Chapter 182 - This Street"s First Zither House
At the World"s First Zither House...
Countless cultivators and store owners had already gathered outside the building. At this moment, everyone was paying close attention to the situation inside the building.
Young Master An! The Ascendant Hall Lord! Both sides were at sword"s point!?
Two thousand Ascendant Hall disciples have barged into the building, but there were already three thousand archers waiting for them inside!? A great battle could start at any moment between the two sides!?
At first, two giants were clas.h.i.+ng with each other, but now some Gu Hai has emerged out of nowhere!?
So those profligate idiots are Gu Hai"s subordinates!
Indeed, like boss, like subordinates! Those prodigal idiots were using their money to trample the ordinary store owners, and this Gu Hai actually dares to use money to trample Young Master An!? Does he think Young Master An has never seen money!?
Everyone was flabbergasted by this strange scene! Countless cultivators" eyes were wide with shock.
Inside the World"s First Zither House, the army of Wood Throne disciples was also left gawking with wide eyes. Aren"t you, as the Water Throne Master, blazing it all around!? Is that really okay?
"Redeem your men!? Did I say that I would let rescue your men?" Young Master An looked down coldly at Gu Hai.
"Why, is Young Master An afraid to offer a price?" The corner of Gu Hai"s lips rose into a sneer as he replied evenly.
"Haha, Ascendant Hall Water Throne Master, do you truly think that I have never seen money!?" Young Master An answered in a chilling voice.
"Young Master An, your site has your rules, but we want to know, what exactly are these rules of yours? I must rescue my subordinates, just tell me how much is enough?" Gu Hai insisted.
Hearing this, the frigid Young Master looked straight at Gu Hai. After staring at Gu Hai for a while, a sneer spread across his lips as he said, "Alright, since you want to rescue your men so much, then, I will redeem them! Ten thousand high-grade spirit stones for each!"
"What!?" Long Wanqing blurted out in astonishment.
"Ten thousand!?" Mu Chenfeng"s eyes also widened in surprise.
An uproar also broke out among the countless cultivators outside the building. This is clearly just to embarra.s.s him!
A bunch of such Houtian Stage subordinates can be caught with just a wave of one"s hand. The most their lives are worth is ten low-grade spirit stones, you can simply buy their lives! And you want ten thousand!? And high-grade spirit stones at that!? A hundred million low-grade spirit stones to buy one man!? Ten million times their original value!? Are you kidding me!?
"Are you kidding me, ten thousand high-grade spirit stones for one man!? It"s enough to buy the life of a Golden Core cultivator!"
"Yes, it"s even too much to buy a Golden Core cultivator!"
"Young Master An is simply trying to embarra.s.s Gu Hai!"
"This man called Gu Hai will definitely not pay!"
"Seventy men will be seven hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones! How can he possibly have so much!?"...
Almost everyone wanted to see how Gu Hai was about to make a fool of himself.
When Mu Chenfeng heard this number, he also shuddered fiercely! Seven hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones!? Heavens, that"s seven billion low-grade spirit stones! How can Gu Hai possibly have that much!? If it was me, I would not pay such an amount even in my dreams!
The army of Wood Throne disciples was also petrified.
Although they knew that Gu Hai"s subordinates were rich, it was impossible for Gu Hai to have such an exaggerated amount! Didn"t they say that they came from that backward place, from the poor Thousand Islands Seas?
When Long Wanqing heard this, she too was burning with fury. Ten thousand high-grade spirit stones to buy a Houtian Stage cultivator! Is this a joke!?
Just as Long Wanqing was about to flare up in anger...
A clattering noise suddenly rose from in front of Gu Hai.
When she turned her gaze, she saw Gu Hai had his hand stretched out, and high-grade spirit stones were cras.h.i.+ng down onto the ground, just like a waterfall.
High-grade spirit stones came rolling down like a tide, blotting out the floor, rolling in all directions. High-grade spirit stones scattered in every direction of the World"s First Zither House, as if a flood of high-grade spirit stones had erupted.
"Heavens, so many spirit stones!"
"High-grade spirit stones, all of them are high-grade spirit stones! Are my eyes playing tricks!?"
"This...this is like a small mountain of high-grade spirit stones!"
"So many, so many, I can"t stand it!"
"Gu Hai!? He has so much money!? He is actually so rich!?"...
The mountain of spirit stones indeed gave a huge blow to everyone. Countless cultivators outside the building had eyes almost ready to pop out. They all could feel their bodies trembling. These are spirit stones, not some rocks!
Even if I worked myself to death, all I can earn in a year is no more than a hundred high-grade spirit stones, that"s already my limit! But Gu Hai here is pouring them on the ground like they are nothing!
Who the h.e.l.l is this Gu Hai? Where did he come from? How did he come by so much money?
Many cultivators outside the building had already gone crazy.
Inside the building…
The Wood Throne disciples, including their leader, Mu Chenfeng, were gawking with wide eyes. Their mouths were so wide open that one could stuff a few quail eggs inside them.
This impactful scene of high-grade spirit stones rolling out like a tide had never been seen in their lifetimes...
I must be imagining things! I am so formidable, and yet I make only a few spirit stones every year. This Gu Hai is so weak, and moreover, he came from such a poor place, yet he can take out a couple hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones with a flip of his hand! I must be really imagining things!
The archers upstairs also had eyes wide with shock. Watching those spirit stones rolling out like waves, everyone"s hands started trembling. Suddenly, long arrows slipped from their bows, swis.h.i.+ng through the air aimlessly.
Manager Jiang Tianyi, standing upstairs, also had his eyes popping out. It"s not that Jiang Tianyi had never seen so much money, it was just that he had never expected that Gu Hai could take out so many spirit stones at once.
In Jiang Tianyi"s opinion, all the spirit stones of the entire Ascendant Hall together would not amount to so much!
"Young Master An!?" An unsightly look showed up on Jiang Tianyi"s face.
Long Wanqing"s eyes flickered reluctantly. Grandmaster Liunian, on the other hand, was smiling slightly. Seeing Gu Hai"s solution was a pleasure in itself!
On the terrace above, an ashen-faced Young Master An was looking down below.
When spirit stones poured out with a flip of Gu Hai"s hand, Young Master An knew that the situation had taken a turn for the worse.
Before, Young Master An simply did not care about this Gu Hai. He offered ten thousand high-grade spirit stones for one man to humiliate his incompetence.
But now, seven hundred thousand spirit stones were pouring out with a flip of Gu Hai"s hand. He didn"t humiliate Gu Hai, he humiliated himself!
Those few hundred thousand spirit stones were no different than a slap on his face!
Finally, the outpouring spirit stones finished piling up into a mountain. Looking in from a distance, tumultuous waves rose in countless cultivators" hearts. They were utterly shocked.
"Well, thank you, Young Master An, for letting me save my men. Here are seven hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones, you can send someone to count them. I will take these subordinates of mine with me! Gu Hai said with a thin smile.
That indifferent expression on Gu Hai"s face was like these hundreds of thousands of spirit stones were nothing, like he didn"t care about them, even a bit.
"You...you..you are really going to spend seven hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones to rescue these Houtian Stage men!?" Young Master An asked coldly, staring at Gu Hai.
"Isn"t this Young Master An"s rule? Young Master An, you wouldn"t go back on your words, right? You are but Young Master An!" The corner of Gu Hai"s lips rose slightly as he spoke.
"Let them go!" Young Master An abruptly ordered in a chilling voice.
Immediately afterwards, the army of Wood Throne disciples quickly picked up the seventy Great Han officials.
"Gu Hai, haha, good, good, you are very good! I did indeed look down upon you. However, don"t regret spending ten thousand high-grade spirit stones to buy a Houtian Stage cultivator!" Young Master An said emotionlessly.
"Regret!? Young Master An, you must be joking! They are my subordinates. My subordinates are worth more than these spirit stones! When all is said and done, these spirit stones are worth something, but my subordinates are priceless!" Gu Hai stated coldly.
"Priceless! Hmph, you are really stubborn to admit your mistakes! Seven hundred thousand spirit stones, hahaha, I will gladly welcome you next time!" Young Master An rebuked in a cold and emotionless manner.
"I really appreciate it!" Gu Hai smiled back with a nod. "Oh, right, Manager Jiang Tianyi!" Gu Hai suddenly turned to Jiang Tianyi.
"Hmm!?" Jiang Tianyi looked at Gu Hai with a furrow.
"I would like to ask, what"s the price of the best zither manufactured from non-spiritual wood?" Gu Hai curiously asked.
Hearing Gu Hai"s question, countless cultivators outside the building looked at Gu Hai in a daze. Is this Gu Hai stupid? He just emptied out seven hundred thousand spirit stones, and now he wants to buy a zither?
Everyone inside the building was also looking at Gu Hai in a daze. The heavens knew what Gu Hai wanted to do now...
"The World"s First Zither House has all kinds of zithers, all kinds of musical instruments: zithers, drums, flutes, pipa, everything can be found here. A zither crafted from non-spiritual wood, this Guqin was personally hand-tuned by a grandmaster-level zitherist. This zither is called Ultimate Zither. It costs a hundred middle-grade spirit stones!" Jiang Tianyi unenthusiastically pointed at a Guqin hanging on a nearby wall.
"I know that Ultimate Zither, but no one has bought it before now!"
"Yes, it"s only crafted from ordinary wood and strings, yet its price is set as a hundred middle-grade spirit stones. I would never buy it!"
"Although it"s been tuned by a grandmaster, I heard that it has been hanging there for a decade already, no one cares about it. It"s too expensive!"...
Many cultivators outside the building pointed it out.
"Hey, a hundred middle-grade spirit stones? Ha, it"s really cheap. If that"s the case, I will take it!" Gu Hai said, smiling.
So speaking, he took out a hundred middle-grade spirit stones once more, and placed them near the mountain of spirit stones.
Young Master An and the others looked at Gu Hai in a puzzled manner as he very carefully received the Ultimate Zither and handed it to a Great Han official.
"If so, then, we will take our leave now, we can"t stay at Young Master An"s site and trouble Young Master An! Otherwise, we will become thieves once more!" Gu Hai glanced at Young Master An and chuckled.
"Don"t you feel bad for wasting seven hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones, even a bit?" Young Master An was still unable to understand him.
"Even if I have lost a lot of money, it will come back to me. What"s there to worry about? I will earn it back very soon!" Gu Hai smiled coldly.
Turning around, he looked to Long Wanqing, and Long Wanqing nodded to him.
With a wave of her hand, the Ascendant Hall disciples slowly retreated from the World"s First Zither House.
With everyone having retired, the solitary Young Master An was left sitting on the terrace. Young Master An clenched his fist in anger, crus.h.i.+ng the teacup in his hand into pieces.
He might have earned seven hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones, but Young Master An"s heart was extremely disturbed. Although he had made the Ascendant Hall bleed, he felt extremely depressed.
In contrast, a happy look showed up on the face of Jiang Tianyi, looking at the huge mountain of spirit stones below. "Young Master An, you really hit it big! It might have taken us one or two years to make so many spirit stones!"
As Gu Hai and his team stepped out of the World"s First Zither House, the cultivators outside gave way to them, staring curiously at the Gu Hai in the center.
The Ascendant Hall disciples were also inexplicably shocked by Gu Hai. This Water Throne Master was really cool! Seven hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones, and he didn"t even bat an eye!
"Your Royal Majesty, your ministers have committed a capital offense, we ask Your Royal Majesty to punish us!" the team of Great Han officials suddenly knelt down to Gu Hai, asking for punishment.
Gu Hai, standing at the World"s First Zither House entrance, stared coldly at the signboard of the World"s First Zither House. His eyes gleamed with a cold light.
"Stand up, you did not do anything wrong!" Gu Hai stated calmly.
"But...but we caused Your Royal Majesty to lose seven hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones!" The officials were still feeling ashamed.
"We will earn those seven hundred thousand spirit stones back very soon. Store!? You don"t need to research anymore, we will open a zither house!" stated Gu Hai, a cold light flas.h.i.+ng past his eyes.
"A zither house?" the nearby Long Wanqing cried out, astounded.
"Hall Lord, those seven hundred thousand spirit stones were all Li Haoran"s property. I have spent everything. Now, I have less than fifty thousand spirit stones on me. I would like to buy that store across there and open a zither house! If my funds are insufficient...!" Gu Hai looked to Long Wanqing.
"That store is very cheap, forty thousand high-grade spirit stones would be enough! But do you really want to open a zither house?" Looking at Gu Hai, a sliver of a surprise showed up on her face.
"Forty thousand is enough? That"s good! It seems I have not run out of money. I will buy this store, I am going to open a Zither House!" Gu Hai proclaimed with a chilling voice.
"Gu Hai, are you crazy? You want to sell zithers!? On this street, none of the zither houses can compete with the World"s First Zither House. The World"s First Zither House is ranked first in Silvermoon City, and you want to open a zither house right across from it? You will lose everything!" Mu Chenfeng cried out, his eyes bulging out.
"I, Gu Hai, have never lost money in business!" Gu Hai proclaimed firmly, shaking his head.
"Very well, but what will your zither house be called?" Long Wanqing, on the other hand, truly believed in Gu Hai. Her face showed delight and curiosity.
Turning his head, Gu Hai looked at the World"s First Zither House, and a cold smile emerged on his lips as he replied, "It will be called This Street"s First Zither House!"
This Street"s First Zither House! Long Wanqing"s eyes lit up. This was clearly picking a fight with the World"s First Zither House!
World"s First Zither House, that was really b.a.l.l.sy and audacious! This Street"s First Zither House wasn"t too boastful, but it happened to be pressing down on the other side"s head!
"Gu Hai, are you really planning on selling zithers? You are heading to your doom!" Mu Chenfeng stared at Gu Hai with wide eyes, a look of disbelief on his face.