Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Two Storage Bags, Preparing to Leave
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"Two cubic meters of space. Not bad. Worth two hundred spirit stones."
"Huh... there are also over eighty spirit stones and three bottles of Fasting Pills."
With a thought, Chen Jianghe took out all the items from the storage bag. Eighty-six spirit stones.
Three flasks of Fasting Pills, and a few sets of clothes.
"The storage bag's space isn't small, but isn't this a bit too poor?" Chen Jianghe grumbled inwardly. He felt that Ruan Tieniu had lied; he must have looked inside the storage bag.
He only gave it to me because it wasn't worth much.
Then, Chen Jianghe looked at the other storage bag and took out all of its contents as well.
Three hundred and twenty-two spirit stones.
A high-grade flying sword and a high-grade defensive artifact.
Three Spirit Gathering Pills and a bottle of second-tier healing spirit fluid.
"Hm? A second-tier spirit core? A Phantom Heart Grass!"
Chen Jianghe stared at the items taken from the storage bag, completely stunned.
He admitted that he had misunderstood Ruan Tieniu.
Ruan Tieniu had, one hundred percent, not checked the contents of these two storage bags.
The items in the first storage bag, plus the value of the bag itself, were only worth about three hundred spirit stones.
But the second storage bag was on another level.
The space inside the storage bag was five cubic meters. This bag alone was worth over five hundred spirit stones.
The items within were even more valuable.
A non-elemental, high-grade flying sword. Although it was used, the wear wasn't severe. It could be sold back for about one hundred spirit stones.
There was also a high-grade defensive artifact, also used, which could be sold back for over two hundred spirit stones.
Spirit Gathering Pills were the lowest level of introductory second-tier spirit pills.
They were also the least valuable.
Each one was worth one hundred and twenty spirit stones and was used to aid Foundation Establishment cultivators in their daily cultivation.
They were sold at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
It was also the only type of second-tier spirit pill sold on the open market.
Three of them were worth three hundred and sixty spirit stones.
From this, it was clear that this was the storage bag of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Inside were also three second-tier spirit cores: a water-elemental one, an earth-elemental one, and an ice-elemental one.
The value of a second-tier spirit core was over twelve hundred spirit stones, especially the ice-elemental one.
Alchemist Zhuang had spent over eighteen hundred spirit stones to win one at an auction.
But none of that was the crucial part.
The main thing was that inside this storage bag, there was actually a stalk of Phantom Heart Grass.
Alchemist Zhuang was currently lacking only a stalk of Phantom Heart Grass.
He had already gathered the Purple Glow Vermilion Fruit and the second-tier ice-elemental spirit core. With this Phantom Heart Grass, he could now refine the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Chen Jianghe's gaze shifted to the room behind the water-curtain wall, and he sighed with emotion, "Brother Ruan sure knows how to 'pick up' storage bags!"
He was one hundred percent certain that this five-cubic-meter storage bag in his hand had belonged to a Foundation Establishment senior.
The three Spirit Gathering Pills were proof enough, as they were second-tier spirit pills used by Foundation Establishment cultivators for their daily cultivation.
"Brother Ruan really gave me a surprise!"
"The value of these two storage bags exceeds seven thousand spirit stones."
Chen Jianghe was both shocked and delighted.
The Mountain-Suppressing Bone-Mending Pill he had given Ruan Tieniu, although a second-tier healing spirit pill that could sell for twelve hundred spirit stones at auction,
was worth at least six times less than these two storage bags.
Chen Jianghe gleefully put the spirit stones and cultivation resources into his storage bag, his purse instantly bulging.
The spirit stones in his possession now reached one thousand four hundred and forty.
If he sold off all the resources he had—well, keeping the supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pill—he would have nearly ten thousand spirit stones.
In his fifty-two years of cultivation, this was the first time he had ever been so wealthy.
His gaze couldn't help but drift once more to the room behind the water-curtain wall.
"Brother Ruan must have more of these mystery boxes. Should I take this chance to help him ascend to immortality?"
An evil thought arose in Chen Jianghe's mind.
But he quickly suppressed it.
He sat cross-legged, calming his mind, and cultivated the Soul-Suppressing and Spirit-Forging Art to dispel this startlingly wicked thought.
Ruan Tieniu was so heavily injured, yet he still dared to seek him out.
This was born of his trust in him.
Moreover, he had given him two valuable storage bags. He couldn't commit such an inhuman act.
Chen Jianghe knew in his heart that once he opened the door to killing for treasure, he would never be able to close it again.
He was well aware of the saying that murder and arson line one's pockets with gold.
Once that door was opened, he would gradually become a rogue cultivator, or even a gambling cultivator. This was extremely dangerous; a single misstep could lead to him being robbed and killed by others.
He had a long lifespan. As long as he was alive, cultivating step-by-step and managing his affairs steadily, he could achieve everything in due time.
There was no need to take such risks.
Besides, he needed a fellow Daoist like Ruan Tieniu.
Another point: Ruan Tieniu's injuries were clearly caused by demonic beasts, meaning this was his condition when he escaped from the Beast Taming Market City.
Yet he was still able to make it all the way back to Qinghe Market City.
What did that imply?
Ruan Tieniu must have a trump card that allowed him, despite his severe injuries, to not fear being ambushed and killed by Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Several hours later.
Chen Jianghe's mood had calmed. He glanced at the room behind the water-curtain wall, his eyes clear and pure, showing a trace of worry.
It was worry for Ruan Tieniu.
With such heavy injuries, he didn't know if he could fully recover.
The limb regeneration art was certainly miraculous, but Ruan Tieniu's injuries were just too severe.
"Sigh, I hope Brother Ruan can recover soon."
He prayed silently.
Afterward, he began drawing spirit talismans in the courtyard, standing guard while Ruan Tieniu healed, and also waiting for Luo Xiyue to visit.
Time flew by in a flash.
It was now the seventh month, the beginning of autumn.
Chen Jianghe had used eighty sheets of spirit fox hide and successfully created forty-four high-grade protective talismans.
He put away his Azure Feather Talisman Brush.
His gaze fell upon the room behind the water-curtain wall. Spiritual energy was gathering, golden light flickered, and the recovery process was still ongoing.
From the elemental nature of the gathering spiritual energy, Ruan Tieniu was likely cultivating a metal-elemental technique.
"Seven months have passed, and Ruan Tieniu is still healing. It seems the lifespan consumed this time was at least ten years."
"He has taken a Youth-Retaining Pill and a Life Extension Pill, so his Foundation Establishment lifespan limit should be two hundred and forty years."
"But he's used the Blood River Escape Art multiple times. His lifespan is probably less than two hundred and twenty years now!"
As Chen Jianghe thought this, he took out the letters from the post box.
There were three letters in total. A glance at the signatures revealed they were from Yu Daniu and Alchemist Zhuang.
There was also a message from Chen Ping.
Chen Jianghe first opened Yu Daniu's letter.
The letter was filled with worry and concern, urging Chen Jianghe not to wait for Luo Xiyue any longer and to leave Qinghe Market City as soon as possible.
He had already sent Yun Xiaoniu to the Gu Clan to discuss reinforcements.
The Gu Clan was also a Foundation Establishment immortal clan in the Eastern Region. Their relationship with the Yun Clan wasn't good, but it wasn't bad either.
If they could persuade the Gu Clan's ancestor to come to Qinghe Market City as well.
Then, including Yun Xiaoniu, there would be five Foundation Establishment Ancestors coming together.
Yu Daniu had written personally to urge him, and there was another crucial point: the Yun Clan's ancestor was reaching the end of his lifespan.
It would happen within this year.
Once the Yun Clan's ancestor died of old age, there would be one less Foundation Establishment Ancestor heading to Qinghe Market City.
"The Yun Clan's ancestor is at the end of his lifespan?"
This made him recall the incident sixteen years ago when the Yun Clan's ancestor came to Qinghe Market City and bought three Life Extension Pills.
Three Life Extension Pills could extend one's life by seventeen years.
Sixteen years had passed.
By that calculation, the Yun Clan ancestor's time was indeed up.
"If Xiaoniu can persuade the Gu Clan's ancestor, and five Foundation Establishment Ancestors come to Qinghe Market City... once Fellow Daoist Ruan recovers, six Foundation Establishment experts should be enough to ensure my safety."
"So be it. Once Fellow Daoist Ruan recovers, if Luo Xiyue is still in seclusion, I won't wait any longer."
The reason Chen Jianghe was waiting for an opportunity in Qinghe Market City was that he didn't want to expose Xiao Hei.
If he could have left Qinghe Market City safely without exposing Xiao Hei, he would have gone to Qiyun Mountain long ago.
Next, Chen Jianghe opened Alchemist Zhuang's letter.
This letter was also filled with words of concern.
It advised Chen Jianghe to act with caution and prioritize his own safety above all else.
After reading the letters from Qiyun Mountain, Chen Jianghe opened Chen Ping's message, and his brows furrowed.
"The price of high-grade protective talismans has dropped to a twenty percent premium?"
"Medium-grade protective talismans in Qinghe Market City are now selling at a premium, already up to fifty percent!"
Chen Ping knew Chen Jianghe was a high-grade Talisman Master, so he informed him about the price premium on medium-grade protective talismans.
With Chen Jianghe's skill in the Dao of Talismans, his success rate for drawing medium-grade protective talismans would be very high.
Drawing them while their price was at a premium would, all things considered, yield a much higher profit than drawing high-grade ones.
After reading Chen Ping's message.
Chen Jianghe wasn't concerned about the price premium. He was now worried that a beast tide was about to erupt in Qinghe Market City.
The premium on medium-grade protective talismans in Qinghe Market City indicated an increase in demonic beasts in the outer regions of the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range to the south.
Mid-stage Qi Refining beast hunters were starting to use medium-grade protective talismans with high frequency.
At the same time, the number of first-tier mid-stage and first-tier early-stage demonic beasts being hunted had increased.
However, there was no change in the number of first-tier late-stage demonic beasts.
Once the number of first-tier late-stage demonic beasts surged, it would mean the beast tide had fully broken out and had already surrounded Qinghe Market City.
"I can't stay here."
This letter from Chen Ping solidified his decision. He could not stay here any longer.
Otherwise, when the time came, he wouldn't be able to escape even if he wanted to.
He glanced at the room behind the water-curtain wall. Ruan Tieniu was still in seclusion, healing.
"If I write a letter to Qiyun Mountain now, it will take half a month to arrive. But looking at the situation in the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range south of Qinghe Market City, the beast tide could erupt very soon."
Chen Jianghe wrote a letter to Yu Daniu.
In it, he asked that upon receiving the letter, Yun Xiaoniu must implore the Yun Clan's ancestor, Yun Bufan, and the Qi Clan's ancestor to travel along the Luo Xing River to Qinghe Market City.
He would be departing shortly, heading from the You Xian River towards Mirror Moon Lake.
As for the Gu Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor, they should invite him if possible, but if not, they shouldn't force the issue. The most important thing was to hurry to Qinghe Market City via the Luo Xing and You Xian Rivers.
After writing the letter, Chen Jianghe walked out of the courtyard gate and placed it in the post box.
"It would be best if I can wait a month. By then, Xiaoniu and the others will have arrived in Qinghe Market City. If I can't wait that long, I'll have no choice but to flee for my life first and rendezvous with them on the You Xian River or the Luo Xing River."
With this thought, Chen Jianghe returned to his courtyard.
When it was time to leave, regardless of whether Ruan Tieniu had fully recovered, he would have to wake him up so they could escape together.
When fleeing for one's life, one couldn't abandon a fellow Daoist like Ruan Tieniu.
As for Luo Xiyue...
Never mind. If she couldn't make it, then they would each have to face their own fate.
In the following days, Chen Jianghe stopped drawing high-grade protective talismans and instead began creating high-grade Five Elements Escape Talismans.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
The Azure Feather Talisman Brush moved like a swimming dragon across the spirit fox hide, dots of spiritual light glimmering as it drew a high-grade Earth Escape Talisman.
Among high-grade Talisman Masters, Chen Jianghe's skill was already considered profound. His success rate for drawing high-grade protective talismans was as high as fifty-five percent.
Therefore, he quickly became proficient at drawing high-grade Five Elements Escape Talismans as well.
In half a month, he used ten sheets of spirit fox hide and created four high-grade Five Elements Escape Talismans, achieving a success rate close to fifty percent.
"Brother Chen."
Just then, Ruan Tieniu's voice sounded in Chen Jianghe's ear. Ruan Tieniu had come out of seclusion.
A pleased expression appeared on Chen Jianghe's face.
Ruan Tieniu had come out at just the right time.
With a thought, the water-curtain wall dissipated.
Ruan Tieniu was already standing at the doorway, his face filled with the relief of having survived a calamity. Seeing Chen Jianghe, he strode forward in a single bound.
"Brother Chen, great kindness needs no words. I'll keep it in my heart."
Ruan Tieniu cupped his fists and said solemnly.
At this point, Ruan Tieniu's arm and lower leg had recovered completely, but his abdomen had not fully healed.
"We're brothers, no need for such words. Besides, the storage bags Brother Ruan gave me contained quite a few good things," Chen Jianghe said with a chuckle.
"Mere external objects, how can they compare to the grace of saving a life?" Ruan Tieniu said.
Chen Jianghe said nothing more.
Since the two storage bags had been given to him, they were now his. There was naturally no need to tell Ruan Tieniu about his gains.
Then, he pointed to Ruan Tieniu's abdomen.
His meaning was self-evident.
Ruan Tieniu's abdomen had not fully recovered; there were still bloody holes left by the demonic beast's teeth.
The flesh that had been bitten off had already grown back.
However, the flesh contaminated by the demonic beast's teeth could not recover, as if it was tainted with some kind of poison.
To recover, he would need to purchase an antidote spirit pill or antidote spirit fluid.
Alternatively, Ruan Tieniu could just cut away the tainted flesh and let it regrow.
But doing so would consume more of his lifespan.
"We'll deal with this injury later."
Ruan Tieniu's expression was grave as he looked at Chen Jianghe and said, "Brother Chen, we need to leave Qinghe Market City as soon as possible."
"The reason I was able to escape from the Beast Taming Market City is that the third-tier Thunder-Patterned Crimson Flame Leopard returned to the depths of the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range."
"Taking advantage of the absence of a third-tier demonic beast guarding the eastern side of the Beast Taming Market City, I fled with seven other Foundation Establishment fellow Daoists."
"Unfortunately, they... sigh!"
"Let's not talk about that. Brother Chen, in your previous letter, you mentioned that a Thunder-Patterned Crimson Flame Leopard was auctioned in Qinghe Market City and bought by the He Clan. I can say with certainty that the third-tier Thunder-Patterned Crimson Flame Leopard will definitely incite a beast tide in Qinghe Market City."
Chen Jianghe nodded as he listened to Ruan Tieniu.
"Brother Ruan's guess is correct. A beast tide is indeed about to erupt in Qinghe Market City. The medium-grade protective talismans here are already selling at a premium."
"Half a year ago, I was also planning to leave Qinghe Market City."
"This... I've held Brother Chen back." Ruan Tieniu cupped his fists. He knew that Chen Jianghe had been standing guard for him for over half a year.
A sense of gratitude welled up in his heart.
"What's the point of saying that?"
Chen Jianghe said nonchalantly, "I'm planning to head to Qiyun Mountain first. If Brother Ruan hasn't decided on a destination, we can travel together."
"Qiyun Mountain? Eight hundred miles north of Mirror Moon Lake, the former territory of the Foundation Establishment immortal White Clan?"
"Correct. It's now the clan territory of my brother, Yu Daniu."
"Sounds good. I was planning to go north of the Heaven-Reaching River anyway and needed to go to Ferry Market City first, which happens to be on the way past Qiyun Mountain," Ruan Tieniu said.
"In that case, please wait a couple of days, Brother Ruan. I still need to purchase some resources."
"Alright, go ahead, Brother Chen."
Ruan Tieniu nodded. He could also use this time to check the storage bags of those three fellow Daoists.
Seven Foundation Establishment cultivators had escaped the Beast Taming Market City with him. Two of them were too slow and fell behind in less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
They became food for the demonic beasts.
Therefore, Ruan Tieniu did not get to inherit the legacies of those two fellow Daoists.
Another fellow Daoist was swallowed whole by a Crimson Flame Python, and Ruan Tieniu couldn't get to him in time.
The farther they fled, the fewer pursuing demonic beasts there were.
Of the remaining four fellow Daoists, three fell into the mouths of demonic beasts, but at the last moment, Ruan Tieniu managed to inherit their legacies.
The last fellow Daoist was gravely injured by a demonic beast, his wounds nearly as severe as his own.
Unable to bear seeing his fellow Daoist suffer, Ruan Tieniu painfully sent him on his way and inherited his legacy.
He had given Chen Jianghe two storage bags. One was from a Qi Refining cultivator, which he had picked up during the first counterattack against the demonic beasts in the Beast Taming Market City.
The other belonged to the fellow Daoist he had personally sent on his way.
---
Chen Jianghe left Qingping Lane and went straight to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Along the way, he observed the cultivators he passed. They all seemed as usual, completely unaware that a beast tide was about to erupt in Qinghe Market City.
However, he wasn't about to go around proclaiming that a beast tide was imminent.
If he did, not only would he not earn the gratitude of these rogue cultivators, but he would also be swiftly eliminated by the two great clans of Qinghe.
He arrived at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
First, he bought fifty portions each of Spirit-Condensing Grass and Spirit-Warming Sand for four hundred spirit stones. With Chen Ping's discount jade token, he saved twenty spirit stones.
Qiyun Mountain was newly established and certainly lacked these resources. Chen Jianghe had to stock up on the cultivation resources he would need before attempting to reach Foundation Establishment.
He was out of body-tempering resources.
However, Chen Jianghe didn't plan to buy any. The medicinal power of the body-tempering spirit pills stored in his Shenque acupoint was enough for his cultivation this year.
He had a feeling that he might achieve completion in his body tempering by the end of the year.
There was no need to spend more spirit stones on body tempering.
He still had plenty of talisman-making materials, enough for the next six years, so there was no rush to buy more.
The next moment, he arrived at the spirit talisman counter.
He wasn't there to sell high-grade protective talismans, but to buy high-grade specialty spirit talismans.
"Ten Godspeed Talismans, five Giant Strength Talismans, and five Sealing Talismans."
"Please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist."
The female late-stage Qi Refining clerk said, then went to fetch the high-grade spirit talismans for Chen Jianghe.
"The Godspeed Talismans are at a forty percent premium. Ten of them cost two hundred and ten spirit stones."
"The Giant Strength Talismans are at a twenty percent premium. Five of them cost ninety spirit stones."
"Five Sealing Talismans cost one hundred spirit stones."
"The total is four hundred spirit stones."
Chen Jianghe took out his discount jade token, handed over three hundred and eighty spirit stones, and received the twenty high-grade specialty spirit talismans.
Seven hundred and sixty spirit stones were spent in an instant, flowing away like water.
He now had six hundred and eighty spirit stones left.
Afterward, he found Chen Ping.
"Fellow Daoist, take a look and see how many spirit stones these can be sold back for."
Chen Jianghe took out two storage bags, a second-hand high-grade flying sword, and a second-hand high-grade defensive artifact.
"Fellow Daoist, what's this?"
"A gift from a friend who returned from the Beast Taming Market City," Chen Jianghe said with a smile.
"I see."
Chen Ping took the two blood-stained storage bags and scanned them with his divine sense. One had two cubic meters of space, the other had five.
"Storage bags are usually bought back at an eighty-five percent rate, but I'll give you ninety percent, Fellow Daoist."
"This two-cubic-meter storage bag sells for two hundred spirit stones, so I'll buy it back for one hundred and eighty."
"This five-cubic-meter storage bag sells for one thousand spirit stones, so I'll buy it back for nine hundred."
"A five-cubic-meter storage bag is worth that much?"
Chen Jianghe was a bit surprised.
"The value of a storage bag doesn't just increase by one hundred spirit stones for each additional cubic meter of space."
"The price increases exponentially. When a storage bag reaches five cubic meters, the price doubles, reaching one thousand spirit stones."
"At ten cubic meters, it doubles again."
Chen Ping explained this to Chen Jianghe, then suggested, "You could keep this five-cubic-meter storage bag for your own use, Fellow Daoist."
"It's fine, sell them both."
He wasn't going to keep either of these storage bags.
Who knew if they had special markings on them?
Last time, taking the storage bag of that rogue cultivator, Old Sixth, had gotten him chased for a hundred miles.
Besides, he didn't know how Ruan Tieniu had obtained this storage bag. What if its original owner was a disciple from some major clan?
If a member of that clan saw him with the storage bag, wouldn't they assume he was the killer?
Chen Jianghe wasn't about to take the blame for someone else.
However, judging from Chen Ping's attitude as he accepted the two storage bags, they probably didn't have any special markings.
Otherwise, a legitimate market city wouldn't accept storage bags with markings.
Rogue cultivators usually fenced their stolen goods in the black market.
But what if Chen Ping couldn't detect the markings?
"This high-grade flying sword and high-grade defensive shield aren't too worn. I can give you three hundred and twenty spirit stones for them, Fellow Daoist."
Chen Ping glanced at Chen Jianghe and said.
After seeing Chen Jianghe nod, Chen Ping had the counter record the transaction and then gave one thousand four hundred spirit stones to Chen Jianghe.
At that moment, Chen Jianghe once again had two thousand and eighty spirit stones in his possession.
Chen Jianghe sent a voice transmission, asking, "Fellow Daoist, do you have a channel for purchasing second-tier talismans?"
"Second-tier talismans?"
Chen Ping's brows knitted together. Second-tier talismans generally didn't appear at auctions, but that wasn't because they weren't valuable.
On the contrary, this was precisely what proved their value.
Because second-tier talismans were all consumed privately.
For a Talisman Grandmaster, drawing a second-tier talisman was not as simple as drawing a spirit talisman; it required a great deal of time.
It was extremely draining on the mind and also consumed a great deal of spiritual power.
A Qi Refining cultivator might be able to become a second-tier Alchemist, but they absolutely could not create a second-tier talisman.
This was because the energy contained within a second-tier talisman was the completely liquefied spiritual power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Only a Foundation Establishment cultivator, who had condensed their sea of qi into droplets, could imbue a second-tier talisman with such terrifying power.
As the secondary manager of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Chen Ping naturally had channels to purchase second-tier talismans, but those relied on personal connections.
His relationship with Chen Jianghe wasn't good enough for him to call in those favors.
"If you can help me purchase a second-tier talisman, Fellow Daoist, I can offer you a fortuitous opportunity in return."
"A fortuitous opportunity?"
Chen Ping was taken aback and quickly asked via voice transmission, "What kind of opportunity are you talking about, Fellow Daoist?"
"A life-or-death opportunity. How about it?"
"Alright, I'll help you purchase it, Fellow Daoist."
When Chen Ping heard Chen Jianghe mention a life-or-death opportunity, the first thing that came to his mind was the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Because without a Foundation Establishment Pill, if one failed when attempting to break through to Foundation Establishment, their sea of qi and dantian would collapse, and they would die from their body exploding.