Chapter 61

Wei Shizhe knocked Hu An unconscious and carried him under his arm, quickly returning to the campsite. He had considered killing Hu An to silence him, but the "Moonlight Wheel Mirror" was too significant, and he didn't dare make such a decision on his own, so he dismissed the thought.

When reporting to Wei Rongniang, he didn't even swallow the piece of animal skin.

Wei Rongniang frowned slightly when he mentioned Yu Yao's name, subconsciously tapping her index finger and remaining silent. Wei Shizhe understood that Wei Rongniang either knew Yu Yao or knew her whereabouts.

Wei Rongniang also found the situation tricky. If a Talisman Cultivator from the Taiyi Sect had crossed the boundary and entered Kunlun Mountain, killing him would be one thing, but Hu An had the backing of the Lingxiao Hall's hall master, Xu Lingguan, and she couldn't make a decision on her own. After a moment's thought, she first took Hu An's copper badge and said to Wei Shizhe, "Is there anything here that catches your eye? Pick one."

Wei Shizhe didn't hesitate, taking the piece of animal skin and said, "The animal skin belongs to Tian Changshou. It records the Moon Howling Technique of the Yunya Sect. I only need three days to study it, and then I will hand it over to my sect for disposal."

Wei Rongniang didn't think much of it and said, "A cultivation technique for body refinement, incomplete and fragmented. You can keep it."

Duan Wenhuan and Chen Suzhen each received a few talismans. The Taiyi Sect's talisman-making techniques were unique, and the ones Hu An carried were of high quality, making them quite rare.

The remaining odds and ends were given to Cao Jinren by Wei Rongniang.

In the dead of night, all was quiet. Wei Rongniang picked up Hu An and left on her flying sword. The journey to Xianyun Peak was long, and even with flying, it would take her most of the day to return. She would likely be back around noon the next day.

The group chatted for a while and then lay down to rest. Cao Jinren couldn't put down the unremarkable stones he had, and Wei Shizhe, curious, asked, "What are these stones for?"

"These are fish-eye stones, a specialty of Liantao Mountain. In the Taiyi Sect, they can be exchanged for talismans, elixirs, and magical artifacts. A single circle is called a single eye, two circles are called double eyes, and three circles are called triple eyes. One double eye is worth ten single eyes, and one triple eye is worth ten double eyes. These fish-eye stones are quite valuable. If converted to silver, they would be worth at least 100,000 taels. For example, the Purple Gold Pill, which can extend a mortal's life by twelve years, can be exchanged for one pill with three single eyes in the Taiyi Sect, but in the mortal world, it is priceless, and even 10,000 taels of silver might not buy one."

"Interesting... Can fish-eye stones only be used within the Taiyi Sect?"

"In the past, that was the case, but the Taiyi Sect has significant influence in the Central Plains, and other sects also recognize fish-eye stones, using them as currency. This arrangement is highly beneficial to the Taiyi Sect. Later, Chu Tianyou strongly promoted the circulation of fish-eye stones, and the Taiyi Sect established 'marketplaces' and 'pawnshops' at the foot of Liantao Mountain. If you have the chance, you should visit; it's quite lively, and you might find some good deals."

Wei Shizhe was very interested and chatted with Cao Jinren for a while. He learned that "marketplaces" were markets, and "pawnshops" were pawnshops. The Taiyi Sect had established detailed regulations, which were managed by the Mountain and Marsh Hall, overseen by a high-ranking cultivator.

Cao Jinren was very familiar with these regulations and explained them in detail. Wei Shizhe occasionally interjected, hitting the key points, making Cao Jinren feel like he had finally found a kindred spirit. He spoke with increasing enthusiasm, his voice growing louder.

Duan Wenhuan, who had no good feelings toward the Taiyi Sect, found Cao Jinren's chatter annoying and glared at him. Cao Jinren was startled and quickly stopped, awkwardly gathering firewood.

Wei Shizhe closed his eyes, deeply admiring Chu Tianyou of the Taiyi Sect. Promoting the circulation of fish-eye stones and controlling the hard currency was a brilliant idea, not something an ordinary person could think of. Was Chu Tianyou also a穿越者 (time traveler)? Would he next issue paper money to replace fish-eye stones and create a grand inflationary drama?

With Cao Jinren's chatter silenced, the surroundings grew quiet. Wei Shizhe tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and got up to study the new piece of animal skin.

The animal skin depicted four people sitting cross-legged. The first person had a straight line along the spine with several small black dots, representing meridians and acupoints. The second person had hollow circles on the back, with one acupoint marked with a large black dot. The third person had all acupoints marked with large black dots, and the fourth person had hollow circles on the back, with about ten large black dots in the lower dantian.

The last person's image indicated the dantian, and Wei Shizhe guessed that this was the method for condensing the Dao embryo in the Moon Howling Technique, consistent with the fragment he had previously obtained.

Wei Shizhe counted the black dots on the images, totaling twelve, from the Dazhui to the Yaoyangguan, exactly twelve acupoints. He had already opened nine, leaving the "Xuanshu," "Mingmen," and "Yaoyangguan" acupoints. Finally reaching the Dao embryo stage, Wei Shizhe felt a lot of emotions, but he couldn't figure out the key points immediately. He had heard of the dangers of condensing the Dao embryo, and with only crude images to guide him, he felt a bit apprehensive.

His mind was fuzzy, the seven images coming and going, and he eventually fell asleep.

When he woke up, it was already early morning. The fire had gone out, and the smoke had dissipated into the morning mist. Cao Jinren was still asleep, snoring deeply, while Duan Wenhuan and Chen Suzhen were nowhere to be seen.

He sat up, grabbed a handful of snow to wipe his face, and then put another handful in his mouth, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

The air in the forest was fresh, and with a rare half-day of leisure, Wei Shizhe was in a good mood. He walked around in the snow and, near a pine forest, encountered Chen Suzhen.

Chen Suzhen was leaning against a pine tree, peeling and eating pine nuts. Seeing Wei Shizhe, she asked casually, "Do you want some pine nuts?"

"Thank you, no need."

"I forgot you only eat meat... You snored quite loudly last night."

Wei Shizhe was a bit embarrassed, "Did I disturb you?"

"No. I usually don't sleep; a short rest is enough for me."

"What do you do with the extra time?"

"Read books, cultivate, and daydream."

"What kind of books do you like?"

"Poetry, lyrics, and essays. Do you like them?"

Wei Shizhe thought, "Poetry, lyrics, and essays? A moment of spring is worth a thousand pieces of gold, and one must experience it firsthand. The maid supports the weak, and the governor of Jiangzhou is drenched in sweat. Does this count? Or should I just forget it?" He decided not to show off and said, "Uh, I'm a rough man, and I can't read much."

"Brother Wei is too modest. The regulations about 'marketplaces' and 'pawnshops' that Brother Cao mentioned yesterday are practical knowledge. Probably only you in the Xiandu Sect could understand them."

Wei Shizhe couldn't deny it. He hadn't realized that Chen Suzhen had quietly listened to their conversation, making Duan Wenhuan seem naive in comparison.

"Brother Cao, although he serves labor in the outer sect, is a thoughtful person. No one knows the internal affairs of the Taiyi Sect better than him. If you have the opportunity, you might consider helping him."

Wei Shizhe didn't understand her meaning and smiled bitterly, "Sister, you're too kind to me."

Chen Suzhen smiled, "Brother Cao and I both come from the merchant class. We have learned a bit about seeing the big picture from small details. Speaking of which, Brother Cao is a distant relative of mine. By seniority, he should call me aunt."

"Thank you, Sister. Brother Cao is very talented and will surely have his day."

"Thank you, Brother!" Chen Suzhen smiled at him, looking like a skilled businessman.