"As for her other secrets, I do have them, but those will cost you extra. Next time you go to the auction house, bid on something around thirty thousand for me, and I’ll tell you."
Li Wentian didn't like asking for cash directly; bringing Jiang Qiao into the Black Market was an opportunity to pull him into other schemes to swindle more money later.
"That's too expensive."
"Isn't your family the Luoyue Jiang Clan? Surely that’s pocket change for you?"
"No amount of money can withstand such reckless and excessive waste."
"Then how about bidding on something for twenty thousand?"
"One thousand Spirit Stones for one secret. If the quality of the secret is high, I’ll increase it to twelve hundred; if it’s too poor, I’ll deduct from it, down to a minimum of nine hundred."
"You’re really going to haggle over this?"
"Tell me, is there anyone else besides me buying this information from you?"
"Then at least make it five thousand Spirit Stones."
"No. I’m sticking to the rules I just mentioned: one thousand Spirit Stones. If you don't provide it, you lose the chance to make any money at all. Once this village is gone, there won't be another shop like it."
"Hiss..." Li Wentian hadn't expected Jiang Qiao to be so sharp. "Fine, one thousand it is. You owe me a favor; that’s a ‘friends and family’ price."
"Ha, so the price I painstakingly bargained down still counts as a favor? I must say, Senior Brother Li, you really do know how to do business."
With the price settled, Jiang Qiao picked up his chopsticks and began to eat his chicken-fat scrambled egg and assorted vegetable fried rice.
"Alright, let me tell you another one, about Mu Qinggan."
"Mu Qinggan is the daughter of the head of the Chixia Mu Family, though she was born to a concubine. She wasn't favored as a child, and her mother was even accidentally killed by her father. She spent her entire childhood living in fear."
"So, to satisfy her father, she practiced cultivation desperately, hoping only for a bit more of his concern so he wouldn't kill her on a whim."
Jiang Qiao gasped. These topics were generally heavy. He took a sip of tea and continued listening to Li Wentian.
"Later on, she really did work hard and gained the attention of the Mu Family head. Eventually, she participated in the Lingxiao Sect’s entrance trials, but unfortunately, she failed to get in."
"She thought it was because she wasn't good enough and was devastated. But the truth was, the Lingxiao Sect wanted disciples with both talent and a prestigious background; her status as a child of a concubine didn't meet their standards."
"And so, she was rejected."
Jiang Qiao ate his meal while listening to Li Wentian, noticing a subtle hint of pity in his tone. The information density of these stories was indeed high, and it helped him understand Mu Qinggan, but how did Li Wentian know so much?
How could anyone besides Mu Qinggan herself know such details? The level of depth Li Wentian possessed was strange, bordering on bizarre. And as Li Wentian spoke, he never once noticed the strange look Jiang Qiao was giving him.
"However, fortunately for her, our Sect Master here at the Canglan Sect doesn't care about social standing and welcomed Mu Qinggan. But because she couldn't join the Lingxiao Sect, the head of the Mu Family abandoned her completely, ignoring her entirely."
"That’s why Mu Qinggan treats the Sect Master as her role model and the goal of her pursuits. She rose all the way from Plucking Stars Cliff to become the Sect Master’s personal disciple. The process was incredibly difficult; in a way, she is a model for all of us."
"That’s pretty much the story."
After listening, Jiang Qiao asked, "Where did you hear all of these things?"
"Heh, every time I tell a secret, do you have to dig into the source? Hand over the Spirit Stones first, then tell me if you think this story is top-tier or not."
Li Wentian picked up his teacup, blew away the steam, and took a small sip.
"I’d call it top-tier. Here is twelve hundred Spirit Stones."
Jiang Qiao immediately settled the payment and added, "I’ve asked others in the sect as well; no one has ever told me this story."
"These stories are known to very few disciples in the entire sect. I suspect I’m the only one who could have told you," Li Wentian smiled.
Jiang Qiao smiled back, a few things he hadn't been able to figure out earlier beginning to click into place. Li Wentian was truly not a simple person.
...
Later that evening, Jiang Qiao went to look through the sect’s records. All disciples were permitted to view these archives, which served as a paper memorial for generations of disciples.
All honors received by disciples were recorded, including the specific periods they spent in various branches of the sect, all written down with perfect clarity.
Jiang Qiao opened the ledger and, sure enough, found the record concerning Mu Qinggan. It was just as Li Wentian had said: she had risen all the way from Plucking Stars Cliff to become the Sect Master’s personal disciple. It seemed the credibility of Li Wentian's information was very high.
The elder in charge of the archives saw Jiang Qiao’s interest in the sect’s history and stepped over to talk about how Mu Qinggan was a heaven-sent genius.
When Jiang Qiao flipped to the page for Feng Cheng, the elder continued to praise him:
"That boy Feng Cheng... he was immensely talented back in his day. In the Medicine Valley, he researched pills that even the Medicine Valley elders had to deconstruct to study the formulas in detail. It’s a pity he went missing later; to this day, not even his remains have been found..."
"Oh, and that brat Li Wentian—he’s reckless. Even though he wasn't from the Medicine Valley, he was the disciple who frequented it most often, always pestering Feng Cheng to treat his wounds."
"Wait, Elder, are you saying Li Wentian doesn't know how to use the Healing Art?"
"That goes without saying. It’s not that Li Wentian didn't try to learn the Healing Art, but the boy just doesn't have the talent for it. He likes fighting and killing, and he’s quite a handful—always causing trouble."
Jiang Qiao froze. If Li Wentian couldn't use the Healing Art, then how did he heal those vine-thorn wounds back in the Black Market? Unless the Li Wentian he knew wasn't the "real" Li Wentian at all.
The elder sighed with relief. "But this boy Li Wentian has been much more sensible lately. Ever since Feng Cheng went missing, he has sent money to Feng’s parents every month. The Feng family is in a tough spot, so it’s a kind gesture."
Jiang Qiao hadn't fully pieced together the truth. The names Mu Qinggan, Li Wentian, and Feng Cheng swirled in his mind. It all went far beyond what Li Wentian had told him. It was like he had already peeled back half the skin of an orange; now, he needed to tear away the truth that Li Wentian was trying so hard to conceal.
It seemed that regarding Mu Qinggan, Li Wentian had been hiding far too much.
"Thank you, Elder, for telling me all of this. I feel much more confident about my training now."
Jiang Qiao smiled at the elder, his youthful spirit seemingly etching itself into the elder’s heart, making the old man feel, for a fleeting moment, as if he had grown a hundred years younger.
"Hahahaha! Young man, having drive is a good thing. If the chance arises, I would love to witness your growth. One day, I might even be telling other new disciples about you! Hahahaha!"
The elder stroked his long, white beard.
"Elder, perhaps there will be a day for that."