Chapter 158, Journey Alone and Searching for Medicine

Translator: Raznick

 

Zhou Daoyi’s successful breakthrough to late Foundation Establishment was news that required no secrecy.

 

It wasn’t long before all cultivators within the Zhou Clan learned of this good news.

 

Every member of the Zhou clan genuinely rejoiced at this development.

 

But the ones who felt the greatest joy were undoubtedly Zhou Chun and Zhou Daoquan.

 

For Zhou Chun, Zhou Daoyi’s breakthrough to the late Foundation Establishment meant he could finally shift his focus to the Golden Cauldron Mystic Art.

 

And for Zhou Daoquan, Zhou Daoyi’s breakthrough allowed him to confidently leave the clan to wander and seek opportunities to open his Violet Palace.

 

Therefore, shortly after Zhou Daoyi emerged from seclusion, Zhou Chun resumed his oversight of the clan’s affairs while preparing to depart in search of materials to refine Metal Qi Dispersing Powder.

 

Metal Qi Dispersing Powder was a pill with such rare applications; acquiring it through purchase or trade was simply unrealistic.

 

However, lacking it would make the cauldron-forging stage of the Golden Cauldron Mystic Art exceptionally difficult.

 

Therefore, Zhou Chun absolutely had to obtain it.

 

Now, through various channels, he had gathered all the auxiliary ingredients needed for its refinement, lacking only two crucial primary herbs to commission someone to open a furnace and refine the pills.

 

“The cultivation world is fraught with peril; your Silver Thunder Python has already advanced to second-grade, but traveling alone still requires utmost caution. Remember the lesson from last time when you traded for pills!”

 

Before Zhou Chun departed, Zhou Daoyi offered him heartfelt advice, urging him to be exceptionally careful.

 

Foundation Establishment cultivators, within the cultivation world, though possessing a preliminary ability to travel far independently, were not entirely without peril.

 

Especially cultivators like Zhou Chun, venturing out alone in search of a specific material, were more likely to be targeted for that very reason.

 

Being alone in a foreign land meant that if someone plotted against him, his clan would be powerless to avenge him and might not even know who had done the deed.

 

Therefore, Zhou Daoyi could only urge him to be careful, not to flaunt his wealth or reveal his trump cards.

 

“I will certainly remember Clan Leader’s admonishment.”

 

Zhou Chun nodded earnestly, then departed the clan alone.

 

His destination was Jing Kingdom Vast Province, a number of thousand miles distant—territory of the Jing Kingdom’s powerful sect, Helios Sect.

 

The two primary ingredients needed to refine Metal Qi Dispersing Powder were more prevalent there.

 

He left Nine Peaks and immediately ascended, heading in the direction of Vast Province.

 

This was also Zhou Daoyi’s advice: do not reveal the fact that he possessed a second-grade flying artifact along the road, nor reveal the existence of a second-grade Silver Thunder Python.

 

In this way, powerful bandit cultivators with malicious intent would not even consider targeting him, and if weaker cultivators dared to attack him, they would be killed outright.

 

However, aerial travel was not only slow but also consumed a great deal of spiritual power.

 

Generally, early Foundation Establishment cultivators, in order to conserve sufficient spiritual power to deal with threats, would find a place to recover spiritual power after traveling less than a thousand miles.

 

But this was not a problem for Zhou Chun.

 

He did not need to detour in search of a place to replenish his spiritual power; he could simply fly straight ahead.

 

When his spiritual power waned, he’d find a woodland and burrow inside, meditating to recover.

 

This way, he avoided market and cultivator settlements, lessening the risk of unwanted attention.

 

It took him a little over three days to reach the borders of Vast Province.

 

Vast Province was situated in the mid-west of the Jing Kingdom, bordering Yan Province, the location of the Helios Sect estate.

 

The province was mountainous, rich in mineral deposits, and had a better cultivating environment than Mist Province, exhibiting overall greater prosperity.

 

However, the province’s political landscape was complex. Although the Helios Sect held nominal authority, the presence of abundant mineral resources attracted the involvement of the Moon Cabal and Green Lotus Monastery, who supported various factions.

 

Historically, smaller factions engaged in power struggles here, and few local clans survived for long, barring those with deep roots.

 

Especially when new mineral deposits were discovered, fierce battles erupted over their control.

 

Zhou Chun, aware of the province’s complexity, refrained from using the Zhou Clan’s name upon arrival.

 

He also did not use the identity of a rogue cultivator, instead assuming the guise of a scion from a cultivating clan in Cloud Province that relocated its estate following an intrusion by the Dragonized Sect.

 

A Foundation Establishment cultivator of his age was exceptionally rare, and revealing his true identity would draw unwanted attention.

 

As a cultivating clan cultivator, he would appear unusual but far less conspicuous.

 

Cloud Province and Vast Province were separated by thousands of miles, and few would discern the deception unless they possessed detailed knowledge of Cloud Province.

 

Having searched for information within Vast Province under this assumed identity, he would easily infiltrate Jinquan market, the largest market in the province.

 

Compared to Red Cliff Market and Eastern Hill Market he previously visited, Jinquan Market was significantly larger, boasting a greater number of shops and a far more substantial flow of cultivator traffic.

 

Moreover, Zhou Chun also noticed that the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators passing through here was surprisingly large.

 

He had previously found it rare to spot even a single Foundation Establishment cultivator during a walk around the streets when he was in Red Cliff Market.

 

However, after a walk around the Jinquan market, he saw three Foundation Establishment cultivators passing by.

 

Clearly, the fact that so many Foundation Establishment cultivators were being drawn here suggested that the shops within the Jinquan market stocked things they needed.

 

This filled Zhou Chun with a sense of anticipation.

 

After some investigation and inquiries, he entered a shop named Miscellaneous Store within the market.

 

This Miscellaneous Store was a general goods store, selling herbs, spirit gold ore, and other items, though their prices were slightly higher than market value.

 

Upon entering, Zhou Chun saw the shopkeeper conducting a transaction with a customer.

 

The shopkeeper, despite only possessing Qi Refining cultivation, didn’t immediately dismiss the previous customer because Zhou Chun was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

 

Instead, he offered a courteous cupping hands gesture and said, “Senior, please wait a moment. I will finish the transaction with this Fellow Daoist before attending to you.”

 

Perhaps it was this very demeanor that greatly satisfied the Qi Refining cultivation customer.

 

He quickly paid with spirit coin and left the shop with his purchase.

 

At that moment, the shopkeeper, whose hair was already streaked with white, approached Zhou Chun with a full face of apology and said, “I apologize for making you wait; I offer my apologies.”

 

“It’s of no consequence; things are naturally handled on a first-come, first-served basis. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

 

Zhou Chun waved his hand, indicating that it was alright.

 

Then he looked at the shopkeeper and asked, “I wonder if your shop carries Gold Leaf Bamboo Root that’s been aging for over five hundred years and superior Gold-eating Rat gall for sale?”

 

Hearing his words, the shopkeeper immediately shook his head, saying, “Senior, our shop carries both of these spiritual items, but the age and quality don’t meet your requirements.”

 

Zhou Chun’s heart had anticipated this response.

 

After all, Gold Leaf Bamboo Root that’s been aging for over five hundred years—aside from being able to refine Metal Qi Dispersing Powder, it could also be used to refine some greater pills—wouldn’t be found in an ordinary shop.

 

And the gall of a superior Gold-eating Rat needed to be extracted alive from the body of a superior first-grade demon beast.

 

Generally, these superior first-grade Gold-eating Rat were the rat kings of a swarm; wanting to capture one alive to extract its gall was an incredibly difficult feat!

 

So he didn’t reveal any disappointment at this time but continued to look at the shopkeeper and said, “I hear that your shop offers a reward for finding items; if I am willing to purchase these two items at a price higher than half the market price, what do you think, shopkeeper?”

 

Rewards for finding items were a special service offered by some market shops.

 

They were usually shops with broad connections and would offer this service.

 

They would increase the reward amount based on the value of the spiritual items the customer sought, then use their extensive network to gather the relevant spiritual items for the customer.

 

Zhou Chun had also learned that this Miscellaneous Store offered this service, and that was why he came here to inquire.

 

Hearing his words, the shopkeeper quickly replied, “My shop does offer rewards for finding items, but if you wish to conduct this business, it is not something I can decide on my own.”

 

“Then please summon someone who can make that decision.”

 

Zhou Chun waved his hand, dismissing him to find someone.

 

Hearing his words, the shopkeeper cupped his hands to him, saying, “Then please come back this evening, at which time our store’s senior manager should be in the shop.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Zhou Chun glanced at the shopkeeper once and finally nodded, turning to leave the store.

 

After he left, the shopkeeper quickly closed the door and went to the store’s backyard.

 

Shortly after, he returned to the front hall, reopened the door, and resumed business.

 

As evening approached, Zhou Chun arrived at the Miscellaneous Store as promised.

 

Upon seeing him, the shopkeeper hurried forward to greet him respectfully: “Senior, the store’s manager is already waiting in the backyard; I will take you there to meet her.”

 

Having said that, he led Zhou Chun to the backyard and into a waiting room and then returned to the front hall.

 

Zhou Chun walked into the open hall and saw a middle-aged woman with mid Foundation Establishment cultivation brewing tea.

 

Seeing him enter the room, she rose to greet him: “Fellow Daoist Jiang, you are too courteous. My name is Luo Qingyi, and I am the current manager of this Miscellaneous Store.”

 

“Fellow Daoist Luo, my name is Jiang Zishan, and I am from Cloud Province.”

 

Zhou Chun cupped his hands in a greeting, also revealing the origin of his assumed name.

 

Hearing his words, the woman named Luo Qingyi merely smiled, unsure whether she believed him or not.

 

She then subtly raised her hand, gesturing for him to enter and saying, “Fellow Daoist Jiang, please sit down and have some tea.”

 

Saying that, she picked up the steaming teapot and poured a cup of tea for Zhou Chun.

 

“Thank you, Fellow Daoist Luo, for the tea.”

 

Zhou Chun offered a polite thanks but merely sniffed the tea slightly before placing it on the table.

 

When traveling, he certainly wouldn’t drink tea or wine offered by strangers; this gesture was considered a sufficient courtesy.

 

Seeing this, Luo Qingyi didn’t reveal any displeasure.

 

She simply lifted the hot tea to her lips, took a sip, and then looked at Zhou Chun and asked, “Fellow Daoist Jiang traveled far from Cloud Province merely to purchase two herbs?”

 

“That’s right. I inquired extensively and learned that only the Jing Kingdom in Vast Province has a chance to find Gold Leaf Bamboo Root over five hundred years old and top-grade Gold-eating Rat gall.”

 

Zhou Chun nodded, readily acknowledging this.

 

This wasn’t something that needed to be kept secret; there was nothing wrong with admitting it.

 

Seeing this, Luo Qingyi continued immediately, “Gold Leaf Bamboo Shoot over five hundred years old is extremely rare; wild ones are almost nonexistent; they can only be sought from the medicinal gardens of various clans.

 

“My shop knows which forces possess these spiritual herbs, but Fellow Daoist Jiang intends to use spirit coins to purchase them. I doubt anyone would be willing to sell!

 

“As for top-grade Gold-eating Rat gall, this item is difficult to preserve for long and is not easy to obtain; my shop can’t provide it to Fellow Daoist at the moment, only provide a few wild Gold-eating Rat groups’ information. Fellow Daoist can see if they can harvest the medicine themselves!”

 

Having said this, she lifted the tea again and took small sips, waiting for Zhou Chun’s reply.

 

And after hearing what she said, Zhou Chun frowned slightly, lost in thought.

 

After a period of time passed, Zhou Chun looked at Luo Qingyi and said, “I only brought spirit coins for purchasing herbs; if I were to purchase Gold Leaf Bamboo Root at twice the market price, would that not be possible?”

 

Hearing this, Luo Qingyi shook her head and laughed, “Fellow Daoist Jiang is also a clan cultivator; he should know how difficult it is to find herbs of this age. Unless someone is desperately in need of money, which clan would exchange such herbs for spirit coins?

 

“Not to mention twice the market price; even if it were offered at three times the price, there would certainly be no clan willing to sell it!”

 

This truth, Zhou Chun, how could he fail to understand?

 

But after suffering a significant loss at Master Jiang’s last time, how could he dare to readily expose any precious items now?

 

Especially in a place like the Miscellaneous Store.

 

At the moment, he could only sigh with a helpless expression: “Fellow Daoist Luo speaks truly, and I understand everything. Then, please, Fellow Daoist Luo, tell me which clans possess Gold Leaf Bamboo Root, and I will, upon returning to the clan, instruct seniors to bring items of equivalent value for an exchange!”

 

Having finished speaking, he bowed slightly. “Furthermore, please, Fellow Daoist Luo, provide the locations of those Gold-eating Rat swarms. Jiang will then lead seniors to gather the herbs.”

 

“That’s easily arranged; providing information will only require five hundred spirit coins from you, Fellow Daoist Jiang.”

 

Luo Qingyi narrowed her eyes, smiling as she stated the price.

 

It had to be said, the price she quoted was exorbitant!

 

Five hundred spirit coins would be enough to buy a five-hundred-year-old Gold Leaf Bamboo Shoot.

 

Of course, from the hands of a rogue cultivator, that kind of wild-grown herb.

 

However, Zhou Chun knew that he alone had to pay this price.

 

Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a matter of five hundred spirit coins.

 

“Agreed, here are five hundred spirit coins. Fellow Daoist Luo, please accept them.”

 

He readily pulled out a large money pouch, counting out five hundred spirit coins and placing them on the table.

 

“Then, please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist Jiang; I will record the information you requested onto a jade slip for you.”

 

Luo Qingyi’s face radiated a smile as her Divine Sense swept across the spirit coins scattered on the table. She promptly produced a jade slip, recorded the relevant information, and then, along with a map of the Vast Province, presented it to Zhou Chun.

 

Zhou Chun, upon receiving the items, didn’t linger for long and immediately bowed in a gesture of respect, saying, “Thank you, Fellow Daoist Luo, for your hospitality. I must take my leave now.”

 

“Fellow Daoist Jiang, take care.”

 

As she spoke, Luo Qingyi watched Zhou Chun depart the room.

 

Then, she gazed at the five hundred spirit coins resting on the table and, with a smile, tucked them away into her storage bag.

 

This was the advantage of running a reward-finding business—often, one didn’t need to actually assist in the exchange of goods; merely providing information sufficed.

 

The prerequisite was, of course, possessing a sufficiently broad network of connections and a formidable background.

 

“Hmm, when they inevitably make a deal, let’s give them a hundred spirit coins. That way, we can’t be accused of only taking and not giving back!”