Chapter 78: You Found a Bargain with This Too?
Even if they worked overtime, it would still take three or four days to finish the house's design drawings and renovation plan.
Over in Yanjing, Zheng Dagang was still negotiating with various auction houses, so there wouldn't be any results anytime soon either.
For the next few days, Su Xiaofan had become rather free and devoted all his energy to cultivation.
After opening the Great Heavenly Circuit, the repair system in his mind still showed that the Great Heavenly Circuit could be repaired.
At present, it took Su Xiaofan six hours to complete one cycle of the Great Heavenly Circuit technique, causing his cultivation efficiency to drop considerably.
According to Su Xiaofan's guess, perhaps it was because his Small Heavenly Circuit had been repaired that he had been able to cultivate at such a high speed.
Unfortunately, Su Xiaofan currently didn't have enough Repair Value to repair the Great Heavenly Circuit, so he had no way of testing whether his guess was correct.
Su Xiaofan had become accustomed to completing one cycle of the Small Heavenly Circuit technique every six minutes.
Now, it felt like someone who was used to eating sea cucumber and abalone suddenly being asked to drink millet porridge.
He was extremely unaccustomed to it.
Therefore, finding meteorites to increase his Repair Value had suddenly become an urgent matter.
There was another thing Su Xiaofan was having trouble getting used to—the place where he lived.
As long as Su Xiaofan wasn't careful and failed to seal his six senses, all kinds of noisy sounds would immediately flood into his brain.
During the day, it was still manageable. At most, there were some noises with relatively high decibel levels.
But once night came, Su Xiaofan couldn't stand it.
As long as he didn't block his hearing, he could hear the sounds of the entire building's couples getting intimate.
It wasn't until three or four days later that Su Xiaofan finally adapted to it.
Whenever he entered a state of cultivation, his six senses would automatically close. Even if thunder exploded right beside his ears, it wouldn't disturb him.
As for normal daily life, Su Xiaofan had also figured out some tricks.
He could control the acupoints around his ears and weaken the sounds he heard.
Although his hearing after being weakened was still much sharper than that of an ordinary person, it was no longer enough to interfere with his daily life.
Of course, if he happened to wake up in the middle of the night while cultivating and heard certain sounds, that was definitely accidental.
Su Xiaofan absolutely refused to admit that he had such a hobby!
"No wonder the ancient people were always talking about cultivation deviation. Cultivation really does have its risks."
After wiping the blood from his nose, Su Xiaofan declared that he had simply been suffering from too much internal heat recently.
On the fifth day, the renovation company called and informed him that the plan was ready.
Su Xiaofan, who had barely left the house for the past few days except to search for food, immediately drove to the company.
According to Su Xiaofan's requirements, everything above the first basement level would use ordinary renovation standards.
Since his financial resources were limited, Su Xiaofan didn't dare to decorate the place in the same luxurious traditional Chinese style as Jing Shizhen's villa.
He used environmentally friendly materials instead.
With Zheng Dagang's influence involved, the renovation company's quotation wasn't particularly high.
It was divided into two parts.
The ground-level structure from the first to the third floor, including the elevator and air-conditioning system, was quoted at 2.2 million yuan.
The second basement level, however, was priced as high as 2.8 million yuan.
According to the table Engineer Zhang had prepared, the equipment alone would cost more than a million yuan.
To prevent power outages, Engineer Zhang had designed a generator room in one corner of the courtyard.
A diesel generator would be installed inside.
If the house lost power, the diesel generator would automatically start, ensuring that the second basement level continued to receive electricity.
As for the secret room Su Xiaofan had requested, Engineer Zhang's design differed slightly from what Su Xiaofan had originally envisioned.
He had designed a decorative mosaic floor in the first-floor basement's home theater.
For soundproofing purposes, the home theater would naturally have carpeting on the floor.
Even if someone lifted the carpet, all they would see was the decorative floor pattern.
An ordinary person would never think that there was something hidden beneath it.
Su Xiaofan could use his iris scan, fingerprint, or a password to activate the mechanism.
The decorative floor would rotate and retract, revealing an entrance leading to the second basement level.
Su Xiaofan was very satisfied with Engineer Zhang's design.
He wasn't going to be running down to the storage room every day.
Being able to go down there once every ten days or half a month would already be enough.
The more concealed the entrance was, the better.
Since he was satisfied with the plan, Su Xiaofan's next requirement was the construction schedule.
He wanted the entire project completed within three months.
For this reason, Su Xiaofan was willing to pay the contract amount in full upfront so that the renovation company could devote most of its manpower and attention to his villa.
He had spent five million yuan on the house, yet the renovation cost even more than the house itself.
The twenty million yuan that had entered the company's account had been reduced by half in the blink of an eye.
Su Xiaofan felt that those online cultivation novels weren't necessarily all made up.
The founder of those immortal-cultivation and fantasy novels might very well have been a cultivator hiding among ordinary people.
After all, the four essentials of cultivation—wealth, companions, techniques, and a suitable place—were simply too accurate.
As a rookie cultivator, Su Xiaofan had experienced all four of them personally.
Wealth went without saying.
Without money, Su Xiaofan couldn't even afford to eat anymore.
"Technique" referred to cultivation methods.
Naturally, this was extremely important.
Without the Small and Great Great Heavenly Circuit technique, Su Xiaofan would never have experienced the joy of having superhuman hearing...
No, the pain of having superhuman hearing!
"Place" referred to a suitable location for cultivation.
When circulating qi and practicing his techniques, he couldn't afford to make the slightest mistake.
Whenever Su Xiaofan cultivated, he absolutely didn't dare to leave his hearing open.
Otherwise, he might suffer cultivation deviation.
As for "companions," they were also extremely important.
Whether it was someone to keep him warm in bed or a Dao companion who could cultivate together with him, Su Xiaofan wanted one.
If he had one himself, he wouldn't have to listen to other people's business anymore.
Of the four essentials—wealth, companions, techniques, and place—Su Xiaofan currently had three.
He was still missing a companion.
But his master had arrived.
Since his master was coming, Su Xiaofan naturally couldn't let the staff from Jingxin Hall pick him up.
He had arrived at the exit of the high-speed railway station early and waited there.
"Master, you must be tired from the journey. The car is parked in the underground parking lot ahead..."
When he saw the handsome old man appear, Su Xiaofan hurried forward and took the suitcase from Uncle Jing's hand.
"Hmm? Xiao Su, you've broken through?"
The moment Jing Shizhen saw Su Xiaofan, he immediately sensed that something was different.
After opening the Small Heavenly Circuit, true qi could only circulate through the chest and abdomen and couldn't flow through the limbs.
At that stage, the true qi remained concealed within the body.
But after opening the Great Heavenly Circuit, the major meridians throughout the entire body became connected.
Even without actively circulating qi, one could sense the true qi within Su Xiaofan's body.
Of course, if Su Xiaofan cultivated his technique to perfection and made the Great Heavenly Circuit completely integrated, the radiance of his true qi would naturally become restrained, making it impossible for outsiders to sense it.
Jing Shizhen had also come from that stage himself.
Therefore, he could tell at a glance that Su Xiaofan had completely opened his Great Heavenly Circuit.
"Yes, Master. I just broke through yesterday."
Su Xiaofan carefully glanced at Jing Shizhen's expression.
"I figured I'd be seeing you today, so I didn't mention it over the phone."
"Mm, not bad. Your talent... is only slightly inferior to your master's!"
Jing Shizhen put his hands behind his back and walked straight toward the parking lot.
At this moment, he simply didn't want to talk to Su Xiaofan.
Don't ask why.
"Yes, Master. You are truly a genius blessed by Heaven. Of course, this disciple can't compare with you."
Su Xiaofan followed behind him and shamelessly flattered him.
The subsequent Great Heavenly Circuit cultivation method was still in this handsome old man's hands.
He absolutely couldn't let his master strangle him just because the disciple had surpassed the master.
"Was that Han Dynasty Eight Trigrams Bronze Mirror that Gangzi has yours?"
Jing Shizhen suddenly spoke.
"Ah, this... yes!"
Su Xiaofan opened his mouth, then finally nodded.
After opening both the Small and Great Heavenly Circuit and learning the Art of Observing Qi, Su Xiaofan knew that the cultivation techniques of their lineage were indeed extremely suitable for collecting antiques.
Using the Art of Observing Qi to examine antiques wasn't something he could claim was one hundred percent accurate, but it was basically accurate eight or nine times out of ten.
With the Art of Observing Qi as a cover, he could conceal the existence of the repair system in his mind.
Therefore, Su Xiaofan no longer minded displaying his ability to find valuable bargains in front of Jing Shizhen.
"An entire set of eight coins, and they're in such excellent condition. How did you acquire them?"
Very few things happening in Yanjing's antique market could escape Jing Shizhen's attention.
While Zheng Dagang was negotiating with the second auction house, photographs of the Eight Trigrams Bronze Mirror had already been sent to Jing Shizhen's phone.
"Luck. I just happened to get lucky."
Su Xiaofan chuckled.
Rather than making up a lie, it was better to simply refuse to explain.
After all, lies were the easiest things to expose.
"If you get that lucky again, remember to share some of it with your master."
Jing Shizhen glanced at Su Xiaofan and said in a somewhat resentful tone,
"When you broke through the Small Heavenly Circuit, I burned fifty sticks of agarwood incense.
"Each stick cost five hundred thousand yuan. Do the math and see how much money your master spent on you."
"Tw... twenty-five million?"
Su Xiaofan stumbled, almost dropping the suitcase in his hand.
When he looked at Jing Shizhen again, the old man's face no longer looked handsome.
This... this was simply shameless!
He had clearly only burned five sticks of agarwood incense.
Yet with a flip of his tongue, they had somehow become fifty.
His ability to casually pull numbers out of thin air was probably faster than robbing someone.
"Mm, your arithmetic is pretty good."
Jing Shizhen nodded solemnly.
"Master, I... if I come across another bargain in the future, I'll definitely bring it to you first and let you take a look!"
Su Xiaofan was practically about to cry.
Did his face really look that easy to scam?
First, his father had disappeared after a car accident, then he had been cheated out of the chance to retake the college entrance examination.
He had been electrocuted and struck by lightning while trying to earn money for his younger sister's education.
Then he had taken a master and gotten swindled out of money again.
Why did every single person around him seem to be a scam artist?
"If you find another magical artifact, bring it to me so I can help you appraise it too."
Jing Shizhen added another sentence.
His disciple's luck was somewhat abnormal.
Who knew what good thing he might stumble upon next?
Of course, Jing Shizhen had no intention of investigating too deeply.
If his disciple had good fortune, that was his disciple's own ability.
There was no reason for a master to be jealous.
Yes, Jing Shizhen wasn't jealous.
He had opened the Small and Great Heavenly Circuit much "faster" than Su Xiaofan.
Was he proud of himself?
Therefore, what Jing Shizhen was doing now was merely giving Su Xiaofan some guidance and discipline.
He was simply fulfilling his responsibilities as a master.
When they reached the place where Su Xiaofan had parked his car, he first opened the trunk and placed his master's suitcase inside.
Then, in a weak voice, he said,
"Master, there... actually is a magical artifact."
"What magical artifact?"
Jing Shizhen's hand stopped as he was opening the car door.
Stay calm.
He absolutely had to stay calm.
"It's this jade pendant."
Su Xiaofan took the dragon-shaped jade pendant from around his neck and handed it to Jing Shizhen.
"YOU FOUND A BARGAIN WITH THIS TOO?!"
Jing Shizhen's voice suddenly became extremely loud.
His voice seemed to contain a trace of true qi as well, causing the entire underground parking lot to rumble as though thunder had suddenly exploded inside it.
With Jing Shizhen's level of cultivation and knowledge, he immediately sensed that something was wrong the moment he held the pendant.
The magical energy contained within the jade pendant was extremely pure, and the formation engraved on it was exquisitely intricate.
It was clearly a mid-grade magical artifact.
(End of Chapter)
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