Chapter 356: Chapter 171: Lin’an (3)
’The pure Wood Energy contained within this object holds immeasurable benefits for my cultivation of the Cyan Wood Eternal Spring Technique, and even for my attempt at Five Elements Fusion!’
Shen Xiuyong observed Chen Qing’s expression and smiled. "What do you think? Are you interested?"
Chen Qing suppressed the eagerness in his heart and nodded. "I certainly am."
Shen Xiuyong said, "But I have to warn you, this thing isn’t cheap. Twelve thousand taels of silver is just the starting bid. When the auction gets going, the price will likely climb even higher."
"I also need to purchase some Profound Iron Essence to reforge my saber soon, so my funds are tight. I won’t be able to lend you any silver. You’ll have to figure it out yourself. If you’re set on it, you can travel with me to Lin’an Prefecture."
Shen Xiuyong had indeed mentioned to him before that he planned to reforge a fine weapon.
Furthermore, he had consumed a great deal of resources when breaking through to the Astral Force realm, so his funds were indeed tight now.
Chen Qing pondered for a moment.
’Since Junior Martial Uncle Shen has made it clear he can’t help, I’ll have to rely entirely on my own resources for this auction.’
Lin’an Prefecture was adjacent to Yunlin Prefecture, only a few days’ journey away.
The Wood Yang Jade was indeed extremely important to him, but a starting bid of twelve thousand taels was truly staggering.
’But now that I’ve come across it, I have to give it a try, no matter what.’
"Thank you for telling me about this, Junior Martial Uncle."
Chen Qing cupped his hands. "I truly need this item, and I’m willing to accompany you, Junior Martial Uncle."
Shen Xiuyong nodded in satisfaction, then asked as if remembering something, "Right, you brought that Token from the Jingwu Guard, didn’t you?"
"I did."
Chen Qing took out the wooden Token from within his robes.
"Good that you have it."
Shen Xiuyong’s expression turned slightly more serious as he reminded him, "That’s a valuable item. The Court really spared no expense this time, opening up many of its internal resources for exchange with Military Merit. I’ve heard that with enough Military Merit, you can even get an Astral Condensing Pill, or even more precious resources. You’re already at the Late Stage of Embracing Pill, nearing Perfection. That Astral Condensing Pill will be crucial for you. When you have free time in the future, you should take on some missions and accumulate some Military Merit. It never hurts to be prepared."
Chen Qing nodded in agreement.
The news that the Jingwu Guard was exchanging resources for Military Merit had long since spread. The various Sects had tacitly approved of it, and some even secretly encouraged it.
After all, the Court controlled the two most prosperous provinces of Yan Country, and their Treasure Vault contained many resources that local Sects could hardly hope to obtain. For the disciples, this was a rare shortcut.
As far as he knew, Yan Yaoyang, Fang Rui, Shi Ziyi, and the others had already started forming teams and taking action. About a month ago, it seemed Nie Shanshan had also joined them.
Xiao Bieli, Jiang Bai, Feng Shuhao, and their group on the other side would surely not be left behind.
It was just that he had been busy with his cultivation recently and hadn’t truly gotten involved.
"I understand. After I return from this trip, I will look into it." Chen Qing carefully put the Token away.
"Mhm, then go back and prepare. There’s no time to lose. We’ll set off in two days."
Shen Xiuyong smiled. "As it happens, I also need to make a trip to the Haisa Sect to visit an old friend along the way."
’The Haisa Sect?!’
Chen Qing’s heart lurched when he heard the name.
The two major Sects in Lin’an Prefecture were the Haisa Sect and the Earth Element Sect.
’My master’s daughter, Senior Martial Sister Zhou Yu, joined the Haisa Sect!’
’Several years have passed in a flash. I wonder how she’s doing now.’
’Junior Martial Uncle Shen is going to visit a friend. I can take this opportunity to visit Senior Martial Sister Zhou Yu at the Haisa Sect.’
Besides, Chen Qing had never visited another Sect before.
At this thought, he felt a flicker of anticipation for the trip.
Seeing Chen Qing’s expression, Shen Xiuyong chuckled. "You rascal, you’re always cooped up. That’s why your Junior Martial Uncle is taking you out to see the world."
Chen Qing cupped his hands to take his leave. "Alright, I’ll go and prepare now."
「Two days later, at dawn, outside the Wutai Sect’s main gate.」
Shen Xiuyong was leading a magnificent Exotic Beast Horse. The steed was pitch-black all over, save for its four snow-white hooves, and it stood nearly a foot taller than an ordinary horse.
It pawed impatiently at the ground, leaving shallow prints on the green flagstones.
"How about it?"
Shen Xiuyong stroked the horse’s neck, his tone tinged with pride. "This horse is named Ta Xue. Its ancestor had a trace of Black Thunder Steed bloodline, a type of Exotic Beast. It took a huge favor for me to buy it as a foal from Tianmu Racecourse. I’ve raised it on Treasure Medicine Pills since it was young, carefully nurturing it for years to bring it to this state."
"It can do more than travel a thousand li a day; it crosses mountains and rivers as if they were flat ground. It’s incredibly fast and has immense stamina. You can’t buy one with mere silver and gold—it’s a genuine Treasure Steed."
Chen Qing was riding an ordinary Yellow Steed issued by the Sect. By comparison, his own mount suddenly seemed rather humble.
He looked at Ta Xue’s majestic form and felt the faint, ferocious aura it emanated, and a pang of envy truly rose in his heart.
Traveling on an Exotic Beast Horse was on a completely different level in terms of speed, safety, and sheer style.
’Although Junior Martial Uncle Shen claimed to be short on funds, the depth of his foundation was something a newly ascended disciple like me, despite my rapid rise, could not hope to match.’
’Aside from the Azure Wave Profound Flood Dragon Armor and the Earth Essence Marrow Pearl, which I can’t reveal, I really don’t have many fine items to my name.’
"Junior Martial Uncle, your Ta Xue is truly a divine steed," Chen Qing praised sincerely.
"Haha, let’s go! This trip to Lin’an Prefecture will be a good chance for it to stretch its legs."
Shen Xiuyong laughed heartily and vaulted onto his horse with a swift and agile movement.
Chen Qing nudged his horse’s flanks, and the Yellow Steed trotted to keep up.
Shen Xiuyong deliberately controlled Ta Xue’s speed. The two rode side-by-side, galloping along the main road toward Lin’an Prefecture.
The journey was quite smooth, without any hitches.
The scenery along the way gradually changed, with the plains and dense network of waterways of Yunlin Prefecture slowly giving way to rolling hills.
The two chatted idly as they traveled.
Shen Xiuyong was very knowledgeable, and through their casual conversation, Chen Qing gleaned a great deal of useful information.
"This Lin’an Prefecture is different from our Yunlin Prefecture."
Shen Xiuyong pointed into the distance. "This place is rich in mineral deposits, especially all sorts of Refined Iron, Profound Iron, and even more precious metal veins. Because of this, the world-renowned ’Forging Hall’ established an important branch here."
"The Forging Hall?" It was the first time Chen Qing had heard the name.
"Mhm."
Shen Xiuyong’s expression grew a little more solemn. "The Forging Hall isn’t a traditional Sect. It’s an alliance of many top master blacksmiths, with influence all over Yan Country. The Hall gathers the world’s most elite blacksmiths, all dedicated to researching the art of forging. Every weapon they produce is a masterpiece. Middle-Grade and Top-Grade Treasure Artifacts emerge from there endlessly. It’s said their main hall has even forged a true ’Spiritual Treasure’!"
"Now that is a Divine Weapon with true spirituality and earth-shattering power, enough to serve as the ultimate treasure of any Major Sect. The branch in Lin’an Prefecture mainly relies on the rich local mineral resources to collect and refine high-quality ore and Refined Iron. They also take custom orders for high-end weapons."
’A Spiritual Treasure!’
A sense of awe washed over Chen Qing.
His Cloud-Coiling Spear was good, but it was only a fine specimen among Middle-Grade Treasure Artifacts. Compared to a true Spiritual Treasure, the difference was like that between the clouds and the mud.
"The powers in Lin’an Prefecture are a motley crew—a mix of large and small Sects, families, and gangs."
Shen Xiuyong continued his explanation. "But the ones truly at the top, the acknowledged giants, are the Earth Element Sect and the Haisa Sect. The others, like Golden Sand Castle, might have Astral Force experts in charge, but they can’t compete with those two in terms of foundation, sphere of influence, or the number of top-tier experts."
"Basically, Lin’an Prefecture is a stage for the rivalry between these two major Sects. Because there are only two top-tier Sects dividing the resources, the share each one gets is much larger than what our Wutai Sect receives in Yunlin Prefecture, where everything is split four ways. As a result, their overall strength is naturally greater, not weaker."
Chen Qing nodded silently, committing Shen Xiuyong’s words to memory.
’Splitting resources between two Sects is definitely better than splitting them among four.’
"The Haisa Sect makes its home on Dinghai Peak, to the northeast of Lin’an Prefecture."
Shen Xiuyong pointed to the northeast. "The sect gate is built along the Mountainous Momentum, using natural choke points to make it easily defensible and hard to attack. Because of its high altitude, you can often see a sea of clouds roiling below, like a vast expanse of turquoise waves. This has given rise to the magnificent sight known as ’Listening to the Tides in a Sea of Clouds.’"
Chen Qing nodded, then asked, "Junior Martial Uncle, which friend in the Haisa Sect are you visiting this time?"
Hearing this, Shen Xiuyong glanced at Chen Qing. "You’ll know when we get there."
Chatting as they went, the two of them traveled quickly. By the next afternoon, the travel-worn pair finally arrived at the foot of the mountain.
Chen Qing looked up and could faintly make out the magnificent archway of the sect gate standing high above.
They had arrived at the Haisa Sect.
......
