Chapter 6: Steward Jiang Zheng’s worries
The Jiang duke’s household was in dire straits in the face of such brutal competition.
There was only half a year left until the Hidden Dragon Trials, and the previous Jiang Chen’s performance could only be summed up with one word, “disastrous”. There were numerous examinations that needed to be completed prior to the trials, but quite a few hadn’t even been started.
Even without the incident at the Rites of Heavenly Worship, Jiang Chen only had a thirty to forty percent chance of passing the trials. He was one of the hot contenders for family demotion.
However, the Jiang Chen now was not disheartened at all. In fact, he was rather excited.
“The strong reign supreme. It seems that this rule of survival applies from those in higher positions to the common masses down below with no exception. I could not train in my past life and thus did not have the opportunity to experience this, but now that I’m living in the most glorious years of life, I cannot miss this!”
In his past life, he held the exalted position of the son of the Celestial Emperor. No one dared offend him. However, his yin constitution prevented him from training. It was impossible to even consider concealing his identity and engaging others in combat incognito.
In this life, he could finally train to his heart’s content and relish in the glories of ascending to the peak of the martial way. This was the stage he enjoyed!
“Since I’ve promised Eastern Lu that I will enter the palace in three days to diagnose the princess, I need to make good use of these three days, not to mention my current identity as one of the candidates for the Hidden Dragon Trials. There’s still six months until the final examinations for the Trials. As the heir to Jiang Han dukedom, even though the position of duke doesn’t mean much, I should at least gain some face for that ‘cute’ old dad of mine, shouldn’t I? I can’t let old dad lose something like the dukedom.”
As he organized his thoughts, Jiang Chen realized that time was of the essence.
One had to give it to them, the people who had carried out the caning sure knew their stuff. Forget about the past Jiang Chen, even practitioners who were twice as strong would be hard pressed to survive that ordeal.
His misfortune was this Jiang Chen’s good fortune and new body, but this body was quite severely injured. If he didn’t get a grip on his injuries, forget about entering the palace in three days to cure the princess, he would miss even the Trials’ small test at the end of the month.
The Hidden Dragon Trials held a small test every month and all the scores were cumulative. A lot of homework would descend if one missed the test in one month.
The prior Jiang Chen already owed a ton of homework. If this continued, he would probably be failed out of the Trials before the final examinations.
This was exactly what Jiang Chen didn’t want to happen.
In his past life, as the son of the Celestial Emperor, he had spent millions of years researching and refining dao of alchemy. Although he was utterly worthless for martial cultivation, he was a renowned alchemy master in the world of alchemy. Many alchemy masters had solicited his teachings in the dao of alchemy. If this was his past life, any random pill would enable him to fully recover and be roaring with vitality.
But that was his past life, there was no way that this life could measure up to that.
It was a good thing that Jiang Chen had been in charge of the Tianlang Library for millions of years and read countless scrolls and books. His knowledge knew no bounds, spanning from common sense to the ways of the gods themselves.
Handling these types of injuries was a small thing.
After a night of rest, Jiang Chen thought briefly the next morning, took out his brush and ink, and wrote out a list.
“Jiang Zheng!” He yelled towards the door.
The duke of Jiang Hang had appointed Jiang Zheng to be Jiang Chen’s personal steward, in charge of taking care of Jiang Chen’s day to day life and fulfilling his daily needs. Jiang Zheng had received his due share of tongue lashings for the incident at the Autumn Crane.
He had been on tenterhooks all night long. They said that a servant would rather die than see his master humiliated, so by all accounts, Jiang Zheng should have died for neglecting his duties.
But he just couldn’t bring himself to accept that fact. He had been quite diligent in serving this young master, but the young duke just really wouldn’t shape up.
The servants and butlers of other dukedoms lived a good life whilst serving their masters, eating and drinking only the best and being feted wherever they went. But Jiang Zheng’s master was an odd one, alternating between whiling the time away one day and throwing out crazy ideas the next.
To top it off, this young master always told Jiang Zheng to take the blame if anything went south.
Therefore, he had put out his fair share of fires and taken quite a bit of blame in the days that he had served Jiang Chen. Not only did Jiang Zheng feel a decided lack of increased status with his awarded position, but he rather felt that he was being worked to death.
Say for instance, money. This young master spent money as easily as breathing. If a friend were to get into a sticky situation today, he’d make it right with money. If another brother stirred up troubled tomorrow, he would again put it to rest with money.
Although the duke of Jiang Han was generous with his money, he could not keep up with the pace of the young master’s spending. It was only mid month, yet the entire month’s allowance had already been spent!
Thus, Jiang Zheng now only wanted to be left alone and count his blessings if it was peaceful and quiet. His head started to hurt as soon as he heard Jiang Chen’s voice.
But he couldn’t refuse his master’s call.
“Young duke, your servant is incompetent and did not take care of you. Please punish your servant severely. Even if you withdrew your servant’s job, your servant would not breath a single ill world.” Jiang Zheng immediately fell to the floor in a bow as soon as he entered.
The fluff of “incompetence” and “please punish severely” were just empty words. The duke of Jiang Han was not pursuing the matter further, which meant Jiang Zheng had successfully absolved all responsibility.
Even though this young duke was a good for naught and had no desire to advance in life, he didn’t have the bad habit of being cruel towards his underlings.
If it was the previous Jiang Chen, he most likely would not have discerned the true meaning behind Jiang Zheng’s words. But the Jiang Chen of today had experienced millions of years, had a good grasp of most matters, and was well versed in social dynamics.
A song’s meaning could be gleaned from its melody. One could tell that steward Jiang Zheng had suffered too much at the hands of the previous Jiang Chen, and wanted to throw it all down and quit.
Jiang Chen didn’t reveal the steward’s intention and chuckled, “Jiang Zheng ah, my father had meant to award you riches and honor when he appointed you to me. Alas, you enjoyed no riches and honor during this time and have toiled ceaselessly to clean up after me and put out fires. I have noted your loyal service.”
Jiang Zheng stared dazedly, what direction was the wind blowing in from today? Where did the young duke learn these words of comfort and warmth?
“Jiang Zheng, we’ve already run out of this month’s allowance, right?” Jiang Chen did not wait for Jiang Zheng to respond and asked with a smile that, at the same time didn’t seem to be a smile.
“Eh… um…” Jiang Zheng had never enjoyed such a thoughtful conversation and didn’t know how to respond. He almost wanted to beat his chest and promise, don’t worry about this young duke! I, Jiang Zheng, will find a way.
But a thought struck him, wait a second! If I make this promise, where on earth am I going to find money to fill this hole? The young duke’s mouth is as sweet as sugar today, is this a new prank he’s playing on me?
Jiang Zheng’s guard came up in the span of a second and his wariness increased tenfold.
Jiang Chen gave a loud laugh upon seeing Jiang Zheng hesitate with lingering fear, “Jiang Zheng, this is the situation. I have a list here with some medicinal ingredients on it. Go obtain a dosage for me from the Hall of Healing according to the amounts listed.”
Jiang Zheng dumbly accepted the list but didn’t move. He had the list alright, but what about the money? The ingredients at the Hall of Healing weren’t free now, were they?
It’s not like your family owned the Hall of Healing.
“Jiang Zheng, pretend that we aren’t master and servant, but just two friends casually chatting. As a steward yourself, at what level of experience and accomplishment would you say makes for an ideal steward? Or how about, what makes someone the best steward to you?”
Best steward?
Forget about being the best, Jiang Zheng wanted to cry. Out of all the body servants to the 108 dukes, Jiang Zheng would be enormously happy if he wasn’t ranked last.
“Why the long face, tell me what you’re thinking,” Jiang Chen encouraged.
Jiang Zheng paused, swallowed and gathered his courage. “Do you really want me to say?”
“Speak. You will be rewarded if you speak well!”
Having been rewarded with too many bounced checks before, Jiang Zheng didn’t dare put any stock in the thought of a reward. Jiang Chen actually handed out rewards quite often, but even more frequently did something like rewarding you with a thousand silver one second, but borrowing two thousand off you the next.
But the mention of the best, the most admired and the most ideal stewards caused Jiang Zheng’s thoughts to race.
Frankly speaking, even though followers of the noble and powerful were not themselves noble or powerful, they still had dreams and career aspirations.
Some had even written it into a limerick…
Jiang Zheng drew courage from who knew where upon seeing Jiang Chen’s serious expression and said, “Young duke, some limericks are quite popular in the capital. They describe people in jobs like mine.”
“Oh? Tell me about it.” Jiang Chen grew curious.
“The limerick goes -- Delicacies from land and sea, dressed in fine attire and riding well groomed horses, a manor and surrounding lands, home filled with gold and silver.
Conversing with the powerful, befriending the noble, wives coexisting in harmony, doting on sons and grandchildren.
Regulars at the Autumn Crane, financier of the Garden of Returning Spring, whoring with dukes and princes, drinking at the same table with esteemed officials…”
Jiang Chen applauded in hearty laughter as Jiang Zheng recited around four stanzas in one go. “Not bad, not bad. Quite interesting. Garden of the Returning Spring, that must be a land of temptation?”
Jiang Zheng joined his master in laughter but was secretly full of disdain. It’s not like you haven’t been to those places, what are you acting all innocent for!
“Jiang Zheng, I have observed you for a period of time and have confidence in your abilities. Now, if you can complete this mission, and it won’t take long, I will fulfill the dreams of wealth and honor you’ve had during this time. At that time, you will surely feel you are the most successful, most successful steward!”
“Mission? What mission?” Jiang Zheng gave a start. His first thought was that he had to be on his guard as this young master had something up his sleeve again.
“Why, the list in your hand of course. Take good care of it, it’s a treasure that money can’t buy. Take it to the Hall of Healing and ask to speak to the person in charge.”
“What do I want with the person in charge? I can ask anyone in the Hall to grab these ingredients for me. The person in charge of the Hall of Healing is an arrogant, stuck up type. It’s not easy to get a meeting with him.” Jiang Zheng growled in a low, muffled voice.
“Heh heh, just do as I say. If the person in charge won’t see you, just tell them that they’ll surely regret it later. Even if they cling to your legs and beg you in the future, they will only taste the bitterness of regret.”
Jiang Zheng almost wanted to feel the young duke’s forehead. Was the young duke burning up with a fever of idiocy because of his caning? Was he sleep talking?
Jiang Zheng was well acquainted with how high the minimum requirements were and how arrogant those at the Hall of Healing were. He was reminded every time he went to obtain medicine for his master. The people there simply didn’t have the time to waste in idle chatter.
“Jiang Zheng, you must be inwardly cursing my name, thinking that I’m talking nonsense. You must think that I’m sending you on a fool’s errand by telling you to fetch medicine ingredients without giving you the silver to do so. Let me tell you something, the list you hold in your hands is no ordinary list. It’s a pill recipe that has been lost since ancient times. Even ten million silver would not be enough to purchase this recipe at an auction house.”
“Pill recipe?” Jiang Zheng’s face morphed into a smile that was uglier than crying. “Young duke, please don’t laugh at your humble servant’s expense. Since when did our Jiang family possess an ancient pill remedy? Do you feel that your humble servant has not yet reached the limits of his emotional capacity and wish for him to know how it feels to be driven into a corner?”
Jiang Zheng laughed until his eyes were red. He really was about to cry.
Chapter 7: Jiang Zheng’s Stage, Pride and Elation
Jiang Zheng seriously wanted to break down when faced with
such a master.
This month’s allowance had already run out, and the
ingredients on this list were impossible to obtain without ten thousand silver.
To use this single list and demand ten million silver in exchange -- was this
not a sign of sheer insanity?
“Go ahead, cry! A man crying is not a crime!” Jiang Chen
chuckled, “But what if I were to tell you that this list came from the gods?
Would you still think that I was crazy?”
“I’m treating the princess’ sickness? Do you also think I’m
crazy?”
“Even if I were crazy, would I drag my father, my entire
family into this? I may be a good for nothing, but I'm not that completely
brainless, am I?”
Jiang Zheng was dumbfounded by the questions that flew like
a hail of arrows. It was true, although this master had committed his fair
share of ridiculous acts, he wouldn’t go so far as to bring down the entire
Jiang family, would he now?
Was it possible that the bit about a message from the gods
was actually true?
“Jiang Zheng, I can truthfully tell you that we will not
sell the list in your hand for all the silver in the world. You tell the person
in charge of the Hall of Healing that they aren’t the only pharmacy in the
Eastern Kingdom. If they don’t want it, then the Temple of the Farmer God or
the Pill King Garden would break their heads to obtain it. They’ll drown in
their own regret when the Hall of Healing is surpassed by others. As soon as
pill goes into production, all the medicines out on the market will be taken
off the shelves and dumped into the trash. They’ll be worthless!”
Jiang Chen gestured as he said this firmly with utmost
confidence.
He wasn’t simply sprouting hogwash. Jiang Chen had already
filtered through all the pill recipes in his mind an endless number of times,
eliminated all the holy and divine level pill recipes and finally settled on
one that wasn’t too out of the ordinary, but definitely quite rare.
And the most important thing was, given Eastern Kingdom’s
level of medicine, the ingredients that this recipe needed weren’t outside
their tolerance range.
Seeing as Jiang Zheng still wore a skeptical expression,
Jiang Chen really wanted to storm over and stomp the man a few times. Like it
was that easy for the wonderful me to select such a recipe!
One had to know that in his past life, Jiang Chen couldn’t
train because of his yin constitution. Therefore, in the millions of years as
caretaker of the Tianlang Library, his greatest hobby was to pursue the dao of
alchemy.
One could say that those millions of years had seen him
ascend to the pinnacle of the dao of alchemy, on the same standing as those
undying alchemy legends who were renowned throughout the lands.
For the past Jiang Chen, finding a pill recipe was as easy
as eating and drinking.
But --
For a small place like the Eastern Kingdom, a pill recipe
that was too sophisticated might as well have been written in archaic
hieroglyphics; no one would be able to understand it.
He didn’t even want to waste brainpower on recipes that were
too basic or pointless.
He had expended a considerable amount of thought and effort
into picking this particular one out of a list of common pill recipes. But
Jiang Chen firmly believed that if dropped into a place like the Eastern
Kingdom, the recipe would still shock people to the core.
At the end of the day, Jiang Zheng still set on his way.
It wasn’t like he had been convinced by Jiang Chen, he
earnestly told himself along the way. As much of a layabout the young master
was, he wouldn’t make a joke out of the princess’ illness or gamble with the
lives of the entire family.
So, he resolutely tried to convince himself that maybe the
gods did look upon the young master with favor, and maybe he did obtain a
priceless pill recipe as a result.
Although he was still quite skeptical, especially after
recalling the crazy antics that Jiang Chen would normally engage in, Jiang
Zheng really had no choice.
Even though he knew this was ridiculous beyond belief, he
still had to gird up his loins and give it a try.
Otherwise, although he could manage, by the skin of his
teeth, to scrape enough money together and buy all the listed ingredients, he
would go home to a different kind of disaster when he faced his wife.
“Ai, they say that to be a young duke’s steward is something
to crow and strut around about, but why do I feel that my days have been so
aggrieved?” He tragically wiped away at the corners of his eyes and walked
listlessly to the Hall of Healing.
“If it really comes down to it, I’ll just let them mock and
jeer at me for a while. It wouldn’t be the first time anyways.” Jiang Zheng
felt a bit better after this thought struck him.
The Hall of Healing was a famed, influential power in the
imperial city. Its very buildings were picturesque boardwalk.
When Jiang Zheng made it to the front steps of the Hall of
Healing, he felt that both his legs were going numb. A sense of fear started
growing in his heart as he thought about the haughty attitude and disdaining
tones of the associates at the Hall of Healing.
“Uh… that... um… I need some medicine ingredients!”
Jiang Zheng gathered up his courage multiple times before
finally making it through the front door and to the counter.
The associates at the Hall of Healing were all
professionally trained before starting work. The first skill that was trained
was the ability to remember faces. Which faces needed to be fawned on, which
needed to be flattered, which faces were enough with a normal attitude, and
which the associates could be a dick to.
Jiang Zheng’s face was an unfamiliar one, and thus was
naturally someone who the associates could be a dick to.
“Ahem. Sir, buying medicine ingredients is fine. But let’s
talk about the rules first. The Hall does not do business on credit,
ingredients and money need to both be fully paid out.”
Jiang Zheng hurriedly said, “Cash, I have cash.”
The associate glanced at the list and flicked some beads on
an abacus. “Eight types of spirit level ingredients in total, 9,800 silver
according to the ingredients weight. Same as usual, pay first, then you get the
ingredients.”
Jiang Zheng flushed and coughed fakely twice. He lightly
knocked on the counter and say, “Eh, erm, uh, I want to speak to the person in
charge.”
“What?” The associate’s face darkened. “No money? How dare
you ask for ingredients with no money?”
“You want to speak to the person in charge? Do you know how
busy the head of the Hall is? Each of his minutes is worth tens of thousands of
silver, how would he have time for you? Can you bear the responsibility and
costs of wasting their time?”
“Go out the door and take a right. Read the Hall’s rules. Is
is that easy to speak to the head? Are you a prince or minister, or an esteemed
duke?
“If you want your ingredients then pay up, if not then get
out of my way and don’t disturb us from doing business.”
The associate flapped his hands with an impatient expression
on his face, his spittle almost spraying Jiang Zheng’s face. The level of
apparent distaste was the same as if the associate was shooing away an annoying
fly.
It wasn’t as if Jiang Zheng hadn’t received his fair share
of contempt and derision at the Hall of Healing before. It wasn’t as if he was
someone who couldn’t take that kind of treatment. The truth was, he had endured
far too much during this time!
Did they really have to be such snobs? Really have to be
such dicks?
Jiang Zheng could bear it no longer, this associate’s
particular attitude was the straw that broke the camel’s back, he erupted --
A metallic token of sorts was slapped hard onto the counter.
Jiang Zheng gave the associate a resounding slap across the
face, “Open your worthless eyes and take a good look at what this is!”
“The person in charge is worth ten thousand silver is a
minute? Would I have deigned to let you know that I’m worth several million
silver a minute?”
“How dare you delay my business, I can make your Hall of
Healing close up shop! Do your parents know how you’re such a wonderful, such
an all powerful employee? Does your head know?”
The associate was seeing stars from the force of that slap.
He held his face, disbelief writ plain in his eyes.
This was the Hall of Healing! One of the most prominent
places in the entire imperial capital!
In an ordinary day of work, even noble and powerful families
had to be restrained, polite and accommodating when they came here.
But today, he had been hit!
And by someone who was dressed very plainly, someone who was
obviously not the servant of a noble and powerful family!
Was the sky caving in?
He immediately screamed like a pig being slaughtered,
“Someone’s come to cause trouble in the Hall, he’s beating people up!”
A crowd of fully armored warriors bristling with weaponry
rushed out immediately as soon as the scream like a pig being slaughtered
sounded out. Someone who seemed to hold a position of authority also walked out
from the back.
He was about to thunder into a rage at the sight of the
plainly dressed, ordinary looking instigator when the shiny engraved dragon
medallion on the counter caught his eye. His expression immediately changed
drastically.
“Administrator He, that’s the dog of a slave who dared to
hit me. This wasn’t a beating just for me, but also one aimed towards the
hallowed name of the Hall of Healing!” The associate who had been beaten
immediately tattled like a child seeing their parents when he saw a familiar
face.
As soon as he’d finished --
A cleaner, crueler slap landed nicely on his cheek. That
slap flung him a few meters away from the counter.
But this time, it was administrator He who had slapped the
associate.
“You worthless thing, did your eyes grow on your butt? How
dare you retort against an esteemed guest? It was a well deserved slap, you’d
deserve it if you were beaten to death!”
Having rebuked the associate, administrator He’s menacing
expression morphed into a face wreathed with smiles, as if spring had returned
to the earth.
“Sir, my underlings were blind and have offended your noble
self.”
He turned his head to yell gruffly at the warriors, “What
the hell are you all doing? Sitting around watching the paint peel? Scram!”
These warriors were plainly under the command of
administrator He as they about faced and marched away after receiving their
orders.
Jiang Zheng hadn’t expected this turn of events. He’d
actually briefly lost his rationality just now and had erupted under the strain
and goading.
To be honest, the young master had given him this gold
medallion. He didn’t even know what it was, just that the young master had said
it may come in handy.
He had nothing to lose and everything to gain when he tried
it.
Who knew, it really did come in handy! It was curiously
useful!
...no shit it would come in handy! The king’s engraved
dragon medallion was the highest level token that could be awarded. How could
it not be useful? One could behave with impunity in the Eastern Kingdom with
this in hand!
“May I learn your noble name? Please, come this way. My
underlings were idiots, please allow your humble servant to express his
apologies.”
Jiang Zheng hadn’t lived under a rock his whole life. He
knew that it was due to the gold medallion that the person in front of him was
falling over himself to please Jiang Zheng. Damn, it felt good!
Good feelings aside, Jiang Zheng didn’t lose his composure.
He had fully grasped the situation by now. “It was originally just a small
thing, but your associate… sigh. I will speak no more. Since the Hall of
Healing does not welcome me, then I shall try my luck at the Temple of the
Farmer God or the Pill King Garden. Perhaps the people there will treat me like
a human being?”
Administrator He shuddered inwardly upon hearing those
words. It was obvious that this esteemed guest was still seething. He
surreptitiously checked out Jiang Zheng, but couldn’t find any clues.
He was dressed plainly and didn’t look like a preeminent
noble.
Unless, this esteemed guest had changed his attire on
purpose? What a strategy, he is quite a character indeed. Administrator He was
at a loss as he couldn’t get a read on the situation.
Administrator He’s thoughts drifted to the medallion upon
seeing Jiang Zheng really preparing to leave. How would he dare let Jiang Zheng
leave? The mysterious all powerful medallion holder was sure to make trouble
for the Hall of Healing!
Although the Hall didn’t fear trouble knocking on its doors,
it wished to avoid offending this level of character if possible!
“Please sir, hold your steps. My hall’s third hallmaster and
several elders happen to be in residence. You are a noble and esteemed guest, I
shall immediately notify the hallmaster and elders. Even if you have later
appointments, please allow my hall to serve you a cup of tea in apology.”
Unlike ordinary associates, Deacon He was a man experienced
in the ways of life. He was flexible and adaptable, and had a knack of handling
things properly.
Jiang Zheng’s motion of leaving was actually a fake move. To
be honest, he felt beyond damn good. This was the first time he had felt this
way since he had become the young duke’s steward.
Pride and elation!
During previous times, even mere associates in the Hall of
Healing were high and mighty dicks, not to mention leader type folks. None of
them had a civil word for him.
But today, this administrator He had to call himself “little
He” before him, Jiang Zheng!
Regardless of whether or not he could become the best
steward in the future, at least he felt really damn good and really strong
today!
Suddenly, Jiang Zheng felt an unexpected bit of confidence
in his household’s young duke.
Chapter 8: Shocking the Hall of Healing
One had to say, the engraved dragon medallion held quite a
bit of influence. Whether it was the Hall of Healing’s third hallmaster, or its
elders, none of them dared to slight a holder of the dragon medallion.
It wasn’t that they didn’t dare to insult such a character;
it was more that they didn’t wish to.
Jiang Zheng was swiftly invited inside. Apart from the third
hallmaster, there was a male and a female elder present as well, fully
demonstrating the depths of the Hall’s sincerity.
It wasn’t the first time that Jiang Zheng had come to the
Hall of Healing. The highest ranked person he’d seen before was an
administrator, and that was only in passing. He hadn’t even had the opportunity
to start a conversation.
But, today, a hallmaster and two elders were standing in
front of him and treating him as an honored guest.
Wasn’t this a drastic change in fortunes?
Jiang Zheng felt really damn good inside, but didn’t let it
go to his head. He resolutely told himself to calm down and to avoid showing
fear. He knew that these folks were not giving him face, but the medallion
instead.
Since he had the medallion up his sleeve, what did he have
to fear?
One had to give it to him, Jiang Zheng was something else
alright. The three hallmaster still couldn’t get a read on him after three
rounds of tea. He chuckled and said, “This noble sir carries a medallion
granted by the king himself. Sir must be an uncommon individual. May we glean a
bit of your purpose here today?”
Granted by the king himself? Jiang Zheng almost flung the
teacup from his hand in fright.
When Jiang Chen had given him this medallion, he’d only said
that it would be useful, but hadn’t breathed a hint that it had been bestowed
by the king himself. He finally understood why the Hall of Healing was being so
polite.
“To be honest, it wasn’t any major thing. I had come to
obtain some medicine ingredients, and to discuss a bit of business with your
Hall.”
Buying medicine ingredients was a small thing in the eyes of
the hallmaster and elders, something they wouldn't inquire further about. They
were much more interested in that ‘spot of business.’
“May we know what business this might be?” The hallmaster
inquired noncommittally. He wouldn’t rashly agree to something before gaining a
full understanding of this stranger’s background.
“I have a pill recipe here, one that has been lost since
ancient times.” Jiang Zheng didn’t bother with small talk and cut straight to
the chase. “I won’t sell this recipe, only share the profits. 50/50: you’re in
charge of the medicine ingredients, I’ll just hold ownership.”
Holding ownership and asking for a 50/50 split, this was
asking for a lot.
Even if it was an exclusive pill recipe, it wasn’t as if the
Hall of Healing had never seen it before. This fellow was really demanding far
too much. A 50/50 split, this was sheer robbery!
“Heh, the Hall has seen our share of pill recipe trade
before. We’ve always bought out the previous owner, and have no precedent for
sharing profits. And not to mention the fact that we bear the costs. This 50/50
split is… it really is… Let’s put it this way: May I take a look at the recipe
first?”
The third hallmaster didn’t shut down negotiations, but it
was obvious that he wasn’t too enthused. As for perusing the recipe, he did so
out of a sense of professional courtesy.
“You can took a look alright, I’m just afraid you won’t be
able to understand it. Ah whatever, you can have a look. I have the refining
method anyway, and I’ve left out some of the most important ingredients. Feel
free to go through it, but don’t even think about stealing it.”
Jiang Zheng generously flung out the list and spoke with a
careless, indifferent manner. He was as serene as a mountain. It was obvious to
see that he was fully comfortable with the situation by now and was interacting
with the Hall’s authority figures with ease.
The third hallmaster took the recipe, cast a glance and
slightly creased his brow. How was this a pill recipe that had been lost for
ages?
A regular piece of paper, ordinary handwriting… his first
impression was that this was a scam.
If you wanted to counterfeit an ancient pill recipe, at
least find a yellowed piece of paper and write in sagacious calligraphy.
What the heck was this?
This counterfeit seriously lacked effort. Did he intend to
use the dragon medallion to swindle the Hall of Healing?
The two elders also looked at the recipe with odd
expressions on their faces. Their gazes met, and both could read “fraud” in
each other’s eyes.
The third hallmaster took back the recipe and scrutinized it
again. His brow furrowed, “The Heavenly Karma pill. I’ve never heard of this
pill.”
“It’s a pill recipe from ancient times. Isn’t it normal that
you haven’t heard of it? If you have, would it still be a long lost recipe?”
Jiang Zheng calmly wet his lips with a sip of tea.
He put the teacup and lid onto the table with one smooth
movement. “You've seen the recipe now but can't recognize its true value. There
will be others who can. I know your thoughts. You’re thinking that this paper
and handwriting looks too commonplace, and that its a fake. Ah, whatever. One
cannot talk to summer insects about ice. If you understood, you wouldn’t need
any words of explanation. If you didn’t, then it would make no difference if I
talked until I was blue in the face. I won’t bother you anymore. Good day.”
Although Jiang Zheng spoke with a free and easy attitude,
his heart was pounding like a drum. This was his final scheme: playing hard to
get. Pretending to be a deep character, faking carefreeness.
If they didn’t fall for it, then he was really out of ideas.
“Ai. I hope that the Temple of the Farmer God or the Pill
King Garden recognizes value where it lies. Let us hope that there is not an
abundance of pill amateurs and not a single master worthy of his title in this
great capital.”
Jiang Zheng displayed flagging interest as he carelessly
stood up and prepared to leave.
The third hallmaster felt Jiang Zheng was a bit mysterious
as the latter was quite inscrutable and inexplicably free and easy. If their
guest left just like this, that meant the Hall of Healing had not offered any
insult. Logically speaking, they should be quite happy with this turn of
events.
But for some reason, the third hallmaster felt that if they
let this guest go like this, the Hall would be losing out on something.
His curiosity peaked, the third hallmaster called out, “Sir,
please hold your steps! My Hall’s lord hallmaster and second hallmaster will
return in just a few days. Although I do not know this pill, perhaps they…”
“Ah forget it forget it. Chance and luck wait for no one. I
came to the Hall of Healing on a whim today. I don’t have the patience to wait
a few days for you. Who would have thought that the great Hall of Healing would
not have a single person who can recognize the value of this recipe. What a
shame, what a pity.”
Jiang Zheng progressed through retreating, and stepped up
his game of playing hard to get.
The third hallmaster and two elders had nothing to say in
response and was about to happily send their guest along their way, when a cold
snort pierced the hallway. A haughty voice penetrated strongly through the air,
“What recipe? Such empty boasts, bring it in front of me.”
Jiang Zheng hesitated and was about to speak when the third
hallmaster smiled, “That would be elder Shun. Elder Shun is a foreigner, but
the Hall’s resident expert and a heavyweight in the pill medicine world. Even
my Hall’s lord hallmaster would have to pay his respects to Elder Shun.
“Can a resident expert make any decisions?” Jiang Zheng
stuck his nose in the air.
“If it was elder Shun doing the appraisal, the Hall would
trust elder Shun’s judgement.”
A resident expert could have such influence and sway? What
kind of resident expert was this? Jiang Zheng thought it was exceedingly odd,
but this wasn’t what he really cared about.
The pill recipe was passed over to another room, where a
white haired old man, who had witnessed the passages of time, took possession
of the paper. He glanced at it, and at first thought the same as the third
hallmaster. But he then furrowed his brow and settled into deep thought.
His frown grew even deeper after a while, and he muttered to
himself, “Can such a pill recipe exist on this earth? Can I have walked the
paths of the dao of alchemy for two hundred years, yet still remained so
ignorant?”
Elder Shun abruptly stood up and pushed open a door to step
into a garden behind the room. There was a girl dressed in pale green silk in
the middle of the garden, standing in the midst of a patch of jade green
bamboo. She was feeding some birds as the morning mist illuminated her snow
white skin, turning it as creamy as suet.
“Huang’er.” Elder Shun called.
The girl turned and displayed a stunning beauty that was as
mesmerizing as the silver moon, the white of snow, the most exquisite scenery.
A few traces of faint sorrow could be found in her brow, adding a hint of
desolation to her otherwise enthralling beauty.
To find such beauty on earth, it was a match even for the
fairies in the heavens.
“Yes, elder Shun?”
Elder Shun smiled, ”I’ve just received a pill recipe but am
unable to place my finger on it. Huang’er, will you cast an eye over it?”
The girl smiled lightly. That smile smoothed her brow and
dispersed the gloom, bringing her to life.
“If even elder Shun is unable to make it out, then Huang’er
is unlikely to do any better. Let me take a look.”
When she handled the recipe, Huang’er did not comment on the
paper or handwriting, but involuntarily gave a low gasp, “The Heavenly Karma
pill? This is an ancient recipe.”
Her expression grew even more astonished the further she
read. Finally, she read the recipe from top to bottom again, “I have once seen
this pill recipe in a precious classic book, but it was not complete. The
ingredients that were listed however, were exactly the same as the ones listed
here. The list in the classic book was not as comprehensive as the one here.”
It was elder Shun’s turn to be surprised, “So this means
that the recipe for the Heavenly Karma pill is real?”
“Real or not, Huang’er has never seen the complete recipe
before. But following this line of reasoning, it is highly likely that this
recipe is real. Elder Shun, where did this pill recipe come from?”
Elder Shun’s face suddenly came alive as an animated light
shone out of his eyes. But he seemed to think of something sad, and the light
slowly faded away again.
“Ai, even if this Heavenly Karma pill were real, it is only
the gold standard for physical hurts. It is useless against your sickness,
Huang’er.”
Elder Shun’s excitement abated greatly after he spoke.
However, Huang’er was the one who smiled and said, “Elder
Shun, matters written in the stars cannot be forced. Leave it to fate.”
The pill recipe made its way back to the third hallmaster
and elders, along with a dispassionate sentence from elder Shun, “That recipe
is most likely real, and if it goes into production, then all the healing pills
of your Eastern Kingdom, and even those of the neighboring sixteen kingdoms,
are trash compared to it. Demand will dry up as the Heavenly Karma pill will
take the market by the storm. You decide what to do next!”
It was apparent that although elder Shun was just a resident
expert, his status was extremely high and even the Hall of Healing fawned on
him.
The third hallmaster was gobsmacked. He hadn’t anticipated
that, after elder Shun’s appraisal, that fake-beyond-words pill would turn out
to be most likely real.
That was good and all, but elder Shun’s words were too
frightening. This Heavenly Karma pill would cause all other similar products to
be pulled from the shelves? This was simply too intimidating to contemplate.
This was cornering the market! To corner a market meant high
profits and extremely high return on investment. Even the mere thought of it
was enough to make someone shudder all over.
In complete contrast, Jiang Zheng was able to lay his heart
to rest when he heard elder Shun’s appraisal. What a lifesaver; what an expert!
He was truly family, someone who recognized the true value of things!
Jiang Zheng had been deathly afraid that elder Shun would
conclude with “trash” as his judgement. If that was the case, then he, Jiang
Zheng, would have been thrown out of the Hall in a dusty exodus.
But now, armed with elder Shun’s appraisal and observing the
third hallmaster’s reaction, Jiang Zheng knew that the young duke had won this
bet. He really did have help from the gods!
He had his reassurement and an ace up his sleeve, therefore
Jiang Zheng’s attitude grew even more superior. He smiled faintly, “Seeing as
the Hall of Healing is not willing to express anything, then I shall not waste
my time further then. Farewell.”
“Sir, please wait!” The third hallmaster became a little stressed
out.
He couldn’t afford not to, if this Heavenly Karma pill wound
up in the hands of the competition, then that would be an extremely bad
development. In the future, not only would the Eastern Kingdom’s market be
dominated by this pill, so would the markets of the neighboring 16 countries.
It was a terrifying thought indeed.
Chapter 9: We’re Seriously Rich
If this truly happened, the third hallmaster could almost
imagine the type of punishment he would face when the lord hallmaster returned!
Although it was just a healing medicine, it was something
that every practitioner needed. This size of this market was an astronomical
figure.
Not to mention that this was an exclusive trade, available
only at this store and no others. They would be able to corner the market with
complete peace of mind.
This type of business opportunity happened less than once in
ten lifetimes! If they missed out on it, they wouldn’t even be able to find a
place to cry.
“Sir, anything can be discussed! Our Hall offers complete
sincerity in discussing this matter. How about this, the Hall first offers ten
thousand silver as a token of our genuinity. Please treat it as a gesture of
friendship, of our desire to be friends with the noble sir. I can also be so
bold as to agree to the terms of a 50/50 split. We can sign the cooperation
contract as soon as the lord hallmaster returns.”
Jiang Zheng was so happy that flowers were almost blooming
in his heart, yet he remembered Jiang Chen’s words. Jiang Chen had said that
the 50/50 split was the bottom line. If he could negotiate an even better
split, then the additional profit would be his, Jiang Zheng’s!
Wasn’t this opportunity knocking on his door?
“Third hallmaster, I’ve already given you a chance just now,
but you did not grasp it. The 50/50 split is a thing of the past. Now, hmph! If
we don’t reach an agreement, it will be 70/30. I believe that the Temple of the
Farmer God or the Pill King Garden would still be willing even with a 70/30
split.”
This wasn’t exhortation, but a simple fact. The Temple and
Garden had always covetously eyed the Hall’s position as the pill market leader
in the kingdom. How would they pass up such an opportunity that had come
knocking on their door?
The pill medicine’s costs were roughly ten percent. Even
with a 70/30 split, there was still room for twenty percent profit.
This twenty percent profit was no small thing. Twenty
percent profit of a cornered market was still a showstopping figure. After all,
this thing would be able to dominate the markets of all sixteen surrounding
kingdoms!
Low profit margins were not a match for low margin and high
volume!
“...draft the contract immediately! Attend to me! Immediately
offer ten thousand gold to this gentleman as a sign of our sincerity!” The
third hallmaster really wanted to slap himself now. Why hadn’t he been more
enthusiastic earlier? Why hadn’t he been more resolute?
A perfectly fine 50/50 split had turned into this in a blink
of an eye.
But it was still a good deal. The third hallmaster decided
to still go through with the deal as he thought of the future potential of this
business. Best not to irk this gentleman further. The 70/30 split would become
real if he changed his mind again. That would a loss of another ten percent of
profit.
Jiang Zheng felt like he was surrounded by happiness and
contentment after he’d accepted the ten thousand gold. He patted the third
hallmaster’s shoulder, “You are quite a likeable guy. Let’s split, I’ll do 60
and you do 40. We can happily settle on this!”
Jiang Zheng almost forgot how he got home. He felt like his
entire body was floating and that he would drift away to the clouds as he
walked on the street.
He was too happy, too excited.
So excited that he almost suspected that he was dreaming!
The ten thousand gold was nothing in his eyes now. The
contract had been drafted, and he had reviewed it. He remembered that the young
duke had promised that he, Jiang Zheng would be able to keep the profits of any
split more favorable than the bottom line of 50/50.
But he hasn't signed it. After all, the young master had to
weigh in on this. He was just an underling, and didn't dare overstep his place
by signing a contract without the express orders of his master.
Jiang Zheng counted on his fingertips. If he converted this
ten percent profit into silver, then the proceeds would be enough for him to
live in style for a long while.
Delicacies from land and sea, dressed in fine attire and
riding well groomed horses, a manor and surrounding lands, home filled with
gold and silver.
At this moment, Jiang Zheng felt that this kind of life was
already staring at him in the face.
Conversing with the powerful, befriending the noble, wives
coexisting in harmony, doting on sons and grandchildren.
This kind of life was already waving to him from afar.
Regulars at the Autumn Crane, financier of the Garden of
Returning Spring, whoring with dukes and princes, drinking at the same table
with esteemed officials.
Naturally, these kinds of scenes wouldn’t be too far away!
He returned joyfully to the manor and was about to report
the good news to the young duke, but was informed that the young duke had
closed his doors for training. Any messages would have to wait.
Jiang Zheng didn’t think too much about it as his entire being
was enveloped by happiness. He simply decided not to leave, and sat down in
front of the young duke’s room, loyally filling in the role of a guard.
He still had not regained his calm after he’d sat down. He
reminisced about the young duke’s historical antics, and thought about the
astonishing events of today.
Jiang Zheng couldn’t help but suspect, “Has the young duke
been a charlatan all along? Was he testing me with those nonsensical actions
before? Was he pretending to be weak, when in fact he was quite strong?”
Whether it was being a charlatan or truly a visitation from
the gods, Jiang Zheng clearly realized that his doubts from before were quite
incorrect.
He knew that even if the young duke had no other redeeming
qualities about him, this pill recipe alone represented unlimited potential!
As the young duke’s personal body servant and steward, it
would be a grave mistake if he didn’t keep close to the young duke’s footsteps!
“I was being silly before in wanting to quit. Thank goodness
the young duke still believes in me, Jiang Zheng. I’ve got to do a good job in
the future. What does the gain and loss of a moment matter? The young duke
hadn’t made any moves before simply because he didn’t want to. Now that he’s
made one, it’s a grand gesture indeed! It looks like the young duke is no
ordinary person!”
Many thoughts were running through Jiang Zheng’s head, but
the most resolute one was that in the future, he would steadfastly follow the
young duke’s footsteps. He would not even crease his brow if they scaled
mountains made of knives, or dived into oceans of fire.
Wasn’t the goal of a steward following a master to attain
power and riches?
The more he thought, the more Jiang Zheng’s blood thrummed.
He would have more status now at home, and could lecture that yellow faced wife
of his to not be so short sighted!
Why should I, Jiang Zheng, try to one up the other stewards?
So they're momentarily wealthy and temporarily high placed, big freaking deal.
Can all of them added together measure up to my haul today?
While Jiang Zheng was happily dreaming of his blueprints to
a happy-ever-after, Jiang Chen was taking the first steps on the path of
training in both his past and present lives.
One had to say, the past Jiang Chen was the epitome of
laziness. His potential was in the top percentile amongst all 108 dukedom
heirs, but the effort he put forth was without a doubt the lowest.
“This kid was seriously a ne’er-do-well. All this potential,
wasted!” Jiang Chen was a bit dissatisfied with his past self.
The divisions of the martial dao mastery in this world were
defined by the initial step of training true qi.
In this world, the basics of martial dao were -- there were
twelve major acupoints in a person’s body, and twelve meridians flowed through
them. One could clear a meridian by clearing an acupoint, and coalesce the
body’s energy into one current of true qi.
Altogether, there were twelve meridians true qi in the true
qi realm.
But in the Eastern Kingdom, there existed no one who had
been able to obtain twelve meridians true qi by clearing all twelve meridians,
via clearing the twelve acupoints.
Therefore, a sentence existed in the world of training:
Twelve levels of true qi separate snakes and dragons.
Whether a practitioner was a dragon or snake depended on how
many acupoints he could clear in his body.
Generally speaking, clearing three meant passing. Three
meridians true qi were called the realm of initial true qi. These types of
people were a bit stronger than your average person. They were suitable for
joining the military and fighting in wars, or guarding homes.
If one surpassed three and was within six levels, that
counted as intermediate level true qi. This level of practitioner enjoyed
higher status amongst martial dao practitioners. Whether it was joining the
military or trying their hand in other professions, they would achieve good
results.
As for surpassing six levels and staying with nine levels,
then that was entering the advanced level of true qi.
There were exceedingly few within the advanced level. If one
became an advanced level practitioner, then he would be quite a character in
the Eastern Kingdom region.
Those above nine levels would be hailed as true qi masters,
but those were as rare phoenix feathers or dragon scales.
They were few and far in between in the entire Eastern
Kingdom. Anyone who could train to the ninth level or above would be
respectfully titled a true qi master and genius of martial dao.
But of course, the twelve levels of true qi were still only
a basic foundation at the end of the day. Within the realm of true qi, one was
still only a true qi practitioner no matter how strong he was. If they could
not transform their true qi to spirit qi, then their path of martial dao was
but an elusive and futile effort. All would be as ephemeral as the clouds at
the end of two hundred years of life.
Thus, there was another sentence that existed as one
ascended higher: if true qi does not transmute to spirit qi, then one is still
a worm.
Adding the two sentences together gave rise to this saying:
Twelve levels of true qi separate snakes and dragons. if true qi does not
transmute to spirit qi, then one is still a worm.
What did it mean to transmute true qi to spirit qi?
It was the act of training true qi to an utmost level,
perceiving the spirit sea, and transforming true qi to spirit qi. It was to
borrow the powers of heaven and earth, and transforming to supreme spirit
power.
Once true qi was converted to spirit qi, that was when one
shook off the shackles of martial dao and entered the dao of spirit.
Spirit dao practitioners created clouds with the flip of a
hand, and made it rain with another flip. They could summon forth the wind and
rain, move mountains and frame the sea.
It was said that even the combined efforts of ten true qi
masters would be unable to withstand a careless blow from a spirit dao
practitioner.
It would not be hyperbole to say that if someone entered the
spirit dao, then they were truly a golden scaled dragon soaring above the
clouds!
There was a legend of a strong spirit dao warrior residing
in the Eastern Kingdom. He was a recluse, hidden deeply, and mysterious beyond
belief. Even the king would have to humble himself and pay his respects to this
warrior.
The funny things was, in the world of martial cultivation,
although those walking the paths of spirit dao rarely surfaced, there were
still a few. However, there were none that numbered amongst the supreme true qi
masters.
What did one mean by supreme true qi master?
It meant a genius martial dao practitioner who had cleared
all twelve acupoints and meridians.
In the annals of its history, no one had ever given birth to
such a genius in the Eastern Kingdom. Even the surrounding sixteen kingdoms
very rarely boasted of one.
A twelve meridians true qi master was even more uncommon
than a spirit dao practitioner.
As for the ten, eleven meridians -- each kingdom had a small
handful of those.
But for reasons unknown, there wasn’t a single twelve meridians
true qi master.
Logically speaking, once someone had trained to the eleven
meridians true qi, they could absolutely continue the fight and clear the
twelve acupoint as well. But the rules of training were just that harsh.
Some geniuses arduously sought after the twelve meridians
paragon after training to the eleven meridians true qi, but ended up with
nothing in the end, and even missed out on the best timing to attempt to ascend
to spirit dao.
According to the laws of martial dao, those under 30 had the
greatest chance of transmuting true qi to spirit qi. The probability would
shrink by one half if under 40, with no chance at all after 50.
Therefore, if one didn’t make good use of time in
transforming true qi after training to the eleven levels of true qi, they would
forever lose this chance if their age exceeded the appropriate range.
Training to the twelve meridians paragon still meant staying
within the true qi realm, and one’s lifespan would not exceed 300 years.
But once a practitioner transmuted their true qi, their
lifespan would immediately jump to 700 or 800, even 1000 years, giving rise to
many more opportunities on the path of martial dao.
Therefore, ten and eleven meridians true qi masters were
always faced with this dilemma. Do they continue to explore twelve meridians
true qi? Or make the best use of their time and transform true qi to spirit qi?
This was a difficult decision, but reason would win out over
impulse for most true qi masters, and they would choose to transform their true
qi.
Although the success rate of transmuting was also low, at
least it was better than the fleeting gesture of pursuing the twelve meridians
paragon, right?
The additional years of life granted from successfully
transmuting to spirit qi were the greatest temptation of all.
Of course, the Jiang Chen of today had no time to muse on
these matters.
With his current abilities, this was all too abstract and
unattainable for him right now. It was something he did not need to think
about, for now.
The problem he faced today was to increase his strength as
much as possible in order to face the oncoming Hidden Dragon Trials. If he
couldn’t even pass the basic exams and obtain the right to compete in the
Trials, then his first steps in this newly reincarnated life would be truly too
depressing.
Chapter 10: Breakthrough, Four Meridians True Qi
The previous Jiang Chen had started training his body from
the age of six. Seeing as he was fifteen this year, he had spent seven or eight
years clearing three acupoints, and coalescing three meridians true qi.
Achieving three meridians true qi would have been quite an
accomplishment if he had been a child of any other ordinary family.
But he was the son of a duke, and had been born with a
golden spoon in his mouth. His bloodlines were good, resources abundant, and
potential excellent. To achieve only three meridians true qi after that many
years of training was quite the failure amongst failures.
“To be honest, the duke of Jiang Han is a father who
unconditionally takes his son’s side, and is quite forgiving.” Jiang Chen
sighed lightly amongst laughter, but was not depressed.
“Twelve levels of true qi. Heh, if I remember correctly,
this is a type of foundational training, merely a minor cycle of the path of
cultivation. It is the lowest level of existence amongst all types of training.
In my past life, I was the caretaker of the Tianlang Library, and was well
versed in all aspects of divine and common knowledge. Now that I have
reincarnated, how can I train in such an inconsequential path?”
Although he thought this way, reality was cruel and hash. Despite
being full of wisdom and theories, he could only resign himself to walking
these negligible paths of cultivation with the current condition of his body.
With his current body, he would probably train to death and
still have nothing to show for it if he started off immediately practicing
numerous grand methods.
Jiang Chen was a bit depressed. This was like sitting down
to a spread of delicacies from land and sea, but he was limited to pairing only
pickled roots with his rice.
However, Jiang Chen was not overly downcast as he knew --
“The path of cultivation is the same for all. Many geniuses
have emerged from ordinary commoners to ascend to legendary positions. But did
not they all start with practicing the same minor methods of martial dao? I
will observe the customs of this place and shall even improve on these minor
methods.”
Jiang Chen was quite confident.
Once he had thought through this point, his entire being
became spontaneously happy.
“Haha, I was thinking too much just now. Isn’t it such a
huge joke that I want to upend the laws of cultivation as soon as I’ve arrived
in this world? Although I can’t practice the numerous grand methods, don’t I
have numerous ways to hasten my progress in this paltry true qi realm, and
catch up to the greats?”
Jiang Chen was really fresh out of ideas if he’d wanted to
use this body to practice grand methods. But practicing the minor methods in
the realm of true qi -- he had ideas aplenty then.
“This idiot, no wonder his true qi is so frail. How is his
true qi supposed to improve when he fishes for three days and casts nets for
two?”
“And, the way he’s using to circulate qi is completely
incorrect. This method of breathing is complete nonsense.”
“My dear heavens, did this brat even spend an ounce of
effort on training? How could he even get the order of true qi circulation
wrong? What a character!”
“This is laughable. One needs to clear the twelve acupoints,
but the practitioners of this world have no method of mapping their acupoints.
Exploration is even needed?”
Jiang Chen discovered quite a few issues after a few random
circulations of qi.
The most hysterical thing was that it was an exceedingly
arduous trial each time a practitioner cleared an acupoint. A great deal of
trial and error was involved.
It was apparent to see that acupoints were scattered
randomly in each practitioner’s body, with no rhyme or reason.
But, didn’t this world have a method to locate acupoints?
Jiang Chen identified a handful of methods to locate
acupoints just by randomly searching through his memories. But what he didn’t
know was that if these methods he’d randomly plucked from memories were
disseminated into the world, they would cause great fever and upheaval.
“Ai, it would seem that the ordinary circumstances I’ve
reincarnated into are quite weak indeed, weak to the point of being in the
bottom of the ranks.” Jiang Chen had gained a further understanding of the
specifics of his current life.
At least, it was exceedingly poor in the area of training
methods.
“Maybe, Eastern Kingdom lacks resources merely in the realm
of training? Are they stronger in other fields?” Jiang Chen had no intention of
discounting anyone. He had no right to look down on even Eastern Kingdom.
After all, although he was full of the universe’s secrets,
with his current level of training, any random practitioner on the capital’s streets
could crush him as easily as stepping on an ant.
Jiang Chen corrected and improved on each of the problems he
had found earlier. He tapped into his three meridians and started circulating
three meridians qi in his body.
In the beginning, due to his inexperience, Jiang Chen found
controlling qi to be a bit difficult.
He became much more adept, and controlling the three
meridians qi was more effortless after a few cycles.
At first, the qi movement was exceedingly slow, as if worms
moving through dirt. Its movement became faster and faster over the course of
the few hours. Suddenly, the three meridians qi thundered towards some part
within the body.
They were like three floodwaters flooding the plains,
utterly collapsing and submerging a dam.
A feeling of comfort that almost made one wish to cry out in
satisfaction saturated Jiang Chen’s body, and a rush of blood went straight to
his brain.
His entire being felt incredibly comfortable, as if it was
about to take flight.
That rush of feeling formed a hot air current and flowed
down a meridian like the gentle spring rains, spontaneously creating a new
pathway within his body.
Fourth qi acupoint, cleared!
Four meridians true qi!
One had to say, this body possessed good potential to begin
with. Jiang Chen had summarized the salient points of training from his memories
and had corrected the mistakes of his past self. The results were
instantaneous.
The original pathetic three meridians true qi had
immediately ascended to four meridians true qi!
And him, Jiang Chen, had taken the step out of the realm of
initial qi and joined the ranks of the intermediate realm of true qi!
“Hahaha, who would’ve thought training is such a wonderful
feeling!” Jiang Chen’s mind was full of various thoughts at the successful
completion of him taking this step. They all poured out and came to a head,
momentarily overwhelming him with emotion.
It had not been an easy path. He was the exalted son of the
Celestial Emperor in his past life, but was unable to train due to his yin
constitution. He had waited millions of years; he’d waited until the cataclysm
arrived and obtained the right to train due to his reincarnation.
How could Jiang Chen not have mixed feelings when thinking
of all that had transpired before?
The Jiang Chen of now was like a ravenous glutton from
ancient times: full of hunger and greed towards cultivation.
Once he had stabilized the fourth meridian true qi, he chose
a “True Acupoint Resonance” method and easily pinpointed the location of the
fifth acupoint.
Of course, Jiang Chen knew that it was an easy thing to find
the fifth acupoint. But to clear this acupoint and receive a fifth level of
true qi was not that simple.
True qi would not be pure if the foundations were not firm.
He had just cleared the fourth meridian and had not yet built it up. There was
no way it could withstand a strong impact. All would be for naught if he was
impatient for progress and harmed his meridians.
Therefore, the next step was to temper the four meridians he
already controlled, and make appropriate use of the four meridians true qi.
As for ways to temper meridians, he had an abundance of
those, whether it was training methods or refining medicines. He would be able
to proceed at ten or a hundred times the pace of others.
This was his advantage, an advantage that no genius could
match!
Genius?
In this world, what genius could be more brilliant than the
son of the Celestial Emperor?
“It looks like the “True Acupoint Resonance” method does
actually locate the acupoints. I was worried that due to varying circumstances,
this method may not be effective. It would seem that the path of martial dao
all leads to the same result, despite the plethora of different ways.”
Jiang Chen was a bit self satisfied, as he knew that just
the use of the “True Acupoint Resonance” method was enough to put him ahead of
other young geniuses.
After all, the genius practitioners of this world needed to
meditate, explore and reflect in order to find an acupoint and clear a
meridian.
But he could directly locate an acupoint through a method
that did not belong in his class. This meant that he could save quite a bit of
time compared to others.
“Indeed, the deficiencies of training methods can directly
restrict the progress of a region’s practitioners.” Jiang Chen lamented a bit.
In actuality, geniuses were not separated by class. But,
there were different rankings of one’s potential to train.
How much time could be saved by the best resources and
knowledge? How many windings paths could geniuses avoid as a result?
Jiang Chen had increased confidence in his future in martial
dao thanks to these thoughts.
It was almost dusk when he left the training room. He had
been in there for a full ten hours. This would undoubtedly become prime gossip
in the duke’s manor if word got out. One had to know that the most the previous
Jiang Chen would train for was four hours.
“Eh? Jiang Zheng? What are you doing here?”
Upon pushing the door open, Jiang Chen was a bit surprised
to see Jiang Zheng sitting at the doorstep.
“Young duke, joyous tidings!” Jiang Zheng wasn’t the type to
wear his heart on his sleeve, but he had been sitting here since early afternoon.
It was now dusk; he had a belly full of good news but no one to share it with.
He’d finally awaited the end of Jiang Chen’s training, and was naturally
overjoyed.
“Don’t get worked up Jiang Zheng. So much excitement over
such a little matter?” Jiang Chen chuckled knowingly. It looked like Jiang Chen
had had a successful trip to the Hall of Healing.
“Young duke’s plans were spot on. The Hall’s people were
first arrogant, but then respectful. They ended up begging me in the end! And…”
Jiang Zheng’s features were quite animated as he was extremely excited.
“Jiang Zheng, let’s talk about these small matters later.
What about the ingredients I wanted?”
“Here, they’re all here!” Jiang Zheng’s respect for his
master grew even further. You’ve got to hand it to the young master. He sees
such a large business deal as a “small matter”.
“Go see to it that the servants prepare a large wooden tub,
and bring some additional vats of clear water to this secret room.” Jiang Chen
commanded.
“Your wish is my command.”
One had to say, Jiang Zheng was a commendable steward. He
had fulfilled Jiang Chen’s orders in less than an hour.
“Alright, Jiang Zheng, why don’t you go home. Come here and
await my orders early next morning. Give me a report on the pill recipe then.”
To be honest, the Heavenly Karma pill was just a means to an
end in Jiang Chen’s eyes. It was just a way to resolve the immediate economic
crisis in front of him.
Frankly speaking, he had absolutely no interest in either
the Heavenly Karma pill or its resulting economic effects. His attention was
not on these matters.
Things would be much easier now that he had these
ingredients.
He would be able to mostly recover from the caning injuries
after just a night’s healing.
These spirit level herbs were all basic ingredients for the
Heavenly Karma pill. Although Jiang Chen was unable to actually refine the pill
with his current foundations, he would be able to achieve around thirty to
forty percent of the pill’s healing properties through the use of certain
techniques to combine the ingredients.
That night, Jiang Chen seeped his body in the pill
ingredients, and directed four meridians true qi to continuously repair
internal damage.
Thus, a night quietly passed by...
