"This Song Fuli seems a bit off... Is it just my imagination?" Ning Zhuo's expression remained unchanged, but he pondered silently in his heart. Song Fuli glanced at his actions from the corner of his eye, unnoticed by Ning Zhuo, yet Ning Zhuo's heart rippled slightly, sensing a subtle ancient aura from Song Fuli. Song Fuli then addressed the two, "Our Cloud Merchant travels the world, and wherever we go, besides selling specialties from the Flying Cloud Kingdom, we also purchase a large number of local specialties. Regarding this, I wish to collaborate with you two." As he spoke, Song Fuli first looked at Ning Zhuo, "Young Master Ning Zhuo, your personally researched and crafted Mechanical Fire Monkey has piqued our interest. These mechanical monkeys are inexpensive, agile, and precise, capable of performing dangerous tasks like harvesting Fire Persimmons. So, placing them in other perilous environments to pick rare flowers and herbs inaccessible to ordinary people is also feasible. I wonder if we have the opportunity to purchase some Mechanical Fire Monkeys from you?" Upon hearing this, Ning Zhuo immediately showed a hint of joy. Without hesitation, he nodded and agreed, "For me, this is certainly a good thing! I'm very pleased to make this deal with Senior Song." Instantly, with just a few words, they finalized the scale and price of the transaction. After concluding this business, Song Fuli turned to Zhu Xuanji, "Lord Zhu, I am interested in acquiring the Night Rain Demon Weapon." He was naturally referring to the one in Zheng Danlian's possession. "I understand that you have very close ties with the Zhou, Zheng, and Ning families. So, I kindly ask you to introduce me, as I wish to personally discuss with Zheng Danlian, the Golden Core cultivator of the Zheng family." Zhu Xuanji thought for a moment and nodded slightly, "Alright." Song Fuli smiled, "Here is a small token of my appreciation, consider it a fee for the introduction." As he spoke, Song Fuli took out a storage pouch and handed it to Zhu Xuanji. However, Zhu Xuanji did not accept it, shaking his head slightly, "This introduction fee, if your business with the Zheng family succeeds, I will accept it. If not, then let's forget about it." After a while, Song Fuli and Zhu Xuanji left together, leaving Ning Zhuo to continue shopping in the Cloud Market. Zheng Family. Cultivation Chamber. Zheng Danlian was gently wiping the mechanical scythe in his hand with a handkerchief. In the dim chamber, the scythe resembled a piece of black iron, completely immersed in darkness, as still as a rock. It was impossible to associate it with the fierce might it displayed in the previous Golden Core battle. Suddenly, the door of the chamber was knocked upon. Zheng Shuangjun's voice immediately followed, "Cousin, Zhu Xuanji is here with Song Fuli, the leader of the Cloud Merchant, to visit you." Zheng Danlian glanced towards the door, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins, a trace of irritation and resentment rising in his heart. "Wait a moment, I'll be right out." Zheng Danlian's voice was somewhat hoarse, suppressing his slight displeasure. He stood up, carefully put away the mechanical scythe, and pushed the door open. Soon after, he arrived at the reception hall. There, he met Song Fuli and Zhu Xuanji. Song Fuli straightforwardly stated his purpose for this visit, which was to acquire the mechanical scythe in Zheng Danlian's possession. Zheng Danlian's brows immediately furrowed, a hint of anger appearing on his face, "What? You actually want to purchase my Night Rain Demon Weapon!" Zheng Danlian glared at Song Fuli, then turned his gaze to Zhu Xuanji beside him. He was quite displeased and directly said, "Lord Zhu, you personally brought Brother Song here to purchase my mechanical scythe, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to make me quickly dispose of this trouble to deal with the upcoming difficulties from the Great Purity Palace?" "You must know, the reason why my Zheng family is in such a predicament now is entirely because we followed your orders and acted according to your plan." Zhu Xuanji showed a hint of guilt, quickly saying a few words to comfort him. Song Fuli also chimed in with a few words. However, he was directly interrupted by Zheng Danlian, "Not for sale! This is my mechanical scythe, no matter how high a price you offer, I won't sell it!" Zheng Danlian refused outright, his mood growing more irritable, and his tone quite harsh. Song Fuli didn't mind, maintaining a gentle smile and a soft attitude, "Then Brother Zheng, won't you at least listen to our offer?" He then stated a high price. This price indeed demonstrated his sincerity in this acquisition! Even Zheng Shuangjun beside him couldn't help but be secretly tempted. But Zheng Danlian's attitude was very firm, shaking his head repeatedly, "I said it's not for sale, and it's not for sale!" Song Fuli then said, "Then I'll propose another way to acquire it." "If your side is willing to sell this Night Rain Demon Weapon, then we will mediate the conflict between the Zheng family and the Great Purity Palace, perhaps resolving the predicament your family is currently facing." Upon hearing this, Zheng Shuangjun immediately showed an interested expression, "Daoist Song, please elaborate." Song Fuli continued, "You must know, I am merely acting as an agent for the acquisition. The ones truly interested in purchasing the Night Rain Demon Weapon are those powerful cultivators. These individuals are all at the Transformation Stage or Void Refining Stage." "If I report the detailed situation here, it might prompt them to mediate." "In fact, many things that weigh heavily on us might be just a matter of words for these beings." The hall fell into a deep silence. Zheng Danlian sneered coldly, "If it weren't for the Golden Core true disciple of the Great Purity Palace disguising himself as a demonic cultivator, I wouldn't have struck him down so ruthlessly. If I were to handle it this way, it would mean giving up the weapon my family painstakingly prepared for years, finally refining it successfully!" "And then to compromise with the Great Purity Palace through some powerful cultivator. What would all our previous efforts mean then?" "Should my Zheng family bear full responsibility for the death of the Great Purity Palace's Golden Core true disciple?" "Isn't the fault his own?" "Now, it turns out that we, righteous cultivators who slay demons and eliminate evil, have to pay a heavy price. Is this the principle of righteousness?" A series of questions made the silence in the hall even heavier. Seeing that no one responded for a long time, Zheng Danlian stood up, waved his sleeve, and sneered, "If we don't see eye to eye, there's no need to say more. Please see yourselves out!" With that, he left the hall. He returned alone to the cultivation chamber, continuing to take out the mechanical scythe and carefully wipe it. Zheng Shuangjun showed a trace of embarrassment, escorting Zhu Xuanji and Song Fuli to the door. He cupped his hands in apology, making excuses for Zheng Danlian, "After this incident, my cousin has been indignant. To be honest, I can particularly understand him." "Because ever since he obtained the incomplete Night Rain Demon Weapon and the mechanical blueprint eight years ago, he has been determined to craft this weapon." "He worked tirelessly for eight years, with painstaking effort, dedicating a lot of time and energy, and only recently, when the time was right, did he finally take the last step and successfully refine it. This is more than just a mechanical weapon! More accurately, it's the result of his eight years of hard work." "Now, to suddenly acquire his hard work, and for such a reason, it's indeed difficult for him to accept at once." Song Fuli quickly expressed his understanding, also stating that his request for this transaction still stands. If Zheng Danlian changes his mind in the future, he can contact him immediately. Song Fuli left first. Leaving Zhu Xuanji to communicate alone with Zheng Shuangjun. Zhu Xuanji sighed deeply and spoke frankly, "I have already sent a letter to the royal family." "To be honest, regarding the current situation, I can't make the decision myself. It's not that I want to protect you, and I can protect you." "I believe that both Brother Zheng and your cousin are well aware of the situation." "Suppose, I mean suppose, the response from the royal family is unfavorable." "I think the line with Song Fuli from the Cloud Merchant is also a route worth striving for the Zheng family." "That's precisely why I made the introduction." Zheng Shuangjun nodded repeatedly, cupping his hands to Zhu Xuanji, "Lord Zhu, your sincerity is understood, thank you, thank you." Zhu Xuanji showed a trace of shame, nodded slightly to him, and turned to leave. In the cultivation chamber. Zheng Danlian had been wiping the mechanical demon weapon for a long time. He reached out, gently caressing the Night Rain Demon Weapon, his face showing deep affection and obsession. His eyes were filled with bloodshot veins. The bloodshot veins grew denser, eventually transforming into a trace of red light, swirling in his eyes. "Right." Just as Zhu Xuanji was about to leave, he stopped and turned back. "If Brother Zheng Danlian is unwilling to give up this weapon, and the royal family is unwilling to intervene..." "Perhaps, I can still help you." "I want to ask, how did you obtain the information about this demon weapon?" Zheng Shuangjun thought for a moment and informed Zhu Xuanji, "About eight years ago, my cousin, while in the Immortal Palace, killed a Foundation Establishment cultivator." "At that time, this Foundation Establishment cultivator, wielding a mechanical scythe, went berserk, indiscriminately attacking innocent cultivators." "My cousin couldn't stand by, upheld justice, and killed him on the spot, thus obtaining the damaged mechanical demon weapon and a complete mechanical blueprint." Zhu Xuanji nodded, asking to borrow this mechanical blueprint, if possible. Zheng Shuangjun nodded, "This blueprint was made public long ago when we were refining the Mechanical Black Snake. We have made multiple copies, so if Lord Zhu wishes to borrow it now, it's possible." Immediately, Zheng Shuangjun ordered someone to fetch the blueprint from the family treasury. Zhu Xuanji then asked, "Besides this mechanical blueprint, is there anything else?" "I have mastered the Tracing Origin Technique, and the more related items, the better. Perhaps I can follow the clues and uncover something."
Zheng Shuangjun shook his head, "It's been eight years, even if something was left behind, it wouldn't still be here now."