Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: Traces of a Demonic Cultivator, A Surprise from Alchemist Zhuang
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In the Qingping Teahouse on River Street, a private room on the second floor was quiet and elegant, offering a view of the street and the river outside.
Large boats sailed past on the Qing River, flanked by rows of shops. In front of them ran a walkway over ten feet wide, bustling with people.
A single glance captured the myriad scenes of the market city.
Chen Jianghe took a delicate sip of spirit tea, savoring the bitter taste worth two spirit stones, which soon turned slightly sweet.
Duan Ming was dead.
This was indeed a joyous occasion for Chen Jianghe.
He now had one less marauder cultivator to worry about. Although he hadn't feared Duan Ming, he was out in the open while Duan Ming lurked in the shadows.
As the saying goes, a thief can steal for a thousand days, but one cannot guard against a thief for a thousand days.
Besides, the man was backed by Qingfeng Stronghold, a Foundation Establishment power.
"Boss Wang has already put out the word, forbidding Duan Ming's gang from entering the Youxian Mountain Range under Qinghe Market City's jurisdiction. He insisted on coming in, so even if he died, the Foundation Establishment cultivator backing him can't say a thing."
"Besides, what Foundation Establishment cultivator from Qingfeng Stronghold has the spare time to care about his life or death?"
Ruan Tieniu chuckled lightly. "Even if they did have the time, they wouldn't dare meddle in Qinghe Market City's affairs."
"Why is that? I heard before that even a ninth-level Qi Refining demonic cultivator dared to cause trouble in Qinghe Market City."
Chen Jianghe asked, following Ruan Tieniu's lead.
"Brother Chen, you're talking about the demonic cultivator Lan Tianxiang. How can a mere marauder cultivator compare to a demonic cultivator?"
Upon hearing the words "demonic cultivator," a strange look flashed in Ruan Tieniu's eyes, which he quickly concealed.
"Demonic cultivators have numerous methods, especially when it comes to self-preservation and escape. They're nearly impossible to catch."
"Furthermore, demonic cultivators are the most vengeful. Unless you're certain you can kill them, no one wants to provoke one."
"But marauder cultivators are different. They're just a bunch of bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. They dare cause trouble in Qinghe Market City?"
At this, Ruan Tieniu chuckled. "Brother Chen, don't tell me you think none of the Foundation Establishment cultivators in Qinghe Market City came from a demon hunter background?"
"Let me tell you a secret that's not much of a secret. Of the seventeen Foundation Establishment cultivators who reside long-term in Qinghe Market City, six of them started as demon hunters. Do you think Qingfeng Stronghold would dare to seek revenge on me and Boss Wang for a single Duan Ming?"
Chen Jianghe was stunned by his words.
He knew that many Foundation Establishment cultivators resided in Qinghe Market City, but he never imagined so many of them had come from demon hunter backgrounds.
Demon hunters were usually looked down upon by artisans.
Yet, they had produced so many Foundation Establishment cultivators. No wonder the demon hunters could gain a firm foothold in Qinghe Market City and even make the market authorities concede benefits.
And they had no fear of marauder cultivators.
It turned out the demon hunters had powerful backers as well.
Thinking about it, it made sense. How could Boss Wang, the leader of the largest coalition of demon hunting teams in Qinghe Market City, not have a backer?
"Does that mean Brother Ruan also has a Foundation Establishment cultivator behind him?" Chen Jianghe asked in surprise.
Ruan Tieniu shook his head.
"I don't like being managed, nor do I like sharing my wealth with others, so I never sought refuge with any of those Foundation Establishment seniors from demon hunter backgrounds."
"This time, although Boss Wang got two-thirds of Duan Ming's wealth, he still has to hand over a portion. All things considered, he didn't end up with as much as I did."
A slight smile played on Ruan Tieniu's lips; clearly, the haul from Duan Ming had been substantial.
Chen Jianghe didn't press for details.
His friendship with Ruan Tieniu wasn't deep, and even if it were, it wasn't a question he should ask.
One shouldn't flaunt their wealth, so how could he openly inquire about it?
"By the way, Brother Chen, see if there's anything here you can use."
As Ruan Tieniu spoke, he waved his hand, taking out several items from his storage pouch, including spiritual materials and magical artifacts.
"If you see anything you like, Brother Chen, just say the word. I'll give you a discount."
Chen Jianghe's interest was piqued. His gaze fell upon the treasures Ruan Tieniu had laid out.
Evidently, a good number of these must have belonged to Duan Ming.
"So many?"
Suddenly, Chen Jianghe felt that something was off. These dozen or so treasures, though not of the highest value, were worth nearly eight hundred spirit stones combined.
But Ruan Tieniu had only received one-third of the spoils.
The other two-thirds had been taken by Boss Wang.
This meant that the total wealth of Duan Ming, this marauder leader, exceeded two thousand spirit stones.
That seemed impossible. For a marauder cultivator, if they truly had so much wealth, they would have certainly converted it all into spirit stones to purchase cultivation resources.
Why would they carry it all on their person?
Among the items were two superior-grade flying swords in perfect condition, as well as a superior-grade defensive artifact.
These were not the kind of treasures one would expect a marauder cultivator to possess.
"Hehe, when Boss Wang and I team up, do you think our target would be just one Duan Ming?"
"Of course, most of these treasures belonged to Duan Ming. As for why he had so many... Brother Chen, you've probably heard of Wang Kui, right?"
"Wang Kui? The cultivator who found the demonic cultivator's storage pouch?"
Chen Jianghe more than just knew of Wang Kui.
He had met and spoken with Wang Kui several times, and this Wang Kui still owed Yu Daniu fifty spirit sands.
"Mm."
Ruan Tieniu nodded but offered no further explanation.
None was needed.
The storage pouch Wang Kui had found belonged to Lan Yunyi.
But Lan Yunyi was Lan Tianxiang's only nephew. After the Lan Clan was annihilated, Lan Tianxiang had treated Lan Yunyi like his own son, giving him a portion of the treasures he had plundered from Qiyun Mountain Market City.
It had been rumored that Lan Tianxiang had taken no less than seven thousand spirit stones' worth of wealth from Qiyun Mountain Market City.
He just never expected that Wang Kui would fall into the hands of marauder cultivators.
He glanced at the few magical artifacts. They were ordinary superior-grade artifacts with no elemental attributes, of little use to him.
The two bottles of Qi Recovery Pills were also useless within the market city.
Besides, if he needed Qi Recovery Pills, he could just go to Alchemist Zhuang and buy them at a better discount.
There were also some Qi Refining materials, which Chen Jianghe had even less use for.
The only thing he could potentially use was the storage pouch.
It was likely Duan Ming's.
A sweep of his divine sense revealed a five-cubic-meter space inside.
If he remembered correctly, Ruan Tieniu's own storage pouch was three cubic meters. So why didn't he keep this five-cubic-meter one for himself?
The answer was obvious: the storage pouch bore the mark of Qingfeng Stronghold.
Duan Ming was dead, but Qingfeng Stronghold still existed.
Chen Jianghe shook his head and said, "Nothing."
"I knew Brother Chen wouldn't be interested in these. Then how about this treasure, Brother Chen? Does it catch your eye?"
Ruan Tieniu put away the dozen or so items and then mysteriously took out a jade slip.
"Could this be an inheritance?" Chen Jianghe asked.
"Brother Chen is truly sharp-eyed. Indeed, this is a complete first-tier puppet inheritance, along with two demonic secret arts."
When Ruan Tieniu took out the jade slip, his expression was resolute, as if he had made up his mind.
"A puppet inheritance and demonic secret arts?"
Chen Jianghe was startled. When he saw the jade slip, he had guessed it might be a first-tier talisman inheritance.
After all, Ruan Tieniu knew he was a mid-grade Talisman Master.
But he never expected it to be a puppet inheritance and demonic secret arts.
A puppet inheritance, as the name suggested, was the legacy of techniques and methods for crafting puppets, along with some insights.
As for demonic secret arts, they were essentially spells of extremely formidable power.
Far surpassing ordinary spells.
However, most demonic secret arts required a certain price to be paid for their use, like the Blood Escape Art that Lan Tianxiang had used back then.
That was a demonic secret art.
The price was his own four limbs.
But one had to admit, the Blood Escape Art was indeed powerful. When used by the ninth-level Qi Refining Lan Tianxiang, even a veteran Foundation Establishment cultivator like the Yun Clan Ancestor could only watch in frustration.
"How does Brother Ruan wish to sell it?"
Chen Jianghe gave Ruan Tieniu a deep look, feeling a mix of doubt and shock.
Although the price of a puppet inheritance couldn't match that of a talisman inheritance, it wasn't far off. A privately traded first-tier puppet inheritance would cost at least eighteen hundred spirit stones.
Demonic secret arts typically only appeared on the black market.
With the demonic secret arts included, the price would definitely be over twenty-five hundred spirit stones.
Therefore, he couldn't help but be suspicious about the origin of this puppet inheritance and the demonic secret arts.
They certainly didn't come from Duan Ming.
Otherwise, there was no way the puppet inheritance and demonic secret arts would have ended up in Ruan Tieniu's hands.
Demonic secret arts might sound like they were only for demonic cultivators.
In truth, even sect disciples would secretly cultivate them because of their immense power, which could be life-saving in a critical moment.
In a life-or-death situation, who would care about losing an arm or a leg?
"No spirit stones needed." Ruan Tieniu said with a grin. "If Brother Chen is willing, we can make a trade."
"Then what about the Illusory Heart Grass?"
"I can sell the Illusory Heart Grass to you. One thousand spirit stones will do."
Hearing Ruan Tieniu's words, Chen Jianghe didn't answer immediately but stared at the jade slip.
"Since we've come this far, I won't hide it from you, Brother Chen. This belonged to the demonic cultivator Lan Tianxiang."
Seeing Chen Jianghe's gaze fixed on the jade slip, Ruan Tieniu understood what he meant and spoke candidly.
Chen Jianghe thought to himself, *as expected*.
The moment he heard "demonic secret arts," he had subconsciously thought of Lan Tianxiang.
Back then, the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Tiannan Sect had besieged Lan Tianxiang, but he had managed to escape, albeit at the cost of his limbs and a part of his soul.
If he wasn't mistaken...
Ruan Tieniu must have encountered Lan Tianxiang at that time. Only when Lan Tianxiang was at his absolute weakest could Ruan Tieniu possibly have killed him.
Otherwise, if Lan Tianxiang had been allowed even a little time to recover, he wouldn't have been someone a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator could handle.
"Let me consider it for a while," Chen Jianghe said.
"I must ask Brother Chen to give me an answer as soon as possible. My time is running out. Next year will be my last chance to attempt Foundation Establishment."
Ruan Tieniu put away the jade slip and cupped his hands in a salute.
"At the start of the year, regardless of whether we trade or not, I will give Brother Ruan an answer."
With that, Chen Jianghe left the Qingping Teahouse.
After returning home, he bolted his courtyard gate.
Scenes from his conversation with Ruan Tieniu flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.
Duan Ming was dead.
The wealth Ruan Tieniu had received, if that was all of it, was worth nearly eight hundred spirit stones.
For him, it meant one less threat.
For Ruan Tieniu, it meant his foundation for reaching Foundation Establishment had become much more solid.
Eight hundred spirit stones, plus the spirit stones from selling the Foundation Establishment Pill recipe, would be enough for him to buy Spirit Nurturing Pills, Spirit Nourishing Liquid, and a natural treasure to break through the bottleneck in his spiritual cultivation.
Ruan Tieniu's current spiritual cultivation was likely close to perfection.
He just needed to go to an immortal sect's market city to buy a natural treasure, and he could elevate his spiritual cultivation to the consummate level.
In other words, what Ruan Tieniu lacked most right now was a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Even a low-quality Foundation Establishment Pill held a fatal attraction for Ruan Tieniu.
Because Ruan Tieniu was out of time.
Therefore, he had no choice but to reveal the secret that he had intercepted and killed Lan Tianxiang.
The storage pouch Duan Ming got from Wang Kui only contained resources Lan Tianxiang had given his nephew for cultivation.
The real treasures were all in Lan Tianxiang's own possession.
By that logic, if Ruan Tieniu obtained Lan Tianxiang's storage pouch, then the treasures within would naturally have fallen into his hands.
"Could the Illusory Heart Grass also have belonged to Lan Tianxiang?"
Chen Jianghe frowned.
Ruan Tieniu had already produced one stalk of Illusory Heart Grass, and now he was claiming to have another.
Back then, he had only heard that Lan Tianxiang had looted Qiyun Mountain Market City, but there were no reports of any Illusory Heart Grass being stolen.
"What other secrets is Ruan Tieniu hiding?"
The once-ferocious demonic cultivator Lan Tianxiang had actually died at his hands.
There was another point: Lan Tianxiang's treasures had been in Ruan Tieniu's possession for at least twenty-eight years.
In other words...
Ruan Tieniu was already in the late stage of Qi Refining twenty-eight years ago.
By this calculation, Ruan Tieniu's true age was definitely not in his fifties. He should be around the same age as him, or perhaps even older.
His youthful appearance was likely due to taking a Youth Retaining Pill.
And since he was still thinking about Foundation Establishment, he must have also taken a Life Extension Pill.
Chen Jianghe took a deep breath. He felt a bit muddled; Ruan Tieniu seemed to be shrouded in too many secrets.
Most importantly...
Why hadn't Ruan Tieniu studied the puppet inheritance he obtained from Lan Tianxiang? Crafting puppets should be more profitable than demon hunting, right?
Unless Ruan Tieniu had absolutely no talent for puppetry.
But that was basically impossible.
Among the hundred arts of cultivation, besides array formations, alchemy, and artifact refinement which required exceptional talent, the others, including talisman crafting, could be learned through sheer effort.
Why were there so few artisans?
It wasn't a lack of talented cultivators, but a lack of inheritances.
Clan cultivators were better off, having the accumulated legacies of their families.
For a rogue cultivator, obtaining any kind of inheritance was incredibly difficult.
Ruan Tieniu also rented a small, single-room courtyard in the southwest district, just like him, prohibiting any outsiders from entering.
His own courtyard concealed Xiao Hei and Maoqiu.
So what was Ruan Tieniu hiding in his courtyard?
Chen Jianghe shook his head, his thoughts a tangled mess that only got more confusing the more he tried to sort them out. Ruan Tieniu was involved in too many secrets.
But he truly wanted the demonic secret arts.
Demonic secret arts usually involved either extremely powerful offensive spells or highly unique life-saving techniques.
Whichever it was, Chen Jianghe desperately needed it.
He needed to strengthen his trump cards.
As for the puppet inheritance, he didn't value it as much.
If he could obtain the Purple Glow Vermilion Fruit and refine another batch of Foundation Establishment Pills, he felt he could make this trade with Ruan Tieniu.
Having made up his mind, Chen Jianghe walked out of his courtyard.
He headed for Fushou Lane.
Two months had passed. He needed to pick up the Life Extension Pills from Alchemist Zhuang, preparing them in advance for Yu Daniu and his wife.
As for bringing Yu Daniu and Yun Huizhen to Alchemist Zhuang's place, it was best to forget it. After all, Alchemist Zhuang didn't like seeing people from the Yun Clan.
Why make things difficult for him?
Arriving at Fushou Lane, he glanced again at Ji Wujin's courtyard gate.
It still said 'Away.'
For a moment, this made Chen Jianghe suspect that the puppet inheritance and demonic secret arts in Ruan Tieniu's possession might not have come from Lan Tianxiang.
But from Ji Wujin.
He didn't linger at Ji Wujin's door. He went to Fu Residence number 136 and knocked on the door ring.
Before long, Jiang Ruxu came out.
"Senior Chen, please come in." Jiang Ruxu greeted him with a cheerful smile and led him into the courtyard.
"No need to call me Senior. You are now also a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator and a mid-grade Alchemist. We can address each other as Fellow Daoist from now on."
Chen Jianghe said with a smile.
"How could I do that? Senior is Master's closest friend. According to Master, my senior sister and I should call you Grandpa Chen, but..."
"Senior, you look even younger than me. I can't bring myself to say it, hehe."
"..."
Chen Jianghe shot Jiang Ruxu a speechless glance.
Just then, Alchemist Zhuang walked out and said sternly, "You should indeed call him Grandpa. He and I are the closest of friends, so Xinyan and Ruxu are naturally his juniors."
"What does age matter? In a large clan, it's common to see a newborn great-grandfather..."
"Ahem, that's going a bit too far."
Chen Jianghe quickly interrupted Alchemist Zhuang.
If this continued, Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan would really start calling him grandpa.
"Haha! Fellow Daoist took a Youth Retaining Pill in your early years, your mindset is still so good!" Alchemist Zhuang teased.
Chen Jianghe chuckled.
But that chuckle gave Alchemist Zhuang the answer he was looking for.
He took it as Chen Jianghe's silent admission to having taken a Youth Retaining Pill before, which was why he planned to sell the second one.
At the same time, it indirectly suggested that the relationship between Chen Jianghe and Gao Peiyao was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
"Fellow Daoist, have you refined the Life Extension Pills?"
Chen Jianghe had matters on his mind and didn't want to banter with the old man. Getting to the point was more important.
"Has Yu Daniu come to Qinghe Market City?"
Alchemist Zhuang simply said this before handing over a jade bottle.
"Not yet, but it should be in the next few days."
Chen Jianghe took out five hundred spirit stones and gave them to Alchemist Zhuang. He then took the jade bottle and scanned it with his divine sense.
His expression changed slightly.
He looked at Alchemist Zhuang and said, "Fellow Daoist, you've given me too many Life Extension Pills."
"Not at all. One batch yields three pills. It's just right."
Alchemist Zhuang said with a straight face.
"Huh?"
Chen Jianghe looked at the jade bottle in his hand. Inside were three Life Extension Pills.
The market price for a Life Extension Pill was five hundred spirit stones each.
But it was a seller's market.
They could usually only be bought at auctions, but everyone had a tacit agreement to keep the auction price of Life Extension Pills at eight hundred spirit stones.
"I only came to you to buy one pill, Fellow Daoist. Besides, I only gave you five hundred spirit stones. Three is too many."
Chen Jianghe took out one Life Extension Pill and handed the jade bottle back to Alchemist Zhuang.
Alchemist Zhuang raised a hand to stop him.
"When Fellow Daoist asks me to refine pills, it's naturally for a full batch. Who refines them one by one? Besides, the materials only cost a little over two hundred spirit stones. You gave me five hundred, so I've actually overcharged you for the refining fee. I am truly ashamed."
To a second-tier Alchemist, a Life Extension Pill was not particularly precious.
As long as they had the recipe, any second-tier Alchemist could refine it.
And the materials were all readily available. So, the Life Extension Pill, which was priceless in the eyes of other cultivators, was just an ordinary spirit pill to a second-tier Alchemist.
Alchemist Zhuang was on good terms with Chen Jianghe; a single batch of Life Extension Pills was nothing.
If Chen Jianghe hadn't been buying it for someone from the Yun Clan, he might have only charged him two hundred spirit stones for the materials.
He might not have even charged the two hundred spirit stones at all.
"This..."
"Is Fellow Daoist trying to be a stranger to me?"
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist." Hearing this, Chen Jianghe took back the jade bottle, placed it in his storage pouch, and cupped his hands in thanks.
"However, Fellow Daoist must keep the matter of refining Life Extension Pills a secret. The Tiannan Sect tacitly allows second-tier Alchemists to refine them, but it cannot be done openly, nor can they be sold on the open market. Otherwise, if it infringes upon the Tiannan Sect's interests, even a second-tier Alchemist at the Foundation Establishment realm will not have a good end."
Alchemist Zhuang warned him gravely.
"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist. I understand."
Chen Jianghe nodded, then asked another question, "Fellow Daoist, do you know who in Qinghe Market City has a Purple Glow Vermilion Fruit?"
"Ruan Tieniu died in the Youxian Mountain Range?"
Alchemist Zhuang asked in astonishment, then nodded to himself.
"Fusang Cliff is occupied by several second-tier demonic beasts. For a tenth-level Qi Refining cultivator to go there is indeed suicidal."
"Ahem... Fellow Daoist Ruan is still alive and well. It's just that he probably doesn't plan on going to Fusang Cliff anymore."
Chen Jianghe couldn't help but say, "So, I can only find someone else to cooperate with in refining the pills."
"As for the Purple Glow Vermilion Fruit, I do know who has one. I just don't know if Fellow Daoist can get his hands on another Youth Retaining Grass?"
"What does this have to do with Youth Retaining Grass?"