Kong Xiangdong remained silent, simply listening quietly.
It was only after Jing Rou finished speaking that he slightly smiled.
"So, what you mean is...?"
"This batch of goods, if the price is right, I might consider buying it all. But if not, then there’s nothing I can do," Jing Rou said candidly.
In negotiations, the best strategy is to put oneself in an invincible position.
Just like now, Jing Rou had already seized the initiative in the negotiation.
He didn’t offer a price but tossed the ball of setting an appropriate price back to Kong Xiangdong.
Such a move allowed him to advance or retreat freely, truly a cunning strategy.
Zhao Ya couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised.
He had always thought that Jing Rou could sometimes be quite naïve when doing things.
In fact, not only him but even Liang Xin’an and others from the Mechanical Sect gave Zhao Ya this impression.
This fits the image of the iron-blooded scientist of the Mechanical Sect!
Yet, unexpectedly, during the bargaining, Jing Rou displayed a very shrewd side.
After hearing this, Kong Xiangdong stopped speaking and slowly drank his cup of tea, while the drunkenness gradually faded from his face.
Jing Rou pretended to be calm while waiting, but in reality, his inner anxiety was growing.
He truly wanted to acquire this batch of Miracle Creations.
And what attracted him the most was that broken box.
Although it was unclear what its specific use was, the precision and complexity it exhibited deeply impressed Jing Rou.
This was far more valuable than a flintlock musket.
But to lower the price, he deliberately hid his true intentions and depreciated the box significantly.
However, Kong Xiangdong’s prolonged silence left Jing Rou feeling a bit unconfident.
Finally, just as he was about to lose his composure, Kong Xiangdong spoke.
"If someone else talked to me like this, I would have kicked them out long ago."
"But you are different, so I can give you a chance."
At this, Kong Xiangdong pointed to the Miracle Creations before them.
"These things, I can give them all to you for free."
Upon hearing this, Jing Rou was stunned.
Not out of surprise.
On the contrary, Jing Rou felt incredibly uneasy.
Because when something looks too good to be true, it probably is, especially such a huge benefit; it’s too good to be true.
So Kong Xiangdong must have ulterior motives.
Sure enough.
Kong Xiangdong continued, "But it comes with a condition, and it requires the cooperation of Young Brother Zhao here!"
As he spoke, Kong Xiangdong’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Zhao Ya, a subtle expectation in his gaze.
Zhao Ya’s face remained calm, completely ignoring Jing Rou’s frantic eye signals, and he smiled gently, "Oh? It involves me, then let’s hear it!"
"Actually, this matter is as difficult as it sounds, yet quite simple. It’s difficult because for ordinary people to do this, they face very great risks, though not necessarily life-threatening."
"It’s simple because if you, sir, were to participate, success would be guaranteed."
At this point, a red glow gradually rose in Kong Xiangdong’s eyes, his face showing a mad hatred, as if recalling some unpleasant memories.
"The reason I got poisoned, with the toxin entering my brain, leaving me in this half-crazy state, is all thanks to a powerful Exotic Beast haunting the Wuyang Beach."
"Over the years, I’ve been driven by the thought of eliminating this beast to quell my anger, but the beast is too strong. With my strength alone, I can’t eliminate it, and it naturally excels in the Poison Dao and is very cunning."
"To rely on manpower or even an assault by ordinary Martial Artists is useless; only those as knowledgeable in the Poison Dao as I am can make a difference."
"Yet, although Beyond the World is vast, few delve into the Poison Dao, and those who venture to Wuyang Beach are even rarer, so this matter has been on hold. But upon meeting you today, I knew my chance for revenge had arrived."
Kong Xiangdong’s demeanor grew increasingly manic, nearly gesticulating as he spoke.
"If you and I join forces, we can definitely eliminate this beast and satisfy my lingering resentment."
After hearing Kong Xiangdong’s words, Jing Rou regretted his earlier bargaining immensely.
If he had known, he might as well have offered a high price to buy all the goods.
But it was too late to regret it now.
Because Kong Xiangdong’s state was clearly abnormal.
If he were to change his offer now, it would certainly anger him.
If that happened, not only would all the previous effort be in vain, but it might even invite greater danger.
Just as Jing Rou was full of inner conflict, Zhao Ya remained unaffected by Kong Xiangdong and shook his head decisively.
"No, I’m not willing."
"Why?" Kong Xiangdong was taken aback, then looked at Zhao Ya with a crazed expression, his state becoming increasingly dangerous.
In this state, Zhao Ya just smiled.
"Because your offer isn’t enough."
"The fact that it poisoned you and left you helpless shows that this Exotic Beast is very powerful. Wanting me to help you deal with such a formidable opponent, just these things won’t suffice."
"That’s easy; I can add one hundred thousand taels of gold, how about it?"
Hearing that Zhao Ya thought the price was too low, Kong Xiangdong immediately offered an additional one hundred thousand taels of gold.
But Zhao Ya shook his head again, "At our realm, money is external, something you’re surely aware of."
"Then what do you want?"
"What I want is quite simple, actually. I’m curious about how the drug you administered at the Yang Zhan tavern works," Zhao Ya said calmly.
Upon hearing this, Kong Xiangdong’s mind immediately sobered up quite a bit.
He stared at Zhao Ya for a long time before finally letting out a long breath.
"Alright, I can tell you this secret."
"Deal!" Zhao Ya immediately agreed.
"But with one condition, you must help me eliminate that Exotic Beast."
"I can’t guarantee that, but I can promise to do my best without holding back."
"Good, though the creature is formidable, if we join forces, it’s not hard to kill it."
With the negotiation settled, the atmosphere immediately became lively again.
By now, it was already dark outside.
Yang Zhan had returned to his tavern to attend to business.
After agreeing on the departure time for the next day, Kong Xiangdong wanted to host a banquet, but Zhao Ya declined.
After leaving the brothel and returning to the inn, Jing Rou said worriedly, "Ya, maybe we should just forgo these things."
"Why not take them?"
"The Exotic Beast is so strong that even Kong Xiangdong, who’ve battled it for years, can’t do anything about it and became poisoned. It’s clearly not easy to deal with. If you go, what if you encounter danger?"
Hearing this, Zhao Ya smiled, "Rest assured, Senior Brother Jing, I know my limits. At worst, I’ll just run away when the time comes. I won’t risk my life for Kong Xiangdong."
Hearing Zhao Ya say this, Jing Rou felt much relieved.
On this journey, Jing Rou had witnessed Zhao Ya’s Lightweight Skill, so he knew that if Zhao Ya wanted to leave, hardly anyone could stop him.
What Jing Rou didn’t know was that even without Kong Xiangdong mentioning it, Zhao Ya intended to investigate the Wuyang Beach.
After all, his purpose was to uncover the mysteries hidden within the Wuyang Sea.
Therefore, Kong Xiangdong’s proposal was exactly what Zhao Ya wanted.
The night passed uneventfully.
The next morning, at dawn, Kong Xiangdong arrived at the inn, met with Zhao Ya, and they left the small town heading for Wuyang Beach.
The town, although said to be built by the sea, was twenty li away from Wuyang Beach.
It wasn’t built so far on purpose; it was because the coast of Wuyang Sea was too perilous.
Not to mention other dangers, even the Exotic Beasts that frequently gather by the beach to feed on dried fish were troublesome enough for ordinary people.
Therefore, for safety’s sake, the town was built away from the seashore.
However, for Zhao Ya and Kong Xiangdong, the twenty li journey took only a blink of an eye.
"There, that’s the Wuyang Sea!" Kong Xiangdong pointed while standing atop a snow hill.
Following his direction, Zhao Ya saw a scene he would never forget.
A massive white screen seemed to hang between heaven and earth, blocking all sight.
Only the sound of crashing waves and the occasional black tide surging onto the shore testified to the sea’s presence nearby.