Fushun Horse Market was never short of bizarre people and events. In such a chaotic place, all sorts of strange things happened every day. Recently, the focus of people's attention was unquestionably on He Zhuo of the Yehe Tribe marrying Manggurdai of the Khalka Tribe. As a result, this woman, who had the halo of jinxing her husband, attracted the wrath of the slave chieftain of Jianzhou, Nurhachi.
Normally, when a girl wanted to get married, it had nothing to do with the Nurhachi. But Nurhachi just wanted to get angry, to the point of looking for trouble.
This kind of anger had appeared several times in the past twenty years, so it wasn't strange at all. Each time, people and tribes had to pay the price. Each time, it meant that Jianzhou had to occupy more territory and become more powerful. And just as people began to speculate whether the Yehe Tribe or the Khalka Tribe would be finished, the two main characters unexpectedly appeared in Fushun Horse Market.
As a trusted aide of Nurhachi, Ma Chengta was very sensitive to this matter. In his opinion, if he could directly capture He Zhuo and Manggurdai, it would be a great merit. He believed that the Khan would not be stingy with his rewards.
However, this man and woman only appeared in Fushun Horse Market for one night before disappearing. By the time Ma Chengta heard the news, the two were nowhere to be found. He was very vexed about this, feeling that he had missed a golden opportunity. But he didn't have the time to worry too much. There was another matter that required him to make a decision.
"Master, we've arrived." A clothes-clad servant rushed to Ma Chengta's side and reported. At this moment, Ma Chengta rode a horse to find Zhou Qingfeng.
The news that Gu Yuanwei and his two disciples had fled to Fushun had long since spread. Naturally, Ma Chengta knew about it. Early this morning, someone reported to him that the three of them had encountered trouble. Their master, Gu Yuanwei, seemed to be dying. The two disciples wanted to sell some things to raise money, probably because they wanted to flee for their lives.
When this news came out, many people came to take advantage of the situation. Ma Chengta hurried to the place where Zhou Qingfeng was staying. He saw that the place where Zhou Qingfeng was staying had been simply renovated. This place used to be a dirty and smelly warehouse. The cultivators in the city who had never appeared in the past had all rushed over to see the goods.
Most of the barbarians of the desolate border relied on their bodies to make a living. Their cultivation also walked the path of 'muscles and bones'. A broken blade would come out to fight. The cultivators of the Central Plains, on the other hand, did not have such a hard life. They often walked the path of Qi and Blood. They refined pills, drew talismans, performed divination, and set up arrays. Not only did they prolong their lives, but they also often created a lot of good equipment and gadgets.
Gu Yuanwei was an expert of the East Faction Guards. Just this title alone was very intimidating. What kind of legacy would a powerhouse with such a deep background leave behind? It was too curious and tempting. Because of this, after Zhou Qingfeng released the news, he had no choice but to dismiss the endless stream of people who came to take advantage of the situation. Only when Ma Chengta appeared did he officially get into character.
"Little cultivator Zhou Qingfeng, I am Ma Chengta from Jianzhou …" Ma Chengta was brought in front of Zhou Qingfeng, but he was interrupted halfway through his sentence.
"Ah … Mr. Ma is here. It's an honor to meet you. Come, come, come, sit. "Zhou Qingfeng very warmly invited Ma Chengta into the house. The originally half-dead Gu Yuanwei was taken away by two of his subordinates. Yang Jian was in charge of guarding his master. Even He Zhuo and the other Mongolians were arranged to hide.
Hearing Zhou Qingfeng call him "Mr. Ma", Ma Chengta's face twitched. He thought to himself, "My name is Ma Chengta, but my surname is not Ma. I am a Female Enlightened Being." But looking at Zhou Qingfeng's eight year old brat appearance, he could not purposely correct him.
Ma Chengta was dressed like a typical Female Enlightened Being. His scalp was shaved smooth, leaving only a small braid of a Gold Coin Rat's tail. He looked like a barbarian. His looks were ordinary, and his body did not look very strong. However, his cultivation was not low. He was not a simple merchant. After he sat down, he asked directly, "Little cultivator Zhou, I heard that you want to sell some talismans and artifacts. Can I take a look?"
Seeing how young Zhou Qingfeng was, Ma Chengta felt much more at ease. In his view, this kid did not have a master to rely on. What kind of experience could he have? He would probably be dismissed with a few words. Perhaps he could even be lured to Jianzhou to become a good little slave. Thus, Ma Chengta was full of smiles and was very friendly to Zhou Qingfeng.
However, in Zhou Qingfeng's view, this Ma Chengta's smile was too ugly. He really was like a man-eating savage. He sat down on a broken wooden stool in an ostentatious manner and said with assurance, "My senior martial brother has some protective talismans and a few refined golden swords and artifacts. However, my senior martial brother is also negotiating with the people of Yehe Tribe. I heard that the people of Yehe Tribe have offered a good price and are about to come to an agreement. "
Hearing this, Ma Chengta could not help but frown slightly. Female Enlightened Beings who had interacted with the merchant Daming for a long time would all have a common view — "Smart people are too cunning." This was because barbarians were uncultured and often did not have a good mind. To put it nicely, they were honest and straightforward. To put it bluntly, they were stupid and did not know how to adapt. After all, doing business was about haggling. There were negotiation techniques involved in this.
When Zhou Qingfeng mentioned Yehe Tribe the moment he opened his mouth, other female Enlightened Beings would probably be angry. However, in Ma Chengta's view, this was clearly to raise the price. He thought, "The cultivators of the Ming State are usually ashamed to talk about benefits. Saying a few good words to them can often get a great deal. However, why does this brat seem to be so slippery? "
Ma Chengta was displeased and subconsciously said in a threatening tone, "Little cultivator Zhou, do you know whose territory this horse market at Fushun Pass is?"
"In any case, it's not yours." Zhou Qingfeng retorted.
"You can't say that." Ma Chengta was even more displeased. He said in a stiff tone, "The Kundulun Great Khan of Jianzhou and the Ming court made a clear oath that everything outside the border wall is the territory of the Jurchens. Now, all the tribes of the Jurchens are under the control of the Kundulun Great Khan, especially the area outside Fushun Pass, which is under the jurisdiction of Jianzhou.
In the past thirty years, my Great Khan has taken in the East Sea Tribe, destroyed the Hada Tribe, attacked the Ula Tribe, and swallowed the Huifa Tribe. In battle, there is no enemy that cannot be defeated; in attack, there is no territory that cannot be taken. Who in Liaodong dares to disobey? Little cultivator Zhou, you are making friends with my enemy, the Yehe Tribe, in my Jianzhou territory. Are you not afraid of my Great Khan's heavenly might? "
What he said was true. Thanks to the Ming border generals, all the territories outside the border wall had been given up. Among them, Li Chengliang was dragged out to be criticized. It was this so-called local emperor who 'awed Liaodong' who was afraid of trouble and gave several hundred li of Han land, including Kuandian, to Nurhachi for free. The wild boar skin was a great bargain, and he was overjoyed.
Ma Chengta wanted to remind Zhou Qingfeng, 'Do you, a little brat, know how much you are worth? Do you want to become enemies with the strongest Great Khan in Liaodong? You'd better obediently give me the benefits and don't bring trouble to yourself. '
But Zhou Qingfeng still looked like he didn't care. He said lazily, "What Kundulun Khan? Isn't he just a barbarian chieftain? I heard that back in the day, Nurhachi was a coachman under my Daming Liaodong's commander-in-chief, Li Chengliang. The so-called Great Khan is just a 'Horse Protector', what's so strange about that? "
"Little brat, you dare to be rude? You dare to mock my Great Khan! "His words ignited the fire. Ma Chengta slammed the table and stood up, unable to restrain his anger. He reached out with one hand, wanting to grab Zhou Qingfeng's neck. The back of his hand emitted a black aura, fierce and threatening.
Zhou Qingfeng had already predicted that his opponent would lose his temper. He lightly flicked his finger, and a talisman flew out from his sleeve and ignited on its own. A stream of Qi shot out and met Ma Chengta's claw head on.
Both sides clashed, and a crisp sound rang out in the air. No one gained the upper hand. Ma Chengta was about to attack again, but who knew that Zhou Qingfeng would suddenly laugh and admit defeat. "Aiya, Mister Ma, why are you so angry? When discussing business, you have to bargain. The Yehe tribe is willing to pay a high price, so how can we refuse? But if your Jianzhou is willing to pay a higher price, of course it's fine. "
"Bullsh * t." Ma Chengta refused to give up and continued to say angrily, "You insulted my Great Khan …"
"I admit my mistake, I admit my mistake, okay? Kundulun Khan, accomplished in both literature and martial arts, blessed the common people for thousands of years. He was wise and mighty, and unified the Jurchen people. As the saying goes, 'When the sun rises from the east, only my Jianzhou is left.' I also have great respect for your Great Khan. "Zhou Qingfeng boasted shamelessly. His face was not red, and his heart was not flustered. He spoke very smoothly. "Come, come, come. Let's continue discussing business. Business is the most important. "
Ma Chengta had lived for so many years, but he had never seen such a shameless person! He was a little dumbfounded by this unexpected flattery. He suddenly felt that if he had the right opportunity to say these words to his Great Khan face to face, the effect would be very good. "Kid, what did you say just now?"
"Business."
"No, the sentence before."
"Oh … Kundulun Khan, accomplished in both literature and martial arts, blessed the common people for thousands of years. He was wise and mighty, and unified the Jurchen people. As the saying goes, 'When the sun rises from the east, only my Jianzhou is left.' "
"Speak slowly, I'll write it down."
"Understood, understood. You can also add, 'The Great Khan's presence is boundless, immortal fortune is eternal, and longevity is the same as the heavens'. Oh right, every time you use it in the future, remember to pay me the copyright fee. "
Ma Chengta silently and attentively memorized it. The more he read, the more he felt that these new words were easy to understand and very pleasant to the ears. They were just right for the uncivilized barbarians like the Jurchen people. They were much more useful than the flowery words of the corrupt scholars of the Ming Kingdom. The Great Khan would definitely be happy to hear this.
After memorizing it, Ma Chengta's expression became much better. "Let's forget about what happened just now. I won't hold it against you anymore. However, don't say what you said in front of outsiders. It won't be good if it gets out. "
"Don't worry, don't worry. In the future, these bootlicking will be Mister Ma's original works."
Hahaha … The two bootlickers immediately reached a consensus and laughed happily.
Ma Chengta was in a good mood now. He said, "Little cultivator Zhou, we, Jianzhou, will accept your talismans and magic tools. No matter how much the Yehe tribe asks, we, Jianzhou, will pay double. We will all be friends in the future. If there's a chance, you can come to our Hetuala in Jianzhou. Our Great Khan is currently recruiting talents and will definitely put you in an important position. "
"Well said, well said. If there's a chance, I'll definitely go. However, let's talk about business first. The talismans and magic tools are all with my Senior Martial Brother. He's biased towards selling them to the Yehe tribe. However, I'm friends with Mister Ma now, so I naturally have to take care of him. If your Jianzhou is really sincere, why don't we make a deal today? "
"This …?" Ma Chengta hesitated for a moment. After asking for Zhou Qingfeng's price, he had no choice but to say apologetically, "I still need to do another business and don't have enough silver on hand. Little cultivator Zhou, can you wait a few days and allow me to go back and gather some silver? "
"Aiya, this isn't appropriate. My Senior Martial Brother and I are currently being chased by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the East Faction Guards. We want to quickly gather some money and escape. If this drags on for a few days, we won't be able to survive. Mister Ma, it's best to make a deal as soon as possible. When is the earliest time you can pay? Even if the silver isn't enough, a down payment is fine. "
Zhou Qingfeng repeatedly discussed the amount of silver and the time of the deal with Ma Chengta. After talking for a long time, they finally made a preliminary decision. After Ma Chengta thought about it, he was indeed too nervous about the amount of silver and the time of the deal. He gritted his teeth and stamped his feet, saying that he would quickly gather the money before leaving.
Not long after Ma Chengta left, Yehe Tribe's He Zhuo walked out from another corner of the room. She first looked at the one hundred or so silver that Ma Chengta had left behind as a down payment, and then looked at Zhou Qingfeng with a strange gaze.
Zhou Qingfeng then said seriously, "Ma Chengta wants to buy the weapons and armor you ordered and the talismans in my hands at the same time, but he really doesn't have enough money on hand. I repeatedly pestered him to get to the bottom of things and purposely left him the possibility of having the best of both worlds. Right now, the amount of time he can move has been compressed to the extreme, so he will definitely act according to my intentions.
I see that he wants to make the deal with Li Yongfang this afternoon. After receiving the goods, he will return to Hetuala overnight to gather the money and then come find me. So we can make our move this afternoon. "
He Zhuo had no doubts about Zhou Qingfeng's plan. She only faintly said, "Little slippery fellow, I still underestimated your ability to deceive people, as well as the limits of your shamelessness."
Zhou Qingfeng immediately became angry. "You little girl, don't slander people. How am I shameless?"
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