Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 108 - 93 Consulting the Saint without Disdain for Asking Lower-ranked Persons_2

Chapter 108: Chapter 93 Consulting the Saint without Disdain for Asking Lower-ranked Persons_2

"The lands of the Human Race are vast and boundless, occupying half of heaven and earth, and they also serve as the speakers for the next millennia."

"Some wish to seize the body of the prodigies and start anew, while naturally others wish to provide help during the bitter winter to reap good karma."

"Please just call me Gu Wen, predecessor. Thank you very much for your help before. This is a small token of my appreciation,"

Gu Wen immediately replied, his humility unlike his usual arrogance; he then placed three large gold bricks on the counter, each stamped with the official seal of the Daqian dynasty.

The gold was heavy, these three bricks of gold totaling one thousand taels. For Jiu Zhenjun, it wasn’t a huge advantage, but it could at least be used to purchase some low-quality Spiritual Objects.

If other juniors came to please him, Jiu Zhenjun wouldn’t be surprised, but Gu Wen was different; he was the Guardian of that Heavenly Girl, a madman who dared to kill a Seventh Level True Monarch with Fourth Level Dao Foundation. Even though the actual difference between them was only one level.

Such spirited young individuals were rare to see in a thousand years.

Now, the polished demeanor made Jiu Zhenjun blink in surprise, but nobody knew that Gu Wen had once worked in this line.

Small traders profit, big traders build relationships; the real money-making business was in selling favors, making connections, and building networks.

"I’ve heard that the predecessor is Jiu Zhenjun, known as the number one wine master in the world. I, the junior, cherish wine as if it were my life; may I ask if the predecessor could sell some to me?"

Jiu Zhenjun snapped back to reality, somewhat bemused, but he didn’t refuse, saying, "I do have many wines, each with different effects and prices. What kind are you looking for?"

"Something that can accelerate the cultivation of Dao foundation."

This was a trait Gu Wen had figured out; anything that could speed up Dao foundation cultivation contained Heavenly Marrow.

Jiu Zhenjun took out a jug of wine, the most common type, from under the counter and poured a bowl for Gu Wen, saying, "This is the Meridian Wine you just drank, it is top-grade, I usually don’t sell it randomly."

Gu Wen took a sip. The amount of Heavenly Marrow had increased compared to before, and the medicinal power was even thicker and lingered longer. He asked, "How much?"

"Gold and silver can only buy low-quality; top-grade needs Spiritual Objects."

Gu Wen took out a Spiritual Treasure and a broken sword he had placed on the table—these belonged to the two True Monarchs he had killed.

Jiu Zhenjun examined them briefly and quoted a price for twenty jugs of Meridian Wine. Gu Wen estimated that five hundred taels of low-quality wine contained a year of Heavenly Marrow, top-grade only a bit more, almost at a slight loss.

But Meridian Wine could also accelerate the condensation of the Dao foundation, gaining both Heavenly Marrow and Dao Foundation Perfection.

The value of goods is market-based, but Gu Wen only calculated based on his personal needs, just as he had once sold a family heirloom.

However, when he asked how much low-quality wine there was and expressed his intention to buy it all, Jiu Zhenjun rejected him.

Because this was an inn’s means to attract guests, usually selling quite a bit, and there wasn’t much stock left to sell all to Gu Wen.

Gu Wen bowed slightly and said, "The junior cherishes wine as his life, if the predecessor could help, I would remember the favor deeply in my heart."

"..."

Jiu Zhenjun wavered a bit. Though doing this would mean he couldn’t operate for a while, forming a connection with Gu Wen seemed worthwhile.

And what wine brewer wouldn’t like someone who adores wine? Gu Wen, a prodigy who was willing to lower his stance and beg, showed how deep his love for wine was.

"Ah, well then, I’ll sell you all at five hundred taels each per jug, and I also have a jug of Heavenly Spirit Wine that I’ll give you as a gift."

"Thank you, predecessor!"

Twenty jugs of Meridian Wine at a top-grade price were worth two Spiritual Treasures, forty jugs at low-quality worth thirteen hundred taels of gold, and a jug of Heavenly Spirit Wine was a gift for a friend.

Previously, he had thrown a thousand taels of gold and all his silver in the marketplace. Now, Gu Wen still had eight thousand taels of gold on him, as he had anticipated that not too much gold could be turned into Heavenly Marrow at once.

A sip of Heavenly Spirit Wine and he estimated that altogether there should be ten years of Heavenly Marrow.

That made a total of seventy years of Heavenly Marrow, still missing ten years of Heavenly Marrow!

He couldn’t possibly wait for the next month’s Divine Tree friend fee, and the time required for conversion was also an issue, unsure if he could catch up to the real opening of Heavenly Spring Mountain.

Gu Wen returned to his spot, picked up a jug of Spiritual Wine, and began chugging it down forcefully.

Hee Huan, somewhat amazed, said, "Brother Hongchen, you really know how to bend and stretch."

If it were him as the Guardian of the Taoist Heavenly Girl, someone who could defeat a True Monarch across levels, Hee Huan would never humbly go begging to a miscellaneous Jiu Zhenjun. The opponent was at most at the Body Integration Realm; all these Major Sect successors could generally reach Mahayana, turning Gu Wen into one of the Three Pure Venerable wouldn’t be a problem.

"What is face worth?" Gu Wen replied disdainfully, "Besides, I am naturally a junior, calling someone predecessor is not too much."

If he was completely superior to Jiu Zhenjun, naturally, he wouldn’t need to address him as a predecessor, but in fact, the other was more skilled. In cultivation, those who have reached excellence should be followed; it is not shameful for later comers to humbly seek guidance.

Previously robbing was profitable, and Gu Wen felt he was stronger than those low-level cultivators, not because ’I am proud, what can you do to me.’

Hee Huan joked, "Then why not seek out Jade Sword Buddha? She is a generation’s Sword Buddha, it’d be beautiful if she could guide you in the dharma form with her insights."

As soon as the words fell, at that moment, a Buddha in a platinum Kasaya glided down, turning the somewhat noisy inn quiet instantly.

Just as they were discussing her, Hee Huan immediately shut his mouth, lowering his head without sneaking another glance.

She paid no attention to the many prodigies of the sects in the inn and left directly. Amid the vast sea of people, she seemed like a White Lotus.

"Predecessor, please wait."

A voice came, and the people in the inn instantly gathered around the speaker, stunned to see Gu Wen’s face.

Could this maverick also spit out the word predecessor to a peer?

The Jade Sword Buddha stopped, turning her head with a face resembling Guanyin, showing a look of surprise, and said with a smile, "This humble monk is barely a hundred years old and your peer; how can I be called a predecessor?"

In the Cultivation World, three hundred years make a generation, strictly speaking, a hundred years.

"The excellent in cultivation should lead, you far surpass me in cultivation,"

Gu Wen caught up, feeling a chill on his back suddenly, unsure if it was an illusion that the chill vanished in a flash.

"Those deemed Saints, are Saints due to their eagerness to learn and inquire, I would like to ask the predecessor about the True Sword Skill."

As these words came out, everyone was taken aback.

A willingness to learn is a virtue in cultivation, but asking peers for advice is not, as doing so is an admission of inferiority, which the spirited prodigies find hard to accept.

Yet with Gu Wen’s words, "Those deemed Saints, are Saints due to their eagerness to learn and inquire," not only did he not lower his status, but he subtly elevated it a few levels.

The Jade Sword Buddha seriously sized up Gu Wen’s face for the first time. His features were proper, his skin slightly rough and yellow, quite ordinary among Cultivators.

At that moment, she esteemed Gu Wen a bit more and warmly said,

"Benefactor, please follow this humble monk; this place isn’t suitable for discussing the Sword Dao."

As she spoke, the nun felt her smooth-shaven head tingling slightly, feeling as if her hair was going to grow.