"Young master, are you here to do big business or small business?" In the spacious cave, several people gathered around a bonfire, and the old man in black robes asked Chen Ke.
Chen Ke took a swig of wine and said modestly, "Senior, I came here with my master this time just to scout things out. What exactly do you mean by big business and small business?"
He could tell that the old man opposite him was definitely not the owner of this place, and that these people were clearly wary of him.
However, Chen Ke didn't care, as long as he could find out the information he wanted.
The old man took the wine jug from Chen Ke, took a big gulp with relish, and pondered for a moment before saying, "In Pearl City, legitimate spirit stone transactions are subject to high taxes, but they offer some protection. Big businesses naturally operate this way."
"Small businesses involve buying spirit stones at slightly higher prices through other channels without paying taxes. However, the downside is obvious: if something goes wrong during the transaction, you're out of luck and it's pointless to lose your life."
Chen Ke suddenly realized, took out another bamboo wine pot from his ring space, took a sip himself, and then handed it to a warrior on his left.
The crowd was deeply moved, not because of the wine jug, but because they realized that Chen Ke had taken the jug out of his spatial ring!
These days, anyone who can wear a spatial ring and is so young is either an elite disciple of a major cultivation sect or a direct descendant of a reclusive family.
The samurai who took the wine jug felt an inexplicable pressure and instinctively nodded to Chen Ke in greeting.
He looked somewhat shy, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of the wine. He opened the bamboo tube and carefully took a sip.
Chen Ke laughed heartily: "My mentor was bored, so he brewed some strong liquor before leaving. If you like it, feel free to drink more, just don't drink too much."
Everyone couldn't help but smile knowingly, taking turns to take the wine jug, drinking and praising it endlessly.
With their guard down, they started talking freely, and everyone answered almost every question Chen Ke asked.
Of course, Chen Ke was also sensible and didn't ask those sensitive questions, but only inquired about some rules and common sense of Mingzhu City.
Before I knew it, an hour had passed.
The three bamboo tubes of strong liquor were completely drunk by the five people.
Chen Ke took out another bamboo tube, took a sip himself, and then closed the lid.
He stood up, bowed to the crowd, and said, "Thank you all for your guidance. Hope to see you again sometime!"
After saying this, he put down the wine pot, turned around, and strode away.
Clean and efficient, without the slightest hesitation, it wasn't until Chen Ke's figure was buried by the heavy snow outside the cave that everyone realized what had happened.
The man in black robes picked up the wine jug from the ground and walked towards the innermost bonfire.
"Elder, the young man has already left. This pot of wine was left by him, and without exception, he took a sip beforehand."
In the flickering firelight, the cloaked old man sneered, "Even if he poisoned the wine, what can he do to me?"
As he spoke, he grabbed the wine jug, uncorked it, and took a big gulp.
Cough, cough,
That's strong liquor!
The old man coughed violently a few times, but still couldn't help but gulp down another large mouthful.
The old man put down the wine pot, and his mind began to wander.
His family has been dealing in spirit stones in Pearl City for over a decade. Every time they come to Pearl City, they prepare fine wine and delicacies to win over the beastmen nobles.
But they never thought of brewing an even stronger spirit to satisfy the orcs' needs.
In a harsh and cold place like Pearl City, the profits from selling such strong liquor would be astonishing.
More importantly, the orc soldiers and nobles stationed here are all heavy drinkers, and the stronger the alcohol, the more attractive it is to them.
If they could brew such a strong liquor to win over the orcs, it would greatly benefit the spirit stone trade.
The old man sighed inwardly. Regardless of the young man's background, this newcomer had already surpassed them.
If that kid were an ordinary person, the old man would have given the order without hesitation to capture him, make him hand over all the liquor, and then kill him to silence him.
Pearl City is an adventurer's paradise, where double-crossing happens all the time, so what does it matter if a few people die?
But that kid had an extraordinary presence, neither humble nor arrogant, and he was wearing a spatial ring. Moreover, he came with his mentor, so he obviously had a powerful background.
The old man couldn't help but be wary. What if his attempt to outmaneuver the other party backfired and he was killed instead?
Oh well, let's just consider it a good deed.
The old man sighed again, took a swig of strong liquor, and then handed it to a younger man who was looking at him expectantly.
Deep in a dense forest not far from the grotto area, Chen Ke stopped and said coldly, "You've been following me all this way, come out now!"
The wind and snow raged, sweeping through the woods with a mournful, ghostly wail.
A dozen or so burly men wrapped in wool felt emerged from the darkness and surrounded Chen Ke.
The leader, a tall man with a full beard, stepped forward and glared at Chen Ke with a sinister smile, saying, "Kid, if you know what's good for you, hand over all the liquor you have on you, and maybe I'll be happy and spare your life."
Double-crossing?
Chen Ke took a step back and shouted, "Don't do anything rash! My master is nearby, and he'll kill you all!"
The burly men looked at Chen Ke, who was all bark and no bite, and burst into laughter, their last bit of worry disappearing.
If he were truly a young master, he wouldn't have made such a gesture.
If he really had a powerful master nearby, he probably would have asked for help instead of threatening them.
The burly leader revealed his ferocious nature and growled, "The longer we wait, the more trouble we'll cause. Let's all attack together and take him down!"
Upon receiving the order, more than a dozen burly men rushed towards Chen Ke.
They certainly knew that Chen Ke had cultivation, but with their thick skin and tough flesh, how much damage could they possibly suffer?
If they can subdue Chen Ke and force him to open his spatial ring, they will not only get strong wine, but perhaps also some extra rewards.
Desperate criminals gamble with their lives, what are they afraid of!
The dozen or so burly men never expected that they would lose so badly.
A flash of blood-red light appeared on the stark white bone sword, and then they saw a ghostly shadow darting back and forth between them.
Fifteen burly men were pierced through the throats by bone swords and lay dead on the spot!
ding!
[Congratulations, you have absorbed soul energy, increasing your maximum soul value by 5 points.]
ding!
[Congratulations, you have absorbed soul energy, increasing your maximum soul value by 5 points.]
...
Chen Ke was astonished. These fifteen burly men were of average strength, yet they contributed 70 points to his maximum soul value.
With a whoosh, Chen Ke appeared like a ghost in front of the leading burly man.
The burly man was almost paralyzed with fear. His whole body was ice-cold, his legs were trembling, and he stared in terror at Chen Ke's cold eyes.
Chen Ke said coldly, "Do you know why I left you behind alone?"
The big man hurriedly nodded and pulled out all the valuables from a tattered spatial belt.
Bloodstained jewelry, scattered gold and silver, and spirit stones of various sizes and attributes.
These spirit stones had not been cut and contained many impurities, which greatly disappointed Chen Ke.
Oh well, even a small mosquito is still meat.
Chen Ke waved his hand, took the things the big man handed over, and then stabbed the big man in the throat with his sword, giving him a quick death.
This incident also served as a reminder to him that he would definitely need money to purchase spirit stones from Pearl City, and he would do so in large quantities.
However, double-crossing is also a good thing; it's highly profitable and there are even extra rewards!