably, “The secret treasures of the Hundred Flowers Tower have not been discovered to this day. Think about it, if you’re found practicing the Thousand Faces Technique… what kind of trouble you’ll incur!”
Feng Jun was slightly surprised; he had not anticipated that the technique Brother Bao gave him involved such risks, “The secret treasures of the Hundred Flowers Tower… are they valuable?”
“That can’t be measured just by price,” Yu Zhengqing spoke earnestly, “rumors say that in addition to the natural treasures and cultivation techniques, the secret cache also contains many hidden secrets, even including some small Immortal Crystal mines…”
By the time he reached the last three words, his voice had become extremely light, as if he was on guard against eavesdroppers.
Feng Jun’s mouth twitched upon hearing this, “No mistake there, there are actually such mines?”
“It’s just a rumor, whether it’s true or not, nobody knows,” Yu Zhengqing spoke gravely, “in fact, not many people are aware of this news. Our Yu Family came to learn of this by a fortunate coincidence.”
“You’re being too modest, Second Uncle,” Yu Family’s young master spoke up again. He looked at Feng Jun and declared with certainty, “Traits of practicing the Thousand Faces Technique are not known to just anybody, but our Yu Family is privy to the inside story.”
Feng Jun looked at him for a while, then cracked a grin, “Knowing too much sometimes isn’t a good thing.”
His joke carried an implicit threat, but the young master of the Yu Family seemed as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
He expressed his disdain, “The stir you’ve created is already considerable, unlike anything related to the Hundred Flowers Tower. However, I can assure you of one thing… the moment news of your cultivation of the Thousand Faces Technique leaks out, it will alarm some important figures.”
Feng Jun was not afraid of trouble, but upon hearing this, he couldn’t help but snort inwardly, thinking he needed to ask Brother Bao about it later.
This technique was quite remarkable. He didn’t regret obtaining it. His biggest headache in the Earth Realm had always been the ubiquitous Heavenly Eye, but now with this technique in hand, what was there to fear from the Heavenly Eye?
At this moment, however, he truly had to consider whether Brother Bao had any ulterior motives in giving him this technique.
Seeing his face change expressions, Yu Zhengqing spoke up seriously, “There are many kinds of secret techniques for disguises and transformations, and the Thousand Faces Technique is among the best. It is effective and hard to detect; as long as no one sees the silver needles, most people wouldn’t suspect anything.”
“So what if it’s discovered?” Feng Jun retorted dismissively with a twist of his mouth.
Disliking the topic, he asked directly, “How have you all discussed it, how many points do you plan to set up?”
Yu Zhengqing hesitated for a moment, then spoke up with determination, “We think that the electric generators and light fixtures are very good…”
It turns out that the Yu Family members, after a long discussion, deemed things like Warning Formations quite superfluous.
The young master of the Yu Family insisted that such devices couldn’t be counted as Formations; since they were not Formations, selling them at such a high price seemed like a rip-off.
Moreover, they faced a similar issue as the Tian Family: although Warning Formations could reduce the need for guards and patrolling, the Yu Family wasn’t short on people… Who running a CheMa Trading Company would lack manpower?
In this realm, labor was truly inexpensive. The Tian Family had to tighten their belts to afford Formations, whereas the Yu Family, being economically more comfortable, would still find such an expense quite burdensome.
Only Brother Bao, who was not short on money, and in his Lord Beiyuan Mansion, where personnel movements were strictly controlled, manpower was abundant but couldn’t be utilized within the mansion—it wasn’t a marketplace, after all!
Of course, another important aspect was that the Earl’s mansion needed to stand out, to showcase its exceptional status, which required possessions that others did not have.
In other words, although the Warning Formation was expensive, it could be a status symbol. Just for this reason alone, Brother Bao would be willing to spend.
The Yu Family ran a CheMa Trading Company and often relied on relationships for business; why be so ostentatious?
Still, the Yu Family members unanimously believed that electric generators and light fixtures were genuinely good products.
The CheMa Trading Company traveled all over Donghua, often staying in wilderness areas, and they had numerous designated inns and hostels, but still, their schedule could be affected by factors like these, not to mention adverse weather conditions like rain or snow.
At such times, having illuminate-capable fixtures on the vehicles would allow them to disregard the weather and terrain, settling wherever they went. Turning on the big lights would serve both to illuminate and deter petty thieves.
With suitable devices, the generator could even be used for cooking, but the Yu Family considered this an optional feature; storing some dry firewood in the vehicle wasn’t going to take up much space, right? Except during continuous rain or heavy snow, there was no need to waste precious electricity on this.
Of course, even without generators, the Yu Family’s CheMa Trading Company had wind-blast lamps and other outdoor lighting devices. But just as Lord Beiyuan Mansion needed to show off, so did the Yu Family need to prove that their CheMa Trading Company was stronger than others.
To put it bluntly, everyone desires to show off; the difference lies only in the domain, scope, and requirements.
Wanting to buy generators, and not just one? Feng Jun listened with a somewhat speechless reaction, but after another thought, it actually made sense.
Anyway, since he had accepted others’ cultivation techniques, he still had to sell what needed to be sold. A generator on Earth was worth over twenty to thirty thousand, and calculating by the profit margin of Formations, which could be around thirty times, it actually amounted to about one million yuan, roughly equivalent to three thousand kilograms of gold.
(Third update, last three hours of February, asking for monthly tickets, and also booking the minimum monthly tickets for March, with additional updates at dawn as usual.)