Chapter 419: Cang Xu - I am a Pitiful Person
Cang Xu had been executing a plan all along.
That plan was to fully demonstrate the value of the Flying Head Spell, then use this bargaining chip to strike a deal with Jian Gui, thereby obtaining a higher level undead inheritance.
Now, Cang Xu had succeeded.
A mere death head held no interest to Jian Gui. But once it was imprinted with a magic model and gained casting capability, Jian Gui proactively inquired about its price.
Cang Xu steadied his composure, immediately bowed to Jian Gui, and politely presented his request.
Yet Jian Gui shook his head without hesitation.
“Xu Jia, you are unqualified to receive the intermediate undead inheritance.”
"It's not that I personally refuse to sell it to you, but rather the rule set by our founder. This is the principle and bottom line of our undead orthodoxy! Not just me, even the Twelve Saints must strictly adhere to it."
“I'm sorry, I cannot trade you the intermediate undead inheritance. These are non-negotiable.”
“And if I were to impart it to you in the future, there would be only one possibility: that you have earned the right to receive the intermediate undead inheritance!”
As for what qualifications?
Cang Xu had already inquired about them thoroughly back on Weeping Pine Island.
First, Cang Xu's own undead talent must be sufficiently strong, with the minimum standard being a gold level bloodline. Second, Cang Xu must prove his loyalty. He must complete at least three tasks to gain preliminary recognition from the undead lineage. It was like joining a bandit gang—one must submit a pledge of allegiance.
At this moment, Xiao Wang Zi interjected: “Xu Jia, I also want this Flying Head Spell inheritance.”
“But don't sell it too expensively.”
“The fact that Doctor Sui Shi was willing to pass this technique to you proves it's merely an elementary undead inheritance.”
“Expecting to trade an elementary inheritance for an intermediate one? That's simply unacceptable. You're truly a master negotiator, worthy of the Wisteria Merchant Alliance. We're all on the same side, this isn't how business should be done among us."
Ku Feng added, "Frankly, we don't need to buy this specifically from you, do we? Doctor Sui Shi already possesses this legacy. It's just more convenient to acquire it from you."
Jian Gui remained silent. He merely stared impassively at Cang Xu.
A chill gripped Cang Xu's heart.
In this moment, he found himself targeted by everyone else!
Unanimously, the others pressed Cang Xu, attempting to drive down the price.
Cang Xu suddenly realized: though he'd fought alongside these men through life-and-death battles, when it truly mattered, he remained excluded.
Even an undead ronin like Ku Feng spoke for others.
Cang Xu had successfully demonstrated the value of the Flying Head Spell yet faced immense obstacles in the actual transaction!
If Zi Di were here, she would undoubtedly be eloquent and persuasive, extolling the value of the Flying Head Spell tenfold and engaging in tough negotiations with the other party.
But Cang Xu was not Zi Di.
He lacked such exceptional oratory skills for business negotiations.
Years of working and living as a noble steward had cultivated Cang Xu's profound political acumen.
Cang Xu sensed trouble brewing.
He quickly gathered his thoughts. With a bitter expression, he said, “Thank you for enlightening me. You're both correct, my asking price was indeed excessive.”
He openly admitted his mistake.
Then he sighed deeply: “I'm truly sorry, but I'm... simply too poor.”
“As I gradually grasped the true value of this Flying Head Spell inheritance, my feelings became complicated.”
“Had I not staked nearly my entire body and fortune on it, I would have been overjoyed!”
"To this day, I still owe you all a debt. To be perfectly honest, interacting with you has been a tremendous burden. I truly wish to repay what I owe you."
Cang Xu's voice was desolate, his expression painfully genuine. His words left everyone else speechless.
Xiao Wang Zi suddenly realized they had just been ganging up on Cang Xu.
Ku Feng fell silent, a pang of guilt stirring within him. After all, he had witnessed Cang Xu's former misery firsthand. It had to be said, Cang Xu was a pitiful man.
Then, Cang Xu fixed his gaze on Jian Gui: “Lord Jian Gui, since you desire this inheritance, what more is there for me to say?”
“I can only entrust this legacy to you. After all, even this body I now possess is a gift from you!”
Jian Gui flinched in surprise, then without a moment's hesitation, flatly rejected Cang Xu's proposal.
His reaction was entirely within Cang Xu's expectations.
Jian Gui had always been the undisputed leader of the undead, displaying great grace and magnanimity, willing to mentor necromancers. Of course, this was only when his core interests remained unchallenged.
If he were to accept Cang Xu's offering now, it would look as though he forced Cang Xu to surrender it, that would be utterly distasteful.
Especially since the Flying Head Spell wasn't Cang Xu's exclusive possession, if Jian Gui desired it, he could acquire it from others.
A moment's analysis would reveal: Doctor Sui Shi couldn't possibly have entrusted this legacy to only Cang Xu!
Cang Xu breathed a silent sigh of relief.
By playing the pity card, he had defused this minor storm.
His lamentations once again stirred sympathy in Xiao Wang Zi and the others. They recognized Cang Xu as a pitiable figure, possessing the Flying Head Spell was both his fortune and his misfortune.
The group's covetousness toward the technique significantly diminished.
After cleaning the battlefield and distributing the lanternfish-related spoils, everyone returned to their quarters.
Yet a weight settled in Cang Xu's heart.
His plan had succeeded and failed.
The Flying Head Spell had ignited others' desires, yet the price offered was far from satisfactory. Cang Xu could never exchange it for an intermediate undead inheritance.
“Who would've thought Jian Gui would be so principled about this!”
"According to him, even the Twelve Saints couldn't violate this principle. This might not be merely Founder You Shen's favor or command, it could be a magic contract they themselves established and signed."
“Sigh. Though I averted the crisis this time, the problem remains unresolved.”
“As long as I alone master the Flying Head Spell while other necromancers do not, their craving for it will never fade.”
They merely suppressed their craving temporarily out of deference and pride."
On the other hand, Cang Xu had to concede that Xiao Wang Zi's argument during the price negotiation held merit.
This precious knowledge of Flying Head Spell wasn't Cang Xu's exclusive possession.
Even if they couldn't purchase it from him, Jian Gui could still negotiate with Doctor Sui Shi to acquire it from him.
According to intelligence from the Underworld River battle, the fact that Doctor Sui Shi, a full-fledged saint level being, could provide immediate assistance indicated a remarkably harmonious atmosphere among the orthodox necromancers.
Cang Xu fully understood this point.
Orthodox necromancers upheld the principle: Preserve their humanity! Though necromancy revolves around negative energy, necromancers must not be corrupted by it.
Thus, when they first met on Weeping Pine Island, Jian Gui felt a strong affinity for Cang Xu. This stemmed largely from observing that Cang Xu had undergone certain undead modifications to his body yet had not fully embraced the undead path.
Cang Xu did not recklessly pursue power; instead, he constantly strived to maintain the balance between life and death, preserving his humanity.
Among necromancers, the orthodox lineage descending from You Shen possessed the most profound humanity.
In a world where every faction, large and small, hunted necromancers, what would orthodox necromancers, those retaining humanity and immune to negative energy corruption, do?
They would unite tightly, maximizing their chances of survival.
Today you will help me, tomorrow I will help you.
Thus, during the battle in the Underworld River, Jian Gui summoned the aid of the saint level Doctor Sui Shi without incurring any costs afterward.
It must be said that while following Jian Gui's actions exposed Cang Xu to immense risks and genuine peril, the rewards were substantial.
The Flying Head Spell was merely one such gain. The greatest reward came from the invaluable intelligence Cang Xu gleaned about necromancers through their daily interactions.
Through careful analysis of this intelligence, Cang Xu gained precise insight into the overall situation of the necromancer faction and his own personal standing.
“I'm currently on the ghost ship, having demonstrated the value of the Flying Head Spell, yet I haven't commanded a high price.”
“If I possessed Zi Di's negotiating skills, I might easily drive up the price.”
"No, in truth, even if I could do that, I still couldn't purchase the subsequent inheritance I desire from Jian Gui. Let alone the various secrets concerning the memory crystal."
Thinking of the latter, Cang Xu felt another wave of headache.
He had once tried to probe indirectly about the contents of the intermediate undead inheritance. Jian Gui didn't strictly guard this information.
It was as if Jian Gui couldn't reveal the specific contents of the book to Cang Xu but could tell him what the table of contents contained.
Cang Xu was almost certain: whether it was the soul aspect, corpse aspect, or bone aspect, none of the intermediate undead inheritances touched upon the subject of memory crystals. He also speculated: It was highly likely that knowledge related to memory crystals could only be found within the advanced undead inheritance of the soul aspect!
“My previous plan was a bit too naive.”
"Acquiring this knowledge is extremely difficult. After all, for a magician, knowledge is the greatest treasure!"
Yet Cang Xu harbored no regrets about his choice, even though the only genuine part left on his entire body was his skull.
“If all else fails, I'll have to sell the Flying Head Spell to others at a ‘discount’.”
“If I persistently refuse, it might create friction with others, hindering future operations.”
“Acquiring the undead knowledge, I seek will likely be an ultra-long-term project.”
After confronting this reality, Cang Xu settled his mind, scarcely leaving his quarters. He continued crafting death heads, inscribing undead magic models upon them.
He soon discovered that lanternfish heads were unsuitable for death heads.
This likely stemmed from the lanternfish's light attribute.
Light attribute wasn't neutral; it had a strong affinity with positive energy. It was much like the relationship between the dark attribute and negative energy.