Chapter 3744 — Wooing

And right in the center of the spirit jade card, a number was displayed: four hundred!

Wei Zhao turned his head toward Hong Zhong in surprise. Did this mean the man was simply returning that extra pouch of four hundred spirit jades in the form of a card?

Hong Zhong smiled at just the right moment. "A small token of our shop's regard—please accept it with our compliments. Should you ever find yourself with a great quantity of spirit jades, you need only seek out a large establishment like our Hong Clan Trading Guild and have them credited to your spirit jade card."

He paused, and seeing that Wei Zhao still seemed a little doubtful, went on: "Rest easy, Young Hero Lin. The spirit jade card is protected by a special miniature formation. Once you channel your true qi to activate it, the formation within will register the unique signature of your true qi. No one else can impersonate you, still less alter or damage it. And when you wish to make a transaction, you need only channel your true qi to link it with another spirit jade card, and payment or transfer is done—convenient and secure. Since every use of the card at any of the great trading houses leaves a record with the Merchant Alliance, even accidental loss is no cause for worry; you may simply apply to the Alliance for a replacement."

Put that way, was this not simply a UnionPay card authenticated by one's personal true qi?

If it was truly as Hong Zhong described, then the security of this spirit jade card was remarkably high. Even fingerprint authentication could be beaten by chopping off the owner's finger and presenting it—but with the spirit jade card, unless Wei Zhao himself channeled his true qi to let it recognize him, no one could transfer out so much as a single spirit jade, even if they killed him.

"Then I thank you, Steward Hong," Wei Zhao said with a nod of gratitude.

True, the space within his jade pendant meant he need not trouble himself over such things as storing spirit jades—but if he wished to buy treasures at a place like the Hong Clan Trading Guild, there was still some inconvenience.

To keep the secret of the jade pendant's space from being exposed, he had to do as he had today: first retrieve the spirit jades somewhere deserted, then haul them to the trading guild before he could buy anything.

A few hundred spirit jades, as today, was no great matter—hauling them was hauling them. But what if in days to come he needed thousands, or even tens of thousands? Surely he could not lug them back and forth trip after trip?

So the spirit jade card was exceedingly useful at such times. And since the Merchant Alliance, whose reach spanned all five great islands of the Heaven Tier, stood as guarantor, credit was no concern either. Since they had brought it to him of their own accord, there was naturally no reason to refuse.

"You are too kind, Young Hero Lin. For an important guest such as yourself, preparing a spirit jade card is a matter of mutual benefit—it will make it all the easier for you to favor our business in future. So there is no need for thanks. Oh, and one more thing: if you use the spirit jade card at any of the trading houses under the Merchant Alliance, you enjoy a ten percent discount," Hong Zhong said with a smile, all courtesy.

A ten percent discount? Wei Zhao raised an eyebrow. Then in future, should he use this card to buy some great treasure, he could save no small amount of spirit jades. It seemed the Merchant Alliance had truly laid out considerable capital to court its major clients.

In fact, Wei Zhao was mistaken on this point. Though the spirit jade card was indeed an important measure the Merchant Alliance had introduced to keep its major clients, in essence it was also a symbol of status—and not so easily obtained.

Never mind ordinary folk, who had scarce chance of ever seeing one; even some second-generation cultivators with connections could not obtain such a card if their standing or wealth fell below a certain threshold. Put plainly, across the whole cultivation world, those who could produce a spirit jade card from their sleeve were bound to be either rich or noble.

And that Wei Zhao should obtain this card today was entirely owing to those two top-grade Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pills. Otherwise, for buying a single chunk of Star Ink Stone, even if he had paid a thousand spirit jades he would never have won the true recognition of the Hong Clan Trading Guild—still less would Hong Zhong have simply handed him a spirit jade card, with four hundred spirit jades already loaded into it!

In doing so, Hong Zhong was plainly casting a long line to hook a big fish.

By his eye, sharpened through years of reading men beyond counting, this young fellow who called himself Lin Er—though plain and unremarkable at first glance—was in truth one who kept his depths well hidden.

To say nothing of the way this one, at the peak of early Foundation Establishment, could face down the threat of a seasoned mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator with perfect composure—the mere fact that he could casually produce two top-grade Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pills was proof enough that he was no ordinary man.

Wherever those two pills had come from, rare treasures have always belonged to the strong. That this Lin Er could produce them at a moment's notice meant either that he concealed formidable strength, or that he concealed a formidable background. There was no third possibility.

As for the notion of mere dumb luck—Hong Zhong had been branch steward of the Hong Clan Trading Guild for many years, had seen every manner of man and affair, and had long since recognized one truth: in a cultivation world where cunning folk are everywhere and intrigue lurks at every turn, nothing that looks like chance is truly chance. There is no such thing as dumb luck. A treasure like the top-grade Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pill falls only into the hands of the strong—no exceptions.

And those who believe dumb luck exists in the cultivation world have simply not yet learned how to live. They take others for fools riding on a streak of luck, when in truth it is they themselves who are the fools, blinded by appearances.

Formidable strength or a formidable background—it must be one or the other. So in Hong Zhong's eyes, Wei Zhao was plainly worth cultivating and developing. The gift of the spirit jade card and four hundred spirit jades was no more than a stone cast to sound out the road. Should Wei Zhao prove even more impressive in days to come, greater benefits still would follow.

"I thank you for your generous regard, Steward Hong. Then I shall take my leave," Wei Zhao said, putting away the spirit jade card and the Star Ink Stone and rising to go.

"Take care, Young Hero Lin." Hong Zhong rose to see him off, and just before parting added one more word: "Should you ever have fine goods like the top-grade Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pill to sell in future, Young Hero Lin, I hope you will favor the Hong Clan Trading Guild's business. If the total value mounts up handsomely by then, this old man can upgrade your spirit jade card to a guest-of-honor spirit jade card, entitling you to a twenty percent discount and a good many other advantages."

As a merchant, Hong Zhong was at this moment more curious than anyone as to how Wei Zhao had come by two top-grade Foundation Establishment Barrier-Breaking Pills—but such a matter, as anyone could tell with half a thought, was bound to touch on private affairs. Had he asked outright, he would not have been Hong Zhong.

To do so would not only fail to win Wei Zhao over; it might well put him out, even breed wariness in him—and that would be a loss indeed. Better to let it lie, and use a small kindness to draw closer to the man. When the time was ripe, even unasked, the fellow would tell him of his own accord.