Chapter 168
Chapter 168: Please Wait
It was the first time Du Xian had heard of such a transaction, and she agreed. Of course, the price was steep, but the money paid was for the advertisement of the Star Dome Vision and for Du Xian’s own reputation. It was essentially paying Star Dome Vision to promote this small shop.
The price: one hundred million star stones.
This nearly shocked Wang Jie to death. He had never had so much money before. Even the Shen Wang ship only cost him fifty million star stones. He suspected Du Xian had priced this based on his savings. But there was no way out. This was a business without a clear price tag, and whatever the other party said was what it was. All he could do was grit his teeth and accept it.
Fourteen thousand starsea stones were immediately reduced by ten thousand.
The effect was remarkable; the shop immediately became the focus of the Four Path star cluster. Now, those who wanted to wrong him would find it much harder to do. So many eyes were on him.
Du Xian focused on the shop’s products. The first item was a star force pill, but it wasn’t the kind she had seen before. The previous version was only a few star stones per pill and no longer worth noticing. This one, however, was for replenishing star force in the star-breaking realm.
Since Wang Jie had reached the star-breaking realm, the star force pills he made had naturally risen in grade. This new star force pill cost five hundred star stage stones per pill, while the cost of making it was only two hundred star stage stones.
It meant that a regular star-breaking realm cultivator would need two hundred star stones to replenish their star force, but now they only needed one pill. This star force pill was quite popular.
However, it wouldn’t sell in the Lock Path interval.
But this was Zhi Academy, where almost everyone was a star force cultivator. Any star-breaking realm cultivator would likely keep some on hand, just in case.
The star force pills were still quite normal.
The second item, however, was unusual—the gravity star force pill. The effect was the same, replenishing star force for star-breaking realm cultivators, but it was specially made for gravity star force cultivators. The price: five hundred star stage sea stones.
Like the other, it was double the profit margin.
With gravity star stones, which were comparable in price to starsea stones, the selling price of five hundred star stage sea stones seemed reasonable.
Du Xian was surprised that Wang Jie could actually make pills, and these kinds of pills too.
“How many people do you think will buy these gravity star force pills and blazing sun star force pills?”
Wang Jie shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s a product, after all. There will always be someone who needs it.”
Du Xian chuckled. “Even if there are gravity star force cultivators who want to buy them, they’d only buy one at most. After all, the cost is too high. One pill is enough to keep as a backup. Yet you’ve made over a hundred. Who knows how long it’ll take to sell them?”
With that, she turned her attention to the other side of the shop.
The shop was small, but divided into two sections. One side sold pills, while the other sold divinations.
“What’s this?”
Wang Jie replied, “I have some research into fate.”
Du Xian gave him a strange look before walking off.
Wang Jie watched her leave. One hundred million star stones were gone—an astronomical advertising fee. But the effect was undeniable.
There were always eyes watching.
In the distance, Ji Zheng had arrived, accompanied by a cold-faced man.
“How is it?”
“It’s not easy to make a move. His shop is being watched by too many people. We can’t do anything while he’s in there.”
“Looks like we’ll have to wait until he comes out.”
“Then how long can this small shop stay open? We wait.”
People continued to enter the shop, browsing and then leaving. They were curious about the products, but even more curious about the divinations. Some even wanted to have their fortune read, but Wang Jie turned them away.
“Sorry, customer. I only read one fortune a day, and only for those with fate.”
“How much? I’ll pay double.”
“Sorry.”
“Ten times.”
“Sorry.”
“What are you pretending for? I can see you can’t even do it.”
Wang Jie smiled and sat inside the shop, letting others gossip as he remained calm, because, indeed, he couldn’t do it.
After several days, only some of the regular star force pills were sold, while the other two kinds didn’t attract any interest.
This was expected by Wang Jie. If they didn’t sell, he could always toss them into the fields to be dissolved.
It was a pity though. The gravity and blazing sun pills couldn’t enhance the current pills he had. If they could, they would surely sell out quickly.
One day, Yi Hao passed by, looking troubled. He was out for a walk.
For some reason, he had been feeling restless lately, inexplicably compelled to do certain things that had nothing to do with him. He couldn’t understand why he felt the need to do them, and yet, he couldn’t ignore it. If he didn’t do them, he couldn’t focus on alchemy.
It felt strange.
He had to erect a monument for someone and bring a gift. But who was he erecting the monument for? And why bring a gift?
What was going on?
His mind was in a haze, and he almost bumped into someone while walking down the street.
“Customer, please wait.”
The voice came from a nearby shop.
Yi Hao didn’t pay any attention and continued walking.
“Customer, please wait.”
Yi Hao still didn’t respond.
“The shop has just opened, aren’t you going to bring a gift?”
These words made Yi Hao’s mind snap to attention. He suddenly turned to look at the shop. A gift?
Wang Jie sat inside the shop, smiling at Yi Hao, his gaze deep and mysterious.
Outside, many people were surprised, and the surrounding shopkeepers came out to look.
“Isn’t that Yi Hao, the alchemy master?”
“Yes, it’s him. What’s up with this shop? Not only did they get Du Xian to come, but now they want an alchemy master to bring a gift?”
“Yi Hao obviously doesn’t know him. Why would he bring a gift?”
The people around them murmured.
Ji Zheng was also watching. They had been waiting for Wang Jie to come out, but he remained inside his shop, never leaving.
Yi Hao stared at Wang Jie. “What did you say?”
Wang Jie smiled, “Customer, would you like to bring a gift?”
Yi Hao narrowed his eyes and slowly walked over, entering the shop.
The onlookers were even more astonished, all eyes on them. Some even opened their personal terminals to record the scene.
They had seen shops trying to attract customers, but they had never seen one do it like this. Clearly, this man didn’t even know Yi Hao, so why ask for a gift?
“Do we know each other?” Yi Hao asked.
Wang Jie shook his head. “We don’t.”
“Then why should I bring a gift?”
Wang Jie smiled lightly. “Could it be that customer doesn’t want to bring a gift?”
Yi Hao stared at Wang Jie, thinking, of course, he wanted to, but he kept resisting. His mind was tight, constantly reminding him to bring the gift, but why?
“What do you know?” Yi Hao asked.
Wang Jie closed his eyes.
Yi Hao took out a bottle of pills. “Here’s your gift.”
Wang Jie smiled. “Thank you.”
Yi Hao lowered his voice. “How did you know? Is what’s happening to me related to you?”
Wang Jie opened his eyes, raised his hand, and pointed at the couplet on the wall.
Yi Hao looked over. The couplet read, “The marvelous divination sets fate in motion?”
“Customer, your humble self only reads one fortune a day, and only for those with fate. I saw you walking hurriedly and yet still called out to you, for you are my destined one.”
Yi Hao stared deeply at Wang Jie and nodded. “Fine, then you can read my fortune.”
Wang Jie smiled. “It will cost one hundred star stage sea stones.”
Yi Hao frowned. “That expensive?” But he didn’t refuse. He took out starsea stones and handed them over. “If you can’t do it right, I’ll smash your shop. Believe me, I have the ability.”
Wang Jie took the starsea stone and fixed his burning gaze on Yi Hao. “Marvelous methods are beyond fate, but when fate ends, so too does the cause and effect. In this world, everything is connected—past, present, future, life, death. The cause for your actions in this life stems from what you did in the last.”
He raised one finger. “That cause is called Lian’er. You wronged her in your past life.”
Yi Hao squinted. What nonsense?
Wang Jie slapped his hand down, and the sound echoed loudly, startling Yi Hao.
“Go erect a monument, and do it for Lian’er.”
Yi Hao’s eyes narrowed. Erect a monument for someone?
He stared at Wang Jie, then suddenly stood up and grabbed Wang Jie’s arm, gritting his teeth. “Tell me, is this your doing? Stop with the nonsense, I don’t believe you.”
Wang Jie remained calm. “Whether you believe it or not is up to you. Erect the monument, and the truth will reveal itself.”
Yi Hao fixed his gaze on Wang Jie. This man was clearly not a full star realm cultivator, yet he was a lock force cultivator. He couldn’t possibly influence him.
Furthermore, Yi Hao had been in the shop the whole time and hadn’t offended anyone. He hadn’t heard of anyone using such methods before.
This strange, curse-like method was beyond his understanding.
Could it really be the cause from his past life?
He released Wang Jie’s arm and said coldly, “Fine. I’ll go erect the monument. If what you say is true, I’ll reward you greatly. But if you’re tricking me, I’ll make you regret being born into this world.”
Wang Jie didn’t care. He gestured for Yi Hao to go.
“Once you’ve erected the monument, let me know. I’ll help you resolve your cause and effect.”
Yi Hao left, instructing someone to keep an eye on Wang Jie, then moved between several locations.
Half a day later, he had someone bring Wang Jie to the monument site.
Sure enough, the monument was erected, and it had Lian’er’s name inscribed on it.
Yi Hao stared at Wang Jie. “I’ve erected the monument, but why is it still like this?”
Wang Jie smiled. “Naturally, you must resolve the cause and effect. Now, let’s go take a look at the monument.”
He walked up to it, then suddenly furrowed his brow and fixed his gaze on Yi Hao. “Did you erect this monument?”
Yi Hao raised an eyebrow. Of course, he hadn’t done it himself. He had someone do it to see if this person was really the cause of the issue.
“That’s right. I had someone do it.”
“That’s impossible. If you erected it, then why is the cause and effect still on you?” Wang Jie asked sharply.
Yi Hao’s pupils constricted in alarm.
Wang Jie’s expression turned solemn. “Desecrating the dead is like desecrating the cause and effect. Can you bear the consequences? You are challenging the heavens.”
The word “heavens” rang like thunder. Cultivators were always afraid of this word.
Yi Hao’s face turned pale. “I… I only wanted to test it.”
Wang Jie pointed to the monument. “You must re-erect it. I’ll try to help you resolve the cause and effect, otherwise, under heaven’s punishment, your bones will be gone.”
Yi Hao dared not hesitate. He hurried to re-erect the monument.
Anyone who tried to help was pushed away by him.
“Don’t help. This must be done by me alone.”
Yi Hao re-erected the monument, uneasy.
During the process, Wang Jie had him perform several rituals, like bowing and lighting incense. When the monument was finally up, Yi Hao’s mind cleared, and the feeling of agitation disappeared in an instant.
He stared blankly at Wang Jie, disbelief in his eyes.
It was gone.
That feeling of being forced by an invisible power was gone.
Why did this happen? He had deliberately stayed away from this person, and there were no stronger cultivators around him. No one could influence him. But somehow, he had recovered.
Wang Jie continued muttering something.
The more Yi Hao looked, the more mysterious he felt.
Cultivators couldn’t always measure combat strength by realm, but even if this person was stronger than him, it was impossible for him to do so much without Yi Hao noticing. It was absolutely impossible.
When he eliminated the impossible, even the most unreasonable explanation became plausible.
He had really been caught by the cause and effect from his past life.
This person had truly resolved his cause and effect.
It was incredible.