Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Legacy
In the quiet apprentice room, Chen Ku was unexpectedly surprised as he lay on the kang.
Blood Memory Inheritance?
It sounded rather high-end and somewhat surprising. Until now, aside from the Transformation Diagram, he had not come into contact with other matters that transcended the ordinary realm.
One's thoughts, in conventional thinking, should be transmitted via the soul or the mind, right? Yet it could actually be inherited through one's bloodline.
Chen Ku admitted feeling a bit ignorant, but this only made him more curious. What could be contained within the Blood Memory Inheritance of the Qilin Blood?
After that transformation was activated, with a flash of blood on the Transformation Diagram, Chen Ku suddenly realized that many images and pieces of information had appeared in his mind.
It seemed to be a wild land with a cave. Inside the cave, a huge colorful Strange Beast stood, about three and a half meters tall, with the horns of a deer, the head of a goat, hooves like those of a wolf, and a mane like a lion's. It was draped in colorful scale armor and emitted wisps of flame and clouds of smoke.
Is this the Qilin? Chen Ku's mind trembled slightly.
But before he had the chance to closely observe this mythological beast known from ancient stories—
HISSS!
In the memory, on one side of the Qilin, a Divine Blade suddenly appeared. It pierced the heavens, tore the cave asunder, and struck the Qilin, sending sparks flying.
What followed in the memory was a cataclysmic battle. The colorful-armored Strange Beast, spewing fire and smoke, constantly dodged within the cave, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, roaring like a dragon or a tiger.
Every Qilin claw strike possessed the power to shake the earth and move mountains, causing the cave to collapse and stones to fly. Simultaneously, it could also spout flames and steam from its mouth, burning the skies and freezing the earth.
ROAR!!
The sound shook the cave.
However, in the end, a heroic man, resembling a deity, struck with his blade, and Qilin Blood rained down upon the land. In an instant, the entire cave and the forested land burst forth with vitality. The Qilin Blood had also splashed onto the deity-like man, bathing his entire body in blood that burned like fire, causing him to scream in agony instantly.
Seizing this opportunity, the Qilin dragged its bleeding, wounded body into the depths of the cave.
Just as I thought the protagonist of this Blood Memory Inheritance was the Qilin...
Shortly thereafter, he unexpectedly saw the deity-like man, bathed in Qilin Blood, charging out of the cave with his blade. He appeared possessed, running wildly in the fields before finally collapsing on the great prairie.
And then... there was a gap in the memory. The next scene that emerged in Chen Ku's mind was an immensely majestic city and a massive pass. The city wall alone was over three hundred meters tall. Those weren't city walls; they were clearly mountains surrounding and forming that colossal pass!
At the same time, a mountain descended from the sky, crashing towards the city gates. The image zoomed in—inside the city, there was a flurry of soldiers and banners, appearing to be ten large armies. As the giant mountain descended, it seemed poised to completely entrap the hundreds of thousands of soldiers within the massive city.
That was when Chen Ku once again saw the heroic man who had bathed in Qilin Blood. He leaped up, stood atop the massive city gate tower, and lifted his hands...
With a thunderous BOOM, dust and soil filled the space between heaven and earth, spreading a gust of wind for tens of li. It was that heroic man, lifting a mountain nearly a kilometer high with his bare hands, supporting it in midair and leaving enough space beneath for the city's inhabitants to escape through the gate.
Strength to uproot mountains?!
Chen Ku's mind was once again shaken. Although he knew that the world's Martial Practitioners who cultivated to the extreme became inhuman, like gods or saints, he was still overwhelmed by the martial prowess of the terrifying man in his memories—the one who had bled the Qilin and supported a kilometer-high mountain with his bare hands.
Could this be...
He had already guessed the identity of this mountain-lifting heroic man: The ancestor of the Xu Family, the one with Qilin Blood?
He then looked at the name of the pass, three large characters: Martial Prison Pass.
A troop bearing the 'Yang' royal banner was the first to escape from the city gates.
The Daji Dynasty's most contested military stronghold, also known as the world's foremost formidable pass, Martial Prison Pass... and the Yang family flag... The current Ji Dynasty's Imperial Family bears the Yang surname... Could these memories be historical events from when the Grand Ancestor of the Daji Dynasty fought for domination of the world?
Another gap appeared in the memories. The next scene showed that mighty warrior leading over ten thousand troops, carrying chests full of treasure into an Underground Palace. Chen Ku could see that the mighty warrior held a map. It seemed to be the construction layout map of the Underground Palace, a maze of winding paths, with many areas marked as dangerous.
At last, after glancing at the map, the mighty warrior threw it into a brazier. Not far away lay many slain people, fully ten thousand of them. This seemed to signify that from then on, besides the mighty warrior, no one else in the world would know the correct routes within the Underground Palace.
Alright, now I know too, Chen Ku thought, looking at the exceedingly clear map of the Underground Palace within the Blood Memory Inheritance. Because it was a memory inheritance, it was as if it were imprinted directly onto his mind.
It seemed the mighty warrior had deliberately used his Qilin Blood for the 'Bloodline Inheritance,' leaving certain secrets within his own Qilin bloodline for his descendants. Unfortunately, as the memories flickered incessantly, Chen Ku saw that in later memories, the descendants of the mighty warrior were continuously pursued and hunted down by the world.
At first, some were able to awaken the Blood Memory Inheritance within their blood. Later, with the successive assassinations of the family's formidable masters, only Xu Family Head Xu Ao remained. He was eventually killed in the streets by Counselor Sui You, who used a pellet drum to control a Blood Gu, causing Xu Ao's body to explode. Xu Ao's cultivation was at the Fourth Realm, Meridian-Opening.
His descendants couldn't even awaken the memory of the Underground Palace map, let alone the World-Surpassing Martial Arts inherited in their bloodline from their mighty warrior ancestor. All that remained was the memory of a Palm Seal technique, awakenable only at the most superficial level of the bloodline.
Chen Ku also saw this Palm Seal in the memories. It was from a scene where Xu Family Head Xu Ao was instructing his son, speaking of the origin and inheritance of this Palm Seal:
"Our Xu Family's Ultimate Skill, 'Mountain-Lifting Palm,' consists of fourteen moves in total. Just by technique alone, it's already at the Absolute Skill Level of martial arts. Once mastered, the palm strike is powerful like a mountain. When the Palm Seal is delivered, it presses down oppressively, and the opponent feels as insignificant as if a great mountain were bearing down on them.
"It is only regrettable that our descendants' bloodlines have withered and thinned; we can only awaken the first four moves of 'Mountain-Lifting Palm' from the Blood Memory Inheritance. Furthermore, we cannot awaken the matching mental methods and internal cultivation techniques. Otherwise, how could we have fallen into such a weakened state today?
"Our ancestor's fourteen stances of 'Mountain-Lifting Palm' each had specialized mental methods and internal cultivation techniques to match. If one could collect them all, it would form a 'Divine Skill of the Martial Path' that could surpass the Fourteen Realms of the Martial Path. Its original name wasn't 'Mountain-Lifting Palm,' but rather 'Sky-Shaking Earth-Shattering Divine Technique.' The 'Mountain-Lifting Palm' is merely the set of moves from that Divine Skill."
In Chen Ku's mind, the memory of these four Palm Seals now existed. Without matching internal cultivation methods, one could only rely on pure realm skill to activate them. The four Palm Seals corresponded to four Realms; without attaining the required Realm, one could not execute them.
The first stance: Mountain Roar Tsunami Seal, a Palm Seal of the Inner Qi Realm. One strike unleashes the might of mountains calling and seas roaring.
The second stance: Mountain Pressing Egg Seal, a Palm Seal of the Mystic Barrier Realm. One strike gives the opponent the sense of an egg being crushed by a mountain.
The third stance: Mountain Collapse Earth Split Seal, a Palm Seal of the Jade Skin Realm. It is infused with the concept of mountains collapsing and the earth splitting apart.
The fourth stance: One Breath Moves Mountains and Rivers Seal, a Palm Seal of the Meridian-Opening Realm. One strike concentrates all of one's power and intent to a single point, moving mountains and rivers.
Although there were only four Palm Seals, each contained hundreds of variations. The Palm Seal was the mother seal, from which various Palm Techniques evolved.
How profound, how deep, what a marvel these four Palm Seals are! And this is without any internal cultivation methods, just the Palm Seal moves themselves. Yet, they can already match Master Yang's Furious Ape Mighty Staff and be classified as 'Absolute Skill Level' martial arts... Chen Ku sighed.
I never imagined that just by wandering the streets and handing a staff to Master Yang, I could obtain such a precious Blood Memory Inheritance from the Xu Family's Qilin Blood.
Chen Ku analyzed: I am different from the Xu Family in some aspects. They possess bloodlines and need to awaken the inherited memories within them. I, on the other hand, have become part of the memories... It's like becoming a book that can be directly opened and read.
But there's also a similarity: the gaps in memory. It's like a book missing many pages and content. When the bloodline isn't pure, when it's damaged or diluted, information and memories are also deleted. Therefore, the information I've received from this part of the Gu Insect Qilin Blood is limited to this much.
A map of safe routes in an Underground Palace supposedly hiding a world-shaking treasure, plus four Absolute Skill Level Palm Seals.
Chen Ku opened his eyes, a contemplative look on his face. It's also possible that because I didn't get enough blood, my information is incomplete. So, I only know that there is an Underground Palace and the routes inside it, but not where this Underground Palace is actually located.
The rest of the Xu Family's Qilin Blood must have all fallen into the hands of Lord County Magistrate Shangguan Yun by now.
I wonder how much of the Blood Memory Inheritance Shangguan Yun can obtain from the Xu Family's Qilin Blood without my transformation methods?
Chapter 82: Chapter 82 Blade Edge
「Outside Baojiao City.」
「In the midst of a dense forest.」
Xu Feijing had just brought Xu Minjun—who possessed a purer bloodline among her generation of the Xu Family—to this place to rendezvous with other Xu family members. However, before the dozens of them gathered there could even exchange a few words...
The sound of a pellet drum suddenly pierced through the dense forest, echoing all around them.
"No! Uncle! Paternal Uncle! Grandfather! Brother... Sister..."
Xu Minjun felt as though she were experiencing a moment in hell. She watched helplessly as half of her familiar relatives exploded into bursts of pale golden blood spheres amid the noise of the pellet drum. Some spheres were a denser gold, while others were almost too faint to see.
Not good! It's a trap!! Xu Feijing was terrified. Seeing this, how could he not realize that Xu Minjun had been deliberately allowed to escape with him? It was so that some toxin she carried could be transferred to their family members—all to eliminate them in one fell swoop.
Shangguan Yun, this old fox, is too cruel, too venomous! We, several Incense Masters, and these Xu Family members, have all been played right into his hands!
Xu Feijing stepped forward and grabbed Xu Minjun.
This wasn't because, even at this critical moment, he still intended to honor his promise to the Xu Family to protect Xu Minjun's safety and escape with her. Rather, it was because Peace Path, in joining forces with the Xu Family, shared the same objective. This objective was the treasure hidden long ago in Hongjing City by the Xu ancestor, the Mountain-Lifting Heavenly King 'Xiong Ying'.
Peace Path harbored grand ambitions. If they could obtain those treasures, great achievements would be within reach.
However, just as Xu Feijing was dragging Xu Minjun, preparing to rush out of the forest in a particular direction...
In the woods before them, a figure in a green robe suddenly appeared. Hands clasped behind his back, he gazed indifferently at Xu Feijing.
"Shangguan Yun!!!"
Xu Feijing immediately recognized the green-robed scholar. It was none other than the foremost expert in the city and the most powerful and influential figure in Baojiao City, the esteemed Lord Magistrate.
"Not good!"
He halted abruptly, turned swiftly, and relying on the dwindling two or three-tenths of power from the Godspeed Talisman on his legs, he bolted in the opposite direction.
He instantly veered away, avoiding a direct confrontation with the magistrate, creating a distance of fifty to sixty zhang in an instant.
Good, with my speed! As long as I widen the distance, even a Five Realms Inner Strength martial practitioner could not possibly...
However, just as Xu Feijing was inwardly feeling fortunate and complacent, proud of his own speed...
The next moment.
The Lord Magistrate of Baojiao County, who had been over a hundred meters behind, reappeared just one zhang in front of Xu Feijing.
What? This is impossible! I am already a Fourth Realm cultivator, and with the Godspeed Talisman, no one within the Five Realms should be able to outpace me! Shangguan Yun... impossible...
For an instant, Xu Feijing was terrified to his core.
But in that flash, he seemed to realize something.
Unless... Shangguan Yun himself is also a master renowned for his extraordinary movement technique and speed.
Yet, before Xu Feijing could finish this thought...
The magistrate before him had already raised his sleeve and extended his arm. Curling four fingers, he pointed with his index finger as if it were a sword.
Move, move!!
In that moment, Xu Feijing felt that the speed he had always prided himself on simply couldn't react in time; his body couldn't keep up with his mind. He could only watch helplessly as the finger jabbed towards him.
PFFT!
Effortlessly, the finger struck his brow, creating a bloody hole. This Fourth Realm Divine Walker of Peace Path was instantly bereft of life.
He then toppled backward, his momentum also sending Xu Minjun's body tumbling forward.
The green-robed scholar, however, stepped forward. Smiling faintly, he extended his arms and caught Xu Minjun in his embrace.
"Minjun, you're covered in blood. Go and wash up!"
"Ahhh! Shangguan Yun, you beast! You killed my entire family... I'll die with you!" Xu Minjun, restrained in his embrace, gritted her teeth and lunged at Shangguan Yun, attempting to bite him.
Unexpectedly, she merely met the magistrate's eyes, as deep and fathomless as a well, and her will instantly crumbled.
「In the backyard of the county government office.」
"My lord, here is the Qilin Essence Blood from the Xu Family Head and the others..."
Shangguan Yun looked at the Beast Pouch that Counselor Sui You had someone deliver, merged its contents with the mass of blood gathered from the forest, and then turned to Xu Minjun.
He channeled his energy, guiding the blood with his hands. Eventually, he refined the blood of dozens of Xu Family members—a volume comparable to several large water vats—into a single golden line. He then sent this line directly into Xu Minjun's brow.
BOOM!
As Xu Minjun received the Essence Blood from half of her clan members, a mysterious, majestic aura erupted from her, and a peculiar, sweet fragrance emanated from her skin.
Shangguan Yun raised an eyebrow slightly. "Quite intriguing. I wonder how many of your family's inherited secrets this will awaken in you?"
The next moment.
Xu Minjun opened her eyes. They were vacant, like a puppet's. She murmured, "I see it."
"You see what?"
"A mountain, a path, the location of one of the Hero King's Treasures."
"Quick! Draw it!"
Without hesitation, Shangguan Yun took out paper and ink, having Xu Minjun draw on the spot.
Controlled by the sinister martial arts, Xu Minjun moved like a puppet on strings. She began to draw. Gradually, the contours of the mountain ranges and forests within a hundred-thousand-li radius of Baojiao County were depicted. At last, with the red brush in her hand, she circled one tall and majestic peak.
"This is the place where the Hero King Treasure is buried."
Shangguan Yun looked at the familiar topography of Baojiao County and then at the mountain. His composure, usually maintained to an extreme degree by his cultivation, wavered. As he gazed upon the object he had pursued for years, now finally before him, he couldn't help but feel his heart race.
It's... that mountain! So it was on that mountain all along!
He leaned in, almost obsessively, bending over to study the map drawn by Xu Minjun.
He didn't notice, however, that behind him, Xu Minjun's eyes suddenly snapped back to clarity. Staring at the map, she was overcome with shock and despair.
No!!
The secret their family had guarded for over one hundred and fifty years—she had just revealed it, revealed it to this utterly shameless, beastly man before her.
Xu Minjun lunged toward the map, intending to destroy it.
But unexpectedly, Shangguan Yun, without even straightening his body and still looking at the map, casually pointed backward with his right hand and struck, sealing Xu Minjun's acupoints.
Only after he had stared at the mountain for a long while did he slowly straighten up and speak leisurely, "In fact, if the blood of half a clan is infused into one person, even the thinnest bloodline will be purified. It's a pity your entire family consists of cowards, lacking the courage or decisiveness to sacrifice anyone. Ultimately... this is the outcome you've brought upon yourselves."
Saying this, he looked at Xu Minjun with a slight frown and said, "We only have the general location of the treasure, knowing it's on that mountain. We don't have a map of the routes inside the Underground Palace..."
Xu Minjun was momentarily stunned.
Shangguan Yun picked up his teacup, sipped lightly, and said, "The Hero King Treasure was divided into ten parts back in the day. Each Underground Palace contains the world's most terrifying formations and mechanisms. Without an internal map of the Underground Palace, trying to obtain the treasure would likely mean a journey of nine deaths to one life..."
Xu Minjun gave a bitter laugh. "Fine, very good. The mechanisms, traps, and puppets set by my ancestors were prepared just for a beast like you. I'll see how you die inside that Underground Palace!"
Shangguan Yun looked at her indifferently. "Don't forget who I am. Would I, this official, personally take such risks? What this official does not lack is experts and manpower."
Chen Ku temporarily put aside his speculations about the specific location of the Hero King Treasure.
After all, all the Qilin Blood was in the hands of the county's foremost figure. With his own limited abilities, it was completely impossible for Chen Ku to obtain anything from that official.
However, this doesn't mean I can't look for an opportunity to follow him. After all, this Blood Memory Inheritance suggests Shangguan Yun is primarily after the Hero King Treasure. He's very likely to obtain its specific location from the Qilin Blood. I just need to follow him, and perhaps I can get a share of the loot.
Chen Ku felt he was being very bold.
But all of this was just his speculation.
Perhaps, even if Shangguan Yun obtained all the Qilin Blood, he wouldn't get the treasure's location from the Blood Memory Inheritance anytime soon.
After all, in the entire world, only his Transformation Diagram was capable of treating Qilin Blood as a Transformation and reading the Blood Memory Inheritance as easily as flipping through a book.
The Hero King Treasure was a major affair.
He estimated there wouldn't be any movement on it for a while.
So, Chen Ku temporarily suppressed this thought and focused all his energy on the other gains from that day.
Besides the Qilin Blood Gu Transformation, a Fourth Realm Evil Qi transformation, he had also killed two internal qi experts, Ni Kun and Feng Guang, and Lin Jiu, who had achieved the Unity of Intent and Force. All of these could be used to enhance the quality of his other transformations.
「Above his Heart Sea.」
Chen Ku stared at the Transformation Diagram.
Two streams of Inner Qi Realm Evil Qi... what transformation should they fuel? Or should I directly transform into Ni Kun or Feng Guang? Last time, the Huang Gun Transformation directly gave me the experience of 'Unity of Move and Force,' allowing me to successfully cultivate Force Power in just a few days. If transforming into either of these two could manifest Inner Qi, then... my breakthrough from Unity of Intent and Force to Inner Qi would also be much smoother.
However, Chen Ku reconsidered.
Advancing from Unity of Move and Force to Inner Qi requires specialized Qigong. My foundation is now solidly built upon the Spirit Ape Great Strength Skill, which is also the best foundational inner strength practice in Baojiao County. I should wait until I have a master and obtain a Qigong Secret Manual before considering this, to avoid messing up my qi.
With this thought, he didn't hold much hope for such a transformation. After all, it was like opening a blind box; the probability of manifesting Inner Qi was slim. It was far more likely to result in something else...
So, after pondering for a moment, Chen Ku directed Ni Kun's Evil Qi directly into the Blood Blade Transformation.
Let's see if this can grant the transformation an additional Transformation Part.
[Burning Ni Kun's Evil Qi, injecting into Blood Blade Transformation...]
SIZZLE...
[Shape Shifting in progress...]
[Shape Shifting successful.]
[Blood Blade Transformation: Shape Shifting Level]
[Transformation Parts: Blood Blade Tip (Sharp Enough to Pierce Stone), Blood Blade Edge (Cut Gold and Shatter Stone)]
Chen Ku was pleasantly surprised.
It had been two or three months since the last Blood Blade Shape Shifting. Merely the Blood Blade Tip, when applied to his finger, had granted him an incredibly formidable Finger Force. A single point of his finger was all but invincible.
Now, he had even managed to manifest the Blood Blade's edge.
Although this wasn't the Blood Blade's primary ability of "blood-sucking," it was still...
Chen Ku felt the sharpness augmenting his arm. He looked around, and his gaze immediately fell on his Refined Iron Dragon Stick. With a thought, he swung his arm, making a tentative slash towards his Refined Iron Dragon Stick.
Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Master's Disciple
SSSCRAPE!
Chen Ku lightly dragged his arm across his Refined Iron Dragon Stick. To his surprise, his skin shimmered with a cold, sharp light. Arm met Refined Iron Rod, and sparks literally flew!
A moment later, after his arm and palm had slid over the Refined Iron Rod...
"HISS!"
Chen Ku sucked in a breath of cold air. He saw a deep groove now marked his Refined Iron Dragon Stick, as if an extremely sharp and dense Treasure Blade had been drawn across iron.
Suddenly, two emotions emerged in his heart. The first is naturally dismay for my stick; it's been marred. The second, on top of that dismay, is astonishment at the power of my own arm. The Blood Blade... true to its name, it can cut gold and break stone. Even the Refined Iron Dragon Stick, which incorporates crow sink sand, bore a groove from a single slash. If it were made of any ordinary material, my arm, acting as a blade, could have cleaved it in two on the spot.
"Who says weapons can only be external things?" Chen Ku mused, pleased as he touched his right arm. My arm is now a weapon that can sever iron like mud. Even if I forget to bring my Refined Iron Dragon Stick one day, my arm can serve as a knife in a pinch. Imagine, during a bout, fists and feet clashing, if with a single motion, I could shear off an opponent's limbs. The thought is simply brutal!
And this was just the transformation from two parts: the Blood Blade Tip and the Blood Blade Edge.
I need at least eight more strands of Inner Qi Realm Evil Qi before I can fully possess all the abilities of the Blood Blade—its material, its hardness, and that blood-sucking Taisui Demon Meat...
Chen Ku pondered. If I could further refine the blood-sucking ability from the Taisui Demon Meat of the Blood Blade with the refining shape of the Flower Fox Mink, could I evolve an even more terrifying Flower Fox Mink, one that could grow rapidly by devouring the flesh and blood of humans and beasts? Definitely worth a try in the future.
After assessing the power of the Blood Blade Edge, Chen Ku turned his attention to the Inner Qi Realm Evil Qi from the Blade-Handler, Feng Guang. He debated whether to continue the Shape Shifting of the Blood Blade or to awaken and Shape Shift into Feng Guang. After much consideration... I'll take the gamble,
he decided.
*Feng Guangbian, Transform! Transform!*
*Feng Guangbian Shape Shifting*
*Transformation Part: Fengguang Sword Technique (Great Achievement of Five Tigers Breaking Gate Blade)*
In an instant, the experience of the fifty-nine moves of the Five Tigers Breaking Gate Blade, at a Great Achievement Level, flooded Chen Ku's mind. He turned to the Bone-chopping Blade in the room, picked it up, and with a simple flip, produced a HUM as the blade sang.
The Five Tigers Breaking Gate Blade... it seems to be a Superior Bladesmanship of the Inner Qi Realm.
Chen Ku had heard of this technique in the black market. It was created by the Stockade Master of a certain bandit stronghold in Baojiao County and held some renown in the Jianghu for its ruthless ferocity. For an average person to practice all fifty-nine moves to the Great Achievement Stage would take at least ten to twenty years of hard work. He, however, had acquired it instantly after the Shape Shifting.
Now, with the experience of the Great Achievement Level Five Tigers Breaking Gate Blade enhancing his skill, Chen Ku handled the Bone-chopping Blade and casually performed several moves of the 'bone-chopping butcher blade.'
When one thing is mastered, all others follow.
The bone-chopping butcher blade was originally a Martial Art of the Force Transforming stage, with just seven moves. The Five Tigers Breaking Gate Blade, however, was a Superior Martial Art of the Inner Qi Realm, with fifty-nine moves in total. With the boost from this higher-level Bladesmanship mastery, several moves within the bone-chopping butcher blade that shared similar principles also instantly reached the Great Achievement Level. Especially the move "lion rolling ball," which Chen Ku performed effortlessly. The blade wind became a flurry, like a rolling ball of blades, so fast only its chilling brightness was visible, spinning and tumbling.
It immediately reminded Chen Ku of that skilled cook at the Dragon Gate Inn who, in just a few breaths, with his rolling blade technique, had stripped all the flesh, tendons, and membranes from a master's leg, leaving only gleaming white bone.
Not bad at all! The Shape Shifting into Feng Guang was well worth it!
Chen Ku was pleased with the Great Achievement Level of Bladesmanship that Feng Guang had provided. With this level of technique, given time, he could assimilate it completely, making it permanently his own.
I wonder if Master Shang Yunfang would take notice of me if I showed off this Great Achievement Level Bladesmanship in front of him?
Chen Ku thought as he stepped outside.
He inquired and found that the masters from Medicine King Hall hadn't yet returned. Looking back at the Refined Iron Dragon Stick inside the house, he pondered for a moment. I should get the stick repaired first.
A gash on the Refined Iron Dragon Stick, while unsightly, was a hidden flaw. It could prove fatal if an enemy master's weapon caught in it during a future battle.
The masters from Medicine King Hall were all out today, so the courtyard was quiet with hardly anyone working. Chen Ku went to the Firewood Iron Shop and handed his weapon to the blacksmith, asking for repairs. The blacksmith demanded twenty taels of silver.
The blacksmith's reason was simple, "This stick requires adding crow sink sand, so it's expensive."
Chen Ku countered, "What if I provide the crow sink sand myself? Could it be cheaper?"
"You have crow sink sand?" the blacksmith replied. "If that's the case, then I'll just charge a small fee for the labor. Two taels of silver will do."
Chen Ku nodded and handed over the stick. "I'll have someone send the crow sink sand over later."
Leaving the Firewood Iron Shop, Chen Ku headed towards his own venture, the 'Iron Bank,' which was still being set up and hadn't officially opened yet.
"Store Manager, you're here!" a person in charge at the shop reported. "The shop's renovations and cleaning are almost finished, and the staff have all been hired. We'll be ready for the grand opening soon."
"Brother Wu, just call me Chen Ku, or Junior Brother Chen is fine too," Chen Ku said with a smile to Wu Gui as he entered and surveyed the Iron Bank. "There's no need for such formality between us."
Wu Gui was the one who had shown him around Medicine King Hall when he first arrived. Later, he had also helped by giving Chen Ku's mother and sister-in-law the walnuts and red dates that his family had sent for him. Grateful for Wu Gui's help, Chen Ku had told him simply over drinks one night, "Wait for me to promote you in the future."
Although Chen Ku hadn't yet achieved a higher status in Medicine King Hall, now that he had opened a shop, he needed a manager. Wu Gui, having gained plenty of experience working in the front hall of Medicine King Hall, was someone trustworthy for the job.
"How could I do that?" Wu Gui responded earnestly. "Brother Chen, you didn't look down on me and promoted me from a mere assistant in Medicine King Hall to Second Shopkeeper of an Iron Bank. I can't be ignorant of propriety."
Although an assistant at Medicine King Hall held a respectable position, the pay was still that of an assistant—only about two taels of silver a month. Now, as Second Shopkeeper of Chen Ku's small Iron Bank, he earned ten taels of silver a month. The difference in income was enormous; it was as if a benefactor had guided him. With ten taels of silver a month, he could save a hundred taels in a year. In two or three years, Wu Gui could afford to buy his own house in Baojiao County. How could he not be grateful to Chen Ku?
"Hmm, how many days until we can open?" Chen Ku didn't press Wu Gui on the form of address and asked, "The Jiyang mines have already accumulated 30,000 to 40,000 jin of crow sink sand. We're just waiting to deliver it to the blacksmith shops after we open."
"We can open in two days at the earliest," Wu Gui answered, then hesitated before adding, "But there's something I need to tell you, Store Manager, beforehand. Over the past few days, several blacksmith shops have inquired about purchasing sand from our Iron Bank. However... the prices they've offered aren't very high."
Chen Ku frowned. "Not high? How low is 'not high'?"
Wu Gui sighed. "Only half the market price: one and a half Money per jin of crow sink sand."
Chen Ku's brows knitted tighter. "Why would that be?"
He remembered asking at that Iron Bank before; a jin of crow sink sand was Three Money. If others were only willing to buy his ore at half the market rate, wouldn't that mean his mine's output value would be halved?
Wu Gui spoke in a low voice, "It's actually an unspoken rule, Store Manager. You know how things are in the county. Our sudden entry is considered 'disrupting the market'—essentially snatching profits and business from other Iron Banks. So, the established Iron Banks have put out the word to the blacksmith shops: if they buy sand from us, our price has to be half off. Otherwise, our shop won't survive in this county. Ultimately, it's because we lack backing and connections."
"Backing? Don't they know our Iron Bank has Deputy Constable Li Yuancheng as a shareholder? And that I'm an Apprentice of Medicine King Hall?"
"They know, but... it's not quite enough," Wu Gui said subtly.
Chen Ku understood. An Apprentice of Medicine King Hall and a Deputy Constable didn't count as major backing in this county town, teeming with intricate relationships and powerful families.
Backing, huh?
Chen Ku's eyes flickered as he saw the worry on Wu Gui's face. He said slowly, "Don't worry. I'll handle the matter of backing. In two days, we'll open as scheduled, hold the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and we'll even invite the people from those blacksmith shops to attend."
"You have a solution?"
Chen Ku nodded. "You don't need to worry about it. Right now, there's a small task. I just went to the Firewood Iron Shop to get my Refined Iron Rod repaired and I need two hundred jin of crow sink sand. Have a few assistants take it over there. I have to go now."
"Take care, Store Manager."
Chen Ku walked out of his Iron Bank. As he navigated the streets, his thoughts returned to the issue. Backing? It's a pity Official Chai was unwilling to invest last time. Otherwise, with that kind of backing, who would dare accuse me of disrupting the market?
As Chen Ku pondered how to find a powerful supporter, the first place that came to mind was...
Before he knew it, he had returned to Medicine King Hall.
Just as Chen Ku arrived back at Medicine King Hall, someone in the main hall spotted him. The assistants and Apprentices immediately gathered around.
"Senior Brother Chen! Senior Brother Chen, you're back!"
Chen Ku raised an eyebrow slightly. Although these fellow Apprentices usually held him in good regard, it was unusual for them to swarm him like this, their behavior bordering on sycophantic.
Just then, a thunderous laugh erupted from the inner courtyard.
"HAHAHAHA! My disciple has returned! Where is he? Quick, quick, I must see him!"
Chapter 84: Chapter 84 Great Achievement
Medicine King Hall's main hall filled with laughter that echoed from the inner courtyard, as loud as thunder.
Surrounded by a crowd in the middle of the hall, Chen Ku immediately recognized the owner of the voice.
Master Yang? Master Yang has returned. It seems that during the half-day I was resting, Master Yang and the other masters successfully rounded up all those Demon People from Peace Path who appeared in the city today.
As this thought flickered through Chen Ku's mind, the blue curtain at the back of the hall was lifted, and the tall figure of Master Yang emerged first, followed by his disciple, Yang Shaoqi. Ke Yansheng followed closely, his expression somewhat frustrated.
"HAHAHA, good disciple."
Upon emerging, Yang Luochen saw the young man in the long robe in the hall, the twinkle in his eyes impossible to hide. He strode over, looking at Chen Ku as if appraising a treasured possession.
"You're Chen Ku, right? Have you practiced 'Skyward Strike,' the first move of my Furious Ape Mighty Staff?"
"Yes, Master Yang. I am Chen Ku."
While Chen Ku answered Yang Luochen's question, his thoughts raced. Although I was prepared for Master Yang to possibly take an interest in my talent for strength, and I hoped to become his disciple, I never imagined that this guardian deity of Medicine King Hall would show such enthusiasm for me.
He felt somewhat overwhelmed but still managed to ask, "Master Yang, when you say disciple... do you mean me?"
I'd heard that a master typically only accepts one disciple. As he said this, he couldn't help but glance at Master Yang's formally recognized disciple.
"Who else but you?" Yang Luochen looked at Chen Ku with a smile, stroking his goatee as he said, "Come on, tell me honestly, just how much Root Bone strength do you possess? Enough to actually lift my Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff?"
The moment he said this, many people in the hall quieted down, looking at Chen Ku with curiosity and envy. Just then, the curtain at the back parted, and Jiang Shaoyou and apprentices from other courtyards, drawn by the commotion, came over.
"What? Junior Brother Chen lifted Elder Yang's Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff?"
Hearing Yang Luochen's words, Jiang Shaoyou and several apprentices from notable families in the county all widened their eyes. Jiang Shaoyou, in particular, stared at Chen Ku as if seeing a monster.
He had sparred with Chen Ku before. Chen Ku's tremendous strength had made him feel hard-pressed. At that time, Chen Ku was only in the Initial Period of Force Transforming, yet somehow possessed a strength of three to four thousand Jin. For this exact reason, he was even more convinced he hadn't misjudged Chen Ku and wanted to cultivate a deep friendship with him. This led him to invite Chen Ku to gatherings of the county's upper-class circles and even help Chen Ku acquire a one-thousand-jin iron staff. He had assumed that the one-thousand-jin iron staff was merely for Chen Ku's daily practice. After all, while someone with three to four thousand Jin of strength could lift a thousand-jin staff, wielding it effectively was another matter entirely.
But now... so little time had passed, yet Master Yang himself was saying that Chen Ku had lifted his Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff—a Famous Weapon weighing twelve thousand Jin!
He was instantly shaken. So, was Junior Brother Chen actually holding back when we sparred that day? Jiang Shaoyou was astounded, his emotions a complicated mix. After all, if Chen Ku truly possessed twelve thousand Jin of strength, then even though Jiang Shaoyou himself was two realms higher in Force Transforming, he certainly would have been no match for him.
How much Root Bone strength do I have? Hearing Yang Luochen's query, Chen Ku pondered, Should I tell the truth?
His gaze settled on Master Yang and everyone present. Thinking of the shop he was about to open, he began to speak, "As for strength, I haven't tested it precisely. I only feel that after practicing martial arts, my strength has increased extremely rapidly. I can now wield my thousand-jin Refined Iron Dragon Stick effortlessly, and because of that, my 'Skyward Strike' has also reached the Minor Achievement stage."
"Wield a thousand-jin staff effortlessly? 'Skyward Strike'... Minor Achievement?!"
Yang Shaoqi, standing behind Yang Luochen, heard this brief statement and looked at Chen Ku as if he were seeing a little monster. His own Root Bone was considered exceptional, earning him the moniker "Ape Arms, Tiger Bones, and Stout Ox Tendons." Yang Shaoqi's arms were extremely long, his bones incredibly hard, and his tendons far more resilient and elastic than others. Even before he began Strength Training, he possessed three thousand Jin of strength. Yang Luochen discovered him in his hometown and immediately asserted that no one in the world was more suited to cultivating the Furious Ape Mighty Staff. Subsequently, through Strength Training, Force Transforming, and entering the realm of Inner Qi, his physical power had increased manyfold. He achieved Nine Thousand Jin of strength in a single arm, capable of dragging back nine bulls. When using both arms, he could exert nearly Twenty Thousand Jin of force. Yet even with his current strength, he couldn't wield a thousand-jin staff; instead, he used an eight-hundred-jin Mystic Water Iron Stick. With Nine Thousand Jin of strength in one arm, he couldn't even dream of lifting Master Yang's Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff single-handedly.
"Minor Achievement, truly Minor Achievement?" Yang Luochen couldn't fathom it.
Ke Yansheng also approached Chen Ku and asked seriously, "Has your 'Skyward Strike' truly reached Minor Achievement?"
Chen Ku nodded.
Ke Yansheng felt his emotions surge violently. I gave Chen Ku a one-year deadline! How long has it actually been? Three months?
Yang Luochen closed his eyes and silently made some calculations. 'Skyward Strike' at Minor Achievement means his claim of easily wielding a thousand-jin staff isn't false. And to wield a thousand-jin staff with such vigor, plus lift the Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff with one arm... he must have at least...