Chapter 1021: Stunning Veluriyam Capital
Jiang Chen’s words were a moment of enlightenment for the
clan lord. It immediately tore apart the paper that had stood in his way and
caused boundless inspiration to enter his dao heart. Emperor Peafowl smiled.
“You master is truly an astonishing person, little guy. Some words were all
that it took to manifest a new great emperor. Clan Lord, congratulations.”
The clan lord spoke in a trembling voice, “Your Majesty,
young lord… I… your subordinate is truly about to achieve a breakthrough. I can
already feel the fountain of inspiration knocking at my doorsteps. I feel that
it’s unstoppable and that it’ll break through that final barrier.”
“Haha, a couple thousand years later Veluriyam Capital
finally welcomes its eighth great emperor!” Emperor Peafowl sounded very
gratified. The fact that a new great emperor was born to Sacred Peafowl
Mountain was invigorating news to the faction.
“Your Majesty, please allow your subordinate to use the
precious land of Sacred Peafowl Mountain temporarily. I would like to enter
seclusion for several days.”
“Go and seek out Cloudsoar Monarch. He will make the
appropriate arrangements.” There was no reason for Emperor Peafowl to turn him
down. The ascension process to great emperor was a critical stage in one’s
cultivation, so a secular place like the Coiling Dragon main residence was
obviously not suitable for a breakthrough. Such a breakthrough demanded a lot
from its environment. Most importantly, the strange phenomenon caused by the
ascension to great emperor was incredibly shocking. If the breakthrough was
completed in the secular world, the Coiling Dragon main residence might be
turned upside down.
Neither Emperor Peafowl nor the clan lord wished to see
this. The emperor sighed softly. “It seems that my plans to head out must be
delayed for a moment longer. Your plans to head out will probably be delayed
for several days too.”
It was now certain that the Coiling Dragon clan lord was
going to break through to great emperor. He would spend three to five days in
seclusion and would need another three to five days to stabilize his realm. If
the entire process was finished quickly, it could be completed in seven days at
the quickest or half a month at the slowest. Once he came out of seclusion, a
new great emperor would be born in Veluriyam Capital.
The arrival of every new great emperor was a grand event in
Veluriyam Capital. This tradition had been present since several thousand years
ago. The new great emperor would be coronated, granted a new title, and allowed
to build his own sacred ground. This all required a grand celebration. As the
master and young lord of Sacred Peafowl Mountain, Emperor Peafowl and Jiang
Chen had to attend attend this celebration.
They had to support the clan lord during this celebration
because he had ascended to great emperor as a member of Sacred Peafowl
Mountain. Even after he became the eighth great emperor, he would still be
labeled as a member of Sacred Peafowl Mountain. He would be a diehard follower
of the faction.
…...
Three days later, a splendid light suddenly shot towards the
clouds. Thunderous rumbles followed as countless rainbow lights, clouds, and
birds scattered down. The powerful strange phenomenon in the skies covered the
entire air space of Sacred Peafowl Mountain. It pushed the surrounding clouds
ten thousand kilometers away. Inside Veluriyam Capital territory, every
country, city, capital, and territory under the seven great emperors’ command
were alerted by this strange phenomenon. Everyone’s gazes were fixed upon
Sacred Peafowl Mountain.
“What’s this? A strange phenomenon?”
“Considering its strength, does this mean that someone in
Sacred Peafowl Mountain has become a great emperor?”
“That’s absolutely a phenomenon that only a great emperor’s
ascension would trigger. The phenomenon caused by a normal emperor’s
breakthrough doesn’t even reach one fifth of its size!”
“Did someone reach great emperor realm in Sacred Peafowl
Mountain? Who? Is it Cloudsoar Monarch?”
“That can’t be right. We haven’t heard of any emperors who
were on the verge of ascending to great emperor from Sacred Peafowl Mountain
lately.”
“What’s going on over there?”
“Let’s go have a look!” The experts who happened to be
closer to Sacred Peafowl Mountain could no longer sit still. The birth of a
great emperor was something that happened only once in a thousand years. Not
even a great emperor would be able to sit through such a grand occurrence.
Countless experts from all kinds of forces were gathered at
the entrance of Sacred Peafowl Mountain in just a short amount of time. Out of
all six great emperors of Veluriyam Capital, Emperor Shura was the only who
didn’t show. Emperor Vastsea especially was wearing an incredibly complex
expression on his face. He stared at the strange phenomenon that didn’t fade
until a very long time later with a wordless frown.
“It really is the phenomenon of a breakthrough to great
emperor. It becomes more obvious the closer we are to it.” Emperor Void sighed.
“To think that someone in Sacred Peafowl Mountain would break through! This is
truly a place of crouching tigers and hidden dragons.”
He was a diehard supporter of Sacred Peafowl Mountain and
also the first person to exclaim his admiration. Despite Emperor Petalpluck’s
calm demeanor, he too was gladdened by the birth of a new great emperor.
“Sacred Peafowl Mountain has countless talents in their
midst. They truly are the strongest power to exist in Veluriyam Capital for
nearly five thousand years. Sacred Peafowl Mountain is the indisputable ruler
of Veluriyam Capital.”
His words caused Emperor Shura’s ardent supporter, Emperor
Vastsea’s heart to skip a beat. This was not good news for their faction at
all. It was bad enough that Emperor Shura’s ambition had been thwarted again
and again. Today, a new great emperor had emerged and shattered the silence
that had enveloped Veluriyam Capital for thousands of years. Veluriyam Capital
was about to welcome its eighth great emperor. This was an even greater blow to
Emperor Shura’s ambitions to rule over Veluriyam Capital.
Emperor Mountaincrush smiled. “We’re lonely at the top too,
aren’t we? Today, a fellow great emperor will be joining our fold. This is
truly fantastic news.”
Cloudsoar Monarch flew out of Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s
entrance at this moment. When he saw that the five great emperors had gathered
outside Sacred Peafowl Mountain, he hastily moved forward and saluted them.
“My greatest apologies for not welcoming your arrival
properly, great emperors. Please, come with me for a meeting in Sacred Peafowl
Mountain. His Majesty is already waiting respectfully inside.” Cloudsoar Monarch
was neither overbearing nor servile, but he didn’t forgo any etiquette either.
“Haha, Cloudsoar, and here I thought that you were the one
who had ascended to great emperor. So, who was it? Was it Wildfox Monarch?
Plumscore Monarch? Or Chronobalance Monarch?” Emperor Mountaincrush asked
laughingly. He had a straightforward personality.
Cloudsoar Monarch smiled. “Please come with me for a
meeting. His Majesty will personally explain this matter to you all. It’s not
my place to reveal this.”
The great emperors didn’t grow angry even though Cloudsoar
Monarch was keeping the secret. Instead, they exchanged a smile with each other
before flying through the entrance. It was obvious that these great emperors
were all itching to know the answer.
Inside Sacred Peafowl Palace, Emperor Peafowl had sensed his
guests before they arrived. He had long since given orders to prepare drinks.
As the young lord appointed by Emperor Peafowl himself, it was only natural for
Jiang Chen to stay right by Emperor Peafowl’s side. He didn’t turn down the
emperor’s request. He knew that Emperor Peafowl was purposely giving him the
opportunity to gain more exposure.
By now, the seven great emperors had shown up in the hall.
Emperor Shura was the only one who hadn’t come. Emperor Shura’s absence was
within Emperor Peafowl and Jiang Chen’s predictions. That Emperor Vastsea was
here meant that he represented Emperor Shura.
After the great emperors had taken their seats, Emperor
Mountaincrush asked impatiently before he even took a sip of wine, “Daoist
Peafowl, everyone here is anxious to know the answer. Who is the friend in
Sacred Peafowl Mountain who has ascended to great emperor? We are all peers
now, so why don’t you invite him or her over?”
The other great emperors also had a great deal of questions
to ask themselves, but Emperor Mountaincrush had stolen a march and asked what
they all wanted to know. Therefore, everyone stared intently at Emperor Peafowl
for the answer.
Emperor Peafowl smiled leisurely. “The heavens favor
Veluriyam Capital. A new great emperor is born after thousands of years have
passed.”
“Fellow daoist, please don’t keep us on tenterhooks any
longer. My heart is itching to know the answer, so why don’t you tell us who’s
the person who has ascended to great emperor before anything else?” Emperor
Mountaincrush said.
“Yeah, Daoist Peafowl, let us know the answer already,”
Emperor Void also asked smilingly.
“It’s the clan lord of the Coiling Dragon Clan.” Emperor
Peafowl stopped beating around the bush.
“What? The Coiling Dragon clan lord?”
“How can it possibly be him?”
“He… didn’t they say that his cultivation has dissipated
several years ago? In fact, he hasn’t come out of seclusion since the last
Veluriyam Pagoda gathering. Everyone thought that his cultivation had
dissipated and he passed away as a result.”
Emperor Mountaincrush smiled wryly. “What in the world is
going on, daoist? Were the rumors about the Coiling Dragon clan lord false?”
“But it’s true that he is reaching the end of his lifespan.
Everyone knows this. This isn’t fake, is it?” Emperor Vastsea himself looked a
little astonished. He could accept it if either one of the four monarchs of
Sacred Peafowl Mountain had ascended to great emperor. But the Coiling Dragon
clan lord was about to die. In fact, everyone had assumed that he was a dead
man already. Now that it was suddenly revealed that he had ascended as a great
emperor instead, it was no wonder that this news was slightly difficult to
accept.
“It is true that he was nearing the end of his lifespan, but
the rumors regarding his cultivation dissipation were fake. If that had truly
happened, how could he possibly be ascending today?” Emperor Peafowl smiled.
“It was exactly because he was nearing the end of his lifespan that he achieved
enlightenment while trapped within the great fear of life and death. Faced with
his own mortality, he fought with everything he had and ultimately found the
inspiration to go even higher. As a result, his life’s potential became active
and actually pushed him to ascend to great emperor.”
The entire hall was silent after he said this. Was there
really such a thing? This was actually the first time they had heard of a
person nearing the end of his lifespan who was able to unearth such powerful
potential. Normally speaking, such a person would appear lifeless and experience
a continual degradation of his life force and bodily functions. Logically
speaking, it shouldn’t be possible for a person like this to activate his
life’s potential. Was this Coiling Dragon clan lord a monster or something?
Although they were doubtful of Emperor Peafowl’s claims,
they had no choice but to believe him. After all, it was impossible to hide
things in such a manner. The emperor wouldn’t be saying such things if the clan
lord hadn’t really ascended to great emperor. Plus, there was no point in lying
about such a matter. Most importantly, the clan lord was a man nearing the end
of his lifespan, so how had he managed to activate his life’s potential?
This was what they were most curious about. It was because
the Coiling Dragon clan lord hadn’t looked like a man who was nearing the end
of his lifespan or experiencing cultivation dissipation when they saw him last
at the Veluriyam Pagoda Gathering. Although he hadn’t shown any signs that his
life’s potential was activated at the time, he definitely didn’t look much
different than before.
Emperor Vastsea suddenly asked, “Your Majesty, the Longevity
Pill of Sacred Peafowl Mountain can increase the lifespan of a sage realm
cultivator, am I right? Is it possible that Sacred Peafowl Mountain has come up
with a new pill that can expand even the lifespan of an emperor realm
cultivator?”
This question had come out of nowhere. Even Jiang Chen was
slightly startled. Emperor Vastsea’s intuition is pretty good. However, Emperor
Peafowl broke into involuntary laughter. “Ole brother Vastsea, you have a vivid
imagination. A pill like this may exist in the world, but at the very least I
haven’t seen such a pill despite having lived for several thousands years
already.”
Everyone laughed too. “If there really was a pill like this,
Veluriyam Capital’s pill business would absolutely be able to compete with
Pillfire City’s.”
“True, setting aside the amount of profit it would bring,
how many emperor realm cultivators would Veluriyam Capital attract if we
actually had such a pill?”
Chapter 1022: Stirring to Action
Indeed, if the Pinecrane Pill could be mass produced, it
would definitely cause many emperor realm cultivators to defect to the Capital.
However, the ingredients for the pill were simply too precious. Emperor Peafowl
felt that it was a beautiful idea not destined to happen.
“Honorable guests, the appearance of an eighth great emperor
is cause for great celebration. I’ve decided that once Emperor Coiling Dragon
comes out from seclusion, we shall immediately perform the coronation, start
the construction of his palace, and formally bestow him the title of great emperor.
I trust that everyone is fine with this arrangement?”
To be granted the title of great emperor, one had to reach
the required cultivation realm and be recognized by other great emperors. It
wasn’t difficult to find a great emperor to recognize his ascension in a city
like Veluriyam Capital. There were seven great emperors in this capital alone.
It was unlikely that the clan lord would face any obstructions. However, the
formation of a new emperor faction couldn’t be completed overnight. First, his
sacred grounds had to be cleared, the palace built, authority granted, and news
of his title publicized.
“The ascension of an eighth emperor is definitely good news
for the capital.” Emperor Void laughed. “We titled emperors should offer our
full support. Emperor Peafowl, if you need money or labor, just ask and I shall
give!”
“Haha! This is good news indeed! Count me in as well!”
Emperor Mountaincrush followed.
“My faction has always preferred the simple life, but for a
momentous moment like this, we wish to offer our assistance too.” Emperor
Petalpluck smiled.
Emperor Skysplitter was the seventh great emperor and had
ascended roughly a millennium ago. The other great emperors had provided him
with a lot of support at that time. Therefore, it would be a bit unseemly if he
chose not to contribute. “The foundations of my faction have yet to solidify,
but I will also offer full assistance, as it is the tradition of our Capital.”
Emperor Vastsea had no choice but to agree, “Since it is
tradition, the Vastsea faction will not be stingy either.”
Emperor Peafowl smiled brightly. “Very good! Our fortune
will continue as long as we remain united as citizens of Veluriyam Capital.”
News of the clan lord’s ascension to great emperor spread
throughout all corners of Veluriyam Capital just a few hours after the five
emperors had paid a visit. The news spread to even the most remote areas of the
capital and to all the other great powers in the Upper Eight Regions. Veluriyam
Capital had become even mightier than before.
Great emperor cultivators were few in numbers in even the
most powerful sects. A powerful first-ranked sect might have three or four
great emperors, while the weaker ones would have two at the very most. The
quasi-first-ranked factions had great emperors as a proof of might. Only
factions with great emperors could be considered as part of their ranks. There
were many powerful factions in the Upper Eight Regions, but there were only so
many that were as powerful as the eight foremost sects, Veluriyam Capital, and
Pillfire City. In fact, it was actually possible to count the total number of
great emperors in the Upper Eight Regions on one hand.
There was only around two hundred great emperors in total if
one counted those that were in powerful factions and ignored the recluses. If
the hermits and ancient wandering great emperors were added to the count, the
numbers might go up to three hundred.
The middle region was much worse off. It would be incredibly
impressive if they even had one or two great emperors. The great emperors in
the middle regions were all reclusive patriarchs that didn’t meddle with
worldly issues. The only exception was the Great Scarlet Mid Region. Nobody
knew for sure if they even had a great emperor. Most had the impression that
the strongest cultivators in the middle regions were only at the peak-level
emperor realm. Great emperors were the stuff of legends in that region.
One would only be certain if there was a great emperor if a
middle region was on the throes of destruction, and even then it might still
remain a mystery. Great emperors were often apathetic to worldly issues by the
time they ascended to that realm. They remained solely focused on the study of
the heavens and earth so they could make their next breakthrough.
Everyone had different desires and pursuits once they became
a great emperor, but none of them were willing to give up the study of the law
of heavens and earth. It was the only path they could take. They wanted to
understand the heavenly dao and ascend to the empyrean realm. There wasn’t much
else that could affect them once they had become a great emperor.
Veluriyam Capital was a very frightening force due to its
eight great emperors. It was definitely one of the top three most powerful
factions in the human domain. The entire Coiling Dragon Clan was over the moon
when they heard the news. They had been quite anxious in recent years because
they knew that the clan lord was on the verge of losing his cultivation. Their
stable future had become fraught with uncertainty. The clan lord had seemed
fine during the Veluriyam Pagoda gathering, but matters were worrying. They
wondered if the clan lord was only holding on with a final burst of his
lifespan.
It didn’t help that he had immediately went into seclusion
after returning to the manor and no longer handled any household matters. This
only further intensified speculation. The number of pessimists increased with
every passing day. They had witnessed the strange phenomenon in Sacred Peafowl
Mountain as well and figured that it was Cloudsoar Monarch who had ascended to
great emperor, but they were astounded by the news they received.
It wasn’t Cloudsoar Monarch; it was the clan lord! The
atmosphere in the Coiling Dragon Clan instantly reached a new high. Their
repressed emotions were unleashed all at once. The sudden reversal of their
moods sent them into a frenzy. The entire manor was in a celebratory craze.
Even someone as austere as Ji Zhongtang was bawling his eyes out. He knew full
well that he had young lord Zhen to thank for all of this. The emotions and
excitement had made him an even more resolute believer in young lord Zhen.
Ji San had no clue that this was happening, as he was still
in closed door cultivation. The clans and families under the Coiling Dragon
banner, especially House Wei, were also in high spirits. But the families that
had been on the verge of switching to another great clan were filled with fear
and anxiety. They were worried that the clan lord would see through their
wavering hearts. Correction, he was now Emperor Coiling Dragon.
The entire Veluriyam Capital was seized in a festive mood
yet again. The five great emperors returned to their respective territories
with different moods. Emperor Void was happy from the bottom of his heart,
Emperor Mountaincrush was excited for the future, Emperor Petalpluck felt
gratified, and Emperor Skysplitter felt neither happiness or grief, but his
mind was filled with questions. Emperor Vastsea was in the most complicated of
moods. He was equally as suspicious as he was envious. Logically, there should
be nothing for him to be envious about, as he was a seasoned great emperor. But
for unknown reasons, his heart was always filled with envy and jealousy. He
envied the Coiling Dragon Clan and Sacred Peafowl Mountain.
“Brother Shura, It seems your plan has become even harder to
realize.” Emperor Vastsea didn’t conceal his emotions one bit when he met
Emperor Shura. “The Coiling Dragon clan lord has become Emperor Coiling Dragon.
Like a tiger that has grown wings, Sacred Peafowl Mountain has become even more
powerful.”
Emperor Shura wore a somber expression. “Brother Vastea, does
Sacred Peafowl Mountain possess some kind of magical power? Their heir is
already as formidable as they come, and now you tell me that their subordinate
clan is just as outstanding too?!”
Constantly comparing oneself with others would only result
in anger and disappointment. The Majestic Clan of yesteryear was as powerful
and influential, but was now in ruins and destitute. Rumors had long circled
that the Coiling Dragon clan lord was at the end of his lifespan, and the clan
was at its knees. Yet, their clan remained the foremost clan in the capital
after all these years. They didn’t rest on their laurels, and in the blink of
an eye, the clan lord had become Emperor Coiling Dragon. Words could not
describe how depressed Emperor Shura was by the unexpected change.
Was Sacred Peafowl Mountain blessed with great luck? Emperor
Peafowl had already ruled for a few thousand years. It should be his turn now.
But this luck was simply too indomitable. If this went on, they would likely
still be the ruling faction for the next few thousand years. He couldn’t accept
this. His ambition had already taken root in his heart and grew stronger with
each passing day. The flower of ambition couldn’t be stopped after it had
bloomed.
“Brother daoist, maybe it is time that we resort to
backhanded methods.” Bloodthirst flashed across Emperor Vastsea’s face.
“Backhanded methods? What kind do you speak of?”
“The most extreme kind, of course. Normal methods would
never be able to topple Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s luck.” Emperor Vastsea
carried a somber expression. “Emperor Peafowl is stronger than both of us. In
other words, he is the main pillar of Sacred Peafowl Mountain. Without him,
young lord Zhen or Emperor Coiling Dragon would be no match for either of us.”
“Are you saying that we should start dealing with Emperor
Peafowl?” Emperor Shura was shocked by the proposition.
Emperor Vastsea laughed coldly. “Neither of us are a match
for him. Even if we team up, it isn’t likely that we’ll defeat him.
Fortunately, he’s an overambitious person who always puts up an altruistic act.
Because he wants to be the world’s savior, he believes that us humans are in
danger and that the demonic calamity will soon be upon us. We can take
advantage of this.”
Emperor Shura mused deeply. He understood that the
discrepancy between their strengths was simply too big to be made up with
ambition alone. Even if he teamed up with Emperor Vastsea, they would be evenly
matched at best. However, there was a lot more they could do if the demon race
was added into the calculations.
Chapter 1023: A Bit of Surprising News
“Sage brother Vastsea, this foolish brother plans to head
out on a trip,” Emperor Shura suddenly said.
“Oh? Where do you plan to go, brother?”
“The Eternal Celestial Capital,” Emperor Shura suddenly
said. “Some time ago, its master sent me an invitation. I’ve been wondering
about his intention since then to no avail.”
“Oh? This happened?” Emperor Vastsea exclaimed. “Where’s the
invitation?”
Emperor Shura waved his sleeve, sending a note straight into
Emperor Vastsea’s hands. However, Emperor Vastsea frowned when he read the
letter. “The tone of this invitation is sincere, but there’s not much to it at
all. It only requests your presence at the Celestial Capital. I wonder what his
intentions may be?”
Emperor Shura responded indifferently, “I am just as puzzled
as you are. That being said, I cannot find any malice in this invitation.”
Emperor Vastsea pondered. “The way things are going right
now, brother, it will be difficult for you to rustle up any more support within
Veluriyam Capital. Perhaps a trip outside may yield some pleasant surprises.”
“That is true. Perhaps I really should consider a different
way of doing things. Oh right, sage brother, a grand celebration will be held
to celebrate the Coiling Dragon clan lord’s ascension to great emperor. I don’t
wish to participate, so I’ll head out instead. When the time comes, just inform
the others that I went out traveling some time ago.” Emperor Shura was in no
mood to participate in Emperor Coiling Dragon’s grand celebration.
Emperor Vastsea could understand Emperor Shura’s feelings.
“Don’t worry, brother. Just leave these trivial matters to me.”
…...
The Coiling Dragon clan lord’s ascension to great emperor,
establishment of a new sacred land, construction of a new palace, crowning
ceremony, and all other kinds of celebration took almost two months of
preparation before everything was on the right track.
A new emperor faction wouldn’t rise to be on par with the
other emperor factions sans tens to hundreds of years of development. However,
Emperor Coiling Dragon’s right to speak had become a lot stronger than before.
Although he wouldn’t be on equal standings with the other great emperors just
yet, there was no doubt that his words now meant something. However, having
newly risen to great emperor, he couldn’t simply build his palace within Veluriyam
Capital either. It would have to be built in a more isolated place. Thus, the
Coiling Dragon Clan’s main residence was being used as temporary quarters and
hadn’t been dismantled just yet.
After Jiang Chen finished participating in the crowning
ceremony, he prepared to head to Pillfire City. Right now, the young lord
residence still needed Huang’er to oversee things. Therefore, Jiang Chen
ultimately decided to head to Pillfire City alone.
“Huang’er, the young lord residence still requires your
management skills. Also, if Elder Shun were to return from Myriad Abyss Island,
Veluriyam Capital would be his priority destination. I’m sorry for leaving you
behind at Sacred Peafowl Mountain.”
Huang’er was a sensible girl. She understood that currently,
there really was no one but her who could manage the entire residence. Although
both Gouyu and Xue Tong were very smart and hardworking, neither of them were
qualified to manage a property at this level. It wasn’t that their abilities
were lacking, but that they came from a small place like the Eastern Kingdom.
Although he had no qualms letting them manage a small group or two, this was a
little beyond their scope of abilities. Everyone else’s abilities and qualities
were simply inferior to Huang’er’s.
“Don’t worry, Brother Chen. Huang’er will definitely keep
everything in the residence neat and tidy. Come back soon, and take the utmost
care of yourself. Please don’t take risks, and should you run into certain
matters, remember that we are all waiting for you to return,” Huang’er
reminded.
“Don’t worry, I still have a lot of things that I haven’t
accomplished, and favors to repay. I’ll stay safe,” Jiang Chen said smilingly.
“Mm. Huang’er believes in Brother Chen.”
Jiang Chen made sure to settle everything before his
departure. Other than Huang’er and a few personal bodyguards, not even the
servants of the residence knew that Jiang Chen was about to head out.
Once everything was ready, he decided to depart Veluriyam
Capital the next morning. However, he received a visit the night before.
Surprisingly, the visitor was none other than young master Ji San. The fellow
had been cultivating in seclusion ever since he had exited the Veluriyam
Pagoda. He hadn’t come out of closed door cultivation even during Emperor
Coiling Dragon’s crowning ceremony. But here he was today.
“Congratulations for emerging, Brother Ji! It seems that
your strength has improved tremendously.” Jiang Chen only needed a single
glance to notice that young master Ji San’s strength had improved enormously.
“It’s all thanks to your gift, brother. Speaking of which, I
hear that you conquered the ninth Veluriyam Obelisk but ultimately failed to
obtain the empyrean decree and relic. What a shame. The mere thought of it
makes me want to protest against this injustice!” Ji San wrung his hands and
let out a long sigh.
“Didn’t you almost conquer the ninth Veluriyam Obelisk too?”
Jiang Chen smiled.
“That’s hardly the right way to describe it. The only reason
I said I ‘almost’ succeeded is because I didn’t want to look too bad. The truth
is, the ninth Veluriyam Obelisk was so mighty that I nearly broke down on the
spot. I doubt I can endure the ninth Veluriyam Obelisk’s pressure even if I had
another ten years to cultivate.” Ji San didn’t try to hide his failures and
spoke of everything honestly. “But you, you conquered the ninth Veluriyam
Obelisk, and failed at the last step. I can’t help but feel sorry every time I
think about it. Considering your level of talent and smarts, I’ve always
thought that there is no better inheritor for the empyrean decree and relic
than you. Unfortunately…” He couldn’t let this go.
“It’s alright. Everything in this world has its own fortune
and destiny, so perhaps this empyrean decree and relic are meant for someone
else. Speaking of your clan though, your fortune has been soaring up to the
heavens lately. Not even the heavens can stop the Coiling Dragon clan now,”
Jiang Chen joked.
“Thank you, thank you. We still have to thank you for our
fortune, however. The reason the Coiling Dragon Clan was able to reach where
they are today, why the clan lord was able to ascend to great emperor realm,
and why my martial dao potential has increased exponentially is all thanks to
you. There are very, very few people who I’ve submitted to in my life, and you
are one of them. You have my complete respect.” Ji San might not be an arrogant
person, but he was not lacking in a basic level of pride. However, there really
was nothing that he could put on airs about before Jiang Chen.
“Ah, Brother Ji, is there something urgent you’d like to
talk about since you’ve come at this time?”
Ji San smacked his head. “Man, my memory, I nearly forgot
what I came here for. It’s like this. Didn’t you tell me about your father a
few years ago? I’ve used every avenue the clan had to search for clues, and
just as I exited my seclusion today, I learned that a man asked about a few
things at an information station about four to five years ago. It seems like he
was inquiring about your mother.”
“What?!” Jiang Chen was shocked. “Can you tell me more?”
“The clan’s nations and cities in Veluriyam Capital all have
their own intelligence systems. This came from a station in a northmost
country. A middle-aged man posted a bounty at their intelligence station a few
years ago, searching for a woman born in the Upper Eight Regions who had
wandered to the Myriad Domain when she was young and returned to the Upper
Eight Regions some time later. The woman’s real name was not available in the
bounty. There was only her nickname, Ah Huan.”
“Ah Huan?” Jiang Chen frowned. His father’s letter hadn’t
mentioned his mother’s name. In fact, there was almost no exact information
about his mother at all in the letter. Jiang Chen knew that his father had been
trying to stop him from coming to the Upper Eight Regions on purpose, which was
why the letter had been vague. Therefore, he had absolutely no clue if this ‘Ah
Huan’ was his mother and if the person who had posted the bounty was his
father.
Still, Jiang Chen couldn’t help but feel a bit spirited
about the news. It was a clue regardless. Although searching after a clue like
this was no different from finding a needle in a haystack, even the vaguest
clue was still a clue. Maybe there were a lot of people who had wandered from
the Upper Eight Regions to the Myriad Domain when he was younger. Maybe the
person who had issued a bounty to search for a woman wasn’t his father at all.
But Jiang Chen wasn’t willing to let go of a chance like this.
“Tell me, Brother Ji. What is the exact location of that
intelligence station?”
“Are you really going to seek out that place, brother?” Ji
San couldn’t help but ask.
“I must. I am the son of my father and mother. How can my
mind be at peace if I were to ignore a clue like this?” Jiang Chen said firmly.
“Alright, I’ll come with you tomorrow.” Ji San volunteered
himself.
But Jiang Chen said, “The Coiling Dragon Palace has just
been built, and Emperor Coiling Dragon cannot lose a powerful helper like you.
Greater numbers will not help solve this matter faster, so I believe I should I
go there alone and investigate slowly.”
Ji San hastily said, “Family business is important, but your
business, my brother, is important too. My family can function without me, but
your business—”
“Brother Ji, I still think that this investigation should be
conducted with a low profile.” Jiang Chen turned him down gently. “You only
need to tell me the address, that’s all.”
Hearing how firm Jiang Chen’s tone was, Ji San sighed.
“Alright. Take a look, the address and the map is inside this jade token. Do
you remember the Silver Dragon Medallion the clan lord gave you last time? The
medallion will be even more useful now. Once you’re there, flash the Silver
Dragon Medallion and you can get anything done.”
The Silver Dragon Medallion represented the Coiling Dragon
Clan. Back then, Jiang Chen had lent the medallion to Liu Wencai and little
fatty Lu to ease their passage to Veluriyam Capital. It was thanks to the
Silver Dragon Medallion that they were saved from a lot of unnecessary trouble.
Even if they did run into trouble, the medallion ensured
that it would be nothing but a small scare. Apart from the seven great
emperors, the Coiling Dragon Clan was the greatest power within a ten-thousand
kilometer radius of Veluriyam Capital. Although the great emperor factions were
powerful, they seldom interfered with the secular world. Therefore, their
secular powers were actually weaker than the number one clan of Veluriyam
Capital.
Later on, Liu Wencai had returned the Silver Dragon
Medallion to Jiang Chen. He’d kept it with him since and had added the Sacred
Peafowl Mountain’s Progeny Feather Medallion as well.
Practicality wise, the latter was infinitely more useful
than the Silver Dragon Medallion. There might be factions out there who weren’t
very familiar with the other great emperors in Veluriyam Capital, but Sacred
Peafowl Mountain had been the most powerful faction to exist in Veluriyam
Capital for almost a thousand years. They were the totem and emotional harbor
of the people’s hearts. However, the Progeny Feather Medallion might not necessarily
be needed on smaller occasions. After all, it represented him, Jiang Chen.
Revealing the Progeny Feather Medallion was the equivalent of revealing that he
was the young lord of Sacred Peafowl Mountain. It would no doubt be detrimental
to his attempts to keep a low profile.
Chapter 1024: The Prancing Pony
“Northern region of Veluriyam Capital, Bluesky Nation,
Goldtower City…” By next morning, Jiang Chen had memorized all the roads and
pathways on the map in the jade token. He kept a low profile when he left
Sacred Peafowl Mountain. Once he’d exited the main territory of the Capital, he
activated Kunpeng Meteoric Escape, which increased his speed by three times.
The feeling of absolute speed cheered him up a little. He
was worried about his father, but there was little he could do. Worrying
wouldn’t help the situation one bit. The only thing he could do right now was
find his father as quickly as he could. Father, the heavens will surely favor a
good person like you. Please be safe so that we may reunite one day. If someone
really took mother away, you can rest assured that I will set things straight.
It doesn’t matter how powerful mother’s family is. I will not turn a blind eye
to this!
He was no longer the same person as before. He had improved
by leaps and bounds and could now hold his own in the Upper Eight Regions.
Also, he was the young lord of Sacred Peafowl Mountain, the future ruler of
Veluriyam Capital. Nobody would ever dare to ignore a person of his stature.
In the past, Jiang Chen would have taken three to five days
to travel from Veluriyam Capital to Bluesky Nation. But now, he reached his
destination in just half a day’s time. There was at least a hundred cities and
nations, big and small, under Veluriyam Capital’s rule. Each nation or city was
on par with a third-ranked sect. There were some even on the same level as a
second-ranked sect, but not that many of them. Veluriyam Capital’s most important
stronghold in the northern region was a notable nation on par with a
second-ranked sect.
The gate checks were much more lenient this time because
Jiang Chen was traveling to Goldtower City from the inner regions of Veluriyam
Capital. When he entered the city, he realized how influential the Veluriyam
Pagoda was in the entire region. There were also three pagodas in the middle of
Goldtower City. They copied the layout of the Veluriyam Pagodas at a one-third
fraction.
It seems that Bluesky Nation has a great sense of belonging
with Veluriyam Capital. That’s a good thing. Jiang Chen immersed himself in the
hustle and bustle of Goldtower City. It couldn’t be compared to the main
district of Veluriyam Capital, but this was the most bustling city Jiang Chen had
ever seen outside of the Capital.
The Prancing Pony was a second-rate inn in the city. It was
a place mostly visited by wandering cultivators and located in a more isolated
part of Goldtower City. It was built on a bigger piece of land because of the
distance, which was why the inn grounds spanned further than most. When he
arrived at the inn, he matched it with the map in his mind. Brother Ji said
that the information station is right over here.
Jiang Chen was dressed plainly in a disguise. He seemed just
like a common wandering cultivator. The associate didn’t seem particularly
enthused when he saw him.
“Will you be staying? That’ll be three thousand spirit
stones for a night in the sky grade rooms. There’s a five percent discount if
you stay more than three days. The earth grade rooms are one thousand spirit
stones a night, and the regular rooms are three hundred spirit stones a night.
The same discount applies for all three rooms.” The associate had memorized his
lines well, but there wasn’t the slightest hint of a professional smile on his
face at all.
“I’m looking for someone.” Jiang Chen smiled faintly.
The associate immediately frowned when he heard those words.
“You can register for bounty missions over there.” The Prancing Horse Inn ran
as an inn and also as an information station. They also provided bounty and
headhunting services.
“I’m looking for Niu Wuhua.”
“Niu… you’re looking for Steward Niu?!” The associate was
surprised at first, but his surprise quickly turned into mockery. “There are at
least ten cultivators looking for our shopkeepers every day. However… they
don’t recognize these visitors most of the time. Esteemed guest, you’re not
asking for our shopkeeper so you can ask for handouts, right?” It was evident
that the associate didn’t think that Jiang Chen was qualified to meet the
shopkeeper. He was judging based on appearances.
Jiang Chen smiled and didn’t mind. He swept his eyes across
the counter to find someone easier to talk to. Someone dressed as a manager
coincidentally walked out from a door behind the counter and heard the
associate’s words. He frowned immediately. “Xiao Wang, you’re not minding your
tongue again! How many times must I tell you to not be impudent and
disrespectful to the customers?!”
The manager was clean shaven and seemed a little scholarly.
He was much more likable than the associate.
“My sincerest apologies, dear customer. This associate is
new and is still rather unfamiliar with our rules.” The middle-aged attendant
apologized.
The Prancing Pony was a business. They would never want to
offend their customers. Besides, one should never judge others by their
appearances. There was no need to offend others, even if they were only a
wandering cultivator. The world of martial dao was simply too chaotic.
Offending someone could potentially result in a series of disasters. The
associate had been too tactless and in fact usually offended at least five
customers every day. He would have been fired from the inn in less than ten
days if his brother-in-law wasn’t one of the shopkeepers here.
The associate felt humiliated after being reprimanded.
“Manager Qiu! What do you mean by being new? I’ve been working here for at
least eight months, alright? You have no right to say that I'm unworthy! This
one here doesn’t know the rules, alright? All he talks about is looking for
someone, and even mentioned Steward Niu by his name! I’m only teaching him
manners! Is that such a big deal?”
Teaching him manners? Manager Qiu snorted coldly. How could
he teach something he knew nothing about to others? That was the joke of the
century! However, the manager didn’t want to pursue matters further in front of
the customer. He didn’t want others to think that the inn had management
issues.
“Xiao Wang, just let it go for now,” he responded
noncommittally and looked back over. Manager Qiu promptly got back to Jiang
Chen. “Honored customer, you’re here to see Steward Niu?”
Jiang Chen smiled, as he had a good impression of Manager
Qiu. “Is Niu Wuhua the shopkeeper here? I’m not sure if we’re speaking about
the same person.”
This complicated things a little for Manager Qiu. “Dear
customer, why are you asking to see Steward Niu if you don’t know his
identity?” he asked with a wry smile. Manager Qiu was starting to agree with
Xiao Wang. Was this unremarkable guy here to ask for handouts? Steward Niu was
well known for being charitable. He had helped many with their financial woes
and was loyal to his friends and generous to the needy. He was actually a
heroic figure in Goldtower City.
“Is he here or not?” Jiang Chen was running out of patience.
Manager Qiu sighed gently. “It’s been a few days since he’s
come to the inn.”
“Oh? Doesn’t he own this inn? Why wouldn’t he come? Has he
run into some trouble?” Jiang Chen frowned.
“His inn? That won’t be true in a short while,” Xiao Wang
interjected with a cold laugh.
Manager Qiu was obviously unamused by Xiao Wang. He conveyed
his displeasure thoroughly with a cold hard glare. Xiao Wang was also
incredibly thick faced and just leered back, as if he had done nothing wrong.
He obviously didn’t respect Manager Qiu very much.
Jiang Chen sniffed coldly at Xiao Wang. “With an associate
like him, I can understand why the Prancing Pony is going under.”
It was almost as though he had stepped on Xiao Wang’s tail.
The associate recoiled in fury and began to throw out expletives like a
firecracker, “You damn bastard! What are you trying to imply with that? Are you
here to pick a fight? Somebody get in here! This man is here to pick a fight
with the Prancing Pony!”
A group of fighters swarmed into the inn from behind after
they heard Xiao Wang yell. They seemed incredibly vicious.
“Which bastard is it? Where’d he get all that brazenness
from? How dare he cause trouble in our inn?!”
“Little brat! Is it you?!”
Manager Qiu immediately tried to resolve the situation.
“Leave, all of you! This is the front of the inn! We’re here to do business!
How can you be so rude in front of our guests!”
The fighters glanced at Manager Qiu, but none of them backed
down. Xiao Wang yelled arrogantly, “This bastard is clearly not here to do
business! I’m almost certain that he’s only here to pick a fight! Our inn’s
reputation will be ruined if we don’t show him who’s boss!”
There wasn’t all that many people in the inn’s hall. A few
wandering cultivators were there, but none of them wanted to be involved. They
were only interested in watching from the sidelines.
Jiang Chen clicked his tongue disapprovingly. A manager
powerless against a mere associate! Moreover, the fighters were ignoring the
commands of a manager and instead following the orders of an associate.
Management here was a mess. He began to doubt the authenticity of the inn. Did
Brother Ji make a mistake? How can a place as disorganized as this have
valuable information? It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Ji San. His first
impression of the inn was simply rotten beyond belief.
The group of fighters was actually quite strong. Three of
them were at initial sage realm, while the other three were at half-step sage
realm. They were good enough to serve as punching bags. Jiang Chen’s gaze swept
across the fighters. “What, are you going to fight me?” He sounded cold and
ruthless.
“Brat, you’ve insulted our inn! I’ll let you go if you kneel
before us and apologize.”
“If you don’t, we’ll break your legs and make you crawl out
of the inn!”
Chapter 1025: Forcing Me to Beat You Up
Jiang Chen didn't want to stir up too much trouble, but he
wasn’t about to wait around for someone to step on his toes. The fact that such
two-bit characters dared to be so boisterous right in front of him was slightly
upsetting. Normally, he would have laughed it off. But he hadn’t just come in
here for lodgings like he would have usually. He had worries weighing on his
mind… It was a very poor time for anyone to get on his bad side. The act of
provocation infuriated him.
“Crawl?” Jiang Chen smiled angrily. “Try and make me.”
“You son of a bitch! Pretending like you’re some big shot,
huh?”
“Come on, buds, get ‘im!”
“Don’t hold back! Dead or maimed, count it all on me!”
Manager Qiu knew that the thugs weren’t exactly a friendly
bunch. The Prancing Pony hadn’t been cluttered with such debris in the past,
but the past several months had changed it for the worse. The atmosphere here
was quite awful now—a public brawl was about to start! He was both pained and
anxious. “Taking a step back is both the safest and wisest choice, friend. Why
not retreat for a bit?” he called out.
He didn’t want guests to be injured at his tavern. Both the
commotion and the inconvenience to the involved parties were very undesirable.
“Retreating? I don’t think I’d be allowed to leave, anyway.”
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. “Rather than that, I’d prefer to move forward.”
He really did stride up as he said this, footsteps crunching
upon the floor. The thuggish cultivators grinned ferally to each other. They
exchanged a few glances before pouncing in sudden synchronicity, charging at
Jiang Chen all at once. They looked like a ragtag bunch that often fought
together. The way they moved and attacked in unison was impeccable. In an
instant, they shut off Jiang Chen’s every path. He was surrounded. Renewing his
smile, Jiang Chen raised a foot. An indistinguishable shadow flickered across
the space. And then—
Slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap! Six resounding slaps
were followed by six agonizing shrieks. The six vicious cultivators were sent
flying out the door like sandbags.
Thump, thump, thump. They fell on the ground heavily. Some
clutched at their faces, others at their behinds, and none of them were left
with a shred of composure. In fact, they looked positively helpless.
Manager Qiu’s mouth was agape with shock. He had foreseen
the onset of a bloodied and battered scene when the six cultivators charged.
There might have even been the drawing of blades. But the result was
jaw-droppingly different. The six heinous thugs were punted like sacks of
ballast, swatted out the door like flies. They hadn’t even reacted in time,
much less been able to resist.
This… A sliver of curiosity crept into Manager Qiu’s eyes.
They expressed a blend of wonderment, wariness, and worry. Associate Wang was
white in the face and bitter in the mouth. He stared at Jiang Chen with a
faceful of disbelief, his expression as uncomfortable as could be.
Jiang Chen looked at the associate through a half-smile.
“I’ve seen my fair share of inns on my travels, but an associate who’s more
puffed-up than his employer is a first. I know you enjoy the feeling of
pretending like you’re the boss here, so go ahead. Go call the rest of your
thugs out, hmm?”
Like most people of his ilk, Xiao Wang was a simple bully—strong
against the meek, meek against the strong. The might that Jiang Chen had
displayed at the drop of a hat scared him senseless. Call in reinforcements? He
had them, but he had doubts that they would be able to beat his problem away.
The associate was both petrified and cursing loudly. Where
did this bastard come from? He has such terrifying strength, but he pretends to
be some nobody. He shouldn’t prey on us weaklings like this… what’s the point
of him disguising himself in the first place? It was quite depressing, really.
It was the first time in a long while that he had the chance to flex his
muscles. He hadn’t expected to do so and run into a brick wall.
“F… friend,” the associate stuttered, his face all red,
“don’t… don’t be too impulsive. I… I’m… I’m Grand Steward Dong’s…
brother-in-law, at the Prancing Pony.”
“Grand Steward Dong?” Jiang Chen smiled faintly.
“Right, right, Grand Steward Dong Sheng.” Xiao Wang
unconsciously puffed out his chest as he said the name. There was a magic in it
that gave him courage and resolve.
“Dong Sheng? Don’t know him.” Jiang Chen smiled impassively.
“You… you don’t know Dong Sheng? But he’s… the grand
steward! That’s impossible?” Xiao Wang’s eyes widened. This was too incredible
for him. How could this strange customer know Niu Wuhua, the steward’s
second-in-command, but not the boss in charge?
“Why should I know him?” Jiang Chen was incredulous himself.
Beating up the miscreants had lightened his mood. This Xiao Wang was a harsh
talker, but Jiang Chen wasn’t going to give him the same kind of martial
treatment. He had beaten up those thugs only because they had started the
fight. There was no need to give someone who had only run his mouth a
thrashing.
Manager Qiu noticed easily enough—the unassuming youth
before him was a tough nut to crack. Worried that Xiao Wang’s mouth would get
either the tavern or the associate himself into trouble once more, he stepped
out from behind the counter.
“I am the manager on duty today, friend. If you’re looking
for Niu Wuhua, I’ll take you to him.” Both his look and tone were sincere. The
manager knew that upsetting the young man to any degree would be catastrophic
for the Prancing Pony. Despite Jiang Chen’s unremarkable appearance, he
instinctively felt a strange power within the youth that was likely capable of
burning the entire building to ash. It could have been a hallucination, of
course, but Manager Qiu generally trusted his intuition implicitly. Therefore,
he saw no reason to risk crisis over a few trifles.
“Manager Qiu, I respect that you’re a man with some common
sense. I’m looking for Niu Wuhua. I don’t know anyone else, nor am I interested
in them. If you know where he is, please take me to him. Don’t worry, I’ll make
it worth your while.” He grinned winningly.
Manager Qiu, meanwhile, was here purely to avoid future
conflict. “That would be part of my job description, friend.” He tried to
return the smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. “I’d do it whether you
made it worth my while or not. This way, please.”
“Hold on!” Xiao Wang piped up, slamming the counter angrily.
Manager Qiu’s eyes looked at the associate chillingly. “Are
you going to continue being so impudent, Xiao Wang?”
Xiao Wang was full of suspicions about every which thing. In
fact, he suspected that Manager Qiu might have invited the youth to act out the
scene, with him as the audience.
“Why are you taking him away like this, Manager Qiu? He was
boisterously rude and even harmed our people. Are you even part of our tavern?
Are you favoring outsiders instead?” His tone became more and more harsh.
“Absurd!” Manager Qiu’s own face fell. As an honest
gentleman, he had no interest in debating with arbitrary ruffians like the
associate. Taking in a deep breath, he turned to Jiang Chen again. “Friend,
he’s just arrogantly abusing his own position. He’s a youth that hasn’t
experienced life’s difficulties. Let’s not take him too seriously, eh?”
He’d said this in a very low voice. Xiao Wang failed to
overhear any of it, regardless of his eagerness to eavesdrop.
“I wasn’t going to in the first place. There’s no reason for
me to teach an employee anything on your behalf.” Jiang Chen smiled heartily.
He strode out the Prancing Horse’s door as he said this, following closely
behind the manager.
“Don’t you dare run, kid!” Xiao Wang was at his wit’s end.
Jiang Chen paused. The manager was staring him with an
almost begging look, and he couldn’t respond with much else than a wry smile.
“I’ll give you some face, Manager Qiu.”
“If you know Steward Niu, then please give him face instead,
friend. Xiao Wang is a rude one indeed, but he was put here intentionally by
Grand Steward Dong Sheng to stir up trouble. To put it plainly, he wants to
supplant Steward Niu and force Steward Niu to give up his portion of the
business. That way, Grand Steward Dong Sheng will become the tavern’s only
boss.”
“So the Prancing Horse has two owners, then?”
“There are a few more than that, but they’re the most
prominent. Grand Steward Dong Sheng has a forty percent stake, and so does
Steward Niu. The remaining twenty belongs to the other few bosses combined.”
“You have some stake yourself, don’t you, Manager Qiu?”
Jiang Chen asked with a half-smile. He had observed easily enough that the
manager was more mindful about the tavern’s business than most. Without his own
horse in the race, there was no reason for him to be so tense or careful. Grand
Steward Dong Sheng’s brother-in-law was the troublemaker in this situation.
Someone not directly benefiting from a solution wouldn’t make an enemy of
someone like him.
“You have sharp eyes. May I ask how you’re related to
Steward Niu?” Manager Qiu inquired curiously.
“We’re not related.” Jiang Chen shook his head. “Though I
suppose we might be, after today.”
These words confused Manager Qiu quite a bit. He had no idea
what the young man meant.
Jiang Chen followed the manager on a thirty-minute walk to
Niu Wuhua’s private residence. The opulence of the place belied how much wealth
the steward was raking in. Its craftsmanship was artful and luxurious. A lot of
work had been put into the home.
The servants and inhabitants of the residence were wary of
the fact that Manager Qiu had led a stranger here. The Prancing Pony was in a
complicated state of affairs. There were visible flashes of steel beneath a
quiet surface.
“You’re not here without good reason, Manager Qiu. What have
you come for today?” The guard-captain of the residence had the surname Niu as
well. His name was Niu Ben.
“Captain Niu, this friend asked to see Steward Niu. He’s had
a misunderstanding at the tavern with Xiao Wang, and I’m worried that it’ll
escalate into something bigger. That’s why I took him here straightaway. Please
excuse the lack of notice.” Manager Qiu was a polite man, measured in every
regard.
Captain Niu scrutinized Jiang Chen cautiously. “Do you know
the steward that lives here, friend?”
“I don’t know him, nor he I,” Jiang Chen smiled, “but maybe
he’ll know what this is.” He took out a box as he said this. “Take this inside.
Let him have a look at it.”
Chapter 1026: The Arrival of Steward Nius Hoped Savior
The box looked very average. Nothing could be assumed from
its appearance. However, Captain Niu was experienced and knowledgeable. He
noticed that Jiang Chen’s bearing and manners didn’t quite match his ordinary
appearance. Normally, the only explanation for this was that this was a
purposeful disguise. Captain Niu didn’t dare slight Jiang Chen. He accepted the
box and quickly delivered it inside.
Ultimately, Steward Niu was just a shopkeeper in the
Prancing Pony. He wasn’t actually an all too important figure of Goldtower
City. That was why the people of Niu Manor didn’t dare act too ostentatiously.
When Manager Qiu saw the calm smile on Jiang Chen’s face, he couldn’t help but
ask, “Did you store a treasure in that box, my friend? Are you planning to use
it to bribe Steward Niu? Listen, Steward Niu is a person who’s loyal to his
friends and generous to the needy. He seldom accepts gifts from his friends.”
Jiang Chen shook his head with a wry smile on his face. “I
doubt he’ll dare to accept the box even if I did mean to gift it to him.”
Manager Qiu looked stunned. That was a bold claim. The
steward wouldn’t dare accept this gift? Was there a gift in this world that one
wouldn’t dare accept? While Manager Qiu still wore a puzzled look on his face,
a series of rapid footsteps suddenly rang from inside Niu Manor. Steward Niu’s
voice could be heard while he was still far, far away. His voice sounded a little
trembling and even fearful. “Where? Where is he? Where is my important guest?
Captain Niu, how foolish can you be, how dare you slight my important guest?
Foolish, how foolish!”
Manager Qiu was surprised at hearing Steward Niu’s voice
long before he showed up and was even more stunned by his words. What did he
mean by that? His important guest? Steward Niu seldom criticized his
subordinates, much less his most competent subordinate, Captain Niu.
In fact, he couldn’t remember Captain Niu ever receiving a
single word of criticism. Just how important was this guest to make Steward Niu
lose so much of his composure?
Manager Qiu’s curiosity was greatly piqued. As of late, the
Prancing Pony’s situation was quite precarious, and it filled Manager Qiu’s
heart with worry. Although his share in the Prancing Pony was small, this place
held a lifetime of livelihood and hope to him. That was why he didn’t wish to
see Grand Steward Dong Sheng take the inn all for himself. Therefore,
emotionally speaking, Manager Qiu was on Niu Wuhua side. Still, just who was
this young man to make Steward Niu rush out so urgently in welcome and nerves?
While Manager Qiu was still caught up with surprise, Niu
Wuhua’s fat, round body finally ‘rolled’ to a stop. When he saw Jiang Chen and
Manager Qiu, Niu Wuhua immediately went over to the former. “Important guest,
what an important guest! I never would have imagined that I would have the
honor of meeting the disciple of a great emperor faction in my lifetime. If I
may ask, are you the legendary young master Ji San who nearly conquered the
ninth Veluriyam Obelisk?”
Jiang Chen nearly broke out in laughter when he heard this
question. Young master Ji San? This Niu Wuhua had actually mistaken him for Ji
San! But then he remembered that he had changed his appearance. Niu Wuhua has
probably never seen Ji San in his life. Therefore, he could only go off of
first impressions.
Jiang Chen was just about to deny it when he realized that
pretending to be young master Ji San… wasn’t exactly a bad idea. He smiled
faintly and didn’t deny the name. Knowing Ji San, he wouldn’t feel unhappy even
if he learned that Jiang Chen had pretended to be him. On the contrary, he
would find the situation very interesting.
Young master Ji San was incredibly well known as of late. In
Veluriyam Capital and all of the territories it ruled, he was the hottest
topic, second only to young lord Zhen. It would in fact, be difficult for this
genius who had nearly conquered the ninth Veluriyam Obelisk not to become famous.
After all, young master Ji San’s achievement had surpassed all other young lord
level geniuses’ achievements except young lord Zhen’s.
That was why Manager Qiu had trembled all over when he heard
the name “young master Ji San”. His bewildered look had immediately turned into
one of great adoration. Captain Niu was obviously stunned by Niu Wuhua’s words
too. What? Young master Ji San? The chosen successor of the eighth great
emperor, Emperor Coiling Dragon? The top-rate genius who had nearly conquered
the ninth Veluriyam Obelisk? Had he truly closed the door on such a person just
now?
Captain Niu felt a chill grip his heart. He was filled with
fear and worry. Had “young master Ji San” been someone else, he would have only
been doing his job in keeping this person outside of the door. But this was a
young lord genius from Veluriyam Capital! This was an important figure who
would almost never make an appearance in Goldtower City, someone as
unapproachable as a god.
Niu Wuhua thought that he had guessed correctly since Jiang
Chen didn’t object to the appellation. He immediately knelt. “Please forgive me
for not coming out sooner to welcome you, young lord.”
Captain Niu was dumbstruck by this scene himself. He
subconsciously knelt and saluted. “I’m sorry to have disrespected you, young
lord. I am blind to not have realized your arrival.”
Manager Qiu’s knees also turned weak. “Young lord… my eyes
are just as blind. How blind I am!”
Jiang Chen smiled. “There is no need for such courtesy,
everyone. I haven’t come here to meet Steward Niu as a young lord today. If it
suits you, shall we speak inside your manor?”
Niu Wuhua stood up and spoke respectfully, “Of course, of
course, please come in, young lord. Niu Manor has seldom welcomed such an
esteemed guest, so please allow me to show my respects, young lord.”
Manager Qiu was indescribably stunned too. He finally
understood why the young man was as confident as he was, and why he hadn’t even
batted an eyelid at Xiao Wang’s taunts. He had beaten up the thugs and claimed
that it was of no consequence. He didn’t even feel a bit of guilt or fear after
beating them up. So this was the reason. He was a young lord. Would a young
lord of a great emperor faction be afraid of a mere shopkeeper? Even if they
were a power that was three to five times bigger than the Prancing Pony, what
difference would it make? They could still be crushed as easily as an ant.
A young lord… Manager Qiu was extremely moved by this turn
of events. He was afraid, but he also felt vaguely excited. His fear came from
the natural fear of those with great power and influence. His excitement came
from the baseless assumption that the arrival of a great emperor disciple might
change the fate of the Prancing Pony. If his eyes weren’t deceiving him, could
young master Ji San be the reinforcement Niu Wuhua had invited to save the
Prancing Pony? Was he here to support Niu Wuhua and take that Grand Steward
Dong Sheng down a peg?
If this really was the case, then it was nearly impossible
for Dong Sheng to devour Niu Wuhua’s shares for himself. He might even lose all
the shares he currently possessed. Dong Sheng no doubt had a few backers of his
own, but if Niu Wuhua’s backer was a great emperor faction, then all the
backers that Dong Sheng had found in Bluesky Kingdom and Goldtower City would
amount to nothing. Even the monarch of Bluesky Kingdom had to take orders from
the ruler of Veluriyam Capital, Emperor Peafowl himself.
Moreover, the Prancing Pony was hardly the best tavern that
existed in Goldtower City, much less in the vast territory of Veluriyam
Capital. Therefore, Dong Sheng’s backer couldn’t possibly be the monarch of
Bluesky Kingdom. Niu Wuhua and Manager Qiu carefully and apprehensively
attended to Jiang Chen.
He inquired about their troubles after seeing the look of
deep worry on their faces. And so the duo told Jiang Chen about the grand
steward’s ambition to buy out their shares in the Prancing Pony at a cheap
price and take everything for himself.
Dong Sheng had not only utilized both legal and illegal
channels in order to fulfill his ambitions, but he had also recruited his
wife’s younger brother. That Xiao Wang was definitely a qualified shit-stirrer.
He had managed to create all kinds of trouble and mire the Prancing Pony in a
foul atmosphere in just a few months’ time. Worse, this tactic was incredibly
effective. Niu Wuhua had grown so angry that he’d almost vomited blood. He had
no choice but to rest for a few days to sort out his feelings.
Niu Wuhua thought that he might die from an excess of anger
if he were to visit the Prancing Pony every day. Although he had employed some
countermeasures of his own, he couldn’t defeat Dong Sheng. Therefore, he had been
pushed around a lot recently. The inn’s business had also suffered a
devastating decline.
Manager Qiu was one of the few people who shared Niu Wuhua’s
feelings. Although his business share was small, he sympathized greatly with
Niu Wuhua’s plight. The Prancing Pony was theirs, and yet they were being
forced to sell it to others at a low price. After they had refused, the other
party even used all kinds of shameless tactics to force their hand.
Dong Sheng had nearly succeeded. It was during this moment
that Niu Wuhua had coincidentally learned that Emperor Coiling Dragon was
investigating something. That was why Niu Wuhua had tentatively sent the news
to Emperor Coiling Dragon’s faction.
Young master Ji San had sent this request through his clan’s
channels and Niu Wuhua just so happened to see it one day. It reminded him of
an old incident from a few years ago that matched many of the details described
in the request. That was how Niu Wuhua had sent out the gesture of goodwill in
hopes of finding a powerful backer. If he could secure a relationship with the
Coiling Dragon faction, the Prancing Pony’s business would be secure for at
least ten thousand years. He might even be able to force the Grand Steward Dong
Sheng to spit out his own business share.
Jiang Chen finally learned the ins and outs of everything
after listening to Niu Wuhua’s explanation and Manager Qiu’s occasional input.
He wasn’t really willing to interfere because this was the Prancing Pony’s
internal matters, but if Niu Wuhua abandoned himself to despair because of
this, it was likely that he wouldn’t do his best with what Jiang Chen asked of
him. Jiang Chen immediately flashed a faint smile. “There are rules to doing
business. If you don’t want to sell your shares to the grand steward, there’s
no way he can force you to do so. Veluriyam Capital’s laws exist for a reason.
All those who break the law shall be punished.”
Although it wasn’t a promise, it was close to one already.
Niu Wuhua was overjoyed when he heard this. Manager Qiu’s eyes were also alit.
It was obvious that they had found a trace of hope.
“If you’ll uphold justice, then Dong Sheng wouldn’t dare act
wantonly even if he is powerful beyond measure, young lord.” Niu Wuhua’s face
lit up with delight.
Manager Qiu also said sincerely, “Please uphold justice,
young lord.”
Jiang Chen smiled. “I have need of you, so if you truly
don’t wish to sell your shares to the Dong Family, then no one can take them
from you. I can guarantee you this at the very least.”
Forget that he was actually the young lord of Sacred Peafowl
Mountain, even if he was just the young lord of the Coiling Dragon Clan, it was
still enough power to settle this business. Even if Dong Sheng had all the
power in the world, there was no way he could challenge the disciple of a great
emperor faction.
Chapter 1027: Searching For News of Parents
Why had Niu Wuhua come out so hastily to welcome Jiang Chen?
He’d seen the Silver Dragon Medallion and knew that it was second to only
Emperor Coiling Dragon’s Golden Dragon Medallion. That was why he didn’t
suspect Jiang Chen’s identity at all. He knew that this was an important figure
and backer who could change his fate.
Although Manager Qiu guessed from Jiang Chen’s appearance
that he was probably an extraordinary young man, he didn’t believe him
entirely. A bit of doubt and suspicion still lingered in his eyes. Naturally,
his suspicion didn’t escape Jiang Chen’s attention. He smiled casually at
Manager Qiu.
“Manager Qiu, you seem to be suffering from some hidden
illness. Did you experience an inner energy reversal three to five years ago?
And did you almost experience a cultivation deviation?”
Manager Qiu’s entire body shook when he heard this. An
astonished light filled his eyes. Only a few people close to him knew about
this matter, much less an outsider. But this young master Ji San had figured
out this many of his symptoms with just a few glances. Just… just how great
were his observation skills?
“It wasn’t really a big issue, but unfortunately you didn’t
resolve it in time. That’s why it became a substantial problem after a few years.
For the last few months, you’ve realized that your cultivation efforts have
been useless, haven’t you?”
Niu Wuhua couldn’t help but cast Manager Qiu a slightly
surprised glance. The manager’s face was pale white, like he had just seen a
ghost. Jiang Chen smiled, knowing that he had struck the most sensitive spot in
the manager’s heart. He immediately stopped talking.
Manager Qiu trembled all over. He knew very well that his
actual condition was even worse than what young master Ji San had described. As
of late, the troubles he had encountered during his cultivation and business
made every day feel like a living hell.
Manager Qiu’s face contorted and spasmed. He couldn’t stop
himself from asking in a shaky voice, “Young master, can my illness still be
treated?”
It was obvious that he feared for his life. Jiang Chen
stared at Manager Qiu with a half-smile. “Naturally, there is a way to treat
your illness. However…”
Manager Qiu collapsed on his knees before Jiang Chen could
say another word. “Please be merciful and show me the light, young master.”
The Prancing Pony had no relations to the Coiling Dragon
Clan. Therefore, Manager Qiu didn’t count as a subordinate of the Coiling
Dragon Clan. On the other hand, Niu Wuhua was slightly related to the clan. His
status was just too low that he’d almost never had an opportunity to curry
favor with the clan directly. Right now, Jiang Chen’s appearance in the guise
of young master Ji San invigorated him greatly. He thought that his savior had
arrived. That was why Niu Wuhua had acted as humbly as possible. He knew
exactly what kind of situation he was in.
He couldn’t help but give Manager Qiu some guidance when he
noticed that the manager was still somewhat confused. “Manager Qiu, you’re a
smart person. It wasn’t easy for you to get to where you are now. However, if
you have a better backer, I am sure that you can climb even higher, considering
your abilities. The young master has pointed out your problems and shown you
the light, so what else are you waiting for?”
Manager Qiu was a smart person to begin with, so he grasped
the situation after Niu Wuhua’s advice. He hastily knelt on the floor. “Young
master, I am a foolish man. If you are willing to enlighten me, I will give my
life to the Coiling Dragon Clan. You will be my savior, young master.”
Niu Wuhua was also staring at Jiang Chen with hope and
expectation. He held a genuine appreciation of Manager Qiu. Although they were
friendly with each other, they weren’t particularly close because they didn’t
belong to the same faction. However, if they could solidify their alliance
through a connection with young master Ji San, then their chances against Grand
Steward Dong Sheng would be much greater. Plus, young master Ji San would be
around to help as well.
“Please, get up so we may speak properly. Your illness isn’t
too serious nor too minor. It depends on who your doctor is. I will write out a
prescription. Take your medicine as suggested, and if you experience any
lingering effects, you may visit me in Veluriyam Capital. That being said, I
believe your illness can be cured completely.”
Be it the nations or the cities under Veluriyam Capital’s
rule, they all greatly admired the rich and powerful of Veluriyam Capital. The
Coiling Dragon Clan had been unapproachable even when it was just the number
one clan of Veluriyam Capital, much less the great emperor faction it is now. Therefore,
Manager Qiu didn’t suspect Jiang Chen’s words at all. Rather, he was quite
filled with joy.
“Thank you, young master. I must have done much good in the
past to be saved by the young master himself. From today onwards, I shall obey
all of young master’s commands.”
Niu Wuhua smiled. “Manager Qiu, this is a favor that others
cannot earn even if they wanted to. You are right to say that this is a
fortunate occurrence.”
Manager Qiu nodded repeatedly. Jiang Chen grabbed a brush
and paper before writing out a prescription. “Take this two times a day. I
guarantee that you’ll be cured three months later.”
Manager Qiu’s illness wasn’t really all that serious; it was
just that he had no idea how to cure it. As the saying went, education
separates the fool and the wise. Jiang Chen looked at Niu Wuhua again and said,
“Shopkeeper Niu, do you still remember the details of that information?”
Niu Wuhua snapped to attention since Jiang Chen had moved
onto the main topic. He thought carefully before responding, “I believe this
incident should have happened six, seven, or even eight years ago. I don’t
quite remember the details because it has been a very long time. However, I
recalled that a man had posted a bounty here because I was reviewing some old
missions a few days ago. I thought that it was somewhat related to the clues
the clan had asked us to investigate.”
“Do you still remember what the man who posted the bounty
looked like? What exactly did the bounty say?” Jiang Chen worked hard to
suppress the excitement in his heart.
“He was a vigorous, middle-aged man. His cultivation wasn’t
very impressive, and the reward for the bounty wasn’t very high either. I
vaguely remember that he had a black mole at the bottom right corner of his
mouth.”
A black mole? Jiang Chen was moved. He remembered clearly
that his father had a black mole at the bottom right corner of his mouth. This
revelation made his blood boil with excitement. He was almost certain now that
this person was his father, Jiang Feng.
“Do you still have the bounty he posted back then? Show me.”
“Yes, I do. I’ve already made a copy of it. Please, have a
read.” Although Niu Wuhua didn’t know why young master Ji San was so concerned
about this bounty, he could clearly feel the deep emotions behind his inquiry.
Since the reward wasn’t high, the contents of the mission were very simple. The
issuer wanted to know if a baby girl had been abandoned in the Myriad Domain by
any Upper Eight Regions power within the past fifty years and had been brought
back twenty to thirty years later.
The content of the mission was somewhat vague. Jiang Chen
read through it a couple of times, and the more he looked at it, the likelier
he thought that it was his father’s. In this lifetime, he was twenty plus years
old. If his parents had been very young when they’d given birth to him, they
should be around their forties at most. Therefore, the request for information
about a baby girl abandoned in the Myriad Domain fifty years ago did fit his
mother’s supposed age. The specification that she had been taken back to the
Upper Eight Regions later also fit.
All these details proved that the mission had most likely
been posted by his father, and the small bounty indicated that his father had
been rather poor at the time. As a result, no one had accepted the mission. It
was very likely that the reason the mission remained untouched even though
seven or eight years had passed was because the reward had been too small.
Seeing that Jiang Chen was quietly pondering, Niu Wuhua and
Manager Qiu dared not let out a sound.
I was in Veluriyam Capital for about three years and for
another five in the Veluriyam Pagoda. The Eternal Celestial Capital and Great
Scarlet Mid Region likely hadn’t started hunting for me when the mission was
posted, had they? If the hunt had started around that time, Jiang Chen was sure
that his father wouldn’t have been able to hold himself back. He wouldn’t have
the mind to post that bounty either. In that case, seven to eight years was
actually a conservative estimate. The bounty had likely been posted almost ten
years ago.
Ten years had passed since the bounty had been posted, and
Jiang Chen dared not make any further inferences. Although his father had some
money with him, he’d probably ran out on the way from Skylaurel Kingdom to the
Upper Eight Regions. Without money, his father’s situation could only be worse
in a place like the Upper Eight Regions. Jiang Chen’s heart burned with anxiety
at the thought of this.
“Shopkeeper Niu, were there any new clues regarding this
mission?” Jiang Chen suddenly looked at Niu Wuhua and asked in a complicated
tone.
Niu Wuhua shook his head. “The person who posted it never
showed up afterwards. That being said, I believe that I’ve heard a similar
story somewhere.”
“Hmm?” Jiang Chen raised his eyebrow. “You mean the story of
an Upper Eight Regions baby being abandoned in the Myriad Domain?”
Niu Wuhua seemed worried that he might say the wrong thing.
He only nodded after thinking for a moment. “It’s just gossip that I picked up
somewhere. I can’t say for sure whether it’s actually true.”
“Tell me.” Jiang Chen shot him an encouraging look.
“Um. I accidentally came upon this during an outing. I was
executing a mission and had to pass through the Tilted Moon Region. It was
there that I heard that a holy maiden of the Moon God Sect, a first-rank sect
in the Tilted Moon Region, had once gone missing.”
“Moon God Sect? Tilted Moon Region?” Jiang Chen’s eyebrows
moved. “Is this reliable?”
“I don’t know if it’s reliable. I heard the rumor in a pub.
The Moon God Sect seemed to have rediscovered their holy maiden, but the holy
maiden felt no sense of belonging in the Moon God Sect. Sadly, this holy maiden
was tied to the Moon God Sect’s fortunes, so opinions regarding the holy maiden
were incredibly divided. Some people hated her deeply because they thought that
a holy maiden who had lost her purity while astray in a lower region should be
punished by death from a thousand cuts. On the other hand, some people thought
she was the key to maintaining the Moon God Sect’s fortunes, and that killing
her would be the equivalent of slaughtering their sect’s fortunes...” Niu
Wuhua’ words caused Jiang Chen’s insides to churn with emotion.
Chapter 1028: A Way to Repay a Favor Once and for All
Regardless of the reliability of the news or whether it was
even relevant, it was still very important. Jiang Chen couldn’t ignore it no
matter what.
“Shopkeeper Niu, was this mission widespread?” He couldn’t
help but ask.
“The Tilted Moon Region is situated in the northwestern
region of the Upper Eight Regions, so few people in Veluriyam Capital know
about this. However, this mission was somewhat known to the areas north of the
Upper Eight Regions. Of course, the news didn’t travel very far since it was
considered minor. No one thought much of it even if it was brought up during a
conversation. The only reason it was even mentioned was because a first-rank
sect was involved. Had it been a second or third-rank sect, no one would have
mentioned it at all.”
A first-rank sect normally earned more attention because
there weren’t many true first-rank powers in the Upper Eight Regions. Veluriyam
Capital was located to the south of the Upper Eight Regions, whereas the Tilted
Moon Region was situated to the northwest. As the crow flew, they were about
300,000 miles apart. If someone were to travel on foot from Veluriyam Capital to
the Tilted Moon Region, they would have to walk at least a million miles. If
one were to factor in the potential mishaps during such a long journey, then it
was literally impossible for a normal person to travel from Veluriyam Capital
to the Tilted Moon Region without taking at least three to five years.
Jiang Chen thought about all this carefully. “Are you sure
that you’ve heard nothing about the person who posted the bounty since?”
“Mm, I have heard nothing about him since. He’s probably a
long ways away from Veluriyam Capital now. His cultivation wasn’t very high,
and considering his strength, he would probably have to travel at least seven
to eight years to reach the Tilted Moon Region. If he was looking for the holy
maiden of Moon God Sect, then his final destination must be the Tilted Moon
Region, right?”
Because he had no idea who this person was to young master
Ji San, Niu Wuhua didn’t dare make a careless comment. Frankly speaking, he
quite doubted that the poster could make it to the Tilted Moon Region alive. To
travel from Bluesky Nation to the Tilted Moon Region was to traverse more than
half of the Upper Eight Regions. It was just too unlikely for a weak cultivator
to reach the Tilted Moon Region without running into any troubles at all. The
chances of success were almost nonexistent.
Moreover, the poster had obviously never heard of this rumor
regarding Moon God Sect. Therefore, he might not even be aware that he should
start his search by travelling to the Tilted Moon Region. Jiang Chen was
content with what he’d learned from Niu Wuhua, even though the intelligence was
somewhat indefinite. It had all happened far too long ago. That Niu Wuhua even
remembered some of it was quite impressive already. It would be entirely normal
if he’d forgotten about the details of a small bounty from almost ten years
ago.
The Tilted Moon Region, Moon God Sect. Jiang Chen quietly
repeated the words to himself. He had already made up his mind to check it out.
In any case, if he wanted to travel there, he would have to pass through
Pillfire City. Pillfire City was situated in the north of the Upper Eight
Regions, whereas the Tilted Moon Region was found to the northwest of Pillfire
City.
Of course, he could also choose not to pass through Pillfire
City. There was a desolate, ten-thousand mile stretch of mountain ranges to the
south of the Tilted Moon Region. If he chose to go down that path, he would
have to pass through desolate and uninhabited mountain ranges. Mountain ranges
like these were normally ripe with all sorts of monsters and extremely
dangerous to traverse. Therefore, most cultivators who wished to go to the
Tilted Moon Region chose to pass through Pillfire City.
Jiang Chen had already mentally mapped out a route. He would
head to Pillfire City first and save Mu Gaoqi. Then, he would go northwest to
the Tilted Moon Region and inquire about the Moon God Sect.
“Steward Niu, your intel is very useful to me. Where does
Grand Steward Dong Sheng live right now?” Jiang Chen asked.
Niu Wuhua felt a spike of joy when he heard Jiang Chen
asking about Dong Sheng’s dwelling. He knew that the young master was going to
defend him now. For a moment, he was so excited that he wasn’t sure what to do.
The only thing he thought of lately were ways to reject Dong Sheng’s demands.
He hadn’t actually thought of plotting against the grand steward. Therefore, he
was actually at a loss when Jiang Chen asked him what he wanted.
“Tell me, what is your bottom line?” Jiang Chen smiled
faintly.
“My bottom line is to protect my share and not let Dong
Sheng take everything. Plus, he’s absolutely unqualified to run the Prancing
Pony’s business.”
Manager Qiu also echoed these sentiments. “The grand
steward’s actions show that he’s too selfish. He allows his idiotic
brother-in-law to cause chaos in the inn just for the sake of his own goals.
The current inn is a foul place to be in.”
“If that’s so, then let us have Dong Sheng surrender his own
share,” Jiang Chen said indifferently.
“Ah?” Niu Wuhua was stunned by those words.
Manager Qiu’s mind also blanked for a moment, his mouth
falling open in disbelief. Have Dong Sheng give up his own share? Wasn’t this
turnaround a little too abrupt? He was demanding they hand over their share.
But the young master was going to completely turn the tables on him? Was that
even possible?
Niu Wuhua smiled wryly. “Young master, that Dong Sheng…
seems to have some powerful backers. I hear that the vice city lord of
Goldtower City has a son who’s close to Dong Sheng. It appears that they’re
sworn brothers.”
“Vice city lord?” Jiang Chen looked startled. “Does the vice
city lord have the final say in Goldtower City?”
Niu Wuhua started, then shook his head involuntarily. “Not
really, the city lord is normally the one who has the final say, although there
are some exceptions. After all, this is Bluesky Nation. The monarch of Bluesky
Nation is the one who has the final say when major events are involved.”
“Then there’s no problem, is there? If the vice city lord
himself can’t decide what goes in Goldtower City, then what can the son of this
vice city lord possibly do?” Jiang Chen smiled. “How about this? I’ll visit
Bluesky Nation’s palace myself while the rest of you wait here for my good
news.”
He decided to settle this matter once and for all. He did
owe Niu Wuhua a favor, so it was his responsibility to settle this properly.
Judging from Niu Wuhua and Manager Qiu’s tone, Dong Sheng was probably younger
and wilder than they were. He was also seemingly no slouch when it came to
socialization, given his sworn brotherhood with the son of the vice city lord.
He must be a silver tongued cunning rascal.
If a person like this saw hope, he would use hook and crook
to work towards his goal. Even if Jiang Chen forced him to cough up his
business shares, he would definitely cause trouble for Niu Wuhua and Manager
Qiu in the future. Therefore, simple oppression wasn’t the most appropriate
solution. Jiang Chen had to find a way to scare Dong Sheng so much that he
wouldn’t even muster the thought of resistance. That was the only way he could
settle this matter once and for all.
…...
The royal palace of Bluesky Nation was heavily guarded. At
the Eastern Palace where the crown prince lived, a few sorry-looking pill
masters were shifting awkwardly at its doorstep, clearly dejected and
depressed. They looked like they couldn’t wait to sprout wings and fly away.
“Trash, all of you are trash! How can the nation achieve
great things if you lot are the kind of people we keep?” A young man with
flawless skin, wearing official, ceremonious robes and a golden crown yelled
angrily after the group of pill masters. The young man rained a torrent of
abuse on the elderly pill masters, but not one of them dared to rebuke him.
Instead, they kept their heads bowed and shuffled towards the door.
“Your Highness, they’ve already done all they can. It is not
their fault that the pill is too difficult to refine,” an elderly voice advised
from the side.
It was only then the young man stopped swearing and waved
his hands impatiently. “Get out, get as far away from me as you can!”The pill
masters immediately poured out of the palace as if pardoned from a terrible
crime.
The young man’s kindly face turned beet red with anger when
he saw their hurried exit. He sighed towards a nearby elder. “Grand Tutor, it
seems that I have to make a trip to Veluriyam Capital. There is only so much
the pill kings of Bluesky Nation can do. I hear Veluriyam Capital has produced
many amazing pill kings as of late, and the new young lord of Sacred Peafowl
Mountain is even heralded as a future pill emperor of the pill industry. Even
the invincible legend of Pillfire City was defeated by this young lord.”
The elder smiled wryly. “Your Highness, Bluesky Nation is
but one of the many nations ruled by Veluriyam Capital. I doubt we can even be
compared to those first rate great clans. No problems will arise if you simply
wish to visit the pill kings of Veluriyam Capital, but if you wish to visit
young lord Zhen, I fear that…”
The elder didn’t continue, but the unspoken words were
clear. You may be the crown prince of Bluesky Nation, but you’re still not
important enough. Even the monarch of Bluesky Nation couldn’t meet young lord
Zhen anytime he wanted to.
The prince seemed to be aware that he wasn’t important
enough, grumbling. “It’s not like I’m visiting him out of self interest.” He
sighed. “Everybody says that that young lord Zhen is a kind, friendly person
who respects the wise. These days you can hear everyone under Veluriyam
Capital’s rule praising him everywhere you go. I hear it so often calluses have
started growing on my ears. So there must be some truth behind those praises,
right? There’s no reason for him to close the door on my face, is there?”
While they were speaking, a palace attendant suddenly rushed
in to report. “Your Highness, a strange person has requested to see you outside
the entrance of the Eastern Palace.”
“A strange person?” The prince looked confused. “Who is it?”
“This servant doesn’t know.” The palace attendant looked
just as confused.
“What? You came in to report to me without even checking who
he is? And, how did he even make it in here?” The inner section of the palace
was heavily guarded. It was impossible for a stranger of unknown origins to
make it all the way to the Eastern Palace. So where had this strange person
come from?
The palace attendant turned deathly pale. He stuttered. “I…
I’ll tell the guards to chase him out right away.”
“A moment, Your Highness.” The elder suddenly spoke. “The
fact that this person can come all the way without being detected proves that
he also has the ability to come and go as he wishes. But the fact that he sent
someone to report his arrival means that he isn’t entirely inconsiderate. Since
we may not necessarily be able to chase away someone like him, we may as well
meet with him instead.”
This old man was the prince’s teacher. Therefore, the crown
prince was more receptive towards his advice.
“Send him in.” Frowning in thought for a moment, the prince
decided that his teacher’s words made a lot of sense.
A while later, an average-looking fighter strode into the
hall. When he saw the prince, he smiled and clasped his hands together
carelessly. “Well met, crown prince of Bluesky Nation.”
The palace attendants next to the prince immediately scolded
the newcomer harshly when they saw how rude he was.
“Insolence! Why do you not bow immediately when you see the
prince?”
“Where do you come from, barbarian?! How dare you act like
this before the prince?”
Chapter 1029: Turning Stone to Gold, Trash to Treasure
Jiang Chen paid the guards no mind. His only response was a
faint smile as he looked piercingly at the crown prince. His expression was
relaxed as he spoke. “Are you interested in a private chat, Your Highness?”
Though the stranger had acted brusquely, the crown prince
noticed his composure under the royal guards’ pressure. That alone was enough
to mark this man as extraordinary. Captains of the crown prince’s personal
guard were usually mid rank emperor realm cultivators. Furthermore, the
guardsmen were all at least sky sage realm, with the slightly better ones
half-step emperor realm and a few even mid rank emperor realm. A retinue like
this was more than enough to render the common man incapable of controlling his
bladder in fear.
The crown prince’s hesitation made Jiang Chen smile. “As
Veluriyam Capital’s line of defense on the northern border, Bluesky Nation is a
principality of considerable importance. You are its crown prince, are you not?
Surely you have more courage than this.” A provocation would usually do the
trick.
“Who are you, sir?” The prince’s face chilled. “For someone
who now stands in my palace, you are being exceptionally discourteous. There is
no need for me to prove to you how much courage I have. I don’t even know where
you hail from. Am I supposed to be polite to someone who shows a lack thereof?”
Jiang Chen chuckled. “Ah, absolutely. You are the crown
prince of a great nation, to be accorded a certain degree of respect. However,
that doesn’t mean it is deserved from everyone you meet.”
His words were so authoritative that everyone on the
prince’s side did a double take.
There were no fools here. Everyone sensed that the strange
youth likely had extraordinary origins.
“Do you come from Veluriyam Capital, friend?” The old man
suddenly spoke.
“You have a good eye, Grand Tutor. Alas, you haven’t taught
your student to a similar degree of excellence. A crown prince should have a
broader view of things.” A man of Jiang Chen’s current stature had more than
sufficient authority to comment on the mere crown prince of a nation. In fact,
he had enough to criticize a king. He was the young lord of Sacred Peafowl
Mountain, the future master of the entire Veluriyam Capital! A great number of
great nations and cities sat within his territory.
As it is written in the Book of Poetry, ‘Under the wide
heaven / all is the king’s land, / within the sea-boundaries of the land / all
are the king’s servants.’ As the future ruler of Veluriyam capital, it didn’t
matter if they were kings of the great nations or lords of the great cities,
everyone had to bow before him.
But the crown prince was still somewhat of a youth. A hint
of dissatisfaction appeared on his face when he heard Jiang Chen’s words.
Thankfully, the old man’s sharp glances his way stifled his temper for the
moment. There was no immediate outburst, no order for the guards to attack. But
the effort of keeping his temper in rein had manifested itself in an angrily
red face. It made Jiang Chen crack a smile inside. The crown prince is a young
man after all. It’s unsurprising that he can’t keep his cool.
From the looks of it, the prince was probably a few years
younger than him. Suddenly, a scent wafted past his nose. Distracted, Jiang
Chen sniffed at the air. He detected a whiff of something unusual.
“Hmm? Is someone trying to refine the Fierce Tiger Pill?” He
was very sensitive to pills. The barest hint of a scent floating in the air was
enough for his nose to pick up on. “The refining techniques don’t seem very
good, though. The Fierce Tiger Pill has been utterly ruined. Refining the pill
like this is just a waste of materials.”
Jiang Chen chuckled, looking back to the young crown prince
once more. “Is Bluesky Nation’s crown prince actually a pill aficionado?”
This simplified things a great deal. The crown prince’s face
went from red to an alarming shade of purple. The Fierce Tiger Pill’s
associated problems had occupied his mind for a long time now. He’d spent quite
some time on it, and yet his attempts so far had all failed. The grand tutor’s
eyes lit up. “Do you know about the Fierce Tiger Pill, friend?”
The crown prince’s eyes began to shine with interest as well
when he heard the question. His unconvinced eyes roamed over Jiang Chen’s body,
considering the other youth more seriously this time.
“The Fierce Tiger Pill is hardly complicated or remarkable.
What is there to know about? Something fit for me to practice with when I was
ten, that’s all. A second-rate pill at best.” Jiang Chen casually shrugged.
The crown prince’s entire body shook. “Bragging doesn’t cost
you anything,” he curled his lip.
Jiang Chen didn’t bother to explain. He continued to speak
with the same tone of indifference. “The Fierce Tiger Pill can strengthen the
body and tap into one’s latent potential. It is able to multiply a cultivator’s
power several times over for a short time. Commonly used in the military
because of its cheapness, it has devastating side effects as well. The best
pill kings do not typically find it worthwhile to refine something so flawed.”
His description finally evoked a change in the crown prince’s skepticism.
Evidently, Jiang Chen had mentioned everything there was to say about the pill.
“You are not the average scholar, friend, but a veritable
expert!” The grand tutor was extremely pleased. “Your Highness, our guest here
is a master of pill dao.”
“Who doesn’t know how to give a nice speech, huh? That’s no
proof of his competence.” The crown prince still looked somewhat distrustful.
Jiang Chen openly grinned at that. The young crown prince
was flipping the provocation card back at him. Considering its intended target
though, it went wide of the mark.
“The Fierce Tiger Pill is too low-ranked, crown prince. I
would not care to refine it even if you provoked me ten times more. Veluriyam
Capital has another pill called the Tiger Eruption Pill. It, too, is a berserk
pill, and you can consider it a ranked-up version of the Fierce Tiger Pill. It
is superior to its lesser version in both medicinal effect and the severity of
its side effects. Moreover, because it is a recipe from the Deviant Pill
Faction, its cost is incredibly low.”
“Tiger Eruption Pill?” The grand tutor’s eyes glittered. “I
believe I’ve heard of that pill before. Hmm, if I recall correctly, there’s a
store called Taiyuan Tower in Veluriyam Capital that sells it. The young lord
of Sacred Peafowl Mountain owns it.”
“Exactly so,” Jiang Chen nodded.
The grand tutor turned back to the crown prince. “Is this
not confirmation enough that our guest is a master of pill dao after all, Your
Highness? Since you thirst after the wise, should you not honor one when such
appears in front of you?” He waved to the guardsmen. “You, you, and you. All of
you, come outside with me. Let the crown prince and our honored guest have some
privacy.”
The prince’s guards were a bit hesitant. Their charge was
the crown prince after all, his were the only orders that mattered. The grand
tutor was the prince’s teacher, but this concerned the prince’s safety… they
couldn’t afford to take risks.
The crown prince knew that his teacher always had a good
reason behind his actions. The old man was cunning and unfailingly cautious.
Despite his own misgivings, he waved them off as well. “You may go. I’d be glad
to have a more intimate chat with our visitor.”
Seeing his guards’ remaining uncertainty, he called out,
“What are you waiting for? We’re in the palace. Are you afraid of him eating me
or something?” His small show of annoyance finally compelled the guards to
leave.
“Not bad, not bad.” Jiang Chen applauded him, laughing.
“Being able to rectify your mistakes is a great virtue.”
“Yes, yes, keep sharpening your tongue,” the crown prince
harrumphed. “I’d like to see how much skill you have with literally anything
else.”
Suspicion still ran subtly beneath the crown prince’s words.
There really was no way around the prince’s youth.
“I have skills aplenty, I assure you. However, refining the
Fierce Tiger Pill can hardly be counted as one. Your own cauldron of pills is
already ruined, no? Then I’ll go to the trouble of turning that waste into
wealth.” Jiang Chen didn’t allow the prince a moment to fire off a retort,
walking directly towards the pill room off to the side. He found the prince’s
behavior amusing. The other youth was standing in the doorway, stuck between
wanting to excuse himself and wanting to watch. An interesting young man, to be
sure.
Personally, Jiang Chen didn’t care either way. “Feel free to
watch if you want. It’s not like the Fierce Tiger Pill is some kind of secret
recipe, no do I have anything to hide.”
His tools: the crown prince’s cauldron, and his materials:
the materials within. There was no flourish in his actions. He conjured the
most basic of pill-flames, casually summoning a decidedly average heat source
to heat up the cauldron. Following this, he casually matured the flame,
beginning to refine the once-wasted materials once more.
The Fierce Tiger Pill wasn’t even a top-ranked pill. It was
sage rank at most, not worthy enough to be considered even true sage rank. It
affected only origin realm cultivators. Sage realm cultivators could find some
benefit out of it in a pinch, but the effects were greatly discounted. On the
other hand, the Tiger Eruption Pill could be used by both origin and sage realm
cultivators without much of a difference in its effects. More importantly, the
majority of the side effects present in the Fierce Tiger Pill were alleviated.
Jiang Chen’s technique was practiced enough, but the crown
prince saw nothing amazing or unique in it. None of the steps were particularly
mysterious or hard to understand. He frowned, his heart marred with
uncertainty. This guy looks confident, alright, but there’s nothing special in
what he’s doing. There’s no way he can turn stone into gold. No, I don’t believe
it. How can he possibly refine the Fierce Tiger Pill with ruined materials? He
must have boasted without the ability to back it up.
Nonetheless, Jiang Chen’s equanimity and self-control were
formidable. Despite himself, the crown prince appreciated that kind of
discipline. One would be hard-pressed to find the like in a common charlatan.
Still, composure wasn’t everything. At the end of the day, the results had to
speak for themselves.
Thirty to forty-five minutes passed before Jiang Chen
concluded forming hand seals. “All done,” he smiled serenely. He quenched the
flames with a flick, and the cauldron sounded several times with a ringing
roar. With a flourish of his sleeves, Jiang Chen brushed the lid atop aside.
“Take a look: some Fierce Tiger Pills, as promised.” His
sleeves swished in the air as the young lord pushed the cauldron towards the
crown prince’s direction.
The crown prince blinked incredulously, striding forward
rapidly to stare into the vessel. His expression froze as his eyes made contact
with its contents. It was as if he’d seen the most unbelievable thing in the
world. Paralyzed by shock, he couldn’t tear his eyes away. After a long while,
the prince convulsed and looked at Jiang Chen with mixed feelings. “You… you
really didn’t cheat?”
He was hit by a wave of insecurity. He had witnessed every
step of the process, but he was still dubious about what he’d seen.
“Cheat?” Jiang Chen’s expression was perfectly cool. “The
Fierce Tiger Pill does not merit the act of cheating, period. Can’t you sense
your own materials within the pills? Your pill dao ability is worse than I
thought, then.”
The crown prince was perfectly capable of that, but had
completely forgotten to. Hastily moving to do so, he found that the finished
product really did consist only of his own materials. More accurately, they had
been the exact materials that he’d ruined earlier. This revelation sent him
into a frenzy. Was pill dao truly able to perform the miracle of turning trash
into treasure? That seemed far too good to believe.
All of his pill dao teachers had been picked from Bluesky
Nation’s best pill kings. They represented the nation’s cream of the crop.
Unfortunately, without a concrete recipe, their collective attempts to refine
the Fierce Tiger Pill had ended in failure. The fact that someone as
ordinary-looking as the man before him had been able to refine the pill was
wholly unexpected. After all, his teachers had spent several years without
anything close to resembling a success.
Chapter 1030: Dusting Off and Leaving
If the prince was somewhat unconvinced earlier, then the
reality that greeted his eyes rendered him completely speechless. His earlier
distrust completely disappeared, leaving behind admiration that rose from the
bottom from his heart. Despite being depressed, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are
all pill dao experts in Veluriyam Capital as skilled as you? I suppose Bluesky
Nation is a little outdated compared to the world.”
Jiang Chen found the dejected-looking prince to be rather
more interesting than before. He understood that the young prince was simply
trying to strengthen his country by refining the Fierce Tiger Pill, so he
refrained from attacking the example of royal proactiveness.
“It’s only natural that Veluriyam Capital’s pill dao is many
times stronger than Bluesky Nation’s. You don’t need to be depressed. When it
comes to pill dao, there are only a handful of people who are better than me in
Veluriyam Capital.” This was Jiang Chen being humble. In reality, no one in
Veluriyam Capital could compare to him when it came to pill dao. In fact, no
one was even close to his level. In all likelihood, there was no one in the
entire Divine Abyss Continent who came close when it came to pill dao.
If Jiang Chen had made that claim before his demonstration,
the prince would’ve thought it a load of hot air. But now, it almost seemed
irrefutable; this strange man might actually be a pill dao genius of Veluriyam
Capital.
“I must say that you truly are skilled, sire. So, about the
refining method of this Fierce Tiger Pill…” The prince rubbed his palms
together, but seemed to feel as though he was being a bit forward for speaking
so suddenly. He waited for a moment before continuing, “Please name a price. We
are willing to buy the recipe and the refining method of this pill as long as
it’s reasonable.”
“You’re truly bold to attempt refining the pill without its
recipe. That being said, it is a little unwise of you to waste time like this.”
The prince turned red in embarrassment. He was simply trying
to do something for his nation by refining the Fierce Tiger Pill. Now that
Jiang Chen mentioned it, even he thought that he’s been a little too brash in
his actions. There was nothing more difficult than refining a specific pill
without its recipe. If they were lucky, they’d be able to reverse engineer the
recipe. But if they were unlucky, then the fruits of their labor might only
come after several years of research.
“I don’t have a choice. Bluesky Nation is responsible for
guarding the northern side of Veluriyam Capital, but we are surrounded by many
powerful enemies. War can break out at any moment. However, the Fierce Tiger
Pill can increase our troops’ courage and multiply their combat strength, so
it’s research that benefits both our nation and our people. It is not out of
selfishness that I started on this path…”
“I’ve already said this, but the side effects of the Fierce
Tiger Pill are too strong. An army would probably only be able to use it once
or twice without much repercussions, but long term use of Fierce Tiger Pill
will only bring more harm than benefits.” Jiang Chen ruthlessly pointed out the
flaw in his strategy.
“Haha. In the end, you just aren’t willing to give us the
techniques behind the Fierce Tiger Pill, aren’t you?” The prince sounded a
little disappointed.
“The Fierce Tiger Pill does more harm than good if it is
used over a long period of time. However, you may equip your army with Tiger
Eruption Pills without any of those problems.” Jiang Chen smiled.
“Tiger Eruption Pill?” The prince’s eyes lit up. “Do you
know how to refine the Tiger Eruption Pill?” Jiang Chen smiled. He was the
inventor of the pill, how could he not know how to refine it?
“You don’t know how to refine the Tiger Eruption Pill?” The prince’s
voice once again betrayed his disappointment when Jiang Chen didn’t answer his
question.
“Of course I know how to make that pill. However, this pill
is proprietary knowledge of Taiyuan Tower. Therefore, I cannot just give you
its refining method or recipe. That being said, I can help you buy a batch of
Tiger Eruption Pills from Taiyuan Tower at the cost of production.”
“Cost of production? Are you sure you have the power to do
so? Also… how much would that come to?” The prince looked worried.
“Haha, are you worried that I lack the ability to authorize
such a trade? As for the cost of production, it’s not much pricier than what
you were spending on the Fierce Tiger Pill. In fact, it’s pretty much the same
as the Fierce Tiger Pill because you won’t need to pay for the manpower
necessary to refine the pill on your side. But of course, you will be required
to pay a token transportation fee.”
“It’s that cheap?” The prince was completely stunned.
“One of the greatest traits of the Deviant Pill Faction lies
in its low cost. If one of their pills has a high production cost, then it’s
not considered a successful product.” Jiang Chen smiled faintly.
The prince nodded, half understanding. “I have heard that
Deviant Pill Faction is pretty good. It was apparently brought into the
limelight by young lord Zhen of Sacred Peafowl Mountain. My friend, considering
how close you are to Taiyuan Tower, is it possible that you know young lord
Zhen himself?”
Jiang Chen smiled but didn’t answer.
“You really know young lord Zhen?” A look of admiration
suddenly filled the prince’s expression. “I heard that young lord Zhen excels
in both pill dao and martial dao. Especially his pill dao, it’s said to be
unrivalled among the younger generation. In fact, not even the invincible
legend of Pillfire City, Pill King Ji Lang is a match for him. Have you seen
him before? Is he a friendly person? Is he easy to talk to?”
The prince’s words were almost tripping over each other as
he spoke quicker and quicker. The mention of young lord Zhen had turned into an
awestruck fan.
“Not only do I know him, I have a great relationship with
him too.”
The prince looked envious of his new guest. “You live in
Veluriyam Capital, so of course it’s easier for you to meet young lord Zhen.
Sometimes I really envy you people. Personally, I wish to study in Veluriyam
Capital for a couple dozen years or so. Goldtower City is just too dull compared
to Veluriyam Capital.”
Goldtower City was the capital of Bluesky Nation. Compared
to the nations and cities around it, it could be considered a major city, but
it was still much, much inferior to Veluriyam Capital. The people of Goldtower
City obviously adored Veluriyam Capital, especially considering the three
pagodas they built in imitation of Veluriyam Pagoda.
“Oh right, do you think I can meet young lord Zhen if I
visit Veluriyam Capital one day?” The prince asked with a hopeful look on his
face.
“Of course you can.” Jiang Chen smiled. “Who knows, maybe
you’ll meet him one day, before you even realize it.”
The prince sighed. It was obvious that he thought that Jiang
Chen was merely fobbing him off. A moment later, the prince suddenly recalled
something. “Oh right, you came to the Eastern Palace and sought me out for no
apparent reason. But you wouldn’t have shown up here without a purpose, right?”
Jiang Che smiled. “You’ve finally picked up on that. The
reason I sought you out today is to ask for a favor.”
“What?” The prince looked startled. You’re a pill dao genius
of Veluriyam Capital and you want a favor from me? Since when did I become this
powerful? But when he thought that the pill dao genius of Veluriyam Capital had
purposely come to ask a favor from him, the prince couldn’t help but feel a bit
proud of himself. He had already made up his mind to grant the favor as long as
it wasn’t too excessive.
“Steward Niu of Goldtower City’s Prancing Pony is an
acquaintance of mine. Right now, the grand steward of the Prancing Pony, Dong
Sheng, is attempting to claim everyone’s share of the business for himself…”
Jiang Chen summarized the situation and roughly sketched out the players
involved.
“Is that all?” The prince actually felt a bit disappointed
after getting over his surprise. Not only was it not a difficult matter to deal
with, it was almost too trivial in the prince’s opinion. It was so minor that
he didn’t think it even counted as a great favor. At the very least, it wasn’t
worth the favor of the Tiger Eruption Pill.
“That is all.” Jiang Chen nodded affirmatively. “That being
said, Dong Sheng is quite wild and I suspect that he’s a pretty ruthless
person. If we are to deal with him, then we must make sure that he never makes
a return. He must not be allowed to cause trouble after we suppress him.”
“That won’t be a problem.” The prince said disdainfully,
“He’s only the sworn brother of a mere vice city lord. He’s not even worth a
mention in Bluesky Nation. You could’ve just sought out the vice city lord
himself and told him to deal with this. You are a genius from Veluriyam
Capital; I doubt he would’ve dared reject your demands.”
“I’m not confident in anyone else’s ability but yours. You
are the crown prince and future monarch of Bluesky Nation. Therefore, your
words and actions are worth more than his.” Jiang Chen spoke frankly. He had
countless ways to deal with this problem, but he wouldn’t be able to avoid
being criticized by others if he dealt with this personally. On the other hand,
the crown prince of Bluesky Nation was the perfect candidate for this task.
Moreover, the prince’s status should be more than enough to scare Dong Sheng
out of any and all thoughts of fighting back. Dong Sheng could live for another
ten lifetimes and still not muster up the courage to fight the prince.
“Fine. Seriously, I haven’t dealt with such a trivial matter
since the day I became crown prince. But since you’ve proven your skills and
ability to turn even trash into treasure, I will personally deal with this
matter. As for the Tiger Eruption Pill…”
“You have nothing to worry about in regard to the Tiger
Eruption Pill. Taiyuan Tower will sell them to you at the cost of production
even if you ordered a million pills. That being said, you’ll have to pay for
labor. You can’t have make the pill masters refine the pills for free, can
you?”
“Yes, yes, that is only proper.” The prince didn’t try to
take advantage of the offer. “Plus, we get to save on manpower and costs on our
side, so there is value in this trade. We can pay twice the amount of labor if
you wish. As long as the cost of the Tiger Eruption Pill doesn’t exceed three
times the cost of the Fierce Tiger Pill, we can accept this trade.”
“Three times? It won’t even cost twice the price of the
Fierce Tiger Pill.” Jiang Chen didn’t try to beat around the bush. “Bring me
brush and paper so I may write a letter. All you need to do is to send it to
Taiyuan Tower. However, it’ll take at least three to five years to refine a
million Tiger Eruption Pills, so you’ll have to be patient.”
“It’s no hurry. You can take ten or even twenty years to
refine them if you wish. The important thing here is availability.”
The prince personally brought over brush and paper for Jiang
Chen to write his letter. The content of the letter was very simple. After he
was done writing, Jiang Chen thought for a moment before he chose to take out
the Progeny Feather Medallion, stamping the letter at the bottom with the
medallion. The prince only saw the contents of the letter. Since his attention
was entirely absorbed by the letter, he thought that the medallion Jiang Chen
produced and stamped on the letter so casually was nothing more but a pill king
medallion. He didn’t pay much attention to it.
“Take this letter and bring it to Taiyuan Tower. You will
then be able to buy as many Tiger Eruption Pills as you wish.”
Without further ado, Jiang Chen vanished in a flash of
light. The prince was dumbstruck as he held the letter and stared at the
quickly vanishing light Jiang Chen had left behind . When the grand tutor and
the prince’s personal guards saw Jiang Chen’s light fly out, they immediately
rushed to his side. They relaxed only when they saw their prince safe and
sound. It was then that the grand tutor noticed the completed Fierce Tiger Pill
beside him. His eyes lit up. “Fierce Tiger Pill? It actually is the Fierce
Tiger Pill!”
“Did he refine it himself?”
The prince sighed softly. “Not only did he refine it
himself, he even used the wasted materials from the failed refining earlier to
refine it. This man is no ordinary person.”
“He turned trash into treasure?” The grand tutor was only
more astonished when he heard this. He carefully examined the Fierce Tiger Pill
in his hand, turning it over every so often.
“He said that long term use of the Fierce Tiger Pill would
be more detrimental than beneficial, so he refuses to let us refine the Fierce
Tiger Pill. Instead, he told me to head to Veluriyam Capital and buy the Tiger
Eruption Pill. He said that I’d be able to buy them at less than twice the cost
of production of the Fierce Tiger Pill.”
“Cost of production?” The grand tutor looked startled.
“Tiger Eruption Pill? Is that the upgraded version of the Fierce Tiger Pill?”
“Mm. He said that the effects are better, and the side
effects are much less intense.”
“I am aware that the Tiger Eruption Pill’s side effects are
a lot smaller. This man… is he very close to Taiyuan Tower? Why is he so
passionate about this? Why did he show up at the Eastern Palace and make a deal
that’s completely unfavorable for him for no particular reason?” The grand
tutor looked puzzled.
