American variety show world begins with subduing Jason

Zhu Mingyao's heart can now recover slowly on its own, unless it suffers a severe injury.

For example, a steel needle piercing his heart, an injury that would likely kill an ordinary person on the spot, could heal in two or three days. This means that his survival ability is greatly improved in certain dangerous situations.

With his cultivation progressing further, and feeling the vibrant life force emanating from his heart, Zhu Mingyao was in an excellent mood.

Why are so many people addicted to video games? It's because in games, you reap what you sow, and the positive feedback is much easier to get than in real life.

If virtual games can provide such a sense of accomplishment, then the satisfaction derived from real and tangible power enhancement must be even stronger. No wonder so many senior cultivators can dedicate themselves to arduous training year after year without finding it boring.

Having made progress in his cultivation, and coinciding with the grand market day for rose bowls, Zhu Mingyao, who hadn't left the house in a long time, decided to go out for a stroll and check out the market situation.

In recent months, due to the attack on the Special Investigation Bureau, superhumans in the Golden State area have been severely harassed by the authorities.

Needless to say, those guys who were already somewhat unclean vanished without a trace in an instant.

Even those with impeccable character mostly left the area temporarily to avoid the limelight.

In this situation, the number of competitors in the market is greatly reduced, and who knows, some good stuff might just leak out?

With this in mind, Zhu Mingyao strolled along, occasionally asking questions and observing at each stall.

The boy focused on finding religious items, based on his past experiences, which told him that these kinds of things had a relatively high chance of containing extraordinary power, meaning the chances of "getting something good" were greater.

……

"Five hundred gold coins!"

"Stop joking, kid. I said one thousand yuan! Not a penny less!"

"This chalice weighs no more than two hundred grams. How much is a gram of silver these days? My offer is already very generous."

Zhu Mingyao frowned, pointed to a silver goblet on the stall, and argued with the stall owner in front of him.

The stall owner was an elderly white man with bald patches on his forehead. He pursed his lips and stubbornly said, "You can't just look at this, kid. You have to know that this thing is over a hundred years old and so well preserved. It's worth the price!"

"A history of over a hundred years... it's probably only considered an antique in the Federation..."

Seeing this, Zhu Mingyao felt somewhat helpless and could only shake his head and walk away.

Although this communion chalice is just an ordinary object, it faintly retains some of the power and blessings of incense offerings. It must have been worshipped in a church for quite some time. After some refinement and modification, it might be suitable for placement on one's own altar to assist in religious ceremonies.

The other party was being too stubborn. Even considering its historical value as an antique, and with the price I offered being about twice the market price, they still wouldn't budge. So there was no point in arguing any further, since it wasn't anything particularly valuable anyway.

I don't know if I can reach 10,000 favorites by the end of the month. If I can, maybe I can put it on sale next month.

Chapter 77 So many rich people become gentlemen!

Even at midday, the crowd showed no signs of decreasing.

Zhu Mingyao squeezed into the food stall set up by the market organizers, bought a sweet bread with jam, and ate it as he walked.

After wandering around for most of the day and visiting hundreds of stalls, my eyes were tired, but apart from the Holy Communion Cup I saw earlier, I didn't find anything related to supernatural powers.

Whether it's the art of observing qi or skills like spiritual vision, although they can see spiritual light that is invisible to the naked eye, their effects always have limits. It's impossible to examine something clearly with just a glance, and to know its material, structure, and origin.

Therefore, even with his secret techniques, Zhu Mingyao had no choice but to painstakingly examine each stall one by one in order to find a shard of gold in such a vast market.

Of course, it could also be due to my own lack of insight. After all, given my current level of cultivation, even if I learned a superior technique for observing the divine eye, I might not be able to fully unleash its power.

However, constantly using the Qi Observation Technique to observe carefully is a laborious task, placing a considerable burden on both the body and the spirit. If it weren't for his recent progress in cultivation, which greatly enhanced his essence, energy, and spirit, Zhu Mingyao really wouldn't have been able to persevere.

He rubbed his eyes and barely managed to scan the row of real wood totems and obsidian amulets in front of him with his Qi Observation Technique.

Pshaw! Another bunch of knockoffs!

Well, it seems the chances of finding anything good today aren't very high.

Seeing that it was getting late, the young man decided to head home.

Just then, the mobile phone in my pocket rang.

"...Hmm? Sold? Hehe, I thought you pervert would keep it for yourself. Thanks, I'll head back right now."

After finishing his phone call in a corner of the market, Zhu Mingyao's lips curled up, and his frustration at failing to find a bargain vanished. He turned around and ran to a stall he had just passed, where he generously bought two antique portable makeup mirrors and several exquisite pieces of old jewelry.

Bai Ziyuan had just informed him that the "strange and ingenious" items he brought back from Corin Manor had not only found a buyer but also fetched a good price.

If you asked someone to help you with a transaction, and the deal is now successful, you should naturally show your appreciation. No matter how good your relationship is, you still need to show proper courtesy. That's what social interaction is all about.

Bai Ziyuan comes from a family of cultivators and is not short of money, so I gave him a few small antique trinkets for women to use in picking up girls.

……

Zhu Mingyao had just returned home when he heard the familiar roar of a sports car at the door. A moment later, Bai Ziyuan pushed the door open and entered.

He tossed the linen coat he was holding onto the living room sofa, tossed his hair in a showy manner, and opened his arms as if to give a hug.

"Little Zhu Zhu!"

"Do you know how much money your brother made for you this time?"

Zhu Mingyao felt a chill run down his spine at the nauseating tone and quickly pushed the other person away with a raised hand.

"Stop being disgusting. If people see this, they'll think you changed your sexual orientation sometime during the day! Besides, what do you mean by 'how much money did you sell it for'? It should be 'how much money did you sell those things for'."

Hearing the boy's complaint, Bai Ziyuan smiled mischievously.

“Selling you off isn’t out of the question. I know that in some wealthy ladies’ private salons, pretty girls like you are highly sought-after…”

"Stop, stop, let's get down to business. How did those things sell?" Seeing that the topic was about to veer off in an unpleasant direction, Zhu Mingyao quickly interrupted.

"Well, I actually have some serious business to discuss today. Let's talk about it later, first."

"Do you know whose work those paintings were brought back?" Bai Ziyuan asked mysteriously.

Zhu Mingyao shrugged. "Those kinds of things can't possibly be masterpieces by Monet, Repin, or Picasso, can they?"

Although these artists are usually known for their unrestrained private lives, there are probably very few people who would dare to put their unspoken quirks into paintings. At least, the famous big names in the art world probably don't have that kind of courage.

Therefore, Zhu Mingyao estimated that those paintings were probably not by any famous artist, but according to Bai Ziyuan, there seemed to be some explanation.

"The artist of these paintings is Sanger. The general public may not be familiar with this name, but his works are highly sought after in certain circles."

"He was born in the early 19th century and specialized in portrait painting. His brushwork was delicate and beautiful, but at that time the art world was full of stars, and it was difficult to stand out."

So he changed his style and subject matter, and began to explore the beauty hidden beneath women's elaborate clothing. He quickly gained popularity in small circles with special interests, and many people commissioned him to write articles..."

"Alright, alright, no need to finish." The boy's facial muscles twitched, and he waved his hand to interrupt the other person, indicating that he understood.

So he was a master of H-pictures from that era!

"I have absolutely no artistic talent whatsoever, and I'm not interested in the life of some erotic painter from a hundred years ago. Just tell me straight up, how much did it sell for?"

"Tch, how vulgar." Bai Ziyuan listlessly held up five fingers twice. "Here, this number."

"How much? One hundred thousand! Are you kidding me?" Zhu Mingyao was genuinely shocked this time.

The Federal Gold Dollar in this world is much stronger than the US Dollar in the previous world. The purchasing power of 100,000 Gold Dollars is about 1.5 million RMB. At the current average price level in the Federation, it is enough to buy a small apartment, or allow a family of three to spend lavishly for seven or eight years.

Seeing Bai Ziyuan nod in confirmation, the young man couldn't help but sigh, "There are so many rich perverts in this world... no, rich gentlemen!"

However, thinking back to those guys on the internet in his previous life who were willing to spend a lot of money to customize H pictures, Zhu Mingyao felt relieved. He could only say that the world of gentlemen was something that ordinary people like him really couldn't understand.

Bai Ziyuan pulled out a check and slammed it on the table. “For this kind of transaction, the buyer doesn’t want to make a fuss. Just tell everyone that he bought an antique from your shop. You can just find anything and keep the accounts right.”

Zhu Mingyao nodded in agreement. This was a common tactic; he had done it before when he helped his teacher, Zhang Shouzhong, with miscellaneous tasks at the shop.

While exorcism is a legitimate profession in the Federation, some customers have various concerns and don't want others to know they've been involved with evil spirits. When paying, they'll make the transaction under the guise of buying antiques from the shop. After all, the value of antiques is uncertain, and they can write any amount on the check.

He took two large cardboard boxes from the counter and handed them to Bai Ziyuan.

"Well done, you deserve a reward! This is your bonus for your hard work, take it and give it to your bunch of girlfriends."

"Hmm, the items aren't expensive, but the taste is quite good." Bai Ziyuan opened the box, looked at the old jewelry and makeup mirror wrapped in cotton, and took out a small brass mirror box and placed it on the table.

"I'll leave one for you and teach you a trick. Girls with an artsy style really like these kinds of things. Carrying one of these little gadgets with you is always a good idea. This is based on my experience."

I'm just 3000 short of 10,000 favorites. I wonder if I can reach that number by the end of the month?

Chapter 78 The Official Commission

"Didn't you say you had important business to attend to?"

Knowing that this little prince of flowers would talk endlessly about such topics, Zhu Mingyao quickly changed the subject and asked.

Bai Ziyuan said casually, "It's nothing serious. Didn't I get you a certificate last time so you could be listed as an advisor at the Special Investigation Bureau? They have a mission for you now, are you going or not?"

"A mission? Was it specifically assigned to me? I hope there won't be any problems."

The young man frowned slightly. He had just offended the Red Sun Venerable, a top expert recruited by the Special Investigation Bureau. Although after the last "coordination," Lai Henry said that the matter had been resolved and that he didn't need to worry too much about being retaliated against, Zhu Mingyao felt that it was best to be cautious when it came to matters related to the Special Investigation Bureau.

Seemingly sensing the boy's concerns, Bai Ziyuan smiled.

"You're overthinking it. When official agencies are short-staffed, they will mobilize cooperating non-governmental organizations for joint operations. It's a kind of outsourcing. This job was assigned to the Chinese Federation, not targeted at any particular person. We've done plenty of these kinds of jobs before, so you don't need to worry."

"Is the government short-handed? Didn't they take advantage of the Special Investigation Bureau's attack a while ago to recruit a large group of independent superhumans?"

Zhu Mingyao asked in confusion.

"Those people?" Bai Ziyuan chuckled, sat on the sofa, leaned back, and shifted into a more comfortable position.

“You’ve been following Master Zhang in your cultivation, and haven’t had much contact with other fellow practitioners, so you don’t know what’s going on in the circle.”

Throughout the Federation, most of the legitimate superhumans are either in government agencies, various organizations, or families.

Among the wandering loners, ninety-nine percent are self-taught!

They were either half-baked charlatans or lucky individuals who had awakened some kind of ability. These people lacked both renowned teachers and resources, and the vast majority spent their entire lives tackling the basics, barely making any progress until their deaths.

"As the saying goes, true teachings can be conveyed in a single sentence, while false teachings fill countless volumes! Do you really think spiritual practice is that easy?"

Without the guidance of a teacher, and without fellow practitioners to discuss and verify their understanding, even with a complete lineage in hand, how many can truly achieve superior results?

"Not to mention those lucky ones who only became extraordinary by chance."

Zhu Mingyao understood. "Just say they're too incompetent and unusable."

"Their lack of strength is a minor issue; the key problem is the uneven quality among these people. A significant number of them not only have poor character but are also arrogant and ignorant, always thinking they're clever enough to do more harm than good," Bai Ziyuan explained with a disdainful expression.

"Most of these people stumbled into the sect by chance through some random rituals, items, spells, etc., and gained some special abilities."

However, they either have only a superficial understanding of the various related knowledge and taboos, or they are completely ignorant of them. It is considered good if they can successfully master their abilities, but it is not uncommon for them to lose control of their superpowers and end up killing themselves.

Among them are many idiots who become arrogant and lose their heads after suddenly becoming rich. They clearly have no understanding of the mysterious world, but they consider themselves the chosen ones and act recklessly everywhere.